<<Therefore, I think Paul's audience would naturally have understood the
expression as Jesus being part of the group of creation, the first. Or
perhaps a genitive of relation where Jesus is first in time in
relation to the rest of creation which was not first in time. But to
support PRWTOTOKOS + genitive as a genitive of subordination, one
would need to step well outside the plentiful LXX examples. Therefore,
rather than being appointed or placed as PRWOTOTOKOS, he IS the
PRWTOTOTKOS of all creation.>>
I think there is one thing you are overlooking here. None of the LXX examples
are contextually similar. The PRWTOTOTKOS PASHS KTISEWS is explained by v.
15. in other words, the firstborn of creation is also the creator Himself (TA
PANT DI' AUTOU KAI EIS AUTON EKTISTAI). The creator cannot be part of the
creation. I think the semantics of the context makes a genitive of
subordination more likely in this case.
Charles Powell
DTS