Paper 6. The Eternal Son

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PAPER 6

THE ETERNAL SON

1. Identity of the Eternal Son
2. Nature of the Eternal Son
3. Ministry of the Father’s Love
4. Attributes of the Eternal Son
5. Limitations of the Eternal Son
6. The Spirit Mind
7. Personality of the Eternal Son
8. Realization of the Eternal Son

INTRODUCTION

I. REFERENCE: (73.1) 6:0.1 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is the perfect expression of the Father’s “first” personal and infinite concept.

Definition of concept: “Original idea; purpose; design.”

2. Note that “first” is in quotes. What does that signify? The dictionary gives six uses of quotes in this manner:

A. Technical or slang terms.

B. Nicknames.

C. Expressions of doubtful propriety.

D. Expressions for which the writer apologizes.

E. That for which he disavows responsibility.

F. Words which have special meanings.

3. The Son is a perfect expression of something which is both personal and infinite--an infinite personality.

4. He is also the final expression--not the beginning or the end, but the completed. One of the definitions of final is: “Conclusive; decisive; definitive.”

5. Note: This was not the first concept of the I AM or the First Source and Center--but of the Universal Father.

6. Query: The First Source and Center could not be a Father until he had a Son. Since he has always had a Son he has always been a Father.This explains the use of quotes with the term “first” personal and infinite concept.

7. Again, we encounter the attempt of the authors to make eternal conceptions “graspable” by time-bound mortal mind.

8. Note the term “expression”--the introduction of the thought-word concept. The Father personally expresses himself through the Eternal Son--the divine WORD.

See John 1:1-4. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

This WORD concept is shown in other Scriptures. See 1 John 5:7.(King James) “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

9. The Eternal Son is residential on Paradise, enshrouding the personal presence of the Universal Father.

II. REFERENCE: (73.2) 6:0.2 - “We speak of...”

COMMENT

1. Talking about God’s “first” thought is a contact-compromise with the time-bound mortal mind.

2. In fact, God never could have had a first thought--the Eternal Son could never have had a beginning.

3. Only in philosophy can we conceive of a beginning. Neither can we conceive of future eternity without an end.

4. The author was told to portray the eternity doings of Deity so as to reach the finite mortal mind. Question: Who instructed him? Probably the Revelatory Commission.

III. REFERENCE: (73.3) 6:0.3 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is the Father’s spiritual personalization of:

A. Divine reality.

B. Unqualified spirit.

C. Absolute personality.

2. The Father’s Concept is:

A. Universal--scope.

B. Infinite--value.

3. This concept of the Father has three meanings:

A. Divine reality--universal and infinite.

B. Unqualified spirit—universal and infinite.

C. Absolute personality—universal and infinite.

4. The Son is the revelation of the creator identity of the Universal Father.

5. The Son’s personality discloses that the Father is the source of all meanings and values of the:

A. Spiritual.

B. Volitional.

C. Purposeful.

D. Personal.

6. The Father is the source:

A. Eternal--time value.

B. Universal--space value.

7. Definitions:

MEANING: “That which is intended; purpose; aim; object; that which one intends to convey by an act, significance, understanding, purport.”

VALUE. “Non-material meaning. The quality or fact of being worthwhile. Excellent, useful, desirable. Principle, quality, importance, intrinsic worth.”

8. Meanings and values of what?

A. The spiritual.

(1) Meaning: Eternal and universal.

(2) Value: Eternal and universal.

B. The volitional.

(1) Meaning: Eternal and universal.

(2) Value: Eternal and universal.

C. The purposeful.

(1) Meaning: Eternal and universal.

(2) Value: Eternal and universal.

D. The personal.

(1) Meaning: Eternal and universal.

(2) Value: Eternal and universal.

9. All of this is what the perfect personality of the Son tells us about the Father as the source of all such meanings and values.

IV. REFERENCE: (73.4) 6:0.4 - “In an effort...”

COMMENT

1. We refer to the Father’s first thoughts and acts in order to help the finite mind to form some conception of the performances of infinity.

2. Since man cannot understand the eternity relations of Deity, we try to portray Deity relations in the eras of times.

3. We are taught that the Son sprang from the Father, but that both, are unqualifiedly eternal.

4. But no time-creature can ever fully comprehend such a mystery.

1. IDENTITY OF THE ETERNAL SON

I. REFERENCE: (73.5) 6:1.1 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is the original and only-begotten Son of God.

