Theos 1 & 2

Chapter 1 The Begotten Belief

Without a doubt, the most recognized, repeated and beloved verse in all the
Bible is John 3:16. This early Christian belief in the divine Son of God,
begotten of His Father in eternity, and sent into the world, remained
uncontested for at least two centuries after the death of Messiah. But by
the fourth century C E, an unbegotten, independent, second co-eternal
person of a triune God emerged to take its place.

The story of this transformation is a remarkable record of mystical and

philosophical evolution. Here is the story of that change. The full deity of
Messiah and the entirely separate entity of the Holy Spirit were the two
final steps in cementing the trinity doctrine into its current position of
dominance in mainstream Christian theology. And they are two critical
features in this history. And yet, the apostolic belief in one true God and
the one Lord Jesus Messiah, the Creator of all things, can be traced
throughout history and is preserved in Scripture even today.

Our first assignment will be a review of the scriptural basis for the
apostolic belief in one God and His Son. And there is much in the word of
God for us to consider. Next, we will explore the biblical evidence for the
Father and Son in type and antitype. Our Heavenly Father has employed a
number of examples to convey to us the great truth of divine inheritance
and equality of nature. Finally, we will follow the historical support for this
doctrine of Messiah in the early church writings.

Let us then begin by examining what Scripture records as the identity of

God and His Son. Traditional ideas might differ, but we will let the Bible
speak for itself as we examine each text.

God and His Son

John 3:16; 1 John 5:10; 4:10 & 9; 5:9; Hebrews 1:1; Romans 1:3; 1 John 5:11;
Acts 3:13; John 17:5; Romans 5:10; 8:29; Galatians 1:15 & 16; 4:4; 1
Thessalonians 1:9 & 10; Acts 3:26; 1 Corinthians 1:9

God and His Son Titles

John 1:1; 1 John 5:20; 1:2; Revelation 21:22; 22:1 & 3; 12:10; 20:6; Ephesians
5:5; 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Corinthians 15:15; 1 Timothy 6:13;
2:5; Hebrews 12:23 & 24; 1 Peter 1:10; Ephesians 3:9; Acts 2:26; 2
Corinthians 5:18; Romans 16:27; 1 Corinthians 1:4; John 17:3; Titus 2:13; 3:4
& 6; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; Ephesians 1:17;
Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3

2 John 1:3 – Son of the Father in truth

Yes, this is less than half of the 105 scriptures showing the abundant and
clear scriptural evidence that God is the Father and Jesus is the Son of God
the Father in truth. Well, there is one more: 2 John 1:3. It was easily
understood that on the basis of His true Sonship, begotten from the Father,
inheriting the very same divine nature of God, the crux [core] of the issue
then and now hinges on the definition of divinity. And this again must be
defined by the words of the Bible – the word of God.

The Nature of God

The Bible explains the nature of God in terms of His eternal existence and
creative power. Some examples:

Isaiah 40:28; Habakkuk 1:12; Psalm 90:2; 48:14; Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 90:2;
Proverbs 8:23 & 25; Psalm 90:2; 102:25 & 26; Acts 15:18; 1 Timothy 1:17;
6:16; Revelation 1:18

God Does Not Change

God is also distinguished by His immutability.

Malachi 3:6; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 89:34

It is the divine character expressed in His law that does not change.

Hebrews 13:8 – because His character never changes. But even though
Jesus’ divine nature does not change, His form did.

Hebrews 1:4; Philippians 2:6;

Jesus in the Flesh

Hebrews 2:9; Philippians 2:8 & 7; John 1:14;

God Revealed Through His Son

1 Timothy 3:15

The eternity of the Son and the existence of the Holy Spirit is a fact of
Scripture. A divine Son who comes from an eternal Father must inherently
possess the same immortality. And the same eternal Spirit because the
Father of Jesus is Spirit.

Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; John 5:23; 14:9; 7:29; 8:42; 16:27 & 28

The Immortal God

1 Timothy 1:17; John 5:26

God is Spirit

Hebrews 9:14; John 4:24; John 3:6 – This is the teaching of Scripture.

