The Son of God view: Biblical evidence for the Trinity

Question 1

Question: Why is the word “Trinity” not found in the Bible?

Answer 1

Answer: While the term “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible, trinitarians argue that the concept accurately reflects the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as described in biblical passages.

Question 2

Question: What does John 10:30 suggest about the relationship between the Father and the Son?

Answer 2

Answer: John 10:30, where Jesus says, “The Father and I are one,” suggests a unity between the Father and the Son, supporting the trinitarian view of their co-equality and co-eternity.

Question 3

Question: How do Jesus’ “I am” statements in the Gospel of John contribute to the trinitarian understanding?

Answer 3

Answer: Jesus’ “I am” statements in the Gospel of John, such as “I am the bread of life” and “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” are seen as affirmations of his divine identity, supporting the trinitarian view of his divinity.

Question 4

Question: What do John 1:1-3 suggest about the identity of Jesus?

Answer 4

Answer: John 1:1-3 describes the Word (interpreted as Christ) as being with God and being God, indicating Jesus’s pre-existence and divine nature, in line with the trinitarian understanding of his relationship with the Father.

Question 5

Question: How does John 1:14 relate to the trinitarian doctrine?

Answer 5

Answer: John 1:14 states, “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” emphasizing the incarnation of Jesus as the Word becoming human, a central aspect of the trinitarian belief in the divine Son taking on human form.

Question 6

Question: According to Hick, what did the historical Jesus not teach or believe about himself?

Hick’s critique of the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ divinity from John.

Answer 6

Answer: Hick argued that the historical Jesus did not teach or apparently believe that he was God, God the Son, Second person of a Holy Trinity, incarnate, or the son of God in a unique sense.

Question 7

Question: What was the significance of the label “son of God” in Judaism, according to Hick?

Hick’s critique of the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ divinity from John.

Answer 7

Answer: Hick pointed out that in Judaism, the label “son of God” was a common title for a special human chosen by God, not necessarily indicating a unique divine person. For example, Adam was referred to as the son of God.

Question 8

Question: How do scholars like Hick view the development of Jesus’ divinity in the Gospels?

Hick’s critique of the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ divinity from John.

Answer 8

Answer: Many scholars, including Hick, argue for a development in the portrayal of Jesus’ divinity in the Gospels. They note that clear statements of Jesus’ divinity are absent in the earlier Gospels, such as Mark, while they become more pronounced in later Gospels like John, leading to doubts about the authenticity of John’s portrayal.

Question 9

Question: Which Gospel is considered the earliest, and what does it depict about Jesus’ divinity?

Hick’s critique of the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ divinity from John.

Answer 9

Answer: The Gospel of Mark is considered the earliest Gospel, and it begins with Jesus’ baptism without mentioning a divine birth. Jesus is depicted as a prophet rather than a divine figure in Mark

Question 10

Question: How does Hick apply demythologization to the idea of the incarnation?

Hick’s critique of the Biblical evidence for Jesus’ divinity from John.

Answer 10

Answer: Hick applies demythologization to the idea of the incarnation by interpreting it as conveying the embodiment of a conviction in life rather than a literal divine birth. He sees Jesus as embodying the goodness and love of God rather than being a unique divine being.

Question 11

Question: In Mark’s Gospel, what event occurs during Jesus’ baptism that suggests his divinity?

However, even in Mark,

Answer 11

Answer: During Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:11, God speaks, declaring, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased,” indicating a divine affirmation of Jesus’ identity.

Question 12

Question: How does Jesus demonstrate attributes traditionally associated with divinity in the Gospel of Mark?

However, even in Mark,

Answer 12

Answer: In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus performs actions that suggest divine power and authority, such as calming a storm (reminiscent of God’s actions in the story of Jonah) and walking on water (similar to God’s actions described in the book of Job).

Question 13

Question: What significance do these events in Mark’s Gospel hold for the portrayal of Jesus?

However, even in Mark,

Answer 13

Answer: These events contribute to the portrayal of Jesus as possessing divine attributes and authority, reinforcing the understanding of his divinity even in the earliest Gospel accounts.

Question 14

Question: How do these passages challenge Hick’s argument about the development of Jesus’ divinity in the Gospels?

However, even in Mark,

Answer 14

Answer: These passages challenge Hick’s argument by suggesting that elements of Jesus’ divinity were present even in the earliest Gospel accounts, such as Mark, contrary to the idea of a later development of Jesus’ divinity in the New Testament writings.

Question 15

Question: How does Bart Ehrman distinguish between the portrayal of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel and the self-identification of Jesus in the Gospel of John?

Bart Ehrman defends

Answer 15

Answer: Ehrman argues that while Mark’s Gospel portrays Jesus as divine through its narrative features, it is in the Gospel of John where Jesus explicitly makes statements of divine self-identification.

Question 16

Question: According to Ehrman, what significance does the Gospel of John hold in the development argument regarding Jesus’ divinity?

Bart Ehrman defends

Answer 16

Answer: Ehrman suggests that the Gospel of John, with its clear statements of divine self-identification by Jesus, represents a later stage in the development of the concept of Jesus’ divinity, compared to the earlier Gospels like Mark.

Question 17

Question: How does Ehrman address the issue of dating in relation to the development of Jesus’ divinity in the Gospels?

Bart Ehrman defends

Answer 17

Answer: Ehrman acknowledges that there is dispute over the dating of the Gospels, but he argues that there is considerable agreement that John was written last, making it subject to criticism regarding the development of Jesus’ divinity.

Question 18

Question: What distinction does Ehrman make regarding the development argument’s focus on what Jesus said about himself?

Bart Ehrman defends

Answer 18

Answer: Ehrman specifies that the development argument primarily concerns what Jesus himself said about his divinity, rather than the narrative features or interpretations of later Gospel authors like Mark

Question 19

Question: How does Ehrman’s position contribute to the ongoing debate about the portrayal of Jesus in the New Testament?

Bart Ehrman defends

Answer 19

Answer: Ehrman’s perspective highlights the complexity of interpreting the New Testament texts and their portrayal of Jesus’ divinity, particularly in relation to the evolution of theological concepts over time.