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When viewed without bias or preconceived ideas, the Bible reveals quite
a lot about the structure of the Godhead. Unfortunately, most people's
view of God is shaped primarily by tradition, with Scripture taking a
secondary position. Trinitarians believe that God is three distinct but
inseparable persons in one being. Binitarians, such as the Worldwide
Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong and most of the current WCG
splinter groups, believe that God is a family which has been composed
eternally of two separate beings, God the Father and Jesus Christ (the
Logos). In the following seven sections, I'm going to
trace what the Bible has to say about this misunderstood topic.
1. There is only one true God, the Father.
Over and over, both the Old and New Testaments emphasize that there is
only one true God. This doctrine, which has always been
fundamental to Israel's faith, is summed up in "the Shema." Moses stated
that God was one in Deuteronomy 6:4, which is the beginning of "the
Shema."
DEUTERONOMY 6:4
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God [Elohenu], the Lord is one!
(NKJV)
In the Scripture above, the word translated "God" is the Hebrew word
Elohenu. Scholars have long assumed that Elohenu
is a plural form of the Hebrew word Elohim. Because of
this assumption, theologians have concluded that the Israelites
misunderstood the nature of God. Trinitarians believe that this verse
means that God is one being composed of three distinct but inseparable
persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Binitarians also believe that
Elohenu indicates a plurality, although they believe that
God is one "family" currently composed of the Father and the Son.
However, both Elohenu and Elohim are
derivatives of the singular Eloah, which is one of the
Hebrew names for God the Father, the Most High God (see Pro. 30:4-5
below). Elohim is a plural derivative of Eloah,
while Elohenu, the term found in Deuteronomy 6:4, is a
singular variation of Eloah.
PROVERBS 30:4 Who has
ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His
fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all
the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if
you know? 5 Every word of God [Eloah] is pure; He is a shield to
those who put their trust in Him.
(NKJV)
In addition to revealing one of the Hebrew names for Almighty God, the
passage above shows that God's status as Father and the fact that He had
a special son was recognized by the Israelites. This is contrary to
Herbert W. Armstrong's position that the only member of the Godhead
known to ancient Israel was the Logos, who became Jesus
Christ. Malachi 2:10 also shows that God's status as Father was known.
MALACHI 2:10 Have we
not all one Father? Has not one God created us? . . .
(NKJV)
But how do we know that the Trinitarian theologians are wrong? How do we
know that the Hebrew word Elohenu is singular? One of the
most basic methods available for understanding the Scriptures is simply
letting the Bible interpret itself. A comparison of the Greek text found
in Mark 12:29 with the Hebrew text of Deuteronomy 6:4 provides the
evidence that Elohenu is singular and not plural.
In response to a scribe's question about which commandment was the most
important of all, Christ repeats "the Shema" in Mark 12:29.
MARK 12:29 Jesus
answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God [Theos], the Lord is one.'"
(NKJV)
The Greek word translated "God" in this verse is Theos.
According to The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (NAGL),
this noun is singular, masculine, and in the nominative case (p. 201).
Theos in Mark 12:29 directly corresponds to Elohenu
in Deuteronomy 6:4. Because the Greek equivalent Theos is
singular, the Hebrew Elohenu must also be singular, or
these Scriptures contradict one another. When you let the Bible clarify
itself, it's apparent from the Greek text of Mark 12:29 that there is
only one God.
The scribe who questioned Jesus confirms this understanding by his
response recorded in Mark 12:32.
MARK 12:32 So the
scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for
there is one God, and there is no other [allos] but
He." (NKJV)
The Greek word translated "other" in verse 32 is
allos, which Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of
Old and New Testament Words (Vine's) says "expresses
a numerical difference and denotes 'another of the same sort'."
There is no other like God; He alone is immortal, having existed from
eternity (see I Tim. 6:16 below). In Mark 12:34, Christ commends the
scribe for having answered wisely. All indications from the text are
that he agreed totally with what the scribe had said.
Christ called the Father the only true God and distinguished himself
from Him in John 17:3.
