Truth Magazine

By Robert Jackson

We are grateful for the space and opportunity to continue to study these issues that we believe are important issues that divide us. I want to say in the very beginning of this study that I find no joy in division, and I find no joy whatsoever in having to discuss the issues that divide us. I had rather be united. I had rather for all of us to be one, so there would be no division. But when there is division among our ranks, we cannot duck our heads in the sand and say, “There is no division,” and just hope that it will all pass away. What we need to do is to get down and study and examine and find out exactly why there is division within our ranks.

First of all, I have established the principle that I believe there is division as a result of not understanding Bible authority, understanding that we have a generic command and a specific command. That is given by a direct command, the necessary inference, and approved example. Also, that when we speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where it is silent we must recognize these principles, in order to be speaking as God would have us to speak. Today, we find a lot of people saying that you can do things without Bible authority, but any time you do things without Bible authority, you are going to cause division. You are going to divide yourself and separate yourself from God, and there is no other way to get around it. The reason there is division within our ranks is simply because we have got some brethren who lack respect for the word of God.

Then in our last article we discussed a misunderstanding of the church. I tried to bring to your minds that the church is the universal body of Christ. It has no universal organization. It is composed of all of God’s people all over this world, and every man that obeys the gospel of Christ is added to the church, the family of God, people who are separated, called into the kingdom of God out of the kingdom of darkness. And this is done when people believe that Christ is God’s son, when they repent of their sins, and upon the confession of their faith, they are baptized, as the Bible teaches in Acts 2:38.

Then we studied about what is a church of Christ. A church of Christ is a local church of Christ in a specific locality where Christians come together and form themselves together in a local congregation. They are organized or arranged by having elders to oversee the flock of God among them, deacons as special servants, and then money raised upon the first day of the week by the saints of God in order for the local church to do what God has authorized the local church to do. In our next study we will be talking about the work of the local church, and you need to keep this in mind. In the churches of Christ, the local churches of Christ, we do not beg for money by having pie suppers or rummage sales. We simply believe in following the pattern, and that is by the saints of God giving upon the first day of the week. Now then, we have established the church, and we have established the local churches of Christ.

Now then, today we have division within our ranks , but yet we ought not think this is strange because it was prophesied in the very beginning that division would come in the body of Christ. If you have your Bibles handy, I want you to note with me some scriptures that plainly warn the people of God about division. There should not have been division within their ranks because the men of God warned them about division. Open your Bible to Acts 20-this is a very important chapter. You will find the apostle Paul talking with the elders of the church of Ephesus over at Miletus. Keep in mind that he is talking to the elders of a local church, men who had the oversight of the flock of God which is “among them.” Listen to what he said, beginning at verse 28-“Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Now there we find that the elders have the oversight of the flock of God which is “among them.” Keep this in your mind. Then he said, “For I know this.” Now, he did not say there was any doubt in his mind, or that “it might be.” He said, “I know this, that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.”

It is a rather strange thing that these wolves did not come while the apostles were there. They waited for the men of God to get away, then these false teachers sneaked in and divided the body of Christ. This is the same way they will do it today. You can let a devout man of God, a faithful man of God, stay there and preach the truth, and very seldom will you ever find a false teacher that will challenge him. But yet you let that man get away from the flock, and then these wolves will come in and try to divide the body of Christ, and that is a shame and a disgrace.

But notice what he said inverse 30-“And of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” What a shame! What a tragedy! But, yet, the truth. Paul said, “But even of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things.” Sometimes people say that this has reference to elders, which I would not deny. I think even of the eldership there would be men to arise who would “speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them.” But likewise, it could be true of preachers in a local congregation, where they would arise and start speaking things contrary to the word of God. Also observe that he said, “To draw away disciples after them.” Now then, when they teach things contrary to the word of God, they are going to draw away disciples. When they “draw away disciples after them,” that is going to bring division within the ranks of God, and there is no way to get around it. That is exactly what the man of God said. He said that division would come, that “even of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things.”

