Firstborn means rank

[Sothenes]

Firstborn in Rank

“…for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.â€Â-Jeremiah 31:9

“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.â€Â-Genesis 41:51

In the passage of Genesis 48, Israel who is named Jacob gives the blessing to Ephraim who is “the younger†(Gen. 48:14) even though it says Manasseh “was the firstbornâ€Â.

“..and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.â€Â-Genesis 48:20

This shows how “firstborn†takes on the definition of context from the passage because it talks about First in Rank as Ephraim was set before Manasseh even though Manasseh was the firstborn (Genesis 41:51).

Some of you think that "firstborn" means created when it comes to Jesus instead of "first in rank". Taking a literal definition is not always 100% correct because you ignore the context of "firstborn".

 

[Nocturnal_Principal_X]

Good job, you make a good point Sothenes. It is important to look at the context of a word when trying to understand its meaning.

As for not taking everything literal, another good point. Many things in the Bible are metaphorical…like you said context helps one to see whether something is to be taken literal or metaphorical.

 

[Imagican]

While I agree that 'firstborn' is certainly an indication of 'rank', are you saying that God is the 'firstborn' of God?

Even in the context of what you offer, it would point to Christ being the 'most' important of ALL born. Given this 'rank', it would still point to Christ being created, (born).

So, while I agree with your post, I am confused as to why you offered it. What are you actually trying to say here?

 

[thessalonian]

Haven't us Catholics been saying this all along. I hate to say it but non-catholics are unwilling to accept this understanding of the word firstborn because they want to use the passage in lukes Gospel to "prove" that Mary had other children, just like they want to use the passage in Gal 1:19, about James THE APOSTLE to "prove" Mary had other children. They are simply not reading the passages without bias and studying without bias, anti-catholic bias. Oddly enough no one is willing to say that Mary married Zebedee or Alphues, whom are the only fathers of men named James who were Apostles. I know I've run the thread off course already. Sorry. But I call em as I see em.

 

[Sothenes]

While I agree that 'firstborn' is certainly an indication of 'rank', are you saying that God is the 'firstborn' of God?

Even in the context of what you offer, it would point to Christ being the 'most' important of ALL born. Given this 'rank', it would still point to Christ being created, (born).

So, while I agree with your post, I am confused as to why you offered it. What are you actually trying to say here?

I'm saying that Jesus is God and that He isn't created because there is other context.

See my post on "Who is the First and the Last?"

 

[belovedwolfofgod]

It would only make sense that God would have primacy over creation.