JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S FIRST CREATION — ACCORDING TO THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS

THE IDENTIFICATION OF JESUS CHRIST IN COLLOSSIANS CHAPTER 1 

Paul addressed his letter “to the holy ones and faithful brothers in union with Christ at Colossae.” The center of all Paul’’s letters is Jesus Christ, and Paul exhorts the Colossians to grow in accurate knowledge so they can fully be pleasing God in every good work.

THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION 

After his introduction, Paul directs their attention on Jesus Christ, and we read in 1:13-15:

¹³ He delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love, ¹⁴ by means of whom we have our release by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins. ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs).

The Greek words I have written at the end of the verse are clear. They show that Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the creatures that Jehovah has created. However, because of the dogma that Jesus is eternal and not created it is necessary to analyze the Greek text.

THE MEANING OF “FIRSTBORN” (PRŌTOTOKOS) 

The three principal Greek words of Colossians 1:15 are prōtotokos (“first-born”), pasēs (a genitive form of “all”) and ktiseōs (a genitive form of “creation” or “creature”). The genitive case in Greek may have several meanings. Grammatically, it is possible to include the firstborn in the creation, and it is also grammatically possible to exclude this one from creation. The situation is not, however, as ambiguous as it may seem. The different meanings of the genitive are not equally probable; the meaning that would exclude the firstborn from the creation is much less likely than the one that includes him among the created order. More important, the lexical meaning of the words may reduce the possibilities even further. In fact, the problem may be solved by answering just one question: What is the meaning of prōtotokos in this context?

The word occurs 128 times in the Septuagint and 8 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures. The only lexical meaning ascribed to the word in Liddell and Scott, BAGD, and NIDNTT is “firstborn.” Michaelis gives his views in TDNT[1] as to which of the word’s root elements the different contexts stress, but this is just speculation. With all their ingenuity, those looking for a meaning other than “the one who is born first” are able to list only one example, namely, Psalm 89:27 (Hebrew 89:28), “And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”

This Psalm, however, does not give a new lexical meaning to prōtotokos, but simply tells about the result of God putting the mentioned person in the position of a firstborn (compare 1 Chronicles 26:1 and 2 Chronicles 21:3).[2] As an illustration, that the priests in Israel would also serve as physicians did not add the meaning “physician” to the word “priest.” Having gone through all the biblical passages that use prōtotokos, I have found no example that has the meaning “supreme,” that those who believe that Jesus Christ is eternal, suggest. And I have neither found something similar, not even a passage that might be construed with such a meaning! Rather, in all the examples used of individuals, in a sense other than where one is “placed” as though he were the firstborn, they take as a point of departure the notion of one who is born first. In Colossians 1:18, for example, we find the expression “firstborn from the dead,” evidently meaning “the first one to experience a resurrection with the prospect of never dying again.”

How, then, are we to view the different translations of the important phrase in 1:15? A general tendency among some modern translators is to follow the suggestion of Bratcher and Nida: “He is the firstborn Son, superior to all created things.”[3] This rendering is a paraphrase rather than a translation, and it deserves to be classified as a biased rendering of the original text. The justification for calling the rendering biased is not because it is theological in nature, building as it does on the belief in the Trinity. Indeed, in this verse it is legitimate to use theology (though it should not be the principal consideration behind the translation) because there are just two possibilities: either to include Jesus in the creation or to exclude him from the created order. What can be criticized is the deviation from normal translation procedures.

To state the case more explicitly, the phrase “all created things” in the suggested translation is a literal rendering of the two Greek words pasēs ktiseōs, but how is prōtotokos translated? They translate it as ‘the firstborn, superior to.’ Prōtotokos is first rendered literally as “the firstborn,” the only sense used in the Christian Greek Scriptures and in the Septuagint, but then they translate prōtotokos a second time with a totally different meaning, “superior to,”[4] which is not even a lexical meaning of the word. In this, there is a deviation from normal translation procedure. Also, there is a question about the grammar of Bratcher and Nida’s translation of Colossians 1:15. The three Greek words prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs make a Greek genitive construction (‘all-creation’s firstborn’) where the second and third words are subordinated to the first, as its modifiers. It is questionable for a translator to change the subordination to coordination by making the phrase “superior to all created things” in apposition to “the firstborn Son.”

