Jehovahs Witnesses (and all Christians), does Revelation 3:14 teach that Jesus is a "created being"?

The reason for the hot air created by Revelation 3:14 is due to misunderstandings about the Greek word 'arche', and the genetive 'tou theou'. The Jehovah's Witness Greek Interlinear (KIT) renders arche as 'beginning', and tou theou as 'by God'. So their Bible says that Jesus is "the beginning of the creation by God". No wonder they adamantly state that Jesus was created by God!

However, 'arche' is explained as "That by which anything begins to be, the origin, active cause" (Grimm-Thayer). The NV footnote says, "The Greek word can mean first in point of time (beginning) or first in rank (ruler)." Also, "Not the first of creatures as the Arians held and the Unitarians do now, but the originating source of creation through whom God works" (A.T. Robertson). Unsurprisingly, the JWs follow the Unitarians here.

But the KIT is inexcusable in its mistranslation of the genetive 'tou theou' which means 'of God' and not 'by God'. For it to read 'by God', the genetive would require the proposition 'hupo', which is not found in the passage. This is a case of erroneous translation. Correct translations all show that Jesus is the origin and active cause of creation. He is our Creator, in other words. Not a second Creator but the same Creator as the Father, with the Holy Spirit equally involved in creation.

There is a similar mistranslation problem with Colossians 1:16 - "the firstborn of all creation". There is a Greek word meaning 'first created'. It is protoktistos. That is not the word used in Col. 1:16. It is prototokos. It is used with reference to a firstborn (protoktistos) having the priority and pre-eminence (prototokos). Jesus is not a protoktistos because He was never created. He is the Creator. But Jesus DOES have the priority and the pre-eminence in creation because "by him all things were created" (vs 16). If Jesus was a creature, He would be included in the 'all things' that were created. So logic demands that if Jesus created all things, He could not be a created thing Himself!

It is the JW refusal to bend their knee in Jesus' name that prevents them from being born again. Well, perhaps a few of them have done that and are truly indwelt with the Holy Spirit, but if they voiced their belief that Jesus is the Creator and not a created thing, they would be kicked out.

Revelation 3:14

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.

No.

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

No

Colossians goes straight on to say:

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

So Jesus is YHWH, Jehovah, Elohim, Lord, Creator of all things. Praise Him!!

PS Jehovah's witnesses are not Christians, they are fakers, like Christian spiritualists. JW's are close, but making Jesus an angel is just wrong, and denies the true power of Grace and the Gospel.

I noticed @Jimspace infers Monolatry is what the Jehovah Witness's believe in..... how odd . This from Wikipedia: " Monolatrism or monolatry (Greek: μόνος (monos) = single, and λατρεία (latreia) = worship) IS THE RECOGNITION OF THE EXISTENCE OF MANY GODS,(caps mine) but with the consistent worship of only one deity. Monolatry is distinguished from monotheism, which acknowledges the existence of only one god..." .....I think the definition of monoltry would be applied to the LDS....yes? I do agree with Jimspace, that if the "trinitarians " are assuming in their beliefs that Jesus is incarnate Deity, it would be misplaced worship, thus his view it is idolatry or as @Rick G says, bad theology. However, I get the point of this question ....Worship to Jesus instead of Jehovah, by JW standards, should be condemned by Jehovah, yes? Here is a thought. Assuming Jesus, Gods Son, is just a human, and assuming Trinitarians have a bit of misplaced theology of who Jesus is, is that presumption enough to be condemned by Jehovah ? Is it an insult worthy of being rejected from Paradise? Conversely, If Jesus was really God and he is demeaned to less than such, .is that a problem for the JW ? I dont see a clarified answer from the Jehovah Witness on this, only assumptions that everyone else but them is automatically part of Babylon the Great. This begs the question: what labels "other christians " to be "Christendom of Babylon the Great, if they too are out doing the will of Jehovah in the same manner as those in the world wide organization of ....Jehovah Witness's ? Are the Jehovah witness's so sinless (no disobedience) they are exempt from being condemned ? hmmmm To answer your question, I would have to say "yes", It appears their views would support the Trinitarian Jesus is a false God , and thus ......they would have to be rejected of Jehovah at Armegeddon, or where ever they think judgement is. (headache now) /dm/

Yes it does because he is a created being. He is the only-begotten Son of God. The only Son produced by Jehovah alone. As the Bible says this Son is the firstborn of all creation. Col. 1:15-17, John 17:5, John 8:23.

