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>> Dear friend, thank
you so much for watching
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"It Is Written Canada." We
are in the midst of a series
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trying to understand
the Biblical doctrine
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of the Trinity, the
oneness of God, yet those
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three distinct persons.
Once again, I'm joined by
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special guest Dr. John Peckham.
Dr. Peckham, welcome again,
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to "It Is Written Canada."
>> Thank you for having me,
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Chris. >> Dr.
Peckham, you, of course,
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are a professor at
the theological seminary
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at Andrews University.
You've written several books.
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Why don't you tell us a little
bit about those books that you
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have written? >>
Yeah. I've written a book
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called "The Love of
God: A Canonical Model."
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Another book on
theological method and scripture
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as the basis for that
called "Canonical Theology,"
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and this fall, in October or
November, another book is coming
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out with Baker Academic
called "Theodicy of Love: Cosmic
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Conflict and the Problem of
Evil," and that's dealing with
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why is there so much evil
in the world if God is good and
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all-powerful? >> And,
of course, those books
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you can find at
Amazon, and so we're thrilled.
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For those of you watching
today, I want to invite you also
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to go to our YouTube
channel, youtube.com/iiwcanada.
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Dr. Peckham and myself did
a complete series of programs
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on the love of God. Now, Dr.
Peckham, we've been covering the
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Trinity. We've established some
very clear foundational
principles as we've studied.
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First, we have seen clearly that
both the Old and New Testament
teach that God is one,
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but we've also seen that the Old
and New Testaments teach that
God is three persons.
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>> Mm-hmm. >> And then we,
on the last program, asked the
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question about the divinity of
Christ and the humanity of
Christ. Maybe take a few moments
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to just review, and then launch
us right into our topic as we
continue to explore this
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humanity and divinity of Christ.
>> Yeah. So the basic concept of
the Trinity is that there is one
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and only one God in three
distinct persons -- the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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The Father is God, the Son is
God, and the Spirit is God, and
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yet the Father is not the Son,
and the Son is not the Spirit,
and the Spirit is not the Father
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or the Son. So we've just been
getting into the Biblical texts
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that prove that Jesus is fully
God. No one doubts that he is a
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person. He became a human. In
later episodes, we'll see that
the Spirit is fully God
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and also a person which grounds
the Trinity doctrine. So we saw
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many texts that show that Christ
is God. John 1 says, "In the
beginning was the word, and the
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word was with God, and the word
was God." >> Yes. >> And that
all things came into
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being through him. There was
nothing made that was not made
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through him, which shows that he
cannot have been made. He could
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not have come into existence at
any time. He is fully God.
Colossians 2:9, we saw, among
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other texts, that teach that in
him dwells all the fullness of
the godhead bodily.
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>> Yes. >> So he's fully divine.
Many, many texts teach this.
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>> Okay, so the humanity of
Christ we see in John 1:14. We
talked about that the last
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time, that Jesus was really
human. Any other -- and there
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are not -- I mean, and I have
rarely read people arguing about
whether Jesus was not human,
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but there are some who, in
history, have taught that Jesus
is this divine entity
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that kind of wrapped himself
in humanity but didn't really
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become human. What are some
other texts that teach us that
Jesus, in fact, was not only
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fully God, but fully human at
the same time? >> Yeah. Let's go
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over to John 4. In John 4, we
have the story of Jesus
encountering a Samaritan woman,
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which is just a beautiful story
in its own right, but what we
see there shows, attributes
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something of Jesus, that
wouldn't be attributed to God
outside of becoming a human,
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right? >> Yes. >> So John 4:6,
it says, "Now Jacob's well was
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there. Jesus, therefore, being
wearied from his journey say
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thus by the well: It was about
the sixth hour." So Jesus is
weary, he's tired. But the Bible
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tells us God does not get tired.
>> Yes. >> That doesn't mean
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that Jesus wasn't God. It means
that he took on a human form.
