Eternal generation of the Son

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God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. -- Nicene Creed Pleiades large.jpg
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.Nicene Creed

The eternal generation of the Son is a Trinitarian doctrine, which is defined as a necessary and eternal act of God the Father, in which he generates (or begets) God the Son through communicating the whole divine essence to the Son. Generation is not defined as an act of the will, but is by necessity of nature. [2] [3] To avoid anthropomorphistic understandings of the doctrine, theologians have defined it as timeless, non-bodily, incomprehensible and not as a communication without but within the Godhead. [4] [5] [6] The view is affirmed by the Roman Catholic Church, [7] Eastern Orthodoxy [8] and Protestantism as is evident in the Westminster Confession [9] the London Baptist Confession [10] and by Lutheran confessions [11] among others.

Contents

The doctrine has been an important part of Nicene Trinitarianism, however some modern theologians have proposed different models of the Trinity, wherein eternal generation is no longer seen as necessary and thus rejected. [12] This is associated with the belief doctrine of the temporal Sonship of Christ, instead of being eternally the Son of God. [13]

History

Athanasius of Alexandria was traditionally thought to be the author of the Athanasian Creed, and gives his name to its common title. This creed famously affirmed eternal generation. Athanasius I.jpg
Athanasius of Alexandria was traditionally thought to be the author of the Athanasian Creed, and gives his name to its common title. This creed famously affirmed eternal generation.

The doctrine of eternal generation has been affirmed by the Athanasian creed, [14] the Nicene creed (325ad) [15] and by church fathers such as Athanasius of Alexandria (298 – 2 May 373) [16] , Augustine (354 – 28 August 430), Hilary of Poitiers (310 – c. 367) [17] , Basil of Caesarea (330 – 1 or 2 January 379) [18] [19] [20] being mentioned explicitly first by Origen of Alexandria (185 – 253). [21] The idea of relational origins within the Trinity also existed in the writings of Tertullian (155–220). However, in stark contrast to the doctrine of eternal generation, Tertullian viewed the generation of the Son of God as a temporal event, thus arguing that the Son became a distinct person in the Trinity only after the begetting of the Son in time. [22] A similar perspective was held by Hippolytus (170–235), who, despite affirming the eternity of the divine essence shared by the persons of the Trinity, did not regard the Son’s personal existence as eternal. [23]

The eternal generation of the Son was rejected by Arius (256 – 336), who instead argued that God is an eternal monad who created the Son in time, arguing that the Son was not of the same essence as the Father. [24] However, Alexander of Alexandria (died 326) drew arguments from the doctrine of eternal generation to critique the claims of the Arians. Alexander argued against Arius, stating that without an eternal Son, there could also be no eternal Father. [25]

Often wrongly cited is the claim that the Reformer John Calvin (1509 – 1564) denied the doctrine of eternal generation. However, he nevertheless rejected the idea that eternal generation should be understood as a communication of the essence. However, most Reformed theologians have not followed Calvin's view of eternal generation. [26]

The doctrine was often disputed by the non-trinitarian Socinians, arguing that the sonship of Christ is not derived from his eternal begetting. [27] [28] Eternal Generation was also rejected by the antitrinitarian Michael Servetus (1509 or 1511), who was burned at the stake for his views on the trinity. [29] The view has also been disputed by some modern theologians, including a number of Social Trinitarians, such as William Lane Craig. [30] [31] Other trinitarian theologians to have criticized the view include Charles Ryrie, [32] John MacArthur (although later recanting of his position) [33] and J. Oliver Buswell among others. [34] [35] The doctrine was also disputed by the popular Evangelical theologian Wayne Grudem, arguing that the doctrine is derived from a misunderstanding of the Greek word monogenes ('μονογενής'). [12] However, he later recanted of his opposition to the doctrine of eternal generation. [36]

Eternal Generation has been affirmed by the Roman Catholic Church, [7] Eastern Orthodoxy, [8] Presbyterians as is evident in the Westminster Confession, [9] Lutherans, [11] Reformed Baptists, [10] some Plymouth Brethren, [37] some Southern Baptists, [38] other Dispensational theologians such as Lewis Sperry Chafer, [39] and some Independent Baptists such as Rolland D. McCune [40] among others.

