{"id":11882,"date":"2016-05-08T12:15:31","date_gmt":"2016-05-08T16:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordstudy.newchurch.org\/?page_id=11882"},"modified":"2016-05-08T12:15:31","modified_gmt":"2016-05-08T16:15:31","slug":"son-of-god","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/bible-keywords\/son-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Son of God"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swedenborg<\/a> offers different angles on the phrase \u201cthe Son of God,\u201d sometimes saying that it refers to the \u201cdivine human<\/a>\u201d and sometimes saying it refers to the \u201cdivine truth<\/a>.\u201d That seems confusing, but that problem is largely with the way we tend to think about \u201ctruth<\/a>\u201d or true ideas.<\/p>\n

Generally, when asked to think of the \u201ctruth,\u201d people will think of written rules like the Ten Commandments, or logical proofs, or mathematical equations that are undeniably accurate. But that is really only a very external<\/a> idea of truth. So what is an internal<\/a> idea of truth like?<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider: We\u2019ve all had the experience of struggling to understand something, blundering along as someone tries to explain it. Then, all of a sudden, it \u201cclicks.\u201d You see the pattern, see the logic, see the whole picture. In an instant, you go from \u201cnot getting it\u201d to \u201cgetting it.\u201d But how easy is it to put that \u201cit\u201d into words? Usually not easy at all. And it\u2019s not easy to draw in a picture, or express in an equation. \u00a0But it\u2019s very real \u2013 in a way all the more real, because it expresses something deeper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take that click, that \u201cit\u201d that you suddenly got and multiply it by a factor of infinity, and that\u2019s where divine truth is. Imagine if in a click you could \u201cget\u201d God that way \u2013 the whole picture, the purposes, the plans, the love, the patience, the forgiveness, the ebb and flow running constantly and completely with everyone on earth. That click would be a glimpse at divine truth \u2013 a blinding snapshot moment seeing all that God is. Amazing thought, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

But that\u2019s really what the Lord brought to us when he came into this world in the body of Jesus<\/a>. By taking on a human<\/a> body, he let us see a face and hear a voice, gave us a way to connect with his humanity. In his words he gave us thoughts and ideas we can ponder still today. It was enough to give us that \u201cclick,\u201d that indescribable sense of getting \u201cit,\u201d that he is a friend, leader, teacher, father, defender and supporter and ultimately savior. He gave us the ability to glimpse divine truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a sense, then, the divine truth really <\/span>is <\/span><\/i>the divine human. When we get \u201cit,\u201d we see the Lord\u00a0as the infinite<\/a> human, and everything we could ever know is there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Passages from Swedenborg<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arcana Coelestia 7499<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Word the Lord is called ‘Jehovah’ in respect of Divine Goodness, for Divine Goodness is the Divine itself, and the Lord is referred to as ‘the\u00a0Son of\u00a0God’ in respect of Divine Truth. For Divine Truth goes forth from Divine Goodness, as the Son does from the Father, and is also said to be born from it. But something more must be said to show what this implies. When the Lord was in the world He made the Human He had assumed Divine Truth, and at that time called Divine Goodness, which is Jehovah, His Father. He did so because, as has been stated, Divine Truth goes forth and is born from Divine Goodness. But after the Lord had fully glorified Himself, which was accomplished on the Cross when He underwent His last temptation of all, He then also made the Human He had assumed Divine Goodness, which is Jehovah, and it was from that Divine Goodness that Divine Truth itself went forth out of His Divine Human. This Divine Truth is what is called the Holy Spirit and is the holiness that goes forth from the Divine Human. This shows what the Lord’s words in John are used to mean,<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0The Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0With regard to Divine Goodness and its being called ‘the Father’, and to Divine Truth and its being called ‘the Son’, see 3704.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AC 3704<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] So essentially the Lord is nothing else than Divine Good, and this applies to both essentials – to the Divine itself and to the Divine Human. Divine Truth however does not exist within Divine Good but flows from it, for as stated above, Divine Truth is the Divine Good presenting itself visually in heaven. Now because Divine Good presents itself as Divine Truth, therefore the Lord’s Divine is distinguished, to enable man to grasp it mentally, into Divine Good and Divine Truth, Divine Good being called in the Word ‘the Father’ and Divine Truth ‘the Son’. This is the arcanum that lies behind the Lord Himself on so many occasions speaking of His Father as though He were separate from and so to speak One other than Himself, and yet at other times speaking of His being one with Himself. The fact that in the internal sense ‘father’ means good, and in the highest sense the Lord as regards Divine Good, has been shown just above in 3703, and the fact that ‘son’ means truth while ‘the Son of God’ and ‘the Son of Man’ mean the Lord as regards Divine Truth, in 1729, 1733, 2159, 2803, 2813. The matter is also clear from all those places where the Lord uses the name Father and calls Himself the Son.