HE IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD 

I quote Colossians 1:15 one time more. It shows that Jesus Christ is an image of the invisible God. An image is something different from the reality, which in this case is God. These words exclude the viewpoint that Jesus Christ is the eternal God.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Confirming the view that one who is said to be an image or a  picture of God, is different from God we read Colossians 3:10 (above). 1 Corinthians 15:49 (middle), and 1 Corinthians 11:7 (below):

¹⁰ and clothe yourselves with the new [personality], which through accurate knowledge is being made new according to the image of the One who created it.

⁴⁹ And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly one.

⁷ For a man ought not to have his head covered, as he is God’s image and glory; but the woman is man’s glory.⁸ For man is not out of woman, but woman out of man.

The Colossians could be images of God by clothing themselves with the new personality. When anointed Christians are resurrected, they will bear God’s image. And even when they are on earth the man is in God’s image. There can be no question that when it is said that Jesus Christ is an image of the invisible God, this shows that Jesus is different from God, and it confirms the words that he is the firstborn of alle creation.

I will add another saying showing the relationship between Jesus Christ and his Father, namely, Hebrews 1:1, 2:

¹ God, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets, ² has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things. ³ He is the reflection (apaugasma) of [his] glory and the exact(kharaktēr) representation (hypostaseos) of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power; and after he had made a purification for our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty in lofty places.

The meaning of the word apaugasma is “shining, either in the sense of radiance from a source or the reflection of a source of light.” (Louw and Nida) The meaning of the word kharaktēr is “a representation as an exact reproduction of a particular form or structure.” (Louw and Nida) Here we have two synonyms with eikōn (“picture”) Jesus is not the source of light but he is the reflection of this source, which is God. And he is a representation or exact reproduction of God.

On the basis of these three synonyms, eikōn (“picture”), apaugasma (“reflection”), and kharactēr (“exact representation”) it is impossible to claim that Jesus Christ has no beginning and is God. Jesus Christ is the first creation that God made!

THE MEANING OF “THE BEGINNING” (ARKHĒ) 

I will begin the examination with Colossians 1:18:

 ¹⁸ He is the beginning (arkhē), the firstborn (prōtotokos) from the dead.

In addition to the word prōtotokos, which we have already examined, there is another word, namely, arkhē. In John 1:1, we read, “In the beginning (arkhē) was the Word,” but Colossians 1:18 says that Jesus is the arkhē. Tracking through Classical and New Testament Greek usage of this word, we find the following glosses: 1) beginning, 2) origin or source, and 3) ruler or authority.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, arkhē occurs 53 times, and 26 of these must have the meaning “beginning” because they follow a preposition (as “from the beginning”). In eight instances,[5] the word occurs in a genitive construction where the meaning is “beginning.” In six instances,[6] the meaning “beginning” is also appropriate. In two instances,[7] it has the meaning “corner.” In 11 instances,[8] arkhē has the meaning “government” or “ruler.” The final uses of this word are in Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 3:14, which are two theologically significant texts.

From the above, it is clear that in more than 75 percent of its occurrences, arkhē means “beginning.” Except for “corner,” which also is a “beginning,” the word is used in some sense connected with “government.” The word arkhē, with the meaning “source,” is nowhere attested in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and seven of the instances with the meaning “government” are in the plural. Also, the four singular occurrences with this meaning are qualified, either by using “every” (1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 2:10) or by using a genitive construction (Luke 20:20).

The word arkhē in Colossians 1:18 stands unqualified as a predication about Jesus, and the meaning “government” seems to be impossible in this verse. The next clause says Jesus is “the firstborn (prōtotokos) from the dead,” and arkhē and prōtotokos occasionally occur together, expressing the concept of “the first son” (compare Genesis 49:3 and Deuteronomy 21:17 in the Septuagint). So arkhē and prōtotokos in verse 18 may express the same thought: Jesus is the first one to experience a resurrection from the dead with continuing life in view.

The application of arkhē to Jesus in Revelation 3:14 is parallel to its use in Colossians 1:15. In Revelation 3:14, arkhē is qualified by “creation by God,” and this presents a problem for those who support the Trinity doctrine. The sense “government, authority” is hardly fitting here, but if the translator chooses the only other meaning found in the Christian Greek Scriptures, namely, “beginning,” then this describes Jesus as “the beginning of God’s creation” and thus a part of creation.

