Colossians 1:15 states:
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."
At first glance, this verse can appear to suggest that Jesus was created—and if that were true, He could not be eternal or truly God, as Christians affirm.
However, as author James Boccardo explains, this is clearly not the case:
"Another translation of this word for 'firstborn' could be 'ruler.' One of the reasons it's translated 'firstborn' is because this word has to do with the inheritance rights of the firstborn in a family during biblical times. Think Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob here. It is being used here in Colossians to refer to Jesus as the one who has the rights over all creation. It does not have to do with Him being created.
The best verse...here is Psalms 89:27. It is talking about David:
"I also shall make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth."
In this verse, the word for 'firstborn' is the same word that's used to describe Jesus in Colossians 1:15. What's the big deal? David wasn't the firstborn in his family! To make it even worse, David was the last born. Clearly, this word means something different than being born first or created. It means 'ruler' or 'one who has the rights to something.'"1
When Colossians 1:15 is read in its biblical and literary context, the claim that Jesus is a created being simply collapses. “Firstborn” speaks not of origin, but of supremacy—of authority, inheritance, and rule. Psalm 89:27 shows that this language can elevate someone over others without making them part of the group, and Paul makes his meaning unmistakable by immediately grounding Christ’s “firstborn” status in His role as Creator of all things (Col. 1:16). John 1:3 reinforces the same truth: everything that came into being did so through Him. Far from diminishing Christ, these passages together present Him as eternally distinct from creation—its source, sustainer, and sovereign Lord.
So the next time a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness comes knocking, you’ll be ready to engage with clarity and confidence.
But what about when when John writes that Jesus is the "only begotten Son?" See here.
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
Footnote:
1. James Boccardo, Unsilenced: How to Voice the Gospel, p. 150-151.
Related Posts
Article: A Brief Overview of the Jehovah's Witness Worldview by J. Warner Wallace
Does John 4:23 indicate that only God the Father -and not Jesus- is to be Worshiped?
Article: How to Use a Napkin and Prove Jesus is God to a Jehovah's Witness
So the next time a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness comes knocking, you’ll be ready to engage with clarity and confidence.
But what about when when John writes that Jesus is the "only begotten Son?" See here.
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
Footnote:
1. James Boccardo, Unsilenced: How to Voice the Gospel, p. 150-151.
Related Posts
Article: A Brief Overview of the Jehovah's Witness Worldview by J. Warner Wallace
Does John 4:23 indicate that only God the Father -and not Jesus- is to be Worshiped?
Article: How to Use a Napkin and Prove Jesus is God to a Jehovah's Witness
Comments
It's been a while since I visited your blog...I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Here's how I would respond to your argument above:
The underlying Greek word for "firstborn" is prototokos. It is everywhere, without exception, an inclusive term. That means that the "firstborn" is always the first in some series or group, i.e. first in terms of time or first in terms of rank or (usually) both.
Your selected verse above, Psalm 89:27, is no exception. David is declared to be first among his peers (in this case he is first in terms of rank)...but he is still one of them. So if Jesus is 'the firstborn of creation', that necessitates that he is the 'first' creature (in terms of time or rank or both).
Thanks for the response. I am just now seeing it!
“Firstborn” (prototokos) does not require inclusion in the class it rules.
Psalm 89:27 doesn’t make David one king among others—it elevates him over them. Likewise, Colossians 1:15 doesn’t place Christ within creation but over it, a point Paul makes explicit in the very next verse: ‘by him all things were created.’
You can’t coherently say the Creator of all things is himself a created thing.
I hope you are well!