What Does It Mean By Jesus Was The First Born?
Question : Brother, I have a doubt...What does the Bible mean when it says Jesus was the "first born" over all creation?
Answer : Actually the phrase "first born over all creation" has been used by Apostle Paul in context to describe Jesus as the Creator of all things which can be none other than God Himself in Col 1:15-17, "15 He [i.e. Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."
Here in the above verse Apostle Paul uses the phrase "He is the image of the invisible God" to describe that Jesus was the exact replica of God in human flesh and therefore He is an uncreated being who has the very reason for existence in Himself. And then when He continues the verse 15 saying, "the firstborn over all creation," actually he is saying that Jesus Christ is the one who was present as alpha which is the beginning infinity in Greek alphabet, to represent His supreme authority over all his creations, and the beginning of existence of Jesus Christ as something unknown to all his creations. Some people take the word 'first born' to literally interpret it as proving that Jesus was born first to Father God in the entire universe. But the basic principle of hermeneutics they miss, thus to misinterpret the context to mean something that the writer did not mean. Many cults have propagated this false interpretation to mislead and destroy the faith of many many people who have been deceived by them.
When a Jew in the time of Paul if he had heard the word "first born" through the mouth of a Rabbi [i.e. religious teacher about God] like Apostle Paul, instantly he would understand that Paul was speaking about the Almighty God who is an uncreated being whose very reason of existence is in Himself. The Jews called God Almighty as the first born because before all things were created only God was born and was existing.
Similarly Christ, as “the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15), is not only prior to it in time, but above it in power and authority. As the succeeding verse reveals, “All things have been created through him, and unto him” (Col 1:16), which means Jesus Christ is “sovereign Lord over all creation by virtue of the right of succession belonging to the firstborn child” as He is the only begotten Son of the Father God who came in the flesh to this earth (John 3:16; 1 John 4:2). The baby Jesus was born in the womb of Mary, but the resident in that body was God the Son [i.e. the uncreated being] who came in to this world to die for sinners and save them from their sin (Isa 9:6; John 8:58; Heb 10:5-7; Luke 19:10; Mark 10:45). It clearly denotes His status and character and not His origin; the context does not admit the idea that He is a part of the created universe.
So in His incarnation He is brought into the world as “firstborn,” and God summons all His angels to worship Him (Heb 1:6; Luke 2:8-20). In His resurrection He is “firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18) or “of the dead” (Rev 1:5), the origin and prince of life who rose again to immortality as a human being (1 Cor 15:53-54, 57; 1 Tim 2:5). And finally He is “firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29) in the consummation of God’s purpose and plan of grace which was pre-planned before all creation (Eph 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; Rev 13:8), when all the elect are gathered home (John 14:3; 1 Thess 4:14-17). Not only is He their Lord, but also their pattern, God’s ideal Son and men are “foreordained to be conformed to (his) image” (Rom 8:29). When we believed Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we all became God's sons in Christ Jesus (John 1:12; Gal 3:26). From that time onward, momentarily by our individual choice we become transformed in our soul to act like Jesus as we had already been made new in His image on the inside of us (1 Cor 15:49; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 4:23-24; Rom 12:1-2).
In the New Testament, Jesus was the first-born (Pro-totokos.Greek) of his mother Mary in the natural as human (Mt. 1:25; Lk. 2:7), but as God spiritually, Jesus is the first-born [i.e. human replica] of his heavenly Father by virtue and origin [i.e. He was God the Son in existence for eternity] (John 14:9; 6:41-42; 8:42, 58), resurrection [as immortal human of the new creation] and in the status of inheritance among God's children as Jesus suffered on earth to learn obedience to will of the Father God and finally sat at the right hand of Father God as a reward for walking in the perfect will of God (Heb 5:8; Rev 3:21; Php 2:5-11; Psa 89:27; Heb 1:6). As Jesus Himself humbled to become a man and raised the status of all God's people, both living and dead saints in Christ Jesus, can be described as the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, since they share the privileges of the Son (Heb. 12:23).
