Jesus, Son of God

[Madhuri]

I am curious as to what being the Son of God means to a Christian in a Divine context.

I am assuming that Christians in general do not actually think that God literally had sex or gave birth in any human manner. So how is Jesus the 'son'? What is a Son on in a spiritual context?

Is it similar to the Hindu idea of Bramha, who is first created by God and who is then responsible for the creation of the heavens and earth?

I think that I have heard people say that he is the first Son but that we are all children of God. However I have been to many church services and heard plenty of times Jesus called 'the only Son of the Father'.

Any explanations are much appreciated

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Jesus is called the Son of God because he is God manifested in the flesh.

 

[Madhuri]

Jesus is called the Son of God because he is God manifested in the flesh.

Why would it make him the 'Son', specifically?

 

[Mister Emu]

Son, as you noted, is not meant to be literal. But rather in the sense of relationship.

Is it similar to the Hindu idea of Bramha, who is first created by God and who is then responsible for the creation of the heavens and earth?

No. Jesus is not created but eternal.

 

[Madhuri]

Son, as you noted, is not meant to be literal. But rather in the sense of relationship.


No. Jesus is not created but eternal.

So God has a father/son relationship with himself? Is there no way to explain this in-depth so that it makes some sense?

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Why would it make him the 'Son', specifically?

When you see the word son with a lower case s it means a child of some guy or girl, but when you see the s in son capitalize it means the the flesh of something usually containing to God.

 

[Mister Emu]

So God has a father/son relationship with himself?

No, the personage of the Father is not the same as the personage as the Son... The Father and Son have a Father/Son relationship.

Is there no way to explain this in-depth so that it makes some sense?

They are seperate personages that share the same substance...

 

[Madhuri]

So basically what I've been told so far is that God can manifest in the flesh and when this happens a different 'personage' is developed and this new personage has the qualities of a son.
However, Jesus is eternal so God has always has an -aspect- that represents a son..child? So maybe God represents a parent/child persona?

 

[Thesavorofpan]

So basically what I've been told so far is that God can manifest in the flesh and when this happens a different 'personage' is developed and this new personage has the qualities of a son.
However, Jesus is eternal so God has always has an -aspect- that represents a son..child? So maybe God represents a parent/child persona?

To the minds of the people who believe in the trinity, yes.

 

[Madhuri]

To the minds of the people who believe in the trinity, yes.

Does the Holy Spirit represent the female/mother aspect or something else? I know that some think it represents the female aspect, but i gather this is not a common view.

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Does the Holy Spirit represent the female/mother aspect or something else? I know that some think it represents the female aspect, but i gather this is not a common view.

Not that I know of, but its more like a buddy to them.

 

[Madhuri]

Not that I know of, but its more like a buddy to them.

Could you explain this more accurately? I do actually want to understand.

 

[Mister Emu]

So basically what I've been told so far is that God can manifest in the flesh and when this happens a different 'personage' is developed and this new personage has the qualities of a son.

You are mixing what Thesa has said, and what I have said. The Son being made manifest in the flesh did not create a new personage. The persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are eternal.

However, Jesus is eternal so God has always has an -aspect- that represents a son..child?

The Son is not an aspect of God, He is fully God. As are the Father and Holy Spirit...

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Could you explain this more accurately? I do actually want to understand.

Do you want to know what it does or something else?

 

[Madhuri]

You are mixing what Thesa has said, and what I have said. The Son being made manifest in the flesh did not create a new personage. The persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are eternal.


The Son is not an aspect of God, He is fully God. As are the Father and Holy Spirit...

Is there some sort of metaphor or method of explanation that can make me conceptualise this idea of God without simply seeing it as a split personality?

 

[Madhuri]

Do you want to know what it does or something else?

Not what is does, but what it IS.

So far I understand that the father, son and holy spirit are all aspects of the One. They are not separate but distinct aspects of the One God, correct?

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Not what is does, but what it IS.

So far I understand that the father, son and holy spirit are all aspects of the One. They are not separate but distinct aspects of the One God, correct?

Basically its God's spirit.

 

[Madhuri]

Basically its God's spirit.

And what is Spirit, according to Christianity?

 

[Thesavorofpan]

And what is Spirit, according to Christianity?

Wow I never heard of that question before and Sadly I'm not sure how to answer that, but I'll give it a shot. I would say that there is only one true spirit and that is Jesus. God in the old testament was an Spirit and if you saw the spirit while you was alive you would die. Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost is still the same spirit that was God in the old testament, but through Jesus's death and ressurections this Spirit can come into our bodies and be seen without killing us.

 

[Mister Emu]

Is there some sort of metaphor or method of explanation that can make me conceptualise this idea of God without simply seeing it as a split personality?

There is a point of pressure and temperature called, appropriately enough, the triple point, where a substance, such as H2O, can exists in seperate states at the same time...

So think of a mass of H20 that is water, ice, and vapor at the same time. Flawed in several places, but gets the idea across...

Or an Artifical Intelligence program on a ship, there is a source computer that sends out the program to a robot, and to the ship's computer system. If we call this program Bob, you have Bob the source computer, Bob the robot, and Bob the ship's computer. All are unique instances of the shared program. Each is fully Bob, but is not the other two Bobs.

Those are the two best I could come up with...

God exists as three Hypostases, or persons, and as one Ousia, or being/substance...