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Short Studies in Biblical Theology
The Son of God and the New Creation
The Short Studies in Biblical Theology series is a new resource designed to help readers see the whole Bible as a unified story culminating in Jesus. Written by a host of trusted biblical scholars, the volumes in this unique series each trace an important topic throughout God’s Word, from Genesis to Revelation, and explore its relevance to the Christian life. Brief, accessible, and practical, these books are perfect for laypeople looking for a bite-sized introductions to major subjects in biblical theology. Furthermore, pastors and professors will find this series to be an invaluable resource for brushing up on their grasp of the field as a whole. In this inaugural volume, renowned biblical scholar Graeme Goldsworthy traces the theme of divine sonship from Adam, through the nation of Israel and King David, and ultimately to Jesus Christ—the “Son of God”. He then turns to examine how the Bible’s sonship motif informs our understanding of the final resurrection and new creation.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2015
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299 people want to read
About the author
Graeme Goldsworthy
32 books86 followersGraeme Goldsworthy is an Australian Anglican and Old Testament scholar. Now retired, Goldsworthy was formerly lecturer in Old Testament, biblical theology and hermeneutics at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He is the author of "According to Plan" (IVP, 1991), "Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture" (Eerdmans, 2000) and "Proverbs: The Tree of Life" (CEP, 1993). Goldsworthy has an MA from Cambridge University and a ThM and PhD from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia.
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December 7, 2018
What does it mean to say that Jesus is the Son of God? Too often our understanding of Christianity takes the form of a series of disjointed puzzle pieces that can never quite cohere. Christians struggle with the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the simultaneous unity and distinction between the Father and the Son (which one are you supposed to pray to?), and the dual nature of Christ as true man and true God. They hold these concepts together in their minds, but lack understanding as to how they all fit together in a comprehensive and internally-consistent worldview.
The Son of God and the New Creation harmonizes these discordant elements of Christian belief into the outline of a systematic Biblical theology under the conceptual locus of Christ’s most familiar title as “Son of God” and its typological antecedents in the Old Testament. Goldsworthy traces the concept of divine sonship through the entire scriptural narrative, connecting it with God’s overarching providential purpose of renewing and restoring a created order corrupted by idolatry. Far from an arbitrary category invented by early Christians, the scriptural theme of divine sonship is present from the beginning of Genesis, when God creates Adam in his image and likeness and endows him with the godlike capacities for the alteration, destruction, and domination of the created order.
In Eden, God effectively deputizes Adam, making him (which is to say the human race, of which Adam is an archetype) viceregent of creation. The Fall of Man corrupted our exercise of this original dominion, but it did not destroy it completely. The entire subsequent redemptive history portrayed in the Biblical narrative demonstrates both the true nature of the Fall—its implications for humanity and all of creation—and the means by which God is regenerating the world, recreating Eden in the form of the New Jerusalem, and restoring humanity to its sonship to Himself in Christ.
From Adam, this proto-sonship passes to Noah and his sons, who God commands to reclaim possession of the Earth after the Great Flood, and then to Abraham, who God instructs to leave his country and his father’s house to go to the land of Canaan, where God promises to make him the father of a multitude of nations. These two stories recall the paradigm of Eden; they contain parallel calls to possession and dominion, and the promise to Abraham of a Holy Land set aside for him by God is to be understood as a new instantiation of Eden.
With the Egyptian captivity (which again recalls the original exile from Eden) and the Exodus story, a more explicit sonship title is given collectively to the People of Israel:
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (Ex. 4:22–23)
The Exodus story thus takes up the theme of God’s regeneration of the world through his “firstborn son”, leading Israel out of the captivity of Egypt (here representing idolatry and corruption) to the land “flowing with milk and honey”: the new Eden of the promised land. The parting of the Red Sea by Moses alludes to God’s separation of earth and sea to make dry land appear in the Genesis cosmology. In the Exodus story, creation itself is being symbolically renewed and redeemed along with its human possessors.
With the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel, the kings become the embodiments of the nation, and the motif of divine sonship becomes personalized around the figure of King David and a promised son of David, who will also be the Son of God:
“Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.” (2 Sam. 7:11–14)
The early reign of Solomon is the high point of the Old Testament: a divinely-appointed ruler is ruling God’s people in God’s land. But then comes the enigmatic corruption of Solomon, the division of Israel into two kingdoms, and the conquest of those kingdoms by the Assyrians and Babylonians. Through the rest of the Old Testament, the theme of divine sonship figures in the prophetic voices of the exile, lamenting the faithlessness of the Jewish diaspora and anticipating the day when God finally establishes His Kingdom as it was meant to be.
Christ is the culmination of the sonship motif, the “final and true” son, the historical incarnation of the coeternal Son of God who was present from before the creation of the cosmos. He is the original man: Adam as Adam was supposed to be. He is the personification of the true Israel; the embodiment of all the faithful. As true Man and true God: the eternal, preexisting, perfected human type—the firstborn of the resurrection—we share in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in “corporeal solidarity”. In Paul’s language, we are crucified and raised in Christ, dying to life under the dominion of death and being reborn and remade as viceregents of creation.
Christ’s ultimate exile in death and return in resurrection marks the beginning of the New Creation: the resurrection of the world and humanity from their fallen state of captivity to sin and death. Christ is the mediator of God’s act of creation, the embodiment of the Word by which God spoke the cosmos into existence. It is in our union with Christ that Christians are able to respond to the Father in prayer. It is as adopted sons of God through the body of Christ that the New Israel—the new humanity—will take possession of the New Eden, finalizing God’s primordial act of creation.
The Son of God and the New Creation harmonizes these discordant elements of Christian belief into the outline of a systematic Biblical theology under the conceptual locus of Christ’s most familiar title as “Son of God” and its typological antecedents in the Old Testament. Goldsworthy traces the concept of divine sonship through the entire scriptural narrative, connecting it with God’s overarching providential purpose of renewing and restoring a created order corrupted by idolatry. Far from an arbitrary category invented by early Christians, the scriptural theme of divine sonship is present from the beginning of Genesis, when God creates Adam in his image and likeness and endows him with the godlike capacities for the alteration, destruction, and domination of the created order.
In Eden, God effectively deputizes Adam, making him (which is to say the human race, of which Adam is an archetype) viceregent of creation. The Fall of Man corrupted our exercise of this original dominion, but it did not destroy it completely. The entire subsequent redemptive history portrayed in the Biblical narrative demonstrates both the true nature of the Fall—its implications for humanity and all of creation—and the means by which God is regenerating the world, recreating Eden in the form of the New Jerusalem, and restoring humanity to its sonship to Himself in Christ.
From Adam, this proto-sonship passes to Noah and his sons, who God commands to reclaim possession of the Earth after the Great Flood, and then to Abraham, who God instructs to leave his country and his father’s house to go to the land of Canaan, where God promises to make him the father of a multitude of nations. These two stories recall the paradigm of Eden; they contain parallel calls to possession and dominion, and the promise to Abraham of a Holy Land set aside for him by God is to be understood as a new instantiation of Eden.
