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On reading Dr. Gary's  article did Jesus emanate from GOD the Father...' I felt jubilation, especially reading the quote from Hilary of Poitiers. "Jesus was ALREADY the Son of GOD when He was sent! Would this  be from John 3:16 and 17 and John 3:35?'The Father loves the Son and has given ALL things into His hand"Don't you love RF Cottrell's statement-"If it IS declared that the Father sent His Son into the world..I BELIEVE HE HAD a SON to send"

Praise GOD

Comment (4)

This question was considered six months ago. An answer has now come.

Monday, November 8, 2010, Dr. Gerhard Pfandl graciously received me into his office where we spent the next two hours in prayer and discussing our common travel experiences and Adventist educational heritage, the convictions built from Bible study regarding the identity and personality of the Holy Spirit (Matt 10:20, Gal 4:6, John 14:23, etc.), and the plain statements of Jesus that he “came out from the Father” (John 8:42, 16:27,28; 17:8).  Dr. Pfandl was most interested in this and he even looked them up right then and there.

The purpose of the meeting was to inquire about the letter that was sent by a global group of church members to the new General Conference president, Ted Wilson. The letter was on Gerhard’s desk and he read the yellow sticky note on it to me. Elder Wilson asked Dr. Pfandl to review the letter which I could see was underlined in several places.  He assured me that he would indeed read the letter and respond to us concerning our request.

Because Gerhard was particularly interested in the texts from John’s gospel describing Christ as “coming out from the Father,” the following day, November 9, 2010, Dr. Pfandl was sent the email shown below.  It is somewhat technical in that it focuses on the use of the Greek preposition ex (as in exit) translated "out" or "forth" in those verses in which Jesus speaks of his coming from God his Father:
____________________________________________

“Thank you for your Hospitality”

John uses the Greek verb root exerchomai (to come out from) six times in his gospel.  It appears in several forms—exēlthen, exēlthes and exēlthon—depending on the grammatical tense, person, and mood of the verb.

John 8:42  Jesus proceeded forth from God  (ek tou theou exēlthon)
John 13:3  Jesus had come forth from God (apo theou exēlthen)
John 16:27 Jesus came out from God (ego para tou theou exēlthon)
John 16:28  Jesus came forth from the Father (exēlthon ek/para* tou patros)
John 16:30 that you came forth from God (apo theou exēlthes)
John 17:8  Jesus came out from the Father (para sou exēlthon)

* Nestle, Hort-Wescott manuscripts cite ek

This word exerchomai has the following definition:

“to issue (literally or figuratively): - come-(forth, out), depart (out of), escape, get out, go (abroad, away, forth, out, thence), proceed (forth), spread abroad.”

It is composed of two Greek roots: ex- (out as in “exit”) and erhome (come).

In the texts above it appears in different inflected forms.

While it is true that exerchomai does not mean physical birth in a human sense, Christ’s use of the word (remember Jesus is speaking when John quotes him) is in reference to his relationship with his Father.

If we exclude the six texts above involving Christ and his Father, there is a fairly even balance between those texts that could be interpreted to mean a simple movement from one location to another and those that definitely indicate coming out from being inside something. First we will list those verses which do not indicate what the subject is coming out of something else.

Exerchomai usage – to leave something (10 occurrences)

Matt 25:1  10 virgins went out (from ?) to meet the bridegroom
Mark 1:38 Jesus came out (from ?) to preach
Mark 3:21 Jesus’ friends went out (from ?) to seize him
Mark 8:11 Pharisees came out (from ?) to question him
Mark 14:16 Disciples went out (from ?) to prepare the Passover
Luke 8:35 People went out (from ?) to see Jesus
John 12:13  People went out (from ?) to meet him
John 21:3  Disciples went out (from ?) to go fishing
2Cor 2:13  Paul went out (from ?) into Macedonia
John 1:7  They went out  (from ?)

