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Eternal Sonship of Christ

BobRyan

BobRyan

Well-Known Member
From your link

[FONT='Times New Roman', serif]2)[/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman', serif]The Denial of Eternal Sonship[/FONT]​


[FONT='Times New Roman', serif]Those who deny eternal Sonship teach that Christ became the Son at some point in history—at His incarnation, at His baptism, at His resurrection or at His exaltation. Most who deny eternal Sonship say that He became the Son at His birth (at the incarnation), and that prior to Bethlehem He was not the Son of God. They do not deny His deity or His eternality, but they deny His eternal Sonship. Some teach that the term “Son of God” means “subservient to God, less than God, inferior to God.” They believe that Christ's Sonship is external, extrinsic, and extraneous to the real, true, proper, and essential essence of who Jesus Christ really is. Thus they teach that Sonship was merely a role or a title or a function that Christ assumed at the incarnation. They also teach that the Father became the Father at the time of the incarnation. [/FONT]


[FONT='Times New Roman', serif]Those who teach this view would include Ralph Wardlaw, Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, Jimmy Swaggart, Finis J. Dake (Dake's Annotated Reference Bible), Walter Martin (author of Kingdom of the Cults). Popular Bible teacher John MacArthur, Jr. for many years denied the doctrine of the eternal Sonship of Christ, but he has changed his position and now embraces this doctrine.[/FONT]


[FONT='Times New Roman', serif]3)The Defense of Eternal Sonship[/FONT][FONT='Times New Roman', serif] [/FONT]​


[FONT='Times New Roman', serif](Biblical Evidence Showing That Christ Was the Son of God Even Prior to Bethlehem):[/FONT]​



[FONT='Times New Roman', serif]a) The Bible clearly teaches that it was “the Son” who created all things, thus strongly implying that Christ was the Son of God at the time of creation (Col. 1:13,16; Heb. 1:2).[/FONT]
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Hint: Where do you find the phrase "today I have begotten Thee" in the NT?

(Left as an exercise for the reader)

Christ was always the Son of God. But the question is -- what change happened at the incarnation. Phil 2 says "He emptied Himself" -- So He engaged in some change on our behalf. Certainly he has now resumed his role in Heaven as "God the Son" in a way that is not "emptied" as on Earth He states "the Father is greater than I".

I suspect there is a difference between God the Son in the OT vs God the Son in the NT in terms of His role regarding Humanity -- for example as the Heb 8 High Priest for mankind.

Probably a lot more to that -- but the Bible does not say much about it.
 
L

Linda64

New Member
BobRyan said:
Hint: Where do you find the phrase "today I have begotten Thee" in the NT?
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Hebrews 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
Christ was always the Son of God. But the question is -- what change happened at the incarnation. Phil 2 says "He emptied Himself" -- So He engaged in some change on our behalf. Certainly he has now resumed his role in Heaven as "God the Son" in a way that is not "emptied" as on Earth He states "the Father is greater than I".
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Philippians 2:8 doesn't say Christ "emptied Himself"

Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
 
BobRyan

BobRyan

Well-Known Member
Phil 2 - NASB
6 who, although He existed in the form of God[/b], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, [b]taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.


Acts 13:33 -
33that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.'
 
BobRyan

BobRyan

Well-Known Member
No I am saying that God the Son existed from eternity past and that from the moment God created intelligent beings the godhead adopted a "role" for each of the 3 persons of the Godhead such that all intelligent life new about the Father vs the Son. The PERSONs were known even if the roles were not perfectly described from day one.

in Christ,

Bob
 
L

LeBuick

New Member
BobRyan said:
No I am saying that God the Son existed from eternity past and that from the moment God created intelligent beings the godhead adopted a "role" for each of the 3 persons of the Godhead such that all intelligent life new about the Father vs the Son. The PERSONs were known even if the roles were not perfectly described from day one.

in Christ,

Bob
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The Bible says the role existed as the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God.

I lean toward when the Word became Flesh it also because the Son of God. I say this because the three are one. It's not like there was a Father, Son and Holy Spirit sitting around before time, there was one God who had these three aspects or personalities.

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
 
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