Bible resource
Colossians 1:15: Was Jesus “Firstborn of All Creation”?
Jehovah's Witnesses point to Colossians 1:15 — Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” — as proof that He was created. Read in context, the passage says the opposite: Jesus is the Creator of everything, supreme over creation, not part of it.
What “firstborn” means
In Scripture “firstborn” (Greek prototokos) denotes rank, inheritance, and preeminence — not “first created.” Israel is God's “firstborn” (Exodus 4:22); David is appointed “firstborn, the highest of the kings” (Psalm 89:27) though he was the youngest son. The word points to supremacy, not origin.
Reading Colossians 1 in context
Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him all things were created… all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things.”
Exodus 4:22 “Israel is my firstborn son.”
Psalm 89:27 “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”
The very next verses say Christ created “all things” and is “before all things.” A creator of all things cannot Himself be part of creation.
The inserted word “other”
The New World Translation renders these verses as “by means of him all other things were created” — repeating “other” four times. No Greek manuscript contains a word for “other” here. That single added word is what allows “firstborn” to be read as “first created” instead of “supreme heir.”
A question to ask at the door
“The Greek text has no word for ‘other’ in Colossians 1:16-17 — so why does the NWT add it four times? And what changes about who Jesus is if that word is removed?”
Go deeper
For the full interactive guide, see Is Jesus God?.