Even these examples, however, are ambiguous in that the object from which the subject “went out” is not indicated. In some of these it is also possible that they came out from inside of some enclosure.  And that is the essential meaning of exerchomai.  Now we list those texts were the object from which the subject comes out is actually stated.

Exerchomai usage – to go out of something (10 occurrences)

Matt 12:44  evil spirit came out of his house
Luke 11:24 unclean spirit went out of the man
Matt 26:30 The disciples went out from the upper room
Mark 14:26 Disciples went out of the upper room
John 4:30  people went out of the city
Phil 4:15  Paul departed from Macedonia
2John 1:7 Deceivers have gone out from the church into the world
Rev 9:3  Locusts came forth out of the smoke
Rev 15:6  7 angels came out of the temple
Rev 18:4  Come out of her, my people

In each of these verses, the subject was initially inside of something, and then came out of it: inside a house, inside a man, inside a room, inside a city, inside a country, inside the church, within the smoke, within the temple, within Babylon.  We are thus left to decide how we should understand exerchomai in those texts concerning the Father and Son.

We can ignore the essential meaning of the word in the six texts concerning Christ’s coming out from the Father only if we are compelled to change its meaning (because of pre-established convictions) into simply a departure from the immediate presence of the Father, or leaving the vicinity of God.  However, these texts are not ambiguous in leaving unidentified the object from which the subject comes out. “God” and “the Father” is plainly stated.

I would like very much to know your thoughts on this important concept which Ellen White singles out when she quotes these particular texts together (Christian Education p. 157, Signs of the Times, July 4, 1892, In Heavenly Places p. 79).
___________________________________________________

This email became the basis of the article “Coming Out From the Father”

By the end of January, 2011, a second follow-up email was sent with additional historical references concerning the texts of John taken from 19^th century authors and comparing them with the statements of Ellen White on these verses.  I received an immediate response asking for further patience as there were a number of others in the queue ahead of me.

On February 1 a second meeting was scheduled with Dr. Pfandl, myself and Adrian for April 13 in which we hoped to further assure our brethren at the BRI that we were praying for them and seek their response and counsel regarding the letter we had originally sent to Ted Wilson on October 15, 2010.  The time finally came when we flew to Washington D.C. and in our hotel room emailed Gerhard to confirm our meeting for the following day.  Exactly thirty minutes later we received an email sadly informing us that Dr. Pfandl was ill with a flare-up of his chronic bronchitis and would not be able to meet with us.

This was deeply disappointing. But the very next day, I received an emailed document prepared by fellow BRI staff member Ekkehardt Mueller entitled, “Did Jesus Emanate from God the Father?”   You can view it here.

This paper and my response may be viewed here.

We have yet to hear from Dr. Pfandl regarding our letter to Ted Wilson.

Please pray that the spirit of our Father and His Son may move upon the hearts of our leaders, our church, and all who are seeking to find the LORD (Jer. 29:13).

Comment (27)

Many Blessings to the remnant of God

I'm new to this web-site, and I just want to praise God having a body of people who take God at his word and believe just what it says.  My convictions the Lord has laid on my heart regarding his Lovely Character has brought me to my knees in longing for Jesus.  When I first became a follower of Christ, some 10-11 years ago I memorized the following verse...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only beggotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but hav everlasting life"  John 3:16

It's not until the last year that I really and whole heartidly saw what this promise was saying to me, see the following...

"For God (The Father) so loved the world, that he gave his only beggotten Son (The Son of the Father, Jeshuah), that whosoever believeth in him (Jesus) should not perish, but hav everlasting life (John 17:3)"  John 3:16

When the Lord revealed this simple promise to me, it reveal God's relationship with his dear Son, and the Son's relationship with his Father.  It showed me of a merciful "Dad" or "Daddy-Abba" as the Father is to the Son, but also-by inheritance, of the Son of the Living God, his Fatherly care over us (Isaiah 9:6).  We see in the man Jesus a divine revelation of both himself and his Father, yet we see his submission to the "...only true God...".  We alsosee the wonderful plan of salvation, in connection with the sanctuary, all in one verse (John 3:16).