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He took on humanity, became
human, so that he could become
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weary. He needed to eat, and the
New Testament tells us that he
ate, he drank, he slept, all the
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kinds of things that God, if he
did not take on humanity, would
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not do. So these are human
characteristics that Jesus is
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experiencing. He's fully human,
explicitly described as human
throughout the New Testament,
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yet also fully God. Now, we
see this also in Philippians 2.
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We see both aspects of Christ
being fully divine and lowering
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himself to become human without
ceasing to be fully divine. >>
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Yes. Which is an amazing thing
as we look at Philippians
chapter 2, that the second
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person of the godhead, Jesus,
fully divine, chose to become
fully human. >> Yeah. It is
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amazing. Philippians 2, and I'll
start reading in verse 5 so we
don't have a break of sentence
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there. "Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God,
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did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, but made
himself of no reputation, taking
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the form of a bond servant and
coming in the likeness of men
and being found in appearance
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as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the
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cross. Therefore, God also has
highly exalted him and given him
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the name which is above every
name: That at the name of Jesus,
every knee should bow of those
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in heaven and of those on Earth
and of those under the earth;
and that every tongue should
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confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of the
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Father." >> Mm-hmm. >> So we see
that he's in the form of God,
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very God himself. He lowers
himself and becomes human, even
humbling himself to the point of
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death. >> Yes. >> Then he
is re-elevated to his original
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status, with the one who has the
name of all names and receives
worship and glory and honor.
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So you have this fully divine
God who lowers himself, becomes
human, is even willing to die
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for us, which is just an amazing
picture of the gospel, but also
shows us that he is
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both fully God and fully human.
>> Now, we have read things from
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the Apostle John. We have read
things from the Apostle Paul,
and we have seen various things
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about Jesus, but, Dr. Peckham,
here's the fundamental question.
Did Jesus himself make claims
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to being God? >> Absolutely.
Sometimes he makes the claims
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rather explicitly. Sometimes he
makes them more subtly, probably
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because he did not want to cut
his ministry short, because
claiming to be God was the
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reason why they wanted to stone
him over and over again.
Sometimes he says it subtly,
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sometimes more explicitly, but
if you just read through the
gospels, and we'll see some
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examples together -- If a person
was walking around doing and
saying the kinds of things
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that Jesus said and did...
>> Yes. >> ...and wasn't God, we
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would say either they are some
kind of a pathological liar, or
they're crazy, right?
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This is actually one of the
examples that famous Christian
C.S. Lewis used, that he's
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either crazy or he was a liar or
he really was God just based on
the things he says about
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himself. Now, he
wasn't crazy. >> No.
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>> A crazy person wouldn't speak
the way he spoke and do the
kinds of things that he did.
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He clearly is not a liar. He's
willing to die for everyone.
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So the logical conclusion is
that he really is God. So what
kind of things does he
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say about himself? We won't
go to all of the texts, but over
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and over again, he refers to,
"My angels," right, which would
be blasphemous if he wasn't God.
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>> Right. >> He talks about,
"My kingdom being not of this
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world," right? The first, "My
angels" is in Matthew 13:41. >>
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Yes. >> "My kingdom is not of
this world" is in John 18. Then
I want to take us over to
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Mark 2 together. >>
Okay. >> Mark chapter 2,
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and Mark chapter 2... beginning
in verse 5. So you have this
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story in Mark 2 where Jesus
forgives and heals a paralytic.
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>> Yes. >> Okay? And verse 5,
"When Jesus saw their faith, he
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said to the paralytic, 'Son,
your sins are forgiven you.'"
Verse 6, "And some of the
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scribes were sitting there and
reasoning in their hearts. 'Why
does this man speak
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blasphemies like this? Who
can forgive sins but God alone?'
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But immediately when Jesus
perceived in his spirit that
they reasoned thus within
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themselves, he said to them,
'Why do you reason about these
things in your hearts?
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Which is easier, to say to the
paralytic your sins are forgiven
you or to say arise,
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take up your bed, and walk? But
that you may know that the Son
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of Man has power on earth to
forgive sins.' He said to the
paralytic, 'I say to you, arise,
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take up your bed and go to your
house.' Immediately he arose."
