Mormonism and Biblical Truth



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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