JOHN 17:3 [Jesus
said] "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
(NKJV)
Jesus objected when the ruler called him "good" (Matt. 19:17, Mark
10:18, Luke 18:19), saying that there was only One who was good, God.
John and Paul also made a distinction between the one true God and His
son Jesus Christ, as shown in the Scriptures below.
I JOHN 5:20 We know
too that the Son of God has come, and has given us the power to know
the true God. We are in the true God, as we are in his Son,
Jesus Christ. This is the true God, this is eternal life.
(Jerusalem Bible)
I CORINTHIANS 8:4
. . . We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is
no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods,
whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6
yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things,
and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all
things, and through whom we live.
(NKJV)
EPHESIANS 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one
hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in
you all. (NKJV)
I TIMOTHY 2:5 For
there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the
Man Christ Jesus,
(NKJV)
Along with Paul, James also states that there is one God.
ROMANS 3:30 Since
there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the
uncircumcised through faith.
(NKJV)
JAMES 2:19 You
believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons
believe; and tremble!
(NKJV)
2. God has sons.
This point is misunderstood to some degree by most Christians. In
addition to showing that there is only one true God, the Bible teaches
that the Most High God has sons. In the Old Testament, the term "sons of
God" (Heb. bene elim and bene elohim) refers
to the angelic host, as shown by the Scriptures below.
GENESIS 6:1 Now it
came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and
daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the
daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for
themselves of all whom they chose... 4 There were giants on the earth in
those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to
the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the
mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
(NKJV)
DEUTERONOMY 32:8 When
the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated
the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the
number of the sons of God.
(RSV)
JOB 1:6 Now there was
a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the
Lord, and Satan also came among them.
(NKJV)
JOB 2:1 Again there
was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before
the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the
Lord. (NKJV)
JOB 38:4 "Where were
you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have
understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or
who stretched the line upon it? 6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together, and
all the sons of God shouted for joy?
(NKJV)
PSALM 29:1 O give the
Lord you sons of God, give the Lord glory and power; 2 give the
Lord the glory of his name. Adore the Lord in his holy court.
(The Psalms: A New Translation)
PSALM 89:5 The
heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord; the assembly of your holy ones
proclaims your truth. 6 For who in the skies can compare with the Lord
or who is like the Lord among the sons of God?
(The Psalms: A New Translation)
The New Testament expands the concept of God's family by showing that
humans can also become sons of God, just like the angels. In Luke
20:35-36, Christ states that humans who attain the first resurrection
will be "equal to the angels" and will be sons of God, just as the Old
Testament shows the angels are.
LUKE 20:35 "But those
who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the
dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die
anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God,
being sons of the resurrection."
(NKJV)
The Greek word translated by the phrase "equal to the angels" is
isaggelos, which is a combination of isos meaning
"equal" or "same" and aggelos or "angel." This Scripture
is corroborated by Revelation 21:17, which shows that after the
resurrection there will be no difference between men and angels.
REVELATION 21:17 Then
he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to
the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
(NKJV)
The book of Revelation also shows that the loyal angels are the brothers
of the saints. First, let's examine Revelation 12:10. In this verse,
John hears the voice of an angel in heaven proclaiming the coming
kingdom of God and the expulsion of Satan and his demons from heaven.
This angel refers to the saints as "our brethren" [Gr. adelphon],
indicating that the loyal angels and the saints are brothers.
REVELATION 12:10 Then
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the
accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and
night, has been cast down.
(NKJV)
In Revelation 19:10, the angel showing John the end-time vision also
says that he is a fellow servant and brother of John.
REVELATION 19:10 And
I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do
not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who
have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy."
(NKJV)
In I Timothy 5:21, Paul calls the holy angels the "elect angels."
I TIMOTHY 5:21 I
charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect [eklekton]
angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing
nothing with partiality.