We see in this promise the wonderful gift of everlasting life, in connection with John 17:3, of "..that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent."  We can safely see that Christ thought it not robbery to be equal with God, yet on the other hand says"..my Father is Greater than I" (John 14). 
Here we can associate ourselves with our Great High Priest, in that he was, is and always will be Son of God, which by his righteous blood and by adoption has made us sons and daughters of Jehovah.  This is a beutiful way of identity and association we have with our Father, and with his dear Son.

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him they might be saved."John 3:17

To those who live in Darkness, and feel like they are helpless, those who have no hope and have loss their indentity, to those who cannot see past the portal of time and space, to those who are longing for one who listens and understands, I point you to the man who once was slain for our sorrows...the Man Jesus Christ "...Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world..."

There is nothing to heavy for his hand to carry, nothing to burden for him to bear.

There is nothing un-noticed for him to see, nothing too quite to hear.

By his humanity he gives us the strength to obey, by his divinity he gives us strength to have the victory.

May the Lord of Host bless you today as you remember his great sacrifice...Jesus

Bana

Comment (3)

I was reading John 12 this afternoon and came across verse 34:

“The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abides for ever: and how can you say, The Son of man must be crucified? Who is this Son of man?”

The prevailing opinion concerning the promised Messiah, the Anointed of God, was that he would be eternal, live forever.  Any concept that did not fit their paradigm was automatically ruled out.

Jesus began in verse 23 by talking about “the Son of man” that he would be glorified, fall into the ground and die; he mentions losing one’s life and that he would be “lifted up.”  This just did not compute in their minds, prejudiced as they were with their own definitions of what the Messiah was to be.

Today, the difficulty comes with preconceived definitions of what ‘God the Son’ has to be: eternal into eternity past…”We have heard that God the Son abides for ever: how can you say that he is really the Son of God?  Who is this Son of God if he pre-existed Bethlehem?”

Don’t forget verse 42:  “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him: but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

There are more that believe than we know about. We must pray that God will encourage them to love His praise.

Comment (5)

Here is today's potion of the devotional 'Sons and Daughters of God' EGW. I find it quite fitting for me and maybe for many of us. Many parts could be highlighted but I have done so only to the last paragraph. May it minister to each accordingly as the Spirit of God will witness. I pray you are blessed as you read and we bear with grace our lot in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Son of the living God. Emphasis mine.

March 3. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

We are to bear the yoke of Christ that we may be placed in complete union with Him. "Take my yoke upon you," He says.... Wearing the yoke unites finite man in companionship with the dearly beloved Son of God. Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul, and places man where he learns how to bear Christ's burdens. We can not follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross and bearing it after Him. If our will is not in accord with the divine requirements, we are to deny our inclinations, give up our darling desires, and step in Christ's footsteps. . . .

Men frame for their own necks yokes that seem light and pleasant to wear, but they prove galling in the extreme. Christ sees this, and He says, Take My yoke upon you. The yoke you would place upon your own neck, thinking it a precise fit, will not fit at all. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me the lessons essential for you to learn; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. The Lord never makes a false estimate concerning His heritage. He measures the men with whom He is working. When they submit to His yoke, when they give up the struggle that has been unprofitable for themselves and for the cause of God, they will find peace and rest. When they become sensible of their own weakness, their own deficiencies, they will delight to do God's will. They will submit to the yoke of Christ. Then God can work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure, which is often entirely contrary to the plans of the human mind. When the heavenly anointing comes to us, we shall learn the lesson of meekness and lowliness, which always brings rest to the soul.

Although you will have trials, yet these trials, well borne, only make the way more precious.

Comment (1)

Begotten or Created?

Question:
You insist that Jesus is a begotten Son. Does it mean that He is created? Are "begotten" and "created" the same thing?

Answer:
No, "begotten" and "created" are not the same. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is not created but begotten of God (John 1: 14; 3: 16, etc.).

