The term Father as applied to God that we are referring to is the classical definition of the Trinity as Father, Son, and Spirit. This is not the Father you are referring to. I believe you are thinking that God must have created offspring to be a Father. Jesus Christ and the Spirit were not created; they are eternally begotten. That Father is eternally the Father of the Son.
No one is arguing that creation always existed. That is another heresy that Athanasius put dealt with. Once again, when we speak of the Triune God we are speaking of one God who has revealed Himself in three Persons. He is who He is eternally. The fatherhood you are referencing below has nothing to do with who God is; rather, you are talking about a role. God is who He is before the creation of the cosmos. I am continually astounded that those who have been termed 'liberals' on this forum are the only ones who hold to orthodox Christianity, that which the church catholic has decreed for millennia. The more we discuss the more we see how the 'non-liberals' spurn the faith of apostles. From a doctrinal standpoint you guys are really out there. Jonathan -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Miller Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 6:03 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Why the Eternal Sonship of Christ Matters to Me David Miller wrote: >> The father became the father when Elohim >> first created life, such as an angel. Lance wrote: > There's that 'became' again. The term "father" denotes a function of being a parent over offspring. Are you going to try to argue that the creation always existed? If the creation did not always exist, then there was some point in time when the term "father" applied to Yahweh. If there was a point in time when the term first applied, then there was a point in time when the term did not apply. Therefore, Yahweh became a father at some point in time. Why do you have a problem with this word "became"? Peace be with you. David Miller. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.818 / Virus Database: 556 - Release Date: 12/17/2004 ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
