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Concerning the Word, the Eternal Son, it is written: “3 All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made.”[1] Of the Lord God Almighty, it is written: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honour and power; For You created all things, And by[2] Your will they exist and were created.” [3]
Paul proclaimed his God as “Lord of heaven and earth”[4], and that “in Him we live and move and have our being”[5]. He further wrote: “For the creation (nature) was subjected to frailty (to futility, condemned to frustration), not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it—[yet] with the hope”[6] In Genesis 1:1 it is written: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”[7] Paul also wrote: " For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."[8] From the preceding three paragraphs, what we can glean is that:
To even catch a sliver of understanding as to how creation came into being from non being, we have to look to Paul’s statements in Philippians 2:5-7, in particular, the kenosis or self emptying of the Eternal Son: “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery[11] to be equal with God,’[12] “but emptied[13] himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.”[14] Here, I wish to reference para 5 of the article The Self-Emptying of Christ from the Fuller Theological Seminary website: “Much theological effort has been expended on Paul’s observation that “Christ Jesus, being in the form of God,… emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (Phil 2: 6-7). Several “kenotic” theories (from kenosis or “emptying”) have been propounded over the centuries to help explain what was laid aside and what retained in the astonishing act of incarnation. Something of a consensus is emerging on the front of Pauline studies, which understands the passage in the following way: “form of God” and “form of a slave/human likeness” point not to a mere surface appearance, but to authentic existence God and as a human.4 Further, those translations—and there are many—which read that “although he existed in the form of God,… he emptied himself” ought to be corrected to more accurate phrasing: “being in the form of God” or even “because he existed in the form of God,… he emptied himself.” That is, the self-emptying is not to be seen as a divestment of deity; on the contrary, it is an expression of deity. Jesus is able to do it because he is God. The act of incarnation is an elegant expression of what God can do that is otherwise to us incomprehensible: in the being and existence of God, he took as well the being and existence of the creature.[15] Surely he “emptied himself” of something; above we used J. B. Lightfoot’s language, that he divested himself of heavenly prerogatives. Without ceasing to be God, he became human. As N. T. Wright has written, “The pre-existent son regarded equality with God not as excusing him from the task of (redemptive) suffering and death, but actually as uniquely qualifying him for that vocation.”[16] I believe the self-emptying as an expression of Deity is also the process by which creation was spoken into being by Triune God, through Father’s initiation, Son’s mediation and Spirit’s generation, within the Being and Existence of Triune Deity, whereby Triune God became Creator to all creation coming, or becoming, into being from non-being, authentically real, distinct, contingent upon, yet completely different as creature to Creator. Similarly, this self-emptying by Triune Deity, through Eternal Son, for creation to come into being, from non being, is not to be seen as a divestment of Triune Deity; on the contrary, it is an expression of Triune Deity[17]. Creation is, similarly, “an elegant expression of what God can do that is otherwise to us incomprehensible: in the being and existence of God”[18], creation came into being. Creation was never brought into being that Triune God would only be God of creation. Much more than that, creation came into being that Triune God could also be God with creation, in and as a creature of creation, a human being, “that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.”[19] Triune God’s will, choice and passionate desire for creation was to be joined to creation and for creation to be joined to Divinity, as Divinely and humanly possible in, with and through the man Christ Jesus, the Incarnate Eternal Son, through the mystery of Triune Divine emptying. In light of the above, I proffer that the words of John the Apostle: “For God so loved the world (Greek- Kosmos) that he gave his only begotten Son”[20], can not only have the meaning and interpretation of “human inhabitants of the earth”, but also includes within it the meaning and interpretation of “all created order and things”[21] . Such, to me, is the incomprehensible love and glory expressed in the mystery of Triune Divine Emptying in and through the Eternal Son. Concerning this, Paul wrote in Ephesians 1: 4 -12, “4 As he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love: 5 Who hath predestinated us, to be adopted through Jesus Christ in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherewith he hath made us freely accepted in his beloved. 7 By whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to his rich grace: 8 Whereby he hath been abundant toward us in all wisdom and understanding, 9 And hath opened unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in him, 10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth, even in Christ:[22] 11 In whom also we are chosen when we were predestinated according to the purpose of him, which worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, 12 That we, which first trusted in Christ, should be unto the praise of his glory:”[23] [1] John 1:3 WEB. [2] Greek ‘διά’ - usually translated as ‘through’ [3] Revelations 4:11 NKJV [4] See Acts 17:23(b), 24 NKJV [5] Acts 17:28 NKJV Acts 17:28 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides. Epimenides' Cretica (Κρητικά) is quoted twice in the New Testament. Its only source is a 9th-century Syriac commentary by Isho'dad of Merv on the Acts of the Apostles, discovered, edited and translated (into Greek) by Prof. J. Rendel Harris in a series of articles.[2][3][4] In the poem, Minos addresses Zeus thus: J. Rendel Harris' hypothetical Greek text:[3] Τύμβον ἐτεκτήναντο σέθεν, κύδιστε μέγιστε, Κρῆτες, ἀεὶ ψευδεῖς, κακὰ θηρία, γαστέρες ἀργαί. Ἀλλὰ σὺ γ᾽ οὐ θνῇσκεις, ἕστηκας γὰρ ζοὸς αίεί, Ἐν γὰρ σοὶ ζῶμεν καὶ κινύμεθ᾽ ἠδὲ καὶ ἐσμέν. Translation: They fashioned a tomb for you, holy and high one, Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle bellies. But you are not dead: you live and abide forever, For in you we live and move and have our being. [6] Romans 8:20 AMPC (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) [7] Complete Jewish Bible [8] Colossians 1:16,17 NIV [9] See Ephesians 1:9 the Greek word “εὐδοκία” Strong’s 2107 [10] Colossians 1:17 [11] See footnote b in NKJV ‘Or something to be held onto to be equal’ [12] NKJV [13] Greek ‘ἐκένωσεν’ Strong’s 2758 [14] WEB Philippians 2:7 [15] My emphasis and highlighting in bold. [16] Fifth Para on The Self-Emptying of Christ Fuller Theological seminary. www.fuller.edu Kenosis I Fuller Seminary. I apologise for not being able to quote who wrote this as it was not available on the website. I wish to give and state the author deserves all credit for what was written. I have emailed Fuller Theological Seminary and am awaiting their reply. [17] Borrowing the thoughts and words from The-Self Emptying of Christ referred in footnote 14 [18] ibid 15 above [19] Ephesians 1:10 NKJV [20] John 3:16 [21] See Strong’s 2889 [22] See also Colossians 1:16,17 footnote (8) above and Romans 8:19-22 “19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” NIV [23] 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
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Triune God is not only Being and Becoming, but also Non Being and Non Becoming ‘Unchanging’ eternally.