In Genesis Ch. 1 we have good evidence of what it means when the Bible speaks of something being "created". In the beginning God created all things out of nothing. He spoke and there it was (Gen. 1: 3. 14.15.20).

Furthermore, after having created the earth, God continued His creative work using created matter (substance). He took the dust and by it created the man.

From this chapter we understand that to create means to make something out of nothing or from matter which is not a part of the Creator. On the other hand, "begotten" means the opposite of created. It is to give existence to a being from the being of the one who beget, a being who by birth inherits the nature and all attributes of his parent.

For example: if you take a piece of wood and make a figure from it, we can say that we created a figure. On the other hand, my son is not created, he is not made from something which is not a part of me, but is begotten from my person/being and has therefore taken my nature.

This difference between "begotten" and "created" is better illustrated by comparing the Scripture about the origin of Jesus and Lucifer. In Proverbs 8: 22- 26 it is said about Jesus:

"The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When [there were] no depths, I was brought forth; when [there were] no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world."

Twice in these verses the fact is indicated that Jesus was "brought forth" or begotten. On the other hand, in Ezekiel 28: 13-15 the Bible says about Lucifer:

"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou [art] the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee [so]: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

These verses twice specify the fact that Lucifer was created. Here is the whole difference between Jesus and Lucifer. Jesus was begotten and Lucifer was created.

Ellen White wrote:
„... yet Christ, God's dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created... Lucifer was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ... His heart was filled with envy and hatred... Why should Christ thus be honored before himself?" FLB 67

Have you ever asked yourself why Lucifer was jealous of Jesus and not the Father (or of the Holy Spirit if you believe in the trinity).

Those who believe in the trinity - that Jesus is co-eternal with the Father and that He is not a literal Son – are seemingly silenced by this issue. We can easily answer this question if we accept the Bible as it is written.

Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. By birth he has inherited all the fullness of the divine nature. He was God by nature having all divine attributes and thereby He was entitled to participate in the counsel of His Father. Lucifer, on the other hand, was a created being outside of God's nature. He was not divine and therefore he was not admitted in the counsel of the Father and the Son. Lucifer, while knowing who Jesus was, believed
that he also may receive the same honor as the Son.

"Satan well knew the position which Christ had held in Heaven as the Son of God, the Beloved of the Father". ST Aug. 4, 1887)

Spirit of Prophecy also makes a clear distinction between begotten and created:

"A complete offering has been made; for "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,"-- not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father's person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." ST May 30, 1895

Ellen White displayed an understanding between the terms created and begotten contrary to the theologians and Bible scholars of today who seemingly struggle against understanding.

The conclusion from this is that most, if not all, continually refuse to understand because doing so forces a commitment to sound doctrine, which Babylon feigns. It is also evident that Mrs. White believed that Jesus is a true Son, begotten of God.

The SDA pioneers also understood this important difference:

"The Scriptures nowhere speak of Christ as a created being, but on the contrary plainly state that he was begotten of the Father." Uriah Smith, 1882, Daniel and Revelation, 430

"It is true that there are many sons of God, but Christ is the “only begotten Son of God,” and therefore the Son of God in a sense in which no other being ever was or ever can be. The angels are sons of God, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), by creation; Christians are the sons of God by adoption(Rom. 8:14, 15), but Christ is the Son of God by birth...
Before passing to some of the practical lessons that are to be learned from these truths, we must dwell for a few moments upon an opinion that is honestly held by many who would not for any consideration willingly dishonor Christ, but who, through that opinion, do actually deny His Divinity. It is the idea that Christ is a created being, who, through the good pleasure of God, was elevated to His present lofty position. No one who holds this view can possibly have any just conception of the exalted position which Christ really occupies.
The Scriptures declare that Christ is “the only begotten son of God.” He is begotten, not created. As to when He was begotten, it is not for us to inquire, nor could our minds grasp it if we were told. The prophet Micah tells us all that we can know about it in these words, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth untoMe that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. There was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God, from the bosom of the Father (John 8:42; 1:18), but
that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is practically without beginning." EJ Waggoner, Christ And His Righteousness, 19-24, 1890

"CHRIST NOT A CREATED BEING.
Question: Will you please favor me with those scriptures which plainly say that Christ is a created being? J. C.

