Context:
Another "hymn to Christ" by Paul, cp. Phil 2.5-12.
The point is to stress the role of Messiah in the Church, e.g., to teach, encourage, and worship;
Shows a so-called high Christology, yet rooted in unitary monotheism: i.e., He is the image of God as a result exalted by God, etc.
Trini Prooftext?
ESV Study Bible, Col. 1:15–17 Christ Is Lord of Creation. Jesus is the Lord, the maker and upholder of all things in the universe. Col. 1:16 by him all things were created. Jesus did not come into existence when he was born of the virgin Mary. He was the agent of creation through whom God made heaven and earth (John 1:3 and note; 1 Cor. 8:6). Jesus cannot be the first thing created (as the ancient Arian heresy claimed) since “all things” without exception were created by him.
IF true it would overturn 50+ statements in both Testaments where the one God the Father, alone, unaccompanied, “by Myself” is Creator (Isa 44:24)!
Heb. 1.1-2 shows the Son not visible, speaking in the OT!
Overturn Jesus saying “God created the world,” Mark 13:19.
And his use of the so-called divine passive, e.g., Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted," implying that God will provide the comfort to those who mourn, without directly stating "God will comfort them." Mark 2:5 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven," meaning God is the one forgiving the sins through Jesus, without directly saying "God forgives your sins."
More than 100 times in the Gospels: Mark c. 19x; Luke c. 34x; Matthew c. 40x; John c. 2x.
Paul in Col 1:16a "all these things are now were created" i.e., by God at Genesis; 1:16b "all things are now stand created" AB comment:
Perfect passive tense of “create” with continuing results. The change of verb tense is striking and deliberate (see Turner, Grammatical Insights into the NT, p. 125: “They have been and are being created.”). The new creation is through Jesus and the earlier creation of authorities was “because of” of Jesus, “in him in intention,” certainly not “by him.”
Trini Concessions
Mistranslations, Col 1:16: "For by Him all things were created..." KJV, NASB, etc. "For everything was created by Him," Holman; Paraphrases: "He created all things in heaven and on earth," God's Word.
Some note this, Expositors Greek Testament: The Greek [en auto] does not mean “by him.”
Turner, A Grammar of NT Greek: “We must render [en] ‘because of’ in Col. 1:16.”
N.T. Wright, Colossians & Philemon: “the [divine] passive ‘were created’ indicates, in a typically Jewish fashion, the activity of God the Father. [To say ‘by’] could imply [that Christ] was alone responsible for creation.”
Robert Bowman, Putting Jesus out of Place, admits “It’s true that the NT never says that all things are from (ek) the Son [dia].”
From [ek] only for God the Father: Rom 11:36; 1Cor 8:6; 11:12; 2Cor 5:18!
Part of Creation
Colossians 1:15–20 contains several words and phrases that place Christ clearly as part of creation — not as Creator;
Firstborn of Creation: https://thehumanjesus.org/2025/01/02/firstborn-over-all-creation/
In Col 1:15 “image” and some translations have “creature”: KJV, ASV;
The divine passive "were created” “have been created,” i.e., by God.
Instrumental agency language, "through" and "in him."
"The firstborn from the dead," "the blood of his cross," however you define death God cannot do it! Cp. Resurrection order by rank in 1Cor 15:20, 23 "Christ, the firstfruits; then those who belong to Christ, at his coming."
Col 1.19 "fullness of God in Christ," i.e., "God was in Christ," 2Cor 5.19; AB comment:
Note that the same language about “the fullness of God” is applicable to believers also in Eph. 3:19. Having the fullness of God, via His spirit, thus does not mean that a person is God!
Col 1:20 “through him [Christ] to reconcile all things to Himself [God] by making peace through the blood of his [Christ] cross," humanity reconciles back to God because of His anointed human mediator, because "there is one God and one mediator between that one God and humanity, Messiah Jesus, who is himself human." 1Tim 2:5
What does Creation through, in the Son mean?
The NT presents the Son primarily as the agent, instrument of God’s creation, not as THE Genesis Creator;
Hay in his Abingdon NT Commentary onColossians, p. 57: “Jewish tradition had previously said that God created the universe through his wisdom (Prov 8:22-31; Wis 7:17-24; 9:9) or word [see Philo]. God created the world ‘for’ the Son, indicative of a divine eschatological purpose…Rabbi Jochanan [3rd AD] said the world was created ‘for the sake of the Messiah’ (b. Sanh. 98b).”
The point is simply that Jesus was the purpose for the New Creation.
So, it would be strange for God to have said: I have created all things for myself!
Addendum: other texts, 1Cor 8.6; Heb 1.2;
While an ontological reading (refer to Genesis Creation) is possible, the context of 1 Corinthians 8 points to a practical, pastoral application. Paul is describing the new covenant reality that "all things" including what you eat, comes from the God, who's always the Father in the NT, and are mediated through His Messiah lord Jesus.
In line with Paul's concern for Christian behavior and decision-making, particularly concerning food and pagan practices.
This interpretation fits: the ethical context (idol food) and theological polemic (against pagan gods). For Paul both (idols/gods & their foods) are "nothing" (8:4, 8), they serve no purpose in the life of a NC Christian.
Translation Alert: v.2 doesn't mean "universe," or "worlds" but ages, i.e., periods, epochs of time.
In line with the ancient Jewish Biblical worldview of this world undergoing a series of changes hence, the present evil age vs the age to come.
First: the world of Genesis underwent a change after the flood (2Pet. 3.3-6; Rev. 6.12-14; cp. Isa 34.4).
Second: the present world when the Millennium is “founded” (2Pet 3.7-12; Heb 1.10; Rev. 20.7-15).
Third: “when the thousand years expire” a further change will occur (Heb 1.11-12; cp. Rev 21).
The purpose is for all things, including the ages, for the Son to inherit them from the only one Creator God, the Father.
1 Enoch 48 vision of the Son of Man 6 "chosen and hidden before [Head of Days], before the creation of the world and forevermore. 7 The wisdom of the Lord of Spirits has revealed him to the holy and righteous; for he has preserved all of the righteous because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness, and have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits: for in his name they are saved, and it has been according to his good pleasure in regard to their life.
Cp. Eph 1.1-10.
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