There was a time when the Father was NOT

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liamconnor
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There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #1

Post by liamconnor »

Numerous arguments have pitted "The Father" against claims for Jesus', or the Son's, or the Word's divinity--i.e., anything that might support trinitarianism.

A preferred means of arguing this is to point out that the "Son" is "begotten"; ergo, created, and therefore cannot be God. In addition to this is the hierarchical value attached to the term Father-suggesting that this term alone excludes the Son from divinity.

Hence the quote:
There is nothing in any scripture that indicates that "unique" means "uncreated." Jesus is called the "only begotten god" at John 1:18, showing that he was created. The early church fathers (such as Polycarp, Clement and Ignatius)
called the Father, Jehovah, "the only UN-begotten god." They recognized the Father as the one true God, not the Father AND the Son AND the Holy Spirit.

But this raises an important question. Is the Father ALWAYS the Father? To borrow from Arius, "Was there a time when the Father was NOT a Father?"

Did God BECOME a Father at some point in his existence? That is, is FATHERHOOD not integral to God's being?

Or is it better to say that there ALWAYS was a FATHER because there ALWAYS was a SON? And therefore, Fatherhood is integral to God's being, just as Sonhood is?

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #2

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 1 by liamconnor]

A man becomes a father when he first has a child. YHWH became a Father when he created his first child. Obviously YHWH/Jehovah is infinite and he existed prior to becoming "a father", just as your father existed as an individual long before you were born.
  • In view of the above, we can reasonably say no, FATHERHOOD is not an integral part of his being, it is an aspect of what He became (JEHOVAH means "causes to become" so he can become and cause to become anything he so wishes; so at a certain moment evidently God wished to become a father, so he became one starting his own family*). Arguably, if the relationship between "The Word" and YHWH were equal infinity from before the beginning of time, then one would not be described as being "The Father" of the other; a more logical analogy would probably be "THE TWINS"
In any case, Jesus (The Word) is a created being and as such there was a time when he (The Word/The Logos) did not exist. So the Father has NOT always been a Father, but "The Son" was, from the moment he was created a son.
[* ]NOTE: The bible indicates YHWH was a father long before Jesus was born as a human on earth to the virgin Mary. The book of Genesis speaks about rebellious "sons of God" and the bible book of Job refers to the "sons of God" witnessing the creation of the earth and stars. So YHWH became a father when he created his first spirit son in the heavens.
CONCLUSION To presume both Father and Son existed as such from the beginning of all time as equally infinite beings, is to negate the fundamental notion of both words. YHWH Almighty God Jehovah has always existed, He is infinite. He became a Father when he first started a family.


JW







♦ RELATED POSTS

What does the bible mean when it speaks of an "only begotten" son (tigger2)?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 451#786451

Scriptural reasons we know Jesus is NOT Almighty God
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 572#751572

Further reading: Is Jesus Almighty God?
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/q ... -almighty/
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #3

Post by Checkpoint »

[Replying to post 1 by liamconnor]
id God BECOME a Father at some point in his existence? That is, is FATHERHOOD not integral to God's being?

Or is it better to say that there ALWAYS was a FATHER because there ALWAYS was a SON? And therefore, Fatherhood is integral to God's being, just as Sonhood is?
It is better to say what God says.
Psalm 2:

7 I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:

He said to me, “You are My Son;

today I have become your Father.(NIV)

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #4

Post by steveb1 »

liamconnor wrote: Numerous arguments have pitted "The Father" against claims for Jesus', or the Son's, or the Word's divinity--i.e., anything that might support trinitarianism.

A preferred means of arguing this is to point out that the "Son" is "begotten"; ergo, created, and therefore cannot be God. In addition to this is the hierarchical value attached to the term Father-suggesting that this term alone excludes the Son from divinity.

[snipped]

...


But this raises an important question. Is the Father ALWAYS the Father? To borrow from Arius, "Was there a time when the Father was NOT a Father?"

Did God BECOME a Father at some point in his existence? That is, is FATHERHOOD not integral to God's being?

Or is it better to say that there ALWAYS was a FATHER because there ALWAYS was a SON? And therefore, Fatherhood is integral to God's being, just as Sonhood is?
My own personal reading of early Jewish christology is "Arian" and "Ebionite" in the sense that Jesus the Son/Logos/heavenly Son of Man was first conceptualized as a very ancient archangelic being. Ancient and preexistent, but not eternal. The Jewish Bible does not say when the Son came into being, and neither does the Christian Testament. Only if the Son is viewed as the ontological Second Person of the Trinity can he be said to be eternal, like God the Father is held to be.