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>> Yes. >> So you have this, and
this happens in many stories,
where Jesus forgives sins,
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but no one can forgive sins
except God himself, which is why
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they're angry with Jesus because
they know that by forgiving sins
he is claiming to be God.
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>> Now, that is amazing. Not
only is Jesus implying, but
Jesus is actually taking
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an active role doing those
things that are only the
prerogative of God.
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>> Yes. >> Do you have any other
places where Jesus claims to be
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God? >> Yes. In this very same
chapter at the end, in verse 28,
it says, "Therefore the Son of
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Man is the Lord of the Sabbath."
And the Sabbath is instituted at
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creation. On the seventh day, he
rests. He is the Lord of the
Sabbath. Who can be the Lord of
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the Sabbath but God himself,
the creator? >> God himself.
00:12:07.56\00:12:10.29
>> And we've seen texts on
earlier programs like John 1 and
Colossians 1 that tells us that
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the entire world was created
through Jesus. If we turn over
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to the gospel of John together,
we see a lot of these kinds of
references that Jesus makes
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about himself. Beginning in John
5:22-23, "For the father judges
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no one, but he has committed all
judgment to the Son. >> Mm-hmm.
00:12:35.62\00:12:39.15
>> Verse 23, "That all should
honor the Son just as they honor
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the Father." >> Yes. >> "He who
does not honor the Son does not
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honor the Father who sent him."
Now, God also commissions people
to be ministers, but we wouldn't
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say you should honor us the
way you honor the Father. >> No.
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>> That would be ridiculous
because we are not God. But
Christ is not only the judge
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of all in the end, but he is to
be honored even as the Father.
This is extremely significant
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language, and elsewhere we're
told that he judges between
everyone on the earth in
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Matthew 25. If we turn over to
John chapter 9 -- We saw this on
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an earlier program, but just so
we don't miss it, John 9:38, we
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see that a man is healed of
blindness, and then, in verse
38, "He said, 'Lord, I believe,'
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and he worshipped him." And
Jesus would not have accepted
worship if he wasn't
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really God, as we saw in
Revelation when John fell down
at his feet to worship an angel
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who he didn't realize because
of his splendor. The angel said,
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"Get up! I'm not God. You
should not be worshipping me."
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So he receives worship. If we
turn over to John chapter 10 --
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John chapter 10, Jesus just says
explicitly, "I and my Father are
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one." >> Mm-hmm. >> "We are
one." This is a very strong
statement, and notice what the
00:14:02.30\00:14:07.11
leaders do after that in verse
31. "Then they took up stones
again to stone him."
00:14:07.11\00:14:11.68
>> Yes. >> Why? Because they
know what he is saying, right?
00:14:11.68\00:14:14.88
>> Yes. >> He wasn't saying that
they're one in some sense in the
00:14:14.88\00:14:19.89
way that we can be in union with
God as we're merely humans. He's
making a stronger claim
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which is why they took up stones
to stone him. Then if we turn
00:14:24.29\00:14:29.86
over to -- Actually, going back
to John 8:58, again, we saw this
last time, but this is
00:14:29.86\00:14:38.27
Jesus' own statement. "Jesus
said to them, 'Most assuredly I
00:14:38.27\00:14:43.41
say to you, before Abraham was,
I am.'" >> Yes. >> That's an
00:14:43.41\00:14:46.48
explicit claim to pre-existence
before there was any Abraham and
a claim to divinity.
00:14:46.48\00:14:50.42
"I am who I am," alluding to
Exodus 3. John 14:9 is another
00:14:50.42\00:14:57.66
one that is very significant.
John 14:9, and this is what it
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says in John 14:9. "Jesus said
to him, 'Have I been with you so
long, and yet you have not known
00:15:04.33\00:15:09.10
me, Philip? He who has seen me
has seen the Father. So how can
00:15:09.10\00:15:14.01
you say show us the Father?'"
