THE MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE TRINITY PT2

MISUNDERSTANDING #4 “Jesus is a lesser God than the Father”

Truth: Jesus is co-equal with God the Father. People who deny this truth may use the following arguments and verses. (These heresies date back to Arius, AD 319.)

VERSES WRONGLY USED TO TEACH THAT CHRIST WAS CREATED

Colossians 1:15: If Christ is “the first born of all creation,” was he created?

Answer. “Firstborn” cannot mean that Christ was created, because Paul says that all of creation was made in and for Christ, and that he exists before all creation and holds it together (Col 1:16-17). The “firstborn” traditionally was the main heir. In context Paul is saying that Christ, as God’s Son is the main heir of all creation (verses 12-14).

John 3:16: Does “only begotten Son” mean Jesus had a beginning?

Answer. “Only-begotten” does not mean that Jesus had a beginning; it means that Jesus is God’s “unique” Son. In Hebrews 11:17, Isaac is called Abraham’s “unique” son, even though Abraham had other children (Gen 22:2; 25:1-6). Jesus is God’s unique Son because only Jesus is fully God and eternally the Father’s Son (John 1:1-3, 14-18).

Proverbs 8:22: Does this mean that Christ (“Wisdom”) was “created”?

Answer: This is not a literal description of Christ; it is a personification of wisdom. For example, Christ did not dwell in heaven with someone named Prudence (verse 12); he did not build a house with seven pillars (9:1). This verse says in a poetic way that God used wisdom in creating the world (Prov 3:19-20).

VERSES WRONGLY USED TO TECH THAT JESUS IS INFERIOR TO THE FATHER

John 14:28: if “the Father is greater than “Jesus, how can Jesus be God?

Answer: In his human life on earth Jesus voluntarily shared our natural limitations in order to save us. After he rose from the dead, Jesus returned to the glory he had with the Father (John 17:5; Phil 2:9-11). In that restored glory, Jesus was able to send the Holy Spirit and empower his disciples to do even greater works than Jesus did while he was here in the flesh (John 14:12, 26-28).

1 Corinthians 15:28: If Jesus is God, why will he be subject to the Father?

Answer: Jesus humbly and voluntarily submits himself to the Father’s will for a time (Phil 2:5-11). But, as the pre-existent and eternal Son, he is co-equal with God the Father.

Mark 13:32: If Jesus is God, how could he not know when he would return?

Answer: Jesus voluntarily lowered himself to experience the limitations of human life. Paradoxically, while Jesus continued to be God, he chose to limit his access to knowledge (John 16:30). Paradoxes like this (not contradictions) are exactly what we would expect if, as the Bible says, God chose to live as real human being (John 1:1, 14).