Other Sons of God

Job 38:7; Luke 3:38; Romans 8:14; 9:26; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 3:1

Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God

John 3:18; 1:14; Mark 12:1 – 8; Luke 1:35; John 1:34; John 1:49; Matthew
14:33; John 11; Matthew 16; 27:54; 8:29; Mark 3:11; Luke 22:70; John 10:36
– 38
The book of Hebrews, chapters one and two, compares the Son of God
before and after coming to this earth. Chapter one describes His
inheritance as the Son and by whom God made this world. As the Son, He is
the express image of the Father’s person, being so much better than the
angels by inheritance. In chapter two we see Jesus as the Word made flesh.
Made lower than the angels for the suffering of death.

Hebrews 1:2, 3 & 4; 2:9; 1:5 & 6

But before this, He was begotten of the Father, something which no angel at
any time had experienced. Then the first-begotten was brought into the
world. Jesus proceeded forth from the Father. He came out from God.

John 8:42; 16:27 & 28; 17:8

These last four texts use the same word –

“exerchomai” …

… Which in the past tense is “exelthon” …

 … and has in it the explicit preposition
“ex”, meaning “out” as in exit.

… and “elthon”, I came …

And so, in
these texts
we see “I
indeed out
from God
came out.”

The third word “EK” or “out” is added for emphasis by the Hebrew writer
John.
 “I beside from
God came out.”

… “came out – out from

the Father … “EK”
again for emphasis …

“Beside from You I came

out.”

Most of the 23 times this

word occurs in the New
Testament refers to
coming out of a country, a
city, or a house. Only two
times is it used in
connection with people. Describing evil spirits coming out of a person who
had been possessed and those four times in speaking of the Son coming out
of the Father, who possessed His Son in the beginning.

Proverbs 8:22 – 25; 30:4; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 4:9; Romans 5:10; Acts 2:32;
Galatians 4:6; Matthew 4:4; John 14:23; 1 John 1:3; 5:5

Chapter 2 Patterns and Models

Scripture produces many examples of the Father Son relationship. A divine

pattern that effects every aspect of life. The pattern is seen throughout
the Bible. There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things [1
Corinthians 8:6] and one Lord Jesus Messiah, by whom are all things.

The Father Son pattern begins with the Father who is the Source of all
things. Ephesians 4:4 – 6; John 17:3; 2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4; 2 John 1:3; 1
Timothy 6:16

The pattern continues through the Son who is the channel of all the Father
gives Him. John 5:26 – the same immortal, eternal and everlasting life. 1
John 5:11; John 5:21 – God is the original Source of all life. And because God
has given this original life to His Son, Jesus can raise the dead and give life
to whomever He will. John 5:25 – Not only immortal life, but the Father
gives to His Son all things. Matthew 11:27; John 3:35; Philippians 2:9;
Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 15:24 & 27; Hebrews 1:2 – Jesus is the channel
through whom and by whom all things from the Father flow to His creation.

The “of whom” gives

to the “by whom” who
gives life to us, His
children. This is the
pattern of life from
the beginning.
Genesis 1:26;
Ephesians 3:9; God
said to His Son, “Let Us make man” – mankind – Adam in the Hebrew lexicon.
God the Father is the source of life and Jesus the only begotten Son is the
channel of life to all creation. Then the Son made man after Their image –
Genesis 5:1 & 2; 9:6; James 3:9; Matthew 19:4; 1 Timothy 2:13; Genesis 2:18.
So woman came forth from out of man as part of his very own body – Genesis
2:21 – 24.

Eve was formed, fashioned and made in Adam’s likeness. Adam was the
source of whom Eve came forth; 1 Corinthians 1:12 – was brought forth. The
woman, Paul said, is from the man. Adam, the only human not begotten, Eve
the only human begotten from another human’s side. She was not created
from nothing, but was taken out of Adam’s side – his bosom. Eve existed
essentially in Adam, a part of him before she was taken out. Eve became the
express image of Adam. So also, the Word is the unique Son of God,
begotten of the Father and taken from His bosom – His side.

Genesis 3:20 – Adam was the source and Eve was the channel by whom and
through whom Adam became the father of our race. Eve was the same
substance as Adam. They were both equal in nature. Eve was just as human
as Adam was. But Eve was begotten in a different manner than all other
human births. So too, the Son of God was begotten of His Father. They
both have the same divine substance; both equal in nature. Messiah is just
as divine as His Father.

