A Fresh Look at Obedience
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered ; and having been made perfect , he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. (Hebrews 5:7-9 NRSV) He learned obedience and was made perfect . Now this involves two terms that have confused many over the years. We generally think of Jesus as God coming in human form and starting out as perfect. After all, part of being perfect is being obedient isn't it, i.e. obeying all the rules? So intuitively it almost seems to be an oxymoron to attempt to say that Jesus learned obedience or became perfect when we assume He started out that way already. How could He become perfect? That seems to imply that He had to be imperfect before at some point in order to be made perfect. And h...