To avoid including Jesus in the creation, a meaning found in the Septuagint and in classical Greek (but not in the Christian Greek Scriptures) is introduced, namely, “origin” or “source.” Note that only in Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 3:14 is “origin” or “source” used for arkhē in many translations. We cannot call this “bias” because “origin” or “source” is a lexical possibility, but that many translations use this rendering only in the two passages mentioned above shows that theology has exerted a strong influence upon the translators.

Getting back to Colossians 1:18, we have found support for rendering of arkhē as “beginning” in other examples in the Christian Greek Scriptures; even in Revelation 3:14, an important Christological passage, the sense of “beginning” is strongly suggested. The phrase “the firstborn of the dead” in verse 18 gives additional support. The meaning is evidently that he was the first to experience a resurrection.[9] The conclusion of the verse supports “beginning” and also “firstborn of the dead” because it gives a basis for these expressions, “that he might become the one who is first in all things.”

JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S FIRST CREATION He is “the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1.15) He is “the beginning of the creation by God” (Revelation 3:14) He “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) He “is the reflection of his glory (Hebrews 1:3) He “is the exact representation of his very being.” (Hebrews 1:3)

[1]. Michaelis, “prōtotokos,” 871–81.

[2]. This was explained a hundred years ago by T.K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians, 211.

[3]. R.G. Bratcher and E.A. Nida, A Translator’s Handbook on Paul’s Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, 22.

[4]. If anyone objects to my claim that Bratcher and Nida translate one word twice with different meanings, we may instead say that they translate prōtotokos once literally and then they add a phrase that is neither explicitly nor implicitly found in the Greek text of the verse.

[5]. Mattew 24:8, Mark 1:1; 13:8, 19; Hebrews 5:12; 6:1; 7:3; 2 Peter 3:4.

[6]. John 8:25; Jude 1:6; Hebrews 2:3; 3:14; Revelation 21:6; 22:13. In several of these texts there is a contrast between the “beginning” and the “end.”

[7]. Acts 10:11; 11:5.

[8]. TEV has the following readings, shown in parentheses: Luke 12:11 (governors); 20:20 (authority); Romans 8:38 (heavenly rulers); 1 Corinthians 15:24 (spiritual rulers); Ephesians 1:21 (heavenly rulers); 3:10 (angelic rulers); 6:12 (wicked spiritual forces); Colossians 1:16 (spiritual powers); 2:10 (spiritual ruler); 2:15 (spiritual rulers); Titus 3:1 (rulers).

[9]. Regarding the resurrection, in 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23, Jesus is called the “firstfruits” (aparkhē). According to Acts 26:23, he was the “first to rise from the dead,” and Revelation 1:5 uses the same phrase as Colossians 1:18, “firstborn of the dead.”

JESUS CHRIST AS MEDIATOR IN CREATION 

As I will demonstrate below, Jesus Christ is never called “creator” and it is never said that different things were created “by” him (Greek, ek). It is always said that things are created for him  to him, and through him.

After Paul has described Jesus Christ as “the firstborn of all creation,” he gives a justification for this definition. We note that verse 16 starts with the Greek conjunction hoti (“since, because”). We read Colossians 1:15-20:

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ¹⁶ because by means of him all [other] things (ta panta) were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things (ta panta) have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ Also, he is before all [other] things (ta panta) and by means of him all [other] things (ta panta) were made to exist,

¹⁸ and he is the head of the body, the congregation. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that he might become the one who is first in all things; ¹⁹ because [God] saw good for all fullness to dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile again to himself all [other] things (ta panta) by making peace through the blood [he shed] on the torture stake, no matter whether they are the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens.

The NWT84’s use of “other” in brackets in Colossians 1:16–17 has caused considerable controversy because whether or not this word is used in these texts has a bearing on the position of Jesus Christ in relation to creation. Let us first analyze the word pas (“all, every”) and later its plural form ta panta.

THE MEANING OF PAS 

When Paul wrote that “all the men in the [district] of Asia have turned away from me” at 2 Timothy 1:15, he obviously did not have in mind every single inhabitant in Asia, but only those who claimed to be Christians. Even this qualification is not enough because Paul said in verse 16 that Onesiphorus did not leave him, so the expression “all men” must refer to “most of the Christians in Asia.”

