Speaking of the role in creation that
Jesus played, Paul wrote in Col 1:16:
For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers--all
things have been created through him and for him. (NRSV)
The Greek terms translated as "were
created" and "have been created" are ἐκτίσθη and ἔκτισται, the
third person indicative aorist passive
and perfect passive of the verb κτίζω,
meaning "to create."
In Rev 4:11, speaking of the role the
Father plays in creation, we read:
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (NRSV)
The figure addressed is clearly the person
of the Father, as Jesus is later presented as being distinguished from this
figure on the throne, as seen in Rev 5:5-6. Furthermore, the terms translated
as "you created" is ἔκτισας, the indicative aorist active of κτίζω.
Why is this important? The differences in
voices (active vs. passive) show that there were different roles the Father and
Son played, wth, the logical implications of such being very strongly
anti-Trinitarian when one applies modus tollens:
First Premise: If Jesus is God within the Trinitarian understanding of
Christology, he played an active role in the creation, just like the Father.
Second Premise: Jesus played a passive role in the creation, as opposed
to the active role in creation played by the Father.
Conclusion: Jesus is not God as understood within the framework of
Trinitarian Christology.
Similar logical and exegetical
implications can be seen in texts such as 1 Cor 8:4-6. This is all the more ironic as Col 1:16 is often seen as definitive "proof" of Trinitarian Christology.
