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Questions From Readers

Colossians 1:16 says about God’s Son that “all other things have been created through him and for him.” In what sense were all things created “for” God’s Son, Jesus?

Jehovah used his only-begotten Son as the master worker in creating all other things, that is, all things besides Jesus himself. (Proverbs 8:27-30; John 1:3) Rightly, the Son derives pleasure from these works, and in this sense they are “for” him.

We know that human parents expect to, and often do, derive much pleasure from what they produce—their sons and daughters. Thus, the Bible proverb speaks of “a son in whom [his father] finds pleasure.” (Proverbs 3:12; 29:17) Similarly, Jehovah God derived enjoyment from Israel when his people were faithful. (Psalm 44:3; 119:108; 147:11) He also derives joy from the faithfulness of his loyal ones down to our time.—Proverbs 12:22; Hebrews 10:38.

Thus, it was right that God would have his coworker, Jesus, derive pleasure from his accomplishments. In fact, Proverbs 8:31 says that the Son ‘was glad at the productive land of his earth, and the things he was fond of were with the sons of men.’ It is in this sense that Colossians 1:16 says: “All other things have been created through him and for him.”