A WORD STUDY
In one of the original verses of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," you find the words, "Hail th'incarnate Deity!" But in our hymnal, Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, these words are changed to, "Hail Messiah, born at last!" One reason for this change is that we do not agree with the doctrine of the incarnation, for it is associated with another teaching that we believe is not scriptural — the doctrine of the trinity.
While it's true that, in its simplest form, "incarnate" is the Latin word for "became flesh" — which is what happened to "the word" in John 1:14 — this by no means supports the doctrine of the incarnation as defined by church orthodoxy. For all intents and purposes, referring to Latin is irrelevant anyway since the New Testament manuscripts were not recorded in Latin but Greek. The Bible writers would have never applied the Latin word, "incarnate" in the way it came to be defined by those who believed in the trinity.
"Incarnate" is not understood, nor is it defined, in its simplest form amongst mainstream church circles but is included with teachings that run contradictory to biblical truths concerning the nature of Jesus and God. If we said, for example, that we believed in the incarnate Deity of Jesus, we would be agreeing with the Trinitarian view that God the eternal Son took on human flesh (incarnated) at his birth. But is this what the Bible teaches?
Consider the following commentary from a Bible lesson in the Truth Seeker's Adult Quarterly (Fall Quarter 2003) written by Pastor Hollis Partlowe:
Birth or Incarnation?As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I believe it's important that we know who we're actually celebrating. The Greek for "became" means, "to come into being." It concurs with the point that Pastor Partlowe made — that Jesus Christ really did have a birth, a literal beginning.
During December, Christians in general celebrate the coming of the Christ child into the world. All seem to be agreed that Jesus is necessary for salvation, and that his birth is one of the most wonderful events of the ages. However, how he made his entrance into the world is a question upon which there is a great difference of opinion. Was he born, or was he incarnated? "What saith the Scripture?"
In studying God's Word, we will observe that no form of the word "incarnation" can be found. Webster defines the different forms of this word as follows: "Invested with flesh or bodily nature and form; embodied in human form; state of being clothed with flesh; a person, animal, or other being, embodying a spirit or deity." No wonder the inspired writers avoided the use of this term! Incarnation is a teaching of paganism and superstition. On the other hand, the Bible writers frequently used the words "birth" and "born" when speaking of the first advent of Jesus. Webster defines the words "birth" and "born" as follows: "Act or fact of coming into life; act of bringing forth; origin; beginning; brought into existence."
The theme of the Old Testament writings was the birth of Israel's Messiah, the first promise being in Genesis 3:15. Writing seven or eight centuries before Jesus was born, the Prophet Isaiah wrote, "Unto us a child is born" (Isa. 9:6). A virgin was to bear a son (Isa. 7:14). When the angel made the announcement to the shepherds, he said, "Unto you is born this day...a Saviour" (Luke 2:11). Mary "brought forth" her firstborn son (Matt. 1:25). The angel told Mary that she would "bring forth a Son" (Luke 1:31). If these terms do not mean what they say, why are they used?
Any student who is seeking truth will observe that the word "born" and synonymous expressions correctly give the true meaning of the origin of our Saviour. Jesus was not clothed with flesh, but rather, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19). Jesus was a mortal man who died for our sins. His existence was the result of a miraculous conception. After that he was born in a natural way and was cared for in a natural way.
If we believe that Jesus pre-existed, or has always existed, we must look rather silly celebrating his birthday. Honesty demands that we admit that the doctrine of incarnation is the product of people's imagination. It has no foundation in the teaching of Scripture.
The birth and true nature of Christ are doctrines on which the Church of God stands firm. "Thanks be unto for his unspeakable gift." Many other groups have accepted pre- existence, or the trinity, or both. Obviously, one cannot believe in both pre-existence and the birth of Christ; one cannot believe that Jesus was born and hold to the pagan teaching of incarnation. To believe both is a contradiction of terms.
He could not be eternal God and have a beginning at the same time. I ask: How could the Son be born into conscious existence if he already had conscious existence from eternity in the first place? Yes, he existed in the mind and plan of God from the beginning of time but there was a time when the Son of God did not physically exist.
Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, was born at last, just as our version of the song goes. May this be the true message of glad tidings as we remember the first advent of Jesus. Indeed, his miraculous birth as God's only begotten Son is the reason why we can joyfully sing just like the angels who heralded his birth long ago.
— Pastor Michael P. Brown
Jesus in God's Eternal Plan...
"It is God's intention that redeemed sinners will be 'conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren' (Rom. 8:29). He plans for His Son to stand at the summit of His works 'that in all things he might have the pre-eminence' (Col. 1:18)), 'the firstborn of every creature' (Col. 1:15), and 'the beginning of the creation of God' (Rev. 3:14). Many men lived before Jesus was born, but He is superior to them all. As the last Adam, Jesus is superior to the first man Adam. (1 Cor. 15:45, 46.) Although younger in age, Jesus is superior to John the Baptist. (John 1:15, 30).) Although Abraham was father of the faithful and founder of the nation, Israel, Jesus is superior to any position that Abraham ever occupied. (John 8:58.) 'He is before all things' (Col. 1:17); no man is greater than He."
— Excerpt from Systematic Theology, by Dr. Alva G. Huffer