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AE 684<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0[2] It is said, “the kingdoms of the world are become our Lord’s and His Christ’s,” and Lord here means the same as Jehovah in the Old Testament, and Father in the New, namely, the Lord as to the Divine itself and also as to the Divine Good; and Christ means the same as God in the Old Testament, and\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0in the New, namely, the Lord as to the Divine Human and also as to the Divine Truth. For “Christ” has a signification similar to that of Anointed, Messiah, and King; and Anointed, Messiah, and King, mean the Lord as to the Divine Truth, and also as to the Divine Human when He was in the world, for then the Lord, as to His Human, was Divine Truth. The signification therefore of the Anointed of Jehovah is similar; for the Divine itself, which is called Jehovah and Father, and was in its essence the Divine Good of the Divine Love, anointed the Divine Human, which is called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, and which in its essence, while it was in the world, was Divine Truth; for anointing signified that the Divine Human of the Lord proceeded from His very Divine, and consequently was the Divine Truth from His Divine Good.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AE 852 <\/span><\/p>\n

[3] \u00a0And in Luke:<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0The angel said unto Mary, “Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High. But Mary said unto the angel, How shall this come to pass, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; therefore that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” (i. 31, 34, 35).<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u00a0From this it is clear that the Lord from conception is Jehovah God; and to be Jehovah God from conception is to be so as to life itself, which is called the soul from the Father, from which the body possesses life. From this also it is quite clear, that the Lord’s Human is what is called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, for it is said “the Holy Thing” which shall be born of thee, shall be called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 44<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. (1:13) This symbolizes the Lord in relation to the Word, from whom that church originates.<\/span>
    \n<\/span>People know from the Word that the Lord called Himself the\u00a0Sonof\u00a0God\u00a0and also the Son of Man. By “the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” He meant Himself in respect to His Divine humanity, and by “the Son of Man” He meant Himself in relation to the Word.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Doctrine of the Lord (Dick) n. 19<\/b><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. VI<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>THE LORD AS TO THE DIVINE HUMAN IS CALLED THESON\u00a0OF\u00a0GOD; AND AS TO THE WORD, THE SON OF MAN<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>In the Church no other idea is entertained than that the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0Godis a second Person of the Divinity, distinct from the Person of the Father; whence has arisen the belief in a\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0born from eternity. In consequence of this being universally received, and of its relating to God, there has been no scope or liberty in thinking about it from any degree of understanding, not even so far as to think, What can be meant by being born from eternity? For any one who thinks about it from his understanding must surely say within himself, This is quite beyond me; but still I affirm it, because others say it, and I believe it, because others believe it. Be it known, however, that there is no Son from eternity, but that the Lord is from eternity. When it is known what the Lord is, and what the Son, one can then think from the understanding of the Triune God, and not before.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[2] That the Lord’s Human, conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the Virgin Mary, is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, is plainly manifest from the following passages:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>In Luke:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,<\/span>
      \n<\/span>To a virgin espoused to a man (vir) whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>When the angel came in unto her he said, Hail thou that hast obtained favour, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>Behold, thou shalt conceive . . . and bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest …<\/span>
      \n<\/span>But Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (vir)?<\/span>
      \n<\/span>And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God. Luke i 26-35.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0It is here said, Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a Son: He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And again, That Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the\u00a0Sonof\u00a0God. From this it is evident that the Human conceived of God and born of the Virgin Mary is what is called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[3] In Isaiah:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name God with us (Immanuel). Isa. vii 14.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0It is clear that the Son conceived of God and born of the virgin is He who was to be called God with us, and consequently who is theSon\u00a0of\u00a0God. That this is so, is also confirmed in Matthew i 22, 23.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[4] Again in Isaiah:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero (AV. the Mighty), the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isa. ix 6, 7.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The same is clearly stated here; for it is said, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, who is not a Son from eternity, but the Son born in the world. This is also evident from the words of the prophet in the following verse, No. 7, which are similar to those of angel Gabriel to Mary in Luke i 32, 33.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[5] In the Psalms:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0I will declare the decree: Jehovah hath said<\/span>
      \n<\/span>Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee<\/span>