Discussion: A number of texts are involved in this statement. John 1:18. “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.”

How true: The Eternal Son enshrouds the Father. This is a direct attempt to separate the concepts of Michael and the Eternal Son.

John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Note: This passage does not appear in The Urantia Book.

1 John 4:9. “God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” Note: This is not a fact--but how true.

2. The office of the Eternal Son:

A. God the Son.

B. Second Person of Deity.

C. Associate creator of all things.

D. The Second Great Source and Center.

II. REFERENCE: (74.1) 6:1.2 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is the spirit center and divine administrator of the universal spiritual government. Note: While the Son is cocreator,

2. God is spirit and the Son is a personal revelation of that spirit. Note: There are many revelations of God’s spirit which are not personal--the Thought Adjusters.

3. The First Source and Center is the Volitional Absolute; the Second Source and Center is the Personality Absolute. Note: And yet he alone does not create personalities as we understand.

III. REFERENCE: (74.2) 6:1.3 - “The Universal Father...”

COMMENT

1. God does not function as a personal creator without the Son. Question: Does God function other than as a personal creator? Perhaps in the Absolutes.

2. The Bible reference is John 1:1-3. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

IV. REFERENCE: (74.3) 6:1.4 - “When a Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Bible reference is 1 John 1:1. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”

2. One of the prayers of this Son implies he came from the Father as did the Original Son. John 17:5. “And now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”

V. REFERENCE: (74.4) 6:1.5 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. Different names of the Eternal Son are listed.

2. In our universe he is called the Second Eternal Source and Center.

3. Note confusion of the Eternal Son with Michael of Nebadon, only on our planet.

VI. REFERENCE: (74.5) 6:1.6 - “Although any of the...”

COMMENT

Only the Original Son is called the Eternal Son.

2. NATURE OF THE ETERNAL SON

I. REFERENCE: (74.6) 6:2.1 - “The Eternal Son is just...”

COMMENT

1. The Son, like the Father, is changeless, and is just as truly an unlimited spirit.

2. To mortals the Son might appear to be even more personal than the Father.

II. REFERENCE: (74.7) 6:2.2 - “The Eternal Son is the...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is the Word of God--God personally manifest to the universes. Note: The Word of God is living, personal, infinite--even absolute--not human verbiage mandated by some human council.

2. The Bible reference is John 14:9. “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father.’”

III. REFERENCE: (74.8) 6:2.3 - “In nature the Son...”

COMMENT

God the Son is just as divinely real and eternal in nature as God the Father.

IV. REFERENCE: (75.1) 6:2.4 - “The Son not only possesses...”

COMMENT

1. The Son shares the Father’s righteousness and holiness.

2. The Son, like the Father, assists all creatures seeking perfection.

V. REFERENCE: (75.2) 6:2.5 - “The Eternal Son possesses...”

COMMENT

The Son shares the Father’s attributes and is the embodiment of his absolute personality.

VI. REFERENCE: (75.3) 6:2.6- “God is, indeed...”

COMMENT

1. The spirit nature of the Father is personalized in the Deity of the Eternal Son.

2. All spiritual qualities appear to be enhanced in the Son.

3. As the Father shares his nature with the Son, in turn, the Son just as fully shares the divine spirit with the Conjoint Actor.

VII. REFERENCE: (75.4) 6:2.7 - “In the love of truth...”

COMMENT

The Son is devoted to the realization of the spirit beauty of universe values.

VIII.REFERENCE: (75.5) 6:2.8 - “In divine goodness...”

COMMENT

God loves his creatures as a father. The Son loves us as a father and as a brother.

3. MINISTRY OF THE FATHER’S LOVE

I. REFERENCE: (75.6) 6:3.1 - “The Son shares...”

COMMENT

1. The Son shares the justice of the Trinity, but overshadows it with the Father’s love and mercy.

2. Administration of justice is a group function--illustration:

A. The Trinity.

B. Three Ancients of Days.

C. Conciliating Commissions.

3. Overshadow: Definition. “To cover protectingly with a superior influence. To tower above; to dominate; to be more important than.”

4. All of the Paradise Sons are a divine personalization of the Father’s love, but not an infinite personalization.

5. Christ Michael, who personally reveals the Father’s love to our universe, reveals it just as fully as would the Eternal Son.

6. As God is love, so the Son is mercy.

7. The Son cannot love more than the Father. But he can show mercy in one additional way--he is not only a creator, but also a son.

