Is Jesus The Only Begotten Son Of God? : Part Three

IS JESUS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD? : PART 3

Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Net

Last Updated : July 23, 2006

Defining 'The Only Begotten Son Of God', The Spirit Of
Antichrist, False Prophets And Messiahs, The Ultimate Evil
And Delusion, Physical And Spiritual Birth, Transformation
And Resurrection, Redeemable Coupons And The Gift Of Faith,
Begotten At The Resurrection, Born Of Water And The Spirit,
Defining The Beloved Son, The Firstborn of Many Sons, The
Great Sacrifice, Firstfruits Of The 'Super Race'

The key to understanding this wonderful mystery is found in
the meaning of the phrase 'only begotten'. It is derived
from the Greek word 'monogenes', pronounced mon-og-en-ace',
which means 'single of its kind', or 'only'. With this
understanding of the term, it is easy to see how Paul was
not contradicting the Book of Genesis when he stated that
Isaac was the only-begotten son of Abraham. It also helps us
to understand how Jesus can still be 'the only begotten Son
of God' even if there are other sons of God. You see, Isaac
truly was the only son begotten, or born to, Abraham by
Sarah his wife, which makes him a single of a kind. It
should also be noted that in Hebrews chapter eleven, Paul is
discussing the heroes of faith; and Isaac definitely was the
seed of faith to Abraham and Sarah, and not Ishmael. He was
the only one born for that specific purpose. In like manner,
Jesus Christ is also a single of a kind because He is the
only Son of God who was begotten, that is, conceived in the
womb of a woman, and then born through the natural process
of childbirth; all by the direct Will of God. To further
help you to understand the meaning of this word 'begotten'
as it is used in the Bible, consider the following example:

"And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted
thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy
sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon
me? Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them,
that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as
a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land
which thou swarest unto their fathers?" (Numbers 11:11-12)

In the previous verses, the Hebrew word for 'conceive' is
'harah'. It means to become pregnant through the union of
egg and sperm. On the other hand, the Hebrew word for
'begotten' is 'yalad' which refers to the actual act of
bearing or bringing forth a child through delivery, or
natural childbirth. Based upon these verses, we see that the
fact that Jesus is referred to as 'the only begotten Son of
God', means in part that He is the ONLY Son of God who was
ever born in human flesh through an Earthly mother. He was
conceived in the flesh by a work of God's Spirit, and then
brought forth, or begotten, through the process of human
childbirth. This is precisely the main point of the opening
verses of the Gospel of John. In the first fourteen verses
of the first chapter, John describes for us Jesus Christ's
pre-existence with His Father in the Spiritual Realm as the
Creator of the Universe. He then explains to us how Jesus
was willing to leave His Heavenly Abode in order to become
the Light of the World. Exactly how did He do this? By
taking upon Himself the form of lowly human flesh as the
following verse demonstrates:

"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." (John 1:14)

It is very significant that it isn't until this fourteenth
verse that we find John referring to Jesus as 'the only
begotten of the Father'. Why is this? I am convinced that it
is because it isn't until this point in his narration that
Jesus has taken on human flesh; in other words, He, the
Eternal Son of God, has just been begotten, or born, through
natural childbirth, exactly as previous Scriptural examples
have shown us. To reiterate then, John is telling us that
Jesus is the ONLY Son of God to have ever been born, or
begotten, in the flesh. This point is so important to John,
that of the six times the phrase 'only begotten' is used in
the New Testament, five of those times, it is written by
John himself. In his fourth Epistle, John again uses the
process of coming into the world through natural childbirth,
together with this phras;, thus leaving no doubt in my mind,
that this is what is to be understood, at least in part, by
Jesus being referred to as the 'only begotten Son of God':

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him." (1 John 4:9)

How does one come into the world as John states? It is
through natural childbirth, through being begotten. Thus
again we see that these are actually synonymous terms. What
is truly amazing to me, is that only a few verses before the
one I have just quoted, John tells us the exact same thing,
albeit in slightly different words. Notice what he says:

"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and
even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:2-3)

Some of us have read these verses many times before; but how
many of us have truly understood exactly what John is saying
in them? We read the above verses and we say to ourselves
rather nonchalantly, 'Oh yes; of course I believe that Jesus
came in the flesh', but do we fully understand what we are
confessing when we say this? Until this very minute, I must
admit that I never did; and it is for this reason that I am
so excited and amazed by this truth! I have no doubt that
this is another one of those Heavenly revelations with which
the Lord likes to surprise me. He does it all the time, and
I just thank Him and praise Him for it!

So exactly what is John saying here? In fact, what are WE
claiming when we say that we believe in these verses? Quite
simply, when we confess that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh, we are in fact saying that He is 'the only begotten
Son of God'! We are saying that He is the ONLY one that God
has ever sent from the Spiritual Realm, to be born in human
flesh! This is one of the main points that John is making
from the beginning of his Gospel, to the last chapter of his
final Epistle. He wants us to know with all surety that
Jesus Christ is 'the only begotten Son of God', the ONLY son
of God ever to come down to the Earth and inhabit human
flesh!

Exactly why is John so concerned about getting this message
across to us, even moreso that the other writers of the
Gospels and the Epistles? It is because, as the previous
verses also reveal, from his time until now, the spirit of
antichrist has deceived many people into believing to the
contrary; or else it has deceived them into totally
misunderstanding what is truly meant by this phrase. They
have been tricked into believing, even by well-meaning
religionists, that the term 'the only begotten Son of God'
means that Jesus is the only Son of God, which is the
furthest thing from the truth! As we saw earlier in this
series, this denial of the Divinity of Jesus Christ was the
very same accusation laid against Jesus by the unbelieving
Jewish Elders. They thoroughly denied that Jesus was the
begotten Son of God. They vehemently refused to accept that
He had come down from God to take upon Himself the form of
lowly human flesh. Thus, as John states, they were
antichrist!

Another reason why John apparently emphasized this in his
writings, is because the Lord gave him a glimpse of the
future in which he saw the final fruit of this evil
deception which has been perpetrated by the Jews for almost
two thousand years now. John knew, as did Paul and others,
that a time would come when belief in Jesus Christ as 'the
only begotten Son of God', would become so doubted, so
questioned and so suppressed, that people would become
willing to accept the deceptive false messiahs of Satan
himself! They would actually believe that the false
apostles, false prophets, and false christs which would
arise, would be new manifestations of Jesus Christ in the
flesh. It is for this reason that John stressed over and
over again that Jesus is 'the ONLY begotten Son of God'. He
is the ONLY one sent by God to take upon Himself the form of
a man. Jesus Himself was fully aware that this day would
come; and that is why He left us with this sobering
admonition:

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
(Matthew 24:24)

As I have pointed out in a number of my Endtime and New Age
articles, that time has already begun! We have already seen
this prophecy fulfilled a number of times in our current day
by evil men who have made the proud boast of being a new
'Son of God' in the flesh. These workers of darkness have
the audacity to not just claim to be a prophet of God, but
rather to say that they are the latest manifestation of
Jesus Christ Himself! They include such evildoers as Sun
Myung Moon of the so-called Unification Church, or Moonies,
Marshall Applewhite, the deceased leader of the Heaven's
Gate UFO cult, Lord Maitreya Buddha, and a number of other
oriental mystics, teachers and so-called 'holy' men.
However, I believe that we are currently only experiencing
the very edge of a dark cloud of deceit which will soon
cover the face of the Earth. Jesus said that these false
christs would show 'great signs and wonders; insomuch that,
if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect'.
Personally, I am not aware of any great verifiable feats
being done by any of the aforementioned men; however that
could change in the future.

