The Eternal Sonship of Christ
“The doctrine of Eternal Sonship … affirms that the second person of the triune Godhead has eternally existed as the Son. In other words there was never a time when He was not the Son of God, and there has always been a Father/Son relationship within the Godhead.”
We read in the Holy Scriptures
Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
John 1:1-18 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.We read in the Holy Scriptures
Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
John 1:1-18 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 1:1-3, 1.God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 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; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 2:9-10 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. ( emphasis mine)
From the Holy Scriptures we see that the Son of God Existed at least 700 years before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus( Prov.30:4). The term used by the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 9:6 , a child "is born", and a son"is given",refers is to eternal sonship of Lord Jesus Christ . The Son was not born,in Hebrew, the word “given” does not refer to birth or beginning, but to “bringing forth with purpose” the Son who already was.The birth of child Jesus was giving of the Son of God,who is "from everlasting"(Micah 5:2).
John records the irrefutable evidence of Lord Jesus Christ's Pre-existence and His Sonship,
- Word who is eternal and is God (1:1)
- Word is the one who was made flesh,and dwelt among us(1:14)
- Lord Jesus, the eternal Word in flesh is actually the " only begotten of the Father.(1:18)
Lord Jesus who lived among men is the eternal word of God (v.1,14) and the eternal word of God,"The Word" & the "The Son" are one and the same Eternal Person(v.18).
John also recorded this bringing forth with purpose this way: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only begotten Son ... to save the world through Him” (Jn. 3:16-17).
It was "the Son" whom the Father sent "to be the saviour of the world" (John 4:14)
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Hebrews 1:1-3, 1.God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 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; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 2:9-10 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. ( emphasis mine)
John records the irrefutable evidence of Lord Jesus Christ's Pre-existence and His Sonship,
- Word who is eternal and is God (1:1)
- Word is the one who was made flesh,and dwelt among us(1:14)
- Lord Jesus, the eternal Word in flesh is actually the " only begotten of the Father.(1:18)
Lord Jesus who lived among men is the eternal word of God (v.1,14) and the eternal word of God,"The Word" & the "The Son" are one and the same Eternal Person(v.18).
John also recorded this bringing forth with purpose this way: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only begotten Son ... to save the world through Him” (Jn. 3:16-17).
It was "the Son" whom the Father sent "to be the saviour of the world" (John 4:14)
J.N. Darby, says“If we say He were not the Son till the incarnation, then do I utterly lose the link of connection of His being sent from above, for then were it only after He was a Man in the world that He was sent about as a Man, but no, He was sent into the world” (http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/darby/miscbtpb/35020E.html)
Our Lord did not become the Son of God – that He always was, is, and will be (Heb. 13:8).
The Son is as eternal as the Father.
But He did become man for You and Me.
Thinking about this helps us grow in our appreciation of the Son coming from glory to die for our sins and returning to glory sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,when he had by himself purged our sins(Jn. 17:5; Heb. 1:3) .
Let us understand the Son in terms of His deity and worship Him ( cf: Heb 1:6)
Our Lord did not become the Son of God – that He always was, is, and will be (Heb. 13:8).
The Son is as eternal as the Father.
But He did become man for You and Me.
Thinking about this helps us grow in our appreciation of the Son coming from glory to die for our sins and returning to glory sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,when he had by himself purged our sins(Jn. 17:5; Heb. 1:3) .
Let us understand the Son in terms of His deity and worship Him ( cf: Heb 1:6)
