Deity of Christ
The Bible calls Jesus "firstborn" and "begotten," so he was created.
Short answer
In the Bible, "firstborn" often means the one with the highest rank and the inheritance, not the first one created. God calls David his "firstborn" though he was his father's youngest son. Colossians calls Jesus "firstborn over all creation" and immediately says all things were created by him. "Only begotten" (monogenēs) means unique, one of a kind.
In simple words: "Firstborn" can mean the most important one, like a prince who will be king. Jesus made everything, so he wasn't made himself.
Response
Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus "the firstborn over all creation." Some read this as "the first thing God created." But the Bible uses "firstborn" for rank and inheritance. God says of David, the youngest of Jesse's sons, "I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth" (Psalm 89:27). God calls Ephraim his "firstborn" (Jeremiah 31:9), though Manasseh was born first.
The very next verses rule out the "created" reading: "For in him all things were created… all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:16-17). If Jesus created all created things, he cannot be one of them. Verse 18 calls him "the firstborn from among the dead," though others had been raised before him. Again, firstborn means first in rank.
"Only begotten" translates the Greek monogenēs, which means one of a kind or unique. Hebrews 11:17 calls Isaac Abraham's monogenēs son, though Abraham had another son, Ishmael. Isaac was unique as the son of promise.
When the early church said the Son is "begotten, not made," this was the point: a father begets a son of his own nature, but makes things of a different nature. The Son shares the Father's nature eternally (John 1:1; 17:5).
Key evidence
- Psalm 89:27: David, the youngest son, is appointed God's "firstborn," meaning most exalted.
- Jeremiah 31:9: Ephraim is called "firstborn," though Manasseh was older.
- Colossians 1:16-17: all things were created in, through, and for Christ, and he is before all things.
- Hebrews 11:17: Isaac is called monogenēs (unique son), though Abraham had another son.
Bible passages
- Colossians 1:15-18 Firstborn over creation; creator of all things.
- Psalm 89:20-27 David appointed as God's firstborn.
- Jeremiah 31:9 "Ephraim is my firstborn son."
- Hebrews 11:17 Isaac, Abraham's "one and only" son.
- John 1:1-3 Through him all things were made.
Discussion questions
- Why is context important when reading a single word like "firstborn"?
- How do Colossians 1:16-17 shape the meaning of verse 15?
- What is the difference between "begotten" and "made"?