Two Builders/Makers, but Only One Creator

If the designer of a certain project is also the only one who could manufacture a certain instrument that makes possible all operations carried out for completion of the project, and if the designer of the project and manufacturer of that instrument is the only one who could be the source of certain knowledge needed for operation of the instrument -- and that knowledge is knowledge that he makes sure is graciously and sufficiently imparted to, let us say, but only one other person in order that he (the student) be able to use the instrument --, then you have two persons responsible for building the project; two builders built the project. Only one of them, however, was the crucial source of knowledge and abilities necessary to the project's successful completion. We can say that he is the creator of the project (that was carried out in a certain way, namely, through use of another person) because he is: (1) the designer of the project, and (2) the gracious, unconstrained instructor of another person for him to become involved as a builder, too, for completion of the project (cf. Col. 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2, 3; John 1:3, 10). One able to use this tool is no puppet on a string. 

We must make certain accommodation in any illustration we might present as a (rough) sort of parallel to some of what transpired in the Son's involvement with his Father for the making of all things meant to bring honor both to the Father and to the Son. An illustration meant to offer us a logical parallel to the Son's involvement with the Father in His (the Father's) creative activity must accommodate the fact that the Father used His holy spirit in order that He might graciously and sufficiently qualify His Son for him to be a co-worker with Him (the Father) for the manufacture of all things meant to bring them honor. Accordingly, we are not constrained to think that the Son's spirit-empowered involvement with His Father's creative works makes the Son's role as a co-laboring agent in the Father's service merely to be like the role that a puppet is made to assume. (Nor should we think that the Creator necessarily had to qualify His Son as a maker with his Father before the Father might enjoy relationship with many more sons besides His Firstborn Son. The Father could have chosen not to use a Firstborn Son in order to create through him other sons for them to love their Father and to experience His love for them.) Both the Father and the Son are makers, but only one (the Father) is the Creator, the One Who is the Source of certain knowledge and power graciously given over to an appreciative Son for him to use for bringing into existence the things referred to above.