The Divinity of Christ

SECTION 4 

— SECTION FOUR —

REFUTING THE "EVIDENCES" OFFERED

AGAINST THE ETERNITY OF CHRIST

First and foremost: the "pioneers."—There have been uninspired men in earlier times who have believed that Christ was created. Included among them were a number of early Adventist church workers.

This is the primary defense of these traveling preachers. One book I have here, published by them, is entitled What Did the Pioneers Believe? and uses only quotations from a few earlier Adventist church workers as proof that Christ is a created being and the Holy Spirit does not exist.

Seriously now: Having previously founded our faith and doctrines on the Word of God, must we now change foundations—and step onto a different platform? Do you and I dare base our beliefs on what uninspired men, in former decades, have written? Where in God’s Word are we told to set the sacred writings aside for the pratings of men? That horrible organization, Rome, gained its power over the souls of men by getting them to obey the teachings of man instead of God.

Those who, in religious matters, obey men, soon are led to reject basic truths of Scripture for man-made errors.

Second, and next to the first point in importance: Rome teaches it—The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christ, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit are fully divine; therefore the concept must not be true.

Such an argument is even more puzzling: Having always clung to the Bible for our faith,—are we now to reject any teachings found in it which are taught by Rome?

Is not this second argument as flawed—and dangerous—as the first? The Vatican publicly teaches that Christ died on Calvary. Shall we therefore abandon that precious truth? It is ridiculous to throw out a Bible truth, just because Rome pays it lip service.

Third, Colossians 1:15—Colossians 1:15 is cited as teaching that Christ was created as the first of the "creatures," and that "creatures" means "created beings." Therefore Christ is a "creature" or "created being." Here is the verse:

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature."—Colossians 1:15.

If what the critics say this verse means is true, then Colossians 1:15 contradicts the TWELVE PROOFS of Christ’s eternity (listed in the next section).

What does Colossians 1:15 actually mean?

"Creatures," in the Greek, does indeed mean "created beings or objects"; we all agree on that.

The question is about the word, translated in the King James Version, as "firstborn." What does it mean?

The word in the Greek is protokos, and can stand for one of two things:

(1) It can mean "the first to be born"; that is, being first in the family to be born rather than being born at a later time.

(2) It can mean "the one who produces all the births." This is the prime mover, the one who brings the generations into existence. In verse 15, it should read, "The One who brought all creatures into existence."

 There are three reasons why the second meaning is the correct one:

First reason: In Colossians 1:15, the meaning of protokos would have to be the second of the two, in order to agree with the rest of Scripture. The Bible does not contradict itself. Jesus is not the eternal God in all the other passages—and then in this one He is a finite, created being.

Second reason: The immediate next two verses, after Colossians 1:15, support this correct meaning of protokos:

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature."—Colossians 1:15.

"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him."—Colossians 1:16.

"And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."—Colossians 1:17.

Christ is the exact image of God, and has all the inner qualities of the Godhead. It is because He is fully God that the following three facts are true:

(1) It is Christ which produced every created being,—for by Him everything was created; literally everything [end of verse 16]!

(2) He existed before all things were made.

(3) It is only by His power, continually exercised, that everything continues to exist [end of verse 17].

It is obvious that verses 15 and 16 should be connected by a colon—as all part of one lengthy sentence. At least, they should not be placed as separate verses. Both speak of how Christ is the Creator of every created object. It is therefore obvious that, verse 15, protokos cannot mean "first of the creatures to be born," but must mean "the One who brought all creatures into existence."

Third reason: It is not unusual in the Koine Greek (New Testament Greek) for words and phrases to have varied meanings. For example, when you find "and . . and . ." in a passage, it frequently means "and . . even . ."

Another example would be the frequently misunderstood term: "archangel," which comes from the Greek word archaggelos (a combination of arche and aggelos; a double "g" in Greek is sounded as "ng"). "Archangel" is found only in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9.

"Archangel" does not mean "the highest of the angels." That is an error shared by many when they read "archangel." The correct meaning is "the Beginner of the angels." Jesus is not the first or highest of the angels, but the Beginner, or Creator, of the angels. In a similar manner, protokos can mean "beginner of the born" instead of "firstborn."

(Rome has confused the matter of archangel further by designating three "archangels": Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, none of which, in their view, are Christ. The truth is that the "archangel" is only used in two Bible passages (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9), and both refer exclusively to Christ. He is the only archangel. Gabriel is never called an archangel, and Raphael is an angel named in an uninspired Old Testament apocryphal book.)

Christ is the "archangel," the "Ruler of the angels." By the way, Colossians 1:16, quoted above, has arche in it,—and is translated as "principalities": ". . thrones, or dominions, or arches, or powers." In that passage, powerful rulers are spoken of as being arche in the plural. Jesus is the source, sustenance, and powerful Ruler over the angels; He is the archangel.