With the Egyptian captivity (which again recalls the original exile from Eden) and the Exodus story, a more explicit sonship title is given collectively to the People of Israel:
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (Ex. 4:22–23)
The Exodus story thus takes up the theme of God’s regeneration of the world through his “firstborn son”, leading Israel out of the captivity of Egypt (here representing idolatry and corruption) to the land “flowing with milk and honey”: the new Eden of the promised land. The parting of the Red Sea by Moses alludes to God’s separation of earth and sea to make dry land appear in the Genesis cosmology. In the Exodus story, creation itself is being symbolically renewed and redeemed along with its human possessors.
With the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel, the kings become the embodiments of the nation, and the motif of divine sonship becomes personalized around the figure of King David and a promised son of David, who will also be the Son of God:
“Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.” (2 Sam. 7:11–14)
The early reign of Solomon is the high point of the Old Testament: a divinely-appointed ruler is ruling God’s people in God’s land. But then comes the enigmatic corruption of Solomon, the division of Israel into two kingdoms, and the conquest of those kingdoms by the Assyrians and Babylonians. Through the rest of the Old Testament, the theme of divine sonship figures in the prophetic voices of the exile, lamenting the faithlessness of the Jewish diaspora and anticipating the day when God finally establishes His Kingdom as it was meant to be.
Christ is the culmination of the sonship motif, the “final and true” son, the historical incarnation of the coeternal Son of God who was present from before the creation of the cosmos. He is the original man: Adam as Adam was supposed to be. He is the personification of the true Israel; the embodiment of all the faithful. As true Man and true God: the eternal, preexisting, perfected human type—the firstborn of the resurrection—we share in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in “corporeal solidarity”. In Paul’s language, we are crucified and raised in Christ, dying to life under the dominion of death and being reborn and remade as viceregents of creation.
Christ’s ultimate exile in death and return in resurrection marks the beginning of the New Creation: the resurrection of the world and humanity from their fallen state of captivity to sin and death. Christ is the mediator of God’s act of creation, the embodiment of the Word by which God spoke the cosmos into existence. It is in our union with Christ that Christians are able to respond to the Father in prayer. It is as adopted sons of God through the body of Christ that the New Israel—the new humanity—will take possession of the New Eden, finalizing God’s primordial act of creation.
April 23, 2022
Really worth the read, but hard work!
Partly, I think, this was because the truths were so big, particularly the nature of the 'son of God' title designating Jesus the perfect human heir of Adam, Israel and the Davidic kings, the way that Jesus' resurrection rings in the entirety of the New Creation, not just his own, and the way our participation in Jesus makes us part of those two things. If anything, I think the book was too short for everything it was hitting - usually I think editors need to be harsher to cut out fluff, but this book feels a little bit like an essay-writer is trying to get under a strict word count, but can't bear to sacrifice any of his ideas, meaning enormous concepts or key new points in the argument are stated very briefly before we rush on to the next thing. After a false start at Christmas I came back with a pencil, which helped a lot, but I often needed to re-read a page or a paragraph a few times to figure out what was going on. Admittedly that might be my limitation? But given Goldsworthy is self-confessedly trying to write biblical theology for "the general Christian population", he probably needs to work to make it a bit more readable.
The structure was also a little mixed - Goldsworthy shows a wonderful desire to keep the person of Jesus completely central, and he succeeds, but starting with the chapter on Jesus before going back to the old testament, when the chapter on Jesus was so entirely and explicitly built on old testament context, means the whole thing ends up feeling a bit like we're going round in circles throughout. I also probably would have chopped up the final chapter - maybe made the section on the "God the son" title its own chapter rather than cramming it into "sons of god" (the 'us' chapter).
All the same, it really stretched my brain and the arguments were very convincing - really huge things I hadn't really thought about in depth before, convincingly drawn from across scripture! Deepened my appreciation for who Jesus is and what he achieved, made me look forward to the final revealing of the New Creation in its entirety and did it from the broad sweep of the Bible story, so I think Goldsworthy achieved his aim, even if I had to fight a bit to keep up with him.
Partly, I think, this was because the truths were so big, particularly the nature of the 'son of God' title designating Jesus the perfect human heir of Adam, Israel and the Davidic kings, the way that Jesus' resurrection rings in the entirety of the New Creation, not just his own, and the way our participation in Jesus makes us part of those two things. If anything, I think the book was too short for everything it was hitting - usually I think editors need to be harsher to cut out fluff, but this book feels a little bit like an essay-writer is trying to get under a strict word count, but can't bear to sacrifice any of his ideas, meaning enormous concepts or key new points in the argument are stated very briefly before we rush on to the next thing. After a false start at Christmas I came back with a pencil, which helped a lot, but I often needed to re-read a page or a paragraph a few times to figure out what was going on. Admittedly that might be my limitation? But given Goldsworthy is self-confessedly trying to write biblical theology for "the general Christian population", he probably needs to work to make it a bit more readable.
The structure was also a little mixed - Goldsworthy shows a wonderful desire to keep the person of Jesus completely central, and he succeeds, but starting with the chapter on Jesus before going back to the old testament, when the chapter on Jesus was so entirely and explicitly built on old testament context, means the whole thing ends up feeling a bit like we're going round in circles throughout. I also probably would have chopped up the final chapter - maybe made the section on the "God the son" title its own chapter rather than cramming it into "sons of god" (the 'us' chapter).
All the same, it really stretched my brain and the arguments were very convincing - really huge things I hadn't really thought about in depth before, convincingly drawn from across scripture! Deepened my appreciation for who Jesus is and what he achieved, made me look forward to the final revealing of the New Creation in its entirety and did it from the broad sweep of the Bible story, so I think Goldsworthy achieved his aim, even if I had to fight a bit to keep up with him.
February 28, 2018
Livro que altera boas partes e outra não tão boas assim. Gostei especialmente do capítulo 2 e das últimas partes da conclusão. A relação entre "Filho de Deus" e "Deus, o Filho" é interessante e merece mais estudo.
Destaco uma ótima frase sobre Trindade:
"Orar a uma pessoa da Trindade certamente significa orar a todas elas. Mas o padrão do Novo Testamento é que oramos ao Pai, pela mediação do Filho, pela capacitação do Espírito Santo. Em outras palavras, eles são, todos, Deus, mas as pessoas distintas não são fundidas, e seus papéis não são intercambiáveis." (Kindle: pos. 1757)
Destaco uma ótima frase sobre Trindade:
"Orar a uma pessoa da Trindade certamente significa orar a todas elas. Mas o padrão do Novo Testamento é que oramos ao Pai, pela mediação do Filho, pela capacitação do Espírito Santo. Em outras palavras, eles são, todos, Deus, mas as pessoas distintas não são fundidas, e seus papéis não são intercambiáveis." (Kindle: pos. 1757)
November 26, 2021
What is the significant of the theme of the son and the son of God in the Bible? If you are interested with this theme this book is for you! The author is Graeme Goldsworthy a retired Old Testament professor and Biblical Theology specialist.
This book is part of the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series published by Crossway. I have finished ten out of eleven of the books in this series and this book is actually the first volume in the series. Yet I felt it was one of weaker books in this series. I fear if I read this book as the first book I read in this series I might have not read the other volumes. A lot of that has to do with the method and writing style of the author.
There are four chapters in this book. The first is titled “Thematic Studies: A Biblical-Theological Approach.” This is more on the theological method Goldsworthy is using for the book. Chapter two is on the New Testament data on Jesus as the Son of God. Chapter three is on the Old Testament data of Adam as the Son of God. The final Chapter is on believers as Sons of God and relations to Jesus as the Son of God.
