We owe a debt of gratitude to the clear explanation presented by Pastor Russell in The Atonement between God and Man (Study III). This study elucidates the confusing subject of “only begotten.” In the Englishman’s Greek Concordance we also find an invaluable study tool (now available keyed to Strong’s Concordance), which shows the nine biblical uses of “monogenees.” This is the single Greek word we find translated “only begotten” (S3439).

The uses in Luke 7:12, 8:42, 9:38 refer to an “only-begot- ten” child. In Hebrews 11:17 we read that Abraham “offered up his only-begotten.” Here it refers to the offering of Isaac. This provides a fascinating example, for it is clear that Isaac was neither the first-born son, nor the only son of Abraham. Isaac was the only son of Abraham in a legal, right-of-inheritance sense, since all the others had mothers who were concubines. Genesis 25:6 reads, “But unto the sons of the concubines [plural], which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.” And until Abram became Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and Sarai became Sarah (Genesis 17:15), it would seem that the begettal of a son through the course of nature would not have had a special standing in the eyes of the Lord. Hence, Isaac was not only the sole son of Sarah – the sole legally constituted wife – but he was also the “only begotten” son “by promise” (Galatians 4:23). Clearly the explanation in Galatians must be the same thought as in the Hebrews text.

Hebrews represents the only use of “only-begotten” referring to our Savior that is not from John. We find all of the other five uses of “only begotten” come to us only from the writing of this apostle (John 1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18, 1 John 4:9). John shows that all the creative process involved the cooperative action of the father and son (John 1:3). John writes that he is the only begotten “theos” (S2316) or “god” in John 1:18. Here the preponderance of scholarship now reads “god” rather than “son” and this should not suggest the advocacy of manuscript evidence favorable to Trinitarians. As we understand Christ’s pre-human existence and learn from harmonizing other scripture, the creative process later included activity by the mighty angels – Job 38:7. The Septuagint Greek translation renders these angels as “gods” or “theos” in Greek in translating the Hebrew “elohim” of the original. Our Lord himself cited this in John 10:35, where he quotes the psalm:

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ‘Ye are gods?’ [Psalm 82:6] If he called them ‘gods,’ unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, ‘Thou blasphemest;’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ ” (John 10:34-36).

We may note just two additional examples in Job 28:23 and Psalm 115:2. When the Logos became flesh (John 1:14) there was witness indeed that a “mighty one,” the Archangel second only to the Father, was now “only begotten.”

Apparently there was a period of time prior to creation, “before his works of old” where only the Lord and his only child – the Word – existed (Proverbs 8:22-31). We also observe that in Proverbs 8:22, the word “possessed” (S7069) carries the thought of “created.” It is on account of this unique relationship that this beloved child is called the “only- begotten.” Afterwards there is a “we” and “us” in the creative process. So although the angels and Adam are also called the “sons” of God (Job 1:6, Luke 3:38), since this then followed the period where John 1:3 was operative they were not “only begotten.”

– Richard Doctor

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