Unorthodox Views

• Nestorianism- the second person of the Trinity was not Jesus and did not die for our sins. There are two persons; one divine and one human (Jesus) who died.
• Adoptionism- Jesus was only a man adopted (at his Baptism) by God because of Jesus’ divine powers.
• Subordinationalism- The Son is subordinate in nature to the Father. He is less than fully God.
• Arianism- The Son is not God but the first created being. He is not the same as God but only like God.
• Modalism- God is one being who manifests in three ways at specific times.

Answering objections

• Jesus denied he was God. Why call me good? There is none good but God (Matt 19:17)
  • Response: This is not a denial but a question. Jesus is asking him if he realized the implications of his statement.
• The Father is greater than I (Jn 14:28)
  • Response: The Father as God is greater than Jesus is as a man. And the Father is greater in office but not in nature.
• “But on that day and hour no one know neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father”
  • Response: Jesus knew the time as God but not as man. He has two natures.
• Jesus prayed to the Father, saying, “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
  • Response: He said the Father is the only true God, but he did not say that only the Father is God (Genesis 7:23, Jn 8:9)
• Jesus said “You are gods” (in a derivative sense) not in an absolute sense. (Jn 10:34)
  • Response: His argument in John 10 is an a fortiori (with the greater force) argument, namely, “If human judges can be called God (in a derivative sense) in that they stand in the place of God, how much more can the Son of God be called God who is God in an absolute sense. Jesus was God in the absolute sense (Jn. 1:12, 8:58, 20:28, and Rom 9:5, Heb 1:8).
• “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Col 1:15). It is objected that Jesus was the first one born or created.
  • Response: “firstborn” can mean priority in rank, not in time, as it clearly does here because He is creator and sustainer of all thing (vs. 16-17). He is first over creation, not the first in creation
• Christ is called “the beginning of the creation of God” They claim this means he was the first one created.(Rev. 3:14)
  • Response: this would contradict the clear teaching that He created all things (Jn. 1:3, Heb 1:3, Col 1:16. The same term is used of the “Lord” the Almighty 1:8. It is also used of the Father who is God (21:5-6)
• He can’t be both God and Man at the same time because it is contradictory.
  • Response: He is not both in the same sense. One can be a father and a husband at the same time, but not in the same sense. Jesus had both a divine and a human nature.