An Overview Of The Doctrine Of The Trinity P3: God the Father's eternal act of begetting and God the Son being eternally begotten.

Introduction:

    To review, we covered the first pair of truths that help us in beginning a study of the doctrine of the Trinity: God is one in being and a plurality in Personhood. Readers who want to review the last post may click on the link here Growing Christian Resources: An Overview Of The Doctrine Of The Trinity P2: God's Oneness of Being and Plurality of Personhood. I referred to this pairing as two pillars upon which we begin to understand the Biblical revelation of the Triune God. In this post we will introduce a second pair of truths that focus attention upon the Person of the Father and the Person of the Son. 

    In the Triune God we often see several pairs of truths associated with the four main ones we're focusing upon in these posts. One important pairing to keep in mind is how the Father and Son are united in essence while distinguished from one another. Another important pairing of truths aside from the four main ones involves the Holy Spirit's union to the Father and the Son while He relates to them and they to Him.1 I mention these two other pairings of truths so that we can keep in mind that first major pairing we looked at last post (God is one in being and plural in Person). 

The main passages used to support the Father begetting the Son and the Son being begotten of the Father.

   To remind ourselves again, those who argue for the eternal generation (i.e. "begottenness" of the Son) teach that the Son of God is "eternally generated", meaning that that Father eternally communicates to Him the entire Divine nature, point for point, with all perfections. For example, John MacArthur in his book "Essential Christian Doctrine", lists Scriptural verses that feature some main Divine attributes shared between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

           Father           Son     Holy Spirit

Eternal: Deut 33:27            Jn 1:1       Heb 9:14

Omnipotent: Mt 19:26         Re 1:8       Lk 1:35

Omniscient: Lk 16:15          Jn 16:30   1 Cor 2:10-11

Omnipresent: 1 kgs 8:27      Mt 28:20   Ps 139:7

Immutable:   Mal 3:6           Heb 1:10-12  Heb 9:14

Loving:        1 John 4:8       Eph 5:2      Rom 15:30

Holy:           Lev 11:45        Heb 7:26-27  Ro 1:4

Truth:          Jn 3:33           Jn 14:6         Jn 15:26

    What this list shows us is, for example, that God is not three eternals, three omnipotents, three omnisciences, and so forth; rather He is One in each of these Perfections as expressed in the Three Persons. Jesus spoke of He and the Father as "One" in John 10:30 in reference to "being"; yet clearly distinguishing between Himself and the Father (i.e. "I and the Father"). The Athanasian Creed summarizes this point as follows:

"What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has. The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated,         the Holy Spirit is uncreated. The Father is immeasurable, the Son is immeasurable, the Holy Spirit is immeasurable. The Father is eternal,       the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is eternal. And yet there are not three eternal beings; there is but one eternal being. So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings; there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being."

     Also, the distinguishing characteristic of the Son, "begottenness", is conveyed by the Father to Him, with the Father Himself being the unbegotten Person, hence distinguishing Him in identity from the co-equal and co-eternal Son. 

    There are proof texts that theologians in favor of this doctrine appeal as direct evidence for the doctrine, and then a handful of passages that theologians would say are indirect proof-texts.

Direct proof-texts for the eternal generation of the Son from the Father

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:18 "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

1 John 4:19 "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."

    In addition to these five Johannine proof texts, a few others that convey the teaching of the eternal generation of the Son are used. In Proverbs 8:24-25, Wisdom is personified and described as "brought forth" from God before creation of anything else: 

“When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 “Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth." 3

Indirect Proof Texts

    Although the following other passages do not use the term "only-begotten", the idea of the Son being eternally generated by the Father is resident in their various phrases. Colossians 1:16-17 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." I've highlighted four phrases in Paul's words here in Colossians. 

    The first three bolded phrases portray the Son as responsible for creation, rather than being created, as some groups like the Jehovah Witnesses would advocate. The term "firstborn" is a Greek noun that refers to inheritance more so than just mere birth-order. The Son of God was promised in eternity, by the Father, that He would inherit all of creation before it was made (compare Psalm 2:8; 82:8).

    There are other indirect proof texts we could offer, but for sake of space let me submit Psalm 2:7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You." The word "today" in context is not referring to there at that moment. Sometimes in the Bible, the term "day" can refer to an indeterminate period of time, or even eternity itself.

The importance of the Son being begotten of the Father

    I'll lay out three major points about the Son being begotten of the Father as a way to arrive at its meaning as found in the Bible.