This illustrates how the word pas or pan does not necessarily have an all-embracing meaning: in addition to possibly having the meaning “(absolutely) all,” depending on the context it may also mean “all kinds of,” “all sorts of,” or “all other.” One characteristic of NWT84 is that the translators tried to convey the most minute nuances of the text. For example, they differentiate between gnosis (“knowledge”) and epignosis (“accurate knowledge”) and between the words anastasis (“resurrection”) and exanastasis (“the early resurrection”). The different renderings of such words may be open to discussion because it is difficult to know whether, at a certain time in the past, the preposition in such words (epi and ek) represents a semantic difference compared to the forms used without a preposition. There is no doubt, however, that the treatment of these forms in NWT84 is a service to the readers because they will likely realize that the Greek text uses different words.

Regarding the word pas or pan, we know that it has different meanings in different contexts. It is not possible to translate the word as “all” every time it occurs because when it occurs before a word lacking the definite article it often means “every,” thus stressing the individual members of the group. Many Bible translations render the word as “all” in every instance where the article occurs. At first sight, this may seem to be a service to the readers, allowing them to decide the meaning, and in some cases, this works well. For example, if they translate Luke 21:29 as, “Note the fig tree and all trees,” the reader would have no problem recognizing the meaning “the fig tree and all other trees.”

The traditional translation of Acts 2:17, however, will undoubtedly mislead most readers. A comparison of NWT84 and 70 other translations shows that NWT84 is the only one that has clearly shown the real meaning for the readers. It is obvious that God will not pour out his spirit upon everyliving human, including those who have committed sin against the holy spirit. The TEV rendering, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all men” is misleading, but the NWT84 rendering, “I shall pour out some of my spirit upon every sort of flesh”[1] is illuminating. Blass and Debrunner, in discussing ellipses, say, “Further ellipses: (1) The omission of the notion ‘other, whatever’ (§306 (5)) is specifically Greek.”[2] They give two examples relevant to this discussion: 1 Corinthians 10:31, where the Greek word ti has the meaning “whatever else,” and Hermas Mandates 4.3.7; 5.2.8; 8.12 where kai pantes means “and all others.”

From a linguistic point of view, the translation “all other” is legitimate in Colossians 1:16—17, 20. It is not mandatory, but it is possible. This means that the brackets that NWT84 uses around “other” may be removed, because the word “other” is no addition or interpolation, but, in a given context, it is a legitimate part of pas. Although there is no linguistic objection against using “other” in those verses, this does not mean that an evaluation of all other elements will result in a recommendation for using the word in this context. We will take a closer look at this point later.

JESUS CHRIST AS THE AGENT OF CREATION 

Because ta panta is said to have been created “through him” in Colossians 1:16, Jesus is often viewed as the creator who is separate from the creation; but this is a misunderstanding of the grammar and syntax of the verse and the role of Jesus as mediator in creation. In Colossians 1:16–17, Jesus’ role in creation is described by passive verbs. The agent in an active clause is the grammatical subject. If we transform an active clause into a passive one, the object or complement of the active clause becomes the subject of the passive one. (Examples are: “God created the world” [active] and “The world was created by God” [passive].) The agent of the passive clause may be identified by a preposition (in this case, by God), or the agent may simply be implied.[3] There is little semantic difference between the two clauses.

In a Greek passive clause, more than the direct agent may be expressed;  the intermediate agent may also be expressed. According to Robertson, the direct agent is most commonly expressed by the Greek preposition hypo (“by”), and sometimes by apo (“from”) and ek (“out of”). The intermediate agent is identified by the preposition dia (“through”).[4] A literal rendering of Matthew 1:22 may illustrate some of these distinctions:

22 All this took place because what was spoken (aorist passive participle) by (hypo) the Lord through (dia) the prophet must be fulfilled (aorist passive subjunctive).

Here, “the Lord” is the direct agent, and “the prophet” is the intermediate agent.

What, then, is the position of Jesus in relation to creation? In Colossians 1:16, we find the preposition en (“in,” “by means of”). This preposition governs autō (“him” in the dative case). Most of the 74 occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures of en autō in the dative case are locative, that is, they refer to something or someone being in a spatial location. Only one of the examples points to a direct agent.[5] In the last part of verse 16, we find the preposition dia, which governs autou in the genitive case. This is the typical marking of an intermediate agent, so this must be the correct way to view the role of Jesus in creation, as the intermediate agent.

