Theological Term of the Week

eternal generation of the Son
“That eternal and necessary act of the first person in the Trinity, whereby He, within the divine Being, is the ground of a second personal subsistence like His own, and puts this second person in possession of the whole divine essence, without any division, alienation, or change;“1 the teaching that God the Father generates the person of the Son by an eternal act—a necessary act, not a choice—so that the Son is eternally the “exact imprint” of the Father, possessing the whole substance of the Godhead.

• From scripture:

  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. (John 5:26 ESV)
  

• From The Nicene Creed:

  We believe in one God,
  the Father, the Almighty,
  maker of heaven and earth,
  of all that is, seen and unseen. 
  
  We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
  the only Son of God,
  eternally begotten of the Father,
  God from God, Light from Light,
  true God from true God,
  begotten, not made,
  of one Being with the Father. 

• From Systematic Theology by Robert L. Dabney:

  [T]here is a general argument for the eternal generation of the Son, in the simple fact the Scripture has chosen this most simple and important pair of words to express a relation between the First and Second Persons. There must have been a reason for the choice, there must be something corresponding to the well–known meaning of this pair of words, else eternal truth would not have employed them. That meaning must of course be compatible with God’s immateriality and eternity, and must be stripped of all the elements arising from man’s corporeal and finite nature and temporal existence. It is not corporeal generation, nor generation in time; but after stripping it of all this, do we not inevitably get this, as the residuum of meaning, that the personal subsistence of the Son is derivative, though eternal, and constitutes His nature the same with the Father’s?

• From Abstract of Systematic Theology by James Petigru Boyce:

  Arguing from the nature of eternal acts in God, we, therefore, judge that the eternal generation of the Son is not a single act, which was accomplished at a definite moment in the divine nature; but one ever continuing. With God there may be such definitely completed acts, when they are performed outside of himself, as in creation; but, not when they are purely within. Such an act must be ever continuing, and completed only in the sense of its being always perfect, though not ended. Even the expression “continuing” is imperfect so far as it involves the idea of successive moments in God. It is only “ever continuing” as viewed by man. Sonship in God, therefore, does not imply priority of existence. Even in man paternity and filiation are co-existent. One becomes a father, only, when another becomes his son. Priority of existence is necessary, as a mere accident of human birth, because of the necessity of growth, and maturity in a man before he can become a father. But, even here, the sonship and fatherhood exist at the same moment. In God, however, priority, even of the existence of one person before another, can have no place, since he is self-existent, and eternal, who never began to be, and whose perfect maturity is not attained by growth or increase.

Learn more:

1. Keith Johnson: Is the Eternal Generation of the Son a Biblical Idea?
2. Sam Shamoun: The Eternal Generation of the Son
3. Lee Irons: The Eternal Generation of the Son
4. Louis Berkhof: The Eternal Generation of the Son
5. Jung S. Rhee: The History of the Doctrine of the Eternal Generation of the Son and Its Significance in Trinitarianism

Related terms:

• adoptionism
• Arianism
• divinity of Christ
• economic Trinity
• essence
• ontological Trinity
• Trinity

1From Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof

Filed under Trinity.

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it.

I’m also interested in any suggestions you have for tweaking my definitions or for additional (or better) articles or sermons/lectures for linking. I’ll give you credit and a link back to your blog if I use your suggestion.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms organized in alphabetical order or by topic.

Theological Term of the Week

apologetics
The theological discipline concerned with explaining and defending the truthfulness of the Christian faith.

• From scripture:

  …but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:15-16 ESV)
  

• From Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen:

  All believers are commanded to engage in [apologetics]. Addressing himself to all members of the congregation, Peter penned the following command: “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks from you a reason for the hope that is within you, yet with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). It is God Himself, speaking through Peter’s inspired words, who calls upon us as believers—each and every one of us—to be prepared to defend the faith in the face of challenges and questions which come from unbelievers—any one of them.
  

Learn more:

1. Theopedia: Apologetics
2. John Frame: Apologetics
   
3. John Lennox: What Is Apologetics? (video)
4. Update: Jamin Hubner: Definitions of Apologetics
5. Bob Passintino: The Golden Rule Apologetic
6. Greg Bahnsen: Tools of Apologetics

Related terms:

• classical apologetics
• evidential apologetics
• presuppositional apologetics

This week’s term was suggested by Sandra. Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it.

I’m also interested in any suggestions you have for tweaking my definitions or for additional (or better) articles or sermons/lectures for linking. I’ll give you credit and a link back to your blog if I use your suggestion.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms organized in alphabetical order or by topic.

Theological Term of the Week

textual criticism
“The careful study of ancient texts in an effort to establish what the original manuscripts of the Bible said.”1

• From The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy:

  Since God has nowhere promised an inerrant transmission of Scripture, it is necessary to affirm that only the autographic text of the original documents was inspired and to maintain the need of textual criticism as a means of detecting any slips that may have crept into the text in the course of its transmission. The verdict of this science, however, is that the Hebrew and Greek text appear to be amazingly well preserved, so that we are amply justified in affirming, with the Westminster Confession, a singular providence of God in this matter and in declaring that the authority of Scripture is in no way jeopardized by the fact that the copies we possess are not entirely error-free.

• From Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem:

  [T]he study of textual variants has not left us in confusion about what the original manuscripts said. Is has rather brought us extremely close to the content of those original manuscripts. For most practical purposes, then, the current published scholarly texts of the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament are the same as the original manuscripts. Thus, when we say that the original manuscripts were inerrant, we are also implying that over 99 percent of the words in our present manuscripts are inerrant, for they are exact copies of the originals. Furthermore, we know where the uncertain readings are (for where there are no textual variants we have no reason to expect faulty copying of the originals). Thus, our present manuscripts are for most purposes the same as the originals manuscripts….

Learn more:

1. Theopedia: Textual Criticism
2. John Stevenson: Has the Bible Been Changed? and In Search of Ancient Manuscripts
   
3. Frederic G. Kenyon: The Story of the Bible
4. Jeff Spry: Textual Criticism 101 - A General Introduction (mp3), Textual Criticism 201 - The Textual Apparatus (mp3) (Sample pages of NA27 & UBS4 (pdf) (referenced in previous lecture)) and Textual Criticism 301 - An Examination of Passages (mp3).

Related terms:

• autographs
• inerrancy of scripture
• manuscripts

1From 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert L. Plummer.

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it.

I’m also interested in any suggestions you have for tweaking my definitions or for additional (or better) articles or sermons/lectures for linking. I’ll give you credit and a link back to your blog if I use your suggestion.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms organized in alphabetical order or by topic.