      \n<\/span>Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way. Ps. ii 7, 12.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0Here no Son from eternity is meant, but the Son born in the world; for this is a prophecy concerning the Lord who was to come; and therefore it is called a decree, which Jehovah announced to David. “This day” is not from eternity, but in time.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[6] Again in the Psalms:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0I will set His hand in the sea … He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, I will make Him my First-born. Ps. lxxxix 25, 26, 27.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The whole of this Psalm treats of the Lord who should come. Therefore it is He that is meant who should call Jehovah His Father, and who should be the First-born, and consequently who is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[7] So also in other passages, as where He is called<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0A Rod out of the stem of Jesse. Isa. xi 1;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0A branch of David. Jer. xxiii 5, 6;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The seed of the woman. Gen. iii 15;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The Only Begotten. John i 18;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0A Priest to eternity, and, the Lord. Ps. cx 4, 5.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[8] In the Jewish Church, by the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0was understood the Messiah, whom they expected, and of whom they knew that He should be born in Bethlehem. That by the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0they understood the Messiah is plain from the following passages:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0In John:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0Peter said, We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. John vi 69.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0In the same:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0Thou art the Christ, the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, who should come into the world. John xi 27.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0In Matthew:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The high priest asked Jesus, whether He was the Christ, the\u00a0Son\u00a0ofGod. Jesus said, I am. Matt. xxvi 63, 64; Mark xiv 62.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0In John:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, theSon\u00a0of\u00a0God. John xx 31; and Mark i 1.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[9] Christ is a Greek word which signifies Anointed, the same as Messiah in the Hebrew tongue; and therefore it is said in John:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. John i 41;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0and in another place,<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0The woman said, I know that the Messiah cometh, who is called the Christ. John iv 25.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0It has been pointed out in the first chapter that the Law and the Prophets, that is, the whole Word of the Old Testament, treats of the Lord. Therefore, no other can be meant by the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0who was to come, but the Human which the Lord, assumed in the world.[10] From this it follows that this Human was meant at His baptism by Son, so called by Jehovah in a voice from heaven, when Jesus was being baptised:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matt. iii 17; Mark i 11; Luke iii 22;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0for it was His Human that was baptised; and when He was transfigured:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased hear ye Him. Matt. xvii 5; Mark ix 7 Luke ix 35;<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0and also in other passages, as:<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>\u00a0Matt. viii 29; xiv 33; xxvii 43, 54; Mark iii 11; xv 39; John i 18, 34, 49; iii 18; v 25; x 36; xi 4.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Canons of the New Church (Whitehead) n. 18<\/b><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. CHAPTER V.<\/span>
        \n<\/span>
        \n<\/span>THE HUMAN OF THE LORD JEHOVAH IS “THE\u00a0SON\u00a0OFGOD\u00a0SENT INTO THE WORLD.”<\/span>
        \n<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Jehovah God sent Himself into the world whereby He assumed the Human.<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. This Human, conceived from Jehovah God, is called “theSon\u00a0of\u00a0God, which was sent into the world.”<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. This Human is called “the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God,” and “the Son of Man”; “the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God,” from the Divine Truth and the Divine Good in Him, which is the Word; and “the Son of Man,” from the Divine Truth and the Divine Good from Him, which is the doctrine of the church from the Word.<\/span><\/li>\n
      5. No other\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0is meant in the Word, but He who was born in the world.<\/span><\/li>\n
      6. “A\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0born from eternity,” who is a God by Himself, is not from the Sacred Scripture; and it is also contrary to reason enlightened by God.<\/span><\/li>\n
      7. This was invented and made up by the Nicene Council, as an asylum to which those could betake themselves who wished to avoid the scandals disseminated by Arius and his followers, concerning the Human of the Lord.<\/span><\/li>\n
      8. The Primitive Church, which was called the Apostolic Church, knew nothing concerning the birth of any\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0from eternity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

        True Christian Religion (Rose) n. 92<\/b><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. 92<\/span>
