Colossians 1:
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Is the Son created by God?
I don't think so. The verse does not use the word "created". The Son is not a creature. On the contrary:
16 For in him all things were created:
in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and
instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.
In the instrumentality of the Son, all things were created. He is the creator of everything:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
Again, look at the prepositions. If the Son is created, it makes little sense that all things have been created
in or
through or
for a creature. The sentence makes better sense if the Son is not just a creature.
17a He is before all things
that's Paul's point: The Son is the firstborn of all creation: the Son is before all things. Not that he was a creature.
Vincent's Word Studies
The first born of every creature (πρωτότοκος πασῆς κτίσεως)
Rev., the first-born of all creation. For first-born, see on Revelation 1:5; for creation, see on 2 Corinthians 5:17. As image points to revelation, so first-born points to eternal preexistence. Even the Rev. 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, Colossians 1:17. This fact of priority implies sovereignty. He is exalted above all thrones, etc., and all things are unto (εἰς) Him, as they are elsewhere declared to be unto God. Compare Psalm 89:27; Hebrews 1:2.
Matthew Poole's Commentary:
he was not created at all, though first-born, or first-begotten, yet not first-created, (being distinguished here from created, as the cause from the effect), as it refers to him that begets, so it may to only begotten, Christ being so begotten as no other was or could be
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary:
first-born of every creature—(Heb 1:6), "the first-begotten": "begotten of His Father before all worlds" [Nicene Creed]. Priority and superlative dignity is implied (Ps 89:27). English Version might seem to favor Arianism, as if Christ were a creature. Translate, "Begotten (literally, 'born') before every creature," as the context shows, which gives the reason why He is so designated. "For," &c. (Col 1:16, 17) [Trench]. This expression is understood by Origen (so far is the Greek from favoring Socinian or Arian views) as declaring the Godhead of Christ, and is used by Him as a phrase to mark that Godhead, in contrast with His manhood [Book 2, sec. Against Celsus]. The Greek does not strictly admit Alford's translation, "the first-born of all creation."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Ellicott, Meyer, Benson, Matthew Henry, Bengel, Barnes, etc. The scholarship is quite strong that the Son was not created.