1. Eternal generation (and thus "begotten") explains why the Son is eternal. 

    First, those who argue for the eternal generation (or begottennness) of the Son teach that Father eternally communicates to Him the entire Divine nature (or at least His identity as the Son). According to theologian Matthew Barrett, the Divine essence is shared without division from The Father to The Son: 

"The concept takes us to the very heart of what it means for the Son to be a Son. He is eternally from the Father, which is why He is called Son. To be more specific, from all eternity, the Father communicates the one, simple, undivided divine essence to the Son."2

    The eighteenth century Baptist Theologian John Gill explains eternal generation a little differently as the Father communicating the Son's identity, whilst both share in the common essence:

"It is better to say, that they are self
existent, and exist together in the same undivided essence; and jointly, equally, and as early one as the other, possess the same nature’. Thus, there is not one person who, in the personal ordering of the Trinity, communicates the essence to the others. There are simply three, who relate personally to one another in the essence, with each person possessing the essence of himself." 3

 

   Both explanations of eternal generation fall within the pale of Bible-believing orthodoxy and views that draw from the Nicene Creed's confession of the Son being "begotten, not made". Eternal generation or begetting of the Son firstly explains why the Son is eternal. Notice a second general observation.

2. Eternal generation explains why the Son is the Son, and why the Father is the Father. 

    Then secondly, the distinguishing characteristic that defines the Son as "the Son" is in how the Father begets Him or what theologians call "filiates". Filiation conveys to the Son His identity as the Son, as noted already in my quotation of John Gill.

3. The Son being begotten has relevance in modern evangelism

    I recall years ago a group of Jehovah Witnesses handing out pamphlets advertising a local conference at their "Kingdom Hall" meeting place: 

"Come hear about how Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World".

    I pointed out to them that according to their theology, there is no way Jesus Christ could be Savior of the World. I took them to the above passages I cited. I concluded that they either had to admit their theology was in error, or stop proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Savior of the World. They of course would not do either. 

    Nevertheless, the phrase "begotten, not made" safeguards the central affirmation of the Gospel that the Apostle Peter affirms in Acts 10:38 "Jesus Christ is LORD". Or again, Paul writes in Romans 10:9 "If you will confess with your mouth Jesus is LORD, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

    Both Scriptures cited above use the Divine title "LORD" or "Jehovah/Yahweh" to show the Son's equality with the Father, as well as to demonstrate that He is able to save sinners just as much as the Father, since He Himself is God. 

Endnotes:

1. Theologians call the relations between the Father, Son, and Spirit "eternal relations of origin." 

2. John Gill. Body of Divinity. Pages 98-99, Book 2. Consulted from the Digital Version available on Internet Archive here Gill's complete body of practical and doctrinal divinity: : being a system of evangelical truths, deduced from the Sacred Scriptures. : Gill, John, 1697-1771 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

3. True God from True God - Credo Magazine

Post #26 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - "and sits on the right hand of the Father" - Summarizing Christ's Ascension And Session

 

Introduction:

      In this series we spent the last four posts detailing what Jesus is doing as the exalted Prophet, Priest, and King in His "session" or activity at the right hand of God the Father. The purpose of today's post is two-fold: to recap all that I've written in the last four posts and to reference those posts as an exposition of the Nicene Creed's confession "and sits at the right hand of the Father". 

Reviewing the meaning of Christ's ascension

    The ascension of Jesus Christ was not merely His defying gravity and going up into heaven. The late theologian R.C. Sproul explains in an article he wrote years ago in Ligonier Ministry's "Table Talk Magazine" here: The Ascension by R.C. Sproul. An excerpt from Dr. Sproul's article crystalizes the significance of Jesus' ascension and seating at the Father's right hand:

"When Jesus speaks of ascension, He’s not speaking of merely “going up.” He is speaking of something in technical terms. He is thinking in terms of the Psalms of Ascent that celebrated the anointing of a king (Pss. 120–134). When Jesus says no one ascends into heaven, it is true that no one ascends or goes to heaven in the same manner or for the same purpose that He went there. He was lifted up on clouds of glory in order to go to His Father for the purpose of His coronation as our King—as the King of kings and the Lord of lords."

    As to how Jesus' ascension and session are relevant to our current study of the Nicene Creed, readers may review my post here: Growing Christian Resources: Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven"

    The Apostle Peter is recorded preaching on the day of Pentecost these words in Acts 2:34-36 that summarize Christ's ascension:

"This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

What we understand from Scripture about Jesus' current heavenly ministry. Grasping the Nicene Creed's phrase: "and sits at the right hand of the Father". 

       In the last several posts, I wrote more detailed expositions of what exactly the Lord Jesus is doing in His current heavenly session and ministry on behalf of His church. I'll provide headings and links to each of the posts that unpack all He is doing as the Christian's Heavenly Prophet, High Priest, and Exalted King. 

1. Jesus Christ the Heavenly Prophet.

Growing Christian Resources: Post #23 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Two: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus The Heavenly Prophet

2. Jesus Christ the Heavenly High Priest

Growing Christian Resources: Post #24 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Three: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Heavenly Priesthood

3. Jesus Christ the exalted King

Growing Christian Resources: Post #25 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part four: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Exalted Kingship

Closing thoughts for today:

   This brings to a close our study of Jesus' ascension and session at the Father's right hand. In the next post we will begin to look at what the Nicene Creed means when it confesses:

"and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end."

