The Father/Son Relationship

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Excerpts from the Forward by Thomas W. Cabeen, April, 1999

Over the years I have heard many Christians express frank confusion about the nature of the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This state of affairs seems inappropriate for the worshipers of a God who withheld nothing, not even His beloved only-begotten Son, from us. Jesus prayed: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3 NIV) Jesus' statement suggests to me that neither God nor His Son should be mysterious to His children...

This treatise is not meant to be a comprehensive consideration of this subject, but to encourage Christians on both sides of the issue to re-explore the relationship between the heavenly Father and His Son, with a focus on concepts and ideas

expressed in the vocabulary and expressions of Scripture itself rather than through a detailed study of Biblical languages or technical terminology. The Bible has much to say about the subject at hand, but we but we may have the impression that it is extremely difficult or complicated and best left to theologians. We may feel that this issue has been worked out, and need not be discussed any further. But should we not, as Christians, make sure of all things, read God's Word for ourselves and let it convince us of the truthfulness, solidity and validity of even the basic Christian doctrines? (Acts 17:11) We have much to gain and nothing to fear from such a pursuit. I firmly believe that the Bible's basic message and far, far more can be understood by any sincere believer, because God will take an active role in leading such a believer to a deeper understanding of His identity and the role He, His Son and the Holy Spirit play in our salvation...

Whatever your current convictions about this subject, you will likely be challenged by the information presented herein. Persons coming from the non-Trinitarian perspective may be surprised at the strength and clarity of Scriptural testimony about the deity of Christ. On the other hand, Trinitarians may be surprised at the lack of Scriptural support for some widely-held beliefs about the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Regardless of your starting point, any sincere study of God's Word can only yield good results. If new viewpoints or perspectives open, I urge you to prayerfully explore them. Perhaps you may begin to understand more clearly why those "on the other side" of the issue believe as they do. Ultimately, the goal is to break down barriers which needlessly divide Christians. My prayer would be "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Eph. 1:17 NIV