TIMOTHEOS

From my several years-long interactions with Biblical Unitarians, I have observed that their denial of Christ’s “preexistence” is based entirely on a faulty philosophical foundation rather than on a biblical foundation. Once their philosophical axioms are assumed, the Scriptures which at face value teach preexistence (such as Genesis 1:26; Micah 5:2; John 1:1-18, John 3:13; John 6:38; John 8:56-59; John 16:27-31; John 17:3-5,24; Colossians 1:15-20; Philippians 2:6-8, Hebrews 1:1-2,10-12, etc.) are forced to conform to…

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Throughout most of the book of Acts, Christianity was considered a denomination or “sect” within Judaism (called the “Nazarenes”1), the other Jewish sects being the Pharisees,2 the Sadducees,3 and the Essenes.4 Membership of Gentiles was allowed in the synagogues, but always in a secondary status and only by making a commitment to observe the Law of Moses and undergoing circumcision. In the new Nazarene (Jewish-Christian) Faith, many assumed that the same was required of Gentile…

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The distinction which divided Apostolic Christianity from all forms of Gnosticism was “preexistence” of Jesus, whether the divine Person of Logos (Word) actually “became flesh,” (a total transformation of ontological nature), that the Son of God literally “emptied Himself” of His equality with God by “becoming in the likeness of men,” “being made like unto His brethren.” All forms of Gnosticism denied that the Man Jesus preexisted and denied the possibility of a divine being…

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Philippians 2:5-8 provides a critical proof that Jesus literally preexisted as God’s divine Son before He “became in the likeness of men.” This passage, plus Colossians 1:15-20, and several from John are absolutely decisive as long as the interpreter sticks to the norms of lexical meanings of the Greek terms and the norms of the Greek grammar and syntax. Unfortunately, both modern Trinitarians and Unitarians fudge in this regard in order to prop up their…

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Hebrews 1:1-2 is used by ‘Biblical’ Unitarians as proof that the Son of God did not exist before the prophets. Yet they seriously misrepresent what the text actually indicates. They ignore the many similar statements in both the Old and New Testaments which limit this statement to God’s using the prophets to warn rebellious Israel (the “fathers” after the exodus), and they seem oblivious to the parallel with Jesus’ parable of the Vineyard owner who…

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Richard from the “Faithful Theology” YouTube channel asked me to participate in a live discussion with himself and a Biblical Unitarian, Aaron. The intent was to answer a few questions from those who deny the pre-human existence of Christ. The conversation got off to a rocky start due to technical difficulties, and Richard could not directly participate. Because of this, the 5 main questions I had agreed to answer were not really presented. However, Aaron…

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So-called ‘Biblical’ Unitarians claim that the Son of God only existed, before becoming flesh, only in the MIND of God as a figment of His imagination, in His “plan.” To support this claim, they typically begin with 1 Peter 1:20 which states that He was “foreknown” before the “foundation of the world” but was “manifested” in these times. They then appeal to the Calvinistic interpretation of “foreknown” (pro-ginosko), as having knowledge of someone before they…

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According to the KJV, NKJV, and the Catholic Douay Rheims Bible, Nebuchadnezzar claimed that the fourth Man in the fiery furnace was “like the Son of God.” However, the vast majority of modern versions have “like a son of the gods.” This difference is because the KJV, NKJV do not slavishly follow the Hebrew Masoretic Text, but sometimes revert to readings in the Greek Septuagint especially in Christologically significant passages. On the other hand, most…

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Biblical Unitarians validate their unbelief regarding the Son’s pre-human existence primarily on an argument from silence. They claim that the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) say absolutely nothing about preexistence. They then attempt to filter all of the preexistence language in John’s Gospel through a fabricated “Jewish” philosophical paradigm so that none of it is taken literally. However, they miss one of the most important conversations Jesus had with the Jewish scholars concerning Psalm 110:1…

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In the past I have taught that the “Root” of the “Olive Tree” in the parable in Romans 11 is the Abrahamic Covenant. I was wrong. It is the “Seed” promised in the Abrahamic Covenant, who is Christ according to Galatians 3:16. This is God’s Son who was betrothed to Israel first under the Mosaic Covenant, but then again under the New Covenant. Here is my reasoning: Romans 11:16-29 (NKJV) 16 For if the FIRSTFRUIT…

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We are beginning section “D” of Bereans Bible Institute Module II on the doctrine of God and His Only-Begotten Son. This section will deal primarily with the “proof-texting” done by Biblical Unitarians (Socinians) and their specific arguments in their attempt to prove that Jesus had no pre-human existence, and that He was not LITERALLY the “Son of God,” not LITERALLY “begotten” out of God, fathered by God Himself. In this first installment, I tackle the…

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One of the most important themes which runs through the entire Bible is the Marriage of the Son of God. The Old Testament refers many times to Zion/Jerusalem & Israel as being “betrothed” to the Lord. The prophets declare her harlotry during this betrothal period, and emphasize that the Lord has divorced her for a time (as illustrated by her exile and the desolation of the Temple). Yet He promised to take her again as…