Post #25 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part four: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Exalted Kingship

 

Introduction:

    A few postings ago we began to look at the short phrase in the Nicene Creed "and ascended into Heaven". We explored the main Biblical texts that talk about Christ's ascension and it's meaning here Growing Christian Resources: Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven". We then saw how when Jesus ascended that He assumed three offices that were foreshadowed in the Old Testament and fulfilled by Him. He ascended to be the Heavenly prophet who by the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, the written Word of God Growing Christian Resources: Post #23 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Two: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus The Heavenly Prophet.

    In the last post we studied how Jesus also ascended to by the Christian's Heavenly Highpriest who represents them before God here Growing Christian Resources: Post #24 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Three: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Heavenly Priesthood. In today's post we continue on noting further revelation of Jesus' currently heavenly ministry as our exalted King.  

Jesus Christ's Kingship over all things. 

    The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 1:16-19 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him."

    How long has Jesus been King? We can say without question His kingship has persisted since He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit as the One Triune God created the heavens and the earth. John 1:3 "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Psalm 99:1 "The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!" When we consider Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6:1 of seeing "the Lord sitting on a throne"; the vision being none other than the preincarnate Christ (compare John 12:41-44), the Bible is plain about the scope and eternality of Christ's Kingship. This Kingship of the Son, established from all eternity as to He being our appointed mediator, extends also into eternity future (Luke 1:33; Revelation 19:6). 

    Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology summarizes the importance of Christ's Kingdom as we've discussed it thus far:

"Although the kingdom of God had existed from the beginning, yet as everything therewith connected before the Advent was merely preparatory, the Scriptures constantly speak of the Messiah as a king who was to set up a kingdom into which in the end all other
kingdoms were to be merged. 

The most familiar designation applied 
to Him in the Scriptures is Lord. But Lord means proprietor and ruler; and when used of God or Christ, it means absolute proprietor and sovereign ruler. 

Apart from Christ's right in us and sovereignty over us as God, He as the God-man is our Lord. We belong to Him by the purchase of his blood, and God has set Him as King on his holy hill of Zion."

The forms of Christ's Kingdom

    When we speak of the "forms" of Christ's Kingdom, we're talking about the manner in which His Kingly office and reign is manifested in the world and to men. Below are some of the most common headings used by theologians to capture a quick sketch of the vastness of Christ's kingly reign. 

1. God's Kingdom rule over creation.

    We can refer to this first form as really the overarching rule of the Triune God in providence as He guides history, the decisions of human beings, and the course of creation itself. The Kingdom of God broadly speaking pertains to those creatures which have the capacity to exercise volition or making of choices. Even when 1/3 of the angels rebelled to become the demons, God's Kingdom purposes and will remained established. When God created all things, he gave Adam and Eve the responsibility to execute His governance in creation by being His coregents. (Genesis 1:26-28). They of course broke the covenantal arrangement that made such a coregency possible. God's Kingdom was not in jeopardy. His method of mediating His Kingly reign would turn to covenantal mediators.

2. His mediatorial kingdom.

    It is this second form of the Kingdom that brings the eternal Son into focus. The Son of God is the appointed mediator for His people from all eternity (2 Timothy 1:9). The 2nd London Baptist Confession of 1689 8.1 notes of Jesus Christ as the appointed Mediator (note the underlined sentence which is relevant to our discussion):

"It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, according to the covenant made between them both, to be the mediator between God and man; the prophet, priest, and king; head and savior of the church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world; unto whom He did from all eternity give a people to be His seed and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified."

    Moreover, the Father had decreed that the Son would have an everlasting Kingdom that would have no end (Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Daniel 7:13ff). John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue in their "A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth, Biblical Doctrine", page 852, comment on how God developed this mediatorial form of the Kingdom through the Old Testament to where the incarnation of the Son of God would become central:

"The means of restoring God's mediatorial kingdom on earth would come through four eternal and unconditional biblical covenants - the Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and new covenants. Together, these covenants have revealed both kings and King (Jesus) of God's kingdom plans and details of this kingdom."  

Throughout the Old Testament, God's mediatorial kingdom was typified through Israel as a nation along with its priestly and kingly institutions. All those details foreshadowed what was to be Christ's forthcoming advent as the incarnate Son.

