The Nugget:
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
My Comment:
Revelation 3:14 was brought up as a verse which proves Jesus could not be God. Jesus did not always exist, but had a beginning.
Here are my notes that I have placed in my two published Bible study reference books, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury for Revelation 3:14,
Revelation 3:14
the angel. Rev 1:11; +Rev 1:20; Rev 2:1, Eze 44:15, 1Th 5:12, Phm 1:2.
of the Laodiceans. or, in Laodicea. About forty miles east of Ephesus (Vincent). An important city of Phrygia, a few miles west of Colosse. Rebuilt by Antiochus II, and named after his wife, Laodice (CB). The city was destroyed in AD 62 by an earthquake, but was speedily rebuilt (Lange). +Rev 1:11, %Dan 11:6 note. Col 1:7; *Col 2:1; *Col 4:12; *Col 4:13 note, Col 4:14, 15, 16, 2Ti 4:3.
write. Rev 1:4; *Rev 1:7; Rev 1:11; Rev 19:9; Rev 22:19, 2Co 3:3.
These things saith. Mat 24:35, Joh 3:3; Joh 3:11.
the Amen. Used only here as a proper name (Vincent). >Isa 65:16, Jer 28:6, +Mat 6:13, Joh 8:14, *2Co 1:20.
the faithful. Rev 3:7, *+Rev 1:5; Rev 19:11; Rev 21:5; Rev 22:6, >Psa 89:37, *Isa 11:5, Jer 42:5, 2Ti 2:11; 2Ti 2:13.
and true. +Rev 3:7, Pro 8:7, *Isa 65:16, Joh 14:6, 2Co 1:18, 1Jn 5:20.
witness. Rev 22:18, Psa 89:37, Isa 55:4, Jer 29:23, +*Mat 24:35 note. Joh 1:18; Joh 3:11; Joh 3:32, 33; Joh 5:31; *Joh 18:37, 1Ti 6:13.
the beginning. or, source. This is a favorite Arian proof text, cited to prove that Jesus is not eternal, but had a beginning, Jesus being understood by them to be the first-created creature of God, through whom God created all else in the universe.
The underlying Greek word, archē, may be understood in a passive sense, and rendered “the beginning,” as the A.V., or more correctly understood in the active sense, and rendered “the beginner,” source, origin, or principle of creation.
Since God is eternal, and Jesus is God, the passive sense is not suited to the context, as being out of harmony with the many representations of Christ John has already given, whereby he in citing or alluding to Old Testament passages has applied to Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation what is in the Old Testament spoken of Jehovah (see related notes at Act 11:21 note. Col 1:16 note. +*1Pe 2:3 note).
Herman Gebhardt states “that qualities, actions, and conditions which belong specifically to God, are also ascribed to Christ, and to Him only,” and “in Old Testament expressions things which otherwise belong to God are frequently affirmed of Christ. It is said of Christ that ’His head and His hairs were white like wool,’ Rev 1:14; and in Dan 7:9, God is so represented. The eyes of Christ are as a flame of fire, Rev 1:14; Rev 2:18; Rev 19:12; and in the same words God’s omniscience is symbolized as directed with holy indignation against all unrighteousness, Dan 10:6. The feet of Christ are ’like unto fine brass, as if they burned in an oven,’ Rev 1:15; Rev 2:18; the same image represents God’s power in treading down the wicked, Dan 10:6; Eze 1:7, The voice of Christ is as the voice of many waters, Rev 1:15; and we find a similar representation of God’s power against His enemies, Dan 10:6; Eze 1:24; Eze 43:2; Psa 93:3. Christ’s countenance is as the sun shining in his strength, Rev 1:16; and so it is said of God, Dan 10:6 (compare Jdg 5:21). The seer fell down before Christ as if dead, Rev 1:17; a similar effect was wrought by the appearance of God, Exo 33:20; Isa 6:5; Eze 1:28; Dan 8:17, 18; Dan 10:7, 8, 9. Christ says, ’I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts, and will give unto every one of you according to your works,’ Rev 2:23; and we read that ’the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins,’ Psa 7:9, and that He ’renders to every man according to his work,’ Psa 62:12. Christ says, ’As many as I love I rebuke and chasten,’ Rev 3:19; and in Pro 3:12 we read ’whom the Lord loveth He correcteth.’ Christ calls Himself ’the Amen,’ Rev 3:14; and the same expression is used of God, Isa 65:16. The Lamb has ’seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth,’ Rev 5:6; and in Zec 4:10 we read of ’the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.’ According to Rev 7:17, the Lamb will feed His people, and lead them to fountains of living waters; and the same thing is said of Jehovah in Isa 49:10. What is said of the anger of Christ, Rev 19:15 (compare Rev 14:10; Rev 14:14, 15, 16), is drawn from a similar passage respecting God in Isa 63:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6. The ’vesture dipped in blood,’ worn by Christ, Rev 19:12, is said to have been worn by God, Isa_63:1, 2” (The Doctrine of the Apocalypse, pp. 85, 86). Gebhardt asks, “What exposition is demanded by the laws of language? Without further delay I reply, that had the seer written ’the beginning of the creatures (ktismata) of God,’ or had he written ’the first, or the first-born, or the first-fruit (protos, prototokos, aparxē) of the creation of God,’ then the expression might be understood to denote the first created, or that which precedes all things, the first creature in time and rank. But the seer has written ē arkē tēs ktiseos tou theou, which can mean nothing else than principium creationis, the principle, the en o, di ou, eis o, of the creation of God. After this affirmation of the literal sense, I may remark that it finds confirmation in Rev 1:17, 18; Rev 2:8″ (p. 92, 93). “Are not all the expressions concerning Christ, quoted above, so many proofs that John, by ’the beginning of the creation of God,’ cannot have meant the earliest and greatest of creatures, but a Being above creation?” (Gebhardt, The Doctrine of the Apocalypse, p. 93). Waterland defines Arkē (beginning), “that is, author or efficient cause” (Works, vol. 2, p. 53). T961x. Rev 21:5, 6; Rev 22:13, Gen 1:1; Gen 49:3, LXX. Deut 21:17, >Pro 8:22, Isa 43:10, +%*Joh 1:1; %Joh 1:2; %Joh 1:3; Joh 1:18; Joh 5:17; Joh 5:19; %+*Joh 8:35, **1Co 8:6, 2Co 5:17, Gal 6:15, Eph 3:9, *Col 1:13; >Col 1:15; Col 1:16; Col 1:18, Heb 1:2; Heb 1:10; Heb 12:2, 2Pe 3:4.
of the creation. Gen 1:1, 2Pe 3:4.
of God. Pro 8:22.
This is a long read for a post here (on Facebook today), but you may appreciate how thoroughly I studied this verse to produce these notes and references.