What Is Eternal Generation?
One of the most essential doctrines for a Christian understanding of the Trinity is eternal generation. When the equality of the Son with the Father was thrown into question in the fourth century, the church fathers turned to the doctrine of eternal generation not only to distinguish the Son from the Father but to ensure that the Son is understood to be equal with the Father. For these reasons, the doctrine of eternal generation became a cornerstone of the Nicene Creed, that standard-bearer of Christian orthodoxy. But over the last several decades, evangelicals have gained a bad reputation for rejecting this doctrine. Even when evangelicals have affirmed it, they do not appear to understand why. Could it be that we do not really grasp what eternal generation is in the first place? I want to invite you on an adventure into the mystery of this indispensable Christian doctrine. But instead of exploring the eternal generation’s biblical warrant (see Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Fathe