If Jesus is God, why did he always refer to the Father as HIS God?

Question

Matt. 27:46: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

John 20:17: Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Answer 1

Jesus is not God; he never said "he was God the Son". He told us in 1John 4:15 that "he is the Son of God". If you want more information about this subject; see details below:

Arianism VS. Trinitarianism

1JOHN 4:1 = "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because MANY FALSE PROPHETS are gone out into the world."
(In reference to the crowd = Matt.7:13; 24:24; some departing from the faith = Acts 20:29-30)false prophets are gone out into the world."

PROVERBS 28:11 = "The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out."
{conceit = Prov.26:5; Rom.11:25; 12:16}
(In reference to Heb.5:14= "knowing good and evil"; 1Thess.5:21= "prove all things")

The Orthodox definition of the trinity is defined as: "A three-fold personality existing in one divine being or substance; the union in one God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three infinite co-equal, co-eternal persons as; one God in three persons."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity (note: in this source as other sources: it tells you 1John 5:7 wasn't in any of the inspired Greek manuscripts)
http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=203

The Trinity Doctrine came from paganism.
(Pagan means no religious beliefs; in the 1984 New Concise Webster's Dictionary--Pagan defined : "A heathen; one having no religious beliefs")
http://www.thunderministries.com/Beast/Apostasy.html
http://www.sabbatarian.com/Paganism/HecateTrinity.html
http://www.cornerstone1.org/trinity1.htm
http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=140
http://mikeblume.com/pagantr.htm

Tertullian (ca.150-225) was the first writer to use the term "trinity" (New Theological Dictionary, p. 1,054).
If we look in the late second and early third centuries; we see the Catholic theologian names Tertullian and Origen keep coming up.
The term trinity was not "revealed" until more than 150 years after Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.
If this teaching were true; why was it revealed later? Did Christ's disciples know about this doctrine; if they did; why didn't they explain it?
If we search the scriptures; we see the disciples taught a very different explanation of God.
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine28&item=1104232928

(KJV BIBLE)There are 3 that protestants claim about the trinity; they're JOHN 14 & 15 and 1JOHN 5:7. To start out 1JOHN 5:7 was never in any of the inspired Greek manuscripts; so this knocks out one. As for John 14 & 15; the Greek word for "helper" is paracletos; one who helps inwhich points to the Holy Spirit. In Greek, the word "He" is neuter such as "hand" is feminine whether it is a woman's hand or male's hand. As for the word "paracletos" it is masculine and always require a masculine pronoun. This however doesn't prove personhood as you've noticed.
But as you've noticed, these texts don't prove Jesus is God or the Holy Spirit.
I don't believe in the TRINITY! The Bible texts that I'm going to mention contradict the Trinity teaching.
MATT.12:32 "AND WHOSOEVER SPEAKETH A WORD AGAINST THE SON OF MAN, IT SHALL BE FORGIVEN HIM: BUT WHOSOEVER SPEAKETH AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST, IT SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN HIM, NEITHER IN THIS WORLD, NEITHER IN THE WORLD TO COME."
JOHN 14:28 "IF YE LOVED ME, YE WOULD REJOICE, BECAUSE I SAID , I GO UNTO THE FATHER: FOR MY FATHER IS GREATER THAN I."
1COR.11:3 "BUT I WOULD HAVE YOU KNOW THAT THE HEAD OF EVERY MAN IS CHRIST; & THE HEAD OF THE WOMAN IS THE MAN; AND THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD."
LUKE 18:19 "AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD? NONE IS GOOD, SAVE ONE, THAT IS, GOD."
****SEVERAL OTHER TEXTS SAY THERE'S ONLY TWO PERSONS:
1COR.1:3; 8:6; 1TIM.1:2; 2:5; GAL.1:3; PHILIPP.1:2; ROM.1:7; 2COR.1:2-3; 1THESS.1:1; 2THESS.1:2; 2TIM.1:2; PHILEMON 1:3; 1PETER 1:3; 2PETER 1:2; 1JOHN 1:3; 2JOHN 1:3.