Answer: You are mistaken in supposing that S. D. Adventists teach that Christ was ever created. They believe, on the contrary, that he was "begotten" of the Father, and that he can properly be called God and worshiped as such. They believe, also, that the worlds, and everything which is, was created by Christ in conjunction with the Father. They believe, however, that somewhere in the eternal ages of the past there was a point at which
Christ came into existence. They think that it is necessary that God should have antedated Christ in his being, in order that Christ could have been begotten of him, and sustain to him the relation of son. They hold to the distinct personality of the Father and Son, rejecting as absurd that feature of Trinitarianism which insists that God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three persons, and yet but one person. S. D. Adventists hold that God and Christ are one in the sense that Christ prayed that his disciples might be one; i. e., one in spirit, purpose,
and labor. See "Fundamental Principles of S. D. Adventists," published at this Office." RH April 17, 1883

Comment (4)

Introduction

As the name implies, The Begotten Son Controversy refers to misunderstandings over the Godhead and most particularly, concerning God’s only begotten Son. Shortly I would like to share a recent experience I had with some friends that influenced me to write this article.  Firstly consider where the controversy begun. As Adventists most of us are familiar with the “Great Controversy” between Christ and Satan over God’s government and law, but sometimes we fail to see the other age-old controversy. In heaven Lucifer was jealous of the supremacy of Christ and therefore he was determined to misrepresent and politically attack this exalted position of God’s Son. In Christianity, the controversy is doctrinal in nature and origin yet for decades, and even centuries, this has left huge negative ramifications upon church members. The theological misrepresentations and promulgation of error, even though it is assumed to be an unquestionable protestant truth, have distorted not only the beautiful relational identities between the Father and Son but the Holy Spirit as well.

After years and months of defending the trinity doctrine and resisting non-trinitarian concepts from my “deluded and deceived” friends, to my surprise and astonishment one day I realized I was wrong! For years I had been following a theological tradition and to make things worse, I had been   following these traditions as a Seventh-day Adventist! Coming from a background of Sunday observance some years ago, I had wrongly assumed the current SDA beliefs were flawless. The validity of the trinity was an unquestionable foregone conclusion in my mind and anyone opposed to it was really loopy and “off the rails” spiritually. I had all the typical objections to the non-trinity teaching that many people have today. (Interestingly I have observed most objections that are asserted are usually snippets from a half a dozen misunderstood Spirit of prophecy quotes and three or four grossly misunderstood Bible verses.)

Turning Point

It was only when someone approached me with the subject for about the 3^rd or 4^th time that I reluctantly, yes, reluctantly reconsidered it. This happened through a new friend at church around 4 years ago. One Sabbath while in conversation he passed over a paper for me to read entitled “Does God have a Son?” I could tell he was a little inwardly frustrated about something and it seemed whatever he wanted to share with me was of real value to him. Although he was very tactful and discrete, without him saying, I immediately picked up on the cues and knew where the topic was headed. Oh no I thought to myself not the Godhead issue again!!! Why in the world would he be caught up in this? But because I wanted to retain his friendship and felt he was a genuine spirited well balanced guy not the slightest bit dogmatic or pushy, for these reasons, and for these reasons alone I decided to repress my feelings of resistance and read it purely for his sake. (Yet today I understand it was for my sake!!) I am forever glad I did because sparked a desire to study it more closely. This revolutionized my thinking about the Godhead, and filled me with greater wonder and adoration for the Father and Son than ever before.  But little did I know this was to be the beginning of a tough road.