Scripture

Those who teach the traditional doctrine of eternal generation have often used texts such as Proverbs 8:23, [41] Psalm 2:7, Micah 5:2, John 5:26, John 1:18, 3:16, Colossians 1:15, 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Hebrews 1:3. [42] [43] The ideas of 'image' and 'radiance' expressed in these texts have been argued to imply the idea of generation. Additionally, the idea of being 'begotten' in Psalm 2:7 and John 3:16 has been applied by theologians to support eternal begetting or generation. [44] The text of John 5:26 is one of the most central texts used to defend the idea of eternal generation, which references the Son being granted to have 'life in himself' by the Father. [45] [46] [43] However, the idea that these texts teach the doctrine of eternal generation has been disputed by its critics. The critics of the theory such as William Lane Craig have argued that it introduces subordinationism into the Godhead. A major issue in the debate is the translation of the Greek term monogenes, translated as 'only begotten'. Those who hold to eternal generation generally argue the word to involve an idea of derivation or begetting, while its critics have denied that the word has such connotations. [13] [12]

Critics of eternal generation often argue that interpreting Jesus as the eternal Son of God is a mistake, arguing that Jesus is only the Son of God due to the incarnation. [47]

Characteristics

In his Reformed Dogmatics, 19th-century Dutch Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck presages an enumeration of the characteristics of the eternal generation of the Son by emphasising the classical attribution of 'life' to God, stating that he is not an 'abstract, fixed, monadic, solitary substance, but a plenitude of life'. This is rooted in the Biblical attribution of generation in a fatherly sense to God, for example, For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). In addition, the Son bears names that denote this relation to the Father, including firstborn, only-begotten and image ('χαρακτηρ') as in Hebrews 1:3, in which the Son is said to be the express image of God's person. Thus while Bavinck is cautious not to associate the imperfection and sensuality of earthly generation with the eternal generation of the Son, he nevertheless asserts the relevance of the analogy to the divine being. [48]

God's fecundity is a beautiful theme, one that frequently recurs in the church fathers. God is no abstract, fixed, monadic, solitary substance, but a plenitude of life. It is his nature (οὐσια) to be generative (γεννητικη) and fruitful (καρπογονος). It is capable of expansion, unfolding, and communication. Those who deny this fecund productivity fail to take seriously the fact that God is an infinite fullness of blessed life. All such people have left is an abstract deistic concept of God, or to compensate for this sterility, in pantheistic fashion they include the life of the world in the divine being. Apart from the Trinity even the act of creation becomes inconceivable. For if God cannot communicate himself, he is a darkened light, a dry spring, unable to exert himself outward to communicate himself to creatures. [48]

Given this emphasis on the 'life' of God, Bavinck enumerates three major characteristics of the eternal generation which are characteristic of Nicene orthodoxy, in contrast to Arianism which the Nicene Creed opposes.

  1. The generation of the Son is spiritual. That is, it is simple, without division, separation or flux. God expresses himself completely in the person of the Logos, the express image of his person (Hebrews 1:3). A common analogy of eternal generation is human speech; as human thought is expressed in speech, so God expresses his being in the Logos (which means 'speech', 'word' or 'reason'). Yet it is an imperfect analogy, since the expression of God's being in the Son is total and indivisible, For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself (John 5:26). The Arians, in contrast, alleged that generation necessitates separation, division and passion, such that the Son cannot be consubstantial with the Father. [48]
  2. The Father generates the Son out of the very same being of the Father. As it states in the Nicene Creed, 'God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.' [49] The Son was not created by the Father, rather he was generated out of the Father's being in eternity. Generation is thus not so much a work of the Father, but the very nature of the Father, in harmony with his knowledge, will and power as a perfect expression of his being. In this sense it can be said that Christ is over all, God blessed for ever (Romans 9:5). In Arianism, the Son is not generated but created by the Father out of nothing, which means that he is a creature. [48]
  3. The generation is eternal. If the Son does not possess his sonship or generation of the Father eternally, than neither is the Father eternal. In other words, the very fact that the Father is eternally the Father necessitates that the Son is eternally the Son. Indeed, to deny the eternal generation of the Son would rob the Father of his eternal nature as the Father, since there would have been a prior time in which the Father was not the Father but something else, only later generating the son and thus becoming the Father. Generation is an everlasting act of God, eternally occurring as an aspect of the eternally generative nature of the Father. The Son is therefore everlastingly begotten. In Arianism, the Son is said to not have existed at some point, and further was brought about or created at some point.

