Early Adventist Pioneers on the Nature and Origin of the Son

The pioneers maintained that while the Son of God is divine and self-existent, there is a literal relationship of Father and Son that implies a priority of existenceATO 128.1. They taught that in the order of nature, the Father must have existed before the Son, as the very idea of a Father and a Son supposes the prior existence of the one and the subsequent existence of the otherATO 128.1+1. This "begetting" of the Son occurred so far back in the days of eternity that it is practically without beginning to finite comprehension, yet it signifies that the Son had an origin and a beginning of days in His highest natureCHR 21.2+1.

The Priority of the Father

• A Natural Relationship: The terms Father and Son are not used in an accommodated sense but represent a real relationship where the Father is necessarily elder than the SonATO 128.1.

• Order of Nature: It is considered a natural impossibility for the Father to be as young as the Son; therefore, in the order of existence, the Father was before the SonATO 128.1+1.

• Inherited Divinity: Christ did not obtain His name or nature through achievement but by right of inheritance as the only begotten Son of the FatherCHR 11.4+1.

• The First Born: In His divine nature, Christ is the firstborn of every creature, meaning He had a real, intelligent existence before the first created being in heaven or earth was brought into existence Colossians 1:15ATO 128.1.

The Origin of the Son’s Personality

• Begotten, Not Created: There is a fundamental distinction made between being created and being begotten; Christ was directly begotten of the substance of the Father and is therefore not a created subjectSITI July 7, 1887, page 407.3+2.

• Goings Forth from Eternity: The personality of the Son proceeded forth from the bosom of the Father in the days of eternity, a time so remote that human minds cannot grasp it Micah 5:2CHR 21.2.

• Before All Things: Before any angels, thrones, dominions, or worlds existed, the Son had already been begotten and took His place as the only begotten of the Father Colossians 1:16-17SITI July 7, 1887, page 407.3+1.

• The Master Workman: Having been begotten before all creation, He then became the "beginner" of creation and the instrumentality by which all other things were madeATO 125.2+2.

The Nature of His Self-Existence

• Derived from the Father: While Christ has life in Himself and possesses all the attributes of Deity by nature, this life and these attributes were given to Him by the Father John 5:26CHR 11.4+1.

• Fullness of the Godhead: It pleased the Father that in the Son all fullness should dwell, including the power to create and the possession of immortality in His own right Colossians 1:19PTUK December 18, 1890, page 409.6+1.

• One in Spirit and Purpose: Despite the distinction in their order of existence, the Father and Son are one in Spirit, purpose, and action, though they remain two distinct persons John 10:30+1ARSH October 13, 1859, page 164.3.

• The Mystery of Godliness: The process of His generation is a mystery that no one knows or understands but the Father who begat HimGEP 535.3+1.

The Importance of This Distinction

• Honoring the Son: Acknowledging that the Son was begotten does not detract from His honor but aligns with the plain language of ScripturePTUK December 18, 1890, page 409.6.

• Basis of the Atonement: To appreciate the sacrifice of Christ, one must understand that His nature previous to the incarnation was divine, as only a divine sacrifice could provide atonementATO 125.2.

• Avoiding Error: Distinguishing between the self-existent Father and the begotten Son helps guard against theories that are out of harmony with the Bible's testimony regarding the only begotten Son of GodPTUK December 18, 1890, page 409.6+1.

• True Knowledge of God: This understanding reveals the depth of the Father's love, as He gave a Son who was of His own substance to die for a rebellious world John 3:16PTUK June 18, 1891, page 200.4+1.