Question: "What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?"

Answer: The phrase “only begotten Son” occurs in John 3:16, which reads in the King James Version as, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The phrase "only begotten" translates the Greek word monogenes. This word is variously translated into English as "only," "one and only," and "only begotten."



It's this last phrase ("only begotten" used in the KJV, NASB and the NKJV) that causes problems. False teachers have latched onto this phrase to try to prove their false teaching that Jesus Christ isn't God; i.e., that Jesus isn't equal in essence to God as the Second Person of the Trinity. They see the word "begotten" and say that Jesus is a created being because only someone who had a beginning in time can be "begotten." What this fails to note is that "begotten" is an English translation of a Greek word. As such, we have to look at the original meaning of the Greek word, not transfer English meanings into the text.

So what does monogenes mean? According to the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (BAGD, 3rd Edition), monogenes has two primary definitions. The first definition is "pertaining to being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship." This is its meaning in Hebrews 11:17 when the writer refers to Isaac as Abraham's "only begotten son" (KJV). Abraham had more than one son, but Isaac was the only son he had by Sarah and the only son of the covenant. Therefore, it is the uniqueness of Isaac among the other sons that allows for the use of monogenes in that context.

The second definition is "pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind." This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16 (see also John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses monogenes to highlight Jesus as uniquely God's Son—sharing the same divine nature as God—as opposed to believers who are God's sons and daughters by adoption (Ephesians 1:5). Jesus is God’s “one and only” Son.

The bottom line is that terms such as "Father" and "Son," descriptive of God and Jesus, are human terms that help us understand the relationship between the different Persons of the Trinity. If you can understand the relationship between a human father and a human son, then you can understand, in part, the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity. The analogy breaks down if you try to take it too far and teach, as some pseudo-Christian cults (such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses), that Jesus was literally "begotten" as in “produced” or “created” by God the Father.

Jesus always made a claim that the Jews could not misinterpret when He called God “My Father" (ho pater mou). Not "our Father", a claim to a peculiar relation to the Father. His claim was to a unique relationship with God as His Father. Just as a human father’s son must be fully human, God’s Son must be fully God. All that the Father is, the Son is. (Josh McDowell)

UceeGod:
Jesus always made a claim that the Jews could not misinterpret when He called God “My Father" (ho pater mou). Not "our Father", a claim to a peculiar relation to the Father. His claim was to a unique relationship with God as His Father. Just as a human father’s son must be fully human, God’s Son must be fully God. All that the Father is, the Son is. (Josh McDowell)

Does this make any sense? Are you equal to your father? Your father is your father(superior).

So Jesus cannot be equal to God. Even Jesus prayed to God. Or was he praying to himself? Jesus asked God("the Father" ) to let the cup passover him. He was talking to himself right? Or when he said "Let thy will be done" (Referring to the will of God), he was talking to himself? If he was talking to himself that means he was roleplaying?

So Father is equal to Son? Son is the same level of Father right?

Holy Spirit is even lesser because most religious teachers teach that we can control the Holy Spirit when it comes upon us, so that means we can control God? Does it make any sense?

solite3:
Question: "What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?"

Answer: The phrase “only begotten Son” occurs in John 3:16, which reads in the King James Version as, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The phrase "only begotten" translates the Greek word monogenes. This word is variously translated into English as "only," "one and only," and "only begotten."

It's this last phrase ("only begotten" used in the KJV, NASB and the NKJV) that causes problems. False teachers have latched onto this phrase to try to prove their false teaching that Jesus Christ isn't God; i.e., that Jesus isn't equal in essence to God as the Second Person of the Trinity. They see the word "begotten" and say that Jesus is a created being because only someone who had a beginning in time can be "begotten." What this fails to note is that "begotten" is an English translation of a Greek word. As such, we have to look at the original meaning of the Greek word, not transfer English meanings into the text.

So what does monogenes mean? According to the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (BAGD, 3rd Edition), monogenes has two primary definitions. The first definition is "pertaining to being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship." This is its meaning in Hebrews 11:17 when the writer refers to Isaac as Abraham's "only begotten son" (KJV). Abraham had more than one son, but Isaac was the only son he had by Sarah and the only son of the covenant. Therefore, it is the uniqueness of Isaac among the other sons that allows for the use of monogenes in that context.

The second definition is "pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind." This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16 (see also John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses monogenes to highlight Jesus as uniquely God's Son—sharing the same divine nature as God—as opposed to believers who are God's sons and daughters by adoption (Ephesians 1:5). Jesus is God’s “one and only” Son.

The bottom line is that terms such as "Father" and "Son," descriptive of God and Jesus, are human terms that help us understand the relationship between the different Persons of the Trinity. If you can understand the relationship between a human father and a human son, then you can understand, in part, the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity. The analogy breaks down if you try to take it too far and teach, as some pseudo-Christian cults (such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses), that Jesus was literally "begotten" as in “produced” or “created” by God the Father.

MuttleyLaff:
I have no need nor desire to judge you. I've earlier on, agreed with you that every human being, in their own rights, are unique. Their uniqueness is not on the same par as the uniqueness of Jesus Christ is, especially in regards of the term "begotten," as in,"monogenes" using the original Greek word. "Ko ma dafun" fake knowledge and false representation

I have no qualms with you being buda the child of Basorun, but far from it, your claim that MuttleyLaff is unique, one of a kind, the "begotten Son of God"

The word "begotten" as in, the Greek word "monogenes", is used for and used for only one person ever and that is Jesus Christ. Biko, jor.

MuttleyLaff:
I have shined my eyes. I always shine my eyes. Even when crying, pesin still dey see road nau.

budaatum when you look in a mirror, the face you see and that beholds you is a unique representation face of you. Same thing, when MuttleLaff, looks in a mirror, the face MuttleyLff sees and that beholds MuttleyLaff is a unique representation MuttleyLaff's face.

budaatum, you are conflating "monogenes" with "gennao." Jesus is "monogenes", budaatum, MuttleyLaff and any other human beings are "gennao"

Everywhere you search in the Bible budaatum, you will find that it is only Jesus Christ who is referrred to as "begotten" or "monogenes" of God and no other person but Him alone. Give it a rest guv'nor, biko, jor

The word "begotten son" carries the meaning of being the only one of its kind and someone unlike anyone or anything else

The circumstances surrounding the birth of Isaac is unique, his mum Sarah not only barren but also has well gone past menopause (i.e. Genesis 11:29 and Genesis 18:11) and his Dad Abraham, has become impotent (i.e. Romans 4:25) yet against all odds, they still managed to give birth to Isaac, the child of promise, this is a birth only one of its kind and a child born this way unlike any other child.

Jesus is another that the circumstances surrounding His birth is unique too, but unlike Isaac being the begotten son of Abraham, Jesus is God's begotten Son. The births of Isaac and Jesus are miraculous births, brought about through the working of the Holy Spirit.

As there is no other birth of a child for Abraham, brought about in an unique circumstance like Isaac's, so is there no other birth of a Son, for God, realised in the unique and similar circumstance as that of Jesus'. Nobody, no other human being, can claim to be a begotten son of God, the same way God says Jesus is His begotten Son. Jesus Christ is the only one, born in the manner He was born (i.e. the overshadow falling of the Holy Spirit on His mother Mary and without the carnal coitus knowlege of any man) and so why Jesus is God's only begotten Son.