See also

Related Research Articles

Arianism is a Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius. It is considered heretical by most modern mainstream branches of Christianity. It is held by a minority of modern denominations, although some of these denominations hold related doctrines such as Socinianism, and some shy away from use of the term Arian due to the term's historically negative connotations. Modern mainstream denominations sometimes connected to the teaching include Jehovah's Witnesses, some individual churches within the Churches of Christ, as well as some Hebrew Roots Christians and Messianic Jews.

In Christian theology, Sabellianism is the belief that there is only one Person in the Godhead. For example, Hanson defines Sabellianism as the "refusal to acknowledge the distinct existence of the Persons" and "Eustathius was condemned for Sabellianism. His insistence that there is only one distinct reality (hypostasis) in the Godhead, and his confusion about distinguishing Father, Son and Holy Spirit laid him open to such a charge." Condemned as heresy, Sabellianism has been rejected by the majority of Christian churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity</span> Christian doctrine that God is three persons

The Trinity is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, three distinct persons (hypostases) sharing one essence/substance/nature (homoousion).

Nontrinitarianism is a form of Christianity that rejects the orthodox Christian theology of the Trinity—the belief that God is three distinct hypostases or persons who are coeternal, coequal, and indivisibly united in one being, or essence. Certain religious groups that emerged during the Protestant Reformation have historically been known as antitrinitarian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God the Son</span> Second person of the Trinity in Christian theology

God the Son is the second Person of the Trinity in Christian theology. According to Christian doctrine, God the Son, in the form of Jesus Christ, is the incarnation of the eternal, pre-existent divine Logos through whom all things were created. Although the precise term "God the Son" does not appear in the Bible, it serves as a theological designation expressing the understanding of Jesus as a part of the Trinity, distinct yet united in essence with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

Homoiousios is a Christian theological term, coined in the 4th century to identify a distinct group of Christian theologians who held the belief that God the Son was of a similar, but not identical, essence with God the Father.

Homoousion is a Christian theological term, most notably used in the Nicene Creed for describing Jesus as "same in being" or "same in essence" with God the Father. The same term was later also applied to the Holy Spirit in order to designate him as being "same in essence" with the Father and the Son. Those notions became cornerstones of theology in Nicene Christianity, and also represent one of the most important theological concepts within the Trinitarian doctrinal understanding of God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incarnation (Christianity)</span> Belief that Jesus was made flesh by being conceived in the womb of a woman

In Christian theology, the incarnation is the belief that the pre-existent divine person of Jesus Christ, God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, and the Logos was "made flesh," "conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary," also known as the Theotokos. The doctrine of the incarnation then entails that Jesus was at the same time both fully God and fully human.

