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
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT BY
PURCHASING OUR BOOKS OF YOUR LIBRARY
Be sure to listen and subscribe to the Bishop's Podcast: Apostolic Bishop, at:
