NT:4416
prototokos (prwto/toko$, NT:4416), "firstborn" (from protos, "first," and tikto, "to beget"), is used of Christ as born of the Virgin Mary, Luke 2:7; further, in His relationship to the Father, expressing His priority to, and preeminence over, creation, not in the sense of being the "first" to be born. It is used occasionally of superiority of position in the OT, see Ex 4:22; Deut 21:16,17, the prohibition being against the evil of assigning the privileged position of the "firstborn" to one born subsequently to the "first" child.
The five passages in the NT relating to Christ may be set forth chronologically thus: (a) Col 1:15, where His eternal relationship with the Father is in view, and the clause means both that He was the "Firstborn" before all creation and that He Himself produced creation (the genitive case being objective, as v. 16 makes clear); (b) Col 1:18 and Rev 1:5, in reference to His resurrection; (c) Rom 8:29, His position in relationship to the church; (d) Heb 1:6, RV, His second advent (the RV "when He again bringeth in," puts "again" in the right place, the contrast to His first advent, at His birth, being implied); cf. Ps 89:27. The word is used in the plural, in Heb 11:28, of the firstborn sons in the families of the Egyptians, and in 12:23, of the members of the Church.
Note: With (a) cf. John 1:30, "He was before me," lit., "He was first (protos) of me," i. e., "in regard to me," expressing all that is involved in His preexistence and priority.
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
NT:4416
The figurative meaning of prwto/toko$ in the messianic title prwto/toko$ pa/sh$ kti/sew$ 'firstborn of all creation' (Col 1:15 may be interpreted as 'existing before all creation' (see 13.79) or 'existing superior to all creation' (see 87.47).
(from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright © 1988 United Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)
13.79 NT:4416† prwto/toko$b, on: pertaining to existing prior to something else - 'existing first, existing before.' prwto/toko$ pa/sh$ kti/sew$ 'existing before all creation' or 'existing before anything was created' Col 1:15. It is possible to understand prwto/toko$ in Col 1:15 as 'superior in status' (see 87.47). See also discussion at 10.43.
(from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright © 1988 United Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)
87.47 NT:4416† prwto/toko$c, on: pertaining to existing superior to all else of the same or related class - 'superior to, above all.' prwto/toko$ pa/sh$ kti/sew$ 'existing superior to all creation' Col 1:15. For another interpretation of prwto/toko$ in Col 1:15, see 13.79;
(from Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. Copyright © 1988 United Bible Societies, New York. Used by permission.)
Colossians 1:15
The expression does not mean that he was "begotten before all creatures," as it is often explained, but refers to the simple fact that he sustains the highest rank over the creation. He is the Son of God. He is the heir of all things. All other creatures are also the "offspring of God;" but he is exalted as the Son of God above all.
(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Colossians 1:15
First-born of every creature (Heb 1:6) - "the first-begotten:" 'begotten of His Father before all worlds' ('Nicene Creed'). 'God, of the substance of His Father, begotten before the worlds; and man, of the substance of His mother, born in the world' ('Athanasian Creed'). Priority and superlative dignity is implied (Ps 89:27). The English version seems to make Christ a creature. Translate [proototokos pasees ktiseoos], 'Begotten before every creature,' as the context gives the reason why He is so designated: 'For,' etc. (Trench), Col 1:16-17, "He is before all things." Thus, pasa ktisis has not to be taken 'the first-begotten of all creatures,' but in its strict sense, 'before every creature.' "First-begotten" marks at once His eternal priority and His condescending to brotherhood with us (Rom 8:29). "Only-begotten" marks His relation to the Father by generation from everlasting. This expression is used by Origen (so far is the Greek from favouring Arian views) to mark Christ's Godhead, in contrast with His manhood, (B. ii. , contra Cels.) Since He was before "every creature" [the genitive of the point of view, 'in comparison to' far or long before: John 1:15,30, protosmou; John 15:18, etc.], He cannot be a creature Himself, but the Creator. The Greek is against Alford's translation, 'the first-born of all creation.'
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Colossians 1:15
The first born proototokos. Predicate adjective again and anarthrous. This passage is parallel to the Logos passage in John 1:1-18 and to Heb 1:1-4 as well as Phil 2:5-11 in which these three writers (John, author of Hebrews, Paul) give the high conception of the Person of Christ (both Son of God and Son of Man) found also in the Synoptic Gospels and even in Q (the Father, the Son). This word (the Septuagint and the New Testament) can no longer be considered purely "Biblical" (Thayer), since it is found in inscriptions (Deissmann, Light, etc., p. 91) and in the papyri (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary, etc.). See it already in Luke 2:7 and Codex Sinaiticus (a) for Matt 1:25; Rom 8:29. The use of this word does not show what Arius argued that Paul regarded Christ as a creature like "all creation" pasees ktiseoos, by metonomy the act regarded as result). It is rather the comparative (superlative) force of prootos that is used (first-born of all creation) as in Col 1:18; Rom 8:29; Heb 1:6; 12:23; Rev 1:5. Paul is here refuting the Gnostics who pictured Christ as one of the aeons by placing him before "all creation" (angels and men). Like eikoon we find proototokos in the Alexandrian vocabulary of the Logos teaching (Philo) as well as in the Septuagint. Paul takes both words to help express the deity of Jesus Christ in his relation to the Father as eikoon (Image) and to the universe as proototokos (First-born).
(from Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament. Copyright © 1985 by Broadman Press.)
Colossians 1:15
The first-born of every creature proototokos pasees ktiseoos. The English Revised Version (1885): "the first-born of all creation." For "first-born," see the note at Rev 1:5; for "creation," at 2 Cor 5:17. As "image" points to "revelation," so "first-born" points to "eternal pre-existence." Even the English Revised Version is a little ambiguous, for we must carefully avoid any suggestion that Christ was the first of created things, which is contradicted by the following words: "in Him were all things created." The true sense is, "born before the creation." Compare "before all things," Col 1:17. This fact of priority implies "sovereignty." He is exalted above all thrones, etc., and all things are "unto" eis Him, as they are elsewhere declared to be unto God. Compare Ps 89:27; Heb 1:2.
(from Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Colossians 1:15
The word "firstborn" is prœtotokos. The Greek word implied two things, priority to all creation and sovereignty over all creation. In the first meaning we see the absolute preexistence of the Logos. Since our Lord existed before all created things, He must be uncreated. Since He is uncreated, He is eternal. Since He is eternal, He is God. Since He is God, He cannot be one of the emanations from deity of which the Gnostic speaks, even though He proceeds from God the Father as the Son. In the second meaning we see that He is the natural ruler, the acknowledged head of God's household. Thus again, He cannot be one of the emanations from deity in whom the divine essence is present but diffused. He is Lord of creation.
(from Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Copyright 1940-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Copyrights © renewed 1968-73 by Jeannette I. Wuest. All rights reserved.)
NT:4416
NT:4416 prwtoto/ko$ prototokos (pro-tot-ok'-os); from NT:4413 and the alternate of NT:5088; first-born (usually as noun, literally or figuratively):
KJV - firstbegotten (-born).
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4416
13.79 NT:4416† prwto/toko$b, on: pertaining to existing prior to something else - 'existing first, existing before.' prwto/toko$ pa/sh$ kti/sew$ 'existing before all creation' or 'existing before anything was created' Col 1:15. It is possible to understand prwto/toko$ in Col 1:15 as 'superior in status' (see 87.47). See also discussion at 10.43.
(Louw and Nida Greek-English Lexicon )
