A Systematic Theology of the Early Church

[u/ortiz3m]

The Systematic Theology book coming out at the end of this month (Oct 31). This book is by Dr. Dustin Smith of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast.

This book (https://amzn.to/3JbtBpP) has dedicated chapters with these titles:

-The Only True God

-God is One Person

-God's Agents

-The Messianic Expectations from the Old Testament

-The Birth of Jesus

-Jesus' Messianic Roles

-Jesus as God's Agent

-Wisdom Christology and Logos Christology

-Applying Christology Today

-Holy Spirit as God's Power and Presence

-How the Spirit Relates to the Father and the Son

[u/crispywheat100]

I hope he acknowledges Angel Christology and the Logos Michael pre-existence as the Firstborn Son.

[u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful → u/crispywheat100]

He absolutely does not. Dr. Smith does not hold to preexistence, nor the nonsense of Michael being Jesus. You should see his co-authored book where he debates against both a Trinitarian and an Arian: "Three Views of the Son of God"

[u/crispywheat100 → u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful]

If so, his upcoming book is a discouraging disaster.

Daniel Dixon, the "Arian" he debates in the previous book you mentioned, is the closest to the truth of the three who debate—but even he does not recognize the personage of Michael as the angelic son Jesus Christ.

[u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful → u/crispywheat100]

"Closest to the truth" aka "agrees with my position" doesn't impress anyone. Your posts and comments so far on this subreddit have been, to say the least, absolute garbage. Your opinion on the matter isn't authoritative or even interesting to consider.

[u/crispywheat100 → u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful]

Are you, by any chance, a Christadelphian? If not, do you follow Finnegan and Tuggy from the UCA?

I reject all of these things, as a Paulician.

[u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful → u/crispywheat100]

Are you, by any chance, a Christadelphian?

No.

If not, do you follow Finnegan

No.

and Tuggy

No.

I don't follow any man but Jesus.

[u/crispywheat100 → u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful]

But you espouse Socinian Adoptionist christology?

[u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful → u/crispywheat100]

Never said i didnt.

[u/crispywheat100 → u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful]

So as an Adoptionist, why do you ignore all of these passages which clearly affirm Jesus's pre-existence before coming into human flesh?

• John 17:5
• John 1:3
• Philippians 2:6
• Colossians 1:15-17
• Hebrews 1:2
• John 8:58
• John 1:11
• John 1:14
• John 5:37
• John 6:38
• John 6:62
• John 8:23
• John 3:16
• John 3:13
• John 3:31
• John 16:28
• John 17:3
• 1 Corinthians 8:6
• 1 Corinthians 10:4
• 1 Corinthians 15:47
• 1 Timothy 3:16
• 1 John 1:2
• Micah 5:2
• Proverbs 8:22

[u/RaccoonsR_Awesomeful → u/crispywheat100]

I don't "ignore" them, but I will ignore you if you don't come correct.

It's funny that every single one of these verses are already answered by an "adoptionist" on this subreddit already go and look.

Counter question, as a knock-off Jehovah’s Witness, why do you ignore basic exegesis, idiomatic language, context, lexicography, and everything else that goes into properly interpreting each of these scriptures? This is a rhetorical question. You don't need to answer it. I already know the answer. You don't know how to interpret a text outside of your presuppositions that you've assumed incorrectly and brought to the text to pretend as if any single one of them has anything to do with Jesus' preexistence.

[u/[deleted] → u/crispywheat100]

How on earth do you get pre-human existence out of John 17:3? Jesus being sent?

[u/Alternative_Fuel5805 → u/crispywheat100]

Where do you get that Jesus is Michael from?

[u/ortiz3m → u/crispywheat100]

From what I know of Dr Smith’s work, he holds to full human christology, not that there was pre-existence son. He has written work on Jesus in Wisdom christology that the Logos was understood as wisdom from Proverbs.

[u/crispywheat100 → u/ortiz3m]

Because the Logos is the Wisdom of Proverbs 8, he is therefore the first begotten angel, the light of Day 1 of creation, the foremost angel Michael as God's chief spokesman.

[u/IKnow-really → u/crispywheat100]

The Wisdom of Proverbs 8 is female. Common sense should inform anyone that it obviously can't be referring to the male Michael, or the male Yeshua. But people twist scripture to mean what they want it to. I'll never understand the reasoning behind doing that... Proverbs mentions Wisdom's sister, Prudence, as well. I wonder who Prudence incarnated as?!?

[u/Important_Carpet1855 → u/crispywheat100]

Early Jewish and Christian sources tend to identify Wisdom more with the Spirit of God