I think the approach Goldsworthy adopted made the book choppy. He goes form New Testament to Old Testament and then to application for the Christian life. I think it wasn’t as helpful as a method; I am aware that practically Christians do functionally know the New Testament better than the Old Testament and many begin with the New Testament. Yet I felt when the book focus on the New Testament as the first chapter diving into the Bible it left a lot of question about the root of the meaning of terms and what’s the background to the New Testament use of titles and terms. I also think practically most learn best in a linear presentation form Genesis to Revelation. Teaching Biblical theology as progressive revelation seems more helpful than jumping to the New Testament and then back to the Old Testament.
I also thought at times Goldsworthy seem to take a more minimal approach towards his interpretation of the Bible. That is, there’s time where I think the Bible give more support for a certain view or interpretation but Goldworthy downplays it. Now I know there’s a place to be cautious in scholarship and also one should be able to back up what one is presenting and claiming. Nevertheless I felt many times he could make the case that the Bible is saying much more. For instance in chapter one he summarized that the Son as title used for Jesus refer mainly to Jesus’ humanity and not so much His Divinity. After Goldworthy made a compelling case that we can’t study the Son of God with just the title Son of God but adjacent titles and names, Goldsworthy mentioned the Son of Man is also interchangeable with the Son of God. Mark 2:10 mentioned that Jesus demonstrated to the religious leaders that He was the Son of Man with the authority to forgive sin by healing the paralyzed man. Forgiving someone’s sins of course is the prerogative of God (we’re not talking about personal offense and wrong do to individuals in specific instances) and thus the Son of Man as part of the Sonship of Jesus shows Jesus is Divine. Sadly the book doesn’t interact with Mark 2:10. I also wish more could have been written about the divine Dimension to Jesus as the Son.
While I didn’t think this was the best of the books in this excellent series on Biblical Theology nevertheless I didn’t find the book to have serious theological concerns; often much of what he said I think is agreeable though I was expecting so much more profound insight and observation given how promising his first chapter’s discussion about methodology was.
This book is part of the “Short Studies in Biblical Theology” series published by Crossway. I have finished ten out of eleven of the books in this series and this book is actually the first volume in the series. Yet I felt it was one of weaker books in this series. I fear if I read this book as the first book I read in this series I might have not read the other volumes. A lot of that has to do with the method and writing style of the author.
There are four chapters in this book. The first is titled “Thematic Studies: A Biblical-Theological Approach.” This is more on the theological method Goldsworthy is using for the book. Chapter two is on the New Testament data on Jesus as the Son of God. Chapter three is on the Old Testament data of Adam as the Son of God. The final Chapter is on believers as Sons of God and relations to Jesus as the Son of God.
I think the approach Goldsworthy adopted made the book choppy. He goes form New Testament to Old Testament and then to application for the Christian life. I think it wasn’t as helpful as a method; I am aware that practically Christians do functionally know the New Testament better than the Old Testament and many begin with the New Testament. Yet I felt when the book focus on the New Testament as the first chapter diving into the Bible it left a lot of question about the root of the meaning of terms and what’s the background to the New Testament use of titles and terms. I also think practically most learn best in a linear presentation form Genesis to Revelation. Teaching Biblical theology as progressive revelation seems more helpful than jumping to the New Testament and then back to the Old Testament.
I also thought at times Goldsworthy seem to take a more minimal approach towards his interpretation of the Bible. That is, there’s time where I think the Bible give more support for a certain view or interpretation but Goldworthy downplays it. Now I know there’s a place to be cautious in scholarship and also one should be able to back up what one is presenting and claiming. Nevertheless I felt many times he could make the case that the Bible is saying much more. For instance in chapter one he summarized that the Son as title used for Jesus refer mainly to Jesus’ humanity and not so much His Divinity. After Goldworthy made a compelling case that we can’t study the Son of God with just the title Son of God but adjacent titles and names, Goldsworthy mentioned the Son of Man is also interchangeable with the Son of God. Mark 2:10 mentioned that Jesus demonstrated to the religious leaders that He was the Son of Man with the authority to forgive sin by healing the paralyzed man. Forgiving someone’s sins of course is the prerogative of God (we’re not talking about personal offense and wrong do to individuals in specific instances) and thus the Son of Man as part of the Sonship of Jesus shows Jesus is Divine. Sadly the book doesn’t interact with Mark 2:10. I also wish more could have been written about the divine Dimension to Jesus as the Son.
While I didn’t think this was the best of the books in this excellent series on Biblical Theology nevertheless I didn’t find the book to have serious theological concerns; often much of what he said I think is agreeable though I was expecting so much more profound insight and observation given how promising his first chapter’s discussion about methodology was.
October 19, 2015
Review originally found at http://mydigitalseminary.com/the-son-...
If “Son of God” simply means that Jesus the second person of the Trinity, then what about all the other “sons” in the Bible such as angels (Job 38:7), Adam (Luke 3:38), Israel (Ex 4:22), Israel’s kings (2 Sam 7:14), and believers (Rom 8:14)? When I teach my session on Jesus as Son of God, I begin with this question and it is met with blank stares and the faint smell of cogs burning. The purpose of this story is not to imply that I have particularly dense students; far from it! However, the simple question catches one off guard. I was raised in Bible-teaching churches but wouldn’t have been prepared for this question either. So why the disconnect? Have we completely misunderstood what “Son of God” means in the Bible? Have our creeds and confessional statements led us astray? The Son of God and the New Creation, the flagship of the new Short Studies in Biblical Theology series from Crossway, probes these very questions. Seasoned Biblical Theology virtuoso Grame Goldsworthy is not the first to do this, but this book is unique in that it is aimed at everyday believers (p11).
The Son of God and the New Creation
In The Son of God and the New Creation, Goldsworthy aims to “investigate the title “Son of God” and other related sonship titles in order to deepen our appreciation of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth” (p20). With the profusion of Son of God and plethora of related titles, it is easy to get lost. Where would one begin? Goldworthy lays out his “gospel-centered” approach of starting with Jesus “since we begin our Christian journey by coming to faith in the person and work of Jesus” (p24). This approach is as follows:
Observe the title(s) in the Gospels.
Identify how the New Testament authors built the title(s) upon Old Testament foundations.
Trace the development of the theme in the Old Testament.
Evaluation
This book has numerous strengths. Particularly, I think Goldsworthy is right to draw upon the Old Testament resonances and their significance. Each occurrence of the title is but only the tip of an iceberg of meaning. There is so much under the scenes that is missed without the OT grounding,. I would wish that every believer becomes familiar with the OT development of the theme from Adam to Israel to the Davidic line. It helps us understand the Old Testament better, grounds Jesus in the OT, and clarifies tricky passages (such as Rom 1:3-4). What’s more, our status as “sons of God” is profoundly richer with this OT background.
In terms of insights, I was pleasantly surprised by the many connections of the title to the New Creation, not having seen them before. Also, Goldsworthy is helpful in explaining the difference between Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus as God the Son. These are not the same thing!