(NKJV)
The word eklekton is a form of the Greek word
eklektos, which means "chosen" or "elect." The root word
eklektos, or a variation of it, is used numerous times in the
New Testament to refer to those humans called by God to be part of His
family (Matt. 20:16; 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke
18:7; Rom. 8:33; 16:13; Col. 3:12; II Tim. 2:10; Tit. 1:1; I Pet. 1:2;
2:9; II John 1, 13; Rev. 17:14). Paul's use of the term in I Timothy
5:21 indicates that God also considers as His sons those angels who have
remained loyal to Him. The Scriptures indicate that all who have the
Holy Spirit are God's sons.
ROMANS 8:14 For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
(NKJV)
Most scholars use the first two chapters of Hebrews to denigrate the
position of the angels and claim that they are not sons of God. However,
the author of Hebrews was simply emphasizing the superiority of the
Messiah over the angels. This preeminence does not mean that the angels
are not also God's sons. They have a different role in God's plan than
Christ and humanity, but any interpretation of the book of Hebrews which
denies sonship to the angels obviously contradicts the Old Testament
references cited above.
3. One of God's sons is Jesus Christ.
This point is acknowledged by all parties. In the Gospels, Christ
generally refers to himself as the "son of man," and occasionally as the
"son of God." Nowhere in the New Testament does he claim to be God, even
though the Jews sought to kill him because they thought he had made
himself equal (isos) with God by saying that God was his
Father (John 5:18).
LUKE 1:31 "And
behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall
call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son
of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His
father David." . . . 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will
overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be
called the Son of God."
(NKJV)
JOHN 6:69 [Peter
said] "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God."
(NKJV)
JOHN 11:27 She
[Martha] said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the
Son of God, who is to come into the world."
(NKJV)
LUKE 22:70 Then they
all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He [Christ] said to
them, "You rightly say that I am."
(NKJV)
JOHN 10:34 Jesus
answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"
'? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the
Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father
sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I
said, 'I am the Son of God'?"
(NKJV)
JOHN 20:31 But these
are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
(NKJV)
It's interesting to note that the demons (who would be in a position to
know his origin and status) never refer to Jesus as God, but always call
him the "son of God" or the "son of the Most High God."
MATTHEW 8:29 And
suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus,
You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the
time?" (NKJV)
MARK 3:11 And the
unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him [Christ], fell down before Him
and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."
(NKJV)
MARK 5:7 And he cried
out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not
torment me." (NKJV)
LUKE 4:41 And demons
also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the
Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak,
for they knew that He was the Christ.
(NKJV)
LUKE 8:28 When he saw
Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said,
"What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I
beg You, do not torment me!"
(NKJV)
4. Only God the Father has existed from
eternity.
This is a major point in proving that Christ is not the one true God.
John 1:1, where the Word (Gr. logos) is called God (Gr.
Theos), has been misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Trinitarian theologians have used this verse to elevate the status of
Christ due to their belief in his co-eternality and co-equality with the
Father. However, a proper understanding of this Scripture does not
support this belief.
JOHN 1:1 In (the)
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [the]* God, and God was
the Word. (The
Interlinear Bible)
* The Greek article ton
("the") is untranslated in this version, as it is in most New Testament
translations.
New Testament Greek Syntax (NTGS)
states that in the Greek language, "the
basic function of the article is to stress the identity of a person, a
class, or a quality" (p. 31). Thus, the
presence of the article ton before "God" in John 1:1
stresses the identity of the Father; He is "the God."
Here is how this verse is rendered in some other Bible translations:
The Logos existed in
the very beginning, the Logos was with God, the Logos was divine.
(Moffatt translation)
In the beginning the
Word existed. The Word was with God and the Word was divine.
(The Complete Bible - An American Translation)
In [the] beginning
the Word was, and the word was with God, and the Word was a god.
(New World Translation)
The Word was in the
beginning and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.
(The New Testament, in an Improved Version, upon the Basis of
Archbishop Newcome's New Translation: with a Corrected Text)
John 1:1 makes it clear that both God the Father and the Logos,
who became Jesus Christ, were already in existence at "a beginning" (the
definite article "the" is not present in the original Greek). Since
eternity has no starting point, the beginning mentioned by John must be
a specific point in time. As such, it does not signify
pre-existence from eternity. Interpreting this Scripture to mean that "ton
Theon" ("the God") and "ho Logos" ("the Word")
have eternally co-existed is unjustified.