Does the context confirm that God is the direct agent of the passive verbs that speak about creation, and that Jesus is the intermediate agent? It certainly does! Colossians 1:12 mentions “the Father,” and he is active through verse 20. This is seen in verse 19 where God is the implied subject for the verb eudokeō (“be pleased”), and it is particularly evident in verse 20 because here it mentions the direct agent (God) and also the intermediate agent (Jesus). It says that the reconciliation is “through” (dia) Jesus and “to” (eis) God. Verse 22 expresses the same thought. The implied agent (grammatical subject) of the active verb “reconciled” is “God.” The intermediate agent is Jesus, for it says that reconciliation occurred “by means of” (en) his fleshly body and “through” (dia) his death.

The conclusion to this matter may be expressed in the words of one commentator: “It should be noted that en (“in”), dia (“through”), and eis (“for”) are used, but not ek (“from”)[in connection with Jesus]. ‘From whom are all things’ (eks ou ta panta) is said of God in 1 Corinthians 8:6. He is and remains the Creator, but the preexistent Christ is the mediator of creation.”[6]

Greek grammar and syntax show that God is the creator, and Jesus Christ is the mediator in creation, the intermediate agent, and all other things were created through him.

THE REFERENCES AND TRANSLATIONS OF TA PANTA 

Let us now return to the question about the relationship between Jesus and the creation by considering the references of ta panta. As discussed above, God is the one who acts, the direct agent, and Jesus is the intermediate agent through whom ta panta was created; therefore, it is obvious that Jesus is not a part of ta panta. But to use this fact as a basis for not including Jesus in “all creation” (pasēs ktiseōs) in verse 15 seems to be circular. Ta panta may linguistically mean “all things” or “all other things,” but to exclude the rendering “all other things” in Colossians 1—and this is important—the person arguing must show that ta panta is identical with pasēs ktiseōs in verse 15.[7] This is the point under discussion and cannot be presumed.

I will now compare different references of ta panta and compare them with references of pasēs ktiseōs to see if they are synonymous. The words ta panta occur 35 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and of these, 29 occur in the portion usually accepted as the Pauline corpus. When we look at the different passages, it becomes clear that the words do not have a fixed content, and to understand them, we must find their reference in each case. In fact, these words have fuzzy edges, and they serve as “signals” for thoughts, the contents of which can only be found by help of the context.

In Ephesians 3:9 and Revelation 4:11, the reference is to all that God has created, precisely the same reference as pasēs ktiseōs in Colossians 1:15; however, the reference may also be more restricted. In 1 Corinthians 12:19, the phrase ta panta refers to all the members of the human body and, by implication, to all the members of the Christian congregation. In other instances, the contents are abstract, and it is more difficult to know exactly what is meant. Some examples include things that can be studied (1 Cor. 2:15), all the operations of the holy spirit (1 Cor. 12:6), all things in which a Christian may progress (Eph. 4:15), and all the things that Christ represents (Col. 3:11).

The words ta panta may also be used for negative things. In Philippians 3:8, the reference is to all the things offered by the world in contrast to Christian values; in Colossians 3:8, the reference is to all the bad things formerly practiced by the Colossians; and in Galatians 3:22, the reference is to all the things in which sin operates.

Returning to the use of ta panta in Colossians 1, we find it is clear that we cannot, at the outset, take for granted that ta panta in this chapter is all-inclusive and has the same meaning as pasēs ktiseōs (“all creation”). In fact, we know for sure that this is not the case, at least not in verse 20:

²⁰ and through him to reconcile again to himself all [other] things (ta panta) by making peace through the blood [he shed] on the torture stake, no matter whether they are the things (ta) upon the earth or the things (ta) in the heavens.

In verses 16 and 17 ta panta refers to everything that is created, including the angels. But the angels are not reconciled to God by the sacrifice of Jesus. So, “the things in the heavens” refer to the 144,000 who will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven, and “the things upon the earth” refer to the billions who will live in the earthly paradise. Thus, by the help of lexical evidence, we cannot say that ta panta in verses 16 and 17 has the same meaning as pasēs ktiseōs in verse 15. Thus, verse 20 is one example where “all other things” is a required translation of ta panta.

