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Chapter 140

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THE SUBORDINATION OF
THE SON TO THE FATHER

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Topic 10:   Jesus Christ is, and eternally shall be, subordinate to God the Father. In God the Father we have the source of Deity; in Jesus Christ, Deity in its outflow. But in the stream is all the perfection of the fountain. The Father is the source of glory. The Son is the shining forth of His glory.

      Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

      Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

   All the following passages refer to the incarnate Christ and not to the pre-existent Word.

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POINT 10:   God the Father is greater than Jesus Christ the Son.

      John 14:28 You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

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POINT 20:   God the Father begat Jesus Christ the Son.

      Hebrews 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father" ? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?

      John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

   QUESTION: Does this begetting refer to the origin of the Eternal Word or to the origin of the incarnate Jesus? (a) Does it mean that at one time Jesus did not exist and He was created by Jehovah or born from Jehovah, or (b) does it mean that Jehovah was the father of Jesus's human form?

      Psalms 2:7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father."

      Luke 1:35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

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POINT 30:   Jesus Christ lives because of the Father.

      John 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

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POINT 40:   The Son can do nothing independently of the Father.

      John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

=== DISCUSSION ===

   An interesting philosophical conundrum is this:

   (a) God is omnipotent.    (b) Jehovah, the Father, is God, and therefore omnipotent.    (c) Jesus Christ, the Son, is God, and therefore omnipotent.    (d) Jesus can do nothing independently of the Father.    (e) An omnipotent God can act independently.

   Once again, this shows that our concept of 'omnipotent' differs from the attributes of God the Bible is attempting to describe.

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POINT 50:   Jesus Christ was sent by the Father.

      John 6:29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

      John 8:29, 42 [29] The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. [42] Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me."

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POINT 60:   Jesus Christ received commandment from the Father. Jesus was under the Father's authority and direction.

      John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

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POINT 70:   Jesus Christ received His own authority from the Father.

      John 13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

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POINT 80:   Jesus Christ received His message from the Father.

      John 8:26, 40 [26] "I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world." [40] As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.

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POINT 90:   The Father specified works for Jesus to accomplish. It was the indwelling Father who did the works.

      John 5:36 I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.

      John 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

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POINT 100:   Jesus Christ's kingdom was appointed to Him by the Father.

      Luke 22:29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,

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POINT 110:   Jesus Christ shall ultimately deliver up His kingdom to the Father.

      1 Corinthians 15:24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

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POINT 120:   Jesus Christ Himself shall be subject to the Father, so that God may be all in all.

      1 Corinthians 15:27-28 [27] For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. [28] When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

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POINT 130:   God the Father is head of Christ, as Christ is the head of every man, as the husband is head of the wife, and as the parents are the heads of the children.

      John 14:28 "You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

      1 Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

   Note: When the foregoing passage explains the relationship between "man" and "woman," it is not describing the relationship between any man and any woman; it means the relationship between a man and a woman joined in holy matrimony as husband and wife.

      Compare Ephesians 5:23-24 [23] For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. [24] Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

      Leviticus 19:3 Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.

      Ephesians 6:1-3 [1] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2] "Honor your father and mother" -- which is the first commandment with a promise -- [3] "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

      Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

=== DISCUSSION ===

   This Point shows that there is a very clear and distinct hierarchy established by the Father:

   1. Father Jehovah    2. Son Jesus Christ    3. Holy Spirit    4. Each man, who is to be the spiritual leader of his family    5. The wife    6. The children

   This hierarchy is clearly shown by reading Ephesians 5:23- 6:3.

   A rising sentiment in the twentieth century deals with the position of women in society. In general, secular humanists claim that "The Bible is out of date. It's just an old collection of ancient myths and legends. Even if it was divinely inspired, it wasn't meant for today, at least not in all matters. After all, it doesn't prohibit slavery ...." From a Christian perspective, the argument is often raised that men and women are to be treated exactly equal in all respects, as if gender did not exist (except for separate-sex restrooms, etc.). This un-Christian assertion is based on the writings of Paul:

      Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

   'Exactly equal' is an overly-broad interpretation of this passage. There is certainly no Biblical reason to condone violence against females, sexual abuse, lower pay for equal work, less opportunities for advancement, refusal to hire job candidates solely because they are female, etc.

   On the other hand, in any there can only be one leader in a situation. The Father set out the 'chain of command'.

   In discussing God's hierarchy, Pastor John Hagee made a very interesting point regarding the following:

      Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

   Most people interpret "Your desire will be for your husband," as meaning that the woman will feel sexual urges toward her husband but he will make the decisions when it comes to sexual activity. Pastor Hagee pointed out in a sermon that in Greek the word for sexual desire, etc., is eros. In this passage the Greek translation uses a different word. The passage actually means that the woman will be desirous of her husband's position and authority; she will want to be the one in command, but as a punishment for having led the man into sin she will have to be subjugated to him.

   Biblical scholars are quick to point out that the wife in a truly Christian marriage is in a very desirable position -- the object of Christian love from a devoted husband who provides for her, respects her, does not abuse her physically, mentally, or verbally, and is supportive of her Christian goals and lifestyle.

   In the following excerpt it must be remembered that when Paul talks about "loving oneself" he means love in the Christian sense, not the conceit, arrogance, pride, insolence, jealousy, scheming, and vindictiveness characteristic of Satan's kind of "self-love."

      Compare Ephesians 5:23-24 [25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. [28] In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church -- [30] for we are members of his body. [31] "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." [32] This is a profound mystery -- but I am talking about Christ and the church.

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POINT 140:   Men draw near to God through Christ. Jehovah, not Christ, is the ultimate goal. Christ is the way to the Father

      Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

      John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

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POINT 150:   God the Father is Jesus Christ's God.

      John 20:17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

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