Quoting Kerux : http://www.kerux.com/documents/KeruxV01N3A3.asp "The title "firstborn" has a rich significance in this passage especially when we look first at its Old Testament backdrop. The firstborn son of the patriarchal age was the heir to the majority or all of his father's property, a practice continued in the Mosaic period ... Thus by calling the Son of God the "Firstborn over all creation," Paul is acknowledging him as heir and ruler of the world from the beginning. And look at the lavish extent of his reign: all things, not all Eden, nor all Israel, nor even all the world, but ALL things–"because in him all things were created, in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through him and for him"

When I first read that phrase - "firstborn over all creation" - I found it to be very straight forward. Firstborn basically meaning to be first of those born. See - http://www.answerbag.com/glossary.php/3696#t_2773 And Creation meaning everything that exists that was made. See - http://www.answerbag.com/q_view.php/49366 So, being firstborn over all creation means to be the first thing, whether animate or inanimate, created. The first made. The first conceived. The first produced. This "firstborn over all creation" came before the earth, came before the sun, came before the universe. There was Almighty God and then there was this "firstborn over all creation." 1 John 4:9: In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON into the world, that we might live through Him. (NKJV)

Jesus is Jehovah's firstborn son, or the one he created directly with his own hands. Jesus aided Jehovah in creating all the creations that now exist.

When I first read that verse I too thought it meant that Jesus was the "firstborn". That is, the first spiritually formed being that God the Father spoke or made exist (I don't know how God made things exactly, other than that He spoke and it was so according to the Bible). But after doing some thinking about it, and reading things like this, I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that the verse is just saying that Christ is like a firstborn son in that Christ is going to inherit all of creation one day, just as a firstborn son in the old days would inherit his father's things (house, land, possessions, etc). This article especially made it a lot more clear to me: http://www.godandscience.org/cults/jesuscreated.php Plus with all of the other verses in the Bible and Jesus himself claiming to be equal with God, is evidence that Jesus Christ is God and was from the beginning and not a "created" or "born" being. I found another good analysis of this verse here: http://truthsaves.org/firstborn.shtml

It means Jesus

Col. 1:15, 16, RS: says: “He [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; In what sense is Jesus Christ “the first-born of all creation”?  Trinitarians say that “first-born” here means prime, most excellent, most distinguished; thus Christ would be understood to be, not part of creation, but the most distinguished in relation to those who were created. If that is so, and if the Trinity doctrine is true, why are the Father and the holy spirit not also said to be the firstborn of all creation? But the Bible applies this expression only to the Son. According to the customary meaning of “firstborn,” it indicates that Jesus is the eldest in Jehovah’s family of sons.  Before Colossians 1:15, the expression “the firstborn of” occurs upwards of 30 times in the Bible, and in each instance that it is applied to living creatures the same meaning applies—the firstborn is part of the group. “The firstborn of Israel” is one of the sons of Israel; “the firstborn of Pharaoh” is one of Pharaoh’s family; “the firstborn of beast” are themselves animals. What, then, causes some to ascribe a different meaning to it at Colossians 1:15? Is it Bible usage or is it a belief to which they already hold and for which they seek proof?

+4 Well, as the phrase "firstborn of all creation" come from Paul it's very dfficult to say what it means. . It could mean literally the first thing or entity born before all else in creation - but there are some theological problems with this interpretation. . It could also mean the most favored or highest who will inherit. So the term 'firstborn' is used to designate status rather than as reference to the timing of any actual birth or beginning. There is some OT precedent that supports this meaning. . Also the phrase is "firstborn OVER all creation", rather than OF all creation which would also support the 'most favored' meaning. . However, as it came from Paul it probably doesn't have any higher meaning, it's simply what was in Paul's head - not inspired or God breathed or revealed.

Firstborn has two meanings to the Hebrews. In Ps. 89:27 God clearly gives another meaning to the word firstborn while talking about David- "And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. - David was not the firstborn in his family; he was not even the first King of Israel. Firstborn can mean order but it can and does mean so much more. Firstborn can mean the right to have all authority and power . It is very easy to see what Paul was meaning if you just read all of the Colossians and see all authority and power belongs to Christ.