Have you ever read an older version of the Bible and scratched your head in confusion? In the King James Version of the Bible, among others, you are likely to find the word “begotten.” This word is widely out of use today and poses a problem to the modern reader.
What does “begotten” mean? Is there a deeper meaning behind the Greek that is difficult to convey to English readers? Oftentimes, readers must use multiple versions of Scripture to gain a more complete understanding of a word, such as “begotten.”
King James Version and ‘Begotten’
For many people, the poetic language of the King James Version of the Bible is beloved and esteemed. However, the words are sometimes difficult for modern readers to comprehend, including “thou,” “thee,” and “believeth.”
In John 3:16, the King James Version reads, “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.”
From this reading, we understand that God gave His Son to save us, but we are left to ponder what it means that Jesus is God’s “begotten” Son. The common definition of “begotten” refers to the natural process of being born through parents.
From this definition, we receive the impression that Jesus was born of God through natural means of human reproduction. However, this would align with biblical teaching.
Was Jesus ‘Begotten’?
Cults, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, have used the rendering of “begotten” to argue that Jesus is a created being and not divine. They claim that Jesus was the only person who was created by God since everything else in creation, including Adam and Eve, was made through Jesus.
Hence, the King James Version’s rendering of John 3:16 as God’s “only begotten Son” is not the clearest or best choice of words, since it implies that He had a beginning as a created being.
We know from the rest of Scripture that Jesus is God and is therefore eternal (John 1:1; 8:58). Jesus is the Messiah who fulfilled the prophecy of being born of a virgin, yet is called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Although He took on human flesh when he entered the world when Mary gave birth to Him, Jesus has always existed since eternity past (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14).
While people may wonder why Jesus had to become a human, the incarnation was important. He had to take on human flesh by being born of a virgin because He came to die for humankind.
Paul elaborates on the importance of the incarnation in Romans 8:3-4 where it is written,
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Therefore, Jesus’ incarnation meant He experienced birth, but this does not mean He was “begotten” in the human sense of the word, which involves natural reproduction between a man and woman.
The Greek word translated by the KJV as “begotten” has a more specific meaning, which provides a clearer meaning of the word.
The Meaning of the Greek Word
The Greek word rendered as “begotten” is transliterated “monogenés.” One definition of this word stems back to the idea of a special child (Luke 7:12; 8:42).
Jewish readers of John’s gospel would have likely thought about the Old Testament account of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2).
God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to test Abraham’s faith since Isaac was the child whom He had promised to the elderly patriarch (Genesis 17:15-17; 21:12).
Abraham trusted in God (i.e., demonstrated faith) and knew that the Lord would keep His promise, even if the boy died (Hebrews 11:17-19).
Although God stopped Abraham from killing his son, the patriarch’s faith was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Many biblical commentators and scholars view this incident as a foreshadow of God the Father’s own sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
Many updated versions of the Bible convey the more specific meaning of this Greek word. For instance, the NIV, NLT, and HCSB translate “monogenés” as “one and only Son” (John 3:16). From this translation, readers understand that Jesus is not just a son, but is the One and Only Son.
As the NET Bible includes in its notes, the Greek is used to indicate uniqueness since it “means ‘one-of-a-kind’ and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature” (NET Bible, John 3:16).
John uses this term multiple times in his Gospel and his first epistle to convey Jesus’ unique nature (John 1:14, 18; 3:18; 1 John 4:9).
Instead of being a haphazard choice of word, John specifically chose “monogenés” because of its meaning.
According to The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon, the Greek definition of this word is “single of its kind,” which reflects the one-of-a-kind definition. No one can compare to Jesus. He is the unique Son, who is fully God and perfectly human.
A Special Relationship
Christ is not a created being who has a beginning but rather “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3).
Hence, Jesus could rightly say that anyone who saw Him had seen the Father (John 14:9). He perfectly reveals the Father since He is the Son of God.
Before the universe was created, the Trinity existed in a loving relationship. When the Son added humanity to His divinity, He continued to retain this loving relationship with the other members of the Trinity.
Christ mentions this unique relationship with His Father when He said, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Matthew 11:27).
While people who believe in Jesus become “children” of God, Jesus is in a special, eternal relationship with the Father as the Son (John 1:12).
He is the “one and only Son” who came to die for the sins of humankind and be raised to life to bring salvation to all who trust Him (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
No greater act of love exists that can compare to the Father’s willingness to give His Son as the final and perfect sacrifice for our sins (Romans 8:32).
What Does This Mean?
Instead of experiencing confusion when reading John 3:16 in the King James Version of the Bible, you can now understand that the Greek word behind the word “begotten” is much more specific and clearer than the traditional rendering.
Modern versions of the Bible better render the Greek word to show that Jesus is unique since no one else can compare to Him. He alone is God the Son, who has existed forever in a loving relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
As Christians, we should be grateful for the new title we receive at salvation as “children of God,” but even more grateful that Jesus is the “one and only Son.” Without Him, we would still be lost and would never know the wonderful gift of eternal life.
For further reading:
What Is the Significance of ‘For God So Loved the World’?
What Is the Significance of the Cross?
Why Is the Cross More Symbolic Than the Tomb?
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