Again, if I were to stand before
an audience, and I was to say,
00:15:14.01\00:15:18.65
"If you've seen me, you've seen
God," you would consider that
blasphemous, and rightfully so
00:15:18.65\00:15:22.98
because I'm just a man. >>
That's right. >> But Jesus can
00:15:22.98\00:15:26.32
say it because he was the Son of
God. He was the second person of
00:15:26.32\00:15:32.06
the Trinity. We also saw that
Thomas declares him, "My Lord
and my God," in John 20.
00:15:32.06\00:15:36.10
>> That's right. >> And
one of them, most important, or
00:15:36.10\00:15:39.50
clearest, in addition to John
8:58, is in Revelation. >> Okay.
00:15:39.50\00:15:42.27
>> Revelation chapter 22, and
this will be the last one for
00:15:42.27\00:15:45.44
now. Revelation chapter 22,
beginning in verse 12. Now, this
00:15:45.44\00:15:52.38
is Jesus speaking, and this is
what he says. "And behold, I am
coming quickly, and My reward is
00:15:52.38\00:15:58.99
with Me, to give to everyone
according to his work. I am the
Alpha and the Omega,
00:15:58.99\00:16:07.10
the beginning and the end, the
first and the last." >> Mm-hmm.
00:16:07.10\00:16:12.37
>> Which is the same thing that
is said in Revelation 1 of the
one who was and who is
00:16:12.37\00:16:17.07
and who is to come, the Lord
almighty. So Jesus is explicitly
00:16:17.07\00:16:21.14
claiming to be God as he tells
us to have confidence that he is
00:16:21.14\00:16:28.22
coming quickly. >> There is no
doubt, as we read the
scriptures, Jesus was fully
00:16:28.22\00:16:33.69
divine and is fully divine.
Jesus was fully human, so here's
the question, Dr. Peckham.
00:16:33.69\00:16:39.03
>> Mm-hmm. >> There are a number
of passages that refer to Jesus
00:16:39.03\00:16:43.73
as the firstborn or the
only begotten... >> Right.
00:16:43.73\00:16:49.17
>> ...which may lead an
individual to come to the
conclusion that somehow Jesus is
00:16:49.17\00:16:53.38
a created being. >> Yes.
>> What do we do with those
00:16:53.38\00:16:56.24
passages? >> Yes. All of
those passages, like every other
00:16:56.24\00:16:59.28
passage, need to be understood
in light of the way those words
are used in other parts of
00:16:59.28\00:17:03.39
scripture. >> Yes. >> And other
parts of scripture demonstrate
00:17:03.39\00:17:06.52
that both the language of being
firstborn is referring to a
messianic status, and the
00:17:06.52\00:17:11.89
language of being what is
translated only begotten is
referring to being one of a kind
00:17:11.89\00:17:17.00
in the sense of the one who is
uniquely beloved of God,
uniquely the one who has the
00:17:17.00\00:17:23.74
keys to the kingdom, the one who
is the messiah. So how do we
know that? Let's go first to the
00:17:23.74\00:17:27.88
Old Testament. >>
Okay. >> Psalm 89:27.
00:17:27.88\00:17:32.11
>> Okay. >> Psalm 89:27, this
is about the language of the
00:17:32.11\00:17:35.92
firstborn, and even though the
Old Testament is written in
Hebrew, it was translated into
00:17:35.92\00:17:39.82
Greek which was the version that
is already there when the New
Testament was being written,
00:17:39.82\00:17:44.29
and the same word that's used
here in the Old Testament, in
the Greek version, is what's
00:17:44.29\00:17:48.90
used of Christ in the New
Testament as the firstborn, and
the reason why they're using
00:17:48.90\00:17:53.03
that word is because they're
using it from the Old Testament
prophecies like this one.
00:17:53.03\00:17:56.77
So we saw that Christ was called
the firstborn in Colossians 1
and other places with the same
00:17:56.77\00:18:01.48
Greek term. >> Yes. >>
In Psalm 89:27 it says,
00:18:01.48\00:18:06.85
and this is a Psalm about the
Davidic covenant, the covenant
with David the King, and Jesus
00:18:06.85\00:18:12.39
was also the Son of David.
