by Giuseppe Monno
Colossians 1:15
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
On the basis of this passage, Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain that Christ, in his pre-human existence, is “the firstborn of all creation” in the sense of being the first being created by God. However, this interpretation does not correspond to the biblical and theological meaning of the text.
The Greek term used is prōtotokos (“firstborn”), not prōtoktistos (“first created”). In Scripture, “firstborn” does not necessarily indicate temporal priority, but rather dignity, preeminence, and the right of inheritance. In the Old Testament, the firstborn holds a privileged position over others (cf. Deuteronomy 21:17) and may also be designated in a figurative sense as one who is exalted above all.
Thus, in Psalm 89:27, God says of the king: “I shall make him my firstborn, the highest of earthly kings.” This does not refer to a generation in time, but to a conferred dignity. In the same way, Ephraim, though younger than Manasseh (cf. Genesis 41:51; 48:14), receives the blessing of the firstborn (Genesis 48:17–20). Likewise, Israel is called “my firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22), referring to its election and preeminence among the nations (cf. Deuteronomy 14:2).
Within this biblical context, the title given to Christ in Colossians 1:15 expresses his supremacy over all creation, not his belonging to it. He is not the first among created beings, but the one who has authority over all creation.
The immediate context confirms this clearly: “In him were created all things in heaven and on earth… all things were created through him and for him. He exists before all things and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16–17). If all things were created through him, then he cannot be included among created realities.
This truth is reaffirmed throughout the New Testament: “All things came into being through him” (John 1:3); “through whom he made the ages” (Hebrews 1:2); “for us there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6).
Therefore, the title “firstborn of all creation” does not mean that the Son is a creature, but proclaims his universal lordship. He is the only-begotten Son of the Father, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father, the beginning and the end of all things.