This Jesus-first approach has much to commend due to the lamentable “difficulties many Christians have with the Old Testament” (p38). By beginning in familiar territory, the study is less overwhelming. However, I suspect this approach has led to a few missteps due to the NT guiding the reading of the OT. Of course the NT illuminates the OT, but sometimes we can misread the NT by not allowing our reading to be informed by proper OT foundations. We must both read backwards and forwards.
The primary example I have in mind is the dismissal of heavenly “sons of God” as irrelevant to the discussion. I suspect this is due to his Gospels-first approach missing the significance of the angelic OT background to statements in the Gospels. In Goldsworthy’s words, “whatever the significance of angelic beings referred to as sons of God, the title as applied to Jesus is too heavily anchored to the line of Adam-and-then-Israel for these references to greatly influence our understanding of his sonship” (p64). This either/or attitude neglects one important stream of data. Thus, angelic sons of God are not addressed. What if Adam’s sonship is indeed linked in some way to angelic sonship?
Goldsworthy recognizes that Jesus exceeds the human definition of Son of God (seen most clearly in John), so could it be that the angelic beings recognize this deeper meaning? Jesus is only referred to as the “Son of the Most High” by angels (Mark 5:7; Luk 1:32, 35; 8:28). I would argue that this is significant, as this specific title is used in the OT to refer to members of God’s heavenly council (Deut 32:8; Psalm 82:6)! Could it be that the angelic beings identify Jesus’ heavenly preexistence by their use of the title? Could this illuminate more fully why Jesus is known as God’s unique Son (John 3:16)? That is, He is different from other heavenly beings known by that title, just as YHWH is different from all other Elohim, despite sharing the title. This ‘heavenly’ meaning would lessen the distance between John’s divine use of the title and the Synoptics’ “predominant view” (p49) of the title being tied only to Adam, Israel and David. This could also have implications for the application of the title for believers, especially in Rom 8:19 where our glorification is recognized as an unveiling of our status as sons of God. In the new creation, we will be higher than angelic beings (Heb 2:6-7; 1 Cor 6:3). Perhaps this is directly tied to our revelation as sons of God? Admittedly, this critique should be tempered by the fact that Deut 32:8 and Ps 82 are debated and that I’ve not run into this connection much elsewhere.
More problematic is the reading level. Given that the series claims to be “written by a capable scholar or churchman who is consciously writing in a way that requires no prerequisite theological training of the reader” (p11), I was surprised by the inclusion of Greek (transliterated), technical jargon (though some is explained in the few footnotes), and most strikingly, Goldsworthy numerous rabbit-trails. It will require a concentrated reader to avoid getting lost. Speaking personally, I found the train of thought difficult to follow, and I read academic works for fun that are much more rigorous! In one memorable example, Goldsworthy begins by listing four ways that “son of God” is used in literature prior to the NT, but then proceeds to discuss the purpose of the New Studies series and the coherence of Scripture. From there, I tried in vain to find where the original thread resumes! I found my opinion confirmed by the recent Gospel Coalition review.
Conclusion
In my review of D.A. Carson’s excellent Jesus the Son of God, I lamented that it was not a larger work that covered all the uses of the title. Although The Son of God and the New Creation is similarly-small, studying this concise but wide-ranging book will reap inordinate fruit. One will never regret working through a Christological theme as it opens our eyes to the entirety of Scripture. However, this will require concentration, as Goldsworthy’s prose and diversions undermine the clarity and approachability of the work. The desire of the editors is that “any thoughtful Christian disciple can track with and benefit from these books” (p11). Unfortunately, I am not as optimistic with this book; hopefully future books will rectify this shortcoming, as it is incongruous with the series’ stated intention. If one is persistent, it will be a fruitful effort.
Many thanks to Crossway for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. Their generosity has not affected my opinion of the book.
If “Son of God” simply means that Jesus the second person of the Trinity, then what about all the other “sons” in the Bible such as angels (Job 38:7), Adam (Luke 3:38), Israel (Ex 4:22), Israel’s kings (2 Sam 7:14), and believers (Rom 8:14)? When I teach my session on Jesus as Son of God, I begin with this question and it is met with blank stares and the faint smell of cogs burning. The purpose of this story is not to imply that I have particularly dense students; far from it! However, the simple question catches one off guard. I was raised in Bible-teaching churches but wouldn’t have been prepared for this question either. So why the disconnect? Have we completely misunderstood what “Son of God” means in the Bible? Have our creeds and confessional statements led us astray? The Son of God and the New Creation, the flagship of the new Short Studies in Biblical Theology series from Crossway, probes these very questions. Seasoned Biblical Theology virtuoso Grame Goldsworthy is not the first to do this, but this book is unique in that it is aimed at everyday believers (p11).
The Son of God and the New Creation
In The Son of God and the New Creation, Goldsworthy aims to “investigate the title “Son of God” and other related sonship titles in order to deepen our appreciation of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth” (p20). With the profusion of Son of God and plethora of related titles, it is easy to get lost. Where would one begin? Goldworthy lays out his “gospel-centered” approach of starting with Jesus “since we begin our Christian journey by coming to faith in the person and work of Jesus” (p24). This approach is as follows:
Observe the title(s) in the Gospels.
Identify how the New Testament authors built the title(s) upon Old Testament foundations.
Trace the development of the theme in the Old Testament.
Evaluation
This book has numerous strengths. Particularly, I think Goldsworthy is right to draw upon the Old Testament resonances and their significance. Each occurrence of the title is but only the tip of an iceberg of meaning. There is so much under the scenes that is missed without the OT grounding,. I would wish that every believer becomes familiar with the OT development of the theme from Adam to Israel to the Davidic line. It helps us understand the Old Testament better, grounds Jesus in the OT, and clarifies tricky passages (such as Rom 1:3-4). What’s more, our status as “sons of God” is profoundly richer with this OT background.
In terms of insights, I was pleasantly surprised by the many connections of the title to the New Creation, not having seen them before. Also, Goldsworthy is helpful in explaining the difference between Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus as God the Son. These are not the same thing!
This Jesus-first approach has much to commend due to the lamentable “difficulties many Christians have with the Old Testament” (p38). By beginning in familiar territory, the study is less overwhelming. However, I suspect this approach has led to a few missteps due to the NT guiding the reading of the OT. Of course the NT illuminates the OT, but sometimes we can misread the NT by not allowing our reading to be informed by proper OT foundations. We must both read backwards and forwards.
The primary example I have in mind is the dismissal of heavenly “sons of God” as irrelevant to the discussion. I suspect this is due to his Gospels-first approach missing the significance of the angelic OT background to statements in the Gospels. In Goldsworthy’s words, “whatever the significance of angelic beings referred to as sons of God, the title as applied to Jesus is too heavily anchored to the line of Adam-and-then-Israel for these references to greatly influence our understanding of his sonship” (p64). This either/or attitude neglects one important stream of data. Thus, angelic sons of God are not addressed. What if Adam’s sonship is indeed linked in some way to angelic sonship?
