Denial of Christ Jesus as the Only Begotten

The New Testament refers to Jesus as the Son of God in numerous references. It is true that the redeemed are also sons of God, and angels are also referred to as sons of God. However, Jesus is the Son of God in a unique way. He is the “only Begotten” Son (John 3:16). The Greek word translated “only Begotten” [Gk. monogenes] indicates Jesus’ uniqueness (i.e. He is the Son of God in a way no one else is). The angels are the sons of God by creation. Human beings are the sons of God by the new birth. Jesus is the Son of God because He had no human father (Luke 1:35).

There exist various forms of gennao (“begat”) in the Old Testament both in a literal sense (Deut 23:8) and metaphorical (Job 38:28). In Psalm 2:7, gennao is used to reference God’s relation to HaMaschioch; it refers there to an individual relationship (Acts 13:33; Heb 1:5). Christ’s Sonship is clearly connected to His Davidic kingship. It is plausible that in the application to the Messianic King the intention would be of “divine ‘adoption’ to sonship” (cf. Gal 4:5). If begat were understood to speak of Christ prophetically then the word would extend beyond the meaning of adoption.

In the New Testament, the word is used rather literally (Matt 1:1-16). However, the metaphorical usage is still extended greatly For example, in 1 Corinthians 4:15 the word is used in the sense of converts begotten to eternal life. Of equal similarity to monogenes is the word describing believers in their relationship to God (John 1:13; 1 Pet 1:3). In other words, Christians are tekna (“children”) of God (John 1:12).

In contrast to believers as tekna of God, Jesus Christ is the unique huios (“son”) of God. As the “Son of God” (huios theou), Jesus alone is in a unique relationship with God the Father, whereas those who enter a relationship of sonship by believing in the huios theou are but tekna theou. Christ’s relation is not by an act of generation, rather it is the continual enjoyment of a unique relationship to the Father (John 1:18).

Jesus is one with God as His only-begotten Son. This is the proclamation formulated by the Nicene Council in the following way: “ . . . and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light of Light. True God of True God. Begotten not made. Of one essence with the Father. Through whom all things were made. . . . ” These lines speak about the Son of God, also called the Word or Logos of God, before His incarnation. There is but one eternal Son of God. There never was a time when there was no Son of God. This is specifically what the heretic Arius taught. It is the doctrine formally condemned by the first ecumenical council. The only begotten Son always existed, or rather more accurately always “exists” as uncreated, eternal, and divine.