Eternal Subordination of the Son: The Basics, Part I

What is the doctrine of the "Eternal Subordination of the Son" and why is it important for the gender debate?  How is this doctrine different than the heresy of "Subordinationism" that denied the full deity of all three persons of the Godhead and was rejected by the early church councils?  Most important, what does the eternal subordination of the Son show us about the character of God and what effect should this truth have on our hearts and relationships today?

This week, Gender Blog will examine the basic assertions of this doctrine from biblical/theological, historical and pastoral angles. Today, I want to briefly state the doctrine itself and argue that it is a crucial biblical teaching that must neither be shunted aside as "too cloaked in mystery to deserve consideration" nor rejected as heretical.

This series will make use of several sources, with the centerpiece being a paper on the topic delivered by former CBMW President Bruce A. Ware at the 2006 meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society national meeting in Washington, D.C.

First, in the tradition of the best of the English Puritans, let us state the doctrine:

The eternal subordination of the Son means that Jesus Christ is eternally the Son of God, equal in essence and in eternal divine nature with the Father, that the Father exercises eternal authority over the Son in function, and the Son eternally submits to the authority of the father. 

To quote Ware in summary, "There is, then, an eternal and immutable equality of essence between the Father and the Son, while there is also an eternal and immutable authority-submission structure that marks the relationship of the Father and the Son."

This doctrine is rejected by some scholars, including many who hold the egalitarian position regarding gender roles in the home and church, but it is has been affirmed among many evangelical scholars and teachers throughout the history of the church as will be seen later in the series.

But why is it important? Doesn't this idea fit into a similar category as determining the number of angels able to dance on a pinhead?

As Ware points out in his 2005 book Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles & Relevance (Crossway), this doctrine is crucial because it tells us much about the nature of God, which, in turn, demonstrates how God intends that His triune nature be expressed in our human relationships. There is both unity and diversity, authority and equality in the Godhead; these transfer to our relationships within both the home and church and paint a beautiful picture of Christ's redeeming love for His church (Eph 5).

Above all, the teaching is important because, as we will see in the following two parts of this series, it is taught in God's Word. Evangelicals cherish the Reformation principle of sola scriptura ("Scripture alone") as their sole foundation for epistemology (how we know what we know), and thus, are bound to joyfully affirm all that the Bible affirms. That factor alone is reason enough to classify this doctrine as important for further study.