Begotten Or Conceived

I wonder if anyone else out there has wondered exactly what that word begotten meant. An old Bible of mine cleared it up for me.

Matthew 1:20: But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

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.

My old Bible had a note that noted that conceived in the Matthew passage was the same word as begotten in John 3:16. They are not be exactly the same but closely related. The word in Matthew is genao and the word John is monogenes. The words are obviously related, although I am not a Greek scholar to understand that completely. I do understand that the syllables mono means one. It makes perfect sense that Jesus was the only begotten of the Father and that He was the only Son of God that was, is and always shall be God.

When we receive Jesus become children of God, we are born into the family of God and we have been adopted into the family of God. We are obviously not the only begotten of the Father and we are not nor will we ever become Gods. There are several false beliefs that men and women become god or gods.

Romans 8:15: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

When we receive Christ we become new creatures. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit could never be referred to as new creatures. They never change. Actually, we believers have undergone one drastic change and we will undergo another one when Christ returns for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Corinthians 15:52: 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.

Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have creative powers. We do not, the angels are created beings and we are created beings. There will eternally be differences between the created beings and the Creator. That is why we will worship Him and glorify Him forever and love doing it.

Missionary to the Philippines Peter Mordh gave me more truth on this issue: Christ had Eternality so He was not *begotten* at His birth but we saw a Miraculous Incarnation.

John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 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.

But the Son was begotten at His resurrection!!

Psalms 2:7: I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Acts 13:33: 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.

Care to discuss Begotten Or Conceived with Ron?

He'd also like to hear your prayer requests