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I just completed the 5th video lesson in section “C” of the Bereans Bible Institute Module 2. This lesson deals with a topic I covered in much greater detail in a previous post on this blog at the following link: “To Whom has the ‘Arm of the Lord’ been Revealed?” Scripture uses the metaphors of Yahweh’s “Mighty Hand” and His “Outstretched Arm” in describing both the creation of heaven and earth and especially the exodus…

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Isaiah and Micah were contemporary prophets, both prophesying in Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Both prophets prophesied concerning the deliverance of king Hezekiah’s kingdom from the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The deliverance was because of Hezekiah’s prayer to Yahweh and was accomplished by Yahweh’s Messenger killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. Isaiah 36-39 tells the story of this siege and miraculous deliverance. But the fascinating detail,…

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The same “Messenger of Yahweh” who confirmed the Covenant to Abraham, who was “the Mighty One of Jacob,” who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, was also with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire and spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai. He then led Israel through the wilderness, at times punishing them severely for their rebellion, yet leading them to the Promised Land. He was the “ROCK” of Israel who Paul identified…

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The “Mighty One of Jacob” was Yahweh’s “Messenger” who appeared to Jacob at the top of a ladder. Jacob anointed with oil the Stone at the base of the ladder, and named it “Bethel,” the House of God. The vision of the ladder, with Yahweh’s “Messenger” at the top and the Anointed Stone at the base, is an allegory of the descent of Yahweh’s Messenger’s from heaven to become the “Christ,” the Anointed “Foundation Stone.”…

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The Apostles repeatedly stated that no one has seen God Himself at any time in history, that no one is capable of seeing God with their eyes. This immediately creates a difficulty with the many Old Testament Scriptures which claim that someone called “God” and “Yahweh” spoke face to face with the patriarchs, Moses, etc. and these people then claimed to have seen God. This Person who commonly used the title “God,” used Yahweh’s own…

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Biblical Unitarians (Socinians) DENY that God’s Son existed since creation and was God’s Agent through whom He created all things. They offer three contradictory arguments in their attempts to explain away John 1:3,10 and Col. 1:16. But each argument uses either faulty logic or impossible interpretations of the Greek grammar, and each falsifies the others. These are: Go to: BBI II-C #1 Yahweh’s “Messenger,” the “Image of the Invisible God”

In Colossians 1:14-20, Paul revealed the “Hidden Wisdom” (of 1 Cor. 2:6-10) by placing the Son of God Himself within the context of Proverbs 8:22-31, claiming that Jesus was “the first-produced of all creation” and is called “the Beginning” (as stated in Prov. 8:22-25) and was God’s Agent through whom He created all things (as stated in Prov. 8:30). In the same passage Paul went on to claim that the Son, through whom God created…

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Not only did Paul refer to Jesus as “the Wisdom of God” and the “hidden Wisdom,” but Luke, Paul’s companion, called Jesus “the Wisdom of God” in his Gospel. Luke’s Christology comes from Paul. In all three synoptic Gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism, the Father declared from heaven that His Son was “Wisdom” of Proverbs 8:22-31 & Prov. 30:4. Thus all of the Gospel accounts have preexistence language concerning Christ, identifying Him as God’s Agent…

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Proverbs begins by telling the reader to decipher a riddle, the “hidden Wisdom” concealed by God behind what at first appears to be just a “personification” of one of God’s attributes. Yahweh has always possessed his own “wisdom,” yet this at the “beginning” of creation week, this “hidden Wisdom” was “acquired,” “founded,” and “begotten” by Yahweh as “the Beginning” of His works. “Wisdom” then claims to have been God’s protege and agent in the creation…

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In the Bereans Bible Institute Module 2-A we used the Genesis creation account as the springboard to discuss John’s Gospel because John introduced Jesus as God’s Agent in creation “in the Beginning.” Now in Module 2-B we will use Solomon’s creation account (Proverbs 8:22-31 & Proverbs 30:1-4) as the springboard to discuss Paul’s letters, and how he portrayed “Wisdom” as both God’s agent in creation and the one who was crucified. The first lesson deals…

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For the last several lessons we have been looking at the language in John’s Gospel about the pre-human existence of God’s Son, which is a major theme running throughout the entire book. Socinian Unitarians, who deny the pre-human existence of the Son of God, use exegetical gymnastics to deny the literal understanding of all of these passages. Yet, in chapters 16 & 17 the writer made it perfectly clear that all of this preexistence language,…

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The eighth chapter of John’s Gospel continues to develop the idea of the pre-human existence of the Son of God. In this chapter Jesus claimed to have come “from above,” the very place where He was about to return. He claimed to be “the Beginning,” the title given to “Wisdom” in Proverbs 8:22, and that He “issued forth out of God,” terminology which refers to the “begetting” of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:24-25. These statements reach…

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In John 6, Jesus stated more than once that He came down from heaven. He compared Himself to the manna which God provided for Israel in the wilderness. The difference was that the manna from heaven sustained the Israelites temporal lives, but Jesus provides immortality. Trinitarians have no real difficulties in this chapter. However, Unitarians who deny that the Son of God existed before His birth from Mary have plenty of difficulties in this chapter….

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