3. The inaugurated Kingdom.

    When Jesus came into this world, He fulfilled the covenantal promises pertaining to the mediatorial kingdom. He as the King would formally inaugurate or introduce the Kingdom of God to Israel. Israel as a nation had functioned as a patterned people, depicting and foreshadowing what the Kingdom of God was like in small form. He proclaims several times in the course of His earthly ministry the Gospel of the Kingdom (Luke 4:18) as He demonstrates He has inaugurated the Kingdom by His ministry of exorcism (Matthew 12:28). When Jesus died, raised, and ascended, He took His seat at the Father's right hand to take this inaugurated form of the Kingdom to new heights, exercising His kingly prerogatives over the church and to resume what He had always been doing, guiding the providential affairs of our world (see Acts 2:32-36; Colossians 1:16-20).

4. The mystery form of the Kingdom.

    As Jesus reigns over His church, the kingdom of God's current nature and form is mainly spiritual, invisible, and hidden from plain view. That is not to say that Christ and His kingdom are not wielding influence over the lives of people. By the proclamation of the Gospel is the message of Jesus' Christ's victory over sin and all surpassing power communicated against the parasitic kingdom of Satan (see Acts 26:18). The church at large functions as an embassy for Jesus' Kingdom. Each local church is a local manifestation of the delegated authority of Christ through His word. Truely born again church members are His ambassadors who are to proclaim the Gospel of His kingdom and salvation until He comes (Matthew 24:14; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

5. His coming messianic Kingdom.

    The mystery form of the Kingdom will persist until the Lord Jesus appears in the clouds to take the church out of this world to be with Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Following that event (known as the rapture), a final time of judgment on this world will take place, lasting seven years. At the end of that seven-year period (known as the tribulation period), Jesus Christ will return to earth and the Kingdom over which He presides will no longer be in its mystery form. Instead, the Kingdom of God will manifest on the earth. This Messianic form of the Kingdom will feature a redeemed church and a redeemed Israel ruling side-by-side with the Son of God over the nations (Revelation 20:1-6). It will be at the end of that period that Christ will judge the nations and Satan. 

6. The eternal Kingdom.

    Revelation 21-22 record that after the final judgment of the unbelieving world and Satan, a new heavens and new earth will follow a transformation of the entire created order. The New Heavens and Earth will become one, eternal, vast, physical, God-saturated, redeemed reality. We see no end to this final form of the Kingdom. Revelation 21:21-27,

"I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

Closing thoughts:

    This post has attempted to offer a summary of what is the subject of Christ's exalted Kingship as revealed in His ascension. My hope is these last several posts have introduced the reader to the rich topic of Christ's ascension. This also should show us why creeds like the Nicene Creed are summaries. When Christians confess "and ascended into Heaven", they are confessing Jesus Christ as their heavenly prophet, high priest, and exalted King. 

Post #24 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part Three: "and ascended into heaven" - Jesus' Heavenly Priesthood

 Introduction:

We have in the last couple of posts considered the Nicene Creed's confession about Jesus "and ascended into Heaven". Jesus Christ's ascension and exaltation resulted in His "session" or royal seating at the right hand of God the Father. Mark 16:19 "So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." Readers who want to review every Biblical reference touching upon the ascension may review part 22 of this post series here Growing Christian Resources: Post #22 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - Part One: "and ascended into heaven" 

     In today's post we want to continue to expound on the entailments of the Nicene Creed's "and ascended into heaven" by seeing Christ not only as our ascended Heavenly Prophet who speaks through the Word of God, but also as the believer's High Priest who intercedes for the Christian before God. 

Jesus the Heavenly High Priest  

   The sixteenth century reformer John Calvin wrote extensively on Jesus' three-fold activity in His session at the Father's right hand. In his "Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 15, Section 6", Calvin expounds on Christ's royal priesthood.

"With regard to his Priesthood, we must briefly hold its end and use to be, that as a Mediator, free from all taint, he may by his own holiness procure the favor of God for us. But because a deserved curse obstructs the entrance, and God in his character of Judge is hostile to us, expiation must necessarily intervene, that as a priest employed to appease the wrath of God, he may reinstate us in his favor. Wherefore, in order that Christ might fulfil this office, it behooved him to appear with a sacrifice. For even under the law of the priesthood it was forbidden to enter the sanctuary without blood, to teach the worshipper that however the priest might interpose to deprecate, God could not be propitiated without the expiation of sin."

    As for the Christian confession "and ascended into heaven", the office Christ occupies as our heavenly High Priest has much benefit. 

Jesus the appointed High Priest for those who follow Him by faith 

    When Jesus died on the cross, He did so as He and the Father had planned from all eternity (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2). He became man for us because He was the eternally appointed mediator. Jesus' heavenly priesthood at the Father's righthand provides the following benefits for Christians.

A. Permanent representation.

     The Old Testament's revelation of the Levitical priesthood through Aaron in the Book of Leviticus foreshadowed what was to be Christ's permanent priesthood. Hebrews 7,8,9, and 10 all tie Christ's priesthood to the pattern shown earlier than Leviticus by Melchizedek, the priest-king who met Abraham after the battle with Chedorlaomer and his allies in the Valley of Siddim in Genesis 14. Priesthood in the Old Testament only persisted from one generation to the next. Death was the barrier. Melchizedek's earlier priesthood never stated its end, but only its uniqueness and what would come to be its superiority to the Levitical mediation of the priests in ancient Israel. Jesus came to be the unique and permanent high priest for his people.  

