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Glory · Jesus Christ
No. 'Firstborn' (Greek prototokos) is a title of rank and heirship, not a birth certificate. David was appointed firstborn over his older brothers, Israel and Ephraim are called God's firstborn, and Colossians itself says all things were created through Jesus and for Him. The firstborn of all creation is the One to whom creation belongs, not its earliest creature.
https://glorystudy.com/questions/what-does-firstborn-mean · Scripture quoted from the World English Bible
Colossians 1:13-23
As you read: Read the whole hymn carefully: what does Paul say the firstborn does, and what does he say creation's relationship to Him is?
13who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;
14in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins;
15who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.
17He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.
18He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;
20and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.
21You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works,
22yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him,
23if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.
Psalms 89:19-37
As you read: God calls David His firstborn and highest king. Check David's place in his family, and notice what firstborn means here.
19Then you spoke in vision to your saints, and said, “I have bestowed strength on the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.
20I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,
21with whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him.
22No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him.
23I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.
24But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
25I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
26He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!’
27I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28I will keep my loving kindness for him forever more. My covenant will stand firm with him.
29I will also make his seed endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
30If his children forsake my law, and don’t walk in my ordinances;
31if they break my statutes, and don’t keep my commandments;
32then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
33But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
34I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.
35Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David.
36His seed will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
37It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah.
Hebrews 1:1-14
As you read: The Son as heir of all things, the maker of the worlds, the firstborn brought into the world and worshipped by angels.
1God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.
3His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.
5For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today have I become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?”
6When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
7Of the angels he says, “Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.”
8But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
10And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.
11They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does.
12You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years will not fail.”
13But which of the angels has he told at any time, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?”
14Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Genesis 48:8-20
As you read: Jacob crosses his hands and gives the younger son the firstborn blessing. Firstborn status moves; it is not a fact of biology.
8Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
10Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
11Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also.”
12Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
13Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him.
14Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day,
16the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.”
20He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh.
In Scripture the firstborn is the heir, the one given preeminence, whatever his actual birth order. God says of David: 'I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.' But David was Jesse's youngest, left in the field with the sheep. When the Greek Old Testament calls David prototokos here, no one imagines it means he was born first. It means he was raised to the highest rank.
“I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”Psalms 89:27
“Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your children here?” He said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.””1 Samuel 16:11
“The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but, because he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.”1 Chronicles 5:1
God tells Pharaoh, 'Israel is my son, my firstborn,' though Israel was hardly the oldest nation on earth. Through Jeremiah He says, 'Ephraim is my firstborn,' though Ephraim was Joseph's younger son. And Jacob deliberately transfers the firstborn blessing from Manasseh to Ephraim. The word simply cannot mean 'the first one born' wherever Scripture uses it, so it need not mean that in Colossians either.
“You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, Israel is my son, my firstborn,”Exodus 4:22
“They shall come with weeping; and with petitions will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”Jeremiah 31:9
“Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine.”Genesis 48:5
“Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him. Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.”Genesis 48:13-14
Whatever prototokos means, Paul tells us himself in the next verse: 'by him all things were created... all things have been created through him, and for him,' and 'he is before all things, and in him all things are held together.' A creature cannot be the agent, goal, and sustainer of all creation including himself. If Jesus were part of creation, 'all things' would have to exclude Him, which is exactly what Paul refuses to do.
“For by him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.”Colossians 1:16
“He is before all things, and in him all things are held together.”Colossians 1:17
“who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”Colossians 1:15
Two verses later Paul calls Jesus 'the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.' There the meaning is unmistakable: not the first person ever to rise, but the One whose resurrection ranks above all others and opens the way for ours. The title consistently marks supremacy: 'firstborn among many brothers,' 'firstborn of the dead,' 'firstborn of all creation.'
“He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”Colossians 1:18
“For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”Romans 8:29
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood;”Revelation 1:5
Hebrews applies Psalm 89's firstborn title to Jesus and draws the obvious conclusion: 'When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, Let all the angels of God worship him,' and then quotes the Father speaking to the Son: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.' Scripture forbids worshipping any creature, even a glorious one, yet commands worship of the firstborn. Only one conclusion fits: the firstborn of all creation is God the Son, uncreated and eternal.
“When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.””Hebrews 1:6
“But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.”Hebrews 1:8
“Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me,Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’””Matthew 4:10
“Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!””John 20:28