But there is more to this passage in Colossians, for it extends down to verse 19.

Colossians 1:15-17 mentions the divinity and creatorship status of Christ and the fact that He is Creator, Ruler, and Sustainer of all the lower powers in heaven and on earth.

Colossians 1:18 carries this point on, and states that, in addition, Christ is also Ruler over all His people.

Then, partway through the verse, Paul gives the reason on which Christ’s rulership over the church is based: It is the fact that He began the Christian church by rising from the dead,—so that His faithful ones could later be raised. Paul concludes by saying that, therefore, Christ is ruler over everything (in the heavens, in the world, and in the church).

"And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence."—Colossians 1:18.

So, how should protokos be translated in verse 18?

(1) It could have the first meaning of "firstborn"; that is, "first to come forth from the dead."

(2) But protokos could, instead, have the second meaning. The idea would be something like this: "Christ is the head of the body of Christians, because He is the Beginner of them; He is the One who will bring them forth from the dead."

(There is a passage in Scripture in which "firstborn," in the first sense, definitely does apply to Christ. That is Luke 2:7, which is speaking of Jesus as the firstborn of Mary.) The context explains the sense in which protokos should be translated.

Fourth, Proverbs 8:22-25—Aside from Colossians 1:15, this is the only other passage the Arians generally use to disprove the eternity of Christ.

Carefully considering it, we find that it does not prove what they want it to prove:

In the first several chapters of Proverbs, "wisdom" is spoken of as a woman crying to the people to buy of her wisdom. The Hebrew uses a plural noun, chokmoth, for wisdom, with a singular verb.

Proverbs 8:22-25 is one of those passages in which "Wisdom" is speaking. Much of the wording is allegorical, so we must not try to read too much into this passage; yet we will find that the underlying truth is clear.

We are told that "Wisdom" in Proverbs 8:22-25 is Christ:

"And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: [Proverbs 8:22-30, quoted]."—Patriarchs and Prophets, 34.

"The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old."—Proverbs 8:22.

Literally, in the Hebrew, "in beginning" "before . . of old," means before the most ancient deeds of the Godhead.

Arians declare that this verse teaches that Christ had a beginning. But read it again: It clearly says that, if Christ had a beginning, the Father had a beginning also!

We cannot accept that there once was a time when the Godhead did not exist. Therefore, the meaning of Proverbs 8:22 must be this:

It is as certain that the Son has existed forever, as that the Father has existed from eternity. There never has been a time when either did not exist!

That is the message of Proverbs 8:22.

Verse 22 says nothing about Christ coming into existence at some earlier time, only that He was with the Father as far back in the past as is conceivably possible.

"Possessed" indicates that Christ was with the Father back then. The Septuagint (LXX) Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament (a translation made only a couple centuries before the time of Christ) erroneously translates this word as "created." But that is a mistranslation; we should stay with the original Hebrew.

It is important that you realize that the Hebrew word, here translated "possessed," can also be translated: "to be erected to a position," or "assigned a certain work." More on this below.

A companion verse to Proverbs 8:22 is John 1:1-2. The definite article ("the") is missing before "beginning," in both Proverbs 8:22 and John 1:1-2, in the Greek: "In beginning," they both say. This is "beginning" in the absolute sense.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God."—John 1:1-2.

"I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."—Proverbs 8:23.

"When there were no depths, I was brought forth: when there were no fountains abounding with water."—Proverbs 8:24.

"Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth."—Proverbs 8:25.

Proverbs 8:23-25 obviously refers to a time in the very distant past. The Father and the Son were together. According to the above three verses, something occurred. What was it?

The key words are these: "set up" and "brought forth." Understanding them will provide the meaning of the event or transaction which occurred back then.

First, there is "set up."—This is nasak in the Hebrew, and has several possible meanings:

(1) "To pour out," as used in to pour out a drink offering (1 Chronicles 11:18).

(2) "To set," "to set up," "to install," "to inaugurate."

Then there is "brought forth."—This is chil in the Hebrew, and can mean:

(1) "To bring forth" as a child.

(2) "To be anointed."

You will recall that "possessed" in verse 22 can mean "erected to a position," or "assigned to a certain work."

The Hebrew word for "set up," in verse 23, can mean "to install," "to inaugurate." This word is used in a parallel passage:

"Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion."—Psalm 2:6.

The Hebrew word for "brought forth," in verses 24 and 25, can mean "to be anointed."

Do you see the unifying pattern here in Proverbs 8:22-25?

We have here a statement of how, in the far distant past, Christ was anointed to a special task, to carry out a special work (verses 22-25). Having entered into this agreement with the Father, the two of Them then set to work to begin creating (verses 26-29).