        Hebrews 7:17-24 summarizes perfectly how Jesus' current heavenly priesthood as our ascended Mediator aids the Christian in daily life:

"For it is attested of Him, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.' 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. 20 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath 21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”)

22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. 23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, 24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

B. Prayer's representation.

      Not only is Jesus' ascended high priestly ministry permanent, but also representative. This especially is encouraging by how He helps the Christian pray by the Holy Spirit whom He promised to give to every believer (John 15:26-27) for their aid in prayer (Romans 8:26-27). A recent lecture by a scholar I listened too gave the illustration of a small child trying to lift a heavy object. Unknown to the child, the parent comes up behind and gives "lift assistance". To the little one their confidence soars as they successfully maneuver the heavy lifting. That's what Jesus is doing now in heaven for every believer who prays and seeks Him. His current heavenly ministry as our ascended heavenly High Priest gives wings to our prayers and guarantee that we have a hearing. 

C. Personal representation.

    We know that Jesus retained His humanity following His ascension (Acts 1:9-11). Let's not forget too that He ever remains truly God, worthy of worship (Hebrews 1:5-10). What our ascended Lord does is to provide personal representation. Hebrews 4:14-16 summarizes:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Closing thoughts:

    Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." As the believer's sole representative in Heaven, He is truly God as God with the Father and He is truly man as with us. He ascended to represent us and to pull up those sinners whom His Holy Spirit calls up from darkness and unto His marvelous light. Our Lord Jesus ascended into Heaven and prays, intercedes, and represents His people. In our next post we will explore how He not only ascended to be our Prophet and Priest, but also our reigning and soon coming King. 

Post #19 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - "and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate"

Introduction:

    In our last post we explored how the Son of God entered into our world through the virgin's birth of him as a male human being. In as much as we have devoted quite a few posts to the doctrine of the incarnation, the mystery of how it transpired evades comprehension. 

    What do we "know"? Well, we know "that" the incarnation historically occurred. The Gospels situate Jesus' life, death, and resurrection in the historical world of first century, 2nd Temple Judaism. Numerous books have been written to substantiate the historical claims of the Gospels and their numerous details on political, cultural, and religious life. The historical investigative principle of "double-dissimilarity" states that if a reported event cannot be explained by contemporary groups (Jews and Christians would not have had good reasons to use a virgin birth of Jesus as a center-piece to promote their causes outside of it actually occurring), then we can reasonably conclude that the event in question occurred. 

        The virgin birth is also recorded in two primary sources for Jesus' life (Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke) and indirectly alluded to by Paul in Galatians 4:4 (i.e. "born of a woman"). Thus, this author finds the evidence for the historicity of the virgin birth compelling.  

    We also know "what happened" by key revelatory truths like "the hypostatic union" (the joining of a human nature to the Person of the Son) and the virginal conception that resulted in the birth of our Lord. Still, the "how" remains mysterious. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:16 "Beyond question, great is the mystery of godliness:

"He who was revealed in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory."

    As we move forward in our study of the Nicene Creed, we find it skipping over the life and ministry of our Lord to His crucifixion. One may wonder why the Councils of Nicaea (325) and then Constantinople (381) didn't include what we find revealed in the four Gospels about our Lord's earthly life and ministry. 

    It's not that such details weren't important. Rather, the Creed aims to summarize the key points of Christian belief that all Christians everywhere confessed and that needed defended.  

The significance of confessing "And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate"

    Out of all the truths confessed in the Nicene Creed, perhaps this particular line situates us most overtly in history. We've already observed the historical situatedness of the virgin birth. What I like about this line "and was crucified for us under Pontus Pilate" is the reminder that Christianity isn't just another body of abstract theological statements. It is a revealed faith that is grounded in history while being revealed by God from Heaven. 

    Other than "Jesus", Pilate is the only figure mentioned by name in the entire Creed. We find in earlier historic Christian creeds mention of Pontius Pilate as part of the confession of one's faith. Archaeology has confirmed the historicity of Pilate, whether in the writings of Flavius Josephus or the discovery of the Pilate Inscription in 1961. What I want to do now is compare what we find in earlier creeds to that of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Below are some examples, with brief commentary that can help us appreciate the inclusion of Pilate's name in the Nicene Creed.