II. REFERENCE: (75.7) 6:3.2 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is the mercy minister to all creation.

2. The Son is not merely merciful--he is a mercy minister.

3. Mercy is the essence of the Son’s character.

ESSENCE: Definition. “Substance as distinguished from all supporting attributes. Prime character. Ultimate or intrinsic nature.”

4. Mandates of the Eternal Son are keyed in tones of mercy.

KEY: Definition. “A system of family tones based on their relation to a keynote. The total harmonic or melodic relations of such a system.”

III. REFERENCE: (75.8) 6:3.3 - “To comprehend the love...”

COMMENT

The love which the son receives from the Father, who is love, he bestows by means of a host of ministering personalities.

IV. REFERENCE: (75.9) 6:3.4 - “The ministry of the...”

COMMENT

1. The Son is devoted to revealing a God of love to the universes.

2. The Son does not function as a mediator--he is a revealer.

3. The Father’s love is the real and eternal source of the Son’s mercy.

V. REFERENCE: (75.10) 6:3.5 - “God is love...”

COMMENT

1. God is love, the Son is mercy. Mercy is applied love.

2. God’s love might be compared to a Father’s affection--the Son’s love to that of a mother.

4. ATTRIBUTES OF THE ETERNAL SON

I. REFERENCE: (76.1) 6:4.1 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son motivates the spirit level of cosmic reality.

2. His spiritual power is absolute concerning actuals.

3. The Son’s grasp of spirit gravity is also absolute.

4. This gives the Son control over all spirit energy and actualized spirit

5. All pure unfragmented spirit and all spirit beings and values are responsive to the Son.

6. Question: These three realities are responsive, but is the degree of control different?

7. Adjusters may also be responsive, but not controlled.

8. The Son’s spirit gravity and spirit power are adequate for the administration of an infinite universe.

9. Note that spirit gravity and spirit power are not identical.

II. REFERENCE: (76.2) 6:4.2 - “The Son is...”

COMMENT

1. The Son is omnipotent only in the spiritual realm.

2. The Deities are not given to useless duplication of universe ministry.

III. REFERENCE: (76.3) 6:4.3 - “The omnipresence of...”

COMMENT

1. The omnipresence of the Original Son constitutes the spiritual unity of the universe.

2. It is difficult to differentiate the presence of the spirit of the Father and the Son.

3. The Father’s spirit lives in the Son’s spirit.

IV. REFERENCE: (76.4) 6:4.4 - “The Father must be...”

COMMENT

When the spirit of the Father and the spirit of the Son are both present, they are co-ordinate.

V. REFERENCE: (76.5) 6:4.5 - “In his contact...”

COMMENT

1. The Father contacts personality by means of the personality circuit and the Father spirit fragments.

2. Always does the spirit of the Son function with the spirit of the Father.

3. Father fragments have a special and exclusive function--solitary and unique.

Definitions: SOLITARY: “Being, living, or going alone--without companions. Characterized by seclusion--solitude.”

UNIQUE: “Single, sole. Being without a like or equal. Single in kind or excellence. Unequaled. Unusual; notable.”

EXCLUSIVE: “Single, sole, an exclusive agent. Singly, devoted. Undivided--giving exclusive attention to a matter.”

VI. REFERENCE: (76.6) 6:4.6 - “Spiritually the Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. Spiritually the Eternal Son is omnipresent.

2. The Son’s spirit is around us, but not within us.

3. The Adjusters help us to be more responsive to the Son’s spirit-gravity circuit.

VII. REFERENCE: (76.7) 6:4.7 - “The Original Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Original Son is spiritually and universally self-conscious.

2. “What is self-consciousness?

A. CONSCIOUSNESS: “Awareness, especially of something within oneself. Mind in the broadest possible sense. That form of existence which is able to distinguish itself from other existences. The totality of conscious status.”

B. SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: “Consciousness of one’s acts or states as belonging to, or originating in oneself. Consciousness of oneself as an object of observation by others. Awareness of oneself as an individual who experiences, desires, and acts.”

