Is Jesus really the Creator?

¹⁴ And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked: ¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ²¹ He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. ²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Revelation 3:14-22 ASV

Jesus begins his address to the church of Laodicea by reminding them of the biggest difference between Judaism and Roman Catholicism, the Jewish belief that only the Father is truly God, which makes the Messiah a creation of God. 

The English translation given here is “beginning of the creation of God”.  The word “beginning” comes from the Greek word αρχη (arche).  This is the most natural way to translate it, however it poses a serious issue to the doctrine of the Trinity so scholars try to say it doesn’t really mean that and argue for various alternative interpretations of αρχη.   Αρχη always indicates primacy.  This can take the form of being the first, or being the most important or chief.  For example “archbishop” and “archangel” derive from αρχη and indicate the “top bishop” and “top angel” respectively.

Let’s let the Bible guide our interpretation.  The book of Colossians had been sent to the Laodiceans some years before (Colossians 4:16) and contains very similar language.  Jesus would obviously have been familiar with this and it is worth using Colossians to help us interpret Jesus’s letter to Laodicea.

First, we need to consider that the Bible plainly states that Jesus did not perform his miracles through his own power.  God performed them through Jesus.

Acts 2:22 ASV

22

Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know;

ανδρες ισραηλιται ακουσατε τους λογους τουτους ιησουν τον ναζωραιον ανδρα αποδεδειγμενον απο του θεου εις υμας δυναμεσιν και τερασιν και σημειοις οις εποιησεν δι αυτου ο θεος εν μεσω υμων καθως αυτοι οιδατε

 

Similarly, the Bible plainly states that the Father is the only true God and it was the Father who created the worlds through Jesus.  Let’s look at those statements along with Colossians 1.

1 Corinthians 8:6 ASV

6

yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.

[αλλ] ημιν εις θεος ο πατηρ εξ ου τα παντα και ημεις εις αυτον και εις κυριος ιησους χριστος δι ου τα παντα και ημεις δι αυτου

 

Hebrews 1:1-2 ASV

1	God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners,	πολυμερως και πολυτροπως παλαι ο θεος λαλησας τοις πατρασιν εν τοις προφηταις επ εσχατου των ημερων τουτων ελαλησεν ημιν εν υιω
2	hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds;	ον εθηκεν κληρονομον παντων δι ου και εποιησεν τους αιωνας

 

Colossians 1:15-18 ASV

15	who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;	ος εστιν εικων του θεου του αορατου πρωτοτοκος πασης κτισεως
16	for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him;	οτι εν αυτω εκτισθη τα παντα εν τοις ουρανοις και επι της γης τα ορατα και τα αορατα ειτε θρονοι ειτε κυριοτητες ειτε αρχαι ειτε εξουσιαι τα παντα δι αυτου και εις αυτον εκτισται
17	and he is before all things, and in him all things consist.	και αυτος εστιν προ παντων και τα παντα εν αυτω συνεστηκεν
18	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.	και αυτος εστιν η κεφαλη του σωματος της εκκλησιας ος εστιν [η] αρχη πρωτοτοκος εκ των νεκρων ινα γενηται εν πασιν αυτος πρωτευων

We need to know what Paul meant in verse 16 by “all things”.  Many people claim that if “all things” were created through Jesus, then he could not have been himself created.  Paul apparently encountered this kind of reasoning and soundly refuted it by telling us that “all things” means all things other than the one performing the action.  In other words Jesus is the firstborn of creation and “all things” except Jesus were created by God through Jesus. 

²⁷ For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. ²⁸ And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 ASV

We also need to keep in mind that Paul often wasn’t talking about all  existing material things in the universe when he said “all things”.

²¹ Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours; ²² whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; ²³ and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 ASV

Notice that Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus is the “image” of the invisible God.  This is the same Greek word used in Genesis 1:26 in the Septuagint (ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) to describe how Adam and Eve were created in the image of God.

Colossians 1:18 uses αρχη to describe Jesus as the “beginning” of those resurrected from the dead.  This shows his preeminence among those who are resurrected.  But he is himself one of those resurrected.  So, even if Revelation 3:14 is using αρχη to describe Jesus as having preeminence over creation, it would still seem to portray him as a part of creation.

Colossians 1:18 also uses the same word to describe Jesus as the “firstborn” of the dead as we find in verse 15 where it describes Jesus as the “firstborn” of creation.  This is the same situation.  Jesus has preeminence of those resurrected because of the importance of his resurrection.  Since verse 15 is in the same context, it would seem to indicate the same interpretation.  He has preeminence over the creation of God, of which he is a part. 

Coming back to Revelation 3:14, we can see one more thing.  It describes Jesus as the “αρχη (beginning) of the creation of God”.  God, not Jesus, is clearly the outside source doing the actual creating if we are talking about the “creation of God”.  Gramatically, it only makes sense to understand αρχη to be indicating that Jesus is the “first of the creation of God” or the “chief of the creation of God” or possibly the agent through whom God brought about the rest of God’s creation.

Thus we can see that Jesus begins his letter by reminding the Laodiceans of the biggest difference between the modern church and the Jewish faith practiced by Jesus and the Apostles.  Namely, that only God is truly eternal and even he, Jesus, is part of God’s creation. 

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was that God is one (not a trinity) and we should serve Him completely.

Mark 12:28-30 ASV

²⁸ And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all?

²⁹ Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one:

³⁰ and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.

Jesus actually emphasizes this in verse 21 when he says that if we overcome sin in the same way that he overcame sin, then we will have the right to sit with him on his throne just as he sits with God on His throne.  Christ’s throne is NOT God’s throne.  Christ can only sit with God on God’s throne when God gives him that honor.  Just as we can only sit with Christ on his throne when we are given that honor.  Throughout the rest of the book of Revelation, the Lamb (Christ) is shown in the presence of the throne, but not sitting on the throne.  This parallels Romans 8:16-17 which says that “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.”