“He takes precedence over all the created universe”; NEB “his is the primacy over all created things.” First-born in this context does not imply there were others who were likewise “born” afterward; it is a term which stresses the position of Jesus as the heir of his heavenly Father. The use of the second element tokos (“beget” or “bear”) excludes Christ from the process of creation; he was not created first, but was born first. A possible translation is: “God’s first Son (or heir) who existed before