Page 48 - Cults and Marginal Groups - Textbook w videos short

that he is positionally preeminent over creation and supreme over all things. He is heir of all creation in
the sense that all that belongs to the Father is also the Son’s.

In a family, the preeminent son in the family was considered the firstborn son and had right to a double
portion of the family inheritance. Regardless of birth order, the preeminent son was considered the
firstborn son if he was to receive that preeminent position. Ex., Esau/Jacob, Ephraim/Manasseh,
David/brothers. Isaac/Ishmael.

If Paul wanted to communicate that Jesus was the first created being, he would have used a different
Greek word: protoktisis which means “first created.” This Greek word is never used in reference to
Christ in the Scriptures.

WITNESSING NOTE: The Greeks had a word for a thing or individual that was first created: protoktisis.
However, in Col 1:15 he used the word, prototokos, which always means preeminent over creation.
Why do you think that Paul chose one word over another?

7. John 3:16
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish, but have eternal life.

NWT” For God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, in order that everyone
exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.

JWs also cite this verse to prove that Jesus is the first created being of Jehovah. They center on the
words, “only begotten” and argue that those words mean Jehovah God begat (created) Jesus.

The words “only begotten” (monogena) do not mean that Christ was created. Rather monogena means
“unique”, “specially blessed”, or “favored.” The adjective conveys the idea, not of derivation and
subordination, but of uniqueness and consubstantiality: Jesus is all that God is, and He alone is this!

“Son” or “son of” indicates likeness or sameness of nature and quality of being. Hence, when Jesus
claimed to be the Son of God, His Jewish contemporaries fully understood that He was making a claim to
be God in an unqualified sense. That’s why they tried to stone Him! (Lev. 24:16)

The word for perish or destroyed is apolluni, which is translated “perish” 33 times in
the NT, “destroy” 26 times, “lose” 22 times, be “lost” 5 times, “lost” 4 times. The
proper translation depends on what is perishing. For example, in Mark 4:38 the
disciples are in a storm and ask the Lord, “Teacher, do you not care that we are
“apolluni”? They are not asking if Jesus cares that they will be annihilated. They fear
for their lives and ask if Jesus cares that they may lose their lives in the storm. So, if
someone is trying to kill or end the life of another, it can be translated “destroy”
meaning to end a person’s human life. It is also translated “destroy” in dealing with
removing inanimate objects. However, in every case where the eternal destiny is lost,
the word is always translated “perish” meaning to be lost eternally. In reference to the soul, it does NOT
mean a cessation of existence (annihilation). If translated “destroyed” meaning annihilation in John
3:16, then I Cor. 15: 17-26 would make no sense.

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