But now then, turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 2, and listen to what he said in verse 3-“Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” Now space will notpermit us to get everything out of these verses that we should, but I want you to get this: Paul said there would come a “falling away.” He said the “falling away” would come as a result of somebody setting themself up “as God”-showing themselves to be God, playing God, taking the place of God, acting as if they were God. And, when they speak they say, “This is it because we said it,” and they desire to be worshipped. Paul said they would divide the body of Christ, there would be a “falling away,” there will be division within your own ranks. That, my friend, is exactly what happened.

But keep in mind that the brethren were warned that division would come. They should have been on the alert. They should have realized that it would come, because the men of God did not keep them in secret about the matter. The men of God warned them in plain, simple language that there would be division, that men would try to take the place of God, they would try to establish authority by human reason and human doctrines and by human philosophy; and, as a result, would divide the body of Christ. But listen again! The apostle Paul said in verse 7, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.” Why Paul said this thing has already started! What is started, Paul? The mystery of iniquity, the dividing of the body of Christ! This thing was already started in Paul’s day. There was this division within the body of Christ already taking place. What’s causing the division, Paul? A man trying to take the place of God!

Alright now, keep that in mind and turn with me again, if you have your Bibles, to 1 Timothy 4. Listen carefully to these verses and measure what I say by the scriptures, beginning in verse 1 — “Now the spirit speaketh expressly.” Now this is the Holy Spirit expressing Himself, listen . . . “expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.” Now he did not say that all would, he said some would. “Some shall depart from the faith.” Well, my friend, when some depart from the faith, there is going to be division. The man of God is warning people that division would come. How are you going to know about it, Paul? “Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared as with a hot iron.” Why Paul said that division would come by men speaking lies; trying to take the place of God, instead of establishing the truth. They are going to deceive people, and they are going to divide the body of Christ! And Paul said this mystery is already started working. He said that “some would depart from the faith.” He did not say all of them would, but he said that some would. And, my friend, when some do, then you have got division within the ranks of the body of Christ. Now there was not anyone who could say that they had not been warned about this division. They had been warned, and Paul pleaded with them and begged with them to realize that division would come.

But let us note again in the book of Jude. If you have your Bibles, turn to the 4th verse and read it. “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation . . . .” Now watch it! “. . . ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now what are they going to do? They are going to turn “the grace of God into lasciviousness.” How are they going to do it? By denying the only Lord Jesus Christ. Pepole are not going to recognize Christ as Lord. They are going to try to take the place of Him, and they are going to try to be the Lord; and when they do, they are going to “turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.”

Now my friend, I want to challenge you to read any historian you want to, and you will read the following things that took place. Alright, first of all, in a local congregation we begin to find one elder saying. “I am going to be the bishop and you other fellows are going to be the elders.” “I am going to be the chief bishop and you are going to be the elders.” Well; now, that might look like a simple thing. Somebody might say, “Well the title bishop is scriptural. Why can’t one man be called the bishop and the other men be called elders?” Because they all have the same authority! They are either bishops or elders, and no one takes the place as the chief bishop or chief shepherd or chief elder. Christ is the chief bishop and the chief elder and chief shepherd in 1 Peter 5. Elders and bishops must be identified as such.

But here is a man who said, “I am going to be the bishop. I am going to be the elder. I am going to take over this congregation.” That seems simple. But what happened? It began to spread. They began to say, “Well now, I’ll take over this diocese, and you take over that diocese.” And, do you know ‘something? As the years went by, they had five patriarchs set up. They had one in the city of Alexandria, they had one in Constantinople, they had one in Rome, they had one in Jerusalem, and they had one in Antioch. Each one of them said, “I will take the oversight of this diocese.” Five patriarchs overseeing local churches-that is already departure from God’s order. And then you know what happened? They began to clamor over who was going to take over all of them. Finally, as the years went by, in about the year 606 A.D., we find that one man by the name of Boniface III identified as this man, became the first universal bishop of all the churches and took over the authority in this manner. Thus we have the complete departure and the forming of Catholicism-as a result of division within the ranks of the body of Christ.