Most probably the "beginning" was the time spoken of in Genesis 1:1 -
the establishment of the physical creation. This would fit in with all
the Scriptures which say that God created the universe through Christ
(John 1:3, 10; I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). If this is
the "beginning" John speaks of, angels would also have existed at that
time (Job 38:4-7). Nothing in John 1:1 precludes other beings from also
having been in existence then. No one claims that the angels have
co-existed eternally with the Father, even though they too were present
at the beginning of the physical creation.
The view that the "beginning" is the creation of the physical universe
is supported by Christ's statement in John 8:44, as viewed in the
context of Ezekiel 28:15.
JOHN 8:44 "You are of
your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He
was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."
(NKJV)
EZEKIEL 28:15 You
[Satan] were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till
iniquity was found in you.
(NKJV)
Christ said that Satan had been a murderer from "the beginning," yet
Ezekiel was inspired to write that Satan had been perfect in his ways
from the time he was created until iniquity was found in him. The
"beginning" spoken of by Christ in John 8:44 was clearly sometime
after Satan's creation. Christ's statement obviously does not mean
that Satan has "eternally co-existed" with God; therefore, the phrase
the "beginning" cannot be taken to signify eternal existence, which only
God has.
It is a fact that John 1:1 says that the Word was God (or "a God").
However, Christ showed that the Scriptures also refer to humans as
"Gods." In John 10:34-36, Christ answers some Jews who wanted to stone
him because they felt he was blaspheming by claiming to be the Son of
God.
JOHN 10:34 Jesus
answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'
[see Psalm 82:6]? 35 If He called them gods [Theous], to
whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do
you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You
are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"
(NKJV)
According to The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament,
the word "gods" Jesus used in John 10:35 is the Greek Theous,
a plural form of the same word used in John 1:1 to describe the Word.
Jesus was revealing that all humanity has the potential to become part
of God's family eventually. But that obviously does not mean that all
humans will have existed for eternity with God. Likewise, John 1:1
should not be taken to mean that Jesus Christ has eternally
co-existed with the Father, who is greater than all (John 10:29). Too
many Scriptures show otherwise.
I
Timothy 6:13-16 also shows that Christ is not co-equal or co-eternal
with the Father. In this Scripture, Paul clearly distinguishes between
the two entities he is writing about: God and Jesus Christ. Paul
says that God alone is immortal, and that He has never been seen
by man.
I TIMOTHY 6:13 Now,
before God the source of all life and before Jesus
Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius
Pilate, I put you to the duty 14 of doing all that you have been told,
with no faults or failures, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ, 15 who at the due time will be revealed by God, the
blessed and only Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords,
16 who alone is immortal, whose home is in inaccessible light,
whom no man has seen and no man is able to see: to him be honor and
everlasting power. Amen.
(Jerusalem Bible)
In this passage of Scripture, God is clearly differentiated from Jesus
Christ. Yeshua the Messiah will be revealed when God the Father commands
his return to earth (Mark 13:32), since only the Father knows when that
will occur.
Christ was seen in the Old Testament as the "Angel of YHVH" and in the
New Testament both as a man and in a glorified state after his
resurrection. It is stated throughout the New Testament that no one has
seen God (John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46; I Tim. 6:16; I John 4:12). Obviously
Paul is referring to God the Father as the One "who alone is immortal."
If God the Father is the only immortal entity, then there was a point
when no other beings existed. Therefore, this Scripture leads us to the
logical conclusion that, at some point, Christ did not exist. Revelation
4:8-10 also shows the immortal status of the Most High God.
REVELATION 4:8
". . . Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" 9
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who
sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four
elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him
who lives forever and ever . . .
(NKJV)
5. God the Father is the creator and source
of all life.