Goldsworthy recognizes that Jesus exceeds the human definition of Son of God (seen most clearly in John), so could it be that the angelic beings recognize this deeper meaning? Jesus is only referred to as the “Son of the Most High” by angels (Mark 5:7; Luk 1:32, 35; 8:28). I would argue that this is significant, as this specific title is used in the OT to refer to members of God’s heavenly council (Deut 32:8; Psalm 82:6)! Could it be that the angelic beings identify Jesus’ heavenly preexistence by their use of the title? Could this illuminate more fully why Jesus is known as God’s unique Son (John 3:16)? That is, He is different from other heavenly beings known by that title, just as YHWH is different from all other Elohim, despite sharing the title. This ‘heavenly’ meaning would lessen the distance between John’s divine use of the title and the Synoptics’ “predominant view” (p49) of the title being tied only to Adam, Israel and David. This could also have implications for the application of the title for believers, especially in Rom 8:19 where our glorification is recognized as an unveiling of our status as sons of God. In the new creation, we will be higher than angelic beings (Heb 2:6-7; 1 Cor 6:3). Perhaps this is directly tied to our revelation as sons of God? Admittedly, this critique should be tempered by the fact that Deut 32:8 and Ps 82 are debated and that I’ve not run into this connection much elsewhere.
More problematic is the reading level. Given that the series claims to be “written by a capable scholar or churchman who is consciously writing in a way that requires no prerequisite theological training of the reader” (p11), I was surprised by the inclusion of Greek (transliterated), technical jargon (though some is explained in the few footnotes), and most strikingly, Goldsworthy numerous rabbit-trails. It will require a concentrated reader to avoid getting lost. Speaking personally, I found the train of thought difficult to follow, and I read academic works for fun that are much more rigorous! In one memorable example, Goldsworthy begins by listing four ways that “son of God” is used in literature prior to the NT, but then proceeds to discuss the purpose of the New Studies series and the coherence of Scripture. From there, I tried in vain to find where the original thread resumes! I found my opinion confirmed by the recent Gospel Coalition review.
Conclusion
In my review of D.A. Carson’s excellent Jesus the Son of God, I lamented that it was not a larger work that covered all the uses of the title. Although The Son of God and the New Creation is similarly-small, studying this concise but wide-ranging book will reap inordinate fruit. One will never regret working through a Christological theme as it opens our eyes to the entirety of Scripture. However, this will require concentration, as Goldsworthy’s prose and diversions undermine the clarity and approachability of the work. The desire of the editors is that “any thoughtful Christian disciple can track with and benefit from these books” (p11). Unfortunately, I am not as optimistic with this book; hopefully future books will rectify this shortcoming, as it is incongruous with the series’ stated intention. If one is persistent, it will be a fruitful effort.
Many thanks to Crossway for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. Their generosity has not affected my opinion of the book.
January 22, 2024
"As Son of God, he is the new Adam, the new Israel, the new humanity. All the promises of God made to his people are fulfilled in Jesus: he is the new creation, the new Promised Land, the new Jerusalem, the new temple, and the new people of God. Thus, his resurrection signals the fact that he is the Son of God (Rom. 1:3-4)"
"Faith, and a consequent assurance, must be based on knowing who it is that we have faith in. This includes living in fellowship with him. This is a matter of trust, and trust can remain only when we know the trustworthiness of the one we trust."
"The basis of our prayer is the sonship of Jesus. The ground upon which prayer is offered with the confidence that the Father hears us is solely our union with Jesus...Prayer is initiated by God's word as he speaks to us; it is not generated by us.
The enabling of prayer is from the Spirit of Jesus, who gives us the response of "Father." Because Jesus is the Son of God, his Father always hears him, and it is this that gives us confidence that, in our union with Jesus, our prayer is heard."
"Faith, and a consequent assurance, must be based on knowing who it is that we have faith in. This includes living in fellowship with him. This is a matter of trust, and trust can remain only when we know the trustworthiness of the one we trust."
"The basis of our prayer is the sonship of Jesus. The ground upon which prayer is offered with the confidence that the Father hears us is solely our union with Jesus...Prayer is initiated by God's word as he speaks to us; it is not generated by us.
The enabling of prayer is from the Spirit of Jesus, who gives us the response of "Father." Because Jesus is the Son of God, his Father always hears him, and it is this that gives us confidence that, in our union with Jesus, our prayer is heard."
January 30, 2019
Excellent development of Biblical theology around the term "Son of God." Goldsworthy demonstrates the uniqueness of this term throughout the entire scope of Scripture and brings specifical application home to life of the follower of Christ today. This book enhanced and developed more fully my understanding of this key title of Jesus.
December 20, 2018
Thoughtful reflections on what the biblical text has to say about how Jesus is the Son of God, both as the promised Messiah from the line of David and as the God-man who is our perfect mediator. The promise of restoration finds its fulfillment in Him and therefore those who are in union with Him share in His resurrection life and therefore are already partakers of the new creation.
January 21, 2019
Can be tough to wade through the logic and prose at times, but there is GOLD in this book. The treasure found here will lead you to worship.
“See the true and better Adam come to save the hell-bound man, Christ the great and sure fulfillment of the Law, in him we stand!”
“See the true and better Adam come to save the hell-bound man, Christ the great and sure fulfillment of the Law, in him we stand!”
November 10, 2024
So so good. Four stars because I feel like much of it went over my head. So maybe I’m rating myself four stars.
April 24, 2018
Estabelece uma análise do tema "Filho de Deus" através da Teologia Bíblica. Primeiro trata do que o NT diz sobre o assunto, depois trabalha estes aspectos através da ótica do AT, e, por último, como ambos Testamentos podem ser conciliados sobre o assunto. O autor mantém uma forte convicção sobre a unidade das Escrituras, algo muito primoroso, porém, parece trabalhar pouco os aspectos de descontinuidade. Há uma exegese vigorosa e com insights importantíssimos para a vida cristã. Outro ponto positivo no livro é a defesa do autor acerca de uma Escatologia da Nova Criação, que mantém uma visão holística da criação divina (espiritual e terrena) na história. Acho que o ponto fraco de Graeme esta em sua Abordagem Canônica de prioridade dos Testamentos. Recomendo muito o livro. Bom seria se uma igreja trabalhasse a obra numa classe de escola bíblica. Graeme traz uma teologia bíblica robusta, mas simples e acessível a Editora Fiel está de parabéns em trazer um material mais acadêmico em português, além de muito útil.
November 29, 2024
Very helpful
August 8, 2021
Extremely well-done. I’ve been thinking about this book often since finishing. Wouldn’t be surprised if I refer back to it often; Graeme Goldsworthy did a fantastic job here. Hard to believe he packed so much into so few pages without overwhelming me as a reader. I learned a ton.
December 11, 2015
I wanted to enjoy this book, but I just couldn't. It is a mess. Goldsworthy rambles all over the map, talking about what he plans to get around to addressing, often for pages at a time. It almost reads like rough notes rather than a polished manuscript. Which is a shame, because I respect the series editors very much, not to mention Goldsworthy himself. The third second, addressing our union with Christ and what it means for redemption and the new creation, was decent, which netted the book an extra star. I would not recommend this work.
October 19, 2015
Review originally found at http://mydigitalseminary.com/the-son-...