This should have been a lesson for the people of God. We should have learned to stick with the Bible and do exactly like Paul and the others said. But no, brethren decided they would become as God, and as a result of it, divided the body of Christ, and the Roman Catholic Church was born. And that is exactly how she got into existence-as a departure within the ranks of the body of Christ. Division within our ranks: a shame and a disgrace, but true! But enough for this article, and we shall continue our study in the next.

Truth Magazine XXI: 15, pp. 232-234
April 14, 1977

By William C. Sexton

Two hundred years ago, (July 4, 1776) the founding fathers of our nation signed the Declaration of Independence and thus gave birth to our nation. That is an important and impressive historical event and is on the mind of many at this time. In the same spirit with that event, I challenge each one who reads this to make a Declaration of Dependence on the Divine Plan of Salvation! In that city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, the founding fathers said we will no longer be submissive to a king that has oppressed us; rather, we are uniting ourselves as a people, believing that we have the right to Liberty, Life and the Pursuit of happiness-being giving that right by our Creator.

Beloved, allow me to read the words of inspiration, as recorded in Rom. 6:16-18 and make some application of the principle that was operative in the minds of those men two centuries ago: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servant to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey: whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servant of righteousness.” Paul was conscious of the oppression of sin in the lives of these men prior to their transition, and he was reminding them of that fact; before a servant, after a free man!

Two important points, it appears to me, stand out from the above reading: (1) Man has the ability to yield to sin-which is a transgression of God’s law-or yield to righteousness-which is God’s message of freedom; (2) Man is a servant to whom he yields himself!

Paul, earlier in the same book points to two facts: (1) All have sinned (Rom. 3:23); (2) the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). The Romans, however, had been receptive to the gospel message of freedom, which was and is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16-17), and thus had ceased to be servants of sin and in that process had become “Servants of Righteousness.” Paul was so thankful of that transition; he reminds them at exactly what instant in time the transition had occurred. Likewise, he tells them what had produced the transition; when they had “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” Beloved, in that moment, at that place they had declared themselves to be dependent on the Divine plan of salvation. That is what I have declared; that I am dependent on the Divine Plan to save. That is what I am calling upon all others to do: depend absolutely on the plan recorded in the divine Book, the Bible to save, you, me, and all others.

First, as our founding fathers felt that they had been oppressed by a government that did not properly care for them; likewise, all who would be saved by the plan of God, must feel oppressed by sin as it rules in their lives. The scriptures declare sin to be defective, deceitful, and destructive (Num. 32:23). Moses says, “But if ye will not do so, ye have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” God had spoken, and to fail to follow was to be defective-missing the mark of right conduct. It was a sin against the Lord, for He is the ruler of man. Neither could man disobey God and escape the consequences-it would and will find us-if and when we sin; if we fail to come to God and receive forgiveness it will be our eternal ruin (Rev. 20:10-15).

The writer of Hebrews (3:13) says to “exhort one another daily, while it is Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” The same writer tells us (Heb. 11:25) that one may “enjoy the pleasures of sin,” but that such is only “for a season.” As one practices sin, he is hardened and becomes less sensitive to the appeals of right and good. One is inclined, however, to think that his sins are not so bad. Nevertheless, sin kills the soul, regardless of how “bad” or “not-so-bad” one feels about it. He who does not feel the burden of sin, however, is not going to change.

The Lord Jesus, accordingly, points to the “poor in spirit”-they who know that they are bankrupt spiritually-as to whom the “kingdom of God” belong (Matt. 5:3). Likewise, they who “mourn”-evidencing a consciousness of the burden of sin-are the ones who shall be “comforted” (Matt. 5:4). Continuing, He points to those who are “meek,” and “they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness,” as being the ones who fit into His kingdom (Matt. 5:5-12). All of this points to the necessity of one becoming aware of his inadequacy, and then being enlightened of God’s love manifest in sending His Son to die for the sins of man. Then he has to learn of the response that is expected of him and thus respond, as did the Romans (Rom. 6:1-18). Having initially obeyed the “first principles of the oracles of God”, however, one then is to “go on unto perfection,” which requires that one continue to depend on the divine plan (Heb. 6:1-3).