The Bible is specific in saying that God Almighty is the giver of all
life and that He created all that exists. I Timothy 6:13 identifies two
entities: God and Jesus Christ. Paul says that God (not Christ) is the
source of all life, although other Scriptures show conclusively that God
created all things through Christ (see point 7 below).
I TIMOTHY 6:13 I urge
you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before
Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
(NKJV)
Revelation 4 pictures the heavenly throne room, the seat of God's
universe-ruling government. The Father is shown sitting on His throne,
with the angelic council of twenty-four elders seated around Him (see
Psa. 29:1-2; 89:5-6 above). During John's vision, he sees the elders
praise God, as recorded in Revelation 4:11.
REVELATION 4:11 "You
are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You
created all things [panta], and by Your will they exist
and were created."
(NKJV)
The angelic elders give God the Father praise because He created "all
things" (Gr. panta, a plural form of the adjective
pas, "all"). Nothing is excluded. This is a theme that runs
throughout the entirety of the Bible.
ACTS 17:24 "God,
who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven
and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He
worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He
gives to all life, breath, and all things."
(NKJV)
MARK 13:19 "For in
those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the
beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor
ever shall be."
(NKJV)
REVELATION 10:5 The
angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand
to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created
heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are
in it, and the sea and the things that are in it . . ."
(NKJV)
6. The first thing created by God was Jesus
Christ.
This is the most controversial point. The following Scriptures (A-E)
used to support this assertion are examined in depth.
(A)
REVELATION 3:14
[Christ said] And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God;
(KJV)
The Greek word translated "beginning" in Revelation
3:14 is arche. Regarding this word, Vine's
says arche "means
'a beginning.' The root arch primarily indicated what was of
worth. Hence the verb archõ meant 'to be first,' and archõn
denoted a 'ruler'" (NT, p. 58).
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament
and Other Early Christian Literature (BAGD)
defines arche in Revelation 3:14 as "the
first cause." Not coincidentally, this
is the only place in the Bible where it is assigned this meaning.
However, the author admits that the meaning "beginning=first
created is linguistically possible" (p.
112, emphasis mine).
The Exegetical Dictionary of the New
Testament (EDNT) states that arche "always
signifies 'primacy' . . . whether a) of time: beginning (origin),
b) of place: point of origin or departure, or c) of rank:
power, dominion, kingdom, office"
(vol. 1, p. 161).
In the booklet The God You Can Know!, Raymond F. McNair of
the Global Church of God writes of this verse:
Some teach that
Christ is a "created" Being--that He was the "first of the
creation of God." But the Bible does not teach that! The King
James Version of the Bible might lead some to believe that Christ
was created by the Father, but other translations more correctly
render the meaning of Revelation 3:14. The proper rendering of this
verse shows that Christ is "the Beginner [Originator] of the
creation of God." Christ was not the "beginning" of God's
creation but was it's "Beginner" or "Originator." Notice how this is
rendered in the following translations: Christ is "...the ORIGIN of
God's creation" (Moffatt); He is "...the RULER of God's creation"
(NIV)
(p. 4).
The word arche, or a form of it, appears in the
Textus Receptus (the manuscript base from which the KJV
and NKJV were translated) 58 times in 56 verses. Of those
times, it is translated "beginning" 40 times in the NKJV ;
conversely, it appears as "beginner" 0 times, "originator" 0 times,
"origin" 0 times, and "ruler" 0 times (although the plural form
archais is translated "rulers" once). The biblical usage of the
word obviously contradicts what Mr. McNair claims.
Additionally, the King James Version is not the only
translation which renders the last part of Revelation 3:14 as "the
beginning of the creation of God." Other Bible versions which translate
arche as "beginning" in Revelation 3:14 include the
New King James Version, the New American Standard Bible,
the Revised Standard Version, the Darby translation,
the Phillips translation, the Webster translation,
the New World Translation, The NKJV Greek English
Interlinear New Testament, and others. Even with the Trinitarian
bias of the vast majority of New Testament translations, this word is
translated "beginning" in several of the major translations currently
available.
