Bible Words Exposed: Only Begotten

ONLY BEGOTTEN SON

Within the Holy Trinity, there are three that are “WHO”. What is that? How many divine Persons? Father, Son, Holy Spirit. THREE! What does the Bible say? Each of these individuals as deity is the one true GOD. (John 17:3; 1 John 5:20-21; Acts 5)

But within the Holy Trinity, there is one that is “WHAT”. What is that, meaning one God or many? What does the Bible say? Among a myriad of gods there is but one true GOD.

Jesus spoke of God as His Father. And Jesus often spoke of Himself as the "Son of Man." While those opposing themselves never care for “context” the complete teaching matters. And so, when speaking of Jesus, "Son of" has the meaning of sameness in kind and the sameness of nature.

Does it matter to know the true God or whether to have a god of your own making? As the Son of God, Jesus has the same nature as God. That is why the Bible teaches that Jesus is “equal” to God. (John 5:18) How many angels, or how many men, and how many false deities do you know that are: coequal, coeternal, and coexistant with God the Father and the Holy Spirit? So how many created beings do you know that are actually “equal” to Almighty God?

One is equal to God, the implications being obvious if there is no existing mind control and brainwashing.

Jesus is the "Son of Man". Being the Son of Man reveals that God has became of the same nature as man from the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Then what is the meaning "only begotten"? This translated to English comes from the Greek word "Monogenes." (Mono) is the meaning from "only." (Genes) means being of the same "kind." Then from the uniqueness alone of the nature of Jesus, He is the God-Man. No one else! Because Jesus Christ is the only one of His kind as having two natures: the nature of God and the nature of man. From the scholars of biblical languages and theology studies, this is called the "hypostatic union" meaning possessing two natures. And so, while Jesus walked the shores of Galilee, He was the everlasting God being manifested in human flesh.

Jesus as the “only begotten Son”, does this mean that He had a beginning of deity? Not at all. Because the meaning of “Son” is not the same Greek word for offspring or as a little born one. Rather the Lord Jesus Christ is uniquely the eternal Son of God (Psalm 2:7 is explained from Acts 13:33).

How does the context of Scripture help us to know the meaning? Isaac is the only begotten son of Abraham, which means what? Isaac was the unique son in the Messiah's line. “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.” (Hebrews 11:17)

While Ishmael was actually a son of Abraham and the first son in birth order (Hebrews 11:17), he was not the only begotten son. Yet, Ishmael was Abraham's son from a concubine as Jacob’s sons were all his. Then why is it hard unless you are resisting God? Isaac was uniquely a son in the lineage of the Messiah. Jesus Christ is uniquely the Son of God. And so, Jesus being the “only begotten Son” is such an awesome way as explaining His uniqueness.

The Elizabethan Begat and Begotten does not have a modern equivalent.

beget (v.)

Old English begietan "to get by effort, find, acquire, attain, seize" (class V strong verb, past tense begeat, past participle begeaton), from be- + get (v.). Sense of "to procreate" is from c. 1200, generally used of the father only. Similar formation in Old Saxon bigitan, Old High German pigezzan, Gothic bigitan "to get, obtain." Related: Begot; begotten.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/beget

In English law the begotten is a lawful heir, though not a son by procreation. The heir will be recognized with all filial rights.

Now look at Psalms 2:7 in this light.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Jesus is the eternal Son, so when God began His plan...He, as the Father, made a lawful decree that Jesus would be His heir, without having to be procreated to be ason through generation.

The illustration of this is Abraham's forgotten son, Eliezer.

Genesis 15:2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? ” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Eliezer was Abram's servant, but could not inherit his possessions because he was not his procreated son. For Eliezer to be his lawful heir Abram had to lawfully begat Eliezer, before witnesses, as his son in word similar to Psalms 2:7.

You are my son; today I have become your father.

From that day forward Eliezer was legally Abrams son.

What does this mean and why is it important?

Genesis 1:1 says IN the beginning.

So creation is occurring IN a period called "the beginning."

When did it start?

You are my son; >>today<<< I have become your father.

When did it end?

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.(A)

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

After The Father begat His Son by decree, creation started with the Heavens along with all the angels and creatures. We have to extrapolate detail from the Bible about heaven. Read Hebrews 1 in this light about the spiritual realm.

Once the kingdom of heaven was finished...the came the creation of the physical realm...our universe.

This why the word begat and begotten is an important theological word that was lost over time as our language was changed.