Much Blessings....
Answer : Actually the phrase "first born over all creation" has been used by Apostle Paul in context to describe Jesus as the Creator of all things which can be none other than God Himself in Col 1:15-17, "15 He [i.e. Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."
Here in the above verse Apostle Paul uses the phrase "He is the image of the invisible God" to describe that Jesus was the exact replica of God in human flesh and therefore He is an uncreated being who has the very reason for existence in Himself. And then when He continues the verse 15 saying, "the firstborn over all creation," actually he is saying that Jesus Christ is the one who was present as alpha which is the beginning infinity in Greek alphabet, to represent His supreme authority over all his creations, and the beginning of existence of Jesus Christ as something unknown to all his creations. Some people take the word 'first born' to literally interpret it as proving that Jesus was born first to Father God in the entire universe. But the basic principle of hermeneutics they miss, thus to misinterpret the context to mean something that the writer did not mean. Many cults have propagated this false interpretation to mislead and destroy the faith of many many people who have been deceived by them.
When a Jew in the time of Paul if he had heard the word "first born" through the mouth of a Rabbi [i.e. religious teacher about God] like Apostle Paul, instantly he would understand that Paul was speaking about the Almighty God who is an uncreated being whose very reason of existence is in Himself. The Jews called God Almighty as the first born because before all things were created only God was born and was existing.
Similarly Christ, as “the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15), is not only prior to it in time, but above it in power and authority. As the succeeding verse reveals, “All things have been created through him, and unto him” (Col 1:16), which means Jesus Christ is “sovereign Lord over all creation by virtue of the right of succession belonging to the firstborn child” as He is the only begotten Son of the Father God who came in the flesh to this earth (John 3:16; 1 John 4:2). The baby Jesus was born in the womb of Mary, but the resident in that body was God the Son [i.e. the uncreated being] who came in to this world to die for sinners and save them from their sin (Isa 9:6; John 8:58; Heb 10:5-7; Luke 19:10; Mark 10:45). It clearly denotes His status and character and not His origin; the context does not admit the idea that He is a part of the created universe.
So in His incarnation He is brought into the world as “firstborn,” and God summons all His angels to worship Him (Heb 1:6; Luke 2:8-20). In His resurrection He is “firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18) or “of the dead” (Rev 1:5), the origin and prince of life who rose again to immortality as a human being (1 Cor 15:53-54, 57; 1 Tim 2:5). And finally He is “firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29) in the consummation of God’s purpose and plan of grace which was pre-planned before all creation (Eph 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; Rev 13:8), when all the elect are gathered home (John 14:3; 1 Thess 4:14-17). Not only is He their Lord, but also their pattern, God’s ideal Son and men are “foreordained to be conformed to (his) image” (Rom 8:29). When we believed Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we all became God's sons in Christ Jesus (John 1:12; Gal 3:26). From that time onward, momentarily by our individual choice we become transformed in our soul to act like Jesus as we had already been made new in His image on the inside of us (1 Cor 15:49; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 4:23-24; Rom 12:1-2).
In the New Testament, Jesus was the first-born (Pro-totokos.Greek) of his mother Mary in the natural as human (Mt. 1:25; Lk. 2:7), but as God spiritually, Jesus is the first-born [i.e. human replica] of his heavenly Father by virtue and origin [i.e. He was God the Son in existence for eternity] (John 14:9; 6:41-42; 8:42, 58), resurrection [as immortal human of the new creation] and in the status of inheritance among God's children as Jesus suffered on earth to learn obedience to will of the Father God and finally sat at the right hand of Father God as a reward for walking in the perfect will of God (Heb 5:8; Rev 3:21; Php 2:5-11; Psa 89:27; Heb 1:6). As Jesus Himself humbled to become a man and raised the status of all God's people, both living and dead saints in Christ Jesus, can be described as the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, since they share the privileges of the Son (Heb. 12:23).
Much Blessings....
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