Bill Grover Unplug Yourself

Re: NEXT TO LAST POST FOR SOME MONTHS

 

Finally over 100. I'm willing to stop. I enjoyed my moment of fame.

 

Ex ore leonis terrae zuluorum!

Indeed, Bill, such an attempt is "humerous"!

The Unitarians cited simply must "shoulder" aside the fact that J.B. Lightfoot was an orthodox evangelical Anglican, sworn to uphold Trinitarian doctrine in a time when the Anglicans expected their bishops to keep their ordination vows.

Such church-historical shenanigans are pretty funny!

What next? Channing a Six-Principle Baptist???

 

Thanks Unk!

 

===



UNK

Yes, I know my misspelling.

Jimmy says that he is taking time off. But if you are here Jimmy, then this comment is not, I promise, an attack on you or your Unitarianism.

This comment only is addressed to the lack of scholarship your Unitarian site expresses on John 1:18 [ sorry I just don't have time to expose the many suspected deficiencies in the other 40-50 verses.]

The issue in 1:18 is what is the original reading,

"only begotten Son"
or
"only begotten God."



The Unitarians site says the former is correct. It claims:


1) The text was changed to "God" to defend the Trinity.
------------------------------------------------------

Is that right? What is the proof of that? Then why do you suppose the Unitarian site does not deal with Metzger's evidence, P66,P75, that rather it was changed from God to Son by scribal assimilation from 3:16? (NT Textual Commentary,198). Metzger is considered to be a pre eminent textual scholar. Why does your site not use the best literature?

Scholarship uses the best literature.




2) Westcott and Hort believed "Son" to be correct.
------------------------------------------------------

Is that right? Then why in their NT in the original Greek, Macmillan, 1947, p 188, do they have monogenes theos?

Why does Westcott in his commentary, Baker, 1980, p26, have in the Greek text above his exegesis "monogenes theos" and why does say in his comment that God" is the best attested reading?

Scholarship does not misrepresent another's opinion.



3) Irenaeus and other church fathers used "Son."
----------------------------------------------------

Is that right? Are you aware that in the English of Against Heresies 19:10, he writes, "The only begotten God"? Have your Unitarian scholars considered the opinion of Harvey, as expressed in Roberts and Donaldson, Ante Nicene Fathers 1:490, that the reading "only begotten Son" in Irenaeus is a change from "God" to conform to the Vulgate?

Scholarship addresses the difficulties in premises which are attempted to be made.


Speaking of church fathers citations of 1:18, why are they so very selective in their evidence? EG, why did they not say that Ignatius who was alive when John penned 1:18 and who even personally knew John , write, "Jesus Christ, the only begotten God."(To Philadelphians, chap 6, Long Version).


Scholarship looks at all the evidence.



4) Monogenes means "only begotten."
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Is that right? Why does your site not deal with the opinion and evidence provided by such as Moody in the Interpreter's Dictionary, or Bartels in NIDNT, that monogenes rather means unique?

Scholarship is not blind to major opposing views.




If someone points out that this is all very subjective because faith itself is subjective , I'd respond that there are objective data connected to Theology. The issue is how that objective data should be treated.

 

Small u: unitarian, not Unitarian (Goddess forbid!).

You're quite right: none of this is an attack on the actual Unitarian Universalist Association or its actual members. If there is a target here, it's flummery, not freethought.

We are watching mountebankery disappear down various burrows, one of which is decorated with allusions to u/Unitarianism.

Despite our almost infinite theological differences, I guess I'd say to any real UU reading this that enduring silly imitators is the price of church-historical greatness. Pass the word along, too, to "Nestorians" and Friends who may trip along this primrose path.