Thanks Mizpeh for the reply I will BREIFLY answer you…. Instead of offering lengthy dissertations that you and others probably don’t have time to read...
Here are a few thoughts
1) the teaching of the eternal Son
Eternal sonship is on the basis that Jesus is the eternally the Son of God, in His role of God. The bible, while never using the term “Eternal Sonship” uses several verses that lead us to believe that in God exists - eternal Jesus, God the Son. Let me illustrate that with a few versus showing the eternality of Jesus as Son, and as being distinct from the Father
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of HIS DEAR SON...who is the image of the invisible God...by Him were all things created...and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (
Colossians 1:13-17).
In
Colossians 1:13 the believer is told that he has been translated into the kingdom of His (the Father's) dear Son (literally, "the Son of His love"). The following verses contain a series of pronouns all of which refer back to the Son of the Father's love (v.13). "We note that all the 15 pronouns in verses 15 to 20 inclusive are in apposition with the noun, Son (v.13). Each dependent sentence, therefore, declares some fresh glory of the Son, to Whom they all relate, and in Whom they all combine with a transcendent harmony." [W.J.Hocking, The Son of His Love--Papers on the Eternal Sonship (Sunbury, Pennsylvania: Believers Bookshelf, 1970), p. 87.]
Therefore, in
Colossians 1:16 we are told that it was
by the Son specifically that all things were created. All things were created by the Son of His love! The Son of God, therefore, must have existed as the Son at the time of creation, long before He became incarnate. – Read carefully
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him(who? The SON) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father(the Father!!!!! Wow, the bible is talking of two individuals – delineating the difference between the “Father” and the “Son”) that in him should all fullness dwell;(fullness of diety!)
Those who insist that Christ did not become the Son of God until the incarnation must put a strained interpretation on the clear statement of this verse. Trying to muddle their way through with explanations that simply don’t line up with this text! How much better to simply accept the simple statement of the text which says that the Father created all things by the Son of His love. The most normal and natural meaning of this passage is that at the time of creation He existed as the Father's beloved Son. The distinction between Jesus and the Father is intentional, obvious, and garners no oneness explanation to a verse written long after the death and resurrection!!! Why of oneness is correct and the way of the first church--- are they still talking in all these distinctions of “Father” and “Son”
"Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (
Hebrews 1:2)
This verse is similar to the Colossians passage in that it identifies the Creator as the Son of God. It was by the Son that the Father made the worlds. "Since the Holy Spirit attributes creatorial activity to the Son, His existence must have preceded that of the universe which He called into being" [Ibid., p. 127]. Based on this verse John Darby concluded that "we are therefore justified in speaking of the Son as before the worlds." [John Nelson Darby, from a tract on eternal Sonship (no title) published by Present Truth Publishers, 411 Route 79, Morganville, NJ 07751]
W.E. Vine skillfully shows the bearing of this verse on the doctrine of eternal Sonship, pointing out that "the design in the stress on the word `Son' in verse 2 is not to convey the idea that God has spoken to us in One Who became His Son, but that He has done so in One Whose relationship to Him as Son stands in antecedent existence both to creation and to His incarnation...The passage is itself a testimony to the pre-existent Sonship of Christ; for not only has God spoken to us in Him Who is His Son, but by Him...He `made the worlds' (the ages). The plain implication is that He by Whom God made the worlds stood in relationship to Him in this respect as His Son." [W.E.Vine, The Divine Sonship of Christ (Minneapolis: Klock & Klock Christian Publishers, Inc., 1984 reprint), pp. 38-39.]
2) the equivocation of the word, God
Not sure what you mean here…..
3) the absence of a Trinity in the OT See the first post on this thread by MOW and also click onto the link below:
The fullness of God had not yet been revealed, just as His plan for salvation had not yet been revealed! Yet we see clear evidence of this. Secondly the jews did not have a problem with a God who was indiscernible and in fact the most trusted texts refer to God as a compound unity… the shema being the most prominent – here are a few thoughts
Believers Study Bible
6:4 These words are a concise statement of the fundamental monotheistic dogma of the O.T. In Egypt the Israelites discovered the uniqueness of their God (cf.
Ex. 15:11) in contrast to the fickleness of the Egyptian gods. The nature of polytheism is such that no god is omnipotent, and there can be no single “will of god.” So the good intentions of one god may be overturned by the ill intentions of another. In God’s covenant relationship with His people, He revealed to them His unity. He made promises from which He never varied, nor could anyone revoke the commitment of YAHWEH. The Jewish confession of faith given in this verse is called the sshema (Heb.), after its first word, meaning “Hear!” The verb indicates hearing with intent to obey. This exhortation to all Israel is the basic confession of monotheism: God is one. However, the Hebrew word for “one” emphasizes unity rather than singularity (cf.
Gen. 2:24). The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (or “triunity”—cf.
1 Pet. 1:2, note) affirms the unity of the Godhead, while at the same time affirming that God eternally exists in three Persons, having three centers of consciousness but one harmonious divine will. This verse is one which the Jews write upon their phylacteries (see 6:8, note) because of its awesome expression of divine truth. The words are also used both morning and evening to begin their daily liturgy.
Believers Bible Commentary
Verses 4–9 are known as the “Shema” (Heb. for “hear”) and were recited daily as a creed by devout Jews along with 11:13–21 and
Numbers 15:37–41.
The Hebrew word for “one” in verse 4 is significant, viewed in the light of the fuller revelation of the New Testament. It stands, not for absolute unity, but for compound unity, and is thus consistent with both the names of God used in this verse. (LORD) emphasizes His oneness. (God) emphasizes His three persons. The same mysterious hints of trinity in unity occur in the very first verse of the Bible, where followed by a singular verb (created) and in
Genesis 1:26, where the plural pronouns us and our are followed by the singular nouns image and likeness (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union).
KJV Bible Commentary
4–5. These verses are called the Shema, after the word Hear (Heb shama<). Even though some have tried to deny the Trinity because of this verse, the word one (Heb <echad), means “compound unity.” The phrase one LORD means God has one name; it is also a testimony against polytheism. Both the unity and the trinity of the Godhead are taught in the Old Testament (
Gen 1:26–27;
Ps 2:7;
Isa 48:16).
Matthew Henry Commentary
1. What we are here taught to believe concerning God: that Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. (1.) That the God whom we serve is Jehovah, a Being infinitely and eternally perfect, self-existent, and self-sufficient. (2.) That he is the one only living and true God; he only is God, and he is but one. The firm belief of this self-evident truth would effectually arm them against all idolatry, which was introduced by that fundamental error, that there are gods many. It is past dispute that there is one God, and there is no other but he,
Mk. 12:32. Let us therefore have no other, nor desire to have any other. Some have thought there is here a plain intimation of the trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead; for here is the name of God three times, and yet all declared to be one. Happy they that have this one Lord for their God; for they have but one master to please, but one benefactor to seek to. It is better to have one fountain that a thousand cisterns, one all-sufficient God than a thousand insufficient ones.
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