That's what they called him. He
wasn't David's literal son.
00:18:12.39\00:18:17.89
He was a descendant of David,
meaning he was the messiah. >>
00:18:17.89\00:18:20.80
Yes. >> Psalm 89:27, "Also I
will make him my firstborn, the
highest of the kings of the
00:18:20.80\00:18:27.67
earth." Now, this is originally
in reference to David, but David
00:18:27.67\00:18:31.64
wasn't born by God. >> No.
>> And he wasn't his firstborn.
00:18:31.64\00:18:34.54
This is talking about the
messianic status, or the status
of the Davidic covenant
00:18:34.54\00:18:38.31
in Psalm 89. This is the same
way that it's used in the New
00:18:38.31\00:18:43.25
Testament of Jesus. We can see
that, for instance, in Hebrews
12, also, that this
00:18:43.25\00:18:47.26
terminology is not only used of
someone who is literally born of
00:18:47.26\00:18:52.09
God. Let's go to Hebrews 12.
Actually, on the way to Hebrews,
let's go to Colossians 1.
00:18:52.09\00:18:56.60
>> Sure. >> Colossians
1:18, because there's something
00:18:56.60\00:19:00.50
important there. We read
Colossians 1 before about...
00:19:00.50\00:19:08.44
>> Colossians 1. >> Colossians
1, we read it before about how
00:19:08.44\00:19:11.31
everything was created by him...
>> Yes. >> ...and now we want to
00:19:11.31\00:19:14.08
continue there in that section.
We started with verse 15 before,
saying "He is the image of the
00:19:14.08\00:19:18.95
invisible God, the firstborn
overall creation." Which is
talking, again, about
00:19:18.95\00:19:23.32
his status as the messiah.
Unless this text is
contradicting itself, it's not
00:19:23.32\00:19:26.93
saying he was, himself, born.
Because it goes on to say, "By
Him, all things were
00:19:26.93\00:19:30.80
created that are in Heaven." And
we've seen other texts that say
there's nothing before him.
00:19:30.80\00:19:34.94
>> Yes. >> So it can't be
meaning he was born at some
00:19:34.94\00:19:38.47
point in the past, right?
>> That's right. >> He was only
00:19:38.47\00:19:41.58
born of Mary... >> That's
right. >> ...as a son becoming
00:19:41.58\00:19:44.55
incarnate. Drop down to verse
18. "And He is the head of the
body, the church, who is the
00:19:44.55\00:19:50.95
beginning, the firstborn from
the dead, that in all things He
may have preeminence."
00:19:50.95\00:19:56.32
Again, the same word for
firstborn is used, but this is
not talking about a literal
00:19:56.32\00:20:00.76
birth or being a firstborn. In
fact, he wasn't even the first
one to rise from the dead.
00:20:00.76\00:20:05.20
>> Yes. >> We know that in
Jesus' own ministry he raised
00:20:05.20\00:20:08.50
Lazarus from the dead. >> That's
right. >> We know that Moses,
00:20:08.50\00:20:11.17
according to the book of Jude,
is risen and in Heaven already.
So he's not the only one to have
00:20:11.17\00:20:16.31
been resurrected. He's firstborn
in the technical sense of a
00:20:16.31\00:20:19.91
title... >> That's right. >>
...from the dead, and that's the
way this term is used.
00:20:19.91\00:20:22.95
It's also used as a title in
Hebrews chapter 12, and then
we'll go over to the question
00:20:22.95\00:20:28.92
of only begotten language.
>> Yes. >> Hebrews 12:23,
00:20:28.92\00:20:33.70
the same language of firstborn,
Hebrews 12:23 refers to the
general assembly and church of
00:20:33.70\00:20:41.20
the firstborn who are registered
in Heaven. There, the same word
00:20:41.20\00:20:47.01
is used of the saints, the ones
who are saved. The firstborn
00:20:47.01\00:20:50.15
there isn't referring to Jesus,
it's referring to everyone who's
00:20:50.15\00:20:53.52
saved in the end. It's in the
plural, which tells you that
this is, again, a particular
00:20:53.52\00:20:57.79
status or group. It's not having
anything to do with being born
or being born first.