If “Son of God” simply means that Jesus the second person of the Trinity, then what about all the other “sons” in the Bible such as angels (Job 38:7), Adam (Luke 3:38), Israel (Ex 4:22), Israel’s kings (2 Sam 7:14), and believers (Rom 8:14)? When I teach my session on Jesus as Son of God, I begin with this question and it is met with blank stares and the faint smell of cogs burning. The purpose of this story is not to imply that I have particularly dense students; far from it! However, the simple question catches one off guard. I was raised in Bible-teaching churches but wouldn’t have been prepared for this question either. So why the disconnect? Have we completely misunderstood what “Son of God” means in the Bible? Have our creeds and confessional statements led us astray? The Son of God and the New Creation, the flagship of the new Short Studies in Biblical Theology series from Crossway, probes these very questions. Seasoned Biblical Theology virtuoso Grame Goldsworthy is not the first to do this, but this book is unique in that it is aimed at everyday believers (p11).
The Son of God and the New Creation
In The Son of God and the New Creation, Goldsworthy aims to “investigate the title “Son of God” and other related sonship titles in order to deepen our appreciation of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth” (p20). With the profusion of Son of God and plethora of related titles, it is easy to get lost. Where would one begin? Goldworthy lays out his “gospel-centered” approach of starting with Jesus “since we begin our Christian journey by coming to faith in the person and work of Jesus” (p24). This approach is as follows:
Observe the title(s) in the Gospels.
Identify how the New Testament authors built the title(s) upon Old Testament foundations.
Trace the development of the theme in the Old Testament.
Evaluation
This book has numerous strengths. Particularly, I think Goldsworthy is right to draw upon the Old Testament resonances and their significance. Each occurrence of the title is but only the tip of an iceberg of meaning. There is so much under the scenes that is missed without the OT grounding,. I would wish that every believer becomes familiar with the OT development of the theme from Adam to Israel to the Davidic line. It helps us understand the Old Testament better, grounds Jesus in the OT, and clarifies tricky passages (such as Rom 1:3-4). What’s more, our status as “sons of God” is profoundly richer with this OT background.
In terms of insights, I was pleasantly surprised by the many connections of the title to the New Creation, not having seen them before. Also, Goldsworthy is helpful in explaining the difference between Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus as God the Son. These are not the same thing!
This Jesus-first approach has much to commend due to the lamentable “difficulties many Christians have with the Old Testament” (p38). By beginning in familiar territory, the study is less overwhelming. However, I suspect this approach has led to a few missteps due to the NT guiding the reading of the OT. Of course the NT illuminates the OT, but sometimes we can misread the NT by not allowing our reading to be informed by proper OT foundations. We must both read backwards and forwards.
The primary example I have in mind is the dismissal of heavenly “sons of God” as irrelevant to the discussion. I suspect this is due to his Gospels-first approach missing the significance of the angelic OT background to statements in the Gospels. In Goldsworthy’s words, “whatever the significance of angelic beings referred to as sons of God, the title as applied to Jesus is too heavily anchored to the line of Adam-and-then-Israel for these references to greatly influence our understanding of his sonship” (p64). This either/or attitude neglects one important stream of data. Thus, angelic sons of God are not addressed. What if Adam’s sonship is indeed linked in some way to angelic sonship?
Goldsworthy recognizes that Jesus exceeds the human definition of Son of God (seen most clearly in John), so could it be that the angelic beings recognize this deeper meaning? Jesus is only referred to as the “Son of the Most High” by angels (Mark 5:7; Luk 1:32, 35; 8:28). I would argue that this is significant, as this specific title is used in the OT to refer to members of God’s heavenly council (Deut 32:8; Psalm 82:6)! Could it be that the angelic beings identify Jesus’ heavenly preexistence by their use of the title? Could this illuminate more fully why Jesus is known as God’s unique Son (John 3:16)? That is, He is different from other heavenly beings known by that title, just as YHWH is different from all other Elohim, despite sharing the title. This ‘heavenly’ meaning would lessen the distance between John’s divine use of the title and the Synoptics’ “predominant view” (p49) of the title being tied only to Adam, Israel and David. This could also have implications for the application of the title for believers, especially in Rom 8:19 where our glorification is recognized as an unveiling of our status as sons of God. In the new creation, we will be higher than angelic beings (Heb 2:6-7; 1 Cor 6:3). Perhaps this is directly tied to our revelation as sons of God? Admittedly, this critique should be tempered by the fact that Deut 32:8 and Ps 82 are debated and that I’ve not run into this connection much elsewhere.
More problematic is the reading level. Given that the series claims to be “written by a capable scholar or churchman who is consciously writing in a way that requires no prerequisite theological training of the reader” (p11), I was surprised by the inclusion of Greek (transliterated), technical jargon (though some is explained in the few footnotes), and most strikingly, Goldsworthy numerous rabbit-trails. It will require a concentrated reader to avoid getting lost. Speaking personally, I found the train of thought difficult to follow, and I read academic works for fun that are much more rigorous! In one memorable example, Goldsworthy begins by listing four ways that “son of God” is used in literature prior to the NT, but then proceeds to discuss the purpose of the New Studies series and the coherence of Scripture. From there, I tried in vain to find where the original thread resumes! I found my opinion confirmed by the recent Gospel Coalition review.
Conclusion
In my review of D.A. Carson’s excellent Jesus the Son of God, I lamented that it was not a larger work that covered all the uses of the title. Although The Son of God and the New Creation is similarly-small, studying this concise but wide-ranging book will reap inordinate fruit. One will never regret working through a Christological theme as it opens our eyes to the entirety of Scripture. However, this will require concentration, as Goldsworthy’s prose and diversions undermine the clarity and approachability of the work. The desire of the editors is that “any thoughtful Christian disciple can track with and benefit from these books” (p11). Unfortunately, I am not as optimistic with this book; hopefully future books will rectify this shortcoming, as it is incongruous with the series’ stated intention. If one is persistent, it will be a fruitful effort.
Many thanks to Crossway for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. Their generosity has not affected my opinion of the book.
If “Son of God” simply means that Jesus the second person of the Trinity, then what about all the other “sons” in the Bible such as angels (Job 38:7), Adam (Luke 3:38), Israel (Ex 4:22), Israel’s kings (2 Sam 7:14), and believers (Rom 8:14)? When I teach my session on Jesus as Son of God, I begin with this question and it is met with blank stares and the faint smell of cogs burning. The purpose of this story is not to imply that I have particularly dense students; far from it! However, the simple question catches one off guard. I was raised in Bible-teaching churches but wouldn’t have been prepared for this question either. So why the disconnect? Have we completely misunderstood what “Son of God” means in the Bible? Have our creeds and confessional statements led us astray? The Son of God and the New Creation, the flagship of the new Short Studies in Biblical Theology series from Crossway, probes these very questions. Seasoned Biblical Theology virtuoso Grame Goldsworthy is not the first to do this, but this book is unique in that it is aimed at everyday believers (p11).
The Son of God and the New Creation
In The Son of God and the New Creation, Goldsworthy aims to “investigate the title “Son of God” and other related sonship titles in order to deepen our appreciation of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth” (p20). With the profusion of Son of God and plethora of related titles, it is easy to get lost. Where would one begin? Goldworthy lays out his “gospel-centered” approach of starting with Jesus “since we begin our Christian journey by coming to faith in the person and work of Jesus” (p24). This approach is as follows:
Observe the title(s) in the Gospels.
Identify how the New Testament authors built the title(s) upon Old Testament foundations.
Trace the development of the theme in the Old Testament.
