The Incarnation Makes All The Difference

by Heidelblog on February 17, 2022

In Dr. Strachan’s brief comment on this section, he states that “In another little-discussed reality, everyone who believes Scripture must confess the Father’s headship over the Son to some degree. It does no violence to the Son—truly God, truly man—to be “subjected” to the Father in eternity future. Clearly, this indicates that submission is not a negative reality with regard to the divine nature of Christ.” This is simply incorrect on a couple of levels. First, although I would readily affirm an economic submission of the incarnate Son to the Father (a la submission to “some degree”), I am not led by this passage to continue that submission into eternity (past or future). Of course, anyone can take a single verse and make it fit into any theological system, but as Dr. Strachan has already said, what is hard is the work of theology. That requires a proper exegetical method. To read that text as promoting ontological subordination s unnecessary.

Once we look at the text in its wider context, we see that Paul is speaking of Christ’s work of redemption within his messianic venture as the mediator. As the incarnate redeemer, he has died for his people and then rose again, promising to one day raise his people and destroy death once and for all. The authority spoken of in this text is a mediatorial authority over all creation that we see in Psalm 8, and not the natural authority that comes by virtue of his divinity. The incarnate Son declares to his apostles that “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). This is an authority that is “according to his particular station within the economy.” Hebrews 2:9 picks up on this when it states that Christ was “made for a little while lower than the angels…” This is why the dominion over the world that Son executes comes to an end. Read more»

Derrick Brite | “A Response to Strachan” | Dec 13, 2021

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