A. The Old Roman Creed, ca 100s A.D.

    As early as the second century, an ancient Creed known as "The Roman Creed" was used to teach converts preparing for Baptism. Many church historians note how this creed was a forerunner to the more familiar "Apostle's Creed". Hippolytus of Rome, writing in the late second century, notes the liturgy used in ancient baptismal rites in his work "Apostolic Tradition, Part 2":

"Before immersion I lead the candidate in renunciation of Satan and his works. The presbyter anoints with the oil of exorcism, commanding all spirits to depart, and then hands the candidate to the baptizer. Entering the water naked, accompanied by a deacon, each candidate is asked the creed: Do you believe in God the Father? Do you believe in Christ Jesus, born of the Virgin, crucified under Pontius Pilate, risen the third day, ascended and seated at the Father’s right hand, coming to judge the living and the dead?"

B. Apostle's Creed - 3rd century onward.

    The more familiar Apostle's Creed contains reference to Pontius Pilate in its confession of Christ's crucifixion:

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried."

    Thomas Aquinas, the so-called "Angelic Doctor" and foremost theologian of the thirteenth century commented on this part of the Apostle's Creed with respect to Pontius Pilate:

"If you seek an example of humility, look upon Him who is crucified; although He was God, He chose to be judged by Pontius Pilate and to be put to death: “Your cause has been judged as that of the wicked” [Job 36:17]."

C. Heidelberg Catechism - late 16th century

    The Heidelberg Catechism was composed in 1563 to serve as a major catechism in the Reformed church. In Question 38 it asks:

Q. Why did he suffer 'under Pontius Pilate' as judge?

    The answer given by the catechism can aid us in understanding why Pilate's name is part of the historic confession of the church's faith.

 "A. So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by an earthly judge, and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us."

The Nicene Creed summarizes what the historic Christian Church has confessed since day one.

     When one reads John's account of Jesus' crucifixion, it is evident that Pilate's "handing over" of Jesus for crucifixion marks a significant boundary line crossed wherein the Son of God was publicly sentenced, condemned, and sent by humanity to the cross for which He was ordained by God to do so. John 19:14-16 "Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, 'Behold, your King!'15 So they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.'16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified."

    In the Book of Acts we see evidence in the early days of the Church in Jerusalem that this particular moment had become codified in the church's prayers and liturgy, as seen in Acts 4:27-28 "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur." 

    The early church identified itself personally and historically with their crucified and risen Lord. By including Pilate's name in their prayers and confession, the church was situating the cosmic battle for salvation by the incarnate Son of God in the firm soil of history, Roman politics, and the drama of human anguish. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ bore our sin, shame, and guilt. His suffering under a tyrant was for our anguish. Truly in suffering "under Pontus Pilate", He fulfilled the words of Isaiah 53:3-5,

"He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed."

Post #3 A Flyover Of The Incarnation: What events and works of the Son follow from His incarnation

Introduction:

    In the last two post of this series we've done a quick flyover of the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son of God. In the first post we considered His pre-incarnate existence, noting His eternal existence in the Trinity, His historic appearances in the Old Testament, and how He was expected by prophetic predictions pointing to His eventual incarnation. 

    We then proceeded to consideration of two doctrines that help us frame the cause and effect of the incarnation. We noted how the so-called "hypostatic union" details the union of the human nature to the Person or "hypostasis" of the Son, resulting in Him becoming man while ever remaining God. The hypostatic union involves the Son of God voluntarily become man for our sake, with the Holy Spirit mysteriously uniting the humanity supplied from Mary's virgin womb to the Person of the Son. 

    The effect or result is the virgin birth and beginning of the incarnate life of the Son of God. What I want to do in this post is highlight five personal works that the Son of God performed and will perform as a consequence of His permanent incarnation. Today we close out this short series by noting the events and works that follow from the Son of God's incarnation.

1. Supply perfect righteousness.

      As the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ came to provide perfect righteousness as the second Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 “So also it is written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.” The perfect righteousness provided by Jesus’ perfect humanity was needed so that at saving faith, we who contracted the first Adam’s original sin and unrighteousness could be declared by the Father to have the credit of Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

2. Suffer on the cross.

          Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”.

3 Swallow death by resurrection.

     1 Corinthians 15:54-57 “But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The context of these verses traces the believer’s future resurrection to the resurrection of our Lord three days following His crucifixion.

4. Ascend to minister in heaven.

      Forty says following our Lord’s resurrection, He ascended into Heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. Mark 16:19 “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”  We know our Lord still retains His incarnated state, since as man for us He remains our mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Henceforth He prays for us and represents every Christian as their prophet who speaks through the Scriptures, their priests who intercedes for them, and their soon coming King.