Of course, in God's pre-ordained time, the Ultimate Evil
will be revealed in the form of the Jewish Antichrist; for
it is with this people that the rebellion began, and it is
also with them that it will end. Because they refused,
rejected and killed the true 'only begotten Son of God',
they have set themselves up for the greatest delusion of all
time. As I explain in such articles as 'Who Is Hindering The
Antichrist?, this false christ will possess such satanic
power, that he will convince many, particularly the
unbelieving Jews, that he is in fact God Almighty! Because
of the lying wonders he will perform, the Jews will claim
him as their 'messiah', or as the Orthodox Jews refer to
him, 'Moshiach ben David', Messiah, the son of David:

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a falling away first, and that man
of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

Why is this going to occur? Because they have rejected the
one and only true Son of God who has ever come in the flesh;
Jesus Christ Himself. It is for this very reason that, as
John wrote, they are antichrist. Here are a few more verses
which also confirm that Jesus Christ is God's true Son who
was born, or begotten, in the flesh:

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"
(Romans 8:3)

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16)

As we have now seen, in some cases, the word 'begotten' is
used to refer to the process of human childbirth. This is
the case when Paul speaks of Isaac being the only begotten
son of Abraham by his wife Sarah. This is also the case with
Jesus being 'the only begotten Son of God'. The primary
difference is that Isaac was conceived by human means
involving two Earthly parents. In other words, he was the
fruit of two people who consciously engaged in the act of
sex. He was also the result of God's blessing upon their
lives, and their own free human will and desire to obtain an
heir. In discussing the difference between physical and
spiritual birth, John mentions this act of human will in the
very same verses I spoke about earlier from the first
chapter of his Gospel:

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13)

On the other hand, Jesus Christ was the result of the Spirit
of God intervening in Mary's womb, in order to bring forth,
or beget through natural childbirth, the Son of God in the
flesh. Thus, Isaac and Jesus were both unique, and one of a
kind as defined by the word 'monogenes'. Isaac was the only
son of Abraham and Sarah; and Jesus was the only Son of God
born in human flesh by a work of the Spirit. It is for this
very same reason that in the Biblical genealogies, we see
the word 'begat' being used over and over again. Thus, while
some religionists argue that 'the only begotten Son of God'
means that Jesus is the only Son that God has, it is evident
that they do not fully understand the meaning of this term.

However, as I have already stated, this subject isn't quite
that simple; for you see, based upon my studies, it has
become evident to me that this is not the full meaning of
the term 'only begotten'. Furthermore, the word 'begotten'
isn't always referring to natural childbirth. Allow me to
explain. Just as we were begotten, or born in the flesh, we
have also been begotten, or born, a second time of the
Spirit, because of our acceptance of Jesus Christ. It is
because of this that, possibly in the near future, many will
experience a Resurrection from the dead, just like Jesus
Christ. This is the entire hope of our current faith. It is
something that we cling to in earnest expectation, awaiting
the gift of adoption to come:

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the
creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by
reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because
the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they,
but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we
are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for
what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope
for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."
(Romans 8:18-25)

The 'earnest expectation' and the 'manifestation of the sons
of God' that Paul is referring to is our very own glorious
transformation which will occur at the time of the Lord's
Second Coming and the Resurrection of the Dead; when we all
will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the sound of the Last Trump. Some have the erroneous
impression that we already are the Sons and Daughters of
God, but technically speaking, this is not the case; for as
Paul says above, we are 'waiting for the adoption'. Right
now it is still a matter of faith as we have not yet
acquired the purchased gift which has been bought for us by
the precious Blood of Jesus Christ:

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of
promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of
his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)

A perfect example of what Paul is talking about can be found
in the redeemable coupons that one often finds in cereal
boxes, or in catalogs, or in or on the containers of other
food products. Each coupon is worth a certain value, and it
entitles you to a discount on the product stated when you
take that coupon to the grocery store. In other words,
because of the arrangement made between the issuer of the
coupon, and certain businesses, that coupon acts as a type
of promissory note. You are being promised by the issuer
that if you take the coupon to the right place, you will get
a discount on their product. So, as Paul states, you have
the 'earnest expectation' that the next time that you go to
your local grocery store, you will be able to obtain the
'purchased possession'; that is, the special discount.

