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Divine Mysteries: Exploring the Trinity, Evil, and Human Destiny  /  Jesus and the Father  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 8
The lesson says the Son is equal in nature but subordinate in “order/headship,” quoting Jesus (“I do nothing of myself,” “the Father…gave me a command”) and Paul (1 Corinthians 11:3; 15:28); what do you think Bercot is trying to protect about God’s character and the gospel by insisting headship is real and not merely “voluntary,” and what modern Christian assumptions does that threaten?
Another way to ask: The lesson says the Son is equal in nature but under the Father in order or headship, based on Jesus’ and Paul’s words. What is Bercot trying to protect about God and the gospel by saying this headship is real and not just “optional,” and what modern Christian ideas does that challenge?

Direct Answer Bercot is trying to protect the New Testament picture of the Father as the true head who sends, commands, and receives the Son’s obedience, while still affirming the Son’s full divine nature. This challenges modern instincts to flatten all authority into sameness or to treat submission language as automatically “degrading.”

Support from Transcript:

  • He states plainly: equal in nature does not mean “equal in chain of command,” because “far too many Scriptures…tell us otherwise.”
  • Jesus’ statements: “I do nothing of myself,” “I have not spoken on my own authority,” and the Father “gave me a command what I should say.”
  • Paul’s hierarchy: “the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor 11:3) and the Son will be “subject” so “God may be all in all” (1 Cor 15).
  • Early church quotes: Hippolytus: “It is the Father who commands and the Son who obeys.” Clement: Jesus “serves the will” of the Father.
  • Origen criticizes those who think “subjection” is “degrading,” identifying them as modalists who deny real personal distinction.
Discussion Follow-ups The transcript doesn’t use the word “voluntary,” but Bercot emphasizes real order (“Father sent the Son”) as part of the gospel narrative, not an embarrassment to explain away.

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