Colossians 1:15, Jesus, the Firstborn

Posted on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 in Bible Commentary | 0 comments

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

//Does this verse mean that Jesus wasn’t born at the start of the first century, but at the beginning of creation? Does it mean that since Jesus was born, he did not exist eternally … but was part of the creation? Does it mean that since Jesus is the firstborn, there are other siblings?

Perhaps it means those things, but in actuality, you can’t read a literal definition into the word “firstborn,” as used in this sense. It simply doesn’t mean what it sounds like it means … not in the Bible.

For example, Ephraim is called the Lord’s firstborn (Jeremiah 31:9) even though Manasseh was born first. David is called the Lord’s “firstborn” (Psalm 89:27) even though he was the youngest of Jesse’s sons.

“Firstborn,” as least as it relates to God’s chosen people, means simply preeminence; the one God has chosen to uplift.