E. Soon return to reign.

      One final truth concerning what follows from the incarnation of the Son of God, His physical bodily return to earth. Acts 1:11 “They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  Titus 2:13 “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion:

     We could multiply many more passages, yet I want to spend the next few weeks detailing more what we explored in general terms this message regarding the Son of God’s incarnation. In this message we considered what I call three areas that summarizes the overall truth of the incarnation of the Son of God:

1. The Son’s pre-existence before His incarnation.                

2. The Son’s participation in His incarnation.                        

3. The Son’s personal works from His incarnation.    

I want to close with a marvelous statement produced several years ago by Ligonier Ministries entitled “The Word Made Flesh”. It captures everything I have attempted to preach here in this post. The link to the entire statement, including its affrimations and denials is found here: The Ligonier Statement on Christology

"We confess the mystery and wonder

of God made flesh

and rejoice in our great salvation

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With the Father and the Holy Spirit,

the Son created all things,

sustains all things,

and makes all things new.

Truly God,

He became truly man,

two natures in one person.

He was born of the Virgin Mary

and lived among us.

Crucified, dead, and buried,

He rose on the third day,

ascended to heaven,

and will come again

in glory and judgment.

For us,

He kept the Law,

atoned for sin,

and satisfied God’s wrath.

He took our filthy rags

and gave us

His righteous robe.

He is our Prophet, Priest, and King,

building His church,

interceding for us,

and reigning over all things.

Jesus Christ is Lord;

we praise His holy Name forever.

Amen."

 

Post #2 A Flyover Of The Incarnation: The Son of God's incarnation

Introduction:

    In our last post we began to do a "flyover of the incarnation', noting the pre-existence of the Son of God. In that last post we considered how the Son of God existed eternally in the Trinity, evidently by His historical appearances throughout the Old Testament, and expectantly in the prophetic predictions that looked forward to His eventual incarnation. 

    When we talk of the incarnation, we first remind of ourselves of the definition we proposed at the beginning of the last post, namely: The Son of God’s entry into time and space to add unto His Person a human nature, endowed with mind, emotions, will, and body.  

    In today's post, we move onto part two of our "flyover" of the doctrine of the incarnation, namely the incarnation its. 

The incarnation's cause and effect

    To help simplify in our minds and hearts what took place, we can note the incarnation’s cause and then its effect. Let me say one more thing before moving forward. No theologian can explain how the incarnation happened (the mystery of how total humanity was united by the Holy Spirit to the Person of the Son in the virgin’s womb). All we know is that the incarnation did indeed occur.

A. Event of the incarnation: hypostatic union (cause).

          When we talk of the event of the incarnation in which our Lord participated, we first note the cause of it. Theologians refer to the moment of the Son’s Person united with a human nature as the “hypostatic union”. Theologian Wayne Grudem offers this summary statement of the doctrine: “The union of Christ’s human natures in one person”. 

    John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue in their volume “A Systematic Summary of Biblical Truth – Biblical Doctrine”, page 931, give a further description of the hypostatic union: 

“The union of Jesus’ Divine and human natures in one person, without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation.” 

    The word “hypostatic” refers to the Divine Person of the Son, having already the eternal Divine essence He shares with the Father and the Spirit. In fact, that Greek word “hypostasis” is found in Hebrews 1:3, which describes the Son in relationship to God the Father: “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”  

     One of the key verses that capture the moment of the hypostatic union or the Son’s adding of a human nature to His Divine Person is Hebrews 10:5 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me”. The hypostatic union, or union of a human nature to the Person of the Son, wherein was already His eternal Divine nature, is the cause of the incarnation’s event. What then is the result?

B. Effect of the incarnation: virgin birth (effect).

     As to viewing the hypostatic union from a human standpoint, note the angel’s words to Mary in Luke 1:35 “The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”  

    As the Son participated mysteriously yet wondrously of the union of a human nature to His Person, we understand the Holy Spirit to be the key Agent that made such a union possible. Notice John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

    The conception and birth of the incarnated Son as a baby in the virgin’s womb and from it is what we mean by the effect. We can never peer into the mystery of how true humanity was united to total deity in the Person of the Son by the Spirit. The hypostatic union is veiled in mystery, stated as doctrine yet not fully comprehended. The virgin birth on the other-hand made visible, plain, and historic this wondrous miracle. 

Closing thoughts:

    We see then the participation of the Son in His incarnation. We’ve already observed the Son’s existence preincarnation from eternity. In the final post of this short series, we will discover what other truths result from the incarnation of the Son of God.

Post #1 A Flyover Of The Incarnation: The Son's Pre-Existence

Introduction:

    I thought that since we are looking at the section of the Nicene Creed that handles confession of the incarnation of the Son of God, it would behoove us to do a side series on the doctrine of the incarnation itself. In my last post I had us begin our journey into the Nicene Creed's confession of the incarnation, which readers may review here: Growing Christian Resources: Post #17 1700 Years of the Nicene Creed - "Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven"

    On Sunday nights at our church I am preaching a series of messages on this very subject. Today's post and the next two are based off of a sermon I preached entitled "A flyover of the incarnation". I figured this short blog post series would complement our focus on the incarnation in our major blog series: "1700 years of the Nicene Creed". 

What do we mean by incarnation?