          \n<\/span> The “Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” is the human manifestation in which God sent himself into the world. The Lord frequently says that the Father sent him, or that he was sent by the Father (for example, Matthew 10:40; 15:24; John 3:17, 34; 5:23, 24, 36, 37, 38; 6:29, 39, 40, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28, 29; 8:16, 18, 29, 42; 9:4; and very often elsewhere). The Lord says this because being sent into the world means coming down among people, which he did through the human manifestation he took on through the Virgin Mary.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>The human manifestation really is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, in that he was conceived by Jehovah God as the Father, as it says in Luke 1:32, 35.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>He is called “the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God,” “the Son of Humankind,” and “the Son of Mary.” “The\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” means Jehovah God in his human manifestation. “The Son of Humankind” means the Lord in his role as the Word. “The Son of Mary” properly means the human manifestation he took on. Just below we will show that “the\u00a0Son\u00a0ofGod” and “the Son of Humankind” have the meanings just mentioned. As for “the Son of Mary” meaning just the human manifestation, this is obvious from human reproduction. The soul comes from the father, the body from the mother. The soul is in the fathers semen; it is clothed with a body in the mother. To put it another way, everything we have that is spiritual comes from our father; everything physical comes from our mother.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>In the Lord’s case, the divine nature he had came from Jehovah his Father; the human nature he had came from his mother. These two natures united together are “the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God.” The truth of this is clearly substantiated by the Lord’s birth, as recorded in Luke: “The angel Gabriel said to Mary, The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Highest will cover you; therefore the Holy One that is born from you will be called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” (Luke 1:35).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          True Christian Religion (Rose) n. 342<\/b><\/p>\n

          342<\/span>
          \n<\/span>The preceding part of this chapter (337-339) showed that the faith that saves us is faith in the Lord God our Savior Jesus Christ. The question is, what is the first step toward faith in him? The answer is acknowledging that he is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God. This was the first step toward faith that the Lord revealed and proclaimed when he came into the world. If people had not started by acknowledging that he was the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, and therefore God from God, it would have been pointless for him, and later for his apostles, to have preached faith in him.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>There is in fact something like this today among people whose thoughts are based on their own self-importance, that is, on their outer, earthly selves alone. They say to themselves, “How could Jehovah God conceive a son? How could a human being be God?” Therefore it is necessary to use the Word to establish and support this first step into faith; the following passages are offered for this purpose:<\/span>
          \n<\/span>“The angel said to Mary, ‘You will conceive in your womb and give birth, and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this take place, since I have not had intercourse?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will descend upon you, and the power of the Highest will cover you; therefore the Holy One that is born from you will be called the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God'” (Luke 1:31, 32, 34, 35). When Jesus was baptized, a voice came from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16, 17; Mark 1:10, 11; Luke 3:21, 22). Furthermore, when Jesus was transfigured, a voice came from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him” (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35).\u00a0[2] “Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus said, ‘You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah. I say to you, on this rock I will build my church'” (Matthew 16:13, 16, 17, 18).<\/span>
          \n<\/span>The Lord said, then, that he would build his church on this rock, that is, on the truth and the confession that he is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God. In fact, a “rock” means a truth, and also the Lord’s divine truth. The church does not exist in someone who does not confess the truth that Jesus is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God. That is why I said just above that this is the first step into faith in Jesus Christ – this is faith at its very outset.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>John the Baptist saw and testified that Jesus is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God(John 1:34). The disciple Nathaniel said to Jesus, “You are the\u00a0Sonof\u00a0God. You are the King of Israel” (John 1:49). The twelve disciples said, “We have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). Jesus is called the only begotten\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0and the only begotten from the Father, who is close to the Father’s heart (John 1:14, 18; 3:16). Jesus himself confessed before the high priest that he was the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God(Matthew 26:63, 64; 27:43; Mark 14:41, 42; Luke 22:70). “Those who were in the boat came and worshiped Jesus saying, ‘Truly you are the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God'” (Matthew 14:33). The eunuch who wanted to be baptized said to Philip, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the\u00a0Son\u00a0ofGod” (Acts 8:37). After Paul was converted, he preached that “Jesus is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” (Acts 9:20). Jesus said, “The hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). “Those who do not believe have already been judged because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” (John 3:18). “These things have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, and by believing may have life in his name” (John 20:31). “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0so that you may know that you have eternal life and so that you may believe in the name of the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God” (1 John 5:13). “We know that the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God\u00a0came and enabled us to know the truth. We are in the truth in the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). “If any confess that Jesus is the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, God lives in them, and they live in God” (1 John 4:15). Also elsewhere, as in Matthew 8:29; 27:40, 43, 54; Mark 1:1; 3:11; 15:39; Luke 8:28; John 9:35; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; Romans 1:4; 2 Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 4:14; 6:6; 7:3; 10:29; 1 John 3:8; 5:10; Revelation 2:18.