Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
It’s a verse that has confused people for centuries—and still does today: “Jesus is the firstborn of all creation.”
Initially, it sounds straightforward. Like Jesus was the first thing God created.
But there is a problem: that’s not what the Bible teaches.
If we misunderstand this, we misunderstand who Jesus actually is.
What We Get Wrong
When people hear “firstborn,” they assume:
- First in time
- First created
- Less than God the Father
That idea has been around a long time. It shows up in groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses and other teachings that lower Jesus from fully God to something created.
But Scripture never presents Jesus that way.
In fact, if Jesus were created, He couldn’t be God, and if He’s not God, He can’t save.
What the Verse Actually Means
In the Bible, “firstborn” is often about position, not origin.
It means supreme, preeminent, highest in rank.
Think of Psalm 89:27, where God says of David: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”
David wasn’t the first king born. He was given the place of highest honor.
That’s exactly what Paul is saying in Colossians 1:15.
And if there’s any confusion, Paul clears it up in the very next verse: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”
You can’t be created and be the one who created everything.
Jesus is not part of creation.
He is over it.
The Better Truth
Jesus is not a created being; He is the eternal Son of God.
He doesn’t just reflect God.
He is “the image of the invisible God.”
That means when you see Jesus, you are seeing God Himself.
- His authority is God’s authority
- His power is God’s power
- His love is God’s love
This matters because if Jesus is anything less than fully God, then the cross is not fully sufficient. But if He is who Scripture says He is—then the one who died for you is not just a messenger…
He is God, who came to redeem and restore you back to Himself.
And that means your hope doesn’t rest in something created.
It rests in the One who created all things and holds them together.