The other uses of arche in the book of Revelation also
help determine its correct translation in Revelation 3:14. In the
Textus Receptus, the exact same form of arche is
used four times in Revelation (Rev. 1:8, 3:14, 21:6, 22:13). Each of the
other three occurrences are rendered "beginning." Therefore, translating
arche as "beginning" in 3:14 is consistent with the way
John uses the term in the rest of the book.
The meaning of arche is generally acknowledged by
scholars, which is why some translators render it "beginning" even
though they disagree with what the verse seems to say with arche
rendered that way. Taken literally, Christ confirms in Revelation 3:14
what Paul wrote of him in Colossians 1:15 (examined next). It is up to
you to believe either the Word of God or the ideas and human reasoning
of men.
(B)
COLOSSIANS 1:15
[Christ] Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn [prototokos]
of every [pases] creature [ktiseos]:
(KJV)
To understand what Paul is attempting to say in this verse, we will take
an in-depth look at the Greek words prototokos pases ktiseos,
which make up the phrase "firstborn of every creature."
Vine's says that prototokos
is a compound of "prõtos,
'first,' and tiktõ, 'to beget' . . ."
(NT, p. 240). In addition to Colossians 1:15, this word (or a variation
of it) is found eight other times in the New Testament. Matthew 1:25 and
Luke 2:7 use it to describe Jesus as the "firstborn" son of Mary. In
Romans 8:29 it denotes Christ as the "firstborn" among many brethren.
Colossians 1:15 says that Christ is the "firstborn" of every creature.
Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5 both state that Christ, as the first
human to be resurrected to eternal life, was the "firstborn" from the
dead. Hebrews 1:6 speaks of Christ's return into the world as the
"firstborn." Hebrews 11:28 and 12:23 use plural forms of the word; 11:28
refers to the "firstborn" of the Egyptians who were slain by the death
angel at the first Passover, while 12:23 speaks of the church of the
"firstborn" whose names are written in heaven. In summary, the term
prototokos is translated "firstborn" in each biblical usage
of the word.
Regarding Colossians 1:15, Word Meanings in the New Testament
remarks:
To say that Christ is
"the firstborn of all creation" certainly poses a problem. Ever since
the days of Arianism in the Early Church, those who deny the deity of
Jesus have seized on this verse as proof that He was a created being
even though the first one created by God
(p. 349).
Because of the Trinity doctrine, which proclaims the co-equality and
co-eternality of Christ with the Father, the meaning of this verse has
of necessity been distorted. It "poses a problem" because a literal
understanding of Colossians 1:15 discredits the Trinitarian theology.
Accordingly, you have scholars making such unsupported comments as the
following:
Prototokos . . .
is used of Christ as born of the Virgin Mary, Luke 2:7; further, in His
relationship to the Father, expressing His priority to, and preeminence
over, creation, not in the sense of being the "first" to be born . . .
(Vine's, NT, p. 240)
The expression
"firstborn of all creation" (prõtotokos pases ktiseõs, Col 1:15)
occurs in the opening line of the Colossian "hymn" . . . and speaks of
Christ's relationship to the creation. Stripped from its context and
from other Pauline statements about Christ, this phrase might be
understood to include him among created things (as simply the "eldest"
of the "family": prõtotokos in Rom 8:29 has this inclusive
sense). The English word firstborn is misleading for it normally
suggests someone who is born and therefore created. But this cannot be
the significance of the term here . . .
(Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, "Firstborn," p. 302)
The reason firstborn "cannot be the significance of the term"
prototokos in Colossians 1:15 is because a literal understanding
of the word would invalidate the Trinity doctrine. Therefore, mainstream
theologians have been forced to interpret it figuratively based on their
Trinitarian beliefs, even though an examination of the word as it is
used elsewhere in the New Testament appears to indicate a literal
meaning.
Pases is a form of the Greek
adjective pas. Vine's says the word "radically
means 'all.' Used without the article [as it is in Col. 1:15] it means
'every,' every kind or variety" (NT, p. 21).
Ktiseos is a form of the noun ktisis.
