The Firstborn of all Creation

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He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:15-17

There is much that could be said about the title “firstborn”. It is a title of honor and refers to Christ being given all “the rights and privileges of a firstborn son, especially the son of a monarch who would inherit ruling sovereignty. This is how the expression is used of David: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth (Ps. 89:27).” (ESV Study Bible notes)

The phrase “firstborn” does not mean that Christ is a created being. We can establish that by reading the words that immediately follow in the text. Jesus is presented as the Creator of all things and He is before all things! This passage is in fact one of many that presents a clear affirmation of the Deity of Christ.

Here, and elsewhere, the “Bible” of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (New World Translation published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society) deliberately changes the scripture to obscure this truth. Rather than repeating the phrase “all things” over and over again, as Paul did, the Watchtower translation inserts another word, “other,” into the text, making it read, “because by means of him all [other] things were created… All [other] things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.”

The reason for the translation change is easy to understand: Their theology says that God the Father created Jesus and then Jesus created all other things and therefore, since Watchtower theology insists Jesus is merely a created being, this passage must be rendered this way.

Is there a legitimate reason in the text itself for this insertion? No, not at all – it is merely the blatant attempt to hide the truth.

Note once again the words of Scripture:

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Jesus is the Creator of all things and holds all things together! That is what the text explicitly states.

But there is much more we can say here. Not only does Colossians 1:15-17 declare Jesus to be the Creator and sustainer of all things, but like so many things in Scripture, when we establish the context of a term or phrase, the truth about what is meant to be communicated becomes immediately apparent. As we continue on reading in the book of Colossians, we are told in the clearest possible terms of the full deity of Christ.

Paul was writing to combat the heresy of the Gnostics. The word Gnostic means “to know” and the boast was that these people were “in the know” having been enlightened with a special knowledge unavailable to the normal person.

The Gnostics developed a very elaborate system of gods called “aeons” and their “enlightened” chart showed how each one related to the next one in terms of authority and power. This made up chart was known as the pleroma. Elsewhere in the letter, Paul uses this very word employed by the Gnostics to speak of Christ when he writes “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9). The word “fullness” there is the Greek word pleroma. In other words, Paul was saying, “if you want a chart… if you want a pleroma, here’s the only chart you need – Christ Himself!” In Christ “all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (NASB).

Knowing this then, it becomes clear that, to quote Dr. James White, “the position taken by those who deny the deity of Christ falls right into the trap of agreeing with the Gnostics against Paul! In other words, if we interpret this passage as saying Jesus is a part of the creation, and not the Creator Himself, we are left with a Jesus who looks very much like the Gnostic ‘aeon’ that Paul is arguing against! The argument presented by deniers of the deity of Christ in fact guts Paul’s entire argument against the Gnostics, leaving him arguing in circles! But when we allow the text to stand and speak for itself, Paul’s point is devastatingly clear: the Gnostic cannot just stick Jesus into his “system” somewhere. Jesus can’t be one of the ‘aeons’ between the one true, good God and the evil demiurge who ends up creating the world. No, Paul makes it impossible for the Gnostic to hold onto his false beliefs about the world and try to make room for an edited “Jesus” by firmly asserting that everything that exists, including the physical universe, came into existence through the creative activity of Jesus Christ.” (The Forgotten Trinity).

Understanding the context helps us avoid the misinterpretations rampant in non-Christian cults today. Some may consider these things too “complex” or “obscure” to be important. Yet, knowing these things, and being able to explain them to others, could well be used of the Lord to help deliver someone from deception.

Matthew 18 and Authors

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Article: Shouldn’t We Share Our Concerns About a Book Directly with the Author Instead of in the Public Forum? by Randy Alcorn (original source here)

Recently someone asked me, “When you have concerns about a book, and disagree with it, shouldn’t you talk directly to the author rather than posting about it on your blog?”

In some cases, yes. I’ve gone directly to authors when I have a relationship with them, in the spirit of Matthew 18:15-17. For example, for years I didn’t share my review of The Shack publicly, and just emailed it directly to those who asked me about the book. Because the author and I live in the same area, I was able to invite him to discuss his book. We sat down in a coffee shop for nearly three hours in constructive dialogue. After we talked about a lot of things, I read to him most of the parts of the book that concerned me. When we met together face-to-face, he graciously agreed to respond to my questions, as I had underlined many places in the book where he has God make statements that I believe are not biblically accurate. I actually met with him a second time to discuss the issues.

When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to revise the book in light of the doctrinal concerns that I and many others have expressed, and because the book’s influence was growing and I was still getting questions about it, it seemed appropriate to finally post on my blog a link to what I wrote years before.

However, Matthew 18 addresses the need to go to people privately when they’ve sinned against us, or perhaps when we’ve sinned against them. But I’ve never read a book where I think the author has sinned against me, or I’ve sinned against the author. The author publicly takes a stand, so any ideas in the book are subject to public disagreement. This comes with the territory of being an author. After writing 55 books this is something I’ve long accepted. People routinely criticize my works and ideas, and they absolutely have the right to do so. I don’t lose sleep over that. True, sometimes I feel they have no regard for what I’ve said in context, and that they’re misrepresenting me. But I too have the right to say that just as they have the right to criticize me.

Also, often it’s simply not practical to connect directly with an author, since we don’t have a relationship. In such cases I can certainly hope and pray there are others in their lives who are willing to speak the truth in love to them. I have personally contacted several people with concerns about what they’ve said, and never heard back from them. I get that. Honestly, there are so many people who’ve taken issue with me on various things I’ve written, that often one of our staff members ends up addressing their concerns.

I could spend the rest of my life trying to respond to people’s objections and never be able to do anything else again. So I fully understand the limits of time to respond.

I think what’s central to this issue is that a book is by nature something placed in the public sphere, and is no longer a private matter. When it impacts and influences Christian readers, sometimes after careful consideration, I might feel the need to point out doctrinal and theological issues that readers should be aware of. I believe that just as others are free to do so, I am also.

Those who regularly read my blog know how rare it is for me to express opposition to a book or author. I only do so when I feel God is compelling me to. In each review of a book where I share concerns, I am not attacking the author, but rather simply expressing honest disagreement. Usually my disagreements are with some—not all—of the things he or she says.

Yes, we should all examine our hearts and motives before sharing a review. Yet every published book is fair game for honest evaluation. My books have received their share of criticism, but still I appreciate it when people are even-handed and kind, as I seek to be in my posts. My heart isn’t to tear down others or cause unnecessary division in the Church. (Ironically, some people have judged my motives while calling me judgmental.)

Scripture is clear: we’re to know the truth (1 Timothy 4:3), handle the truth accurately (2 Timothy 2:15), and avoid doctrinal untruths (2 Timothy 2:18). But even as we share what we believe honors and reflects God’s revealed truth, we are to be full of grace, humility, and gentleness. An author isn’t necessarily an opponent, but the principle found in 2 Timothy 2:25 still applies: “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.”