In reviewing the evidence, we found that lexically and grammatically, a translation of Colossians 1:15 that includes Jesus Christ as part of the creation has strong support. Of particular importance is the lack of evidence that prōtotokos has a meaning other than “the one who is born first.” Further, we found that, lexically speaking, ta panta could be translated as “all things” or as “all other things.” The crucial point, therefore, in deciding between these two is not linguistics, but the context. Because the words ta panta can make different references—sometimes the reference is restricted, as in Colossians 1:20 — we cannot presume that the use of these words in Colossians 1:16 and 17 have the same meaning as the words pasēs ktiseōs in 1:15. Thus, there is nothing in the context that prevents us from including Jesus Christ as part of creation. In NWT84, the use of “all other” five times in Colossians chapter 1 cannot be viewed as bias, and it is not interpolation because the words of 1:15 show that Jesus Christ is a part of creation, which then implies the word “other” in these four places.[8]

Depending on the context, ta panta can be translated in different ways, including “all other things.” In Colossians 1:20 “all other things” is the required rendering of ta panta, and because 1:15 says that Jesus Christ is created, the rendering “all other things” in all five instances is justified.

[1]. That different “sorts of flesh” are referred to in verse 16 also lends support to NWT84’s rendering.

[2]. F. Blass and A. Debrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, sec. 480, 254.

[3]. One reason why passive clauses are used is to avoid identifying the agent.

[4]. Robertson, Grammar, 820.

[5]. Grammatically speaking, the phrase en autō in 1 Corinthians 6:2 could refer either to a direct agent or an indirect agent. It is explicitly stated in this verse that the holy ones will judge the world, and, therefore, en autō must represent the direct agent. Each preposition can be used in several ways; we see particular patterns, but nothing is fixed, so the context must be carefully considered in each case.

[6]. E. Lohse, A Commentary on the Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, 50 n.125.

[7]. One way to suggest identity would be to show that the lack of the article before the noun ktiseōs occurring after pasēs means “every creature” and not “all creation.” Jesus could hardly be “the firstborn of every creature,” but he could be “the firstborn of all creation.” In many instances, the lack of the article before pas gives the meaning “every,” but in Mark 13:19 and 2 Peter 3:4, the phrase arkhē ktiseōs (the beginning of the creation) without the article is used in the inclusive sense. The lack of the article in Colossians 1:15 does not change the meaning from “all” to “every.” See N. Turner, A Grammar of New Testament Greek, 199–200; C.F.D. Moule, An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek, 94–95; and G.B. Winer, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Spachidioms, sec. 18, 137.

[8]. Regarding the criticism that NWT has “added words” to the biblical text by using “other” fivetimes in Colossians chapter 1, the Greek scholar J. BeDuhn, Truth in Translation Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament, 86, says: “It is ironic that the translation of Colossians 1:15–20 that has received the most criticism is the one where the ‘added words’ are fully justified by what is implied in the Greek. And if we, under other conditions, might have said that making the implied ‘other’ is not altogether necessary, we now recognize by the gross distortion of the passage in other translations that what the NW translators have done is certainly necessary after all.” The translations he refers to by the words “gross distortion” are Holy Bible New International Version (1984), New Revised Standard Version Bible (1989), Good News Bible in Today’s English Version (1976), and The Living Bible(1971).

THE PARALLELS BETWEEN PROVERBS 8 AND COLOSSIANS 1 AND 

The name Jesus Christ is not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, but his work is mentioned. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5:

¹ Now I do not want YOU to be ignorant, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea ² and all got baptized into Moses by means of the cloud and of the sea; ³ and all ate the same spiritual food ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they used to drink from the spiritual rock-mass that followed them, and that rock-mass meant the Christ.

Israel was the people of God. At that time, Jesus was a pirit I heaven, but the words of Paul shows that he dealt with Israel in different ways. There are many prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures about Jesus Christ. The principle of translation in connection with these prophecies is that they must be translated in accordance with Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon, grammar, and syntax, And the text should not be adjusted to fit the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

THE “WISDAOM” IN PROVERBS CHAPTER 8 

When Jesus spoke with his disciples after his resurrection, he said according to Luke 24:27:

⁴⁵ “These are my words which I spoke to YOU while I was yet with YOU, that all the things written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and Psalms about me must be fulfilled.”

The 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures were separated into the three parts that Jesus mentioned, and this is also the situation today. The part “Psalms” starts with Psalms and contains Proverbs and other similar books. One of the prophecies that must be fulfilled according to Jesus is found in Proverbs 8:22-31:

²² “Jehovah himself produced (qānā) me as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago. ²³ From time indefinite I was installed, (nāsak) from the start, from times earlier than the earth. ²⁴ When there were no watery deeps I was brought forth (hīl) as with labor pains, when there were no springs heavily charged with water. ²⁵ Before the mountains themselves had been settled down, ahead of the hills, I was brought forth (hīl) as with labor pains, ²⁶ when as yet he had not made the earth and the open spaces and the first part of the dust masses of the productive land.

