What was the first creation?

Bible Question:

In a recent Bible study, there was a question that confused me. It was, “What was the first creation?” The answer was “Jesus Christ in human form.” The scripture that was given was Colossians 1:13-20. Please explain this to me.

Bible Answer:

We shall start with Colossians 1:15.

15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.

16 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.

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

18 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.

First-Born

Verse 15 is the key that unlocks our understanding to this section. The phrase “first-born” does not mean that Jesus was born first. This little phrase has caused many problems for Christians. In short, the phrase means that Jesus was more important than all of the creation. Verse 18 will help us understand verse 15 since it also uses the same phrase saying, “first-born from the dead.” Now Jesus is not the first one who ever returned from the dead. There were at least three other people who returned from the dead before Jesus. So the phrase “first-born” cannot mean that Jesus is the first one who returned from the dead. He is, however, the most important one who returned from the dead. This gives us insight into the meaning of first-born. The phrase first-born means “priority one” or “most important.” In a previous question and answer, the meaning of this phrase has been explained in detail. I would encourage you to read it.

Human Form

Jesus Christ was the God-man. He was both God and man. As God He created everything (see verse 17) and holds everything together. Both history and the sacred scriptures tell us that He was a man (1 Timothy 2:5), and it is for this reason that He is the most important or priority one over both the creation and the dead. He existed before the creation (John 1:3). He was and is God from eternity past and only became a man at His birth (John 1:1-3, 14). He did not become a man until 2,000 years ago when He was born as a baby to Mary (Luke 2:7). When He became a man, He continued existing as God. He was the God-man (Romans 1:3-4).

Conclusion:

Jesus is the priority one who created everything! He has created everything in heaven and earth, the invisible and visible that has been created. He cannot be a created being since Colossians 1:15 He created everything. He could not have existed in order to He create Himself. Jesus is the priority one who created everything!

Suggested Links:

Is Jesus the first born of creation?
What does the Bible mean when it says Jesus is the only begotten Son?