Some claim Jesus was a created being and not the eternally existent God, based on the descriptor of “firstborn” in Colossians 1:15. The passage reads, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Their argument goes something like, “See! The Bible says that Jesus was the first one born out of all God’s creations, so, he couldn’t be God!”
As with most Scriptures ripped from their context, twisting the significant meaning of this passage and diminishing its message is tragic. Yet, when understood and interpreted in context, it is evident that “firstborn” does not mean “born first” but something else entirely.
One telltale sign that invalidates the notion that Jesus was created or “born first” is the passage immediately following Colossians 1:15. It says in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
This verse unequivocally proclaims Jesus as the Creator of all things created, which means that every created thing that exists—regardless of its location, substance, or identity—was fashioned through Jesus and for Jesus, who preexisted before every made thing. Colossians 1:17 says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” This fact is also confirmed in John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
The significance of John’s definitive declaration, “Without Him nothing was made that was made,” is astounding for two reasons. First, it excludes Jesus from among created things because everything categorized as created, made, designed, having come into existence, having a beginning, or appearing in history (“ginomai” in Greek) was made by Jesus. Second, it affirms that Jesus was God because only God exists eternally without a beginning, starting point, or creation date.
If Jesus were not God but a created being, He could not have produced everything that was made because He would not yet have existed to accomplish that feat. In other words, someone or something that does not exist cannot bring anything or anyone into existence because nothing creates nothing.
Similarly, Jesus could not be responsible for making every created thing if He were one of those creations Himself. Neither could He have fashioned everything that was made if He came into existence at the same time everything else was formed in the heavens and on the earth. Otherwise, it would render Colossians 1:15-17 and similar passages false, negating Scripture’s inerrancy.
Some might attempt to reconcile the fact that “Jesus fashioned all created things” with their belief that “Jesus was a created being” by asserting that God created Jesus first, and then Jesus created everything else. However, such a claim defies the explicit declarations of Colossians 1:16 and John 1:1-3, which unequivocally proclaim that Jesus originated every created thing. Therefore, Jesus is excluded from the category of “created things” because He is the Creator, not the created.
Considering the fact that Jesus is the Creator of all created things (Colossians 1:16) and the One who is before all things and holds all things together (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3), “the firstborn of all creation” simply means that Jesus has the supremacy, preeminence, and prominence over all creation because He is the Author and Sustainer of it.
I hope this information sheds light on Jesus’ unusual title, “the firstborn of all creation.”
