IS JESUS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE?

(Colossians 1: 15-18) By Watchman Dean

April 20, 2014 Christians unanim us!y rea" C ! ssians #$ #% thr u&h #' an" "etermine that it i"enti(ies Christ as "he who created all things" an" he )h "holds all things together." I*m (in"in& e+en Unitarians are rea"in& these +erses that )ay an" e,-!ainin& it .y sayin& that the /creati n/ s- 0en ( in these +erses is the /ne) creati n1/ What they " n*t un"erstan" is that 2au! is )ritin& t the C ! ssians a. ut "the knowledge of God" (colossians 1: 10) an" h ) Christ3 .ein& the /ima&e ( the Father/ "em nstrates an" sh )s us the Father1 2au! is n t 4ust ta!0in& a. ut Christ3 there( re3 in C ! ssians3 2au! is ta!0in& a. ut /the in+isi.!e 5 "/ an" h ) he is re+ea!e" t us thr u&h the S n3 an" 2au! is ta!0in& a. ut the sa!+ati n an" "e!i+erance ( the in+isi.!e 5 " an" h ) they are .r u&ht t us .y 6essiah7 I*m n ) & in& t .rea0 " )n )ith -arenthesis h ) these +erses are ty-ica!!y rea"3 then I )i!! .rea0 " )n h ) they are SU22OSED t .e rea"1 CHRISTIAN TRANSLITERATION OF COLOSSIANS 1: 15-18 #% Wh 8CHRIST9 is the ima&e ( the in+isi.!e 5 "3 8THE FATHER9 the (irst. rn 8-re:eminent9 ( e+ery creature$ #; F r .y him 8CHRIST9 )ere a!! thin&s create"3 that are in hea+en3 an" that are in earth3 +isi.!e an" in+isi.!e3 )hether they .e thr nes3 r " mini ns3 r -rinci-a!ities3 r - )ers$ a!! thin&s )ere create" .y him3 8CHRIST9 an" ( r him 8CHRIST9$

#< An" he 8CHRIST9 is .e( re a!! thin&s3 an" .y him 8CHRIST9 a!! thin&s c nsist1 #' An" he is the hea" ( the . "y3 8CHRIST9 the church$ )h is the .e&innin&3 8CHRIST9 the (irst. rn (r m the "ea"= 8CHRIST9 that in a!! thin&s he 8CHRIST9 mi&ht ha+e the -reeminence1 As y u can see c!ear!y3 the ty-ica! Christian rea"in& ( the a. +e te,ts rem +es the Father3 E! him3 (r m the te,t1 2au! is n ! n&er ta!0in& a. ut 5 " AND >eshua (according to Christians, because of course Christians are trinitarians and believe there is no distinction between them and that they are the SA !"# N )3 !et*s rea" h ) the HO?> S2IRIT "irects that these +erses 6UST .e rea"1 8N t n!y the H !y S-irit3 .ut .asic ru!es ( En&!ish ( r i( y u rea" +erse #@ he .e&ins his messa&e .y intr "ucin& them t the "knowledge of GOD."91

THE LITERAL nd S!IRIT"AL TRANSLITERATION

C ! ssians #$ #%:#' #% Wh 8THE SON3 >ESHUA9 is the ima&e ( the in+isi.!e 5 "3 8THE FATHER E?OHI69 the (irst. rn 8-re:eminent9 ( e+ery creature$ #; F r .y him 8THE INVISIB?E 5OD3 )h m Christ is the ima&e (9 )ere a!! thin&s create"3 that are in hea+en3 an" that are in earth3 +isi.!e an" in+isi.!e3 )hether they .e thr nes3 r " mini ns3 r -rinci-a!ities3 r - )ers$ a!! thin&s )ere create" .y him3 8THE FATHER3 THE INVISIB?E 5OD )h m Christ is the ima&e (9 an" ( r him 8CHRIST9$ #< An" he 8THE INVISIB?E 5OD WHO6 CHRIST IS THE I6A5E OF9 is .e( re a!! thin&s3 an" .y him 8THE INVISIB?E 5OD9 a!! thin&s c nsist1 #' An" he 8THE I6A5E OF THE INVISIB?E 5OD:CHRIST9 is the hea" ( the . "y3 the church$ )h 8THE BOD> OF CHRIST3 THE BE?IEVERS9 is the .e&innin&3 the (irst. rn (r m the "ea"= that in a!!

thin&s he 8HE WHO WHO*S BOD> WE ARE: CHRIST9 mi&ht ha+e the -reeminence1 2au! re-eats this same -attern thr u&h ut C ! ssians3 "iscussin& the FATHER3 the INVISIB?E 5OD3 an" h ) he has use" his /I6A5E/ 8The SON9 t .rin& us the ANOW?ED5E ( him 85 "91 2au! s)itches .ac0 an" ( rth s-ea0in& ( . th the FATHER3 then Christ3 r s-ea0in& ( Christ3 then the FATHER an" h ) they re!ate t ne an ther in the c nte,t ( )hat he is sayin&7 In (act3 A?? the A- st!es use" this same -attern3 an" it is m st c!ear!y seen in the . 0 ( Re+e!ati n3 )here an AN5E? a--ears t JOHN3 then 5OD s-ea0s t J hn thr u&h the An&e!3 then CHRIST s-ea0s t J hn3 then 5 " a&ain3 then the CHRIST1 Trinitarians 8tra"iti na! Christians9 cann t SEE this -attern .ecause they ma0e Jesus an" 5 " the SA6E7 There is ne m re thin& that nee"s t .e "iscusse" (r m these ( ur +erses1 These ( ur +erses 8es-ecia!!y +erse #%9 i"enti(ies >*shua 8Jesus9 as a 2ART ( the CREATION1 In +erse #% it says he is the /(irst. rn/ r 8-re:eminent9 ( A?? ( 5OD*S CREATURES1 Trinitarians )ash +er this truth )hen rea"in& the -assa&e1 It c!ear!y i"enti(ies Christ as a /CREATURE/ .y sayin& he is /(irst. rn/ ( a!! the creatures1 C mm n sense "ictates that he cann t .e the /-re:eminent/ creature am n& /a!!/ creatures i( he*s NOT A CREATURE 8s methin& trinitarians a"amant!y insist91 N tice3 the !an&ua&e then s)itches an" inc!u"es US3 the .e!ie+ers3 i"enti(yin& us as the /. "y/ ( Christ1 This means that i( Christ is /the ima&e ( the in+isi.!e 5 "/ an" )e are /his . "y/ )e t are /the ima&e the in+isi.!e 5 "/ an" are SUBJECTS ( this te,t as )e!!1 2au! ri&ht!y inc!u"es us3 sayin& that the CHURCH 8the BOD>9 is /the (irst. rn ( the DEAD1/ We are .urie" )ith Christ in .a-tism 82au! e,-!ains !ater9 an" )e are

RAISED )ith CHRIST3 s that it is n ! n&er )e that !i+e .ut Christ !i+es in us1 Christians n t ri us!y FAI? t un"erstan" the im-!icati ns ( this3 ( r3 i( .ein& /the ima&e ( the in+isi.!e 5 "/ means that y u are in (act the in+isi.!e 5 " an" there( re are *CREATOR/ then WE )h are /-re"estine" t .e c n( rme" t the ima&e ( Christ/ 8R mans '$ BC9 are A?SO /the creat r1/ C!ear!y3 .ein& in the /ima&e ( the in+isi.!e 5 "/ " es n t ma0e ne the CREATOR1 Shalom atchman !ean