Bible Studies

Harlot of Babylon According to Irvin Baxter, Trinity and Oneness, Part 6

by Karl Kemp
04/07/16
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I'll list three cross-references where Trinitarian writers deal with John 1:1 (or John 1:1-18) and give a few brief excerpts from them here at the beginning of Part 6 of this paper. 

Michael R. Burgos ("Kiss the Son," 2012) discusses John 1:1 on pages 55-64. He interacts extensively with what David Bernard says on John 1:1. Chapter 4 of Gregory A. Boyd's "Oneness Pentecostals & The Trinity" is titled "Did the Son of God Exist Before His Birth" (pages 93-114). He discusses John 1:1-18, especially John 1:1 on pages 94-97. I'll quote a few sentences from what Boyd says here: "There is perhaps no stronger testimony to the actual distinct pre-existence of Christ than the entire first chapter of the Gospel of John. It was, in fact, largely my own study of this chapter that finally convinced me that the Oneness view of the Son of God [which he previously held] could not possibly be correct" (page 94). And "The conclusion that John understood Jesus actually and personally to preexist with God [the Father] and as God [as deity] prior to His becoming flesh seems unavoidable. Therefore, the Oneness attempt to explain Christ's preexistence as an existence either as the actual Father or as the idealized envisaged Son [the One who oneness Christians say did not exist until the virgin birth] cannot succeed in this passage" (page 96). 

Edward L. Dalcour ("A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology," 2011) discusses John 1:1 in some detail on pages 119-131. He rightly says that this verse shows the eternality of the Son, the distinction between the Father and the Son, and the full deity of the Son. He interacts with Bernard to some extent. I'll give one short excerpt: "...Oneness theology says the Son is the humanity and not the deity of Jesus. They also assert that since the Sonship began (was created) in Bethlehem, the Sonship will cease to exist after time (cf. Bernard, 1983, page 106)" (page 121).      

JOHN 8:58 (WITH 8:57, 59). "So the Jews said to Him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?' (58) Jesus said to them, 'Truly [Amen], truly [Amen], I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.' (59) Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself [A note in the margin of the NASB has "was hidden