Do you remember what the “Apostles’ Creed” says about Jesus?
“… One Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
Begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.
WEBSTER: BEGOTTEN
1 : to procreate as the father : SIRE
2 : to produce especially as an effect or outgrowth
Our modern “wise men” & leaders, here in 2002 (6002), INSIST, no, they DEMAND that you believe that Jesus had no beginning – you must believe that Jesus has been around forever and ever, or else you are in grave danger of burning in hell, blah, blah, blah.. This is THE doctrine which seems to separate the sheep from the goats…
I can easily see, however, where the confusion comes from, but the apostles’ creed clarifies it for us, as well as numerous Bible passages and patterns…
The Trinity
Many people will agree that the God of the Old Testament is the same spirit who came to live in Jesus of Nazareth. Well we all know that God has been around “forever”, right? So we should be able to assume that Jesus has been around “forever”…
But the apostles’ creed shows very clearly that Jesus was “begotten”. Twice it says it; “Begotten from the Father” and “Begotten, not made” and both times it gives clarifying information; “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God” and “of the same essence as the Father” .
Not to mention that it is no ACCIDENT that the Bible calls Jesus the “Son of God”. THAT is WHO He is – HIS SON! His offspring.
The confusion is cleared up by the statement; “Begotten from the Father before all ages”. Jesus was around way before the Bible starts with “In the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth”. So to us that SEEMS LIKE FOREVER!!! For all practical purposes, and from our current perspective, it is/was forever..
This collaborates perfectly with Col 1:15 – speaking of Jesus;
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Col 1:15
So tell me this, is it really the end of the world to say that Jesus had a beginning? These same teachers will tell you also that Jesus will rule forever and ever, even though that is not what the Bible says;
Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 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. 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. 1 Cor 15:24-28
The Trinity
Oh well.. What the Bible says has little to do with it when creed, doctrines and beliefs are easier to swallow. So, for many today, the issue that separates “the sheeps from the goats” was whether Jesus had a beginning or not! This issue is SO CRITICAL to the orthodox believer indoctrinated and immovable in tradition and creed, that they begin to “nash their teeth” when confronted with these views (Biblical facts…) I have personally been involved in some pretty amazing, almost unbelievable encounters with peoples reactions to these ideas..
Back in 1999, this website was denied admission into the “Christian Web Ring”. The reason stated;
“Dear Russell… While many of the issues/doctrine you address are under heated and legitimate debate within Christendom the doctrine of the eternally existent triune God is universally accepted. Therefore, it is our agreed opinion that this issue is sufficient deviation from sound Biblical Doctrine to deny your site admission to The Christian Webring.”
Universally accepted? Well that sounds like good enough cause to STEER CLEAR of it:
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Mat 7:13, 14
After considering the array of Bible verses, concepts and ideas presented on this website, and this page in particular, you would think that perhaps their would at least be ROOM FOR DISCUSSION! You would think it could be openly discussed amoung “seekers of truth”… But oh no!!! I claim you are hypocrites! The Christians lost the Scopes Monkey Trials, and now WAIL that creationism is ILLEGAL in America’s public schools. So also have you done here. It is now DEVIANT (ILLEGAL) to teach that Jesus was begotten of His Father in the dimly distant past …
The Deity of Jesus
When I was a young, evangelical Christian, I remember being taught that the one sure-fire way that you could discern a “cult” was that they would always either bring Jesus down, or they would elevate others to His level. Not only do I still agree with that, but now even more so, especially learning that in a sense that is EXACTLY what the Trinity doctrine accomplishes – to the end that confusion and “mystery” reigns…
“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. John 14:28
The modern Trinity view, as it is now commonly taught, elevates both Jesus and The Holy Spirit to levels that they do not deserve. Can a son be co-equal with his father? YES, in many respects. To my children, my dad and I are “co-equal” in many ways. My kids would call us grown up, parent, ancestor, owner of possessions, possessor of ‘understanding’ about life, wisdom etc… But are my dad and I the same person? Of course not!!
This is the first ingredient to a “spiritual tweaking”. Are you willing to simply HEAR what the bible says? If so, all of the Co-Equal, Co-Existent, Co-etc, becomes hard to find, and even harder to justify.
The problem has been that till now, there was never a really viable alternative. The cults are a poor option with their extra-biblical / non-biblical doctrines – NO THANKS. I hope you will join me in SEARCHING FOR TRUTH as revealed in the Bible – NOT the traditions of man and tare seeds handed down in the days of Stygian darkness.
Once you strip the “Godhead” of the “mystery” that has mandatorily surrounded it, it’s really not that complicated at all. Do you think that it was an accident that Jesus called His Father “FATHER”? Why do you think that was?
A Normal Family
First of all, will you indulge me in a quick visual journey to illustrate a point. For a moment will you picture “Ben Cartwright” along with his sons Adam, Hoss and Little Joe – this “normal” Ponderosa family. I would like for you to keep in mind the RELATIONSHIP between the father and his sons. And I want to remind you that the relationship in the physical is a reflection of what is really happening in the spiritual. So if you want to know what a healthy relationship with our spiritual Father would/should/could look like, you would look to a successful, healthy relationship in the physical to reflect the truth.
