THE MEANING OF “THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION” IN COL 1:15 (3)

CHAPTER 3

LITERARY ANALYSIS

This chapter will examine the meaning and intend of the phrase πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως in its literary context. Since the phrase is part of a periscope, thus, in this section the writer will discuss the genre of the passage, its lexical meaning, and do its grammatical as well as its syntactical analysis in its context (Col 1:15-20). However as the writer mentioned in the delimitation of this study above, the focus of this study is only the phrase “firstborn of all creation.”

Genre of and the background of the passage

There is a major opinion among scholars that the passage is hymn or liturgical in form even though in terms of its structure there no consensus among them. ^[1]  However there are some scholars who propose that Col. 1:15–20 is not a hymn.^[2] It is asserted that the weight of NT scholarly opinion today considers that Colossians 1:15–20 is a pre-Pauline “hymn” inserted into the letter’s train of thought by the author. ^[3] They contend that originally it was a pre-Christian Gnostic text which dealt with the metaphysical and supra-historical drama of the Gnostic Redeemer and Christian took it using in a baptismal liturgical.

In addition the background of the passage itself is one of the most disputed aspects. There are two main arguments regarding of the background of the passage. The first of these two acceptable theories is this: First, Paul himself composed and dictated the lines as the epistle acknowledged. And the second notion is that the passage is a pre-Pauline hymn or well-known and oft-repeated early saying or testimony.

Grammatical and Syntactical Analysis

In order to understand as precisely as possible the meaning of the “firstborn of all creation” one need to see it in literally and contextually.  In this section the writer will consider the grammatical and syntactical analysis in order to get the meaning of the phrase the “firstborn of all creation.”

 The context shows that before Paul wrote v.15 he give is a sort of introduction of Christ relations to all creation which is a giving a reason for the next statement and as an expanding the meaning of the phrase. Then Paul begins his great exposition with the word ὅς, a relative pronoun, meaning “who,” or “which” and followed by ἐστιν (he is) to emphasize upon Christ Jesus himself. The next word εἰκὼν is a common noun feminine singular which means “image” of θεοῦ (God), τοῦ ἀοράτου (of unseen).

The function of phrase τοῦ ἀοράτου is a genitive apposition to εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ. In addition by its position, it is an emphatic and make prominent contrast with εἰκὼν.

The word πρωτότοκος is an adjective nominative singular masculine. It comprise of two words prōtos and tíktō .  It is a derivative from πρῶτος (prōtos) a constructed superlative from πρω (pro) a primarily preposition which means “first”, “best”, “in front of”, “prior”, “prominent” and most “most important.” ^[4] The prefix prōtos “first” may be taken in a temporal sense: “he was born before all creation” or in a hierarchical sense, “the begotten superior One.” ^[5]

The word τίκτω (tíktō) has its root tek (born) in form the aorist ^[6] a strengthened form of a primary of tek-o which means to produce (from seed as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively. Thus πρωτότοκος can be taken as a first-born, prior in generation. ^[7] However there is no agreement among the commentators to the interpretation of πρωτότοκος. Eadie, Hofmann, al., understand it of sovereignty. Alford and Lightfoot, while giving the first place to the idea of priority to all creation, admit sovereignty over all creation as part of the connotation. ^[8]

The word πάσης is adjective indefinite genitive feminine singular. The root of πάσης is pas which means all, any, every, the whole. And the next Greek word  κτίσεως is a common noun genitive singular which means “creature, creation.”

Grammatically and syntactically, there are some possible translation of πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως. It is possible to translate it as the firstborn of all creation that he was born before all creation or as the begotten One is superior. “ It means that one can interpret it in term of time as well as in term of rank.

The Immediate Context

The passage in Col 1:15-18 can be applied to the last interpretation method because it will agree to the context. In Col 1:16, it is saying, “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 by Him and for Him”. The text of v.16, shows that Christ is the source of creation. One can draw at least four things of v. 16: 1) Jesus Christ is the Creator of the universe; of all things visible and invisible; of all things that had a beginning, whether they exist in time or in eternity. 2) whatsoever was created was created for himself; that he was the sole end of his own work. 3) he was prior to all creation, to all beings, whether in the visible or invisible world. 4) he is the preserver and governor of all things; for by him all things consist.

Furthermore Col 1:18 saying, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.” In this verse Christ is described as the firstborn from the dead even though he not the first who rose from the dead.

Once again in the context the word πρωτότοκος occurs in v.18 of the phrase πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν (the firstborn from the dead). Here in v. 18, it is clear that one is impossible to interpret literally, since before Christ Jesus there were some people raised from the dead, both in OT and NT. In 1Co 15:20, Christ is called the first-fruits of them that slept; and here Christ is the chief and first-born from the dead; It means, he is the first that ever resumed the natural life, with the employment of all its functions, never more to enter the empire of death, after having died a natural death, and in such circumstances as precluded the possibility of deception.

Similar to this interpretation, Lohse states that the description of the pre-existent Christ as the “first-born before all creation” (πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως) is not intended to mean that he was created first and thereby began the succession of created beings. Rather, it refers instead to his uniqueness, by which he is distinguished from all creation.^[9]

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^[1]Peter T. O'Brien, vol. 44, Word Biblical Commentary : Colossians-Philemon, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 32.

^[2]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 6, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of Colossians and Philemon, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 68.

^[3]Peter T. O'Brien, vol. 44, Word Biblical Commentary : Colossians-Philemon, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 32.

^[4]Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York: United Bible societies, 1996, c1989), 2:214.

^[5]Collin Brown, The International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1979), 667.

^[6]Idem.

^[7]Wesley J. Perschbacher,  The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publisher, 1990), 359.

^[8]Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians (New York: C. Scribner's sons, 1909), 211.

^[9]Eduard Lohse, Colossians and Philemon a Commentary on the Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon., Translation of Die Briefe an Die Kolosser Und an Philemon., Hermeneia--a critical and historical commentary on the Bible (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971), 48.