In Revelation 3:14 we are introduced
to a great truth concerning Jesus Christ. The text says, “And to the angel of
the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of God’s creation.".[1] As
I have read and reread this text in its larger context over the years I have become
intrigued by how Jesus is described. He is said to be the "Amen, the
faithful and true witness" as well as "the beginning of God's
creation".[2] This text is one that comes up when talking to Jehovah's Witnesses. They see in this text a proof that Jesus was the first creation of God. In order to properly understand who Jesus is according to this text we must understand the words in context. To do this we must do what is called a "word study". This means we look at the underlying Greek (or Hebrew) text and work to discover the proper translation based on lexical, contextual, and cultural considerations.
William Mounce lays out the process for doing proper word studies in Chapter 24 of his book (Greek for the rest of us). He says, "Sometimes a verse will 'hang' on a word. It is a word that is central to the meaning of the verse...".[3] Mounce also says, "As you compare translations, you may find a significant word that is translated differently among the different translations.".[4] If we compare multiple translations, we will find that the word "beginning" is indeed translated differently at times. For example the ESV, as noted above, says "beginning" while the NIV 1984 version says "ruler"[5] and the NET bible says, "originator". [6]
The underlying Greek word is "ἀρχή". If we search the ESV reverse interlinear we will find that the ESV translates this word sometimes as "rulers, beginning, basic, authority" and a few other ways. This helps us see the semantic range. If we also consult the Louw and Nida Lexicon we find out that this word can mean "one who or that which constitutes an initial cause—‘first cause, origin.’ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ‘the origin of what God has created’ Re 3:14. It is also possible to understand ἀρχή in Re 3:14 as meaning ‘ruler’ (see 37.56)".[7] Reviewing the immediate context as well as the context of the book of Revelation we find that this word is used two other times (Revelation 21:6; 22:13) which helps to shed light on how John uses "ἀρχή". It seems clear that this text is teaching that Jesus is the source of the creation (John 1:1-3).
If a person doesn't use the immediate context as well as understand the way an author uses a word in their writings, they might make the mistake of seeing this verse teach that Jesus was the "first created thing" by God, instead of seeing that Jesus is the originator.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version
(Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Re 3:14.
[2] Ibid
[3]
William Mounce, Greek for the rest of us (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
2003), 201.
[4]
Ibid
[5] The Holy Bible: New International Version
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Re 3:14–15.
[6]
Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible
First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies
Press, 2006), Re 3:14.
[7]
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United
Bible Societies, 1996), 778.