Eastern Orthodox theology is the theology particular to the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is characterized by monotheistic Trinitarianism, belief in the Incarnation of the divine Logos or only-begotten Son of God, cataphatic theology with apophatic theology, a hermeneutic defined by a Sacred Tradition, a catholic ecclesiology, a theology of the person, and a principally recapitulative and therapeutic soteriology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subordinationism</span> Assertion that the Son and the Holy Spirit are subordinate to God the Father in nature and being

Subordinationism is a Trinitarian doctrine wherein the Son is subordinate to the Father, not only in submission and role, but with actual ontological subordination to varying degrees. It posits a hierarchical ranking of the persons of the Social Trinity, implying ontological subordination of the persons of the Son and the Holy Spirit. It was condemned as heretical in the Second Council of Constantinople.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social trinitarianism</span> Interpretation of the Trinity

Social trinitarianism is a Christian interpretation of the Trinity as consisting of three persons, each person having their own center of consciousness. These persons are united in a loving relationship, which reflects a model for human relationships. The teaching emphasizes that God is an inherently social being. Human unity approaches conformity to the image of God's unity through self-giving, empathy, adoration for one another, etc. Such love is a fitting ethical likeness to God, but is in stark contrast to God's unity of being. Those who are often associated with this term include Jürgen Moltmann, Miroslav Volf, Elizabeth Johnson, Leonardo Boff, John Zizioulas, William Lane Craig and Catherine LaCugna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divine filiation</span> Christian doctrine

Divine filiation is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of God by nature, and when Christians are redeemed by Jesus they become sons of God by adoption. This doctrine is held by most Christians, but the phrase "divine filiation" is used primarily by Catholics. This doctrine is also referred to as divine sonship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinitarianism in the Church Fathers</span>

Debate exists as to whether the earliest Church Fathers in Christian history believed in the doctrine of the Trinity – the Christian doctrine that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons sharing one homoousion (essence).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pre-existence of Christ</span> Existence of Christ before his incarnation as Jesus

The pre-existence of Christ asserts the existence of Christ prior to his incarnation as Jesus. One of the relevant Bible passages is John 1 where, in the Trinitarian interpretation, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis called the Logos. There are nontrinitarian views that question the aspect of personal pre-existence, the aspect of divinity, or both.

The position of the Eastern Orthodox Church regarding the Filioque controversy is defined by their interpretation of the Bible, and the teachings of the Church Fathers, creeds and definitions of the seven Ecumenical Councils, as well as the decisions of several particular councils of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Kevin N. Giles is an Australian evangelical Anglican priest and theologian who was in parish ministry for over 40 years. He and his family live in Melbourne, Australia. Giles studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Durham University, England and Tubingen University, Germany. He has a Doctor of Theology degree from the Australian College of Theology.

Eternal functional subordination (EFS) or Eternal subordination of the Son (ESS) is a Trinitarian doctrine which proposes a hierarchy within the trinity, where though the Son is ontologically equal to the Father, he is subordinate in role, obeying the Father in eternity. Advocates of eternal subordination generally see this as a model for human relationships. Eternal Subordination is contrasted with the view held by Augustine, where the obedience of the Son to the Father is only by virtue of His human nature. Two prominent modern advocates of the doctrine are Wayne Grudem and Bruce Ware, though they often use the monicker "eternal relations of authority and submission" to further nuance their view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eternal procession of the Holy Spirit</span>

The Eternal procession of the Holy Spirit is a theological concept in trinitarianism that describes the relationship of the Holy Spirit within the Holy Trinity. The doctrine of the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit is related to the doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son; however, in Christian theology procession is viewed as being mysteriously different from generation in order to distinguish the Holy Spirit from the Son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classical trinitarianism</span>

Classical trinitarianism is a term which has been used to refer to the model of the trinity formulated in early Christian creeds and classical theologians, such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. The term is often used in the context of the discussion concerning differing models of the trinity, as some theologians have proposed models of the trinity which do not distinguish the persons of the trinity with eternal generation and eternal procession as established at the Council of Nicaea, but instead by distinct attributes of volition and consciousness. This is particularly associated with forms of social trinitarianism.

The temporal sonship of Christ is a Christian doctrine, which claims that the Logos became the Son of God in the incarnation. Thus, the Logos is not viewed as being eternally the Son of God by eternal generation, but instead became the Son of God in the incarnation. This doctrine has been associated with forms of Social Trinitarianism, and Modalistic Monarchianism.

