MORMON DOCTRINES ON CHRIST
MISCONSTRUE HEBREW TERMS OF SPEECH
This article provides a clear understanding of the meanings of terms
of speech known as Hebraisms, that were used at the time of Christ.
In reading any piece of literature written during a different time
period, we need to make allowance for the relevant terms of speech,
if we are to have a proper understanding of the content. Many
of the errors in the Mormon teachings on the Lord Jesus Christ have
arisen because of their disregard of the customs and terms of
speech used by the people living in biblical times. For
instance terms of degree called "Hebraisms," were
commonly used in a figurative way in order to emphasize facts more
vividly. But in formulating their doctrine, the prophet and founder
of the LDS church, Joseph Smith, wrongly took these terms of
speech literally.
"FIRSTBORN"
In biblical times the oldest son, or the "first-born," was
a V.I.P. in that he was honoured and enjoyed special privileges that
were not extended to any of his siblings (Deuteronomy 21:17). So it
became customary to use the term "first-born" to denote
pre-eminence in rank. For instance, in Exodus 4:22, God refers to
the nation of Israel as His first-born, to make the point that they
were honoured above all the other nations, as they were His chosen
people. And in Psalm 89:27, He says of David, "I also shall
make him My first-born, the highest of the kings of the
earth." But David was not God's oldest child. Nor was he the
first born child in his own family. He was the youngest. He wasn't
even the first king of Israel, Saul was. God was merely using the
term "first-born" to emphasize the point that He was
going to make David the most honoured out of all the earthly kings.
Mormons use Colossians 1:15 (which says that Christ is the first-born
over all creation), as proof that He was God's oldest son in a
pre-existence. However, as the above scriptures have clearly
illustrated, this isn't what the Hebraism "first-born,"
implies. In this context it has nothing to do with ancestry, but
emphasizes a special status of honour and pre-eminence.
"ONLY BEGOTTEN"
As with "first-born," the LDS wrongly applies the term
"only begotten" literally when it is used of Christ. And
they teach that Christ was the only Son that God has ever begotten
in the flesh. In other words, they maintain that God came down to
earth and fathered Christ through a physical relationship with
Mary and that He was not conceived through a miraculous act of the
Holy Spirit.
The original Greek for the term "only begotten" is
"monogenous," and it is formed by two separate words. The
first word, "mono" means single, or the one and only of
its kind. The other word, "genous," means kindred,
genetic, heritage, etc. And when the two words are combined we get
the meaning "unique, one of a kind, the only one
generated." If we go through the Greek in the New Testament,
we will discover that there are other, different Greek words that
are used to describe the actual birthing process.
As the following scripture reveals, the term "only begotten"
was also a Hebraism, and as such was meant to be understood
figuratively, and not literally:
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he
that had received the promises offered up his only begotten
son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be
called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the
dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:
17-19, KJV) (Italics inserted by author)
But Isaac was not the only son begotten by Abraham. He wasn't even
Abraham's first-born son, Ishmael was, and Abraham also went on to
father other sons after Isaac (see Genesis 25:1). The term
"only begotten" was used here to signify that Isaac was
the special, unique son of Abraham, because he was the son of the
promise, in that through his line would come the Redeemer of Israel.
Hebrews 11 above also tells us that Isaac was a type or a picture
of the coming Messiah. Therefore, Christ the Messiah, because He is
the special, unique, promised one, is correspondingly referred to as
"the only begotten."
"SON"
The term "son" as used in biblical times did not
necessarily mean biological offspring, as this too was a Hebraism,
and when used in this manner it denoted the characteristics or
nature of the person concerned. An excellent example of this usage
is given in Mark 3:17, where Christ named the brothers James and
John, "Sons of Thunder." As the Bible doesn't go into
any detail here, we can only speculate that they both had fiery
tempers.
In the Old Testament, Judges 19:22, 1 Samuel 2:12, 2 Samuel 23:6,
and 1Kings 21:10 talk about the "sons of Belial." Belial
was an ancient pagan deity, c/f 2 Corinthians 6:15, and as Satan is
the one who stands behind all false gods, the name Belial became
synonymous with Satan. So referring to men as "sons of
Belial" indicated that they were following the Satan's ways.
As 1 Samuel 2:12 puts it in the KJV, "Now the sons of Eli were
sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord."
In just the same way, Christ's title of "the Son of God,"
isn't meant to indicate that He came into being through a carnal
relationship between God the Father and the virgin Mary, as is
claimed by the LDS. Nor is it meant to imply that He was begotten
by God in the normal physical manner, in a previous existence. No,
it is a Hebraism that very clearly indicates that the Lord Jesus
Christ revealed the nature and the attributes of God. For instance,
when Christ's disciples were out fishing, Christ came to them,
walking on top of the water, thereby displaying the abilities,
power and attributes of God. They responded by saying,
"Truly, you are the Son of God" (Matthew 14:33).
That is how the Bible uses the Hebraism, "son."
