Episode Details
Back to EpisodesWhy the Son Submits to the Father Without Being Less God
Description
The Trinity is three distinct persons and yet one Godhead — but we still can't help but ask, who's really in charge? In this episode, we continue our conversation on the Trinity by naming a few more historic heresies, including Arianism (the belief that the Son was created) and subordinationism (the belief that the Son, while not created, is still less than fully God).
From there we dig into a doctrine that's often misunderstood even by Christians: the eternal functional subordination of the Son. The Son submits to the Father — not because He is lesser in being, but because He chooses to, in His role. Dr. Abidan Shah connects that distinction directly to something surprisingly practical: why the Bible calls men to servant leadership in the church and the home, and how that relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is actually reflected in the relationship between husband and wife.
0:00 – Who's Really in Charge? Continuing the Trinity Conversation
4:20 – Illeism: The Rhetorical Trick That Isn't What Some Scholars Claim
9:03 – Splinter Groups and the Councils That Drew the Line
10:54 – Meeting Harold O.J. Brown, the Man Who Wrote the Book on Heresy
13:00 – Arianism and Subordinationism Explained
14:37 – Function, Not Essence: What Eternal Functional Subordination Means
16:45 – Why This Debate Became a Battleground Over Church Leadership
27:20 – How the Trinity Is Reflected in Marriage
Dr. Shah writes a personal letter every week — reflections on Scripture, faith, and living it out with clarity and purpose.
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