explaining "Only Begotten"

[matthew11v25]

Hebrews 1:5

"You are my Son, today I have begotten you"

In studying JWs/Christedelphians/Ariansim I have been grapling with explaining Jesus Christ as being begotten, but not created. His deity is clear, but understanding the passages (providing Biblical supported definitions) regarding him as being "begotten" has been difficult for me.

Any input would be great.

 

[DTK]

Originally posted by matthew11v25
Hebrews 1:5

"You are my Son, today I have begotten you"

In studying JWs/Christedelphians/Ariansim I have been grapling with explaining Jesus Christ as being begotten, but not created. His deity is clear, but understanding the passages (providing Biblical supported definitions) regarding him as being "begotten" has been difficult for me.

Any input would be great.

Just a little note on Hebrews 1:5, and admittedly not a help to your direct question.

Although, I affirm the eternal generation of the Son of God as taught by Holy Scripture, I don't think Heb 1:5 is the best text from which to expound that truth. The question in Heb 1:5 that needs to be addressed is what day (i.e. at what point of Redemptive history) does the writer of Hebrews have in mind here? Now, in the early and medieval centuries of the Church, it was often interpreted (e.g. Augustine & Aquinas) to view the "begetting" of Heb 1:5 as eternal rather than temporal. But to understand Heb 1:5 as a reference to the eternal generation of the Son of God is (I think) foreign to the text. Some early church commentators like Justin Martyr and Hilary of Poitiers have associated this text with Christ's baptism. Moreover Theodore of Mopsuestia and John Chrysostom have understood it as a reference to Christ's incarnation.

But the OT text cited in Heb 1:5 here, Today I have begotten thee is Psalm 2:7. And it seems to me that the normal Apostolic application of that prophecy can be seen (for example) in Acts 13:32ff in Paul's sermon where when he quotes that text from Psalm 2:7, he applies it to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Interestingly enough, Col. 1:18 & Rev. 1:5 both describe Christ as the first-born from the dead.

So if you confront a sharp heretic, he may turn Heb 1:5 on its head (from this perspective) as a bad proof text for the eternal generation of the Son. I still think that John 1:14 is one of the better texts for expounding the eternal generation of the Son of God. But I'm also conscious that better exegetes than myself (e.g. D. A. Carson on John 1:14) would disagree.

My

Blessings,
DTK

 

[Anton Bruckner]

Originally posted by DTK


Although, I affirm the eternal generation of the Son of God as taught by Holy Scripture,

Concerning this, I have seen camps that affirm the eternal generation of the Son and camps that deny the Eternal Generation of the Son and say that Christ existed always as God and the Son of God without being Generated.

Is belief in Generation or Non Generation an issue of orthodoxy or simply belief in the basic concepts of the Trinity?

 

[matthew11v25]

I have always heard "begotten" explained in terms of Christ being eternally begotten of the Father. So that there was never a time when Christ was not begotten.

 

[The Lamb]

http://www.rsglh.org/only.begotten.son.our.lord.htm

http://web.crown.edu/b&t/castonv/caston/doctrines/Keathley article.htm

http://www.prca.org/refwitness/2004/2004dec12.html

Here are some good articles about it

 

[matthew11v25]

Thanks Joseph...this is closer to what I was looking for.

 

[alwaysreforming]

Since you mentioned JW's, I'll pass along this link to you that I've mentioned before on the board here. It basically takes the JW's "Should You Believe In the Trinity?" propaganda piece and counters it point by point. In there you'll find this specific passage addressed, along with a wealth of information on the Trinity.

This site has a TON of good info, but I'm not sure about ALL of it, so don't take it as a full endorsement, only that the JW info is the most helpful that I've ever come across.

 

[matthew11v25]

Christopher,

can you give a link or URL? A site that I have been to before is Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

[Edited on 3-17-2005 by matthew11v25]

 

[alwaysreforming]

Whoopsie! It looks as though I've said "here's the link" and then forgot to "paste".

http://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-frames-start-page-SYBTT.htm

There we go! Sorry about that!