But the Son was begotten in a different manner in eternity; and He was
later born of Mary in the fulness of time. Adam and Eve were essentially
the same age; both appear on day six. Father and Son are essentially of the
same age; both are from eternity. As Adam beget Eve, so the Father beget
Messiah. And Jesus begets us, giving us His Spirit, as Adam gave up his rib.
 We are part of Messiah;
we partake of His divine
nature; we are born
again – Messiah in us; we
gain His character.

As Adam and Eve were

one flesh, so also the
Father and the Son are
one Spirit – Romans 8:9.

The divine pattern is also seen in the mystery of God – both of the Father
and of Messiah, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge – Colossians 2:3. This is the pattern of visible and invisible –
Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 6:15 & 16; John 14:8 & 9; John 1:18; 1 Timothy
6:16 – light unapproachable; John 14:6; James 1:17; John 8:12; 9:5; 12:46 –
God is the Father of lights but the Son is the Light of the world; Hebrews
1:3 – Jesus is the brightness, brilliance, radiance of the Father’s glory. He is
the express image of His Father’s person. The Greek word is “character” –
impress, stamp, exact reproduction.

Genesis 15:17 describes a smoking furnace – light enshrouded – and a burning

lamp – light revealed or manifested. These appeared to confirm the
covenant once again to Abraham. This is the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Messiah. 2 Corinthians 4:6 – Jesus is the
image of God.

The mosaic sanctuary and its priesthood were the image of the invisible
heavenly sanctuary [Hebrews 8:1 – 5] and our High Priest. John 5:39; 1:1 –
this principle is seen in the written word as well as the living Word. The
expansion, amplification and magnification of the Father’s word when
expressed by the Son. The Father gives His word to His Son and the Son
magnifies it. The signature of the Son’s magnification of the Father’s word
was His style of repetition – “verily, verily” [KJV]; “most assuredly” [NKJV.
John 1:51; 3:3, 5, 11; 5:19, 24, 25; 6:26, 32, 47, 53; 8:34, 51, 58; 10:1, 7;
12:24; 13:16, 20, 21; 13:38; 14:12; 16:20, 23; 21:18. Genesis 22:11 “And the
angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, ‘Abraham,
Abraham;’ and he said, Here am I.’” Exodus 3:4 “And when the LORD saw
that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the
bush, and said, ‘Moses, Moses.’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’” Genesis 46:2 “And
God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob.’
And he said, ‘Here am I.’” 1 Samuel 3:10 “And the LORD came, and stood,
and called as at other times, ‘Samuel, Samuel.’ Then Samuel answered,
‘Speak; for thy servant heareth.’” Luke 22:31 “And the Lord said, ‘Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat.’” Acts 9:4 “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto
him, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecute thou Me?’”

Abraham – Genesis 22:11

Jacob – Genesis 46:2

Samuel – 1 Samuel 3:10

Martha – Luke 10:41

Simon – Luke 22:31

Saul – Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:14

Jerusalem – Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34

Jesus is the Word of God – Revelation 19:13; Psalm 33:6; Deuteronomy 18:18;
Hebrews 1:2 – Jesus speaks for His Father.

The gospel of John especially expresses the Word of the Father – John
3:34; 14:10; 17:8; 12:49; 1:1 – the most famous words; it is this last phase,
“and the Word was God” – that captures our interest and curiosity.
If the Word was God [Word = God], how can the Word be with God [Word +
God]?

“… and the Word was with God …”

John speaks the same way in his first epistle.

The difference in these texts is the definite article “the” – distinguishing

between identity and quality. The Word was with the Father. This
identifies the Father as the God – the true God of whom are all things. John
did not say, “The God was the Word.”
We can get a sense of the difference if we use the same grammatical
structure but with different subjects. In the beginning was the woman, and
the woman was with the human. This is a true statement. And we would
understand here that
the human is Adam.
And human was the
woman. This, too, is
logical and true.
Adam is his name but
human is what he and
Eve are. We easily
understand this to
mean that the woman
– Eve – was human in nature, but she was not the man in identity. Eve was
not Adam. They were
two separate persons
– two individual
identities.