00:20:57.79\00:21:01.62
It is a title. Something very
similar is true of the language
00:21:01.62\00:21:06.53
of only begotten. To see
that very quickly, that when the
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.96
language of only begotten is
being used, you can't take it in
a strictly literal sense.
00:21:09.96\00:21:13.23
We can just go one chapter
before in Hebrews chapter 11,
Hebrews chapter 11,
00:21:13.23\00:21:18.14
this wonderful chapter on
faith. >> Yes. >> Hebrews 11:17,
00:21:18.14\00:21:24.68
"By faith, Abraham, when he was
tested, offered up Isaac, and he
who had received the promises
00:21:24.68\00:21:31.69
offered up his only begotten
son." The same language is used
00:21:31.69\00:21:39.23
there of what is referred to
Christ elsewhere as the only
begotten Son of God.
00:21:39.23\00:21:43.40
Now, let's pause for a moment
and ask ourselves, "Was Isaac
Abraham's only son?"
00:21:43.40\00:21:48.87
>> No. >> No. This
is actually referring
00:21:48.87\00:21:52.57
to this passage in Genesis 22
where Abraham is asked to give
00:21:52.57\00:21:57.58
up his son... >> Yes. >> ...the
son whom he loves, but he had
another son before him
00:21:57.58\00:22:01.22
with Hagar, who was Ishmael.
So he's not literally Abraham's
00:22:01.22\00:22:04.79
only son. He's Abraham's
son in a unique sense. >> Yes.
00:22:04.79\00:22:08.29
>> His uniquely beloved son.
Now, here is where things get a
00:22:08.29\00:22:13.80
little technical, but it's very
significant to understand what
has happened. >> Yes.
00:22:13.80\00:22:18.37
>> The terminology of only
begotten son comes from a Greek
00:22:18.37\00:22:24.44
word. The word is "monogenes."
Mono means one. We know that. If
you say mono, that's one.
00:22:24.44\00:22:29.81
There's some question about
where that second part of the
compound term comes from.
00:22:29.81\00:22:35.78
>> Right. >> Does it come from a
term that means born, or does it
00:22:35.78\00:22:39.42
come from a term that is the
root of where we get our modern
term of genetics from?
00:22:39.42\00:22:43.06
>> Yes. >> Almost all New
Testament scholars have agreed
00:22:43.06\00:22:46.06
for some time that it is the
latter one. It's not talking
about literal birth.
00:22:46.06\00:22:49.26
It's talking about a kind, like
genetics, being one of a kind.
00:22:49.26\00:22:53.20
>> Yes. >> Now, where that came
from is kind of interesting in
the Old Testament, going back to
00:22:53.20\00:22:56.71
Abraham. Abraham refers to his
son as his son, "The one whom I
00:22:56.71\00:23:01.14
love." There's a Hebrew term,
and I'm suggesting your viewers
need to remember the terms,
00:23:01.14\00:23:05.71
but I want them to hear this.
>> Sure. >> Because everyone,
00:23:05.71\00:23:08.32
without knowing Hebrew, can hear
this and understand this. The
Hebrew term for a unique son
00:23:08.32\00:23:13.42
or one-of-a-kind son, that is
the word that monogenes or only
begotten translates in the
00:23:13.42\00:23:19.09
New Testament, is
yachid. You hear that? Yachid.
00:23:19.09\00:23:22.86
Okay, that means unique or one
of a kind of anything, and in
this case, one-of-a-kind son.
00:23:22.86\00:23:28.07
>> Yes. >> There's another term
in Hebrew that means beloved.
00:23:28.07\00:23:31.77
It is yadid. You see
the similarity? >> Yes.
