The Trinity.
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Eternal means lasting forever. It does not mean always existed.
Col 1:15-16 Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; 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; And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the Church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.
The Father is the invisible God and Christ is the image of the Father because the Father operates His will through His image. An image is not the original in the sense that an offspring is formed from the parent to form a different being but of the same type. Christ is the perfect Son because, although He has His own will, He lives to do the Father's will. The Father communicates His will and empowers Christ through His Holy Spirit which fills Christ's being. The first-born of all creation means that He came into existence before anything was created and that is because it was He who created all things by the will and power of the Father. Christ is the first living soul to rise from the dead, and as such, all who are members of His Spiritual body will become alive with Him. Members of His body are united because we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son.
Please take the time to read my posts. Look up the Council of Nicaea and Arianism. This topic has been debated since the third and fourth century.
Col 1:15-16 Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; 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; And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. And He is the head of the Church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.
The Father is the invisible God and Christ is the image of the Father because the Father operates His will through His image. An image is not the original in the sense that an offspring is formed from the parent to form a different being but of the same type. Christ is the perfect Son because, although He has His own will, He lives to do the Father's will. The Father communicates His will and empowers Christ through His Holy Spirit which fills Christ's being. The first-born of all creation means that He came into existence before anything was created and that is because it was He who created all things by the will and power of the Father. Christ is the first living soul to rise from the dead, and as such, all who are members of His Spiritual body will become alive with Him. Members of His body are united because we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son.
Please take the time to read my posts. Look up the Council of Nicaea and Arianism. This topic has been debated since the third and fourth century.
The same account is also recorded in Matt. 24:36, yet, notice what is said in Matt. 11:27:
And not only that, but pay particular attention to the language found on Jesus’ lips in Matthew 21:1–3:
But just to make sure we’re understanding the import of Jesus’ words correctly, notice then what He says just a few verses later (Matthew 21:15–16):
But since we’re on the topic of the Second Coming, there is another gem that people overlook, which is an OT parallel to the Second Coming: Zechariah 14:1–7
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” (Matthew 11:27)
Jesus says, no one knows the Son except the Father. And no one knows the Father except the Son. Jesus’ knowledge of the Father is reciprocal. The same way the Father knows the Son, the Son knows the Father. And no one is qualified, or can know Jesus except the Father. Who does Jesus think He is? No one is able to know the Son; only the Father has that ability and capacity. Only someone who is incomprehensible by nature, is beyond the ability of another to know, which is why only God can know, because the Father has a divine mind and can comprehend the incomprehensible. The Father knows the Son inside and out — knowing every thought and tittle He’s had, have, and will have — and Jesus says He knows the Father in that exact same way, which is why He alone is qualified to make the Father known. Not only does Jesus claim to have an omniscient mind (which is required to know the Father truly as He is), but that He is also incomprehensible (for only the Father can know the Son). Even long before Jesus speaks the words in Matthew 24:36, Jesus claims to be the incomprehensible, omniscient Son, who knows the Father to the same degree and extent that the Father knows the Son, and therefore, is equal to the Father in understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.
And not only that, but pay particular attention to the language found on Jesus’ lips in Matthew 21:1–3:
“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’” (Matthew 21:1–3)
Jesus knows (without physically being present) what awaits ahead of His two disciples: A donkey and her colt. Jesus instructs His disciples to bring the donkey and colt back to Him, and should anyone stop to question them, tell them that, “the Lord needs them, and he will immediately send them.” Undoubtedly, Jesus is referring to none other than Himself as this “Lord.” But unless the words — “the Lord needs them” — fell only on the ears of Jesus’ disciples (which, according to v. 10 is not the case), then who would the ordinary Jewish commoner naturally think of had they heard these words, “the Lord needs them”? The ordinary Jewish commoner did not acknowledge Jesus “Lord.” Thus, this seems to suggest that Jesus is perhaps supplimenting a term for the Divine Name.
But just to make sure we’re understanding the import of Jesus’ words correctly, notice then what He says just a few verses later (Matthew 21:15–16):
“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant, and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?’” (Matthew 21:15-16)
To what exactly was Jesus referring to when He asked, “have you never read, Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?”
“O Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:1-2)
As the context shows, the Psalter is speaking of Yahweh receiving praise from babes and infants to shame His enemies who refuse to do likewise. And yet, Jesus used this same passage to justify the praise and honor He was receiving from the children in order to silence His accusers.