No! reading the bible is all about Hermeneutics, so much of the bible would be a Contradiction if that were the case.

The real meaning of Rev. 3:14 is that Jesus is the WORD that BEGAN creation.

YOU KNOW in the beginning God spoke. So in that sense He is the beginning of creation, the fact that He is the Eternal word of God that created the Heavens and the earth.

The Eternal Word

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

God is the creator, not the created (Rev 4:11). The scriptures you reference shows that Jesus was created and therefore cannot be Almighty God, but rather the first of God's creation. See also John 1:18 and John 4:24 which reveals that man has seen Jesus but not God.

Adhering to man-made doctrines, stops people from finding the real truth of God. Believing that Jesus was/is, the Word of God is the first and most blinding mistake. and sadly almost everyone believes this lie. It blinds them to all other Scripture, for when the foundation is wrong, the rest of the building will also be wrong.

So when one gets the fundamental teaching wrong, the rest will fall wrong in their understanding. ..or rather, lack of understanding.

Many Scriptures say that Jesus IS THE BEGINNING. Yet we find that people claim that Jesus is the Word. But see the same Scripture also says that Jesus is the ENDING. Now, why do they not follow through and learn what or how he is the ending...ending of WHAT?

Jesus was NOT a created being. He was BORN just as we are. He was NOT created by Jehovah. No Scripture teaches this. So then what is he the beginning of? What creation is he the beginning of ?

It is not saying that Jesus was created. It is saying that he is the beginning of the creation of God. So what is the creation of God? Gen 1:26...Let us make man in our likeness and our image.

So who was God speaking to here? To Jesus, but not way back in the start of a universe. It is not speaking about that creation.

It is speaking about when Jesus brought forth the only begotten Son of God, in God's likeness and image, THE DAY GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD. Romans 1:4.

Acts 13...THIS DAY HAVE I BEGOTTEN YOU....THE DAY GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD.

That Day the first man was made into the likeness and glory of the Eternal God. Adam was created in the likeness of God, a glorified being, to start with. He was not a MAN, BEING MADE INTO THE LIKENESS OF GOD.

I know it is hard for most of you to see this, but perhaps some true Sheep of God out there can hear the voice of truth.

Adam was not a man, who was later made into the image of God. He was an anointed cherub, in the likeness of God, who FELL into sin and therefore FELL FROM GRACE AND GLORIFICATION. He went from life to death.

Jesus and all other humans go from death to life....at our resurrection.

We are given a portion of this when we receive the Holy Ghost, but the fullness is when our body is redeemed into glorification. That is when our dust man is made into the image of God.

Jesus was the first one of us to accomplish this, by his perfect EARTHLY life.

He was the beginning of dust men being made into the image of God. This was the day he was resurrected. This was the beginning of fulfilling Gen 1:26. From then on, Jesus does this begetting of sons of God. He gives us the HG and he resurrects us into glory.

This is how he fulfilled the command of God, who said to him, in prophecy, Let US make man in OUR LIKENESS and our image.

But he was not created as was Adam. He was created a new creature into the heavenly world, at his resurrection. We are created into a new creation in Christ Jesus, the very same way. Jesus was the first of the New heaven and the new earth. On the Day of Pentecost, others came into this new heaven and new earth. Jesus put them there. Glory for his truth.

Rev 3:14 "And to the angel of the church in La-odice'a write: `The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

No, you are mis-reading this!

John 3:16 teaches us that a touchdown was scored so maybe 3:14 is for a field goal

No. Jesus' human body was a created thing, but Jesus existed alongside God as the Word since the beginning.