Salvation is by grace on God’s part; but it is by faith on man’s part (Eph. 2:8-9). Many are unwilling to declare their dependence on God’s plan-some in regard to how to become a member of His family and others in regard to remaining “in” the Lord and thus being saved by His blood (Gal. 3:26-27; Jn.15:5-6; 1 Jn. 1:3-7).

He who will not declare his dependence on the Lord’s plan to save him: faith in Jesus as the Son of God (Jn. 8:24), repentance of sin (Lk. 13:5), confession of that faith (Acts 8:37), and baptism in water for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4) will be lost! However, he who will not walk “by faith” (2 Cor. 5:7): living an active life-ever being involved in the work of the Lord, (1 Cor. 15:58) living a clean life- keeping himself unspotted from the world (Jas. 1:27) and worshipping in “spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23-24), and remaining within the limits of the “doctrine of Christ” in all that he does (Col. 3:17; 2 Jn. 9), mill not be saved. He too, will be lost, just as if he had never obeyed any.

Therefore, beloved, I am calling upon all to be dependent on the divine plan-in becoming a Christian, and in remaining a Christian. The divine plan is revealed, recorded, and readable. God has preserved it for you and me. If we are going to save our souls, communicate the message that will save other souls, and make our contribution to society, we must depend solely on the revelation of God.

If we will look closely at the actions of men in providing a substitute for the divine plan, we can see that they are all futile. Also, when we accept something that is not in the New Testament today-in becoming a Christian or in living as a Christian-we are not depending on the divine plan, even though we may be declaring to high heaven that we are.

Beloved, I believe that the greatest need for man today is to declare his dependence on the Divine plan and then demonstrate by his actions that he indeed is dependent! A lot of people make a profession while their actions deny their claims (2 Tim. 3:5; Tit. 1:16). God is not pleased with men who act so contradictorily! We should constantly examine our action to see if we are relying on the Divine plan or if possibly we are relying on our own or on that of another brother or group of brethren. May we ever continue to depend on the Divine plan, declaring, demonstrating in deeds!

Truth Magazine XXI: 15, pp. 231-232
April 14, 1977

By Cecil Willis

The first instance we find record of any person’s speaking in tongues after the ascension of Christ is recorded in Acts 2. First, let it be understood that the Bible says nothing of speaking in “unknown tongues”. However, it does use the terms “other tongues” and “kinds of tongues”, but never “unknown tongues”.

Notice now Acts 2:1-13: “And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans? And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and so-journers from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God. And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this? But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine.”

You will notice on this occasion that the apostles received the Holy Spirit. The purpose of their reception of the Holy Spirit was to enable them to speak in tongues which they had never learned. The 17 nationalities of people were present. God wanted them to be taught the gospel. Hence, a miracle was performed upon the apostles, so that they were enabled to speak in languages that these foreigners could understand. Notice in verse 11, the people said, “we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.” The employment of this language was perfectly intelligible to the hearers. Let it never be said that the apostles had learned all these various languages through the process of natural education. Such was not the case. They that spoke were all Galileans. They spoke in languages which they had never learned. They did this by miraculous means. It would be profitable for us to discuss this phenomena in connection with the so-called tongue-speaking of today.

From the passage we have already read it should be apparent that speaking in tongues was speaking in a language, but, have you ever attended a religious service today in which the people who “receive the Holy Spirit” and who received the power to speak in tongues, spoke in an intelligible language? Could any person from any other land have understood what they were saying? Did they speak in French, German, Spanish, Greek or Hebrew? Thy certainly did not. The point that we are trying to make is that people who claim the power to speak in other tongues today do not do the same thing that people who spake in tongues in New Testament times did. Modern-day speaking in tongues is nothing more than a conglomeration of unintelligible jabber. You find no such practice in the New Testament.