In like manner, as was evidenced by our study of the Book of
Hebrews in part two of this series, a very Special
Arrangement has already been made between God the Father and
His Son Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul tells us in
several of his Epistles, Jesus performed His part of the
Divine Agreement when He made the Ultimate Sacrifice and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. It
is for this very reason, that He can now offer us the free
gift of Eternal Life:

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross." (Philippians 2:8)

"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord." (Romans 6:23b)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Despite this wonderful Arrangement and Opportunity, there is
a problem. While many people in the world already possess
their Redeemable Coupon, they don't believe that it is
really worth anything. In fact, they have accused the Issuer
of the Coupon of being a liar. They don't have the faith, or
the confidence, from the Greek word 'hupostasis', to believe
that if they unconditionally accept what is written on the
Coupon, and present it when they make their next purchase,
that they will receive what has been freely offered to them.
It is for this very reason that the Issuer of this
particular Redeemable Coupon is very displeased with them.
Let me again remind you of a verse I shared in part one of
this series:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

Of course, I am sure that you have already understood that
in this example I have shared, the Coupon is the Bible; and
the words written on the Coupon are the many Precious
Promises concerning Eternal Life which are found within its
holy pages. Thus, because these people have rejected these
Promises, and have hardened their hearts to the truth, they
won't settle for anything less that hard physical evidence
before they will believe. Well, they can make their foolish
demands all they want, but it won't be until the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ that our 'earnest expectation' will
be fully manifested, that is, revealed, before a shocked and
unbelieving world; and they will all finally see that we
truly are the born-again Sons and Daughters of God. They may
laugh at our 'invisible Friend' and our 'invisible faith'
now, but the time is coming when we will have the last laugh
when we are revealed in our purchased possession, that is,
in our new and glorified bodies:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
(1 John 3:1)

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name:" (John 1:12)

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he
is." (1 John 3:2)

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God." (Romans 8:14)

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse
nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"
(Philippians 2:15)

Notice that in the previous set of verses, John specifically
says 'the power to become the sons of God'. Even though he
is probably writing after-the-fact, that is, after Jesus has
already returned to Heaven, John still indicates that it is
something which is yet to happen in the future. Thus again
we see that we will actually become the Sons and Daughters
of God, that we will be adopted into God's Household, at the
time of the Resurrection when we are all transformed, and
not before. To continue then, another Greek word translated
in the New Testament as 'begotten', is the word 'gennao',
which is pronounced ghen-nah'-o. While like the previous
words, its primary meaning is to be born after the flesh;
that is, through natural childbirth, in the examples found
in the New Testament, it appears to be primarily used in a
metaphorical sense to denote this second birth when we are
actually raised from the dead and/or changed at the Lord's
Second Coming. Following is the definition found in the
Greek lexicon:

----- Begin Quote -----

1) of men who fathered children
1a) to be born
1b) to be begotten
1b1) of women giving birth to children
2) metaph.
2a) to engender, cause to arise, excite
2b) in a Jewish sense, of one who brings others over to
his way of life, to convert someone
2c) of God making Christ his son
2d) of God making men his sons through faith in Christ's
work

----- End Of Quote -----

Consider the following example where this Greek word
'gennao' is used. As you will see, it is used to refer not
to our physical birth, but rather to our rebirth at the time
of our Resurrection or bodily change. This is evident by the
fact that the Apostle Paul uses the term 'in that he hath
raised up Jesus again', and then he explains that this is
what is meant by the word 'begotten' in Psalm Two:

"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." (Acts 13:33)

