What is meant by the Only Begooten Son of God?

[FreeinChrist]

So what do you think the Scripture mean when it speaks of the Only Begotten Son of God? Many Christians (myself included) believe it speaks of The Word becoming flesh of when The Word was incarnated in the flesh and became the man Jesus.

But yet most believers believe than the Word was begotten of the Father sometime before the world was created yet He still had no beginning. If I remember right this what is stated in the Nicene Creed.

[FreeinChrist]

Sorry for poor grammar typing on a smart phone. It may be smart but it sure makes me fell stupid.

[thereselittleflower]

The ancient Church referred to Jesus as the (Eternally) Begotten Son in response to christological heresies that sought to deny in some way or another that Jesus is the eternal God -  One being, Three Divine Persons, Co-Equal, Co-Eternal - the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son.

 

The ancient christian creeds were written to combat heresy.

 

The Nicene Creed, written to combat Arianism, which placed the 2nd Divine Person of the Trinity, God the Son, Jesus, as having a beginning, and not eternally pre-existing with God the Father, without beginning.   To contrast proper christian understanding of the eternal pre-existance of the 2nd Person of the Trinity with Arianism, the creed stresses Jesus is (eternally) begotten, not made:

 

 

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

 

 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.

 

This is what Only Begotten of the Father means.   Just as the Trinity is a mystery and beyond our ability to fully grasp (all analogies fall short), so is this.

Edited July 8, 2015 by thereselittleflower

[gdemoss]

Jesus always was and always will be. He was in the father yet he came out of the father and became a man. The begotten refers to his coming out not his existence itself. All things were created for him and by him...God said...word...and it was. That is how I understand it.

[Deborah_]

Jesus is described (in older Bible translations) as the ‘only-begotten’ Son of God (John 1:18; 3:18), not because He was the product of conception and birth but because He is God’s Son by nature – whereas we are sons of God by adoption (John 1:12,13).

 

 

Creation is distinct from fatherhood; what God ‘begets’ is God (just as horses ‘beget’ horses and humans ‘beget’ humans), whereas what God creates (angels, planets, people, etc) is not God. The ‘only-begotten’ Son, then, has the same divine nature as the Father; He must be God to the same extent that the Father is.

 

The other important aspect of the word ‘only-begotten’ is what it implies about the closeness of the relationship between the Father and the Son. (This is why modern versions generally translate it as ‘one and only’) The Father loves the Son (John 3:35) as intensely as a human father loves his only son (Genesis 22:2), and the Son loves the Father in return (John 14:31). They are so close, indeed, that they are almost inseparable: they think and act as one (John 10:30).

[OneLight]

Luke 1:26-37
 

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

[Guest shiloh357]

The word "only"  in Greek means "unique" or "one of a kind."   Jesus was uniquely begotten in that he was born of a virgin and this is unique to Jesus.  It means that Jesus was not created being.   He didn't  begin his existence in the womb, but was pre-existent with the Father and was born into this world having temporarily setting his glory aside and taking on human flesh.

[FreeinChrist]

The ancient Church referred to Jesus as the (Eternally) Begotten Son in response to christological heresies that sought to deny in some way or another that Jesus is the eternal God -  One being, Three Divine Persons, Co-Equal, Co-Eternal - the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son.

 

The ancient christian creeds were written to combat heresy.

 

The Nicene Creed, written to combat Arianism, which placed the 2nd Divine Person of the Trinity, God the Son, Jesus, as having a beginning, and not eternally pre-existing with God the Father, without beginning.   To contrast proper christian understanding of the eternal pre-existance of the 2nd Person of the Trinity with Arianism, the creed stresses Jesus is (eternally) begotten, not made:

 

 

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

 

 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

 

This is what Only Begotten of the Father means.   Just as the Trinity is a mystery and beyond our ability to fully grasp (all analogies fall short), so is this.

 

Had a very frustrating day yesterday, even rubbed off on this post, but thanks for the correct definition of the Nicene Creed.

 

Jesus always was and always will be. He was in the father yet he came out of the father and became a man. The begotten refers to his coming out not his existence itself. All things were created for him and by him...God said...word...and it was. That is how I understand it.

 

 

Luke 1:26-37

 

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

 

 

The word "only"  in Greek means "unique" or "one of a kind."   Jesus was uniquely begotten in that he was born of a virgin and this is unique to Jesus.  It means that Jesus was not created being.   He didn't  begin his existence in the womb, but was pre-existent with the Father and was born into this world having temporarily setting his glory aside and taking on human flesh.

 

As I say to Thereselittleflower, probably didn't do a good job of explaining myself.  But if I understand all three of you correctly I would say I agree with all of you.

 

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, Deborah_.