We can catch a glimpse of this revelation in the following verses of the Scriptures in the Old and New Testaments: The text of Exodus 3:14: “וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה - God said to Moses, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I will be what I will be),"[1] The Amplified Bible Classic Edition translates the essence of the Hebrew as “And God said to Moses, I Am Who I Am and What I Am, and I Will Be What I Will Be.” What is relevant to note here is that the Hebrew word אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה - Ehyeh’, is a verb ‘to be’ in the 1st person future tense, that is, “I will be”.[2] As such, I perceive, within this proclamation of Triune God, a revelation of the Being (the ‘I’) and Becoming (the ‘will be) and the Becoming Being (I will be) Nature and Being of Triune Divinity. The revelation given by the Almighty to John the Apostle[3] was “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”[4] John the Apostle later used the phrase “who is and who was and who is to come”, as reference to the Almighty.[5]. John also heard in the revelation vision, the proclamation of the four beasts to the Divine One who sits on the throne, the Lord God Almighty, as: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is and is to come.”[6] There are therefore two assertions recorded in Revelation of Lord God Almighty as “Who is, Who was and Who is to come” and one as ‘Who was, Who is and Who is to come.” These assertions are consistent with the revelation given to Moses in Exodus 3:14 for the Being Becoming and Becoming Being of Triune Divine can also be expressed as the Who is, Who was and Who is to come of Triune God. For the Being Becoming, Who is, before the Being Becoming, was, and is to be the Being Becoming, after. Who is, is not Who was, and also not Who is to come. For Who was, Who is has not become yet and for Who is, Who is to come has yet to become. As such, before Who was became Who is, Who is has not become, has no being, was non being. Only in the Becoming does Who is have Being. When Who is to come becomes Who is, Who is becomes Who was. Therefore Who was, is the non Being of Who is, even as Who is, is the non Being of Who is to come. As such, for me, being becoming-non being-becoming being though distinct are inherently, intrinsically and inseparably one, even as, was, is and will be, though distinct, are also inseparably one, in being becoming -non being-becoming being. Yet in all these, Triune Divinity, the I AM WHAT I AM, I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE, is the eternally unchanging is, was and is to come Triune God As such, what I perceive the Unchanging or Non Becoming Nature and Being of Triune God to be inseparable, intrinsically and inherently One, with and in Being Becoming-Non Being-Becoming Being of the Who and What of Triune Divinity. For me, it is then proper to confess Triune God as not only Being and Becoming, but also Non Being and Non Becoming(Unchanging) eternally. In the Oneness of God, the Triune present I Am, was the past I AM and will ever be the future I Am in Being Becoming-Becoming Being-Non Being-Non Becoming eternally. But more than that, in the Word(ὁ λόγος) flesh(σὰρξ) became(ἐγένετο), the Eternal Son becoming a created human being. Now there is a created human, being becoming, becoming being, non being and non becoming, within and partaking of Triune Divinity, in the whole of Divine Being Becoming-Non Being-Becoming Being-Non Becoming, as divinely and humanly possible, eternally. Such is the glory[7], pleasure and will[8] of Triune God, for Triune Divinity and all creation[9], in and though the Incarnate Son, the human, the man Christ Jesus. For in him all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily[10]. [1] Chabad.org The Complete Jewish Bible. [2] See pealim.com : Conjugation of לִהְיוֹת; Verb – PA'AL; Root: ה - י – ה; Meaning - to be; 1st person future tense [3] Revelations 1:8 [4] NKJV Revelations 1:8 [5] Revelations 1:4 [6] Revelation 4:8 NKJV [7] John 17:22 NKJV“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made” perfect in one”(more accurately in context: made complete in oneness) NIV Translates it as: “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me [8] Ephesians1:4-6 “ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” NKJV Ephesians 1:9-12 “9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” NKJV See also Revelation 4:11 [9] Ephesians 1:9-10 “9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him” NKJV [10] “For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily” World English Bible (WEB) |
WILFRED YEO
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