That Jehovah was truly the Father or Life-Giver to this firstborn Son and, hence, that this Son was actually a creature of God is evident from Jesus’ own statements.
He pointed to God as the Source of his life, saying, "I live because of the Father."
According to the context, this meant that his life resulted from or was caused by his Father, even as the gaining of life by dying men would result from their faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.—Joh 6:56, 57.
If the estimates of modern-day scientists as to the age of the physical universe are anywhere near correct, Jesus’ existence as a spirit creature began thousands of millions of years prior to the creation of the first human. (Compare Mic 5:2.)
This firstborn spirit Son was used by his Father in the creation of all other things. (Joh 1:3; Col 1:16, 17)
This would include the millions of other spirit sons of Jehovah God’s heavenly family (Da 7:9, 10; Re 5:11), as well as the physical universe and the creatures originally produced within it.
Logically, it was to this firstborn Son that Jehovah said: "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness." (Ge 1:26)
All these other created things were not only created "through him" but also "for him," as God’s Firstborn and the "heir of all things."—Col 1:16; Heb 1:2.
Not a co-Creator. The Son’s share in the creative works, however, did not make him a co-Creator with his Father.
The power for creation came from God through his holy spirit, or active force. (Ge 1:2; Ps 33:6)
And since Jehovah is the Source of all life, all animate creation, visible and invisible, owes its life to him. (Ps 36:9)
Rather than a co-Creator, then, the Son was the agent or instrumentality through whom Jehovah, the Creator, worked. Jesus himself credited God with the creation, as do all the Scriptures.—Mt 19:4-6;
He pointed to God as the Source of his life, saying, "I live because of the Father."
According to the context, this meant that his life resulted from or was caused by his Father, even as the gaining of life by dying men would result from their faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice.—Joh 6:56, 57.
If the estimates of modern-day scientists as to the age of the physical universe are anywhere near correct, Jesus’ existence as a spirit creature began thousands of millions of years prior to the creation of the first human. (Compare Mic 5:2.)
This firstborn spirit Son was used by his Father in the creation of all other things. (Joh 1:3; Col 1:16, 17)
This would include the millions of other spirit sons of Jehovah God’s heavenly family (Da 7:9, 10; Re 5:11), as well as the physical universe and the creatures originally produced within it.
Logically, it was to this firstborn Son that Jehovah said: "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness." (Ge 1:26)
All these other created things were not only created "through him" but also "for him," as God’s Firstborn and the "heir of all things."—Col 1:16; Heb 1:2.
Not a co-Creator. The Son’s share in the creative works, however, did not make him a co-Creator with his Father.
The power for creation came from God through his holy spirit, or active force. (Ge 1:2; Ps 33:6)
And since Jehovah is the Source of all life, all animate creation, visible and invisible, owes its life to him. (Ps 36:9)
Rather than a co-Creator, then, the Son was the agent or instrumentality through whom Jehovah, the Creator, worked. Jesus himself credited God with the creation, as do all the Scriptures.—Mt 19:4-6;