Tried With Fire

The Son Who Learned Obedience: A Theological Case Against the Eternal Submission of the Son by D. Glenn Butner, Jr., Pickwick Publications, 2018, 223 pages. While the Trinity Debate of 2016 may have cooled down, the question still remains, "Is the Son eternally submissive to the Father?" The short answer is, "No." But if one word will not suffice, read this book. The Son Who Learned Obedience makes a strong case against the eternal functional subordination of the Son (EFS) by addressing: - Why the Trinity falls under the category of systematic theology rather than simple proof-texting. - Pro-Nicene teaching on the Trinity vs. the pro-EFS position. - Inseparable operations. - Does Jesus have one will or two? - How does EFS impact and undermine the doctrine of substitutionary atonement? - What effect does EFS on the doctrine of God? - Is 1 Cor. 15:28 an air-tight case for EFS? As a lay person who followed the Trinity debate closely, I was already on ...

The following quotes are from chapter 3 of The Son Who Learned Obedience by R. Glenn Butner, Jr. This chapter specifically covers how EFS (Eternal Functional Subordination) impacts substitutionary atonement. Something to seriously consider. "Calvin claimed that Christ "removed enmity between God and us... by the whole course of his obedience," and interpreted Galatians 4 to indicate that the obedience toward deliverance began "from the moment when he assumed the form of a servant." Why is this the case? Because only human beings are subject to the law, so only humans can obey the law and thereby fulfill the covenantal obligations of humanity, providing obedience that is the basis for our justification. The Son was born of Mary so that he can obey the law as a human. As Christ himself taught, he came to fulfill the law (Matt 5:17)." 1 "The reason Anselm insisted that Christ's obedience is not obligatory or due to eternal obedience is in orde...

It may be silly for me to post this for my little blog, but hey, why not? Writing is a way to get thoughts out of my head for further examination, so whether it is read or not is secondary. But this also gives me an idea of which subjects struck a chord or possibly a nerve. Based on this list, those subjects are: domestic violence, women in the church and society, the eternal subordination of the Son (ESS) debate, John Piper's rather perplexing statements on justification by faith, and thinking through difficult, ethical issues. Given my interests and concerns, I'll probably keep writing about them in the coming year. 10. If I had my druthers 9. These were tied:  Questioning a false dichotomy  &   The ESS elephant is still in the room 8.  Justified and not sanctified? 7. Roles: Another Andelin Connection? 6. It took "Hidden Figures" 5. Does this say what I think it says? 4. Domestic violence in the Australian church 3. "Me, myself, and I" spirit...

The elephant of the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS) is still in the room. Thankfully some folks are not letting this go quietly into the night without raising the alarm. If you are new to the debate, this latest round of podcasts provide good summaries of what is at stake when you turn the Trinity into a hierarchy. Theology Gals: Eternal Subordination of the Son with Rachel Miller Does ESV=ESS ? - A professor, pastor, and parishioner look at the ESV translation of a few passages. I dare you not to wince when some notes from the ESV Study Bible are read out loud. Eternal Functional Subordinatino is wack yo . - This podcast raises a number of good questions - Is a reformulation of the Trinity being used to shore up a particular view of men and women? Are seminary candidates being trained in questionable theology and not allowed to disagree with their teachers, which is then propagated to future congregations? Is the Son's subordination to the Father being used as th...

"Here, just as the Father has authority over the Son in the Trinity, so the husband has authority over the wife in marriage. The husband's role is parallel to God the Father and the wife's role is parallel to that of God the Son. Moreover, just as Father and Son are equal in deity and importance and personhood, so the husband and wife are equal in humanity and importance and personhood. And, although it is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture, the gift of children within marriage, coming from both the father and the mother, and subject to the authority of both father and mother is analogous to the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and Son in the Trinity." pp. 256-257. S ystematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, Zondervan, 1994. "The relation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then, is one of glorious harmony. Each has his work to contribute, and each does this in recognition of the authority and submission order that is true among these Persons. Th...

I've posted this quote by Carl Trueman before, but it bears repeating: "[T]he doctrine of God is a more complicated matter than the authority of Scripture, When someone starts to tinker with the doctrine of Scripture, many Christians instinctively feel that something nefarious is being done. But when someone starts to tinker with the doctrine of God, many simply assume that very clever people are engaged in improving the tradition." 1 I believe this is happening with the doctrine of the Eternal Subordination of the Son (ESS.) This doctrine believes God the Son is subordinate to the God the Father in role but not in substance, but this subordination is not just for the purpose of redemption but perpetually. I do not agree with ESS and believe it is inconsistent with the classical doctrine of the Trinity. This may seem esoteric, but our understanding of God is the bedrock on which our beliefs rest. If we get God wrong, then any doctrines that follow, which are pretty mu...