Quote of the Day

Jesus denies that he is setting himself over against God as an alternative to God. Far from it: he is entirely dependent on the Father and subordinate to him—yet it turns out to be an astonishing subordination. On the one hand: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing” (5:19). Thus he never threatens the Father with competition as a divine alternative. On the other hand, he can do only what he sees his Father doing, “because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (5:19b). Here is a claim to deity slipped through the back door. [Carson, D. A., The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway Books, 2000), pg. 33]