Don't forget that Christ also called Himself "the son of
man" (Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 10:23, etc., etc.) But by so doing
He wasn't indicating that he had been sired by a fallen man. He was
merely clarifying the fact that although He had existed in the form of
deity (Philippians 2:6), in taking on the form of a man He had also
taken on the nature or the frailty of mankind, such as the ability to
get hungry and tired and to require rest, and so on.
In those days it was the responsibility of the father to train his
sons in the way they should go. And when used as a Hebraism, the word
"sons" can also take on this connotation. For instance,
when the Bible talks about the "sons of prophets," this
has nothing to do with their ancestry but merely reveals that these
men were being trained and instructed by the prophets in ministerial
service (See 2 Kings 2:7, 2 Kings 5:22, etc.). And likewise, when it
mentions angels being "sons of God," this doesn't imply
that they were the literal offspring of God, as is taught by the
LDS. Here again it merely indicates that the angels are ministers
of God, who are under instruction by Him to carry out His will. And
likewise, those folk who did their best to emulate God's traits
were described as being "sons of God":
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in
return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the
Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
(Luke 6:35, NASB)
In direct contradiction of the LDS teaching that we were God's
children prior to the creation of the earth, the Bible explains that
when we receive Christ as our Saviour, He gives us the power to
become sons of God. In other words, through Christ's saving
power we are enabled to emulate God's traits of goodness,
righteousness, holiness and so on, that would qualify us to be
described by the Hebraism "sons" of God:
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12, KJV)
"CHILDREN"
When used as a Hebraism, the term "children" has a
similar connotation to that of sons, in that it does not indicate
biological offspring, but merely implies that they are exhibiting
the same traits as does the person named. For instance, to tell
a group of people that they are "children" of the evil
one, doesn't mean that Satan begot them physically. It merely
implies that they are following the ways of Satan. And when used in
this context the word "offspring" would also have the
same connotation. For instance, if we follow God and behave in a
godly manner, the Bible would describe us as being the offspring,
or the children of God. Here are a few examples. (The italics have
been inserted by the editor.)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
children of God. (Matthew 5:9, KJV)
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour,
and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:43-45, KJV)
"FATHER"
The word "Father," when used as a Hebraism, means someone
who is the source of something. For instance in John 8:44, Christ
called Satan "the father of lies," meaning that he is the
source of lies, i.e. that his evil, perverse nature is personified
in the spawning of untruths. Christ amplifies his statement by
saying that whenever Satan speaks a lie, he speaks from his own
nature.
In the Hebrew culture it was also customary to give the title of
"Father" to a person who who ruled over others or provided
for their needs or protection; or who was the source of advice,
wisdom, education, or even to indicate a person who had been the
source of or the founder of an occupation or a life-style:
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents,
and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he
was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. (Genesis
4:20-21, KJV)
I was a father to the poor ..... (Job 29:16, KJV) [i. e.Job provided
for the poor]
[Concerning Joseph] So now it was not you that sent me hither, but
God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh ..... (Genesis 45:8,
KJV) [During Egypt's years of famine, Joseph took charge of their
food supply, planning and distribution.]
Men, brethren, and fathers [i.e. those who gave guidance, or
provided for the needs of those less fortunate], hear ye my defence
which I make now unto you. (Acts 22:1, KJV)
"The richness and beauty of the biblical concept of father lies
in that, being a source of another, the father imparts and
communicates himself to this other. ....." from International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia, revised edition, Copyright © 1979
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. All rights reserved.)
So when Christ taught His disciples to pray to
"Our Father" in heaven, He wasn't inferring that God
had sired us all in a previous existence, as is claimed by the
LDS. He used the word "Father" purely as a term of honour
and respect, in the context of God being our benefactor and the
provider of all that we have.
CONCLUSION
Joseph Smith had little formal education. It is a well known fact
that his spelling and grammar were such a problem that he
invariably used a scribe to do his writing for him. And because of
his lack of knowledge regarding the usage of terms of speech, he
jumped to the wrong conclusions when compiling his doctrines,
specifically those on Christ. Consequently, Mormons are
following a non-existent Saviour, who fits in with Joseph Smith's
mistaken ideas.
ADDENDUM
We are only finite, created, mortal beings and as such cannot expect
to be able to fully understand our Creator, whose superiority
extends far beyond the scope of our imagination. As it is, we are
only able to relate to that which fits in with those dimensions of
time and space that we are capable of understanding, whereas God
exists in eternity. This limits in our perception of Him. More
likely than not, He possesses attributes that we can't even begin to
imagine.
God has communicated to us as much of Himself as we are presently
capable of grasping, firstly through His Old Testament prophets, and
then lastly in the New Testament, through the Lord Jesus Christ:
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by
whom also he made the world (Hebrews 1:1-2)
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16, KJV) (Italics by
editor.)
Mormons need to note that as the last scripture indicates, it is
indeed a great mystery that God, who has been revealed throughout
the Bible as a spirit being whose presence fills the universe, was
actually manifest in the flesh, in Christ Jesus. (See the
article Understanding the Biblical God c/f
Philippians 2:5-7.)
The above material is a continuation of
The LDS Jesus Christ is Not the Saviour of the Bible .
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