²⁷ When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he decreed a circle upon the face of the watery deep, ²⁸ when he made firm the cloud masses above, when he caused the fountains of the watery deep to be strong, ²⁹ when he set for the sea his decree that the waters themselves should not pass beyond his order, when he decreed the foundations of the earth, ³⁰ then I came to be beside him as a master worker, and I came to be the one he was specially fond of day by day, I being glad before him all the time, ³¹ being glad at the productive land of his earth, and the things I was fond of were with the sons of men.

THE MEANING OF THE VERBS IN PROVERBS 8:22-31 

The verb qāna has the meaning “buy, acquire, get, create, bring forth.” (Kohlenberger and Mounce). It is clear that God did not buy the wisdom but he created it. In most instances in the Hebrew Scriptures, the word is used with the meaning of “buy,” but in Genesis 14:19 it is used with the meaning of “create”:

¹⁹ Then he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God, Producer (qānā) of heaven and earth.

There is hardly any connection between “buy” and “create,” and Kohlenberger and Mounce list qānā with the meaning “buy” and “create” as two different words that are written in the same way.

The verb hīl has the meaning “to writhe, tremble, be in labor, give birth” (Kohlenberger and Mounce). It is often used for giving birth with birth pangs. It also has the meaning “produce,” as in Psalm 90:2:

² Before the mountains themselves were born (yālad), Or you proceeded to bring forth as with labor pains the earth (hīl) and the productive land, Even from time indefinite to time indefinite are you God.

In the third century CE when the first traces of a later trinity doctrine were formed, the leader of this attempt, Athanasius, twisted the words of Proverbs chapter 8 and claimed that there was a difference between being created and being born. My examples show that this view is wrong.[1]

The word nāsak has the meaning “to pour out,” and the object in most instances is “drink offering.” When someone was installed as a king or as a high priest, oil was poured over his head. Because of this, the verb nāsak could also have the meaning “install,” as is the case in Psalm 2:6:

⁶ [Saying] “I, even I” have installed (nāsak) my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.

In Proverbs 8:22-31, there are three words that point to exactly the same action, namely to creation:

qānā = create

hīl = give birth

nāsak = install

There is no doubt that Proverbs 8:22-31 says that Wisdom was created. And when we realize that the Hebrew noun ‘ōlām means a long time of undisclosed length, we understand that the Wisdom was created a long time ago, before the universe was created.

THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE WISDOM IN PROVERBS 8:22-31 

In 8:30, the Wisdom is called “the master worker” in NWT84. In addition to its use in this passage, the Hebrew noun ’āmōn only occurs in Jeremiah 22:15:

¹⁵ And some of the lowly ones of the people and the rest of the people that were left remaining in the city and the deserters that had fallen away to the king of Babylon and the rest of the master workmen ’āmōn Neb·uʹzar·adʹan the chief of the bodyguard took into exile.

The Septuagint does not translate the noun ’āmōn but the Syriac Peshitta uses the participle of the causative Aphel stem of the verb teqan with the meaning “restore, fashion, establish.” The Compendious Syriac Dictionary of J. Payne Smith has the following meanings of the Afel stem, “firmly set, stable, steady, firm, steadfast.” So, the participle has the meaning “one who is firmly setting or establishing something.”

The following characteristics of Wisdom are described:

• The Wisdom was created by Jehovah before the universe was created. (verses 22-26)
• The Wisdom was at the side of God as his master worker. (verse 30)
• God was especially fond of the Wisdom. (verse 30)
• The Wisdom was fond of the sons of men. (verse 31)

Let us now see how Paul refers to Proverbs chapter 8 in his letter to the Colossians.

REFERENCES TO THE WISDOM IN THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS 

In the beginning of Proverbs chapter 8, it seems that wisdom is an abstract notion, but as we read on, we realize that just as the Word in John 1:1 must refer to a living person, the Wisdom must refer to one who works and expresses emotions.

JESUS CHRIST AS THE WISDOM 

Before we turn to Colossians, let us see how the concept “wisdom” is applied to Jesus other places, I quote Matthew 11:19 (above), 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30 (below):

¹⁹ the Son of man did come eating and drinking, still people say, ‘Look! A man gluttonous and given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ All the same, wisdom is proved righteous by its works.”

