2704 “Firstborn Of Every Creature”
A Christian minister once had a member of a well-known Jehovah’s Witness cult in his audience who constantly interrupted the meeting by shouting and heckling. “You cannot prove that Jesus is the eternal Son of God,” he said. “He was the FIRST-BORN of every creature; so He could not be deity. The eternal Father must therefore be older than His Son; and if Christ is not as old as His Father, then He is not eternal, if He is not eternal, He cannot be God.”
The preacher carefully considered the statement, “A father must be older than his son”; then he gave this withering reply: “While you might make such a point concerning an earthly parent, it certainly does not apply when we speak of God. I will prove that you by your own words.
“You have just called God the eternal Father. But how can God be the eternal FATHER (not just God) without having an eternal Son? Eternal FATHERHOOD demands eternal SONSHIP! When did your own paternal parent begin to be your father? At the very moment you became his son, and not before! While time must elapse before one can become a human father, this is not true of God. He is the eternal Father, and therefore He must have an eternal Son!” The critic fell silent as he pondered the preacher’s words. (Tan, P. L. (1996, c1979). Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : A treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers. Garland TX: Bible Communications.)