Tuesday, October 2, 2012

The Worlds, Made By the Son


The Worlds, Made By the Son


And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:  Ephesians 3:9




For by him 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. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  Colossians 1:16-17




Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by which also he made the worlds.  Hebrews 1:2




The Challenge
The above set of three Scripture texts are offered by Pluralists in an attempt to show that Oneness  theology, which limits the Son of Man to the humanity of Jesus, is in error. The observation is made that:  “If the Son of Man is limited to the humanity of Jesus, as the Monarchian view does attest, than, are we to believe that the humanity, the human Christ, created the worlds?”


Oneness Response
It would be an easy matter for the Monarchian to simply say that since Yahweh was incarnate in Christ, it was the incarnate Yahweh that created.  One might point out that while this approach would work for Ephesians 3:9 and Colossians 1:16-17 it would be more difficult to apply this argument to Hebrews 1:2. This is thought true because in the passage it specifically states that the Son made the worlds. (If, however, we understood that "Son" in this passages references the Incarnated Deity of the Father all confusion disappears.) This scripture has somewhat of a different character for the Monarchian than do the others, because this passage states Son not Jesus. The designation Son (in this particular text) emphasizes, and isolates, a particular of the character of Jesus, i.e. His humanity.

 The Monarchian view, in this case, would point to John 6:62 where we read, “What and if ye see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?” The term “Son of man” holds a particular place in theology. The “Son of man” designates the human Christ, while “Son of God” emphasizes the deity of Christ.  Therefore, if this text (John 6:62) is to be understood surfacely we must conclude that the humanity of Christ was in heaven before He was born of Mary; therefore, the humanity of Jesus would have  pre-existence.  Jesus refers to the Son of man as having pre-existence in heaven before His birth in Bethlehem.  It would seem that no Trinitarian would accept that line of interpretation. So, all concerned, Monarchian and Trinitarian, must consider the passage to say: “What and if ye shall see the Son of man (the human Christ) ascend up where He (not the Son of man, strictly speaking, but He who BECAME the Son of man) was before?”  
 Of course, up to this point the Monarchian and Trinitarian walk together. Both agree that:  1. He who became the Son of man, was in heaven before He came to earth, and 2. Both agree that He who was incarnate in man was Yahweh’s fellow (equal). Their paths diverge, however, when the ONE who became the Son of man, and the ONE who was incarnate in man is identified.

 In Zechariah 13:7 the ONE who is incarnate in man is Yahweh’s equal. The Modalist Monarchian (Oneness) can walk further alone the path of revelation than can the Pluralists, because, as we walk, the next Scripture that we approach is Isaiah 46:5 which informs us that YAHWEH HAS NO EQUALS! The manifest conclusion in unavoidable: The speaker of Zechariah 13:7 and the ONE that became incarnate into man are one and the same.

 No, we have not lost sight of Hebrews 1:2.  This Scripture bears likeness to John 6:62 and Zechariah 13:7, which we have just viewed.  Permit me to quote Hebrews 1:2 here so that we may have it before us: “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.”

 Was the human Christ back in the beginning creating the worlds? Obviously not;  but, He who BECAME incarnate in the Son of man did say, on more than one occasion: “Let there be…!”

 However, in this explaining of Hebrews 1:2, I am arguing against my own mind; for there is a very real sense in which the humanity of Jesus cannot be excluded from the creation any more than can wisdom or understanding. Proverbs 3:19 states: “The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.”  If we are not to understand that neither wisdom nor understanding physically made the worlds, then why should not the same discernment be applied to the statements concerning the worlds being made by the Son.  In fact, this is seen to be reasonable by the Greek text of the passages under consideration. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, Edinburg, 1901, pages 133 and 134: Greek dia as found in Hebrews 1:2 and translated in the KJV as by, is the instrumental cause; of the ground or reason of which anything is or is not done; by reason of, because of… . Therefore, God the Father created by (dia) the Son.  That is to say, With the Son in view, as the cause – the ground – the reason – and the instrument of creation.  This is seen more clearly when it is understood that the word worlds in Hebrews 1:2 is not referencing the cosmos (physical universe), but is the Greek word aions (St’s #G165) which has the ages in view. So, then, the subject is not the physical universe after all; but, rather, the future history of said universe – which has His covenants in view. Of course, this could not have been possible without the administration of the office and work of the Son; upon which all creation was predicated!

 Mr. John Miller, in his work, “Is God A Trinity?” (1922. Oxford University) has written masterfully on this subject. I fear that anything I might say would be but an echo of his work; therefore, I choose to plainly quote Miller on this matter.

 “God from all eternity was not complete for the work of creation.  He was complete in power, Give Him the name of “The Word,” and imagine that Word to be Himself, uttered out in all  His endless purpose,  give Him credit for all He is to be, means to do, and then He is complete. But cut off from Him future plans and the long-subsequent incarnation, and He can create nothing.  I mean by that, He determined to build everything upon Jesus Christ.  We see this in every part of the revelation.  Christ was to be “head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:22).