Evaluation
This book has numerous strengths. Particularly, I think Goldsworthy is right to draw upon the Old Testament resonances and their significance. Each occurrence of the title is but only the tip of an iceberg of meaning. There is so much under the scenes that is missed without the OT grounding,. I would wish that every believer becomes familiar with the OT development of the theme from Adam to Israel to the Davidic line. It helps us understand the Old Testament better, grounds Jesus in the OT, and clarifies tricky passages (such as Rom 1:3-4). What’s more, our status as “sons of God” is profoundly richer with this OT background.
In terms of insights, I was pleasantly surprised by the many connections of the title to the New Creation, not having seen them before. Also, Goldsworthy is helpful in explaining the difference between Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus as God the Son. These are not the same thing!
This Jesus-first approach has much to commend due to the lamentable “difficulties many Christians have with the Old Testament” (p38). By beginning in familiar territory, the study is less overwhelming. However, I suspect this approach has led to a few missteps due to the NT guiding the reading of the OT. Of course the NT illuminates the OT, but sometimes we can misread the NT by not allowing our reading to be informed by proper OT foundations. We must both read backwards and forwards.
The primary example I have in mind is the dismissal of heavenly “sons of God” as irrelevant to the discussion. I suspect this is due to his Gospels-first approach missing the significance of the angelic OT background to statements in the Gospels. In Goldsworthy’s words, “whatever the significance of angelic beings referred to as sons of God, the title as applied to Jesus is too heavily anchored to the line of Adam-and-then-Israel for these references to greatly influence our understanding of his sonship” (p64). This either/or attitude neglects one important stream of data. Thus, angelic sons of God are not addressed. What if Adam’s sonship is indeed linked in some way to angelic sonship?
Goldsworthy recognizes that Jesus exceeds the human definition of Son of God (seen most clearly in John), so could it be that the angelic beings recognize this deeper meaning? Jesus is only referred to as the “Son of the Most High” by angels (Mark 5:7; Luk 1:32, 35; 8:28). I would argue that this is significant, as this specific title is used in the OT to refer to members of God’s heavenly council (Deut 32:8; Psalm 82:6)! Could it be that the angelic beings identify Jesus’ heavenly preexistence by their use of the title? Could this illuminate more fully why Jesus is known as God’s unique Son (John 3:16)? That is, He is different from other heavenly beings known by that title, just as YHWH is different from all other Elohim, despite sharing the title. This ‘heavenly’ meaning would lessen the distance between John’s divine use of the title and the Synoptics’ “predominant view” (p49) of the title being tied only to Adam, Israel and David. This could also have implications for the application of the title for believers, especially in Rom 8:19 where our glorification is recognized as an unveiling of our status as sons of God. In the new creation, we will be higher than angelic beings (Heb 2:6-7; 1 Cor 6:3). Perhaps this is directly tied to our revelation as sons of God? Admittedly, this critique should be tempered by the fact that Deut 32:8 and Ps 82 are debated and that I’ve not run into this connection much elsewhere.
More problematic is the reading level. Given that the series claims to be “written by a capable scholar or churchman who is consciously writing in a way that requires no prerequisite theological training of the reader” (p11), I was surprised by the inclusion of Greek (transliterated), technical jargon (though some is explained in the few footnotes), and most strikingly, Goldsworthy numerous rabbit-trails. It will require a concentrated reader to avoid getting lost. Speaking personally, I found the train of thought difficult to follow, and I read academic works for fun that are much more rigorous! In one memorable example, Goldsworthy begins by listing four ways that “son of God” is used in literature prior to the NT, but then proceeds to discuss the purpose of the New Studies series and the coherence of Scripture. From there, I tried in vain to find where the original thread resumes! I found my opinion confirmed by the recent Gospel Coalition review.
Conclusion
In my review of D.A. Carson’s excellent Jesus the Son of God, I lamented that it was not a larger work that covered all the uses of the title. Although The Son of God and the New Creation is similarly-small, studying this concise but wide-ranging book will reap inordinate fruit. One will never regret working through a Christological theme as it opens our eyes to the entirety of Scripture. However, this will require concentration, as Goldsworthy’s prose and diversions undermine the clarity and approachability of the work. The desire of the editors is that “any thoughtful Christian disciple can track with and benefit from these books” (p11). Unfortunately, I am not as optimistic with this book; hopefully future books will rectify this shortcoming, as it is incongruous with the series’ stated intention. If one is persistent, it will be a fruitful effort.
Many thanks to Crossway for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. Their generosity has not affected my opinion of the book.
September 30, 2017
Graeme Goldsworthy has become a bit of a household name, especially as one considers the field of biblical theology. The Son of God and the New Creation, is another solid contribution by Goldsworthy where he focusses on the second member of the Trinity and alerts readers to the mission of Jesus.
The author makes sure he establishes his bottom line:
Jesus as Son of God is also God the Son, the eternal second person of the Godhead. But our salvation and eternal destiny depend on his being the incarnate one who is revealed as Son of God. Jesus in his person and work sums up the pattern of creation that establishes the nature of the kingdom of God.
This central thought is exposed and re-articulated in several ways as Goldsworthy reveals the person and work of Jesus from creation to consummation. “Jesus as the Son of God, by his death and resurrection, was putting the whole universe back together from the futility to which it has been subjected because of human rebellion against the Creator.”
The Son of God and the New Creation is designed for laymen but is a challenging read, nonetheless. I expect Goldsworthy’s work to be used in Bible Colleges and Seminaries and should be a welcome addition to every pastor’s theological library.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
The author makes sure he establishes his bottom line:
Jesus as Son of God is also God the Son, the eternal second person of the Godhead. But our salvation and eternal destiny depend on his being the incarnate one who is revealed as Son of God. Jesus in his person and work sums up the pattern of creation that establishes the nature of the kingdom of God.
This central thought is exposed and re-articulated in several ways as Goldsworthy reveals the person and work of Jesus from creation to consummation. “Jesus as the Son of God, by his death and resurrection, was putting the whole universe back together from the futility to which it has been subjected because of human rebellion against the Creator.”
The Son of God and the New Creation is designed for laymen but is a challenging read, nonetheless. I expect Goldsworthy’s work to be used in Bible Colleges and Seminaries and should be a welcome addition to every pastor’s theological library.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
August 6, 2019
Wow! That was biblical theology like a mystery novel. I did not expect that.
In chapter 1, Graeme Goldsworthy lays out his approach for Biblical theology (complete with a diagram) and offers some helpful cautions and differentiations from word studies. He cautions not to assume all writers are using the word in the same way and to not woodenly trace one word when the same idea may be expressed in other related words.
In chapter 2, he pokes around the New Testament with questions about what the phrase “Son of God” means. You think you know, but there is more than you know. His exploration of different uses by different authors is helpful. But the questions pile up without resolution.
In chapter 3 he sort of pokes around the OT looking for some connections. He is building but the conclusions are still left sort of hazy. He is making the OT argument but I kept wondering how it connected.
In chapter 4, he pulls the connections together masterfully. I worshipped God as I read. His explanation of how Jesus is declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection is just outstanding.
So let the tension build and look for resolution in chapter 4. I thought the pay off was wonderful.
In chapter 1, Graeme Goldsworthy lays out his approach for Biblical theology (complete with a diagram) and offers some helpful cautions and differentiations from word studies. He cautions not to assume all writers are using the word in the same way and to not woodenly trace one word when the same idea may be expressed in other related words.