But since we’re on the topic of the Second Coming, there is another gem that people overlook, which is an OT parallel to the Second Coming: Zechariah 14:1–7
“Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the East; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from East to West by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the North and the other half toward the South. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be A UNIQUE DAY WHICH IS KNOWN TO THE LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.” (Zechariah 14:1-7)
In this text the day of the Lord is referenced (the second coming of Christ). We are told YHWH will stand on the Mount of Olives and split it upon His advent (v. 4), and that this Lord’s day is known to Him (v. 7). However, Acts 1:11-12 proves that it is Jesus who will come on the Lord’s Day and stand on the Mount of Olives:
“They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away” (Acts 1:11-12).
Since Jesus is “the Lord” mentioned in Zechariah 14:4 who stands on the Mount of Olives on the Lord’s Day as Acts 1:11-12 establishes, He is by implication likewise the LORD who knows the unique day in v. 7. Thus, it can be argued that Christ does know the day of His return in His full divine consciousness, contra the false understanding of those who misuse Matthew 24:36.
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Actually, you are completely incorrect here. You have totally fudged it. Let me show you a few things:
Notice, in 1:6 and 1:10, Paul draws on language taken from Genesis 1:
In Col. 1:15, when it refers to Christ as "the image of the invisible God," this draws on Gen. 1:26:
And then in Col. 1:16, this gives us the reason why Christ is referred to as "the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation":
Notice the word, "because." Christ "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, because... ." "Because," why? Because he was God's first creation? No. The text tells you why: "Because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by Him... ." The scope of "all creation" (v. 15) is the same scope of "all things created" in v. 16. And as we saw from the allusions to the Genesis account, the "all creation" is specifically with reference to Genesis 1.
Further, in Col. 1:18, Paul writes (emphasis on the highlighted portion):
But notice that Rev. 1:5 picks up on this language:
Rev. 1:5 speaks of Christ as, “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler (αρχων) of the kings of the earth.” In Rev. 1:5, John relies on two sources: Col. 1:18, and Ps. 89:27,37.
In the first source (Col. 1:18), Paul uses similar terminology found in Rev. 1:5, “the αρχη, the firstborn from the dead.” Where Paul uses the term αρχη, John uses the term αρχων. This may show some correlation between Paul’s αρχη and John’s αρχων. While Paul never uses αρχων (it is more frequent in John), he frequently uses other related terms to express similar thought. Being that one of John’s underlying sources was Paul’s earlier epistle, it is likely then that the two terms αρχη (Col. 1:18) and αρχων (Rev. 1:5) are thematically related. Further underlying this is Paul’s use of the singular αρχη (Col. 1:18) in contrast to the plural αρχαι (Col. 1:16).
The second source that influences John’s thought in Rev. 1:5 is Ps. 89:27,37. Whereas, John speaks of Jesus Christ as, “the faithful witness,” the Psalmist refers to the throne of God’s anointed as, “faithful witness in the sky” (Ps. 89:37). And in 89:27, where the Psalmist speaks of God’s anointed as “firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth,” John speaks of Christ as, “the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Ps. 89 lays sway over John’s interpretation of Paul’s words.
John interprets Paul's words while also alluding to Ps. 89. Thus, from all this, I argue that what is on Paul's mind when he used the term, "firstborn" was Ps. 89:27.
Notice, in 1:6 and 1:10, Paul draws on language taken from Genesis 1:
In Col. 1:15, when it refers to Christ as "the image of the invisible God," this draws on Gen. 1:26:
And then in Col. 1:16, this gives us the reason why Christ is referred to as "the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation":
Notice the word, "because." Christ "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, because... ." "Because," why? Because he was God's first creation? No. The text tells you why: "Because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by Him... ." The scope of "all creation" (v. 15) is the same scope of "all things created" in v. 16. And as we saw from the allusions to the Genesis account, the "all creation" is specifically with reference to Genesis 1.
Further, in Col. 1:18, Paul writes (emphasis on the highlighted portion):
But notice that Rev. 1:5 picks up on this language:
Rev. 1:5 speaks of Christ as, “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler (αρχων) of the kings of the earth.” In Rev. 1:5, John relies on two sources: Col. 1:18, and Ps. 89:27,37.
