Do you agree with the doctrine of eternal sonship?

[xdisciplex]

Yes or no?

Definition:

[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]The doctrine of Eternal Sonship simply affirms that the second person of the triune Godhead has eternally existed as the Son. In other words there was never a time when He was not the Son of God, and there has always been a Father/Son relationship within the Godhead. This doctrine recognizes that the idea of Sonship is not merely a title or role that Christ assumed at some specific point in history, but that it is the essential identity of the second person of the Godhead. According to this doctrine, Christ is and always has been the Son of God.[/FONT]

And is there a chance that Jesus has not always existed but that he was created by God at some point before time even existed? Because when Jesus says "before Abraham was I am" then could this not also be interpreted in the way that before Abraham was created he already existed but this doesn't necessarily mean that Jesus wasn't also created at one point before time.

 

[J. Jump]

And is there a chance that Jesus has not always existed but that he was created by God at some point before time even existed? Because when Jesus says "before Abraham was I am" then could this not also be interpreted in the way that before Abraham was created he already existed but this doesn't necessarily mean that Jesus wasn't also created at one point before time.

The problem with that though is Scripture tells us that Christ was the Creator and without Him was nothing created. He is the sustainer of all that has been created.

The only option would be that God created Him before everything else, but that still violates Scripture because Christ equates Himself with God, which means He had no beginning and no end.

I don't see an issue with Christ always being the Son, but others may have some input on that.

 

[Not_hard_to_find]

Yes.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 

[Eric B]

The pre-Nicene fathers saw the Word as eternal, and the Son as beginning in time (usually birth). This did not diminish his divinity, because, the Word was still God.
The Nicene and later creeds, in order to combat Arianism (the view that "Jesus has not always existed but that he was created by God at some point before time even existed"--or afterward) then had to come up with the above cited definition of Sonship and its "begettal" as an eternal "relationship" to avoid any possible implications of Him being created.

 

[BobRyan]

Yes.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

This shows that Christ was eternally God - but does it show an eternal Father Son releationship in eternity past where lets say - there are no other beings in the entire empty universe for eternity? What is the benefit of the Father-Son hierarchy in the Godhead given such an empty situation?

I believe that God the Son is eternally God just as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit - but I don't know whether they adopted or took on role changes as "intelligent life" was created.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[Not_hard_to_find]

...but I don't know ...

No one does. And I don't know why in the world we quibble over such questions when witnessing accomplishes so much more. Sure wish I had come to this conclusion a few weeks ago,

 

[Revmitchell]

Yep, you betchya, of course, without a doubt.


Colossians 1:16-18
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

[nate]

Yes based on the Bible and Church teaching.

 

[El_Guero]

The problem with that though is Scripture tells us that Christ was the Creator and without Him was nothing created. He is the sustainer of all that has been created.

The only option would be that God created Him before everything else, but that still violates Scripture because Christ equates Himself with God, which means He had no beginning and no end.

I don't see an issue with Christ always being the Son, but others may have some input on that.

Jesus was not created. Jesus was, is, and always will be - God. The lie that He was created comes from mormons and heretics. Pure and simple, that is heresy.

 

[J. Jump]

El Guero I hope you understand that I don't believe Christ was created. He is the Creator! Hard to create Yourself

 

[El_Guero]

Thank God for the miracle of regeneration . . . otherwise we would not believe the Truth.