Vine's says that "like
the English word 'creation,' it also signifies the product of the
'creative' act, the 'creature,' as in . . . Col. 1:15"
(NT, p. 137). NAGL says that in Colossians 1:15,
ktiseos means "a
created thing, a creature" (p. 250).
Given the information above, the KJV rendering of
Colossians 1:15 appears to be the most accurate translation of the
original Greek. If you accept that the Bible means what it says, then
Colossians 1:15 clearly states that Christ was the "firstborn of every
creature." He was the first being that God created. This fully supports
what Christ himself states in Revelation 3:14. Afterward the Father
produced the rest of the creation through him and for him (Col. 1:16),
because God's plan of salvation for mankind and Christ's role in it were
formulated before the physical creation (I Pet. 1:19-20, Tit. 1:2, II
Tim. 1:9, Eph. 1:4-5, I Cor. 2:7, Rev. 13:8).
(C)
HEBREWS 3:1
. . . Christ Jesus 2 being faithful to the One having made [poiesanti]
Him as also Moses was in His whole house.
(The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament)
The Greek word translated "having made" in verse 2
is poiesanti. This participle is a form of the Greek word
poieo, which according to Vine's means "to
do" or "to
make.' It "is
used in the latter sense (a) of constructing or producing
anything, of the creative acts of God" (NT,
p. 386).
BAGD says this word is used "of
God's creative activity" to mean "make,
manufacture, produce [ti] something."
Regarding Hebrews 3:2, BAGD says poiesanti
is used "of the relation of
Jesus to God" (p. 680).
The KJV and NKJV, as well as most other
translations, render poiesanti in Hebrews 3:2 as
"appointed." But is that a legitimate translation? In the Textus
Receptus New Testament, poieo and its variations
appear 581 times in 521 verses. Of those occurrences, they are
translated "appointed" just once, here in Hebrews 3:2. The words
"appoint" or "appointed" appear 27 times in the KJV; this
is the only place that poiesanti or any of the
variants of poieo are the underlying Greek word. Let's
look at an occurrence of the specific form poiesanti in
Revelation 14:7.
REVELATION 14:7
Saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour
of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made [poiesanti]
heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
(NKJV)
Based on the definition of this word, as well as its biblical usage
elsewhere, it's obvious that poiesanti should be
translated "who made" in Hebrews 3:2, not "who appointed." Just as Moses
was faithful, Christ also was faithful to God the Father, who made
(created) him.
(D)
JOHN 5:26 "For just
as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son
also to have life in Himself;"
(NASB)
A
close examination of this verse will show that Christ has not
eternally co-existed with the Father. Let's focus on the Greek verb
edoke, translated as "He gave" in John 5:26 above.
The Greek word edoke is a form of the
finite verb didomi, which means "to give." According to
NAGL, the elements of this word are "third
person, singular, aorist, active, indicative"
(p. 116).
NTGS says that, "verbs
are divided into three groups: finite, infinitive, and participle.
Finite verbs have five elements: person (first, second, third), number
(singular and plural), mood (indicative, subjunctive, imperative, and
optative), tense (present, future, imperfect, aorist, perfect, and
pluperfect), and voice (active, middle, and passive)"
(p. 261). We'll look at each of these elements in edoke to
determine its precise meaning.
First, the word is third person and singular, which
refers to the one person being talked about, in this case God the
Father. The word is in the aorist tense, which NTGS says "usually
refers to past-time action as an event regardless of how long the event
was in progress" (p. 303). Next is the
voice. In the active voice, the subject (the Father) names the one being
acted on (the Son). Mood indicates the speaker's attitude toward what he
is saying. NTGS says that "the
indicative mood is generally considered the mood of fact, reality, or
certainty" (p. 261).
So if we take the literal meaning of edoke here, Christ is
saying that it is a fact (indicative mood) that God the Father (third
person, singular, active voice-giver) in the past gave (aorist
tense), Christ (active voice-receiver) eternal life, which the Father
had inherent within Himself.