References

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  3. Hodge, Charles. Outlines of Theology. The eternal generation of the Son is commonly defined to be an eternal personal act of the Father, wherein by necessity of nature, not by choice of will, he generates the person (not the essence) of the Son, by communicating to him the whole indivisible substance of the Godhead, without division, alienation, or change, so that the Son is the express image of His Father's person, and eternally continues, not from the Father, but in the Father, and the Father in the Son
  4. Hodge, Charles. Outlines of Theology. In order to guard their doctrine of derivation and eternal generation from all gross anthropomorphic conceptions, they carefully maintained that it was—(1) αχρονος timeless, eternal; (2) ασωματως not bodily, spiritual; (3) αορατοςinvisible; (4) αχωριστως not a local transference, a communication not without but within the Godhead; (5) απαθως without passion or change; (6) παντελως ακαταληπτος, altogether incomprehensible.
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  7. 1 2 "Part 1 Section 2 Chapter 1 Article 1 Page 2 | USCCB". usccb.org. Retrieved 2023-11-20. And, since the Father has through generation given to the only-begotten Son everything that belongs to the Father, except being Father, the Son has also eternally from the Father, from whom he is eternally born, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son.
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  10. 1 2 "Of God and the Holy Trinity". The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2023-11-20. the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father;29 the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son;30
  11. 1 2 "BookOfConcord.org". bookofconcord.org. Retrieved 2023-11-20. l with us according to the humanity; that He is in all respects like us, excepting sin; that He was begotten before the world out of the Father according to the deity, but that the same person was in the last<
    II. That the Father is begotten of no one; the Son of the Father; the Holy Ghost proceeds from Father and Son.
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  39. "Systematic Theology (8 vols.)". www.logos.com. Retrieved 2025-01-13. Various passages imply the generation of the Son,—"the only begotten of the Father"; "the only begotten Son"; "the only begotten Son of God." On the basis of these and other terms the theological distinction is set forth to the effect that the Son is eternally generated. As "the firstborn of every creature" Christ is wholly unrelated to created beings, being, as He is, begotten before all created beings. This distinction between Christ and creation is profound, a mystery, since its realities are outside the range of human cognition. Christ is by generation and not by creation. He is the Creator of all things. Generation is not predicated of the Father or the Spirit. This feature is peculiar to the Son. It is not the result of any divine act, but has ever been from all eternity. The words of the Nicene Creed are: "The only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father"; of the Athanasian: "The Son is from the Father alone; neither made, nor created, but begotten … generated from eternity from the substance of the Father" (cited by A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, pp. 116, 118).
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  47. "Is God the Son Begotten in His Divine Nature? | Reasonable Faith". www.reasonablefaith.org. Retrieved 2025-02-01. Biblically speaking, the vast majority of contemporary New Testament scholars recognize that even if the word traditionally translated "only-begotten" (monogenēs) carries a connotation of derivation when used in familial contexts—as opposed to meaning merely "unique" or "one of a kind" as many scholars maintain[3]—nevertheless the biblical references to Christ as monogenēs (Jn 1.1, 14, 18; cf. Rev 9.13) do not contemplate some pre-creation or eternal procession of the divine Son from the Father, but have to do with the historical Jesus's being God's special Son (Mt. 1.21-23; Lk. 1-35; Jn. 1.14, 34; Gal. 4.4; Heb. 1.5-6).[4] In other words, Christ's status of being monogenēs has less to do with the Trinity than with the Incarnation. This primitive understanding of Christ's being begotten is still evident in Ignatius's description of Christ as "one Physician, of flesh and of spirit, begotten and unbegotten (...) both of Mary and of God" (Ephesians 7). There is here no idea that Christ in his divine nature is begotten. Indeed, the transference by the Apologists of Christ's Sonship from Jesus of Nazareth to the pre-incarnate Logos has helped to depreciate the importance of the historical Jesus for Christian faith.
  48. 1 2 3 4 Bavinck, Herman (2004). Reformed Dogmatics: God and Creation. Translated by Bolt, John; Vriend, John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic. 2.308-310.
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