Created through him and held together in him, Colossians 1:16-17

Sources

• Colossians 1:16-17, NASB. (opens in a new tab)

  Colossians 1:16-17, NASB.

Objections & responses

Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus “the firstborn of all creation,” which on its face makes him the first creature. Why skip the verse before the one quoted?

Verse 15 deserves to be read with the rest. Firstborn (prototokos) is used in the Old Testament for rank and heirship (Israel as God’s firstborn, David as firstborn among the kings) as well as for birth order, and the very next verse explains which sense is meant: for by him all things were created. A reason clause that says the firstborn made everything does not fit first thing made. The unitarian reading is possible on the word alone and implausible in the sentence.

Many scholars consider Colossians deutero-Pauline.

About half of critical scholars do. The point does not depend on authorship: a first-century Christian writer, very likely within Paul’s circle, attributed creation and sustaining to Jesus. If anything, disputed authorship widens the circle of early Christians who held this view rather than confining it to Paul alone.

Appears under 1 claim in this case

• The New Testament credits Jesus with creating and holding together everything, which places him on the Creator side of the Creator and creature line.