What do we see as the meaning of the words “only begotten”?

Here is a study I came across that is very enlightening, see what you think:

"...What does the word “only begotten” literally mean in the original Greek?

A.“3439 monogenes mon-og-en-ace’

from 3441 and 1096; TDNT-4:737,606; adj

AV-only begotten 6, only 2, only child 1; 9

1) single of its kind, only
1a) used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents)
1b) used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God” Strong’s Concordance.

The term “only begotten” comes from the Greek “monogenes” from which you have these two words 3441“mono” and 1096“genes.” Most are familiar with the term mono and stereo. Monotone is a single voice pitch. Genes are the structure of DNA. Hence “only begotten” or “only born” is a correct translation.

Q. Does the term “only begotten”(monogenes) refer to anyone besides Christ?

A.“17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:”(Heb 11:17-18 AV)

Note: Isaac was the second son born to Abraham. Ishmael was born 14 years earlier. Isaac was the only offspring of Abraham to whom the promised “seed, which is Christ”(Galatians 3:16) was to one day be born, 42 generations later. Matthew 1:1-17.

Q. When was Isaac “begotten” according to Scripture?

A.“ Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;”(Mt 1:2 AV)

Note: Isaac was begotten when he was conceived in Sarah’s womb and born to Abraham.

Q. When was Jesus “begotten” according to scripture (not private interpretation)?

“ And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”(Mt 1:16 )

“ And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”(Luke 3:23 )

“ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”(Mt 1:18 )

“ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”(Mt 1:21 )

Note: Mary shall “bring forth a son,” who was “Emmanuel” God with us. Jesus was begotten or conceived in the womb of Mary “by the Holy Ghost.” Jesus was over the age of 30 when He spoke John 3:16 “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.” Please notice Christ was GIVEN just over 30 years before this statement was spoken when he was conceived (or begotten) in Mary’s virgin womb. I hope my Aryan thinking friends understand that last sentence. John 3:16 is speaking in the PAST TENSE of an event that happened just 30 years before. Let’s notice again the words,“Shall bring forth” as found in verse 21.

“ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”(Mt 1:23 )

Q. Does the term “begotten” have any other meaning in connection to Christ?

A.“ I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”(Ps 2:7 )

“ For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”(Heb 1:5 )

Q. What EXACT DAY in history is this event referring to of which the Father says,“Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?(Heb 1:5 )”

A.“33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.”(Ac 13:33-34 )

The prophecy of Psalms 2:7 according to the inspired interpretation of Scripture is referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are only two scriptural events in which Christ was “begotten.” Once in Mary’s virgin womb just as Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac begat Jacob and so on. The second time He was “begotten” was from the tomb.

Through Mary’s sinful flesh Christ took on him the nature of Abraham and His offspring, and was thus the “son of man.” He was not the child of Joseph. He was the Son of God. The Holy Spirit immaculately conceived Christ in Mary’s virgin womb, yet He was King of all Heaven. Thus by the Holy Ghost in the virgin Mary’s womb Jesus was born (begotten) as the Son of God. Through Mary’s sinful flesh Jesus was born the son of man. Through the Holy Ghost He was the Son of God...."

Don't be so sure, Rick.

Thanks for starting a thread on this precise topic; it may not be the only one.

You realise this study you've presented is what SDA trinitarianism teaches. Did you know our church now stands alone in Christendom denying - as you have found - that "only begotten" refers to Christ's divine Sonship begotten from & in eternity - however that is indeed defined by different view points. Our historical teaching was begotten at one 'time' or event in eternity past, not being constantly begotten from eternity to eternity as Nicene teaching holds. SDA trinitarian thinking departs totally from the Nicene Creed wording on "begotten of God" and our historical position.

Yes, "monogenes" is used of Isaac, too, as well as the widow of Nain's son, whom Jesus resurrected - remember?

All other churches of Christendom use it to mean the Son begotten of God before creation. "We" alone do not. JWs are not Christian, not recognising Jesus' full deity - "we" have always been a Christian church in that regard..., just not always taught and believed in God as "the trinity" doctrine that we hold now.

Ps 2:7-12 in direct context is referring to the Psalmist's day - and before that back into eternity regarding the Godhead, actually, so the Heb 1 quote is additional, remember...

Note also Prov 30:4(c)

Prov 8:22-32 is more well known, indeed. Ellen White quoted it for Jesus in P&P, ch.1, too.

She also said that God's Son entered new experiences - existences, indeed - when he was incarnated in sinful flesh and when he was resurrected from the dead. Becoming a human was a new meaning of Son, for him, she said.

Remember? - Angels are sons of God by creation, saints are sons by adoption, but the Son was begotten in the express image his Father.

There is not that much to this study, but Bible & SOP do combine to reveal Jesus pre-existance as the only begotten Son of God.

Try this on for size, tho' it may take a little reading. http://theprophetstillspeaks.co.uk/SBBS.htm has "The begotten series", looking at this issue: the whole website, there, has almost enough to overfill, but it answers the questions since it takes the time.