In other words, Paul is saying that when David speaks of
Jesus being 'begotten', he is not talking about Jesus being
born or created in the Heavenly Realm at the beginning of
the Creation; neither is he referring to His physical birth
in Bethlehem; but rather, David is speaking of the moment
when Jesus rose from the dead and became the Firstfruits, or
the Firstborn, of the Resurrection. This is what David means
by 'begotten', and nothing else, as Paul makes perfectly
clear by the previous verse. To simplify this even further,
let us remove some of the extraneous words so that you can
clearly see Paul's main message: 'he hath raised up Jesus
again; as it is also written in the second psalm'. Exactly
where does Paul say that David is speaking about God having
raised Jesus from the dead in the second Psalm? In the
phrase 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee'. In
other words, Jesus was raised up again, He was born again at
His Resurrection. This is when Paul says He was 'begotten'.
Additional verses in the New Testament where the Greek word
'gennao' is translated as 'begotten', and is used to denote
spiritual rebirth and/or bodily change at the moment of
Resurrection, are the following:

"For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet
have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have
begotten you through the gospel." (1 Corinthians 4:15)

"I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in
my bonds:" (Philemon 1:10)

"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?"
(Hebrews 1:5)

"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high
priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day
have I begotten thee." (Hebrews 5:5)

"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him
also that is begotten of him...We know that whosoever is
born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God
keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."
(1 John 5:1, 18)

Similar to the previous verses which use the Greek verb
'gennao', in Peter's first Epistle, he again shows us that
the words 'begat' and 'begotten' are normally used to refer
to our physical birth. This is why he says 'hath begotten us
again' to show that he is talking about a second birth after
the first physical birth. The word used here is 'anagennao',
pronounced an-ag-en-nah'-o, which means to produce again, to
be born again, or to be born anew:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead," (1 Peter 1:3)

In the opening verses of John chapter three, we find the
story of Jesus's conversation with a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus. While some legalistic religionists have
argued that Jesus was referring to water baptism when He
mentions being born of water, I honestly do not believe that
this is what He meant. In my view, Jesus was talking about
being born the first time through human conception and
childbirth. In other words, I believe that He was referring
to the amniotic sac which is full of a watery liquid called
amniotic fluid. In God's ordained time, this sac, or 'water
bag' as it is also commonly known, bursts, and the child
passes through the birth canal, or cervix and vagina, to
enter the outside world. It is right after this that Jesus
speaks of being begotten, or born, a second time through
spiritual rebirth; that is, being born of the Spirit;
precisely as we saw in the previous verses:

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be
born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his
mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must
be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou
hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born
of the Spirit." (John 3:3-8)

Notice that Jesus is making a clear connection between the
two phrases 'born of water' and 'born of the flesh' to show
that they mean one and the same thing. He then makes a
similar connection between the two phrases 'and of the
Spirit' and 'born of the Spirit', showing that these also
are referring to the same thing. Despite these very obvious
connections, some Christians today still hold to their
erroneous understanding of these passages in order to
justify their doctrine of making water baptism a necessary
part of Salvation. I discuss this topic more fully in the
article 'Water Baptism: Is It Really Necessary?' One final
Greek word which is metaphorically used to denote this
spiritual rebirth, and which is translated as 'begat', is
the word 'apokueo' which is pronounced ap-ok-oo-eh'-o. While
it is normally used to imply physical childbirth, here we
see it being used in connection with the word 'firstfruits'.
As we have already seen, Jesus is the Firstfruits of the
Resurrection, and we will one day follow in His footsteps:

"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
(James 1:18)

Thus far we have seen that Jesus is truly unique, or 'a
single of a kind', in two very special ways. First, He is
'the only begotten Son of God' due to the fact that He was
willing to be born, or begotten, by human means; and second,
as Paul says, He is the 'first begotten of the dead' as
well; that is, He is the Firstfruits of the Resurrection.
The second act would not have been possible without the
first. Jesus was begotten of the flesh, and He was begotten
of the Spirit, just as we are too, by faith, when we accept
Him. It is because of the very fact that He was willing to
leave His Heavenly Abode and make this double Sacrifice for
us, that we are told in the Gospels that He is the beloved
Son of His Father:

"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed
them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."
(Matthew 17:5)

"Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will
send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when
they see him." (Luke 20:13)

The fact that Jesus is beloved of His Father points to an
inevitable truth which will be difficult for some to accept.
This English word 'beloved' is derived from the Greek word
'agapetos', pronounced ag-ap-ay-tos', which means beloved,
esteemed, dear, favourite, or worthy of love. Do you see the
implication here? If not, allow me to make it clearer for
you. To be beloved, esteemed or the favourite implies a
degree of comparison. This is clearly brought out in the Old
Testament. Consider the following examples where the word
'beloved' is used. In all cases, it is being used to show a
comparison, to show a different degree of love between two
or more people:

"If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated,
and they have born him children, both the beloved and the
hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then
it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which
he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved
firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the
firstborn:" (Deuteronomy 21:15-16)

As can be seen, in this first example, 'beloved' is used to
show a degree of comparison between two women. In other
words, as its New Testament meaning reveals, 'beloved' is
used to show who is one's favorite in terms of being loved.
We find another very clear example in the story of Joseph
and his coat of many colors. Consider the following verses:

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because
he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of
many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father
loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and
could not speak peaceably unto him." (Genesis 37:3-4)

At first glance, some legalists might argue that 'beloved'
and 'loved more' are not the same word; however, a quick
check with the Hebrew lexicon reveals that the same exact
word is used in both of the preceding examples. It is the
word 'ahab'. This is not the only Hebrew word which has been
translated into English as 'beloved'; there are several
others. Allow me to give you one more example to again show
that 'beloved' is used to show a degree of comparison
between two or more people. In the following example, the
word used is 'yediyd', pronounced yed-eed'; and it is used
to show a higher degree of love for the descendants of
Benjamin than for those of his eleven brothers. After
pronouncing the blessings upon the descendants of some of
the older sons of Jacob, Moses then states concerning
Benjamin:

"...The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him;
and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall
dwell between his shoulders." (Deuteronomy 33:12b)

To give you one final example in the New Testament, consider
that despite the fact that the Apostle Paul knew many of the
brethren in the First Century Church, he viewed Timothy as
one of his most favorite sons in the Faith. This is because
Timothy was one of his constant travel companions as is
revealed throughout the Book of Acts, as well as in the
Epistles. In fact, Timothy was eventually ordained as the
first Bishop of Ephesus. For this reason then, Timothy was
Paul's 'beloved son', just as Jesus is God's 'beloved son'.
There is absolutely no difference in the usage of this word
'beloved' in all of the verses I have presented. In every
case, it means a comparative love between two or more
people:

"To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace,
from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."
(2 Timothy 1:2)

"For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my
beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you
into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach
every where in every church." (1 Corinthians 4:17)

"The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with
you. Amen. <<The second [epistle unto Timotheus, ordained
the first bishop of the church of the Ephesians, was written
from Rome, when Paul was brought before Nero the second
time.]>>" (2 Timothy 4:22)

Thus we see that while Paul had many sons in the Faith,
Timotheus, or Timothy, was his 'beloved son', which means he
was held in special preference above all of the others. The
reason I am sharing all of this information with you is
quite simple. We have already seen what is truly meant by
referring to Jesus as 'the only begotten Son of God'.
Through the Scriptures I have just shared with you, we have
also just learned what is truly meant by the term 'beloved
Son' when it is referring to Jesus Christ; and that is that
He is God's most favorite Son, BUT, He is not the only Son
of God! If He were God's only Son, then He could not
possibly be His most favorite or beloved Son, as there would
be no other sons with which to make this comparison.