00:23:31.77\00:23:36.28
>> Yachid and yadid. In the New
Testament, these terms are taken
00:23:36.28\00:23:39.01
over. They're translated into
Greek in the Old Testament and
the New Testament as monogenes
00:23:39.01\00:23:43.18
and as agapetos, and even
without knowing Greek, probably
everybody already knows what
00:23:43.18\00:23:47.09
agapetos is getting at. >>
Yes. >> This is the love of god,
00:23:47.09\00:23:50.03
beloved. Agapetos means beloved.
So you have these two terms
00:23:50.03\00:23:54.66
that sound very similar, but in
Greek, they're sometimes
translated as only beloved.
00:23:54.66\00:24:00.27
Sometimes they're translated as
unique one or one of a kind. In
both senses, they're
00:24:00.27\00:24:05.01
referring to one who is of
a special status. They're not
00:24:05.01\00:24:08.74
referring to anything in
reference to a literal birth. We
see that in Hebrews -- We
00:24:08.74\00:24:13.98
already see that thought
in Hebrews 11:17. We see it in
00:24:13.98\00:24:18.75
other places. I want to go
to Hebrews chapter 1. >> Okay.
00:24:18.75\00:24:22.02
>> Hebrews chapter 1, beginning
in verse 3. >> Hebrews 1, and
00:24:22.02\00:24:28.43
we're going to go to verse 3,
and read a few verses after. >>
Now, even if it wasn't the
00:24:28.43\00:24:33.84
case that somebody thought that
that language of only begotten
wasn't using the Greek term for
00:24:33.84\00:24:38.64
birth, there are other places
where the Greek term for literal
birth is used in a figurative
00:24:38.64\00:24:44.18
or metaphorical sense, which
shows you it can't be taken to
mean only a literal birth.
00:24:44.18\00:24:48.98
Let me show you one of those.
Hebrews 1, beginning in verse 3
refers to His Son, "Who being
00:24:48.98\00:24:56.46
the brightness of His glory and
the express image of His person
and upholding all things by the
00:24:56.46\00:25:03.16
word of His power when he had by
Himself purged our sins, sat
down at the right hand
00:25:03.16\00:25:08.10
of the majesty on high, having
become so much better than the
angels as He has, by
00:25:08.10\00:25:12.94
inheritance, obtained a more
excellent name than they. For to
which of the angels did
00:25:12.94\00:25:18.18
he ever say, 'You are my Son.
Today I have begotten you'?" >>
00:25:18.18\00:25:22.52
Mm-hmm. >> "And again, I will be
to Him a Father and He shall be
00:25:22.52\00:25:26.76
to Me a Son." These are both
quotations from the Old
Testament, not talking about
00:25:26.76\00:25:30.53
literal birth. We've seen that
he didn't come into being, but
talking about a particular
00:25:30.53\00:25:35.66
enthronement or a particular
coronation or ordination to a
particular status as the
00:25:35.66\00:25:40.47
messiah, which is what happened
to the Son as incarnate. So
these are references to
00:25:40.47\00:25:44.51
Old Testament passages about the
messiah, not literally passages
of birth, and if we drop down in
00:25:44.51\00:25:51.21
the same chapter, we see that
Hebrews 1 is teaching that
Christ is fully God because
00:25:51.21\00:25:56.02
in verse 7 and onwards it says,
"And of the angels He says, 'Who
makes His Angels spirits and His
00:25:56.02\00:26:01.52
ministers a flame of fire.'
But to the Son He says, 'Your
00:26:01.52\00:26:06.23
throne, O God, is forever and
ever. A scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of Your kingdom."
00:26:06.23\00:26:11.13
So the Father says to the Son,
"Your throne, O God, is forever
00:26:11.13\00:26:17.44
and ever." So this, one, is
taking on a messianic status as
00:26:17.44\00:26:22.21
the firstborn or as the unique
one, the unique Son of God.
There are other passages that
00:26:22.21\00:26:28.52
show us that we shouldn't take
this strictly literally when
language of being born is used.
00:26:28.52\00:26:32.95
And whether anyone knows
anything about Hebrew or Greek
or any such things, you can see
00:26:32.95\00:26:37.33
it just in the English in
the book of Philemon. >> Yes.
