Page 157 - Prophet Jesus (Pbuh): A Prophet Not A Son, Of God

HARUN YAHYA 155

dence as there is has led the historians of the period to conclude,
with an impressive degree of unanimity, that Jesus did not claim to
be God incarnate. 52
Among the Jews of that time, the son of God had the metaphorical
meaning of belonging to God. Someone referred to in this way was consid-
ered close to God, one who served Him with all his heart, and who lived
the kind of life that would be pleasing to Him. It never meant that the

person in question possessed attributes resembling or equivalent to His,
or implied any divine status. (Surely God is beyond that!) Indeed, there
was no room for such a belief in Judaism.
Therefore, the first Christians may have used this term to express
their respect for Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and their belief that he was His ser-
vant and close to God. In fact, many Christian theologians say that the
term the son of God was given to him by his followers to honor and praise
him. Moreover, they stress that it is a metaphor.

The title son was a particular form of expression in Hebrew and was
used, together with other concepts, to indicate that he had a particularly
close relationship to something. According to The Catholic Encyclopedia:
The word "son" was employed among the Semites to signify not
only filiation, but other close connexion or inmate relationship.
Thus, "a son of strength" was a hero, a warrior, "son of wickedness"
a wicked man, "sons of pride" wild beasts, "son of possession" a pos-
sessor, "son of pledging" a hostage, "son of lightning" a swift bird,
"son of dead" one doomed to death, "son of a bow" an arrow, "son of
Belial" a wicked man, "son of prophets" disciples of prophets etc.
The title "son of God" was applied in the Old Testament to persons
having any special relationship with God. Angels, just and pious
men, were called "sons of God". 53
Dr. Mahmut Aydın of the 19 Mayıs University Theology Faculty in
Turkey reports John Hicks' views on this subject in these terms:

This expression was already very widespread at the time of Prophet