C. Note: The papers say animals are conscious--but not self-conscious.

3. In wisdom, the Son equals the Father.

4. The Son is equal with the Father in omniscience--he knows all.

VIII. REFERENCE: (77.1) 6:4.8 - “The Father and...”

COMMENT

1. Both the Father and the Son know the whereabouts of all spirits and spiritualized beings in the universe.

2. The Son is also cognizant of all that passes over the reflectivity service.

3. The Son has an omnipresent spirit. Question: Is this separate from the spirit gravity circuit? It appears to be.

4. It may be that the spirit gravity circuit is a specialized phenomenon occurring within, and as a part of, the Son’s universally manifested spirit, just as the Gulf Stream functions in, and is a part of, the Atlantic Ocean.

5. Another Question: If infinite beings have such perfect techniques for knowing all things, why should they make use of such partial information as is supplied by the reflectivity system?

Answer: All of finity is a part of the experience of infinity. The Infinite God is no wiser because he indwells mortal man, but the Universal Father has a new experience in the life of each one of us.

6. And there are other ways in which the Paradise Son is omniscient.

A. Universal mind of the Infinite Spirit.

B. Infinity of the First Source and Center.

IX. REFERENCE: (77.2) 6:4.9 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

The Eternal Son is just as affectionate as the Universal Father and just as kind and patient as the Paradise Sons who bestow themselves upon the evolutionary worlds.

X. REFERENCE: (77.3) 6:4.10 - “It is needless...”

COMMENT

If you study the attributes of God the Father, you will know the attributes of God the Son.

5. LIMITATIONS OF THE ETERNAL SON

I. REFERENCE: (77.4) 6:5.1 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son does not function in the physical domain, nor in the mind realms.

2. The Son does function in the domains of spiritual omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence.

II. REFERENCE: (77.5) 6:5.2 - “The Eternal Son does not personally pervade...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son does not pervade the potentials of the Deity Absolute, but when these spirit potentials become actuals, the spirit gravity acts.

2. What is the difference between potentials and actuals? Illustration: Potential energy is subject to Paradise gravity, but not to linear gravity.

III. REFERENCE: (77.6) 6:5.3 - “Personality is the...”

COMMENT

1. Personality derives from the Father--the Son does not bestow personality.

2. We know of no personalities derived from the Son. There may be some unknown type of Son-created beings living on the Son’s Paradise spheres.

3. The Son creates a host of spirits. If they become personalities, it is by act of the Father or the Infinite Spirit.

4. The Son is thus a cocreator of personality. He is creator of many types of other than personal reality.

IV. REFERENCE: (77.7) 6:5.4 - “The Eternal Son is limited...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is limited in transmittal of a creator prerogatives.

PREROGATIVE: “The right is to exercise a power in priority to, or to the exclusion of, others. The right attached to an office or rank. To exercise a special function, an official and hereditary right which may be asserted without question.”

2. The Father and the Son join in producing Sons with creative attributes.

3. But with these co-ordinate Sons, the prerogatives of creatorship are not transmissable.

4. Thus Creator Sons receive the prerogatives of creatorship, but they do not transmit the same to their sons.

5. Note: The Father Melchizedek does participate in the creation of his order.

V. REFERENCE: (78.1) 6:5.5 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son cannot fragmentize his nature, as does the Father and the Infinite Spirit.

2. The Gods bestow themselves upon entities as well as beings.

ENTITY: “Being; existence; essence. That of which predictions can be made. An existence--whether an actuality or an ideal conception.”

3. The Urantia Book uses entity to denote a being who is not a personality--Thought Adjuster, for example.

4. The Son bathes all creation in his spirit and draws all spirit realities to himself.

VI. REFERENCE: (78.2) 6:5.6 - “Ever remember...”

COMMENT

1. The Son is the personal portrayer of the Father to all creation.

2. In the Deity sense, the Son is personal and nothing but personal.

3. Such an absolute personality cannot be fragmentized.

4. God the Father and God the Spirit are truly personal, but they are also everything else in addition to being personal.

VII. REFERENCE: (78.3) 6:5.7 - “Though the Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The Son does not participate in the bestowal of Adjusters, but he co-operates.

2. When God proposed: “Let us make mortal man in our own image,” the Son pledged endless co-operation in the Father’s plan.

3. As the Father’s spirit dwells within you, the spirit presence of the Son envelops you.

6. THE SPIRIT MIND

I. REFERENCE: (78.4) 6:6.1 - “The Eternal Son is spirit...”

COMMENT

1. The spirit and mind of the Eternal Son are beyond human comprehension.

2. Man can perceive mind on the finite level—from animal to angel—

3. Spirit mind differs from the mind which co-ordinates spirit and matter —the cosmic mind, human type.

4. Also there is mind which is allied only with matter.

II. REFERENCE: (78.5) 6:6.2- “Spirit is ever conscious...”

COMMENT

1. Spirit is always conscious—in some manner minded.

2. Deity is never mindless. Always can Deity communicate with all entities, beings, and personalities.

III. REFERENCE: (78.6) 6:6.3 - “The mind of the Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

1. The mind of the Son is like that of the Father and with the Father ancestor to the absolute mind of the Infinite Spirit.

