Collin Hansen’s cover story for Christianity Today is an excellent example of theological journalism. He looks at the phenomenon that many Muslims seem to be coming to faith, in part because they are reading more paraphrastic translations that avoid “son of God” terminology.
Here’s an excerpt:
The results may be encouraging, but the scholarship is flawed, according to several accomplished academics whose expertise spans both testaments. The scholars, including Darrell Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary), Jack Collins (Covenant Theological Seminary), and Vern Poythress (Westminster Theological Seminary), doubted they could endorse any alternative to “Son of God.” They expressed sympathy with missionaries who want to dispel mistaken notions held by Muslims. But they found fault with alternatives, particularly using Christ where “Son of God” originally appeared. If “Son of God” and Christ are strict synonyms, they note, then usage of both terms in Scripture is redundant; Peter did not confess, “You are the Christ, the Christ.”
” ‘Messiah’ is not an adequate substitute for ‘Son of God,’ ” Poythress wrote. “Both have the same referent, namely Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. But they do not have the same meaning. . . . The Greek expressions for ‘Messiah’ and ‘the Son of God’ do have similar meanings, in that both, in many contexts, indicate something about Jesus’ role as kingly ruler under commission from God. Moreover, both expressions evoke what people know or think they know about the great deliverer sent by God. But ‘Son of God,’ unlike ‘Messiah,’ indicates an analogy with a human family relationship. And it also has the potential to connote personal intimacy and love.”
Update: Ed Stetzer has a guest post by a friend who is working among Muslims and works through the various argument.