00:26:37.33\00:26:41.26
>> Philemon, in fact, I won't
take the time to read it, but in
00:26:41.26\00:26:48.64
Philemon 1:10, Paul speaks of
someone by the name of Onesimus,
and he refers to Onesimus
00:26:48.64\00:26:54.74
as one whom he has begotten in
his chains. Paul was imprisoned
00:26:54.74\00:27:00.48
at the time, or the time he's
referring to. >> Yes. >> And so
he says, "Onesimus,
00:27:00.48\00:27:03.75
whom I have begotten in my
chains." Now, is he trying to
00:27:03.75\00:27:07.16
say that Onesimus, who was a
human man, was born of Paul? >>
00:27:07.16\00:27:11.23
Right. >> Of course not. This is
a figurative use of the
terminology which is common in
00:27:11.23\00:27:15.46
the Old Testament and in the New
Testament to refer to a special
00:27:15.46\00:27:19.50
relationship or a special
status, and that's exactly what
we see in the New Testament, as
00:27:19.50\00:27:24.51
well. >> So what we have come --
And we are out of time, Dr.
Peckham. Amazingly, Jesus fully
00:27:24.51\00:27:32.61
God, fully human. He
claimed to be God. >> Yes.
00:27:32.61\00:27:36.89
>> He performed acts that only
God could perform, and even in
the context of being
00:27:36.89\00:27:45.13
firstborn and begotten, actually
identifying the unique stature,
00:27:45.13\00:27:51.30
the one and only unique one...
>> Yes. >> ...who is fully God
00:27:51.30\00:27:55.70
and fully man, that fully God,
fully man being came to save all
00:27:55.70\00:28:03.75
of us. >> That's right. >> Dr.
Peckham, can you pray for us as
we end our program today?
00:28:03.75\00:28:08.38
>> Yes. Dear Father in
Heaven, we are just in awe
00:28:08.38\00:28:13.12
that you sent your Son, and we
are so thankful for Jesus who,
though he was and is God,
00:28:13.12\00:28:20.63
was willing to become a human
for us and lower himself and
even give his life for us.
00:28:20.63\00:28:25.83
Lord, we are not worthy, but we
are so thankful, and we pray
that you will continue
00:28:25.83\00:28:30.34
to help us understand you better
and live more like you. In
Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:28:30.34\00:28:36.14
>> Amen. Dear friend, God became
man in Jesus Christ, fully God,
00:28:36.14\00:28:45.69
fully man, with one goal --
to save you. We cannot deny that
00:28:45.69\00:28:52.99
fact. The Bible is quite clear.
Today I'd like to offer you the
book "The Passion of Love"
00:28:52.99\00:28:59.53
that describes Jesus being fully
God, fully man, doing all he can
00:28:59.53\00:29:07.94
to save you. Here's the
information you need for today's
00:29:07.94\00:29:10.98
offer. >> To request
today's offer, just log on to
00:29:10.98\00:29:14.15
www.itiswrittencanada.ca.
If you prefer, you may call
00:29:14.15\00:29:19.72
toll-free at 1-888-CALL-IIW,
and thank you for your prayer
00:29:19.72\00:29:25.53
requests and your generous
financial support. >> Dr. John
00:29:25.53\00:29:29.93
Peckham, thank you so much for
being with us today. >> Thank
you for having me, Chris.
00:29:29.93\00:29:34.07
>> Dear friend, God loves you.
God has done everything and is
doing everything to save you.
00:29:34.07\00:29:40.78
He is united. He is one, yet he
is three persons, all actively
00:29:40.78\00:29:47.22
working to bring you closer to
him. Friend, thank you so much
for joining us today.
00:29:47.22\00:29:51.59
I invite you to be with us
next week. Until then, remember,
00:29:51.59\00:29:56.26
it is written. "Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by
00:29:56.26\00:30:01.96
every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God." ¤¤
00:30:01.96\00:30:11.84
¤¤
00:30:11.84\00:30:18.61