In the first source (Col. 1:18), Paul uses similar terminology found in Rev. 1:5, “the αρχη, the firstborn from the dead.” Where Paul uses the term αρχη, John uses the term αρχων. This may show some correlation between Paul’s αρχη and John’s αρχων. While Paul never uses αρχων (it is more frequent in John), he frequently uses other related terms to express similar thought. Being that one of John’s underlying sources was Paul’s earlier epistle, it is likely then that the two terms αρχη (Col. 1:18) and αρχων (Rev. 1:5) are thematically related. Further underlying this is Paul’s use of the singular αρχη (Col. 1:18) in contrast to the plural αρχαι (Col. 1:16).
The second source that influences John’s thought in Rev. 1:5 is Ps. 89:27,37. Whereas, John speaks of Jesus Christ as, “the faithful witness,” the Psalmist refers to the throne of God’s anointed as, “faithful witness in the sky” (Ps. 89:37). And in 89:27, where the Psalmist speaks of God’s anointed as “firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth,” John speaks of Christ as, “the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Ps. 89 lays sway over John’s interpretation of Paul’s words.
John interprets Paul's words while also alluding to Ps. 89. Thus, from all this, I argue that what is on Paul's mind when he used the term, "firstborn" was Ps. 89:27.
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The Father put all things under Christ's feet except Himself. 1 Cor 15 : 27-28 For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted who did put all things under Him. The Holy Spirit and Christ proceedeth from the Father. That is why there is a Father and Son relationship. Christ was the Father's Son before He became human. The Holy Spirit is the Father's Spirit (essence) through which He communicates and empowers. Christ is a being with His own mind, heart, and soul, and has a free will. He is One with the Father because He is filled with the Father's Spirit (essence) and obeys the FAther's every wish willingly. Just like we are part of Christ's body when we receive the Spirit of Christ and are in Christ, He is in us and we are in Him. Because Christ is full of the Father's Spirit, He belongs to the Body of the Father and is in the Father as the Father is in Him. John 17: 21 That they all may be One, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also, may be One in us; ..... And the glory (Father's Spirit)which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. It is through Christ that the Father communicates and performs His will of creating everything in existence. Jesus the Christ is the Son of Man because of Mary, and the Son of God through the Holy Spirit of the Father. All authority is given to Him in heaven and on earth by the Father. Yes, He lowered Himself to become human, but He was sent when He was in Heaven. Matt 26: 39 And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. John 6: 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will but the will of Him that sent me. From these verses we can see that the Father and the Son have different wills although the Son subjugates His will and obeys the Father's will. Christ is the God who is active in both the Old and New Testament and fulfills the Father's will. Christ is our Savior, our Lord, and our God, but the Father is the God of all. Christ died for all mankind and wishes that all be saved but the Father's justice demands that only a few be saved. If He saves all, there is no justice because we are all condemned already and sin would have to be allowed in heaven which means that He would no longer be sovereign. If He condemns all, He would be merciless. To show His mercy, He saves a few by baptizing them in His name by bestowing on them the state of being of repentance for their sins so that the sinner turns to Him for forgiveness.The Father in turn uses different means to bring him the knowledge of forgiveness of sins through Christ. Christ then baptizes the repentant sinner in His name by bestowing on him the faith needed to believe in His work on the cross for the forgiveness of his sins, and in the name of the Holy Spirit when the cleansed but still sinful sinner gets perfected. He gets filled with the Spiritual essence of the Father and the Son who fill his heart with the divine love necessary to obey the Spirit of the Law given by Christ which is to love God first and everyone else as he loves himself.
Paul begins v. 15 by speaking of Jesus’ position as firstborn in the present tense (“He is…”), not as a past mode of existence as what follows in the very next verse (“in Him were all things created”). And as Paul transitions from v. 15 to v. 16, he uses a causal preposition (“because”) to help provide reason and support for his concluding remarks, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, because… .” The reason given by Paul for Christ being referred to as firstborn is “because all things were created in Him… through Him… and for Him.” This is very different from the reason you give. You are not giving you the scriptural reason (the “why”) Paul refers to Christ as firstborn.
Notice the flow of the argument: Jesus is (X), because of (Y).
This leads one to naturally ask: What in the premise (Y) would lead one to logically conclude (X) that Jesus is in anyway apart of the created order? What in the premise (Y) puts emphasis on the -τοκος element in v. 15?
The argument you put forth does not follow the logical flow of Paul’s argument. It should be vv. 16–17 that dictates our understanding of v. 15, and not the other way around — that is the purpose of the explanatory preposition, “because.”