If that's true, then yes, there was a time when God was not (yet) a Father.
I would hazard the guess that the biblical deity first became a father at the first nanosecond of the Son's "birth" in heaven - and when he secondarily extended his fatherhood in the first nanosecond of the world's creation - the creation itself being God's "second child".

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #5

Post by Wootah »

[Replying to post 1 by liamconnor]

For non-Christians, if the Father Son and Holy Spirit are not coeternal:

Can there be a time when God is now no longer the Father?

Can there be a time when God is no longer loving?
Proverbs 18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

Member Notes: viewtopic.php?t=33826

"Why is everyone so quick to reason God might be petty. Now that is creating God in our own image :)."

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #6

Post by ttruscott »

liamconnor wrote:But this raises an important question. Is the Father ALWAYS the Father? To borrow from Arius, "Was there a time when the Father was NOT a Father?"
I suggest that Father does not mean creator as there are at least 4 verses giving Christ the honour of being our creator. YHWH as the Trinity is our creator but perhaps within the Trinity, the honour of creation was the Son's.

Therefore Father might be a personality characteristic and this quote is moot, depending as it does on Father referring only to creation.
PCE Theology as I see it...

We had an existence with a free will in Sheol before the creation of the physical universe. Here we chose to be able to become holy or to be eternally evil in YHWH's sight. Then the physical universe was created and all sinners were sent to earth.

This theology debunks the need to base Christianity upon the blasphemy of creating us in Adam's sin.

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #7

Post by DPMartin »

liamconnor wrote: Numerous arguments have pitted "The Father" against claims for Jesus', or the Son's, or the Word's divinity--i.e., anything that might support trinitarianism.

A preferred means of arguing this is to point out that the "Son" is "begotten"; ergo, created, and therefore cannot be God. In addition to this is the hierarchical value attached to the term Father-suggesting that this term alone excludes the Son from divinity.

Hence the quote:
There is nothing in any scripture that indicates that "unique" means "uncreated." Jesus is called the "only begotten god" at John 1:18, showing that he was created. The early church fathers (such as Polycarp, Clement and Ignatius)
called the Father, Jehovah, "the only UN-begotten god." They recognized the Father as the one true God, not the Father AND the Son AND the Holy Spirit.

But this raises an important question. Is the Father ALWAYS the Father? To borrow from Arius, "Was there a time when the Father was NOT a Father?"

Did God BECOME a Father at some point in his existence? That is, is FATHERHOOD not integral to God's being?

Or is it better to say that there ALWAYS was a FATHER because there ALWAYS was a SON? And therefore, Fatherhood is integral to God's being, just as Sonhood is?

but first one must take into consideration these statements:


Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.


Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.


the three the Father Son and Holy Spirit are one. just as all living things are similar of God's creation. all have power to live have means of communication with other living things in proximity to its presence that it has. hence power to live presence of its life and expression or communication to that which is in its presence.

you have your life you can communicate from your life in your presence. God is Spirit therefore His Holy Spirit is His Presence and from His Presence He speaks, from Almighty Power. so, God's Power is God God's Word is God and God's Presence is God to anything not God.

you are you, your word of you is you, and your presence in the flesh is you to anything not you. thing is you don't have the power to make things happen according to your word that you speak in your presence.

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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #8

Post by TripleZ »

JehovahsWitness wrote: [Replying to post 1 by liamconnor]

A man becomes a father when he first has a child. YHWH became a Father when he created his first child. Obviously YHWH/Jehovah is infinite and he existed prior to becoming "a father", just as your father existed as an individual long before you were born.
  • In view of the above, we can reasonably say no, FATHERHOOD is not an integral part of his being, it is an aspect of what He became (JEHOVAH means "causes to become" so he can become and cause to become anything he so wishes; so at a certain moment evidently God wished to become a father, so he became one starting his own family*). Arguably, if the relationship between "The Word" and YHWH were equal infinity from before the beginning of time, then one would not be described as being "The Father" of the other; a more logical analogy would probably be "THE TWINS"
In any case, Jesus (The Word) is a created being and as such there was a time when he (The Word/The Logos) did not exist. So the Father has NOT always been a Father, but "The Son" was, from the moment he was created a son.
[* ]NOTE: The bible indicates YHWH was a father long before Jesus was born as a human on earth to the virgin Mary. The book of Genesis speaks about rebellious "sons of God" and the bible book of Job refers to the "sons of God" witnessing the creation of the earth and stars. So YHWH became a father when he created his first spirit son in the heavens.
CONCLUSION To presume both Father and Son existed as such from the beginning of all time as equally infinite beings, is to negate the fundamental notion of both words. YHWH Almighty God Jehovah has always existed, He is infinite. He became a Father when he first started a family.