Challenged

Around this time when I was inspired by these things, a Pastor happened to be invited to speak one Sabbath at my local church. And of all topics, he preached a strong trinity-based sermon indirectly damming the non- trinity believers. For me that was it. I was a little challenged that Sabbath and I decided I must thoroughly examine this doctrine to be absolutely sure in my own mind as to whether or not what I was believing was true! One year later I was convinced that I had in fact discovered the truth and prior to that believed a lie for over 20 years. I wont go into the subsequent trials and challenges I faced that are an inevitable consequence when one decides to follow such a so called “damnable heresy” but each time my belief concerning the Godhead had been challenged by either friend or foe I would review my conclusions from Scripture and only come out more firmly settled than before! This has happened repeatedly, and in fact very recently.  Here is what happened. (Please understand in order to protect their privacy I can’t disclose all the details some of which I would like.)

At Christmas I was invited to go and stay at the home of a couple of close friends for the weekend. As soon as we had finished a delightful lunch one of them asked me, “Jeff, what’s your thoughts concerning the subject of the trinity?”  Bombshell! I consciously refrained myself from pouring out a conversational monologue and so rather than indulging in this opportunity I thought it best to ask her what her thoughts were concerning it.  Short pause. Not surprisingly, she responded with, “Jeff I don’t think it is an issue”. Hmmmm. Her, and his, response could have been a lead balloon had I not learned from my previous mistakes and failed expectations in hoping people would simply “see it”. Furthermore I was VERY aware of the many years of my own blindness and resistance so I could completely identify with them. Anyway, I wont turn to chapter two here with all the details but fast forward and say, that from a whole day leading way into the night of listening, answering questions the best way I could and sharing my convictions with them, our heads were left spinning with concepts not yet contemplated. A few days later I was to be challenged. My very dear friend who I consider to be warm, genuine, inquisitive, spiritual, quite intelligent and discerning told me in all sincerity __e was putting together a list of “burning questions” for me to consider and was keen to have me respond.

When those 8 pages of questions, observations and comments were emailed to me, at first it was a little daunting and I felt maybe its possible I am partly wrong on this topic after all! People that know me may notice that I am the kind of person who is a peacemaker, quite trusting and one who likes to give people the benefit of the doubt. (I have learned through life that this is not always a sensible thing to do, we need boundaries, we need discernment and we need to be honest with people even if it costs us!) However, as I went back to study the subject again to put together a response to my friends excellent burning questions I was not only affirmed in the Father and begotten Son truth but blessed beyond measure!!! What began as a challenging, almost “not this again” task, soon ended up being truly enjoyably satisfying as I dug deep to discover a few new gems of truth and veins of gold hidden beneath the surface of God’s Word. Most importantly it has made God more real and personal to me.

In respect to my friends I am keeping their reaction to my study private and confidential. Fortunately we are still on very good talking terms and I am so happy this has not created emotional barriers as, unfortunately, is so often the case.

I decided the material may be of value to others therefore I simply depersonalized my response material and hence you have before you a modified version of,  “Answers to _____’s “Burning Questions” which I entitled “The begotten Son Controversy”.

I truly hope you will be personally blessed with the read.

Jeff

Comment (1)

In studying and drinking the fine nectar liquid light revealed in the various entries of this website honoring the Father and Son, a point of light had illuminated my soul like a laser beam from heaven.  Our Father God is absolute in Sovereignty, Authority, Power and all other attributes of Divine Pre-eminence.  As such, He is in submission to no other being in the universe.  Our Father is the Source of every Good Gift including the unspeakable Gift of His Begotten Son.

It was pointed out in one of Adrian's discourses that Jesus was begotten as the Wisdom of God from eternity past.  Jesus was the first and only begotten Son of the Father proceeding forth from and possessing by right of inheritance the same substance and being of His Father....indeed th only Being ever begotten as such thereby making Him unique in that sense of the word.  Every other sub-atomic quark of the universe including the spiritual dimensions of the same were created not begotten as was the the only begotten Son of the Father.

