Charles Johnson
Puritan Board Junior
Here is what Polanus had to say on autotheos and the Father's communication of the divine essence to the Son in his generation:
"Thirdly, it is said of God that he exists from himself; that is, that he has an essence existing from itself. For αὐτουσία, that is, an essence existing from itself, is proper to God. That God exists is inherent to him from his very self. God cannot be one whose essence is not from himself. God exists through an essence that is from itself, and not from another essence. For this reason, the true God is αὐτοὼν, αὐτόθεον; that is, having the divine essence existing from itself.
There is a difference between having the divine essence from himself, and having the divine essence existing from itself, because one person can have the divine essence from another, as the Son from the Father, and the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, yet in this way, that he has the divine essence existing from itself; that is, that he is God with that essence that is from itself, and not, rather, from another essence."
I thought I would share this, since Jacob mentioned recently in his review of Tipton's recent book that he opposes the Son as autotheos to his receiving the divine essence from the Father. I find this recent trend concerning, as I think it leads to Tritheism, and to viewing the Godhead as three individuals in a single species.
"Thirdly, it is said of God that he exists from himself; that is, that he has an essence existing from itself. For αὐτουσία, that is, an essence existing from itself, is proper to God. That God exists is inherent to him from his very self. God cannot be one whose essence is not from himself. God exists through an essence that is from itself, and not from another essence. For this reason, the true God is αὐτοὼν, αὐτόθεον; that is, having the divine essence existing from itself.
There is a difference between having the divine essence from himself, and having the divine essence existing from itself, because one person can have the divine essence from another, as the Son from the Father, and the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, yet in this way, that he has the divine essence existing from itself; that is, that he is God with that essence that is from itself, and not, rather, from another essence."
I thought I would share this, since Jacob mentioned recently in his review of Tipton's recent book that he opposes the Son as autotheos to his receiving the divine essence from the Father. I find this recent trend concerning, as I think it leads to Tritheism, and to viewing the Godhead as three individuals in a single species.