 “And when we remember that God forgave for four thousand years, and ruled the world for four thousand years, and laid His plans before the creation of the stars all upon Christ, I think we can begin to see what He means by creating “all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9).  Moreover, considering that Christ was a man; considering that, Jesus Christ was preeminently the Incarnate God; considering that Trinitarians themselves must believe that God, out of Christ, was a consuming fire; and that it was the suffering and obedience of the Man which  was necessary to build the world upon, as (too) the whole scheme of creation.   I should think that even the Trinitarian would agree that there is a certain sort of sense in which God created the world by the Man Christ Jesus.

 “…by him were all things created.” (Colossians 1:16); that is a much more complete idea: and means that God, without Christ, is imperfect; that is, that God, without Christ, is impossible; that is, that God, without Christ, cannot be;  that the world, without life is a waste; that the universe, without Christ, is a failure; and therefore, that the Babe of Bethlehem, though a trifle; though in Himself a worm of the dust; though an easy outbirth of God’s omnipotence; and, therefore, sure to be; - nevertheless had to be; this is that God was doing oceans of work without Him, which depended upon Him; that He was forgiving millions of souls; and that the whole shape of creation was given by the Man (who, nevertheless, was eternally God), who was born in a manger in the town of Bethlehem.

 “… Our doctrine, therefore, is, that Christ created all things.  We agree with the Trinitarian that He is God, and, as God, built the universe.  But as we do not think this exhausts the passages, we would not, even if we were a Trinitarian, explain them of the Almighty.  We believe that the MAN gave shape to the universe;

 “… And, therefore, that, when He says, “All things were created by him and for him” (i.e. in reference to Him); and when He says, “He is before all things:” and when He says “By him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17), - He means, that He is the husband (house-band) of the universe; that “without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3); That God had “chosen us in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4); that our life was “hid with him in God” (Colossians 3:3); and that it was on the MAN alone that the promise would stand complete of eternal life “before the world began” (Titus 1:1-2).

 “… Not only does it mean instrumentally, in such a sense that the new Christ was necessary to the old creation; or, in other words, that God, in an age of pardon, and in an eternity of divine decrees, was really building upon Christ, and could not advance a step, except on the faith of what He was yet to be: but, once more; it means accompanyingly; nay more; pregnantly.

 “… Without him was not any thing made that was made.” Logically, He was the precursor of the universe. … The inexistent MAN being the sine qua non of the world’s creation).”
Amen
Read other essays from the Bishop on the subject of the Godhead:

"The Dual Nature Of Jesus Of Nazareth"

"The Worlds, Made By The Son"

"Hebrews 13:8 vs 1 Corinthians 15:28"

"Glory With The Father"

"Philippians 2:6-8, Answering Trinitarian Objections"

"How Is God One?"

"Hebrew Monotheism"

"An Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 8:6-7"


"The Apostolic Creed"

"Jesus Is Father God"

"Homoousia And The Creed Of Nicaea"

"The Triquetra And Modalism"

"Modalism, Simultaneous Or Sequential?"

"Micah 5:2-4, An Exegesis"


"Elohim, the Plural form For God"

"Can the Deity of Jesus Be called The Son Of God?"

"Mathematical Equation For The Godhead"

"Hebrew Monotheism, Second Edition"

"Jesus, On God's Right Hand"

"The Name of the Deity" (The Tetragrammaton)

"Christology of the Apostolic Church Fathers"

"Christian Modalism challenged by the Greeks"

"The Apologists and the Logos Christology"

"Logos Christology"

"The Seven Spirits of God"

"Historical Numerical Superiority of the Monarchians"

"How Is God One?" Second Edition

"Creed of Nicæa (Creed of the 318) Affirmed"

"Another Comforter (Answering Objections to Modalism)"

"Echad vs Yachid (Answering Objections to Modalism)"

"The Godhead Teaching of Ignatius of Antioch"

"Hebrews 1:8, (Answering Objections to Modalism)"

"Godhead Theology of the Tabernacle of Moses"

"Proper Biblical Understanding of the Word 'Person'"

"Defense of Isaiah 9:6, Answering Objections to Modalism"
https://bishopjerrylhayes.blogspot.com/2017/04/defense-of-isaiah-96.html

Defense of 1 Timothy 3:16 (Answering Objections to Modalism)

Godhead Theology is a study of Christian Godhead theology. ... Was He God or not? In Godhead Theology Bishop Jerry Hayes follows that debate through the first 300 years of the Church's history. Our book is in five sections: Section One ... demonstrates Modalistic Monarchianism as the original orthodoxy of the Chruch; Section Two introduces the Apostolic Creed ... ; Section Three is an affirmation of Modalistic Monarchianism; Section Four is Modalism's responses to objection from the pluralists Trinitarians, Binitarians, Arians and Semi-Arians. Included are two comprehensive indexes: Subject Index and Scripture Index. 613 pages.

Own this classic book today by ordering from the link provided here:https://www.amazon.com/Godhead-Theology-Modalism-Original-Orthodoxy/dp/1516983521/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=Bishop+Jerry+hayes&qid=1554244653&s=books&sr=1-4



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