Its probably the devil irritating me but there was a little girl Jesus raised up from the dead then Lazarus and this was done before Jesus died and was resurrected so how is Jesus the first born of the dead ?
David, that could sound confusing, unless one understands the word 'firstborn'. If that verse stated that Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, then there would be a problem, as you correctly pointed out.
However, when this word 'firstborn' is applied to Jesus (as in Rom 8:29, Col 1:15, Col 1:18), we see the Gk word 'prototokos' = first to give birth to used (& so we have the word, prototype, as an example). This word, prototokos signifies that Jesus was the first, in a following series of events/instances, to usher in something new. So here in Col 1:18, Jesus was the first to be raised in a changed body outfitting Man & mankind for residence in Heaven. So Jairus' daughter or Lazarus had their physical life restored after death - their bodies remained the same with their hearts & lungs now functioning & they went back to their normal lives: they weren't in anyway resurrected in the same manner Jesus was said to be resurrected.
In Rom 8:29, we see Jesus here as the 'forerunner or precursor' to the new Man (i.e. God & Man as One): & this is the way we are now through our new birth having God the Spirit indwelling us.
And in Col 1:15, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature". Here, the reference is to both Creation (v 16) & the Church (v 18), where Jesus is seen as existing before all creation (our forerunner) & indeed was also the Creator of the worlds & the Church.
But as a side note, the JWs change the word 'firstborn' in Col 1:15 to 'protokitises' = first created. This they do because their doctrine only allows for a 'created' Jesus outside of the Deity (therefore negating the Triune God) & not 'firstborn' which applies to birth/coming forth from the Godhead.
However, when this word 'firstborn' is applied to Jesus (as in Rom 8:29, Col 1:15, Col 1:18), we see the Gk word 'prototokos' = first to give birth to used (& so we have the word, prototype, as an example). This word, prototokos signifies that Jesus was the first, in a following series of events/instances, to usher in something new. So here in Col 1:18, Jesus was the first to be raised in a changed body outfitting Man & mankind for residence in Heaven. So Jairus' daughter or Lazarus had their physical life restored after death - their bodies remained the same with their hearts & lungs now functioning & they went back to their normal lives: they weren't in anyway resurrected in the same manner Jesus was said to be resurrected.
In Rom 8:29, we see Jesus here as the 'forerunner or precursor' to the new Man (i.e. God & Man as One): & this is the way we are now through our new birth having God the Spirit indwelling us.
And in Col 1:15, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature". Here, the reference is to both Creation (v 16) & the Church (v 18), where Jesus is seen as existing before all creation (our forerunner) & indeed was also the Creator of the worlds & the Church.
But as a side note, the JWs change the word 'firstborn' in Col 1:15 to 'protokitises' = first created. This they do because their doctrine only allows for a 'created' Jesus outside of the Deity (therefore negating the Triune God) & not 'firstborn' which applies to birth/coming forth from the Godhead.
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