A second reference to speaking in tongues is found in Acts 10:46. The apostle Peter had been directed to the household of Cornelius, a Gentile, and had preached the gospel to them. Then the scripture says that the Jews “heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” These Gentiles were speaking in tongues. On the day of Pentecost, the power to speak in tongues was given ire order to enable the Jews to teach those whose language they had never learned. On this occasion, power to speak in tongues was given to show the Jews that the Gentiles also had a right to the gospel of Christ. You will remember that the Jew felt that a Gentile was but a dog, and later they criticized Paul for preaching to the Gentiles. The scripture says that after they saw the signs done by the Gentiles, “they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life” (Acts 11:28).

In 1 Cor. 12:1-10, 30, Paul discussed nine spiritual gifts. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led. Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord but in the Holy Spirit. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord. And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal. For to one is given through the Spirit the Word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit; and of healings, in the one Spirit; and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits: to another divers kinds of tongues: and to another the interpretation of tongues:”

He says that there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. The enumerated gifts are as follows: “the word of wisdom”, “the word of knowledge”, “faith”, “healings”, “workings of miracles”, “prophecy”, “discerning of spirits”, “divers kinds of tongues” and “the interpretation of tongues”.

As we have previously studied, the spiritual gifts were all a part of the miraculous demonstration accompanying the preaching of the word of God prior to its completion in the written form. After that which was perfect was come, namely the written revelation, that which was in part, namely the spiritual gifts, was done away. Furthermore, in Mk. 16:17-20 we find speaking in tongues listed as one of the signs that was to follow believers. They were to cast out demons, speak in other tongues, take up serpents, drink any deadly thing, and lay hands of the sick. By the same token that we know the handling of serpents and drinking deadly things are not perpetuated, we also know that speaking in tongues was a temporary power, and no man today has that ability. The Holy Spirit gave power to the early disciples to speak in tongues which they had not learned. This, as the other miracles was to confirm the word spoken. once the word was confirmed, that miracle, as well as the others, was discontinued. If you doubt that to be true, get any person who claims the power to speak in tongues, choose any language, of which he has not studied, and ask him to speak that language. The utter impossibility of his doing so will be absolute proof of the fact that he does not have divine power, and if he begins to speak some senseless jabber, you know immediately that he does not have the power to speak in a language which he has not learned, or he would do that instead.

In summary of our series of lessons on miracles, let it be understood that God has the power to perform miracles. He has the power to work miracles today, should He have chosen to do so. But it has never been a question of whether God has the power to work miracles, but always has been a discussion of whether God is working miraculous happenings through finite beings this day. Miracles were for a temporary purpose. They served their purpose and were done away when that which is perfect came.

Truth Magazine XXI: 15, pp. 230-231
April 14, 1977

By Cecil Willis

Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Arguments

No study of the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ doctrine of Christ would be complete unless it considered and answered the various arguments used by the Witnesses to prove that Jesus was a created being rather than being Jehovah God. Hence, in this article, I propose to consider the major passages and arguments used to prove that Jesus is a Created being.

1. Rev. 3:14. The King James translation of this verse is as follows: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses use this passage to prove that Jesus was the first created being. The Greek word from which “beginning” is translated is arche; the proper understanding of its usage in this context is essential to the true understanding of this verse. `Arche always signifies `primacy’ whether in time: beginning, principium, or in rank: power, dominion, office” (Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 479). Rather than bearing the meaning that Jesus was the first Created being, arche signifies Jesus’ primacy in rank-that He has power, dominion and office.