Now touching on the HOLY SPIRIT; the Holy Spirit is a power(Luke 1:35= "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the "Son of God.") where God and Jesus make their presence known in the hearts and minds of believers(1John 3:24 = "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."). The believers of god and Jesus will have this love poured on them (Rom.5:5 = "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.") It will teach them understanding and wisdom of God's Word (John 14:16,17,20,23,26 = "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and ye in me, and I in you. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.") Jesus had the Holy Spirit in him when he made the lame walk and the deaf to hear and etc.(Luke 5:15-17) God works in our minds to give us stength to overcome (Genesis 6:3 = "And the Lord said, my Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.") Other texts are: John 7:38-39; Rom.8:11,13-14,16 and Psalm 104:30.
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Another text that Trinitarians use to say Jesus is the same being as God is John 10:30.
Well many confuse this text in John 10:30 to say Jesus and God are one and the same person; but this text doesn't mean that.
Go back to verse 29; doesn't it say that Jesus's Father is greater than him. In fact what does Jesus/Bible tell us in these texts; doesn't it say that Jesus and God are seperate people?

JOHN 14:28 = "YE HAVE HEARD HOW I SAID UNTO YOU, I GO AWAY, AND COME AGAIN UNTO YOU. IF YE LOVED ME, YE WOULD REJOICE, BECAUSE I SAID, I GO UNTO THE FATHER: FOR MY FATHER IS GREATER THAN I."

JOHN 20:17 = "JESUS SAID UNTO HER, TOUCH ME NOT; FOR I AM NOT ASCENDED TO MY FATHER: BUT GO TO MY BRETHREN, AND SAY TO THEM, I ASCEND UNTO MY FATHER, AND YOUR FATHER; AND TO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD."

1COR.11:3 "BUT I WOULD HAVE YOU KNOW THAT THE HEAD OF EVERY MAN IS CHRIST; & THE HEAD OF THE WOMAN IS THE MAN; AND THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD."

LUKE 18:19 "AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD? NONE IS GOOD, SAVE ONE, THAT IS, GOD."

MATT.19:17 = "AND HE SAID UNTO HIM, WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD? THERE IS NONE GOOD BUT ONE, THAT IS, GOD: BUT IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS."

****SEVERAL OTHER TEXTS SAY THERE'S ONLY TWO PERSONS:
1COR.1:3; 8:6; 1TIM.1:2; 2:5; GAL.1:3; PHILIPP.1:2; ROM.1:7; 2COR.1:2-3; 1THESS.1:1; 2THESS.1:2; 2TIM.1:2; PHILEMON 1:3; 1PETER 1:3; 2PETER 1:2; 1JOHN 1:3; 2JOHN 1:3.

So what does John 10:30 really means--when it says "I and my Father are one?" Well let's go further down to John 10:38. Doesn't it tell us that God and Jesus are alike and similar in actions, features, and etc? Take a Father with his son or a Mother with her daughter; do they have characteristics like you; but does that mean they're you? No of course not; they're seperate, but are alike in different ways.

JOHN 10:38 = "BUT IF I DO, THOUGH YE BELIEVE NOT ME, BELIEVE THE WORKS: THAT YE MAY KNOW, AND BELIEVE, THAT THE FATHER IS IN ME, AND I IN HIM."

JOHN 5:19-20 = "THEN, ANSWERED JESUS AND SAID UNTO THEM, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF, BUT WHAT HE SEETH THE FATHER DO: FOR WHAT THINGS SOEVER HE DOETH, THESE ALSO DOETH THE SON LIKEWISE. FOR THE FATHER LOVETH THE SON, AND SHEWETH HIM ALL THINGS THAT HIMSELF DOETH: AND HE WILL SHEW HIM GREATER WORKS THAN THESE, THAT YE MAY MARVEL."

JOHN 17:21-22 = "THAT THEY ALL MAY BE ONE; AS THOU, FATHER, ART IN ME, AND I IN THEE, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US: THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT THOU HAS SENT ME. AND THE GLORY WHICH THOU GAVEST ME I HAVE GIVEN THEM; THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE."

