Recently, a brother compiled a helpful summary of much of Mr. Darby’s teaching concerning the eternal Sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ. He comments about these excerpts, “To my mind, the result of this search through Mr. Darby’s ministry is clear. He taught that Christ was the eternal Son of God and that this is vital truth.”
Beginning in this issue, we intend, Lord willing, to present these excerpts, desiring that our readers be better grounded in the vital doctrine of the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ that He might be honored and glorified in all.
The April 1998 Christian Shepherd contains a personal letter by brother Walter Potter on this same vital subject.
Ed.
Introduction
Mr. Darby says, “What is called the eternal Sonship is a vital truth, or we lose the Father sending the Son, and the Son creating, and we have no Father if we have no Son, so that it lies at the basis of all truth. Yet in the historical presentation of Christianity, the Son is always presented as down here in servant and manhood estate, as all through John, though in heaven and one with the Father.”
Old Testament—New Testament
The revelation of the Father by the Son, as dwelling eternally in His bosom, is not to be looked for in the Old Testament. That relationship of son is found... therein... but it is sonship... viewed in time, and not founded in the nature of His person in the Godhead, but as a relationship formed on earth. In the New Testament we find the Son in His own proper relationship with the Father. (Collected Writings, Vol. 30, page 318.)
Incarnation
His personal position in acceptance is His eternal Sonship with the Father. What was due to His personal position is judged of by that, and based on it—His relation to the Father before the world was.
What relation to God had He as incarnate? Incarnation did not change His being God and eternal Son of the Father, or His title to blessing as such.
His place on earth is not in itself a definite position, but His position is the Eternal One, and His earthly state a question of accordance with that.
Godhead place does not touch or mingle with relative position. (Collected Writings, Vol. 15, page 143.)
J. N. Darby
(to be continued)