2. Even the Adjusters have some sort of premind, for they know as they are known.

IV. REFERENCE: (78.7) 6:6.4 - “The Eternal Son is wholly...”

COMMENT

1. Man’s material mind is not able to comprehend the infinite spirit mind of the Eternal Son.

2. As we ascend Paradiseward, we will be increasingly able to grasp the “mind of the spirit” because of our augmenting spiritual insight.

7. PERSONALITY OF THE ETERNAL SON

I. REFERENCE: (79.1) 6:7.1 - “The Eternal Son is that infinite...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is that unqualified personality from which the Father escaped by the technique of trinitization.

2. The Son is absolute personality; God is father personality—the bestower of personality.

II. REFERENCE: (79.2) 6:7.2 - “The personality of...”

COMMENT

The absolute personality of the Son is the pattern personality, first, of the personality of the Conjoint Actor, then of all other personalities.

III. REFERENCE: (79.3) 6:7.3 - “The Eternal Son is truly...”

COMMENT

1. The Eternal Son is:

A. A merciful minister.

B. A divine spirit.

C. A spiritual power.

D. A real personality.

E. The personal and spiritual nature of God manifest to the universes.

2. The Son is the sum of the First Source and Center divested of all that which is:

A. Nonpersonal.

B. Extradivine.

C. Nonspiritual.

D. Pure potential.

3. But it is impossible for mortal mind to conceive of such a supernal personality.

8. REALIZATION OF THE ETERNAL SON

I. REFERENCE: (79.4) 6:8.1 - “Concerning identity, nature...”

COMMENT

1. In nature and attributes, the Eternal Son is the full equal of the Universal Father.

COMPLEMENT: “That which fills up or completes. To complete a symmetrical whole; one of two mutually complementing parts. Implies two things which mutually complete each other and together constitute a whole.”

COUNTERPART: “That which seems to complete or complement something else. A person closely resembles another.” Syn.: Double, like, twin, complement.

2. As God is the Universal Father, the Son is the Universal Mother.

II. REFERENCE: (79.5) 6:8.2 - “To appreciate the character...”

COMMENT

1. To understand the Son—study the Father. They are inseparably one.

2. Higher beings can better distinguish their separate domains of universe administration.

III. REFERENCE: (79.6) 6:8.3 - “As persons you may...”

COMMENT

1. As persons, you can distinguish the Father and the Son, but in universe administration they are so intertwined that it is not always possible to distinguish them.

INTERTWINE: “To wind about, to embrace, to encircle. To unite or become mutually involved by twining one with another; to entangle; to interlace; intertwist.”

2. When you cannot distinguish Father and Son, remember that God is the initiating thought and the Son is the expressionful word.

3. In the local universe this inseparability is personalized in the Creator Son.

IV. REFERENCE: (80.1) 6:8.4 - “The Eternal Son is infinite...”

COMMENT

1. The infinite Eternal Son is approachable through his Paradise Sons and the Infinite Spirit.

2. Through these celestial agencies mortal man ascends to Paradise and stands in the presence of the majestic Son.

V. REFERENCE: (80.2) 6:8.5 - “Even though the...”

COMMENT

1. Since our personality comes from the Father and our mind from the Spirit, we grasp their reality more readily than we do that of the Son.

2. But as we ascend we increasingly discern the infinitely spiritual mind of the Eternal Son.

VI. REFERENCE: (80.3) 6:8.6 - “Never can the concept...”

COMMENT

Not until we become spirits will the concept of the Eternal Son equal our appreciation of the Creator Son of our native universe.

VII. REFERENCE: (80.4) 6:8.7 - “Throughout your local...”

COMMENT

During the morontia life the Creator Son compensates our failure to understand the Eternal Son. In Orvonton and Havona we will begin to comprehend the Original Son.

VIII. REFERENCE: (80.5) 6:8.8 - “The Eternal Son...”

COMMENT

The Eternal Son is a glorious personality. The Divine Counselor testifies to the reality of this Original Son.