The Logos is fully divine; eternal Word is fully God in nature and attributes
The Free Will Baptist denomination affirms the traditional interpretation of John 1:1 that the Logos is fully divine and coequal with God the Father. The opening of John's Gospel is understood as a profound assertion of the preexistence and full divinity of Christ. This interpretation is foundational to Free Will Baptist Christology and is consistent with classical Christian orthodoxy.
Free Will Baptists, while maintaining their distinctive Arminian theology regarding free will and conditional security, affirm without hesitation that Christ is fully God. The incarnation of the divine Logos in Jesus Christ is understood as the Son of God taking on human nature while retaining full divinity. This high Christology supports the Free Will Baptist conviction that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for all and that salvation is offered to all who will believe.
The Logos doctrine is understood within the context of the Trinity: the Son is eternally God, coequal with the Father, yet distinct in personhood. The Free Will Baptist affirmation of Christ's divinity is non-negotiable and essential to Christian faith.
Key Distinctions
- Logos divinity:
- full and eternal; coequal with Father
- Incarnation:
- divine nature retained in human form
- Creation role:
Scripture References
Sources
- Free Will Baptist Treatise of the Faith
- NAFWB Doctrinal Standards