Tag: Creation

The Only Begotten Son of God

I only trust translations that include the word “begotten” in John 3:16. In the Greek there is one word (monogenes) that is translated into two words in English (only begotten). Leaving out the word “begotten” confuses the gospel because we are told that those who are “born again” are adopted into the family of God and will “live and reign” with him. Most of us know that the root word “mono” means “singular” and the root word “genes” indicates generated similar to generation. So Christ is the only “generated” son, born of a human mother. While the Bible speaks many times of the “Sons of God”. Jesus is the “only begotten”. This is the same Greek word used in John 1:14

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the *only begotten* of the Father,) full of grace and truth. KJV

NT:3439 monogenes (mon-og-en-ace’); from NT:3441 and NT:1096; only-born, i.e. sole:

(Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

There is a denomination that teaches Jesus, Adam and Satan were all produced by God having sex with three different wives. The above denounces that teaching.

There is also a denomination that teaches Jesus was “created” . John 1:1-3 disproves that teaching.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” KJV

God *spoke* creation into existence. That “Word” we are told about in John 1:1 is further explained in Col 1:16-17 “16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Col 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
KJV

God is not three different gods.

I worship a Triune God. I do not worship three different gods. I recognize and worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). But that is not three different Gods.

Confused? No, let me explain in simple terms. My son-in-law is a professional MLB coach. That is his profession. When he is on the job, he acts like a Coach. To his players his name is “Coach”. They relate to him as a Coach.  He trains them and observes their techniques and gives correction and advice as needed and all the things coaches do.

To My grandchildren he is “Dad”.  They call him “Dad”. He relates to them as a Dad. He provides for them and does things that dads like to do for their children.  They look to him for the things they have grown to expect of him as a Dad.

To my daughter, he is her husband.  She calls him either by his actual name or other terms of endearment they use with one another.  She does things for him such as a wife should do and expects things from him that a husband should do.

Coach, Dad, Husband, he is not three different people.  He is one person with different roles and functions.  Sometimes the roles overlap.  He may act like a coach with the children or treat a player in a fatherly manner.  But the division of roles still remains.  

God the Father or as some call him Creator God, is the source of all energy and matter among other things. 

God the Son or as He is first shown to us in the Bible as the Word of God, spoke the Heavens and Earth into existence.  At least nine times in the First Chapter of Genesis we read the words, “And God said . . .”  Some of the attributes of the Son are especially spoken of in the book of Colossians, where he is again shown as being present in the creation (Col 1:16) and a physical image of God (Col 1:15) & (Col 2:9).  And the Book of John says, ” 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ” KJV

It would take many books to fully address the office of the Son but most of us understand his sacrificial death for our salvation. 

Then there is the role of the Holy Spirit.  We see the Holy Spirit manifested many times in the Old Testament where He came down and entered into individuals to empower them to speak truths (Gen 41:38), enable with special skills (Exodus chapters 31 & 35), and many other abilities even worship (I Sam chapter 10).  Jesus addressed Him as a comforter who would guide and lead us into “all knowledge”.  Through the Spirit of God we are actually able to communicate with the Godhead.  Humans can actually talk to God as a father or brother.

These roles also sometimes appear to overlap as God works with mankind.  So we see that Christians do not worship three separate gods but One God who reveals Himself to Man in three different ways.  For children and the simple minded, whom God loves dearly, He simplifies by dividing those roles so they can relate more easily.  But to those who “Diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6), God gives the opportunity to know Him even better and understand Him more clearly.