JOHN 14:10-11 = "BELIEVEST THOU NOT THAT I AM IN THE FATHER, AND THE FATHER IN ME? THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU I SPEAK OF NOT MYSELF: BUT THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME, HE DOETH THE WORKS. BELIEVE ME THAT I AM IN THE FATHER, AND THE FATHER IN ME: OR ELSE BELIEVE ME FOR THE VERY WORKS' SAKE."

JOHN 5:36 = "BUT I HAVE A GREATER WITNESS THAN THAT OF JOHN: FOR THE WORKS WHICH THE FATHER HATH GIVEN ME TO FINISH, THE SAME WORKS THAT I DO, BEAR WITNESS OF ME, THAT THE FATHER HATH SENT ME."

JOHN 10:25 = "JESUS ANSWERED THEM, I TOLD YOU, AND YOU BELIEVED NOT: THE WORKS THAT I DO IN MY FATHER'S NAME, THEY BEAR WITNESS OF ME."

Also many others such as:
JOHN 8:28,42,49-50,54; 5:19-20,26-27,30; 6:38,57
MATT.20:23

Jesus Christ came here on earth to show people who God is by his actions and features. So if we knew Jesus in our heart; we would know God because Jesus showed us when he was on earth. (JOHN 17:3)
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Is Jesus God?
The Answer is definately "NO".

Is Jesus God?
Jesus Christ is not God {he was figuratively God(Logos) in the Old Testament; the spokesperson for God} = John 1:1. So does the Bible say Jesus is God; no it says that Jesus is the son of God = 1John 4:15.
References of the devil or demons calling Jesus Son of God:
Matthew 4:3
Matthew 4:6,
Matthew 8:29
Mark 3:11
Luke 4:3
Luke 4:9
Luke 4:41

References to humans calling Jesus Son of God:
Matthew 14:33
Matthew 27:54
Mark 1:1
Mark 15:39
John 1:34
John 1:49
John 11:27
John 20:31
Acts 9:20
Romans 1:4
2 Corinthians 1:19
Galatians 2:20
Hebrews 4:14
Hebrews 6:6
Hebrews 7:3
Hebrews 10:29
1 John 3:8
1 John 4:15
1 John 5:1
1 John 5:5
1 John 5:10
1 John 5:13
1 John 5:20
Matthew 14:33
Revelation 2:18

Jesus referring to himself as the Son of God:
John 3:18
John 5:25
John 10:36
John 11:4
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To understand this better if God are all three persons; then that would deny Jesus as the son of God; wouldn't it? Because you're saying that God is all 3 and the same; aren't you?
Most people say Jesus is God; how can this be? What happened to Jesus then, if Jesus is God or what happened to God if Jesus is God?
1John 2:22-24.

Hosea 11:9 = "...: for I am God and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter in the city."
Numbers 23:19 = "God is not a man; that he should lie: neither the son of man, that he should repent..."
Acts 2:22 = "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you..."

Now from these two texts; it tells us there's two persons: one is God and one is Jesus the son of God; a man approved of God. Now as we have determined Jesus can't be God.


Elohim contains the plural ending -im ("gods"). See: Exodus 12:12; Psalm 97:7.
(Names of God in the Old Testament:, The Anchor bible Dictionary, vol. 4, p.1006).
"There is irrefutable proof that this plural noun (Elohim) is to be understood as conveying, not the sense of a dual or a triune God, but of a "God Family" with more than one member."
See more in:
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Booklets1&item=1104093303

The Bible contradicts the Trinity teaching over and over. Now if Jesus was a trinity (which is unbiblical), that would mean he didn't come fully in the flesh = 1John 4:3.
How can Jesus be God and talk to himself? Also if Jesus was God on the earth; that would mean he was a spirit; we know this wasn't true because of 1John 4:2-3 and 2Jn.1:7.
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1472651266051497771QlfGdY
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If you look in the encyclopedia under the Roman Catholic Church; you will see they wiped out three arian tribes.
Here are some sites to look at:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=PCTA%2CPCTA%3A2006-34%2CPCTA%3Aen&q=three+arian+tribes+wiped+out+by+the+Catholic+Church&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=PCTA,PCTA:2006-34,PCTA:en&q=heruli%2c+vandals%2c+ostrogoths+wiped+out+by+the+Catholic+Church

WHO ARE THESE 10 HORNS?
**Now the 10 horns represents kings or kingdoms and 1 comes up among the them and destroys (DANIEL 7:8,23,24)three.