While we see Jesus being referred to as 'the only begotten
Son of God', nowhere in the four Gospels do we find Him
making the claim that He is the ONLY Son of God. Neither do
we find anyone else in the entire New Testament making that
claim either. The term 'only son' is used one time in the
entire New Testament, and it is in reference to the dead son
of a widow in Luke chapter seven. A close reading of the
Scripures will reveal that Jesus simply said that God was
His Father, and that He was the Son of God. In fact, I
should also point out to you that the article 'the' was used
at the discretion of the English translators. We honestly do
not know if Jesus actually said 'the' or 'a'.

Based on the Scriptural evidence I have uncovered, I tend to
believe that whichever word Jesus may have used, He did not
mean it to be understood that He is the ONLY Son of God. In
fact, He may have been implying two things. First of all,
the Lord may have been stating that He is but one of many
spiritual sons of God who already existed in the Heavenly
Realm; and second, He may have also been stating that He is
the Firstborn of many future sons of God who were yet to be
born and adopted through belief in His name. According to
the Apostle Paul, and according to Jesus Himself in the Book
of Revelation, He was the beginning of the Creation of God;
He was God's Firstborn. This implies that others were
created, or will be created after Him. If you doubt this,
here is the proof straight from the Scriptures:

"And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the
world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits,
and his ministers a flame of fire. 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. Thou hast loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
fellows." (Hebrews 1:6-9)

In the above set of verses, that word 'firstbegotten'
is derived from the Greek word 'prototokos', which is
pronounced pro-tot-ok'-os. The Greek lexicon provides this
information concerning this word:

----- Begin Quote -----

AV - firstborn 7, first begotten 2; 9

1) the firstborn
1a) of man or beast
1b) of Christ, the first born of all creation

----- End Of Quote -----

As can be seen, the word 'firstbegotten' is synonymous with
'firsborn', which means that others will follow. But exactly
what is Paul referring to here? The answer is found in the
very next words he writes: 'firstbegotten into the world'.
In other words, it is possible that Paul may be explaining
that Jesus was the first spiritual Being to be born into
this world in human flesh through the process of natural
childbirth, exactly as we saw earlier with the words 'only
begotten'. As proof of this, consider the following verses
where this same Greek word 'prototokos' is also used and
translated as 'firstborn':

"And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn
son: and he called his name JESUS." (Matthew 1:25)

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there
was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

Thus we see that, exactly like the Greek word 'monogenes',
this word 'prototokos' is also used in association with
human childbirth. However, it should be noted that this is
not the only way that Paul uses this word. We have already
seen that Jesus is 'the only begotten Son of God', as well
as 'the first begotten of the dead'; in other words, He was
the first born in both cases. Paul also uses this word
'prototokos' to refer to this new 'Super Race' of which
Jesus is its first member:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
every creature: 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: And he
is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he
is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fulness dwell;" (Colossians 1:15-19)

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,"
(Hebrews 12:22-23)

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the
first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of
the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood," (Revelation 1:5)

Thus we see that in more ways than one, Jesus Christ truly
is the Firstborn of God's Creation. To clarify this point,
He is the first of God's spiritual beings to be born by the
Will of God in human flesh; and He is also the first of
God's 'Super Race' to be raised from the dead; and it is for
this reason that He is also the first, or the favorite, or
the most beloved, of His Father. Jesus said so Himself in
the following verse:

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation of God;" (Revelation 3:14)

This phrase 'the beginning of the creation of God' refers
right back to what Paul said in his Epistle to the
Colossians:

"...who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that
in all things he might have the preeminence."
(Colossians 1:18b)

In other words, if we put all of the preceding information
together, it seems to me that when we see this phrase 'the
only begotten Son of God' used to describe Jesus, it means
two things: First, that Jesus Christ is the first and ONLY
spiritual son of God to come down to Earth to dwell in human
flesh; and second, that He is the Beginning, the Firstborn,
or the First Begotten of the Dead. He is the very beginning
of God's New Creation; and that New Creation is nothing less
than the worldwide spiritual Nation of born-again Believers
by faith, who will someday, hopefully soon, acquire their
full purchased posession; that is, their new Glorified
Bodies, and thus become in every sense of the word, God's
adopted Sons and Daughters, His race of Super Children:

