The Firstborn of All Creation

The Firstborn of All Creation

by Aleksandar Trajkovski

Col 1:15-17 ESV He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The Greek word for firstborn is prototokos and Hebrew is bekhor. The word prototokos comes from the words protos (first) and tekein or tikto (to give birth). To discover the meaning of a word in the Old or New Testament, we need to understand the context in which it is used, that is, the meaning is given to it by the writers. Since all Bible writers are Jewish (except probably Luke), we expect that they use the word in the sense it has in their culture. For this purpose, let's see how the word firstborn is used in the Old Testament.

One meaning is a human or animal that is born first (Exo 13: 2). The fact that someone is the firstborn means that he has a special right in the family, that he has a double share of the inheritance (Deut. 21: 15-17). He inherits property and power in the family. However, the word firstborn sometimes has nothing to do with birth. We see this clearly in Exodus 4:22, where Yahweh, speaking of the people of Israel, says:

Exo 4:22 ESV Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,

Does this mean that the people of Israel were created or born first? Certainly not. Here the word firstborn means that Israel has special rights or privileges. She is in a special relationship with God. He chose Israel to be His people, His precious possession. She has a special position among other nations. It has nothing to do with creation or birth. This is clear evidence that the firstborn does not mean born first.

Let's look at some other texts. In Genesis 25:31 we see Jacob wanting the birthright of Esau. Esau sells his birthright to him (the same event is described in Heb 12:16). It has nothing to do with birth (nor creation), but with privilege, position, rights. In Jeremiah 31: 9 the LORD says that Ephraim is His firstborn. Was Ephraim first created or born first? Certainly not. With this background in mind, we can understand the use of the word in the New Testament better.

What does it mean that Christ is the firstborn of all creation? Not that He was created first, nor born first, but that He has a right or authority over all creation. The text from Colossians 1: 15-17 explains that He is the Firstborn because in Him all things were created. All things were created in Him and for Him. He is the heir of all things (comp. Heb 1: 2-13).

(From my book Sveto Trojstvo)