Does Jesus Submit to the Father? | Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS)

Type of Doctrine: Debated (Likely Secondary or Tertiary)

"I and the Father are one."

-John 10:30 ESV

Why Does It Matter?

Many have heard it taught that the Son of God has always submitted to the Father (and will continue to submit for all of eternity). Some use Trinitarian relationships as a model for marriage relationships or family relationships. However, others say that these teachings are very problematic and dangerously close to heresy.

Concerning theological triage, EFS is a debated issue. Some may consider it a primary issue since it relates to a primary doctrine and since it is considered close to heresy. The other side would say that they were misunderstood. However, since people on both sides typically affirm orthodox Christianity and trinitarian doctrine, most would say that this is probably either a secondary or (more likely) a tertiary issue. In other words, we’ll meaning Christians can disagree on this matter.

What Is It?

The phrase eternal functional subordination refers to a particular view about the Trinity. Let's take the words one-by-one backwards.

EFS concerns "subordination" between certain members of the Trinity. Usually, the view is described as God the Son submitting to God the Father. (The other side argues that this can get dangerously close to the heresy Arianism; more on that later.)

The word "functional" indicates that the Son of God submits in his function rather than in his being (or ontologically). In other words, the Son of God is fully God but, as this view argues, submission takes place concerning his role. (The other side argues that this can get dangerously close to the heresy of Sabellianism; more on that later.)

The word "eternal" indicates that the Father and Son have related in this way for all of eternity. (And, lastly, the other side argues that there is a real danger of abandoning the unity in the Trinity and ending up at tritheism; more on that later.)

Some of the main contemporary proponents of Eternal Functional Subordination are Wayne Grudem and Bruce Ware. Some of the main proponents on the other side are Matthew Barrett and Michael Bird. (Some of their significant works on this subject are given at the bottom of this blog.)

One important note to make is this: Many in the EFS crowd have used the idea of submission in the Trinity to explain and argue for submission in marriage and in the church (i.e., complementarian view). However, the other side (which is comprised of both complementarians and egalitarians) has pushed back and demonstrated that the Trinity should not be used to demonstrate social relationships in this manner.

Let's take a look at the key issues and the key Scriptures.

Key Issues

Here are some of the key issues on this subject:

• How many wills are there within the Trinity? One will or three wills? (In other words, does each person in the Trinity have their own will or do they share a will?)

• Did Jesus submit to the Father only on earth or does the Son of God submit to the Father eternally?

• Is it appropriate to use the Trinity as a model for marriage or family relationships?

• At what point does one cross into the heresy of Arianism? (Arianism is a heresy condemned in the 300s by the church. Arians believed that Christ is not divine; instead, he is created and is subordinate to the Father.)

• Wayne Grudem has pointed out that there was a similar false doctrine to Arianism in the early church that was rejected called subordinationism. Subordinationism differs from Arianism in that it holds that the Son of God is eternal (he is not created) and divine, but he is not equal with the Father in being and attributes (thus, he is subordinate).[1] However, Grudem mentioned that historically the orthodox position is economic subordination which is referred to as "ontological equality but relational differences". In other words, the persons of the Trinity are equal in being but different in role. He claims that this is historically also called subordination in function. Thus, as he mentions in a footnote, we must carefully distinguish between subordinationism and economic subordination. One is a heresy while the other is the orthodox position.[2]

  • Putting this in laymen's terms:

    • subordinationism = Jesus is not God, created being, subordinate to the Father

    • economic subordination = Jesus is God, eternal (not created), subordinate only in role but not in being

• At what point does one cross into the heresy of Sabellianism? (Sabellianism, often known as modalism, is a heresy which believes that God is one but not three persons. Instead, he is one person who is really efficient at morphing into the different roles, or modes.)

• At what point does one cross into the heresy of Tritheism? (Tritheism means one believes in three gods.)

Key Scriptures

Here are some of the key Scriptures on this subject:

• [Jhn 3:16 ESV] 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

• [Jhn 5:18 ESV] 18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

• [Jhn 6:37-40 ESV] 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

• [Jhn 10:18 ESV] 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

• [Jhn 10:30 ESV] 30 I and the Father are one."