JW




well lets see/hear the PROOF then,,,,
You do not need anyone to TELL US what it is that we either " KNOW " and or " Do Not Kown and or Believe! " thank you, I will take care of my own belief's with Yeshua help alone..

Yeshua is the Only Begotten Son, as per the Bible, what more do you need to see or know about this apart form Gods word telling you all about it ? MATTHEW 1 tells us,,

Mat 1:18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh.
Mat 1:19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame.
Mat 1:20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, "Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh.
Mat 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means 'Adonai saves,'] because he will save his people from their sins."
Mat 1:22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
Mat 1:23 "The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him `Immanu El." (The name means, "God is with us.")
Mat 1:24 When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of Adonai had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife,
Mat 1:25 but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.

NB; at verse 18 it clearly states, " This is how the birth of Yehsua took place... " what else needs to be told ?


♦ RELATED POSTS

What does the bible mean when it speaks of an "only begotten" son (tigger2)?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 451#786451

Scriptural reasons we know Jesus is NOT Almighty God
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 572#751572

Further reading: Is Jesus Almighty God?
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/q ... -almighty/

TripleZ
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Re: There was a time when the Father was NOT

Post #9

Post by TripleZ »

JehovahsWitness wrote: [Replying to post 1 by liamconnor]

A man becomes a father when he first has a child. YHWH became a Father when he created his first child. Obviously YHWH/Jehovah is infinite and he existed prior to becoming "a father", just as your father existed as an individual long before you were born.
  • In view of the above, we can reasonably say no, FATHERHOOD is not an integral part of his being, it is an aspect of what He became (JEHOVAH means "causes to become" so he can become and cause to become anything he so wishes; so at a certain moment evidently God wished to become a father, so he became one starting his own family*). Arguably, if the relationship between "The Word" and YHWH were equal infinity from before the beginning of time, then one would not be described as being "The Father" of the other; a more logical analogy would probably be "THE TWINS"
In any case, Jesus (The Word) is a created being and as such there was a time when he (The Word/The Logos) did not exist. So the Father has NOT always been a Father, but "The Son" was, from the moment he was created a son.
[* ]NOTE: The bible indicates YHWH was a father long before Jesus was born as a human on earth to the virgin Mary. The book of Genesis speaks about rebellious "sons of God" and the bible book of Job refers to the "sons of God" witnessing the creation of the earth and stars. So YHWH became a father when he created his first spirit son in the heavens.
CONCLUSION To presume both Father and Son existed as such from the beginning of all time as equally infinite beings, is to negate the fundamental notion of both words. YHWH Almighty God Jehovah has always existed, He is infinite. He became a Father when he first started a family.


JW







♦ RELATED POSTS

What does the bible mean when it speaks of an "only begotten" son (tigger2)?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 451#786451

Scriptural reasons we know Jesus is NOT Almighty God
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 572#751572

Further reading: Is Jesus Almighty God?
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/q ... -almighty/
trinitarianism is your supposition...you need to deal with it yourself.

Mat 17:3 Then they looked and saw Moshe and Eliyahu speaking with him.
Mat 17:4 Kefa said to Yeshua, "It's good that we're here, Lord. I'll put up three shelters if you want — one for you, one for Moshe and one for Eliyahu."
Mat 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them; and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
Mat 17:6 When the talmidim heard this, they were so frightened that they fell face down on the ground.
Mat 17:7 But Yeshua came and touched them. "Get up!" he said, "Don't be afraid."
Mat 17:8 So they opened their eyes, looked up and saw only Yeshua by himself.

Mat 3:15 However, Yeshua answered him, "Let it be this way now, because we should do everything righteousness requires." Then Yochanan let him.
Mat 3:16 As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove,
Mat 3:17 and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him."

so you are in total denial of the above passages then so be it, that is your concern..

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