The same divine

nature is possessed
by both the Father
and the Son. And we
now know the
knowledge of the
mystery of God, both of the Father and of the Messiah.

Let us return to the Greek wording once more with this new perspective in
mind. “In the beginning was the Word; and the Word was with the Deity;
and the Word was Deity.” The Word – the Son – was with the supreme Deity
– the Father. And the Word was Deity in nature – divine in nature. But the
Son was not the Deity. The Son was not the Father, yet the Son has the
Father’s divine nature by inheritance.

The Word has the same God quality, the same divine nature, the same Theos,
the same God-ness, as His Father. Theos was the Word, and obviously so
was God the Father. Both are divine, eternal, and Deity.

The Bible is composed of two testaments – the old and the new. The O T is
he source of whom the N T quotes and applies and magnifies. The N T is the
channel by whom we more fully understand the O T. And beginning at Moses
and the prophets [Luke 24:27], Jesus expounded unto them the things
concerning Himself.

In the O T we have Moses’ book of the law and the Law of God. Two laws.
In the N T we have the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Jesus. Not a new
law, but an amplification of the old law – the original. Isaiah 42:21; Matthew
5:19 – not to replace but to magnify the law. John 1:17 – the word “but” is
supplied or added, changing its sense. The law came by Moses who received
it from the LORD – Galatians 3:19; 1 Timothy 2:5. “The law came by Moses
and grace and truth came by Jesus.” Messiah not only spoke His Father’s
law to Moses on Mount Sinai, but amplified it on His sermon on the mount, as
He said: Matthew 5:21, 27, 33. Jesus took the ministration of condemnation
which was glorious and made it much more glorious – 2 Corinthians 3:9.
In the Ark of the Covenant the Ten Commandments are hidden inside. It
was invisible – not seen by any man. But in the side of the Ark the book of
the law was accessible, to be taken out and read – an expansion of the Ten.
As the Spirit of the Father dwells in His Son, so also the Ten
Commandments are also written in the book of the law.

As the book of the law sits at the side of the Ten Commandments, so the
Son sits at the side of His Father. They are not interchangeable. One is
Source and the other is Channel. Expression – amplifying and magnifying the
words of the other. In the very heart of the Law are two commandments,
the only two that are positive commands that show the divine pattern of
source and channel.

The Fourth Commandment

calls us to worship the Lord
[Exodus 20:11], the Source
of whom are all things.

The Fifth calls us to honor

our parents – the channel by
which we received their life.
Source and channel – origin
and expression – are also is
also illustrated by the branch [John 15:1 – 6].

Zechariah 3:8; Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:14; 23:6 – the branch is used in
Scripture to denote royal descent. The king is the root and the princes are
the branches. Zechariah 6:12 – the Branch of the LORD is the Servant of
the LORD. He is righteous. He is a Man. He is a Priest and a King. He will
build the LORD’s temple, bear the LORD’s glory and sit on the LORD’s
throne. There will be a counsel of peace between the Branch and the LORD
from whom He branched. Ezekiel 17:6; Romans 11:16 – because the root and
the branches have the very same nature.

The Father is holy; He is the root – John 17:11; Matthew 6:9. Jesus the
branch is also holy – Mark 1:24; Acts 2:27. The branch has the same nature,
the same substance, the same qualities as of the root. The branch is the
offspring of the parent stock. The root is the source, and the branch is the
expression, the channel from which come more branches. 2 Peter 1:4 – we
are to be partakers of the divine nature.

The divine pattern of source and expression is also illustrated by the stone.
Zechariah 3:9 – where does this stone come from? 3:7 – the great mountain.
 The stone has seven eyes.
Revelation 5:6 – Lamb with
seven eyes. Jesus is not
only the Lamb of God but
is also the Stone that the
builders rejected
[Matthew 21:42]. Isaiah
28:16; 1 Peter 2:4; Daniel
2:45 – the stone is just as
old as the mountain. The stone has the same substance, the same nature,
the same character. It is just as hard and just as enduring as the mountain
because it came out from the mountain.

So, we see in all these examples the divine pattern of source and channel,
reflecting the Father / Son relationship.