 

Jesus is described (in older Bible translations) as the ‘only-begotten’ Son of God (John 1:18; 3:18), not because He was the product of conception and birth but because He is God’s Son by nature – whereas we are sons of God by adoption (John 1:12,13).

 

 

Creation is distinct from fatherhood; what God ‘begets’ is God (just as horses ‘beget’ horses and humans ‘beget’ humans), whereas what God creates (angels, planets, people, etc) is not God. The ‘only-begotten’ Son, then, has the same divine nature as the Father; He must be God to the same extent that the Father is.

 

The other important aspect of the word ‘only-begotten’ is what it implies about the closeness of the relationship between the Father and the Son. (This is why modern versions generally translate it as ‘one and only’) The Father loves the Son (John 3:35) as intensely as a human father loves his only son (Genesis 22:2), and the Son loves the Father in return (John 14:31). They are so close, indeed, that they are almost inseparable: they think and act as one (John 10:30).

 

That’s interesting, but one must also understand that "to beget” means "to FATHER!” The “only begotten Son” is the “only fathered Son.” This is a problem with the English translation, though, because the Greek word “monogenees” strictly means “solely-generated” and does not carry the implication of “fathering” in a sexual, genetic sense like “beget” does.

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, one must be EXTREMELY careful of this Trinity doctrine! It is a TOTAL ERROR to say that the Son IS the Father and then carry that to the idea that the Son of God is the same as God the Father, OUR Father. Which is He? Our brother or our father?! And, there are many who are so confused as to think that when we pray, “Our Father who art in heaven,” we are speaking to “Jesus Christ!” If Jesus is our Father, is HIS Father our Grandfather? If Jesus’ Father is also our Father, are we Jesus’ brother (or sister)? This doctrine of the Trinity is more trouble than it’s worth! The “Trinity” would be better called the “Tri-unity” of God. If one is going to accept the Trinity (or rather, the Tri-unity), then the Godhead consists of three separate Persons, each with His own identity and role. They are “unity" because they are in total AGREEMENT with each other! They are “one” like a husband and a wife are “one!” The Hebrew word for “one” is “echaad,” as in the Shma`:

 

Shma` Yisra’el! ADONAI Eloheeynuw ADONAI echaad!

 

Hear, (O) Israel! The LORD our God (is) LORD one! (Deut. 6:4)

 

When one leans too far in either direction, one strays from the Scriptures for the sake of his or her theology, and one becomes WRONG! Just as it is WRONG to deny the existence of the Son of God for the sake of “one God,” as the Jews do, it’s also simply WRONG to pray to Jesus Christ like one is praying to the Father! If Yeshua` (Jesus) TOLD us to pray to the Father and DEMONSTRATED how to pray to the Father and INSTRUCTED us how to pray to the Father, then where do we get off praying to "Jesus Christ” as though HE was the Father?! He said we were to pray to the Father “IN HIS NAME,” that is, “ON HIS AUTHORITY,” and the Father wouldn’t deny them because He wouldn’t deny His Son! But, that doesn’t mean that the Father’s name is “Jesus Christ!” (Nor is Yeshua`s name “Yahshuwa” or anything else funky like that!) It’s also “pushing the envelope” to say that “Jesus Christ” is God or is the name of our God! One must be EXTREMELY careful when it comes to this stuff, especially when one is TEACHING this stuff to others! STICK TO THE SCRIPTURES or you will end up in La-la Land!

 

For instance, it doesn’t matter to whom Yeshua` was speaking, He said,

 

Matthew 19:16-17

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

KJV

 

People try to make excuses for this verse (vs. 17) and try to qualify it this way or that way, but THAT is what Yeshua` said.

 

Even when Yeshua` was ALONE, He prayed to His Father! Why would He need to do that if they were one and the same? if they were so close as to think and feel the same thing all the time? He is not called “God” anywhere! He is called “the SON of God.” (And, He is absolutely, positively NEVER called “God the Son” in Scriptures! And, while I’m at it, despite what Fernando Ortega might write, and I like him as a singer btw, you will NEVER find a title “King of Angels” for Him in Scripture!)

 

Remember this ALWAYS: If one is going to believe in the Trinity (or the Tri-unity), they are THREE PERSONS! There’s no getting around that! One CANNOT, MUST NOT lean too far the other direction and think that the ONE God is Jesus Christ, not even the Lord Jesus Christ! If you do, then you are guilty of doing exactly what the Jews accuse us of doing: setting someone else up as God! 

[Ezra]

the only son of God,

Here's the problem with creeds.  Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, but He is not "the only son of God".  Adam is called the son of God, angels are called sons of God, and also those who are born again are also sons of God.  So the above statement is not scriptural.