What do you understand by the church of the first-born? B. G. B. The term "first-born" is not always used as regards time. Esau was the first-born, but Jacob is called the first-born. Ephraim is called the Lord's first-born, altho Manasseh was older than Ephraim. It sometimes means preeminence, as well as priority in time. Jesus Christ is the First-Born preeminently. God's children are the first-born; that is, they are God's first-born, those who are preeminently His. There may be thousands in the world who profess to be His children; some that are nominally so, like Israel of old, according to the flesh. Such ones have not been really born again. They have not that birth which is preeminent, and which comes from God on high. Consequently those who are born from above, tho they may be born later as regards time, yet are preeminently the Lord's, and are therefore counted His first-born; and so the church of the first-born are those who are preeminently the Lord's—the entire church of Christ. No, we do not understand that the name of the Lord's church is "The Church of the First-born," but we do understand that all true members of the church of Christ are the church of the first-born; all whose names are written in heaven. The term "first-born" does not apply to Christ because in His very beginning He was born or created. Of that we know nothing. We read of Him before He came to this earth that His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting [or "from the days of eternity"]." Micah 5:2, margin. It is very much easier to understand the term "first-born" as it is used in the Bible referring to preeminence rather than priority.