The words "Son of God" are used in Romans 8:14. The Apostle Paul had used them in that Book to refer to all who are led by the Holy Spirit of God. The same words appear in Job 1:6, at that time to refer to those who had assembled before the Lord for a special council. Then, the words are used once again, on that occasion in Genesis 6:2,4 to express the wickedness of the people during Noah's time. These instances in Scriptures show a special relationship between God and His creatures, but in none of these examples are the words meant to show or even suggest that the sons of God are equal with God. In the example from the Book of Romans, the expression describes His people. In Job and Genesis, it is talking about angels.
In John 10:22-36 and John 5:17-27, Jesus called Himself the "Son of God," and this time, the expression was intended to imply deity and an equalness to God. In John 10:24, the Jews had asked Christ if He was the Messiah. He rebuked them for now knowing the answer to their inquiry, but then in Verse Thirty of that chapter said that He and God are one. His conversation with them suggests that Jesus truly thought that He was the literal Son of God, and the anger of the Jews with His use of such words suggests that they truly believed that He was making that claim. A similar account is recorded in John 5:17-27, this time after Jesus had healed a man. In addressing the Jews on that occasion, Jesus spoke of God as "His" Father and then spoke of Himself as the Father's Son. Again, the Jews were very angry with His claim to be the Son of God, and Verse Eighteen of that chapter says that they sought to kill Him.
The words "Son of God" by themselves do not prove the Deity of Christ. They really only show that Jesus claimed to be the Christ. However, those words when combined with His other titles, including the use of the word "kurios" in Luke 2:11, is divine attributes, and His works, especially His resurrection, strongly support that claim. According to Mr. J. I. Packer, in "Meeting God," Jesus was telling His disciples in John 14:1 that the invisible God had been made visible through Him. Thus, in every case, Jesus claimed to be equal with God, and in every case, God backed Him up in that claim.
Tom of Spotswood "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
Index to Selected Essays And Book Reviews
Lesson 17 - The Impeccability Of Christ
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