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...