3 Successive Horns uprooted (babarians followers of Arianism destroyed on papal authority--this period called the "transition age" in Philip Myers' Ancient History, p.571)
AND THEN A LITTLE HORN COMES UPON THE SCENE THAT HAS DESTROYED THE HERULI (under Odoacer) 476-493AD, KINGDOM OF THE VANDALS 429-533AD AND KINGDOM OF THE OSTROGOTHS 493-554AD.

NOW DETERMINING WHO THE HORN IS: A.C. FLICK, THE RISE OF THE MEDIAEVAL CHURCH. (PUTNAM'S 1909 ED.)PP.148-149.
*FROM THE CLUES IN THE BIBLE; WE KNOW IT'S THE ROMAN EMPIRE (REV.17:4; COMPARE TO MATT.27:28 AND MARK 15:17,20
Rev.17:4 = "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colur,..."
Matt.27:28 = "And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe."
Mark 15:16,17 = "And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they called together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and plaited a crown of thorns, and put it upon his head."
Mark 15:20 = "And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple, and plaited a crown of thorns, and put it upon his head."

Little horn among the 10 (Daniel 7:8,20-22,24-27)
2-Horned Lamb-Like Beast from earth and image(Rev.13:11-18)
Royally Clad Harlot named Mystery, Babylon the Great (Rev.17:1-6)
Symbolic meaning = False Christian Religion Ruling the Beast
Historical Fulfillment = Roman Catholic Church under the Pope (in the image of the Roman civil government)

http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Booklets1&item=1104414543
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Not all christians believe in trinitarianism.
(Note: some have different views of non-trinitarianism as noted in these sites below; these are unitarians point of view. Unitarians don't believe Jesus was in the beginning as the Bible says)
http://www.mindspring.com/~anthonybuzzard/trinity.htm
http://anthonybuzzard.home.mindspring.com/whoisjesus.htm#21

In fact here are some that don't believe in the trinity:
Living Church of God (believes there is 1 God: the father and his son Jesus Christ in the "God Family" and that many members can be in this "God Family" as the Bible says)
http://www.lcg.org/search/search.php?query=trinity&%24results_per_page=10&search=1
http://www.lcg.org/search/search.php?query=god%27s+church+through+the+ages&type=and&results=10&search=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Church_of_God
Churches of God
http://www.giveshare.org/churchhistory/sda/064.sda.html
Jehovah Witnesses
http://www.watchtower.org/library/ti/article_04.htm
Unitarians (Unitarians don't believe Jesus was in the beginning as the Bible says)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Christianity
http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=113
United Pentecostals (they believe in oneness)
http://experts.about.com/q/Pentecostals-2256/Trinity-1.htm
http://www.cephasministry.com/index_pentecostals.html

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Reference sources:
What is God really like?
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine28&item=1104232928
The Real God.
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/magazine/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine3&item=1103832467
Is God really a TRINITY?
http://lcg.org/search/search.php?query=IS+THERE+A+TRINITY&%24results_per_page=10&search=1
God's Church through the Ages (see the Trinity)
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Booklets1&item=1104363708
Your Ultimate Destiny
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Booklets1&item=1104093303
The Beast of Revelation
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/tw-bk.cgi?category=Booklets1&item=1104414543

Answer 2

Jesus came into the world with the whole fullness of God....

But He was also born into the world by a woman and has a human nature as well as a divine nature. So He the Son of man and the Son of God.

Matt 16:13-18

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
(from New International Version)


Matt 27:42-43
Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
(from New International Version)


Matt 26:63-68
63 But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

64 "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?"

"He is worthy of death," they answered.

