Jesus as both Son of God and Son of Man, and God as Triune: A Reconciliation?

Hi Jesuis, nice to engage you in conversation once again.

Personally, I do not see any discrepancy between Jesus as Son of Man, and Jesus as Son of God.

The reconciliation?

That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not counting their trespasses against them (2Corinthians 5:19).

My understanding of things can be summarized as follows. Jesus is Son of God because like Adam, He was conceived directly of God, directly of the Spirit. Yet for a season, for about thirty three years, and for those thirty three years only, Jesus was Son of Man because He was born in course of time by a woman.

There is nothing outlandish in this statement.

The only difference between Adam and Jesus is that while Adam was formed into a man essentially instantaneously, for our sake, Jesus was formed in the womb of a woman, but with the woman merely as environment or repository — much as the atmosphere of earth was repository for forming of Adam from the dust of the earth.

In the forming of his body from food eaten by His mother, just as Adam was formed from dust of the earth, so Jesus’ body incorporates dust of the earth. As Adam received life directly via the breath of God, so Jesus received life directly of the eternal Spirit, The Father. Simultaneously then, while Jesus was on earth, He was both Son of Man, and Son of God.

I differ then, believe in God as Trinity, not because there are three gods, but because God in His infinite power has chosen in Himself to coexist in three different forms, but this for our benefit.

If Adam and Eve never had sinned, the only God they would have known would have been the Son of God, The Father’s physical image, who since has been manifested to us as Jesus Christ. In what follows, given Jesus coalesces with the Son of God post resurrection, each of the terms, Son of God or Jesus refer to the eternal person of the Son of God (John 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4).

Inclusive of Adam and Eve, no man ever has seen, or has capacity for seeing The Father (John 6:46; 1Timothy 6:15–16). Note that only a God who has a physical representation — who has arms and a torso at the very least — can kill a lamb then make clothes for Adam and Eve from the skin of the lamb, then fit those clothes on them Himself (Genesis 3:21). Only a God who has a physical representation can walk in a garden (it must be impossible for a spirit that does not have a body to walk, for walking implies legs) so He can fellowship with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8). Given God spoke to Adam and Eve, we have evidence for a torso, arms, legs, and a head, meaning it was Jesus, the eternal Son of God walking in that garden in Genesis Chapter 3. Since Jesus is “He who was, and who is” (Revelation 1:4), this is a Scriptural conclusion.

The reason God exists as Jesus Christ is because a God who is Spirit but lacks a body cannot participate in or experience His own Creation. God acquired a body for Himself, put Himself in a body so He can participate in, and fellowship with His Creation. Note, however, that God does not live on earth. This is why Jesus said that it was expedient that He go back to heaven, for the earth is given to man only (Psalm 115:16).

God makes us like Himself, but He Himself does not live on this earth. Jesus never claimed to be God, never demanded to be recognized as God while He lived on earth. But if He had remained on earth post resurrection, He would have had to demand to be recognized. An almighty and wise God knew better.

No human being living on earth can claim to be manifestation of God, for God does not live on earth. The testimony is, “As God is (in the heavens), so are we in this world (1John 4:17).”

The rationale for God as Holy Spirit is exactly the same. Since man is sinful and God is holy, in order for man to have fellowship with God, God needed to exist in form of the Holy Spirit such that His attempts at helping man be holy have zero chance of bringing any taint into His perfect holiness.

Consider that if there is a spring of water, with the knowledge that a bucket can be tainted with germs, we do not attempt to draw from the source of the spring with a bucket. Rather, we allow the spring flow into the bucket in such a manner that the bucket never has opportunity for coming in contact with the source of the spring. Since God is wise, He chooses not to place Himself in a situation within which His very essence can come in contact with man’s sinful nature. In a sense then, the Holy Spirit Himself is replenished by The Father.

We have then that the triuneness of God is not rooted in any sort of idolatry or self aggrandizement. We have that the triuneness of God derives from The Father’s delight in fellowship with His Creation, in fellowship with mankind (1John 1:3).

If one wanted to be pedantic, one could say God is biune — Father and Son — because the Holy Spirit is Spirit of Father and Son. This perhaps is more accurate. Regardless, to say that God is triune, that God reveals Himself to us in three different forms that coexist simultaneously — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — cannot be said to be incorrect, cannot be said to be heresy.

If water, which is essence of life can at the same temperature coexist as water, water vapor, and ice, how can coexistence in three different forms be impossible for the Creator of water? After all, to believe in existence of God, is to believe He created all things.

If atoms can split into two for their own benefit, is it not reasonable to believe that the Creator Himself who is Creator of atoms can split Himself into three different coexisting forms that in essence are one, into three different forms that interdependently coexist with The Father as anchor for achievement of God’s purposes on earth?

Just as Jesus lived righteously by depending on the Holy Spirit, so also we are called to live righteously by depending on the same Holy Spirit.

The only difference?

Jesus started off as holy seed, we start off as corrupted seed. Regardless, if we trust in the name of Jesus Christ, victory over the sinful nature is guaranteed. I know for a fact that this is true for I have experienced divine help that enables overcoming of man’s inherent sinfulness.

The power of the gospel is that God came to earth in human form and demonstrated that with His power man can live above sin (Romans 8:1–4). The travesty is man continues to observe the depravity of the sinful human nature, yet continues to act as if there is no need for help from God (John 3:19–21).

The only ‘way of life’ whose teachings are premised on availability of help from God for enablement of righteous living is Christianity. We see then that the teachings of Jesus Christ always have been and remain unique.

Absent acknowledgement of our dependence on God’s nature — which is the nature of Jesus Christ, which makes Jesus Son of God — for victory over sin, I do not believe that we credibly can celebrate the person of Jesus Christ.