07/10/2026

 

Samuel Clifford

 

In the early fourth century of the churches history a man by the name of Arius, a Alexandrian presbyter, proposed the belief that Jesus, the Son of God, was created by God, and was not eternal. It was popular throughout much of the Roman Empire despite the belief being denounced and called heretical at the First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.). It ultimately collapsed under the non-Arian emperors Gratian I (367-383 A.D.) and Theodosius I (379-395 A.D.). Yet, the view still was favored by varying groups in Church history and is still held in varying forms by groups such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians, and some forms of Unitarianism.

 

Yet, the scriptures seem obviously clear on the eternality of Christ. A few scriptures that refute this heresy are found below:

 

John 17:5

“Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

John 17:5 NASB1995

 

In John 17:5 Jesus is speaking (v. 1) and praying to the Father. He had said in verse 1 that the hour had come.  The hour being referenced is the divinely appointed moment when the Son would be glorified through His death, resurrection, and ascension, as seen throughout John’s Gospel (cf. John 2:4, John 7:6, John 7:8, John 7:30, John 8:20, John 12:23, John 12:27-28, John 12:31-32, John 13:1, John 13:31). Ultimately, this act by Christ is what gives eternal life through the Father (v. 2-3). Jesus had glorified God the Father in all of His time on earth after the incarnation (v. 4) and accomplished the mission that the Father had sent Him for. Now, in verse 5, Jesus says “glorify Me together with Yourself.” Jesus longed to return to the divine glory He shared with the Father before the incarnation. His prayer assumes both His preexistence and His full equality with the Father (cf. John 10:30). In essence, Jesus was asking for His own glorification, the restoration of the eternal splendor that was His from the beginning. This was “before the world was,” which reinforces the idea of Jesus not being a created being.

 

Colossians 1:15-17

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Colossians 1:15-17 NASB1995

 

In Colossians 1:15-17, Paul is giving an explanation for the person of Christ. Paul identifies Christ firstly as both the image of the invisible God and as the originator of creation, saying that all things were created in Him (Colossians 1:16a). This means that every realm of existence, both the visible and invisible, the earthly and heavenly, the physical and spiritual, finds its starting point after the Son. Even the highest angelic ranks owe their existence to Christ. 

Paul then moves to Christ’s role as the agent of creation, declaring that all things came into being through Him (Colossians 1:16b). A creature cannot be the Creator. A being who accomplishes creation cannot be part of the creation He accomplishes. Paul adds that Christ is furthermore the goal of creation. He stated that all things were made for Him (Colossians 1:16b). Creation’s ultimate purpose is for the glorification of Christ and history is moving toward the moment when every creature will acknowledge His lordship (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:25; Philippians 2:10–11; Revelation 19:16). The universe does not exist for a creature. It exists for God. If Christ is the telos of creation, He cannot be part of the created order.

 

Finally, Paul declares that Christ is before all things (Colossians 1:17a). The Greek pronoun carries the force of “He and no other,” separating Christ absolutely from the category of created things. He is preexistent. When this statement is combined with Paul’s earlier description of Christ as the “firstborn over all creation,” the Arian interpretation collapses. “Firstborn” does not mean “first created”; it means “supreme heir,” the one who stands over creation as its rightful Lord. If Christ were a creature, He would have had to create Himself, which would require Him to exist before He existed. Paul’s logic exposes the absurdity immediately.