The point of the discourse that so vividly impressed me was the FACT that if the Father had directly created us in His express image (rather than through Jesus, His begotten Son), we would have no real example to follow!  We, as created beings, could not in our own right follow the example of Our Father's Supreme Sovereignty being in submission to no one and having absolute control and authority.  There had to be a Divine Example for us to emulate and follow as a perfect example of submission and that example has to be the Son of God, Who, from eternity past, did submit and still does submit in relational equivalence to His Father as the Divine Order of Submission conceived in the Mind of Our Father from eternity past.  Jesus' submission to the Absolute Will of pure unconditional, unchanging and self- emptying love of God our Father in no way diminishes Jesus's equality with, inherited from His Father but gloriously demonstrates for all the beholding universe the Wisdom and Divine Genius of the Most High God.  Praise God for the Supreme expression of love towards us and all the beholding universe in the revelation of His begotten Son!  Hallelujah!

Comment (3)

Matt 28:19  is the primary, core, foundational text which is featured by all who accept the triune concept of God.  Brother Stefan in Korea has observed that Acts 4:7 provides a valuable key to understanding this passage.  Acts chapter 4 records the aftermath of Peter and John’s healing of the lame man by the gate Beautiful in chapter 3.

When the people marveled, Peter assured them that it was not by their “own power” that the man was “walking and leaping and praising God!” But it was Jesus, the glorified Son of God, the “Holy One and Just”, “the Prince of life” and “his name through faith in his name” that had made this man whole (Acts 3:12-18).  When the authorities heard about it, they arrested them, and after a night in detention, interrogated them:

by what power, or by what name have you done this?” (Acts 4:7).

Power and Name are treated as equivalent terms.  This adds understanding to Matt 28:19 when coupled with verse 18 in which Jesus announced, “All power is given unto me.” Who gave Christ all power?

“Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands” John 13:3, said:

“All things are delivered unto me of my Father” Matt 11:27.
“The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand” John 3:35.
“For He has put all things under his feet” 1Cor 15:27.
“That in all things he might have the pre-eminence” Col 1:18
“He has appointed [him] heir of all things” Heb 1:2
“and given him a name which is above every name” Phil 2:9

All this—his name, his inheritance, indeed all things—are included in the meaning of all power. Therefore it is by the power or the name that has been given him that the Son “made the world…upholding all things by the word of His (the Father’s) power” Heb 1:2,3.

Likewise, it is in this name or power that Jesus instructs his disciples to teach and baptize all nations.

“baptizing them in the power of the Father [the Source of all power “of whom are all things” 1Cor 8:6], and of the Son [to whom all power and all things have been given by the Father], and of the holy Spirit [of God the Father, “the power of the Most High” Luke 1:35].  This text is identifying three powers.  It is in perfect accord with the 20:1 occurrence of Ellen White’s “three powers” statements to “three persons” statement.

21 times Ellen White stated that there are “three great (or highest) powers of heaven.”
Only once she wrote of “three living persons of the heavenly trio.”

Comment (4)

How grateful I am for the words of John the beloved disciple. I have been meditating on the inspired words given to Him in His epistles. They are worthy of hours of meditation.

Yesterday I was struck by the connection of a Belief in the "name of the Son of God" and eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13. How important is it to believe in that name with all its meaning. To believe on that name is to believe what it means and John states it so simply in 2 John 1:3

2 John 1:3  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

John says that Jesus is the Son of the Father in truth. He does NOT say:

the Son of Father in Symbol 
the Son of the Father in Metaphor
the Son of the Father as an example for us

BUT

the Son of the Father in TRUTH!

When we connect those words Son with of the Father and with truth. Can we doubt that Jesus is indeed the Son of the Father? Why pervert the simplicity of this statement because of a skewed view of equality based on man's understanding of how the Son can be equal with the Father?

I confess that reading 2 John 1:3 caused my soul to jump for joy akin to when Elizabeth's babe jumped at the sound of Mary's voice. The seed of this truth within me jumped and caused me to rejoice and magnify the Lord! Now that I have found the Son I am determined to follow Him wherever He goes.

Comment (3)