“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” Luke 11:52
The key that our “experts” have removed is the fact that God is a spirit, and therefore, His offspring is spirit. Jesus’ Father gave birth to Jesus’ spirit. Again, remember what the “apostles’ creed” says about Jesus;
“… One Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
Begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.
The point is that Jesus’ SPIRIT was BEGOTTEN by His Father(s Spirit).
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. John 3:6
His Father(s Spirit) gave “BIRTH” to the spirit being who much later came into the body of the Nazarene. Jesus called His Father “FATHER” because that was a reality in fact. So when Jesus spoke of “my Father”, He was speaking of the Father who gave birth to Him – His spirit, which is the reality of who He IS! The spirit is the REALITY of each of us.
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. John 12:49
The Trinity
Does this sound like His co-equal? No, it sounds like His DAD!!! Let me draw it out here.. Jesus’ Father – the father of His Spirit – is known as “The Most High God” or “God The Father”(of Jesus, His SON). Are you getting the idea that Jesus is His SON?
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. Luke 1:32
Now hold on – Jesus is the Father of our spirits. Every human being “houses” a spirit birthed by it’s Father, whom we know as Jesus Christ. Jesus gave birth to the spirit of every single one of us in heaven and on earth, except for His Father, of course. That means every single spiritual being that you know or have heard of. This includes angels, good and bad, as well as all people. Jesus gave birth to us all.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isa 9:6
Have you been taught that Jesus is your BROTHER? Quickly dismiss that one! He is your FATHER, and He loves you just like your earth father because He knows that you came from Him, and just like every dad, He has PLANS for you. He wants you to “rise to the occasion”. He wants you to prove yourself so that He can give you more…
“…we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live… Heb 12:9
Think for a moment of Ben Cartwright on a weeklong journey. When he returns to find that his boys have handled matters properly, then dad and sons are “on track”. Rewards and new responsibilities will be the result of this successful test. On the other hand, if they blew it and had a big party, and went and stole some goods, and sold some of the cattle cheap, etc would Ben KILL them? Would He BURN them? Would He TORTURE them? HELL NO!!! He would take them behind the woodshed and teach them a grand lesson, for the purpose of instilling EXPERIENCE, so that the errant youngster will not repeat foolish behavior. That in a nutshell is Hell’s purpose, disciplinary punishment for the ultimate betterment of the offender. Makes sense, eh? Oops, I kinda got off the subject.. But a bit more to the subject is the story of the wise and foolish servants..
The Holy Spirit’s Name
Do you know that the old testament characters were living dramas for us to see that which had previously been played out in the heavenlies – on earth as it is in heaven..? When God wanted to show us the make-up of the heavenly family, He “illustrated” it for us with earthly characters. Beginning with Abraham – the Father of the masses – as a type, or picture of God The Father (Jesus’ Father). Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac represents Jesus, the Son of God. Isaac was the father of “the twins”, Jacob and Esau. Likewise, Jesus’ FIRSTBORN were twins.
Remember how one son gained Isaac’s favor, and the other his disdain? Jesus’ eldest sons are an exact reflection of Jacob and Esau. Jesus’ two oldest sons, His twins, are known to us by the names Michael and Lucifer (or Satan). We hear them both referred to mostly only by their TITLES; The Holy Spirit and The Devil.
One place that collaborates this position is Revelation;
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Rev 12:7-9
Now let me ask you something; on the days when Ben Cartwright was away from the Ponderosa, who was in charge? Wouldn’t Adam be in charge, first? While dad is away, the oldest son is in charge, right?
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7
Doesn’t sound very “co-equal” does it? Doesn’t it sound like a dad sending his son to take care of his business while he’s gone on a trip? Jesus placed His faithful son, Michael ‘The Holiest Spirit’, in charge of all of His possessions while He is away on a long trip.
All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. John 16:15
Please notice that “it” doesn’t BELONG to The Holy Spirit. Obviously, if he were co-equal, then there would not be all this possessiveness in the Godhead. Curious what it is that the Holy Spirit is taking from what belongs to Jesus and will deliver to us? You’ll be BLOWN AWAY!
The Trinity
So let me ask you; if a stranger happened onto the Ponderosa during the week when Ben was traveling, who would the stranger think was the “boss” or owner of the property? Since Adam (the oldest Cartright son) was in charge during dad’s absence, the stranger would automatically assume that Adam is the king cheese because he doesn’t know that Ben is gone. That is what we have here. Michael ‘The Holiest Spirit’ has been placed in charge, therefore HE is whom people “see” or connect to God. In a sense, the Holy Spirit is “acting AS God”, or being tested in his new role as his Father’s “right hand man”… Is it any wonder that The Holy Spirit is confused as being God? But the fact still remains; The Holy Spirit has not yet entered into Fatherhood of his own spiritual brood, therefore he has not yet arrived at the place of divinity or “Godhood”.
Question: Did Ben Cartwright give birth to all his kids at the same time? Answer: No. In the same way, we could look around at all of us kids and know that the vast differences in maturity and understanding are due to the varying degrees of experience that has been gained over vast era’s of time.
May The Lord Bless your efforts towards Him.
By Russell Dibird
Originally published in 2002
