One of the key Scriptures Jehovah's Witnesses cite as “evidence” that Jesus was a created being is Colossians 1:15. It reads, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” They assert that “firstborn” means “first created.” Therefore, they relegate Jesus to a part of God’s creation—namely, Michael the archangel—rather than God the Creator Himself.
But does “firstborn” mean “first created” in this verse?
The first indication that the Jehovah's Witnesses' interpretation is false is based on what Paul stated about Jesus in the verses immediately following their “prooftext.” Paul declared of Jesus in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
It is clear from these biblical declarations that Jesus was not a created being or an angel but the Creator of everything formed and fashioned into existence.
The second indication that the Jehovah's Witnesses interpretation is false is based upon the combined truths of Genesis 1:1, Nehemiah 9:6, Zechariah 12:1, and Hebrews 1:10 concerning Creation.
In the Old Testament, Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and Nehemiah 9:6 states, “You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.” Zechariah 12:1 speaks of this same God and Creator, identifying Him as the One “who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him.”
Yet, in the New Testament, God the Father specified Jesus Christ as the One who laid the foundation of the earth and created the heavens, who alone is the LORD, according to Nehemiah 9:6—verifying and authenticating Jesus’ deity. He declared of His Son in Hebrews 1:10, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands.”
These undeniable proclamations about God the Creator in the Old Testament, coupled with the explicit declaration of Jesus as the divine Creator in the New Testament, proved problematic for Jehovah's Witnesses (and the Watchtower Society). But rather than accepting the original text as God’s divinely inspired Word and aligning their beliefs accordingly, they grossly altered the Bible to support, corroborate, and perpetuate their heretical doctrines, formulating the New World Translation used exclusively by Jehovah's Witnesses.
Got Questions Ministries said of this rendering: “The New World Translation is unique in one thing—it is the first intentional, systematic effort at producing a complete version of the Bible that is edited and revised for the specific purpose of agreeing with a group’s doctrine.”
They went on to say: “The ‘New World Bible Translation Committee’ went through the Bible and changed any Scripture that did not agree with Jehovah’s Witness theology. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that, as new editions of the New World Translation were published, additional changes were made to the biblical text. As biblical Christians continued to point out Scriptures that clearly argue for the deity of Christ (for example), the Watchtower Society would publish new editions of the New World Translation with those Scriptures changed” (Article: Is the New World Translation a Valid Version of the Bible?).
One example of this travesty is found in the New World Translation's rewriting of Colossians 1:16-17. Its producers added the word "other" in four places to align its message with their heretical theology about Jesus. However, this word is not found in any authenticated ancient Greek manuscript of Colossians.
Their tampered version reads, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him. Also, he is before all other things and by means of him all other things were made to exist."
It is obvious that the intent of these additions was to obscure the original text's meaning, which clearly expressed Jesus' divinity. These changes removed Jesus as the Creator of all things and relegated Him to God's first creation, whom He used to create everything else. Their New World Translation Study Edition even summarizes Colossians 1:15-17, stating: "Christ Jesus is the firstborn of all creation and the one God used to create all other things."
Regardless of Jehovah's Witnesses’ claims and falsified documents, the true and biblical meaning of Jesus as “firstborn” in Colossians 1:15 is simple when read and interpreted in its context using a verifiably sound translation of the Bible’s original Greek manuscript. It signifies Jesus' supremacy, preeminence, and prominence over all of Creation. In other words, Jesus is supreme over Creation because He is the Author and Maker of everything created.
In closing, we must remember that Jesus' deity is not ascertained from one or two verses in the Bible but from the overwhelming evidence presented throughout the entirety of God's Word. James R. White said, “One of the key exegetical (i.e., interpretational) truths to grasp, not only regarding the NWT, but with reference to all exegetical interaction with all kinds of false religions, is this: The truth of God’s Word is not limited by those artificial divisions we call verses. The truth, rather, is found in the entirety of God’s Word when it is handled properly, not merely in individual texts. That is not to say that we can ignore close examination of those texts, but the broader witness of multiple texts carries tremendous weight.” (Article: Getting over the Hurdles of the New World Translation).
I hope this information has been informative and helpful in understanding the meaning of “firstborn” in Colossians 1:15 concerning Jesus Christ.
