Son of God?
Most contemporary Christians believe that God has one and only one son and that that son is Jesus. They also believe that Jesus is literally God's offspring. This belief probably stems from the fact that the term "Son of God" is used to describe him in the Bible. That conclusion is too hastily made, however, because the Bible also calls several other persons sons of God. Even Satan is called a Son of God! Whether or not Jesus was literally God's only son, the fact remains that the term has several meanings in the scripture, and even the nature of Jesus's sonship seems to change between books. Jesus is not the only person whom the Bible calls a Son of God. In Genesis 6:2 and Job1: 6, the term sons of God is used in reference to angels or other divine spirits. In the verse from Job, Satan is included among God's sons. In Psalms 2:6-8, we are told that the Lord has taken the king of Israel to be His son. In Hosea 11:1,
In fact, according to John 1:1, Jesus has always been one with God. First, each passage seems to place Jesus's acquisition of the title Son of God earlier in his life than does the preceding passage. At this point, God tells Jesus that he is His son. Also the title seems to give Jesus more and more power as the passages progress. John 1:12 tells us that everyone who receives Jesus and believes in him is a Son of God. Here we are told that Jesus is designated the Son of God by his resurrection. In this view Jesus was not God's son until after he died and was raised back to life. The meaning and nature of the term Son of God in relation to Jesus does not remain constant throughout the New Testament. Mathew 5:44-45 tells us that anyone can be a Son of God if they love their enemies. Despite which explanation is correct, these inconsistencies and the above-mentioned references to other "sons of God" should make one wary to cling absolutely to the idea that the Bible declares Jesus to be God's only and literal son. In John 1 we are told that Jesus has always been God's son. This could be because the Holy Spirit revealed the truth more fully to later writers, or because the later writers exaggerated and embellished previous stories. In Luke, the title Son of God seems to be literal, as it appears that God intends to procreate with Mary so that she will bear His child.
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Acceptance Essays