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>There are many other passages in which Jehovah mentions his Son and the Son himself calls Jehovah God his Father, as in the following: “Whatever the Father does, the Son does. As the Father raises the dead and brings them to life, so does the Son. As the Father has life in himself, so he has given the Son to have life in himself, therefore all should honor the Son as they honor the Father” (John 5:19-27). This also happens in many other passages, including David: “I will announce this decision: Jehovah said to me, ‘You are my Son. Today I fathered you.’ Kiss the Son or he will be angry and you will perish on the way because he will flare up with his brief anger. Blessed are all those who trust in him” (Psalms 2:7, 12).<\/span>
          \n<\/span>[3] On the basis of these passages, we can now draw the conclusion that everyone who wants to be a true Christian and be saved by Christ has to believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God.<\/span>
          \n<\/span>Those who do not believe this and think of Jesus as only the Son of Mary implant in themselves various ideas about him that are damaging and destructive to their salvation (see above, 90, 94, 102). One could say the same thing about them as about the Jews – instead of a royal crown, they put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, give him vinegar to drink, and shout, “If you are the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, come down from the cross” [see Matthew 27:40]. Or else they say what the devil who tempted him said: “If you are the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, tell these stones to become bread,” or, “If you are the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, throw yourself down [from the Temple roof]” (Matthew 4:3, 6).<\/span>
          \n<\/span>People like this desecrate the Lord’s church and his house of worship. They make it a den of thieves. They are the people who turn devotion to the Lord into something like devotion to Muhammad. They do not distinguish between true Christianity, which is worship of the Lord, and materialist philosophy. They could be compared to people riding in a carriage or a wagon on thin ice, and the ice breaks under them, and they sink, and they and their horses and carriage disappear into the icy water. They could also be compared to people who weave a life raft out of rushes and reeds, using tar to glue it together; and they set out onto the great expanse of the ocean, but out there the tar glue dissolves; and choked by the brine, they are swallowed up and buried in the depths of the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Doctrine of the Lord (Dick) n. 19<\/b><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. VI<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>THE LORD AS TO THE DIVINE HUMAN IS CALLED THE SON OF GOD; AND AS TO THE WORD, THE SON OF MAN<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>In the Church no other idea is entertained than that the Son of God is a second Person of the Divinity, distinct from the Person of the Father; whence has arisen the belief in a Son of God born from eternity. In consequence of this being universally received, and of its relating to God, there has been no scope or liberty in thinking about it from any degree of understanding, not even so far as to think, What can be meant by being born from eternity? For any one who thinks about it from his understanding must surely say within himself, This is quite beyond me; but still I affirm it, because others say it, and I believe it, because others believe it. Be it known, however, that there is no Son from eternity, but that the Lord is from eternity. When it is known what the Lord is, and what the Son, one can then think from the understanding of the Triune God, and not before.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[2] That the Lord’s Human, conceived of Jehovah the Father, and born of the Virgin Mary, is the Son of God, is plainly manifest from the following passages:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>In Luke:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,<\/span>
            \n<\/span>To a virgin espoused to a man (vir) whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>When the angel came in unto her he said, Hail thou that hast obtained favour, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Behold, thou shalt conceive . . . and bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest …<\/span>
            \n<\/span>But Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (vir)?<\/span>
            \n<\/span>And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke i 26-35.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>It is here said, Thou shalt conceive and bring forth a Son: He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And again, That Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. From this it is evident that the Human conceived of God and born of the Virgin Mary is what is called the Son of God.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[3] In Isaiah:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name God with us (Immanuel). Isa. vii 14.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>It is clear that the Son conceived of God and born of the virgin is He who was to be called God with us, and consequently who is the Son of God. That this is so, is also confirmed in Matthew i 22, 23.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[4] Again in Isaiah:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero (AV. the Mighty), the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isa. ix 6, 7.