  The Son of God’s entry into time and space to add unto His Person a human nature, endowed with mind, emotions, will, and body is what we mean by incarnation. The Son’s incarnation made possible His provision of perfect righteousness, substitutionary death on the cross, resurrection, ascension, present ministry as the believer’s Mediator in Heaven, and soon return. 

    In 1739 Charles Wesley wrote the familiar Christmas Carol “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. Its second stanza is my favorite lines of all the Christmas carols we sing in a given season:

“Christ, by highest heaven adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord,

late in time behold him come,

offspring of the Virgin's womb:

veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

hail th'incarnate Deity,

pleased with us in flesh to dwell,

Jesus, our Immanuel.”

     The Young Baptist’s Catechism asks: “How did Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, become man?” Answer: “Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.”  

    For today's post, we are going to begin a three-part series of a fly-over of this important doctrine. This is important, as Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”  

    To give the reader a bird's eye view of what we will cover in today's post and the next two, below is a summary outline:

1. The Son’s pre-existence before His incarnation.                

2. The Son’s participation in His incarnation.                        

3. The Son’s personal works from His incarnation.                

The Son’s pre-existence before His incarnation.      

     Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7 ‘Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’”  

    How was Christ pre-existent before His incarnation? We can answer this question in stages: Evidence in the O.T., Expectations of prophecy, Eternal in the Trinity.

A. Evidence in the Old Testament.

      We find in the Old Testament certain cameo appearances of the pre-incarnate Son. Theologians refer to these as manifestations of the Son, also known as “Christophanies”. For example, He is mentioned in over thirty Old Testament references, appearing to more than fifteen individuals as “Messenger of the Lord” or “Angel of the Lord”. In Genesis alone we find the “Angel of the Lord” eight times (Genesis 16:7-14; 21:17; 22:11-18; 24:7,40; 31:11-13; 32:22-32; 48:15-16). 

    The prophet Isaiah gives what is perhaps the best summary statement of this mysterious figure in Isaiah 63:8-9 “For He said, ‘Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely. So He became their Savior. 9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.”  We see in this passage that the Angel of the Lord performs the same work of redemption as God, and yet is distinguished from Him as a Person in the Godhead. Read in light of the New Testament, we can say this is an Old Testament appearance of the pre-incarnate Son.

     Not only did He appear as the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, but other evidence exists as well. One other way to note evidence of the Son in the Old Testament, specifically in the mention of Him. One example is Psalm 2:7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”  The pre-existence of the Son is seen by evidence of Him in the Old Testament.

B. Expected by prophecy.

      Prophetic Scriptures in the Old Testament are filled with visions and predictions of the Son before His days in the flesh and when He would come to be man. The late H.L Wilmington in his “The Complete Book of Bible Lists” references some 45 Old Testament prophecies that pointed to or that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Such prophecies predicted for example:

(B1). He would descend from Abraham (Genesis 12:3,7; 17:7; Romans 9:5; Gal 3:16) and more specifically from Abraham’s great- grandson Judah, the patriarch of the Israelite tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5).

(B2). He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23) yet clearly still be “Emmanuel” or truly God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).

(B3). That He would be called a Nazarene (Isaiah 11:1; Matthew 2:23) and be crucified or pierced in His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; Mark 15:25; John 19:34,37; 20:25-27).

(B4). That He would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10; Matthew 28:2-7), ascend into heaven (Psalm 24:7-10; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51).

(B5). His current occupancy at the Father’s right hand was also predicted (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44; Hebrews 10:12-13).

(B6). His second coming to rule on the earth is also predicted (Psalm 2:8; Revelation 2:27).

    When you extend the scope of prophecies pertaining to further details about His atoning work on the cross, resurrection, and second coming, a total of over 330 prophecies forecasted the coming of the incarnate Son of God. Micah 5:2 is the most striking, requiring the Person that fulfills it be truly God and truly man: “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” 

    The preincarnate Son is evident in the Old Testament and was expected by prophecy. We can however push His pre-existence back all the way to eternity…

C. Eternal in the Trinity.

      Let me give for sake of time one prime example of the eternal pre-existence of the Son, Psalm 102:25-27 “Of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 “Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. 27 “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” 

    This particular psalm, written quite possibly by the prophet Daniel, is speaking of none other than God the Son according to Hebrews 1:8-11, which quotes these verses. The Son of God is described in the Bible as “begotten” of the Father. That term “beget” speaks of Him being one with the Father in the same essence (John 10:30 “I and the Father are one”) while distinguishing Him from the Father with regards to His personal identity in the Trinity (see John 1:18 ”the only begotten God”). 

    Based upon the evidence of His appearances in the Old Testament, prediction by prophecy, and Personal eternal activity in the Trinity, we have a basic profile of the preincarnate Son in the Bible. But now what of His participation in what would be His incarnation? That will be the subject of the next post in this short series....stay tuned!