Wrested Scriptures

The Trinity
Common
Trinity
 Personality
   of the Spirit
 Christ
   Preliminary
  Strategy
  Genesis 1:26
  Genesis 3:22
  Isaiah 9:6
   Matthew 1:23
  Matthew 28:19
  John 1:1-3
  John 3:13
  John 5:23
  John 6:33,38,51
  John 6:62
  John 8:23
  John 8:58
  John 10:17,18
  John 10:30
  John 14:9
  John 17:5
  John 20:28
  Romans 9:5
  Philippians 2:6
  Col. 1:15,16
  Eph. 4:8-10
  Hebrews 1:2
  Hebrews 1:8
  Hebrews 1:10-12
  Hebrews 7:3
  Hebrews 10:5
   1 John 4:3
  1 John 5:20
  Revelation 3:14
Soul
Heaven
Hell
Satan/Demons
"Saved"
Baptism
Resurrection
Antichrist

Unique
Catholic
Mormon
SDA
JW
British Israel
Church
of Christ
Pentecostal
Islam

Science
Miracles
Evolution
Creation
Carbon Dating

Inspiration
Partial
Contradictions
& Inaccuracies

Hebrews 10:5
"Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, . . . a body hast thou prepared me."
Problem:
It is argued that since the passage states that a body was prepared for Christ when he came into the world, this implies his existence prior to his "incarnation".
Solution:
  1. Even if the passage be read as trinitarians suggest, it results in a negation of the very point the inspired writer is making. The eternal character of the sacrifice of Christ is contrasted with the temporary arrangement under the Law of Moses. (vs. 3-12). But trinitarians assert that by "body" is meant a flesh and bone tabernacle for "God the Son", in which case the sacrifice has no merit, since "God the Father" prepared the body which housed "God the Son". On the basis of this reasoning, "God the Father" did not provide His Son for a sacrifice, but provided merely a flesh and bone body ("God the Son" continuing to exist while the body remained in the tomb).1 How then is this "sacrifice" any more effective than the shed blood of bulls and of goats under the Law?

  2. The writer to the Hebrews quotes Psalm 40:6-8. But this Psalm reads differently in the Old Testament than in the New: "Mine ears hast thou opened {"digged" mg.}." It is apparent that the Psalm alludes to the piercing of the ear of a servant who voluntarily desired to serve his master for life. (Exod. 21:2-6). The substance of this Psalm provides the background for the argument in Hebrews. Consider the following:
    1. "Prepared" - "to fit or adjust thoroughly"2 Christ willingly complied with the divine purpose. (Matt. 26:39).
    2. He "made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant {Greek: "doulou", a slave3}, . . . and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2:7, 8).
    3. In bringing about this great salvation, Christ "learned . . . obedience by the things which he suffered." (Heb. 5:8).
    Rather than asserting the pre-existence of Christ, this passage is a declaration of the faithfulness of the Son to his Father, like the slave to his master, and hence the merit of his sacrifice "once for all". (vs. 10).
Footnotes:
  1. Which in effect denies the resurrection of Christ. Scripture states that it was "him" that God raised. (Acts 13:29, 30). Return

  2. Robert Young, Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible, (London: Lutterworth Press, 1965). Return

  3. Ibid. Return