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The same is clearly stated here; for it is said, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, who is not a Son from eternity, but the Son born in the world. This is also evident from the words of the prophet in the following verse, No. 7, which are similar to those of angel Gabriel to Mary in Luke i 32, 33.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[5] In the Psalms:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>I will declare the decree: Jehovah hath said<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way. Ps. ii 7, 12.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Here no Son from eternity is meant, but the Son born in the world; for this is a prophecy concerning the Lord who was to come; and therefore it is called a decree, which Jehovah announced to David. “This day” is not from eternity, but in time.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[6] Again in the Psalms:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>I will set His hand in the sea … He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, I will make Him my First-born. Ps. lxxxix 25, 26, 27.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The whole of this Psalm treats of the Lord who should come. Therefore it is He that is meant who should call Jehovah His Father, and who should be the First-born, and consequently who is the Son of God.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[7] So also in other passages, as where He is called<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>A Rod out of the stem of Jesse. Isa. xi 1;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>A branch of David. Jer. xxiii 5, 6;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The seed of the woman. Gen. iii 15;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The Only Begotten. John i 18;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>A Priest to eternity, and, the Lord. Ps. cx 4, 5.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[8] In the Jewish Church, by the Son of God was understood the Messiah, whom they expected, and of whom they knew that He should be born in Bethlehem. That by the Son of God they understood the Messiah is plain from the following passages:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>In John:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Peter said, We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. John vi 69.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>In the same:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world. John xi 27.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>In Matthew:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The high priest asked Jesus, whether He was the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said, I am. Matt. xxvi 63, 64; Mark xiv 62.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>In John:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. John xx 31; and Mark i 1.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>[9] Christ is a Greek word which signifies Anointed, the same as Messiah in the Hebrew tongue; and therefore it is said in John:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. John i 41;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>and in another place,<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>The woman said, I know that the Messiah cometh, who is called the Christ. John iv 25.<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>It has been pointed out in the first chapter that the Law and the Prophets, that is, the whole Word of the Old Testament, treats of the Lord. Therefore, no other can be meant by the Son of God who was to come, but the Human which the Lord, assumed in the world.\u00a0[10] From this it follows that this Human was meant at His baptism by Son, so called by Jehovah in a voice from heaven, when Jesus was being baptised:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matt. iii 17; Mark i 11; Luke iii 22;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>for it was His Human that was baptised; and when He was transfigured:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased hear ye Him. Matt. xvii 5; Mark ix 7 Luke ix 35;<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>and also in other passages, as:<\/span>
            \n<\/span>
            \n<\/span>Matt. viii 29; xiv 33; xxvii 43, 54; Mark iii 11; xv 39; John i 18, 34, 49; iii 18; v 25; x 36; xi 4.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Doctrine of the Lord (Dick) n. 22<\/b><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. He who knows what in the Lord is signified by the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, and what in Him by the Son of Man, is able to see many arcana of the Word: for the Lord sometimes calls Himself the Son, sometimes the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, and sometimes the Son of Man, always according to the subject treated of. When His Divinity, His oneness with the Father, His Divine power, faith in Him and life from Him, are treated of, He then calls Himself the Son, and the\u00a0Son\u00a0of\u00a0God, as in John v 17-26; and elsewhere. Where, however, His passion, the Judgment, His Coming, and, in general, redemption, salvation, reformation and regeneration are treated of, He then calls Himself the Son of Man, because He is then understood in relation to the Word.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

               <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Swedenborg offers different angles on the phrase \u201cthe Son of God,\u201d sometimes saying that it refers to the \u201cdivine human\u201d and sometimes saying it refers to the \u201cdivine truth.\u201d That seems confusing, but that problem is largely with the way we tend to think about \u201ctruth\u201d or true ideas. Generally, when asked to think of […]<\/p>\n

              Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"parent":10645,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11882","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-s","blog-style1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11882"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11882\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}