Regarding this very point, William Barclay said,

“This Is a phrase about which we must be careful, for, as it stands in English, it is ambiguous. To say that Jesus Is the beginning of creation could mean, either, that He was the first person to be created, or, that He was the moving cause of all creation, He who began the process of creation and Initiated the work of creation, as R.C. Trench put it, `dynamically the beginning: There is no doubt at all that it Is the second meaning which is Intended here. The word for beginning Is arche. In early Christian writings we read that Satan was the arche of death, that Is to say, that death took its source pad origin in him; or that God Is the arche of all things, that Is, that all things find their beginning and origin fn God” (The Revelation of John, Vol. 1, pp. 177-178).

Lenski said, “By no means does this title mean that the Lord is first creature created by God; He is the uncreated Son of God who is as eternal as the Father” (Interpretation of Revelation, p. 153). A.T. Robertson added, “Not the first of creatures as the Arians and Unitarians do now, but the originating source of creation through whom God works . . . .” (Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. VI, p. 321).

With these comments before us, we have no difficulty in understanding the reason subsequent translations have translated the passage as follows:

. . . the origin of God’s creation. . .” (Williams, Beck and Goodspeed).

. . . the One through whom God began to create. . .” (Twentieth Century New Testament).

. . . the prime source of all God’s creation. . .” (New English Bible).

. . . the origin of all that God has created. . .” (Today’s English Version).

. . . the Source of God’s creation. . .” (New American Bible).

. . . the ruler of God’s creation. . .” (New International Version).

This passage, therefore, rather than confirming Jehovah’s Witnesses’ doctrine assaults it. It places Jesus above God’s creation either as its ruler or as its origin.

2. Col. 1:15. This passage describes Jesus as “the first born of all creation” (pratotokos pases ktiseos). Witnesses assert that “firstborn” implies a time when Jesus did not exist. That this is pressing a figure of speech beyond its intended limits is evident from the following explanations of the phrase:

“The main ideas then which the word involves are twofold; the one more directly connected with the Alexandrian conception of the Logos, the other more nearly allied to the Palestinian conception of the Messiah.

(1) Priority to all creation. In other words it declares the absolute pre-existence of the Son. At first sight It might seem that Christ is here regarded as one, though the earliest, of created beings. This interpretation however is not required by the expression itself. The fathers of the fourth century rightly called attention to the fact that the Apostle writes not protoktistos (created first-mw) but prototokos . . . . Nor again does the genitive case necessarily imply that the prototokos Himself belong to the ktisis, as will be shown presently. And if this sense is not required by the words themselves, it is directly excluded by the context. It is inconsistent alike with the universal agency in creation which is ascribed to Him in the, words following, en ajto ektisthe to panta, and with the absolute pre-existence and self-existence which Is claimed for Him just below, autos estin pro panton . . . . .

(2) Sovereignty over all creation. God’s first-born is the natural ruler, the acknowledged head, of God’s household. The right of primogeniture appertains to Messiah over all created things …. In its Messianic reference this secondary idea of sovereignty predominated in the word prototokos, to that from this point of view prototokos pases ktiseos would mean `Sovereign Lord over all creation by virtue of primogeniture: . . . Nay, so completely might this idea of dominion by virtue of priority eclipse the primary sense of the term ‘first-born’ in some of its uses, that it is given as a title to God Himself by R. Bechaf on the Pentateuch, fol. 124.4. . ..” (J.B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon, pp. 146-147).

“The description of Christ as prototokos pases ktiseos in Col. 1:15 obviously finds in the hoti clause of v. 16 Its more precise basis and explanation: Christ is the Mediator at creation to whom all creatures without exception owe their creation . . . Hence prototokos pases ktiseos does not simply denote the priority in time of the pre-existent Lord. If the expression refers to the mediation of creation through Christ, it cannot be saying at the same time that He was created as the first creature” Mittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. VI, p. 878).

“The word ‘firstborn’ is prototokos. The Greek word implied two things, priority to all creation and sovereignty over all creation. In the first meaning we see the absolute pre-existence 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.

Translation. Who is a derived reproduction and manifestation of the Deity, the invisible One, the One who has priority to and sovereignty over all creation” (Wuests Word Studies, Kenneth S. Wuest, “Colossians,” p. 183).

