Trinitarian Claim
Trinitarians claim that that the Bible indicates Jesus is the Creator.
Examination of the Claim
The Bible never ever states that Jesus created anything. But it does say that God created through, or by means of, his Word and that Word became flesh, that is, Jesus. Because God created through His Word, just as we see in Genesis chapter 1, and that Word did become flesh, anyone could thereafter say about Jesus that all things were created through Jesus since that Word by which God created had now become that flesh named Jesus.
Let us examine the passages which Trinitarians mistranslate and/or misintepret to promote the idea that Jesus is the Creator followed by a literal translation of what the Greek really says.
1. John 1:3
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV).
The same was in the beginning with God. All things came to exist through (dia) the same and without the same not one thing came to exist that exists.
2. 1 Corinthians 8:6
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (KJV)
But to us there is but one God, the Father, out of whom are all things, and we of him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through (dia) whom are all things, and we through (dia) him.
3. Ephesians
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. (KJV)
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things through (dia) Jesus Christ. (some manuscripts also do not contain the phrase "through Jesus Christ" at all).
4. Colossians 1:16
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.(KJV).
For in (en) him all things were created, things in heaven and upon earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things were created through him and unto1 (eis) him. And he is before all things, and in (en) him all things subsist.
5. Hebrews 1:2
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. (KJV)
God, who in many places and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers in (en) the prophets,
has in these last days spoken unto us in (en) a Son, whom he set heir of all things, through (dia) whom also he made the ages.
The Greek Pronouns: A Look at the Terms
Houtos was in the beginning with God. All things came to exist through autos and without autos not one thing came to exist that exists.
At John 1:2, Trinitarian translations say, "He was in the beginning." The pronoun translated as "He" is the Greek word houtos. The very same word is translated as "this" at 1 John 5:20. At John 1:3, Trinitarian translations indicate all things were made through "him." The pronoun translated as "him" is the related Greek word autos. Both of these two Greek words essentially function like the English word "this." Just as we use the English word "this" to refer to both persons and inanimate obejcts, but the word "this" does not itself tell us whether we are referring to a person or an inanimate object, the Greek words houtos and autos do not by themselves tell us whether a person is in view. They are simply Greek words which refer back to the subject in question without indicating whether the subject is a person on an inanimate object.
The Greek words houtos and autos do not mean "He" or "Him." They do not mean "it" either. These two words essentially mean "the subject under discussion" in the same sense we use the English word "this." In English we refer to persons as "He" or "Him" and when an inanimate object is in view we do not refer to this object as a "He" or "Him" but an "IT." We use different words to refer to a person than we use to refer to an inanimate object. In Greek, they did not use different words like English speakers do but used the SAME word houtos to refer to both a "He" or an "It" and they likewise used the SAME word autos to refer to both a "Him" or an "It." The following illustrates how the Greeks used this word:
The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build houtos temple, and will You raise autos up in three days?"
The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build THIS temple, and will You raise IT up in three days?"
All these two Greek words do is refer back to the antecedent, the subject under discussion, and they do this without telling us whether a person is in view or an animate object is in view. The reason that Trinitarians translate these two words as "He" and "Him" is not because of the Greek grammar but because they eisegetically assume that "the Word" of John 1:1 is indeed a person.
Greek Prepositions: A Look at the Terms
The Greek word en never means "by." It is a word which indicates positional location. The Greek word eis is a word which indicates directional motion toward a place or condition. It is simply dishonest to translate the Greek word en ("in"), or the Greek word eis ("to/into/unto"), with the English word "by." And the Greek word dia ("through"), translated as "by" is also misleading because the English word "by" can be defined in a way which the Greek word is not. The Greek word simply does not indicate a cause but a means. If we used the English word "by" to translate dia it must be clearly understood that it intends to convey "by means of." The following illustrates the meaning:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was god/deity. This was in the beginning with God. All things came to be by means of this and without this was not any thing made that was made.
But to us there is but one God, the Father, out of whom are all things, and we of him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by means of whom are all things, and we by means of him.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by means of Jesus Christ. (KJV)
For in him all things were created, things in heaven and upon earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things were created by means of him and unto him. And he is before all things, and in him all things subsist.
God, who in many places and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers in the prophets,
has in these last days spoken unto us in a Son, whom he set heir of all things, by means of whom also he made the ages.
1 Corinthians 8:6
At 1 Corinthians 8:6, is Paul even referring to God's act of creating all things? I do not believe it is the idea Paul intended to express. Compare the following passages:
FOR US there is one God, the Father, out of whom are all things and we to/for Him and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.
For all things are yours. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all things are yours, and you of Christ; and Christ of God. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (see also Rom 8:32-39).
Paul says, "FOR US there is one God..." Paul is speaking about the reality of being a Christian. "All things" does not necessarily mean, nor likely mean, "all crated things." He is referring to "all things" which are ours in Christ Jesus.
Why we can say that all things were created through Jesus
God created all things through His spoken Word, "By the word of YHWH the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth." (Psalm 33:6). That Word became flesh. Once that Word became flesh, and thereafter, whatever was true of the Word which God spoke to create all things, was now true of that flesh named Jesus. Henceforth and thereafter one could only then say that all things were created through Jesus, that is, through that man Jesus. For this reason also, John calls Jesus "the beginning of the creation of God." All things began at God's Word; the Word God spoke was ground zero of creation, the PLACE creation began. Since that Word became the flesh named Jesus, it could then be said, henceforth and thereafter, that Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, that man was the place where creation began.
Conclusion
When one appreciates the facts, it is plainly evident that the Bible never indicates Jesus created all things and the Trinitarian claim is groundless and false.
The beginning of the creation of God (Rev 3:14).
Last Updated: March 18, 2011
Notes:
1. To translate the word eis as "for" is possible here at Colossians 1:16. This Greek word implies "in the direction of" and is often translated as "for" when a condition is implied, that is, when something is done "in the direction of" arriving at a condition, we can translate it is "for" as long as it does not mislead the reader and it is clearly understood that it means "for the purpose of" and is not miscontrued as a synonym for the English word "because." This is the word often translated as "unto" in the KJV and one could say that people do things "unto" a condition, that is, toward that end, or "for" that purpose. However, here I think it misleads the reader since it seems to imply that everything was created "for" Jesus in the sense that it was all done for him for some reason or another. However, Paul seems to have the idea that all creation is "to" him or "unto" him in the sense that all creation pertains to him since he is the Word by which God created the cosmos and all things pertain to that Word. Or, put another way, Jesus is the purpose of this creation.
