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Questions & Answers

Son of God

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Our Lord and the Faith › Son of God

The question

Recently your comments "Although the terms Son of God and Logos or Word (Wisdom) of God are titles which refer to our Lord Jesus Christ; they do have different meanings" (from http://www.suscopts.org/q&a/index.php?qid=293&catid=246) seem to have confused me.
Could Your Grace please answer the following questions for me please?
  1. Are the two terms "the Son of God" and "the Word (Wisdom) of God" equivalent terms?

  2. Do they mean exactly the same thing or is there a difference? If there is a difference, what is the difference?

The answer

The two terms are the same in that they refer to the same Person, Christ the Second of the Three Hypostases. The term 'Son of God' is equivalent to 'the Word or the Wisdom of God. The comment you are referring to in the Q & A was an answer to the question "Would the Jews have understood that when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God; He meant Word (Wisdom) of God?" The Jews were looking for a Messiah, an earthly king. Christ came to tell them about His Father Who is in heaven. He, as the Son, announced to them His relation to the Father; and they could not comprehend nor accept it. In their mind they could not accept Him as the Son of God, God incarnate; how then could they possibly view Him as the Wisdom of God?

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1230 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.