In chapter 2, he pokes around the New Testament with questions about what the phrase “Son of God” means. You think you know, but there is more than you know. His exploration of different uses by different authors is helpful. But the questions pile up without resolution.
In chapter 3 he sort of pokes around the OT looking for some connections. He is building but the conclusions are still left sort of hazy. He is making the OT argument but I kept wondering how it connected.
In chapter 4, he pulls the connections together masterfully. I worshipped God as I read. His explanation of how Jesus is declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection is just outstanding.
So let the tension build and look for resolution in chapter 4. I thought the pay off was wonderful.
January 2, 2017
I've read through this book rather swiftly, and think that it's worth a second read.
The fact that Jesus as the Son of God fulfils the role of Adam, Israel, and the Son of David where each of those types failed miserably is a tremendous testament to God's grace and determination to renew His creation.
What's most wonderful about it is that it was God's plan all along! Goldsworthy does a fine job in explaining that the redeeming work of Christ not only applies to the elect, but also to all of creation that groans in suffering because of its subjection to decay.
The Bible is rich in wonders. The progression of God's revelation and how it all culminates in the person and work of Jesus Christ is marvellous.
As Goldsworthy argues, every Christian should interpret the Word of God on its own terms, i.e. biblically and holistically. It certainly fans the flame of our love for God and appreciation of what He's done for us all the more.
The fact that Jesus as the Son of God fulfils the role of Adam, Israel, and the Son of David where each of those types failed miserably is a tremendous testament to God's grace and determination to renew His creation.
What's most wonderful about it is that it was God's plan all along! Goldsworthy does a fine job in explaining that the redeeming work of Christ not only applies to the elect, but also to all of creation that groans in suffering because of its subjection to decay.
The Bible is rich in wonders. The progression of God's revelation and how it all culminates in the person and work of Jesus Christ is marvellous.
As Goldsworthy argues, every Christian should interpret the Word of God on its own terms, i.e. biblically and holistically. It certainly fans the flame of our love for God and appreciation of what He's done for us all the more.
October 2, 2023
This is my least favourite so far of the "short studies in biblical theology" from Crossway. It is, in fact, the first that was published.
Goldsworthy does not follow the "cover to cover" approach to biblical theology. Instead, he starts with Jesus, flicks back to the Old Testament, and returns to Jesus once again. He defends this line of reasoning, but he did not convince me that this is the correct way to perform biblical theology.
As such, I found his building on the phrase "Son of God" which finds its culmination in Jesus to be lacking or at least not as rich as some of the other books in this series.
Still, there are many solid theological points made throughout.
Goldsworthy does not follow the "cover to cover" approach to biblical theology. Instead, he starts with Jesus, flicks back to the Old Testament, and returns to Jesus once again. He defends this line of reasoning, but he did not convince me that this is the correct way to perform biblical theology.
As such, I found his building on the phrase "Son of God" which finds its culmination in Jesus to be lacking or at least not as rich as some of the other books in this series.
Still, there are many solid theological points made throughout.
December 2, 2019
Graeme Goldsworthy takes the reader through a sweeping analogy of faith and helps us to understand and discover the term Son of God in the Bible. This is the 2nd of the Short Studies In Biblical Theology that I have read and will continue to read them as they are published. These books are written on a laymen level where we can grasp the foundational truths of biblical Christian theology without having to get bogged down in technical scholarly jargon or original language references. This and others in this series would be great for a Sunday school group or home study.
April 18, 2023
Um livro riquíssimo que explica magistralmente, através de uma teologia bíblica, o significado de Jesus ser o filho de Deus ao mesmo tempo que é Deus, o filho (segunda pessoa da trindade).
Uma frase interessante que o autor fala e que gostei muito é que "como posso dizer que tenho fé em Cristo, se não o conheço de verdade"?
Precisamos conhecer e prosseguir em conhecer ao Senhor mais e mais, para que tenhamos certeza sobre o Deus em quem cremos e ao Senhor a quem servimos, de forma que nossa fé se tornará cada vez mais sólida.
Uma frase interessante que o autor fala e que gostei muito é que "como posso dizer que tenho fé em Cristo, se não o conheço de verdade"?
Precisamos conhecer e prosseguir em conhecer ao Senhor mais e mais, para que tenhamos certeza sobre o Deus em quem cremos e ao Senhor a quem servimos, de forma que nossa fé se tornará cada vez mais sólida.
December 5, 2024
I am giving this two stars and not one only because I agree with the majority of Goldsworthy's theological conclusions. But, in my view this book ultimately fails at its objective, which is to make biblical theology accessible to the lay person. Goldsworthy's writing is extremely, almost at an unreadable level, academic, and could not be further from accessible to anyone without a high level theology degree.
I hope the rest of this series is better written because I was sorely disappointed in this book.
I hope the rest of this series is better written because I was sorely disappointed in this book.
March 15, 2025
A very disappointing read. I read it in hopes of having a better understanding of the unique significance of the title “Son of God” developed from Genesis to Revelation and instead received a mishmash of doctrinal discussions that started in the New Testament, retroactively applied them to the Old Testament, and then jumped around to various topics such as Kingdom theology, Pauline soteriology, and eschatology in different parts of Scripture.
This book is a perfect example of the dangers of the redemptive historical hermeneutic. Instead of naturally allowing a theme to develop sequentially from the Old Testament to the new, Goldsworthy’s method forces him to deduce biblical concepts from theological positions in a way that shows no unity.
This book is a perfect example of the dangers of the redemptive historical hermeneutic. Instead of naturally allowing a theme to develop sequentially from the Old Testament to the new, Goldsworthy’s method forces him to deduce biblical concepts from theological positions in a way that shows no unity.
October 16, 2019
A great study on an often oversimplified term that carries great significance. Goldsworthy does a great job of tying the Son of God title back to Adam and Israel, both disobedient sons, to help one understand more fully the good news of Jesus being referred to as the Son of God. Where all others failed in their humanity and sonship Jesus reigns supreme as both perfect son and God!
I look forward to reading more from the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series.
I look forward to reading more from the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series.
April 17, 2025
I really struggled with this book, I could not follow. I was starting with this one because of it being number 1 in the series, and it has left me not sure I want to read the rest. Maybe I need to try again...
However after reading other reviews I find I am not alone in finding it difficult, so I will move on to other titles in the series.
However after reading other reviews I find I am not alone in finding it difficult, so I will move on to other titles in the series.
March 22, 2022
Informative book but, I do not completely trail his argument and conclusions on the titles of: Son of God and God the Son. However, I do think he points out well to the line drawn from Christ and Adam.
October 25, 2022
If you've read Goldsworthy before you may find some of the material repetitive. But the way he unpacks the storyline of the whole Bible and ties it all together to inform this short study is so helpful. Well worth a read.
September 19, 2018
An excellent resource that models robust biblical theology whilst applying it to an often misunderstood theme
February 21, 2019
Probably more like a 3.5. This is classic Goldsworthy. So it was worthy read, even if it's not as strong as D.A. Carson's similarly sized volume on the same subject ("Jesus the Son of God").
Read
January 21, 2020Compelling account of theme of divine sonship in the Bible, showing how it points to deity and humanity of Christ
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