As for your concern for Aryans among us, Jn 1:1 goes together with Jn 1:18...The Father and his Son are of the same Godhead, in separate and distinct persons - as we think of persons, with bodies, and the Son, begotten of the Father at some point in eternity past, indeed in "the days of eternity" (Mic 5:2, marg., as quoted by EGW, too, in DA). The Son of God is also the Word of God from the beginning. Indeed, unless the Son was begotten of God before creation, then the Word would have been formless as God till taking flesh, not so? That's what the Christadelphians think, btw. But, nevermind them!...

Having studied the detail of our historical teachings and our current teachings including defence against our non-trinitarian past, I favour our non-trinitarian beliefs in Jesus and his pre-existence as God's only begotten Son and Word.

Ah my brother, but scripture tells us who Jesus is.

“Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” Isaiah 43:10

So if Christ was created by God the above verse would not be true, and the verse below would not be either...

“4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”(Heb 1:4-8 ).

He is not another God as scripture makes clear, the Arian view abstracts from the term “only begotten” that Christ came in to existence. But that is not the case as scripture and SOP shows us.


He is God who existed from eternity, the great I AM which Jesus declared in the synagouge, Jehovah, the King of Kings, who always existed.

Ellen Whites wrtitings supports and is in harmony with Holy Scripture as it makes clear who Jesus is, the Jehovah God of Abraham.
“Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God.... In speaking of his pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him.”--Signs of the Times, Aug. 29, 1900.

“Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection, and the life." In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. "He that hath the Son hath life." The divinity of Christ is the believer's assurance of eternal life.”--The Desire of Ages, p. 530.


Micah prophesied the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
He stressed the eternal goings forth are from
OLD, from Everlasting.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the
thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be ruler in Israel,
Whose going forth have been from old,
From everlasting" Mic 5-2

Dan 7-13,14 Implies the pre-existence of Jesus

I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Acient of Days
And they brought Him near before Him
Then to Him was given dominion and
glory and a kingdom
That all peoples, nations, and
languages should serve Him
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed

Proverbs 30-4 Christ from the Everlasting

Who has ascended into heaven, or
descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in a
garment?
Who has established all the ends of the
earth?
What is His name, and what is His
Son's name,
If you know?

John 12-37 Tells us Isaiah saw Jesus,

Isa 6-1,2,3,4,5

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw
the Lord sitting on a throne, high and
lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the
temple.
Above it stood seraphim; each one had
six wings:with two he covered his face,with
two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one cried to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"

vs 5 For my eyes have seen the King
The Lord of Hosts


Remember the story of Moses and the Burning Bush.

“14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”(Ex 3:14-15)

and Jesus declares Himself, with words but the Jews understood....

John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.
59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.



Then Jesus says it plainly and the Jews understood and went to stone Him....
John 10:24-33
24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30I and my Father are one.

31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

There is more....
John 13:13
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

That Jesus is divine is not at issue, nor that he now has a joint nature, divine and human.

You left out Jn 1.

Jesus can't be God's Son and be begotten of God in "the days of eternity"? The whole of Scripture is the testimony, not just what 'sounds best'.

"Only begotten" means neither created nor a separate god, but the Word of God mysteriously begotten of the Father as an individual being, separate and distinct from the Eternal God and supreme above all created beings.

How SDA trinitarianism avoids tritheism even our best scholars on the topic aren't sure: "united in purpose" - creation and salvation, so the trinity is 'monotheistic', but...without an "only begotten Son". I'm sorry, that's not enough : ask any believer in the Nicene Creed, founder of "the trinity" (for that's the standard, isn't it?).

All your other Bible texts and SOP quotes speak to this begotten Sonship as literal, a one-off event in eternity rather than the Nicene nonsense re "begotten" - eternally on-going 'generation'. Add to Is 43:10, Phil 2:6: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Those two texts speak of Christ's pre-existence, too - especially as on earth he did not have the visible form of God at all, but the form of a servant (Phil 2:7).

Basically, "only begotten" means just what it says, doesn't it.

The Bible makes it clear in John 1 that Christ is God. God cannot be created. God has always been, If Christ was literally begotten in eternity past then He could not be God for God has always been. In the plan of God He became as a son, He humbled Himself but, He is not a literal son.

Proverbs 8:30
(30) Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Philippians 2:8
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

In the plan of God He is as a son. The plan of redemption was thought of in the days of eternity past it was a mystery hidden and in that plan Christ became as a son.

Ephesians 3:9
(9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Colossians 1:26
(26) Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Father God exuded Christ in time "from Himself" contrasted to God creating Lucifer out of nothing....
...Because Christ is "made out of the stuff which is God".
...It can be said "in Him is life eternal, etc".
...Of course it was - it's the life OF the Father.

Remember Jesus was a "Creature Christ" - He could have sunk in iniquity, died and forever ceased to exist...
...Christ's deity was 'ON LOAN' from Ultimate God.
...And had Christ not met the conditions - God would have annihilated Him.
...With the ease of a kid who cooks a bug with a magnifying glass.

Jesus referred to himself as I AM
John 8:58-59
(58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
(59) Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Exodus 3:14
(14) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

The Jews knew what Jesus was talking about that is why they tried to stone Him. I AM means eternal one.