• [Jhn 15:26 ESV] 26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

• [Rom 8:32 ESV] 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

• [2Co 8:9 ESV] 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

• [2Co 13:14 ESV] 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

• [Phl 2:6-9 ESV] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

• [1Jo 4:10 ESV] 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The Debate: 2 Main Views

View	Description	Main Proponents
Eternal Function Subordination (EFS)	The submission of the Son of God to the Father is a consistent pattern for all of eternity. (It was not merely a temporary expression while he was on earth.) God has a unified will but expresses it in three distinct ways. Wayne Grudem writes, "I have argued elsewhere that Scripture indicates a consistent pattern in which the Son always submits to the authority of the Father and that this aspect of the Father-Son relationship in the Trinity has existed eternally. I will first summarize that argument here and then consider various recent objections, including the objections that authority and submission are inappropriate terms, that there can only be one will in God, that this submission is only for the purposes of the incarnation, and that this submission only applies to God's voluntary activities outside of himself."[3] Grudem goes on to argue that the Father acts the same way before creation and after the final judgment, and he claims that there is a unified will of God and three distinctive expressions of God's will.[4]	Wayne Grudem, Bruce Ware
Anti-EFS	The submission of the Son of God to the Father was a temporary expression during the life of Jesus on earth. Eternally, however, there is no subordination within the Trinity. Many argue that there is one will in God. Matthew Barrett writes, "A novel view has emerged within evangelicalism called EFS, claiming the Son is subordinate to the Father in authority within the immanent Trinity. EFS is not biblical, comes dangerously close to three heresies, and threatens a Christian view of salvation and worship. EFS is also a version of social trinitarianism, which is a departure from biblical and Nicene orthodoxy."[5]	Matthew Barrett, Fred Sanders, Michael Bird, Carl Trueman, Aimee Byrd

Application

We must seek to believe and worship the God who has revealed himself in Scripture. He cared to reveal himself so we should seek to understand what he has revealed. There are a lot of Scriptures that he has inspired on this topic. Nevertheless, it is a nuanced aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity. Undoubtedly, we should avoid heresies, but we must also admit that our finite minds cannot fully comprehend our infinite God. However, even though our minds cannot fully grasp the Trinity, we can grasp many aspects. Doctrine matters. You may be tempted to think, “Why does this matter? What can I do with this information?” But theology doesn’t always have a pragmatic reason. In fact, by nature theology is about God. Further, what we believe inevitably affects who we are and how we live. God has revealed things about himself for a reason. Learning about our Triune God brings him glory and us joy.

Moreover, we should also be careful so that we do not consider people heretics who are not truly heretics. This topic demonstrates the importance of theological triage so we're not shooting our brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with us. (It must be noted that in chapter 14 of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, he explains various heresies concerning the Trinity and clearly shows that he is within orthodox Christianity. Even if one doesn't share Grudem's view, he can still be considered a fellow Christian and brother in Christ.)

Regardless of where you land, studying this subject will give you a rich look into the life of the Trinity and the earthly life of Jesus which will make you want to worship.

Where Can I Learn More?

End Notes:

[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 288.

[2] Ibid., 300.

[3] Ibid., 301-302.

[4] Ibid., 301-319.

[5] Matthew Barrett, Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2021), 214.

Other great resources:

• https://www.waynegrudem.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Biblical-evidence-for-the-eternal-submission-of-the-Son-to-the-Father.pdf

• https://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2016/11/23/kevin-giles-the-ets-response-to-grudem-and-ware/

• https://www.theopedia.com/efs

• https://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/submission_in_the_trinity_a_quick_guide_to_the_debate

• https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/trinitarian-agency-and-the-eternal-subordination-of-the-son-an-augustinian-perspective/

• https://credomag.com/2021/11/why-should-evangelicals-reject-eternal-functional-subordination-michael-bird-and-matthew-barrett/