The Son of God
The Son of God
The ancient Greeks and Romans used to honor their powerful kings, high priests,
and great philosophers by calling them as 'sons of God'.
This expression of 'sons of God' was used in metaphorical sense only, and not in literal sense. In the Holy Bible this expression is also seen frequently.
The first created man, Adam, has been called as son of God: "Adam, the son of God" (Luke 3:38).
Prophets have been called as sons of God: "Thus said the Lord: I will be his (Solomon's) father, and he shall be my son" (2 Samuel 7:14).
Common people have also been called sons and daughters of god: "God said, . "touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18).
Prophet Jesus (P) said: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:45).
There are verses in the Holy Bible which give the impression that God truly has real sons: "When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose. ... when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them" (Genesis 6:1-4).
"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord and the Satan also came among them" (Job 1:6).
It becomes a little difficult to understand when God Himself says that He has so many sons and David is His begotten son how can one say that Prophet Jesus (P*) is 'the only begotten son of God'. In the recent editions of the Holy Bible, "the only begotten Son' has been changed to 'only Son'.
For two thousand years Prophet Jesus (P*) occupied the position of 'the only begotten son of God'. Now he is being lowered to the position of 'only son', although there are many other sons of God in the Bible.
Although Jesus (P) described himself as a son of man, a Prophet, and a Messiah; and refused to be called as 'son of God' in any unique sense, many Christians today accept him as God. Sonship and divinity are mutually exclusive. To be a son means one who has received life, and to be divine means one who receives life from no one.
They are moving away from unacceptable blind faith to a more acceptable reasonable faith. Many people are now openly asking questions. They want to know the truth. Truth can be found by openly discussing different aspects of religion with all people interested in finding the truth in religion.
Let us all sit together and talk. Let us try
to understand each other better and avoid conflicts.
This expression of 'sons of God' was used in metaphorical sense only, and not in literal sense. In the Holy Bible this expression is also seen frequently.
The first created man, Adam, has been called as son of God: "Adam, the son of God" (Luke 3:38).
Prophets have been called as sons of God: "Thus said the Lord: I will be his (Solomon's) father, and he shall be my son" (2 Samuel 7:14).
Common people have also been called sons and daughters of god: "God said, . "touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18).
Prophet Jesus (P) said: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:45).
Some Holy Bible verses are a little confusing.
God Himself gives the honor of 'First bom son of God' to two different prophets, who were not twins.
"Thus says the Lord, Israel (Jacob) is my first-bom son" (Exodus 4:22).
"for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-bon" (Jeremiah 31:9).
The expressions in the above examples are metaphorical only.There are verses in the Holy Bible which give the impression that God truly has real sons: "When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose. ... when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them" (Genesis 6:1-4).
"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord and the Satan also came among them" (Job 1:6).
In the Holy Bible God also begets sons.
"Lord said to me (David), 'You are my son, today I have begotten you" (Psalms 2:7).
Prophet Jesus (P*) used to be called as 'the only begotten son of God': "For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16).
What is the meaning of the word 'beget and how one begets a son? In Webster's
New Universal Unabridged Dictionary the meaning is given to be, "to procreate, as a
father or sire, as, to beget a son." In The Holy Bible God confirms this meaning of the
word 'beget' in the book of Genesis (17:20) where God says "twelve princes shall he
(Ishmael) beget, and I will make him a great nation." Ishmael begot sons through
his physical union with his wife.It becomes a little difficult to understand when God Himself says that He has so many sons and David is His begotten son how can one say that Prophet Jesus (P*) is 'the only begotten son of God'. In the recent editions of the Holy Bible, "the only begotten Son' has been changed to 'only Son'.
For two thousand years Prophet Jesus (P*) occupied the position of 'the only begotten son of God'. Now he is being lowered to the position of 'only son', although there are many other sons of God in the Bible.
The Holy Quran says: "It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget
a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, 'Be', and it is" (H.Q.* 19:35).
In the New Testament the expression 'son of God' is used for Prophet Jesus (P*) 44 times and 'son of man' used 71 times.
Jesus (P) called himself as son of man and refused to be called as son of God: "The Son of man goes as it is written of
him,” (Matthew 26:24).
"And demons also came out of many, crying, 'You are the Son of God!' But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to
speak, because they knew that he was the Christ (Messiah)" Luke 4:41).
In the Holy Bible, one notices that Prophet Jesus (P*) was presented as a
teacher: "This man (Nicodemus) came to Jesus (P*) by night and said to him, 'Rabbi,
we know that you are a teacher come from God" (John 3:2).
He was then presented as a prophet: "This is the prophet Jesus (P*) from Nazareth
of Galilee' (Matthew 21:11; also in Luke 7:16, 24:19; and John 7:40).
Prophet Jesus (P*) himself said that he was a Messiah: "The woman (from Samaria)
said to him (Prophet Jesus P*) "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ);
when he comes, he will show us all things. Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am
he" (John 4:25-26).
It was Saint Paul who preached Prophet Jesus (P*) to be the son of God: "And
straightway he (Paul) preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God" (Acts
9:20)
In the Holy Bible Prophet Jesus (P") was also described as 'Lord': "for to you is bom
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).The supreme elevation of Prophet Jesus (P*) was to God, The Creator.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).Although Jesus (P) described himself as a son of man, a Prophet, and a Messiah; and refused to be called as 'son of God' in any unique sense, many Christians today accept him as God. Sonship and divinity are mutually exclusive. To be a son means one who has received life, and to be divine means one who receives life from no one.
In the Holy Bible God said that man or son of man can not be God: "God is not man,... or a son of man" (Numbers 23:19).)
From the above discussion it is abundantly clear that "son of God" as used in
the Holy Bible, is in metaphorical sense only. "God the son" is but a human creation.
Some churches find it difficult to explain 'Trinity' to the satisfaction of many people
and has abandoned this most important doctrine of Christianity. They no longer
consider Prophet Jesus (P*) as a part of Trinity.They are moving away from unacceptable blind faith to a more acceptable reasonable faith. Many people are now openly asking questions. They want to know the truth. Truth can be found by openly discussing different aspects of religion with all people interested in finding the truth in religion.
Let us all sit together and talk. Let us try
to understand each other better and avoid conflicts.
It is better to talk than to fight.
Tags: The Son of God, Who is Jesus, The Miraculous life of Jesus, Mary The Blessed,
References:
1. Teachers edition of the Holy Bible, Spencer Press, Inc., 1955.
2. Holy Bible- Revised standard version, American Bible Society, 1980.
3. Illustrated Dictionary & concordance of the Holy Bible, G. G.. The Jerusalem Publishing House Ltd., 1986.
P- Peace of God be upon him/them.
H.Q.- Holy Quran.
Compiled by A. S. Alam, M.D.
1. Teachers edition of the Holy Bible, Spencer Press, Inc., 1955.
2. Holy Bible- Revised standard version, American Bible Society, 1980.
3. Illustrated Dictionary & concordance of the Holy Bible, G. G.. The Jerusalem Publishing House Ltd., 1986.
P- Peace of God be upon him/them.
H.Q.- Holy Quran.
Compiled by A. S. Alam, M.D.