The fact that Christ said God the Father gave him eternal life requires
us to infer that Christ did not have eternal life before it was
given to him by the Father. Any other interpretation of this verse
specifically contradicts the proper usage of the Greek verb edoke
and generally denies the function of language as a vehicle for conveying
information. Therefore, this verse refutes the claim that Christ has
co-existed with the Father for all eternity!
(E)
PROVERBS 8:22 "The
Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his
acts of old. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before
the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought
forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the
mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; 26
before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust
of the world. (RSV)
This passage of Scripture comes from Proverbs 8,
the "wisdom chapter." Harper's Bible Commentary (Harper's)
says of the eighth chapter of Proverbs that "the
translation and interpretation of no passage in Proverbs is more hotly
contested than this one, no doubt because Woman Wisdom's claims are so
difficult to assimilate within later Judaism and Christianity. . . . The
view of wisdom found here becomes important for the logos
theology in the prologue of the Gospel of John . . ."
(p. 507).
In verse 22 above, the Hebrew verb and its object
qanani are translated "created me," following the example
of the Aramaic, Syriac, and Greek versions of the Old Testament.
According to Harper's, the KJV and
NKJV follow "the more
literalistic ancient authorities: Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotian, and
Jerome" (p. 507) by translating this
"possessed."
Vine's says that although the primary
meaning of the Hebrew word qanah is "'to
get, acquire, earn' . . . certain poetic passages have long suggested
that this verb means 'create.' In Gen. 14:19, Melchizedek blessed Abram
and said: 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker [KJV, "possessor"]
of heaven and earth' (RSV). Gen. 14:22 repeats this divine epithet.
Deut. 32:6 makes this meaning certain in that qãnãh is parallel
to 'ãsãh, 'to make': 'Is he not your father, who created (qãnãh)
you, who made ('ãsãh) you and established (kun) you?'
(RSV). Ps. 78:54; 139:13; and Prov. 8:22-23 also suggest the idea of
creation" (OT, p. 52).
Harper's says that "it
should be noted that the Hebrew verb cholaleti, here translated
'brought forth' (vv. 24-25), derives from the root chyl, which is
generally associated with the physical activity of the female in
giving birth. Hence, one must ask if Yahweh, in the manner of a female,
gives birth (metaphorically?) to Woman Wisdom?"
(p. 507).
No, it's not "Woman Wisdom" to whom God gave birth or brought forth, but
rather the being known as the Logos, Jesus Christ. In this
passage of Scripture, wisdom is symbolic of Christ. Indeed, Paul calls
Christ "the wisdom of God" in I Corinthians 1:24.
I CORINTHIANS 1:24
But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God.
(NKJV)
7. After creating Christ, God then created
the rest of the universe through him.
Continuing with Proverbs 8, we see that "Wisdom" (Christ) was with God
as a "master workman" ("master craftsman"-NKJV) while He
created the universe.
PROVERBS 8:27 When he
established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face
of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established
the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so
that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the
foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master
workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31
rejoicing in his inhabited world, and delighting in the sons of men."
(RSV)
This fits in superbly with the remaining Scriptures which show that
although God created the universe, He did so through Christ.
JOHN 1:3 All things
were made through Him [Christ], and without Him nothing was made
that was made.
(NKJV)
JOHN 1:10 He [Christ]
was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the
world did not know Him.
(NKJV)
I CORINTHIANS 8:6 Yet
for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for
Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and
through whom we live.
(NKJV)
EPHESIANS 3:9 And to
make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things
through Jesus Christ;
(NKJV)
COLOSSIANS 1:15 He
[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all
creation; 16 for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
authorities - all things were created through him and for him. 17
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
(RSV)
HEBREWS 1:1 God, who
at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers
by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom
He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made
the worlds; (NKJV)
CONCLUSION
The
Bible conclusively shows that God the Father is the only true God. He
alone has immortality, since only He has existed from eternity. God has
numerous sons, all of them a product of His will. These sons include the
loyal angelic host as well as those humans called and given the Holy
Spirit. The Father is the source of all life, and Christ was the first
being created. God then established the rest of the creation through him
and for him. |