Notice the flow of the argument: Jesus is (X), because of (Y).
This leads one to naturally ask: What in the premise (Y) would lead one to logically conclude (X) that Jesus is in anyway apart of the created order? What in the premise (Y) puts emphasis on the -τοκος element in v. 15?
The argument you put forth does not follow the logical flow of Paul’s argument. It should be vv. 16–17 that dictates our understanding of v. 15, and not the other way around — that is the purpose of the explanatory preposition, “because.”
Sorry, you are wrong. The Spirit of Christ is Eternal.
One of the meanings of Jesus being the “Alpha and Omega” is that He was at the beginning of all things and will be at the close. It is equivalent to saying He always existed and always will exist.
It was Christ, as second Person of the Trinity, who brought about the creation: “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3), and His Second Coming will be the beginning of the end of creation as we know it (2 Peter 3:10). As God incarnate, He has no beginning, nor will He have any end with respect to time, being from everlasting to everlasting.
You are not contextual in your application.
Just in case you (or anyone) was wondering: My point in bringing up the allusions to Gen. 1 and Ps. 89 in Paul's letter to the Colossians is simple,
Paul is here weaving themes from the Genesis mandate to, “subdue and multiply” (Gen. 1:26-28) together with Ps. 89:27. Both texts express “dominionship,” and (what I will dub), “kingdom expansion” language.
In the ANE, King Esarhaddon is addressed as, “the very image of Bel” (“Letters from Assyrian Scholars to the Kings Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal”). In Wisdom 14:15-21, the distant king is represented locally through the presence of his “image.” The Macedonian (Ptolemaic) king Philopator was referred to as “the image of god.” In Themistocles 125, the Persian king is also referred to as, “the image of god.” Paul’s use of the Imago Dei is consistent with this Ancient Near East practice of referring to kings, authorities, or rulers as the “image” of the one whom they represent.
The thoughts of Gen. 1:26-28 are fused together with that of Ps. 89:27 (“firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth”) to give us what Paul says in 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation... .” This is also the reason some translations opt to translate the genitive as an objective genitive “firstborn over all creation,” because of the thematic connections to the Genesis mandate strung together through the discourse.
Paul is here weaving themes from the Genesis mandate to, “subdue and multiply” (Gen. 1:26-28) together with Ps. 89:27. Both texts express “dominionship,” and (what I will dub), “kingdom expansion” language.
In the ANE, King Esarhaddon is addressed as, “the very image of Bel” (“Letters from Assyrian Scholars to the Kings Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal”). In Wisdom 14:15-21, the distant king is represented locally through the presence of his “image.” The Macedonian (Ptolemaic) king Philopator was referred to as “the image of god.” In Themistocles 125, the Persian king is also referred to as, “the image of god.” Paul’s use of the Imago Dei is consistent with this Ancient Near East practice of referring to kings, authorities, or rulers as the “image” of the one whom they represent.
The thoughts of Gen. 1:26-28 are fused together with that of Ps. 89:27 (“firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth”) to give us what Paul says in 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation... .” This is also the reason some translations opt to translate the genitive as an objective genitive “firstborn over all creation,” because of the thematic connections to the Genesis mandate strung together through the discourse.
The beginning means a point in existence when something starts. God has always existed, therefore He precedes the beginning. Christ was at the beginning of all things because that is when He came into being and time started. That is why He is the Alpha.
How can "the Beginning (Alpha)" mean always existing when it means a starting point in endless time? How can "the End (Omega)" mean always existing when the end of something means it no longer exists. It doesn't take a genius to understand this. The Father has always existed. The Son came into existence (the first being other than the Father).
How can "the Beginning (Alpha)" mean always existing when it means a starting point in endless time? How can "the End (Omega)" mean always existing when the end of something means it no longer exists. It doesn't take a genius to understand this. The Father has always existed. The Son came into existence (the first being other than the Father).
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Understanding the scriptures comes to a Christian when he receives the Holy Spirit. When truth is revealed in the Scriptures, scripture fits together and supports itself. Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit of the Father and Son have a desire to spread their understanding. To the non-Christian the basic concepts of salvation. To those that think themselves Christians, scripture has to fit together to make sense of the truth and be analyzed to see if it does. There is a scripture about always being ready to defend your faith. Faith is not blind faith. Blind faith will not endure. There has to be religious reasoning otherwise you are going by your gut feelings and understanding. With truthful understanding, your beliefs will endure when tested.