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light:" (1 Peter 2:9)

This is 'the beginning of the creation of God' that Jesus
appears to be talking about. I want to make it very clear to
you that I am not saying that God created Jesus at the
beginning of time. This would seem to be in contradiction to
the following verses from Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews
which we looked at in part two of this series:

"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most
high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of
the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a
tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of
righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is,
King of peace; Without father, without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;
but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest
continually." (Hebrews 7:1-3)

The previous verses serve to further emphasize the Great
Sacrifice that Jesus made when He forsook His Heavenly
Abode, and His Eternal Divine Nature, in order to take upon
Himself the Earthly garb of human flesh; and then later to
give up the same by means of a cruel agonizing death, all
for the sake of we His wayward children:

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6)

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down
his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren." (1 John 3:16)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name: That at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

To continue our main discussion, perhaps another reason why
Jesus is referred to as 'the only begotten Son of God' in
the Scriptures, is because at the time that the Gospels were
written, He was in fact the only one who had ever been
begotten through spiritual rebirth, that is, raised from the
dead and transformed into a combined physical, yet at the
same time, spiritual creature. He possessed, and does
possess, both human and Divine attributes. It is for this
reason that He is both Son of man, and Son of God.

Some people might argue, 'Well, what about Lazarus, and the
little girl, and the other people who Jesus raised from the
dead?'. The answer to this question seems very simple in my
view. While these people were indeed raised from the dead,
it seems to me that they were probably raised and returned
to life in their very same human bodies which had simply
been temporarily repaired. As far as we know, they did not
receive any kind of special Divine Powers or spiritual
qualities. They were not new creations like Jesus was. In
all likelihood, they eventually died natural deaths just
like everyone else, and are thus currently awaiting their
Resurrection. Their bodies have been the subjects of decay,
destruction, or corruption, as the Biblical writers refer to
it:

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in
corruption; it is raised in incorruption:...Now this I say,
brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
(1 Corinthians 15:42, 50)

"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. Wherefore he saith
also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own
generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid
unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God
raised again, saw no corruption." (Acts 13:34-37)

As is evidenced by the previous verses, when our Lord was
resurrected on that Third Day, He possessed a wonderful, new
and completely different kind of body. He could still be
touched; He could still eat and drink; yet He could also do
other things such as change His physical appearance, or
suddenly appear or disappear at will. His weak human body
which had been scourged by a Roman whip, made to bleed by a
crown of thorns, and pierced by a Roman spear and nails, was
replaced by a supernatural indestructible Celestial Body.
Like a seed which falls to the ground and appears to die
during the cold winter months, but then bursts forth with
new life the following Spring, so too, Jesus allowed Himself
to be destroyed and buried, that He might take up His life
again, and in so doing, open the way for us to do the same.
Thus again we see that He is the Firstborn, that is, the
Firstfruits of many fruits to come. Consider what our Great
Master said:

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall
into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24)

"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my
life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me,
but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father." (John 10:17-18)

"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of
all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should
raise it up again at the last day." (John 6:39)

Here are a few more verses concerning the Firstfruits of the
Resurrection, taken from the writings of the Apostles Paul
and John, to further inspire your heart concerning the
glories to come:

"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption
of our body." (Romans 8:23)

"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the
firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But
every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."
(1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they
are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men,
being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."
(Revelation 14:4)

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him."
(1 Corinthians 2:9)

It would be so easy to conclude this series with these
inspiring thoughts; however, we still cannot overlook the
important fact that Jesus is not the ONLY spiritual son of
God who exists in the Heavenly Realm at this time. Thus, in
the final part of this series, we will be taking a look at
such topics as the fallen angels and the Nephilim, the great
congregation before the Throne of the Almighty, and other
inspiring topics. I hope you will join me. You don't want to
miss it!

Go To Part Four . . .