Sunday, October 24, 2010

NT Pod 42: Did Paul think that Jesus was the Pre-existent Son of God?

NT Pod 42 asks "Did Paul think that Jesus was the Pre-existent Son of God?". It is ten and a half minutes long.



NT Pod 42: Did Paul think that Jesus was the Pre-existent Son of God? (mp3)
NT Pod 42: Did Paul think that Jesus was the Pre-existent Son of God (mp3) (Alternative location)

Key texts: Phil. 2.5-11, 1 Cor. 8.6

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Thanks to Ram2000, Me and You, for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for this. Very balanced and enjoyable.

    I do think another fascinating passage, especially given what we have already in 1 Cor 8:6, is 2 Cor 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." This little line--which almost feels like a throw-away passage from Paul--is extremely interesting. How exactly was Jesus "rich"? Certainly, he was not rich in his human status.

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  2. Thanks, Michael. Yes, agreed. 2 Cor. 8.9 makes good sense as an incarnational verse.

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  3. Thanks for another interesting podcast.

    Your scripture link points to the TNIV which includes the (infamous?) translation of "the form of God" as "the very nature of God". It was little jarring hearing your translation while reading the TNIV.

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  4. Thanks, Scott. Oh, good point. I'll see if I can adjust the Logos script to point to something like the NRSV.

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  5. Dr. Goodacre, I feel that Paul does use an elevated language for Jesus, and its likely the people who knew Jesus did too (it wasn't an issue Paul mentioned dissenting with Peter on) I found you article a good rebuttal of those want to have Paul's conception of Jesus to be more traditionally Jewish.

    It does how ever seem that Paul still is careful to not conflate Jesus and God, and to always subordinate Jesus, so technically Jesus is not fully God. I read in Rev.5:6 Jesus depicted as a a Lamb with 7 eyes for the 7 spirits of God. Could this be a way of saying Jesus is the spirit of God, like in the Kabbalah "Tree of Life" diagrams? In this way, the part that is ultimately God is distinct from his 7 emanations, which are all part of who God is but is not God. Paul could either see this as what constituted the very soul of Jesus or something that possessed him or he ascended to.

    What do you think?

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  6. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mike.

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