THE DOCTRINE OF THE DIVINE 
SONSHIP OF JESUS

M. Is -Jesus Son of God?

C. Yes. Read in Matthew 3:17, when Jesus was baptized  by john: "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

M. You should not accept the word Son literally, because many Prophets and we people are called in the Bible also, sons and children of God.  Read Exodus 4:22.

C. "And thou [Moses] shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn."

M. Here is Jacob (Israel) His firstborn son. Read now II Samuel 7:13-14 or I Chronicles 22:10.

C. "He [Solomon] shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever, I will be his father and he shall be my son….”

M. It will be confusing if you read Jeremiah 31:9: "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn." In Exodus 4:22 just now, Israel was called firstborn, too.  Who is now the real firstborn?  Israel or Ephralm? Common people can be children of God; read Deuteronomy 14:1.

C. "Ye are the children of the Lord your God."

M. Common people can also be called firstborn; read Romans 8:29.

C. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn of many brethren."

M. If all are firstborn, what is Jesus then?

C. He is the only begotten Son of God.

M. Long before Jesus was born, God said to David (Psalm 2.7): "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me [David], Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee." So David is also God's begotten Son.  The meaning of Son of God is not literal but metaphorical.  It can be any one who is beloved by God.  Jesus also said that God is not only his Father but also your Father (Matthew 5:45, 48).

C. "That ye may be the children of your Father"; and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

M. So you will see in many passages in the Bible "Son of God" which signifies love and affection, nearness to God, not applied to Jesus alone. You will see sons and daughters of God (II Corinthians 6:18): "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." In view of these and other passages in the Bible, there is no reason whatsoever why Jesus should be regarded as Son of God in a literal or unique sense.

C. But he has no father; that is why he is Son of God.

M. Why do you consider Adam then not as Son of God.  He lacked both father and mother, and is also called Son of God in Luke 3:38: ". . . Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." Read Hebrews 7:3.

C. "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually."

M. Who is he?  The answer is in Hebrews 7:1: "Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham . . ." He is more unique than Jesus or Adam.  Why is he not preferred to be son of God or God himself?

C. What do you call Jesus then?

M. We Muslims call him Jesus the son of Mary.

C. No one will deny this.

M. Yes, it is simple and nobody can deny it.  Jesus called himself Son of man and refused to be called Son of God.  Read Luke 4:41.

C. "And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God.  And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ."

M. It is clear here that he refused to be called Son of God. He refused again in Luke 9:20 and 21, and charged them too.

C. "He [Jesus] said unto them [the disciples], But whom say ye that I am?
Peter answering said, The Christ of God.  And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing."

M. Jesus who was the expected Messiah, a Prophet, was escalated from teacher to Son of God, Lord, and finally God Himself.  Read John 3:2: "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God . . ."; (John 6:14): "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." Jesus is also called prophet in John 7:40, Matthew 21:11, Luke 7:16 and 24:19. (Acts 9:20): "And straightway he [Paul] preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God." (You can conclude from here also that early Christians were still using synagogues, but later when Christianity deviated from the original teaching of Jesus, churches were established.  Paul, Barnabas and the gentiles were expelled from the synagogues, as they were accused of blasphemy and pollution.  See Acts 13:50, 17:18 and 21:28.) Luke 2:11: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."