Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - The Son Adopted by the Father?
Did Jesus, the Son, exist before He was born of Mary? Some people believe so, and so we must ask if this view fully explains what the Bible says about the Son?
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament Framework. Today a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.
Speaker 2:Here's another one Ancient, dynamic monarchianism, not modal Modes are masks. That's the first view. This is dynamic, also known as adoptionism, which I think is more helpful when I explain it as adoptionism, which I think is more helpful when I explain it. But it is a form of monarchianism, because monarch means what? One solitary king or ruler. So that is their presupposition. A solitary one, god, an absolute one with no diversity in himself. That's the key presupposition in himself. That's the key presupposition we know. The Bible teaches that. We know the Bible teaches God is one. Nobody is surprised by that in this room. Old and New Testament teach that.
Speaker 2:But the question becomes well, what about passages then that teach a distinction between Father and Son in this God, see, or a distinction between Son and Spirit in this God? That's what they're trying to wrestle with in the early church, also known as adoptionism, and in the modern day it's in Unitarianism, judaism and Islam. Now, everything I mentioned under the conclusions will not be true of each and every one of those, but I'm just saying they all share the same presupposition that there's an absolute oneness to God. Does Islam believe that? An absolute oneness in Allah? Yeah, they don't believe any diversity exists within Allah, it's just a solitary one, being with no persons of distinction within himself. Same thing for Judaism, right, with no persons of distinction within himself. Same thing for Judaism, right. They're strict monotheists in the sense there's no diversity of person within God. Same thing for Unitarianism. They're called Unitarians because they uni means one right, like the Unabomber, remember that guy. They're not Trinitarians, which would be three, a reference to the oneness in a unified God, a single God. So they're Unitarian. So those are modern forms of this. Again, the ideas have not gone away. So the presupposition again solitary monotheism. But it's different from the previous idea where God put on different masks successively in history.
Speaker 2:In their view, only the Father is God and God adopted Jesus. That's why I say adoptionism is a good term to understand this view. God adopted Jesus, either at his birth, his baptism or the resurrection. That's Bart Ehrman's view, by the way. Remember the guy who always debates christians? He used to say he was a christian, but he rejected all this stuff, um, or the resurrection and gave him godhood at that adoption. So in other words, jesus is just a man, okay, but god adopted him and bestowed on him godhood. That's what they're saying. He adopted him, but he's really just a man, because there's only one God. They say so because he was bestowed the title or given godhood. He is a god, but he's not of the same essence of the Father. He is a lesser essence. He's a lesser essence. So we're in John.
Speaker 2:Go over to John 14, 28. This is one of their favorite passages. To try to explain this or make this claim, jesus' words himself right, they're in red in red letter editions John 14, 28. You heard that I said to you I go away and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I See.
Speaker 2:So since the Father is greater than I, since Jesus even said that, they say that means that Jesus is less than the Father and in some sense he is less. In some sense the Father is greater. But the question is in what sense? They are concluding that he's less in essence. He doesn't share the same essence. He doesn't have the attributes of God or the functions of God or the names of God and things like that. So he's less than God in essence.
Speaker 2:We would probably argue that this is an expression that discusses subordination within the Trinity, that the Son took a different role or a lesser role than the Father and came into this world and took to himself a true humanity, went through all things as we tempted right, yet without sin, and gave himself up for us. So it's subordination of role, and the greater, lesser would relate to a role distinction, not an essence distinction. You know all of these passages like this one. He says the Father is greater than I. We have to. That doesn't clarify everything. We have to ask the question greater in what way? Do you remember in Matthew, chapter 10, the Lord says about John the Baptist that no one has been born of woman who's greater than John the Baptist. Remember that no one has been born of woman who's greater than John the Baptist. But you still have to ask the question greater in what sense? Like he's the greatest person who ever lived, morally or ethically, he's the greatest intellect that ever lived. Like what do you mean greater? So all these questions have to be asked and answered in these contexts to determine in what sense was John the Baptist greater?
Speaker 2:I concluded in my study years ago on that that he was greater in privilege than any other human because he was the one who prepared the way for the king of the universe to come into this world. So he had the greatest privilege he got to announce the king and proclaim his arrival. But the text goes on to say later, jesus even says that someone who enters the kingdom is greater than John the Baptist. So the privilege of entering the kingdom is greater than the privilege of announcing the king's arrival. So all these passages that talk greater, lesser or any type of comparison like that, have to be interpreted in context of what the sense would be. So we know things like if we go to John 10, for example, jesus just said there in John 14, 28, the Father is greater than I.
Speaker 2:But what do you do with something like John 10, 30? This is also in the red letters. He says in verse 29 what we just read in John 14, 28, my father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. And then he says I and the father are one. Probably this is a reference to essence. They share the same essence. But as far as role, the Father greater because he sent the Son Order of procession. Father sending Son, son sending Spirit. So in that sense, as well as role. You can have greater or lesser within the Trinity.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app, and until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.