67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"
(from New International Version)


John 5:24-27
25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
(from New International Version)

Answer 3

Because he is Gods son...not God.
Revelation 3:14 & Colossians 1:15 to 17 point out he was the first of all Gods creations.
That is why God says let us create. His son helped him.

Answer 4

Good question.
Jesus is God's son, His first one born in heaven as Michael, the Archangel and sent here specifically to save mankind from their sins, born here as the Messiah, (Jesus Christ).
Any other story is just that, a Devil-inspired story.

Answer 5

If he isn't, why did he claim to have existed before abraham?

Jhn 8:58, Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am

Answer 6

jesus is god in human form remember they are a trinity father/son/holyghost

Answer 7

right on my brotha keep it up

Answer 8

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.

Yes, the eternal Sonship is biblical and is a view that is widely held among Christians and has been throughout church history. It is important, however, to remember when discussing the doctrine of eternal Sonship that there are evangelical Christians on both sides of this debate. This is not to say that this is not an important doctrine, because it is; it simply acknowledges the fact that there are orthodox or evangelical Christians that hold or have held both views. Those that deny the doctrine of eternal Sonship are not denying the triune nature of God or the deity or eternality of Christ, and those that embrace the eternal Sonship of Christ are not inferring that Jesus Christ was anything less than fully God.

Throughout church history the doctrine of eternal Sonship has been widely held, with most Christians believing that Jesus existed as God’s eternal Son before creation. It is affirmed in the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) which states: "We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end." It was also later reaffirmed in the fifth century in the Athanasian Creed.

There is considerable biblical evidence to support the eternal Sonship of Christ. First of all, there are many passages that clearly identify that it was “the Son” who created all things (Colossians 1:13-16; Hebrews 1:2), thereby strongly implying that Christ was the Son of God at the time of creation. When one considers these passages, it seems clear that the most normal and natural meaning of the passages is that at the time of creation Jesus was the Son of God, the second Person of the Triune Godhead, thus supporting the doctrine of eternal Sonship.

Second, there are numerous verses that speak of God the Father sending the Son into the world to redeem sinful man (John 20:21; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:14; 1 John 4:10) and giving His Son as a sacrifice for sin (John 3:16). Clearly implied in all the passages that deal with the Father sending/giving the Son is the fact that He was the Son before He was sent into the world. This is even more clearly seen in Galatians 4:4-6, where the term “sent forth” is used both of the Son and the Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit did not become the Holy Spirit when He was sent to empower the believers at Pentecost, neither did the Son become the Son at the moment of His incarnation. All three Persons of the Triune Godhead have existed for all eternity, and their names reveal who they are, not simply what their title or function is.

Third, 1 John 3:8 speaks of the appearance or manifestation of the Son of God: “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” The verb “to make manifest” or “appeared” means to make visible or to bring to light something that was previously hidden. The idea communicated in this verse is not that the second Person of the trinity became the Son of God, but that the already existing Son of God was made manifest or appeared in order to fulfill God’s predetermined purpose. This idea is also seen in other verses such as John 11:27 and 1 John 5:20.

Fourth, Hebrews 13:8 teaches that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” This verse again seems to support the doctrine of eternal Sonship. The fact that Jesus’ divine nature is unchanging would seem to indicate that He was always the Son of God because that is an essential part of His Person. At the incarnation Jesus took on human flesh, but His divine nature did not change, nor did His relationship with the Father. This same truth is also implied in John 20:31, where we see John’s purpose in writing his gospel was so that we might “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” It does not say that He became the Son of God but that He is the Son of God. The fact that Jesus was and is the Son of God is an essential aspect of Who He is and His work in redemption.

Finally, one of the strongest evidences for the eternal Sonship of Christ is the triune nature of God and the eternal relationship that exists among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Particularly important is the unique Father/Son relationship that can only be understood from the aspect of Christ’s eternal Sonship. This relationship is key to understanding the full measure of God’s love for those whom He redeems through the blood of Christ. The fact that God the Father took His Son, the very Son He loved from before the foundation of the world, and sent Him to be a sacrifice for our sins is an amazing act of grace and love that is best understood from the doctrine of eternal Sonship.

