Bear Creek Two Seedism

In the Bear Creek PB Association articles of faith, we have these words:

Art. 2. We believe in the man Jesus being the first of all God's creation and the pattern of all God's perfection in nature, providence, grace and glory, and in relative union with the divine word, and thus united with the whole Trinity.  (see here)

If you ask the members of the Bear Creek churches what this article is saying, in regard to Jesus being the "first of all God's creation," they will likely not be able to tell you what it is.

But, I know what it reveals. It reveals that the Bear Creek Association, in its formative years (1832 onward) was infected with what Elder G.M. Thompson called "Arian Two Seedism." He wrote an entire book on this issue called "The Measuring Rod" (here). In it he shows that such a statement is what the Two Seeders believed. I have written some on this in the past. See the posting "Bear Creek Association & Two Seedism" (here) and "Elder Preslar on Two Seedism" (here).

What this article is saying is that the "man" Jesus was created in eternity past (as the "Son of God") and that at this time the elect were created in Jesus. Thus, both the human Jesus and the elect were created before the foundation of the world.

The Arianism is seen in affirming that Jesus is the first thing God created. The Two Seedism affirms that the elect were created when Jesus was created.