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In a thought-provoking recent episode released before this Easter, analytic theologian Dr. R.T. Mullins suggested three reasons God would have to become incarnate, building on work by Swinburne and McConnell.
The one he focuses the most on in the idea that God would be obligated to become incarnate so that he can suffer along with us, his beloved creatures.
In this episode I evaluate those three reasons using Scripture and reason. I argue that we can have the theological goods Dr. Mullins wants at a better price.
Which case did you find more convincing, and why?
Links for this episode:
The Reluctant Theologian Podcast Ep. 118. Why Did God Become Incarnate?
The Reluctant Theologian Podcast
Swinburne, The Resurrection of God Incarnate
Francis J. McConnell, The Diviner Immanence
podcast 225 – Biblical Words for God and for his Son Part 2 – Old “Lord” vs. New “Lord”
podcast 224 – Biblical Words for God and for his Son Part 1 – God and “God” in the Bible
podcast 277 – Was Christ tempted in every way?
podcast 344 – Craig’s Contradictory Christ – Part 2
podcast 343 – Craig’s Contradictory Christ – Part 1
a reading of Philippians 2:5-11
podcast 264 – Tuggy vs. Date debate – Jesus is human and not divine – Part 2
podcast 263 – Tuggy vs. Date debate – Jesus is human and not divine – Part 1
podcast 323 – Did God die on the cross?
podcast 333 – The Arguments of “God’s Death”
podcast 146 – Jesus as an Exemplar of Faith in the New Testament
“Jesus as an exemplar of faith in the New Testament”
podcast 145 – ‘Tis Mystery All: the Immortal dies!
John 1:1-14; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 12:2; Revelation 5:1-14; Romans 5:1-10; Hebrews 2:17; John 3:34; Philippians 2:6-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-58; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5; Isaiah 41:8; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 5:1-10; Matthew 10:29; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; Romans 1:18-32; Revelation 5:9; Ephesians 3:12; John 8:40; John 1:29.
This week’s thinking music is “What’s on my Mind” by Ivan Chew.
Dale, what a fantastic episode! The way you set up context about those with which you disagree (Dr R.T. Mullins, Swinburne, etc.) was treated with the utmost love, care, and respect.
Listening to Dr. Mullins’ podcast brought me back to my former trinitarian years, particularly 21 years ago (2002) when I used to share the incarnation with Muslim coworkers at an Army school. I used to try to describe to them how Jesus was God himself jumping into the trenches of humanity like we (then young officers) might respect the highest ranking 4-star general jumping into our trenches in combat to relate to what we go through. It seemed like a great comparison at the time, but it really fails on New Testament grounds, in addition to other points you mentioned. I respect the passion I heard in Dr. Mullins’ voice, and it reminded me of my own in my 20s. I also loved the passionate yet logical thought with biblical references you mentioned as you responded to his points, as several of those same points flew through my head seconds before I heard you say each one as I listened to your podcast 364.
The way you described the front-row seats to all the horror God has at watching us suffer is something I’ve thought of a lot, and it makes much more sense logically and biblically than incarnation. It also makes sense that any of us parents who truly love our children would rather die ourselves, if possible, than see our children suffer and die. How hard it must have been for the Father to watch this (and Jesus to endure it)! It reminds me of 2 quotes, one fictional, one biblical. The fictional is from “The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers” where Theoden says at his son’s funeral “no parent should have to bury their child.” God endured this with watching the death of Jesus, His Perfect Son, while also enduring high suffering as He watches all of us too.
The biblical quote is Zechariah 12:10 – “…they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him…” Aside from the Me/Him passage difficulty and New Testament verses like John 19:37, I’ve normally viewed this passage from the likely more linguistically correct approach described by Jeff Benner (Ancient Hebrew Research Center), who breaks down the Hebrew grammar as “…look on Me [about] whom they pierced” or “about the one whom they pierced.” So whether someone is trinitarian or unitarian, I think we can all acknowledge that just as Jesus suffered and was literally pierced, God Himself was also pierced in a figurative or emotional sense as He suffered watching His uniquely begotten Son suffer and die. Similar to how Simeon prophesied to Mary in Luke 2:35 “yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also…”
Thanks for stirring up these thoughts and keep proclaiming truth in love!
-Matt
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