I was approached some days ago by a woman handing out spiritual literature and wanting to know if I knew the Lord. I answered in the affirmative, but before taking her tract, I asked what organization she was with. As suspected, she was a Jehovah Witness.

I declined her offer and told her it was because she and I didn’t believe in the same Jesus. I believe He’s always been deity; she believes He’s a created being. She quickly brought up Revelation 3: 14 to prove it. In that passage, Jesus describes His status.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this…”

She said her proof was in the word “Beginning.” In other words, she claimed Jesus to be the beginning, the first of God’s creation.

I couldn’t remember at the time the Greek word that “beginning” was translated from, but did remember that the Greek word could be thought of as either in the passive or active sense, depending on the context. (The Greek word is “arche.”)

She was using “beginning” in the passive sense, which did indicate that Jesus was the first to be created. But that couldn’t be right, I told her, because it would contradict other verses that cite Jesus as being eternal God along with the Father; verses such as John 1: 1-3; Colossians 2: 9; Hebrews 1: 8 and others.

So in that case, the correct way to use “beginning” would have to be in the active sense. That then would mean that Jesus was the originator, the beginner of creation. He acted and creation was begun.

She didn’t accept that explanation and went on her way.