Thanks for this clear introduction.
We Nicene types often use “Greater than” and “less than” language. “In such-and-such a respect the Father is greater than the Son, but in so-and-so aa respect the Son is equal to the Father.”
If you were to adopt that sort of usage, how would what you said play out?
I wasn’t aware of “greater” or “less” than language in the Nicene Creed. To avoid the charge of subordinate divine beings (the Son and Holy Spirit), realizing you can’t have one member of the Trinity less than the other - which would disqualify him as God, no such thing as a subordinate God - later councils had to come up with “coequal” language. Which they did.
When I spoke of understanding Father, Son, Holy Spirit, in the vertical sense, think generation, think of a genalogical chart with a father at the top, his son listed under him, his sons under him.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself,” Eph. 1:3-5.
God, back in eternity, alone and by himself, Isa. 44:24, desired to have children, He desired to have a family, He predestined children “unto himself.”
He predestined Jesus Christ the firstborn of his family. The first son, the firstborn of many brethren. As I mentioned, Christ’s “brethren” are “adopted” (having predestined us unto the ADOPTION of children by Jesus Christ unto himself). Distinct from the latter sons, Christ had no earthly father, he was not an adopted son.