What was that special agreement and project? In their foreknowledge, it was the covenant of redemption, the agreement that Christ would make it possible for mankind to be saved, when Lucifer should tempt them. They knew what was coming.

"Let those who are oppressed under a sense of sin remember that there is hope for them. The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It has existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity."—7 Bible Commentary, 934.

Therefore, from the very earliest times of the most ancient past, the Father and the Son were planning how they would save mankind.

"The Lord possessed Me (assigned Me to a certain work) in the beginning of His way, before His works of old."—Proverbs 8:22.

"I was set up (installed to that work) from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."—Proverbs 8:23.

"When there were no depths, I was brought forth (anointed to that work): when there were no fountains abounding with water."—Proverbs 8:24.

"Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth (anointed to the task)."—Proverbs 8:25.

The Hebrew word for "set up" in verse 23 can mean "to install," "to inaugurate." We mentioned that this word is used in a parallel Bible passage:

"Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion."—Psalm 2:6.

Turning to Psalm 2, some of us may be startled to there find a remarkable parallel passage, but this one is focused more on an aspect of the earthly great controversy fought over the law of God. Read it thoughtfully. Here is a paraphrase:

Wicked men declare that they will not have God to reign over them. But God laughs at them, and announces that He will win the controversy—for He has anointed His King to the task.

Verse 7 immediately follows:

The Lord announces the Sonship of Christ (which Acts 13:32-33 says applies to the time of Christ’s resurrection; which would mark when He began His Sanctuary ministry in the "holy hill" of heaven). Therefore we, here on earth, had better come to the Son, lest we perish in the final judgment. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.

Thus we find that Proverbs 8:22-25 does NOT mean that Christ is a created being! It is an insult to Him to say such a thing. And it would be in violation of other Bible passages. I would not want to be one of those who, in the judgment, will have to answer for having persuaded people that Christ is a second-rate Saviour. And it would be in violation of other Bible passages. I would not want to be one of those who, in the judgment, will have to answer for having persuaded people that Christ is a second-rate Saviour.

The message of Proverbs 8:22 is that Christ has existed as long as the Father has existed.

The message of Proverbs 8:23-25 is that in the far, far distant past, the Father and the Son agreed to the everlasting covenant, to save man should he fall.

Before concluding this section on Proverbs 8, let me tell you a story: let me tell you a story:

About 35 years ago, my family and I lived for several months close to a small group in eastern Washington State. After we had been there awhile, we discovered that the leader and his son, both fine Advent believers, had such strong confidence in one another that, whenever one would suggest an idea, the other would accept and expand on it.

Before long, they had talked themselves into the notion that Christ was a created being,—and they were determined that everyone else accept their idea.

We moved away, but a close friend (now retired in Oregon) remained and, in their frequent meetings, would go back and forth on this one topic.

The crucial heart of the controversy came to be Proverbs 8:22. Back and forth the two sides would go over this passage.

One day, the ongoing discussion reached its climax. My friend explained to them that the key to the passage was actually quite obvious.

"The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old."—Proverbs 8:22.

That verse dates the beginning of Jesus Christ, if He had one. The father-son team agreed with that. Then my friend pointed out that, according to the verse, the beginning of Christ’s way was the beginning of the Lord’s way. Therefore, my friend explained,—that means that, if (if) Christ had a beginning, so did the Father also! My friend knew this was an unanswerable point, and they would have to reject their error.

But, never known to back down on anything and determined not to yield an inch, the father-son team decided that they would brave their way through to the acceptance of an additional error: The Father had a beginning too!

They were determined not to stop preaching their error that Christ had a beginning. —Yet the entire group was so shocked at the conclusion the leaders had now jumped to, that the meeting immediately broke up. Soon everyone on the place, other than the families of the father and son, moved far away. They were tired of the fanaticism.

There are many things in the Word of God that we will never fully understand this side of heaven, yet there is a lot we can know. We have seen that the total eternity of Jesus Christ is one of those truths of which we can have certainty. Jesus Christ, the Son, has existed as long as the Father has existed. There never was a time when either did not exist. They are immortal and eternal.

Stick with the plain teachings of God’s Word.

You will be safe if you do. Accept what is written in the Inspired Writings, and do not try to pry into matters too deep for you.

When God says something, accept it. Adam and Eve did not do this. They believed a traveling preacher who came along—and they got into trouble because of it. Do not imagine that you are smarter than the simple statements of the Bible. If you start doing so, you will be indulging in the sin of Eve. What was her sin? She doubted the words of God.

—And remember this: If you do not honor the Son, you do not honor the Father:

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him."—John 5:22-23.

Do not accept theories which deny the full divinity of Jesus. You may well be lost if you do this. This is because acceptance of one error will lead you to accept still more. And erelong you will wander far from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.

CONTINUE- SECTION FIVE   GODHEAD TOC