Beth-El Baptist Church

11/07/2010

Greg Tomlinson


What does Paul mean by Jesus being the firstborn among many brethren?


Christ is called the 'firstborn' or 'first begotten' in 9 passages in the New Testament. Some of the references are to Christ being the firstborn to Mary but others are not. Some who reject the Christian faith point out Paul's 'firstborn' passages in order to indicate that Christ could not be the God of the Old Testament but He is instead a created being, who is physically the 'firstborn'.


  1. What is the context of Paul's firsborn passages?

Romans 8:24-32 Colossians 1:12-20


Paul uses the word translated 'firstborn', three times in his writing and all three are in reference to Christ. In Romans, Paul is discussing the unseen hope of the Christian and the Holy Spirit's presence as an intercessor on our behalf. This leads to a what the believer is assured of becoming, Christ Like so that as we become like Christ, He becomes the “firstborn among many brethren”. This section closes with God's great love for the believer that is demonstrated by the sacrifice of His own Son and thus available provision for all of life that the believer can rest in. The context then does not point in any sense to Christ being a created or “born” being but to His being like our elder brother who leads the way through life showing us what we can and shall become. He is the firstborn in that He is the ultimate example that we should follow.


In Colossians, Paul is talking about the identity that the believer has in Christ. The believer is “translated” or “transferred” into Christ's kingdom. It is then Christ who is described as our redeemer and basis for forgiveness. Paul then describes Jesus as the 'image of the invisible God' and 'the firstborn of every creature'. These phrases are in apposition to one another. This means that they both describe the same thing. Thus Jesus is the 'image of the invisible God' which also means that He is “the firstborn of every creature”. This is further expounded upon and described by pointing out that it is Christ how is the creator of all things for His own purposes and that it is Christ who sustains and maintains all things. Because of the position that Christ holds in eternity past, He is the rightful head or leader of the body of Christ. Christ being eternal and having been resurrected is truly the firstborn from the dead. The meaning of all of this is found in the text itself “that in all things He might have the preeminence”. Thus the passage is truly talking about the super-superiority of Christ above all that resides in creation. Christ as firstborn is not about his being created but about Him being the creator.


  1. How can we be certain that birth or birth order have nothing to do with being the firstborn?

1 Corinthians 15:42-49 Genesis 1:26-27

2 Corinthians 4:3-5 Colossians 1:14-15; 2:8-10

Romans 8:3-4


From a human or birth order perspective, Jesus physically entered the world later than many other people did. In particular, Jesus is called the “last Adam” as a contrast to the “first Adam” who sinned and brought chaos to the world. Jesus is the supreme or ultimate representation of man seeing that man was created in the “image and likeness” of God. The first Adam did not remain in that fullness of that image and likeness of God, whereas Jesus did remain in the fullness of the image and likeness of God. This picture of a later child or later coming after the first is a common theme throughout the scriptures.


  1. What are other pictures of the first child not being preferred?

Genesis 4:1-2; 4:25 – Seth not Cain

Genesis 9:27; 10:21 – Shem not Japheth

Genesis 16:15-16; 17:18-21; 21:12-13; 22:1-8; 25:5-6 – Isaac not Ishmael

Genesis 25:20-26; 27:26-29 ; Malachi 1:1-3; Romans 9:13; Heb 12:16-17– Jacob not Esau

Genesis 49:1-10 – Judah, not Reuben, Simeon or Levi

Genesis 38:26-30 – Pharez not Zarah

Exodus 7:1-9 – Moses not Aaron

2 Samuel 7:14-17 – David not Saul

Matthew 21:28-31 – Younger son agreed to work but refused. The elder refused to work but went.

Luke 15:11-32 – Younger son sought the world but repented. Elder despised the younger's return.

Acts 7:2-5 – Abraham promised land on the second major move

Acts 7:8 – Isaac chosen

Acts 7:9-14 – Joseph approved the second time

Acts 7:12-14 – Joseph revealed on the second visit

Acts 7:35-36 – Moses brought out Egypt on the second time

John 1:17 – Grace not law

Romans 8:3-4 – Christ not law


The genealogies are full of the chosen individuals of God being not the first born but the second or later. All these indicate that then one that exists first or occurs first is not the one to be preferred. Just as Isaac was chosen by God over Ishmael, so is grace and Christ to be preferred over the law. The law is weak to save but Christ is mighty to save.


All of this to point out that Christ as the firstborn does not indicate a created order nor created being but the priority and superiority of Christ above all else.