Again, we see that the very words of the text, rather than proving Jehovah’s Witnesses’ doctrine assaults it. This passage asserts Jesus’ scavereignity over and priority to God’s creation.

The next verse in this context confirms this exegesis of “firstborn of all creation.” “For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through Him and for Him.” All created things came into existence through Jesus Christ. That statement could not be true if the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ doctrine is so. Because they teach that Jesus is a part of Jehovah’s creation, they run into trouble with this verse. How could Jesus have created Himself? Jesus, according to their doctrine, is a created being; this passage asserts that all of God’s creation came into existence through Jesus. Hence, their doctrine demands that Jesus have created Himself. When the translators of the New World translation came to this verse, they exercised unwarranted license with the text; indeed, they plainly perverted it. Here is their rendering of this passage:

“He Is the Image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; because by means of Him all other things were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, no matter whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through Him and for Him. Also, He is before all other things and by means of him all other things were made to exist” (Col. 1:15-17 in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures).

The blatant addition of “other” on four different occasions in this passage is the most obvious perversion of Scripture to justify doctrinal beliefs which I have ever seen.

3. Phil. 2:6. In Paul’s discussion of Jesus’ humility in Phil. 2:5-11, we read: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be -grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Though this passage obviously teaches the deity of Jesus Christ because “He existed in the form of God,” by the time the Witnesses are through with this passage, it has been twisted to say that the idea of being on an equality with God never occurred to Jesus or, if it did occur to Him, it was quickly dismissed from His mind. On the basis of this passage, Witnesses teach that Jesus, as a created being, never tried to make Himself equal to Jehovah; He never led a rebellion against Jehovah to usurp His throne. Hence, they translate v. 6 as follows: “Who, although He was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that He should be equal to God” (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures).

The issue on this occasion centers around the proper definition of harpagmos. Thayer,, comments on this passage by saying: (Christ Jesus), who, although (formerly when he was logos asarkos) He bore the form (in which he appeared to the inhabitants of heaven) of God (the sovereign, opposite to morphe doulou) Yet did not think that this, equality with God was to be eagerly clung to or retained” (p. 418 on “morphe” as referred to in his comment on harpagmos).

Wuest states the same facts more completely; he said,

“We must now consider carefully the word `robbery.’ The Greek word has two distinct meanings, `a thing unlawfully seized,’ and `a treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards.’ When a Greek word has more than one meaning, the rule of Interpretation is to take the one which agrees with the context in which It is found. The passage which we are studying is the illustration of the virtues mentioned in 2:2-4, namely, humility, and self-abnegation for the benefit of others. If our Lord did not consider it a thing to be unlawfully seized to be equal with God in the expression of the divine essence, then He would be asserting His rights to that expression. He would be declaring His rightful ownership of that prerogative. But to assert one’s right to a thing does not partake of an attitude of humility and self-abnegation. Therefore, this meaning of the word will not do here. If our Lord did not consider the expression of His divine essence a treasure that it should be retained at all hazards, that would mean that He was willing to waive His rights to that expression if the necessity arose. This is the essence of humility and of self-abnegation. Thus, our second meaning is the one to be used here. Translation. Who has always been and at present continues to subsist in that mode of being in which He gives outward expression of His essential nature, that of Deity, and who did not after weighing the facts, consider It a treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards, to be equal with Deity (in the expression of the divine essence” (Wuest’s Word Studies, 11, p. 64-651).

Similarly, A.T. Robertson added,

“The few examples of harpagmos (Plutarch, etc.) allow it to be understood as equivalent to harpagma, like baptismos and baptisma. That is to say Paul means a prize to be held on to rather than something to be won” (A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament, Vol. IV, p. 444).

Once again, we are faced with a passage of Scripture which is used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ to prove that Jesus was not Jehovah but which, when correctly interpreted, proves the Deity of Jesus Christ.

(Concluded Next Week)

Truth Magazine XXI: 15, pp. 227-229
April 14, 1977