“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
The first sentence in the Bible is pointing to God. But who exactly is it referring to? We want to make a clear and concise determination of who exactly the scripture is referring to so that there is no question regarding who our creator is.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)
So, let’s take a closer look at the above reference and see who it is talking about. Let’s ask ourselves, who is the Word?
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
It appears that the bible is referring to Christ. Why is Christ referred to as the Word?
“He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13)
Ok, so it seems that the term “Word” is actually a shortened version of the term “Word of God”. Let’s substitute “Word” with “Word of God”.
“In the beginning was the "Word of God", and the "Word of God" was with God, and the "Word of God" was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4)
So, creation was accomplished by way of the “Word of God”. Let’s keep the question, “Who is the Creator?” in the forefront of our minds as we continue to delve into this discussion.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:15-18)
Let’s keep the above reference fresh in our minds, we will be coming back to it. The Bible leaves no doubt as to who the creator is, but it becomes a gray area because we already have a pre-existing concept as to who that is. Due to our past teaching, we fit our concepts and convictions into our understanding of scripture to such an extent that God’s word is filtered by our comprehension of what we believe it means. This article is an attempt to let scripture define this truth. Who is the Creator?
Let’s zoom in on John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16 and let this sink in.
“God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.” (John 1:3)
“…for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.” (Colossians 1:16)
How many people are mentioned in the above references? There are two people, God and Christ (him). According to the above, which of the two created everything? It says “God created everything…” How did God accomplish this? “God created everything through him (Christ), and nothing was created except through him (Christ).” Why doesn’t scripture say Christ created everything? Apparently, because He didn’t. So, what exactly did He do? What role did He play in the creation of all existence?
Let’s imagine for a moment a carpenter building a table. He can take a pile of wood and make a table out of it. How will He accomplish this? Well, for one, he will need tools to cut the wood, nails, or screws to attach the wood. He will need a hammer, a saw, a screwdriver, and many other specialty carpentry tools. These are the tools of his trade. Without his tools, not much can be accomplished.
Again, let's imagine an artist painting a beautiful nature scene on a blank canvas. To accomplish this, he will need an artist's paintbrush and of course, paint of various colors. Without these things, the artist cannot accomplish much.
God (The Father) is the creator. Christ (His only begotten Son) was the means by which God the Father created everything. Let’s try another illustration. The noonday sun hangs high above our heads. It illuminates everything that is in its path. A magnifying glass can be used to focus a concentrated beam of light to ignite a campfire. How was this accomplished? The magnifying glass has no energy. It is not the source of heat or power. The power and energy came from the sun. The magnifying glass focused that solar energy and intensified it to ignite a fire. Jesus is that magnifying glass. Christ is the tool of trade of the Creator. This is what the Bible teaches. Christ, Himself says He can do nothing of Himself.
“I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.” (John 5:30)
Let’s read Colossians 1:15-18 with this clearer understanding of who Christ is.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He (God) made the things we can see and the things we can’t see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning,” (Colossians 1:15-18)
What is an image? According to Webster’s Dictionary, an image is “a visual representation of something” The image is not the original, it is a likeness of the original.
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
We have all believed that Christ is the Creator of the universe when scripture proves otherwise. Without Christ, creation would not have taken place just as the campfire would not have ignited without the magnifying glass. Scripture clearly teaches that the Creator is God (The Father) Himself. There is no other Creator other than He. He works alone with the aid of His Son.
“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone." (Deuteronomy 6:4)
"He prayed, “O LORD, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!" (2 Chronicles 20:6)
“You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you." (Nehemiah 9:6)
"Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he.” (Isaiah 41:4)
"Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;" (Isaiah 44:24)
If there is any question regarding who the creator is, hopefully, this may have helped to clear the matter. However, we also know that God (the Father) created everything by way of His Son. How do we put this all together? Isaiah 44:24 tells us God acted alone, yet John 1:1-4 tells us God created everything by way of His Son. We will look into this a little bit deeper to see how Scripture weaves this truth together so wonderfully.