One verse that speaks of the eternal relationship between the Father and Son is John 16:28. "I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father." Implied in this verse is again the fact that the Father/Son relationship between God the Father and God the Son is one that always has and always will exist. At His incarnation the Son “came from the Father” in the same sense as upon His resurrection He returned “to the Father.” Implied in this verse is the fact that if Jesus was the Son after the resurrection, then He was also the Son prior to His incarnation. Other verses that support the eternal Sonship of Christ would include John 17:5 and John 17:24, which speak of the Father’s love for the Son from “before the foundation of the world.”

After one considers the many arguments for the doctrine of eternal Sonship, it should become clear that this is indeed a biblical doctrine that finds much support in Scripture. However, that is not to imply that arguments cannot be made against the doctrine as well, or that all Christians will agree to this doctrine. While it has been the view of the majority of Christian commentators throughout history, there have been several prominent Christians on the other side of the issue as well.

Those that deny the doctrine of eternal Sonship would instead hold to a view that is often referred to as the Incarnational Sonship, which teaches that while Christ preexisted, He was not always the Son of God. Those that hold this view believe Christ became the Son of God at some point in history, with the most common view being that Christ became the Son at His incarnation. However, there are others who believe Christ did not become the Son until sometime after His incarnation, such as at His baptism, His resurrection, or His exaltation. It is important to realize that those who deny the eternal Sonship of Christ still recognize and affirm His deity and His eternality.

Those who hold this view see the Sonship of Christ as not being an essential part of Who He is, but instead see it as simply being a role or a title or function that Christ assumed at His incarnation. They also teach that the Father became the Father at the time of the incarnation. Throughout history many conservative Christians have denied the doctrine of eternal Sonship. Some examples would include Ralph Wardlaw, Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, Finis J. Dake, Walter Martin, and at one time John MacArthur. It is important to note, however, that several years ago John MacArthur changed his position on this doctrine and he now affirms the doctrine of eternal Sonship.

One of the verses commonly used to support Incarnational Sonship is Hebrews 1:5, which appears to speak of God the Father’s begetting of God the Son as an event that takes place at a specific point in time: “Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee. And again. I will be a Father to Him. And He shall be a Son to Me.” Those who hold to the doctrine of incarnational Sonship point out two important aspects of this verse. 1—that “begetting” normally speaks of a person’s origin, and 2—that a Son is normally subordinate to his father. They reject the doctrine of eternal Sonship in an attempt to preserve the perfect equality and eternality of the Persons of the Triune Godhead. In order to do so, they must conclude that “Son” is simply a title or function that Christ took on at His incarnation and that “Sonship” refers to the voluntary submission that Christ to the Father at His incarnation (Philemon 2:5-8; John 5:19).

Some of the problems with the Incarnational Sonship of Christ are that this teaching confuses or destroys the internal relationships that exist within the Trinity, because if the Son is not eternally begotten by the Father, then neither did the Spirit eternally proceed from the Father through the Son. Also, if there is no Son prior to the incarnation, then there is no Father either; and yet throughout the Old Testament we see God being referred to as the Father of Israel. Instead of having a triune God eternally existing in three distinct Persons with three distinct names, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, those who hold to the doctrine of incarnational Sonship end up with a nameless Trinity prior to the incarnation, and we would be forced to say that God has chosen not to reveal Himself as He truly is, but only as He was to become. In other words, instead of actually revealing who He is, the Triune God instead chose to reveal Himself by the titles He would assume or the roles that He would take on and not who He really is. This is dangerously close to modalism and could easily lead to false teachings about the nature of God. One of the weaknesses of the doctrine of incarnational Sonship is that the basic relationships existing among the members of the Trinity are confused and diminished. Taken to its logical conclusion, denying the eternal Sonship of Christ reduces the Trinity from the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to simply Number One, Number Two and Number Three Persons—with the numbers themselves being an arbitrary designation, destroying the God-given order and relationship that exists among the Persons of the Trinity.