²⁴ however, to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

³⁰ But it is due to him that YOU are in union with Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom from God, also righteousness and sanctification and release by ransom.

According to Matthew 11:19, Jesus alludes to himself as wisdom, and according to 1 Corinthians 1:24, 30 Paul says directly that Jesus is the wisdom.

I will now compare particular passages from Proverbs 8 with similar passages in the letter to the Colossians. I start with Proverbs 8:1, 12, 14 (above) and Colossians 1:28, 2:3, 3:16 (below):

¹ Does not wisdom keep calling out, and discernment keep giving forth its voice?

¹² “I, wisdom, I have resided with shrewdness and I find even the knowledge of thinking abilities.

¹⁴ I have counsel and practical wisdom. I—understanding; I have mightiness.

 

²⁸ He is the one we are publicizing, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in union with Christ.

The three passages quoted from Proverbs chapter 8 shows that “wisdom” is a person. Colossians 2:3 identifies Jesus directly as God’s wisdom, and 1:28 and 3:16 alludes to Jesus as the wisdom. There can be no doubt that in his letter to the Colossians Paul is referring to Proverbs chapter 8.

JESUS CHRIST AS GOD’S FIRST CREATION 

We find a direct reference to Proverbs 8.22 in Colossians 1:15. I quote the NETS translation of the Septuagint of Proverbs 8:22 (above) and Colossians 1:15 NWT84 (below):

²² The Lord created me (ktizō) as the beginning of his ways, for the sake of his works.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (ktisis).

The one who is “created (ktizō) as the beginning of his ways,” is “his first creation” (ktisis).

JESUS CHRIST AS THE MASTER WORKER 

The role of Jesus Christ as the mediator in creation is clearly stated  both in Proverbs 8 and in Colossians 1. The quotation above is from Proverbs 8:23-30, and the quotation below is from Colossians 1:15-17.

²³ From time indefinite I was installed, from the start, from times earlier than the earth.

²⁴ When there were no watery deeps I was brought forth as with labor pains, when there were no springs heavily charged with water. ²⁵ Before the mountains themselves had been settled down, ahead of the hills, I was brought forth as with labor pains, ²⁶ when as yet he had not made the earth and the open spaces and the first part of the dust masses of the productive land. ²⁷ When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he decreed a circle upon the face of the watery deep, ²⁸ when he made firm the cloud masses above, when he caused the fountains of the watery deep to be strong, ²⁹ when he set for the sea his decree that the waters themselves should not pass beyond his order, when he decreed the foundations of the earth,

 ³⁰ then I came to be beside him as a master worker, and I came to be the one he was specially fond of day by day, I being glad before him all the time, ³¹ being glad at the productive land of his earth, and the things I was fond of were with the sons of men.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; ¹⁶ because by means of him all [other] things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All [other] things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ Also, he is before all [other] things and by means of him all [other] things were made to exist.

When we compare these words, there can be no doubt that Paul refers to Proverbs chapter 8. In Proverbs “all things” are specified in detail but not so in Colossians. In Proverbs 8 there is a difference between he and I. The pronoun he refers to the creator, Jehovah God, and I refers to the master worker who was the helper beside the creator.

This is the same idea that Paul expresses in Colossians 1:16, 17. The passive forms show that there is one agent or creator, and “all things,” or rather “all other things” were made “by means of him.” This shows clearly his role as master worker is to work at the side of he who is the creator.

We can conclude this section by quoting 1 Corinthians 8.6:

⁶ there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and we through him.

Jesus Christ is never called “creator,” and it is never said that creation was made by (ek) him. But he is the master worker, and all other things are created through him and for him.

[1]. A detailed study of the opinions of Arius and Athanasius and of passages referring to the nature of Jesus Christ is found in my book, The Role of Theology and Bias in Bible Translation With a Special Look at the New World Translation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, chapters 4 and 6

CONCLUDING REMARKS 

This study is based directly on the text of the Bible, on Proverbs chapter 8 in the Hebrew Scriptures, and on Colossians chapter 1 and other passages in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

When we do not read the text of the Bible through the glasses of different religious dogma, the situation is clear. There is one Creator, Jehovah God, who has created the universe. By his side, as a Master worker, was the spirit creature, the first creation of God, who later came to the earth with the name Jesus Christ.