Originally posted by checkbaiter
Thanks for your contribution as it does help consideration of the passage. I will read it a couple of times.
2. In The Doctrine of the Trinity, R. S. Franks, a Trinitarian and the Principal Emeritus of Western College in Bristol, writes,
It should be added that Rom. 9:5 cannot be adduced to prove that Paul ever thought of Christ as God. The state of the case is found in the R.V. margin…He [Paul] never leaves the ground of Jewish monotheism. It has been pointed out that Rom. 9:5 cannot be brought in to question this statement. On the contrary, God is spoken of by the Apostle as not only the Father, but also the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” [1]
I lean rather to agreeing with the footnote of the Recovery Version on Rom 5:9.
"Who are the fathers, and out of whom, as regards what is according to flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen" (RcV)
" It is clearly stated here that Christ is God, proving that although Christ was a man (5:15) with flesh who came out of the tribe of Judah, a tribe of Israel, He is also God, who is over all and blessed forever. He is both man and God. He is God the Son, and He is the Triune God."
It is the Jewish Bible that also said that the child born would be called Mighty God. The same passage of the Jewish Bible said the Son given would be called the Father of eternity -
(Isaiah 9:6)
Therefore I think it is hard to make a case that the Son being God is somehow not in accord with the Jewish monotheism of the prophet
Isaiah.
Paul
would be consistent with biblical Jewish monotheism by affirming the Son was God over all, blessed forever.
3. There is good evidence from both the immediate remote contexts that the last phrase of this verse is a eulogy or doxology to God the Father. “God over all” and “God blessed forever” are both used of God the Father elsewhere in the New Testament (Rom. 1:25; 2 Cor. 11:31; Eph. 1:3; 4:6; 1 Tim. 6:15). In contrast, neither phrase is ever used of Christ. It would be highly unusual to take eulogies that were commonly used of God and, abruptly and without comment or explanation, apply them to Christ.
It is an interesting point that God the Creator is
"blessed forever" in
Rom. 1:25. But the same writer says in Colossians that all things were created in Christ -
" Because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, ... all things have been created through Him and unto Him." (See Col. 1:16)
And the writer of Hebrews writes -
"the Son, ... through whom also He made the universe" (Heb 1:2)
It is difficult to imply that Paul considered the Son less than the Creator or the creating God Himself. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him, Paul writes
(Col. 2:9). And -
"For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell." (Col. 1:19)
The Jewish Scriptures of the Tanakh (Old Testament) would also perfectly confirm that the Son is addressed as God, as the book of Hebrews reminds us:
But of the Son, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8 (see Psalm 45:6-7))
This Messianic Psalm has a coming King who reigns righteously who is a man and God.
Psalm 45:6-7 - "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions."
The righteous Messianic King is God.
The righteous Messianic King also has His God (the Father).
The righteous Messianic King also has
"companions" since He became a man.
The truth of monotheism and the incarnation of God as a man is strongly indicated in this text of the Jewish Bible. By writing that
"... the Christ, who is God over all" I do not see the Apostle Paul saying anything that the Hebrew Bible did not say.
Perhaps further comment latter.
[ I am
sonship writing from user gswilm's session. ]