Only Begotten Son

Verse	NIV	Notes
Num 23:19	God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?	The Almighty is not a son of man.
Job 25:6	How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is but a maggot - a son of man, who is only a worm!	Here man is the son of man.
Ps 8:3-7	When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [or God] and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, ...	Man & his potential destiny. see also Heb 2
Ps 80:14-19	Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine [Israel], the root your right hand has planted, the son [Or branch] you have raised up for yourself. Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.	Israel has produced many sons who have fallen short. They pray God anoint one to show the way.
Ezekiel 2:1-2	He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.	Ezekiel called son of man through out the book. Ezekiel is a righteous man.
Dan 7:13-14	In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion ...	Jesus (like a son of man) & God (Ancient of Days) are separate beings
Dan 8:17	As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, ...	Daniel, a righteous man, is called son of man.
Matt 12:7-8	If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.	In Gospels, the most frequently used title for Jesus (by him) is Son of Man.
Matt 12:32	And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.	Son of Man & Holy Spirit are different beings.
Matt 16:13,16	... Jesus ... asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" ... Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ [Or Messiah], the Son of the living God."	The Son of Man is God’s anointed son.
Mark 2:10-11	" ... that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ...." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.	God gives Jesus His authority.
John 12:34, 36	... ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’ ... Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.	Jesus says we can become sons.
Acts 7:56	... I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.	Stoning of Stephen: God & Jesus are separate beings.
Rev 1:13	and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," [Dan 7:13] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.	Jesus
Rev 14:14	looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" [Dan 7:13] with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."	Jesus? Perhaps not, since another angel commands this person.

Son of God

Verse	KJV	NIV	Notes
Dan 3:25	He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.	He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."	Jesus?

Verse	NIV	Notes
Matt 4:6-7	"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’" [Psalm 91:11, 12] Jesus answered him, "It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’" [Deut. 6:16]	The devil temps Jesus and questions him being the Son of God. Psalm 91 is addressed to all who make their temple the dwelling of the Most High. Almighty God will protect them.
Matt 26:63-64	The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, [Or Messiah] the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."	Jesus is the Christ, the anointed son of God.
Matt 27:54	When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son [Or a son] of God!"	Mark 15:39 is the same.
Luke 1:34-35	"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."	Jesus is begotten of the Father by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 3:38	the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.	Adam is called the son of God.
John 5:24-27	I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.	He who believes in God has eternal life. God gives Jesus His authority.
John 10:33-38	"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’ [Psalm 82:6]? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came - and the Scripture cannot be broken - what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."	Jesus did not call himself God, yet he called us gods. (Ps 82 is addressed to the assembly of the righteous who rule w/ Christ.)
Romans 1:3-4	regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God [Or was appointed to be the Son of God with power] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.	Jesus was appointed (anointed) by God.
Heb 4:14-16	Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.	We can call upon Jesus, our High Priest, for help in time of need.
1 John 4:13-15	We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.

Verse	KJV	NIV	Notes
1 John 5:10	He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.	Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.	Not believing that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ) affects one’s relationship with God.
1 John 5:18-21	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. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.	We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true - even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.	We know the Father through the Son, who is the perfect reflection of the Father.

Sons of God and Children of God

Verse	KJV	NIV	Notes
Gen 6:4	There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.	The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Job 1:6 also Job 2:1	Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.	One day the angels [Hebrew the sons of God] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.	God's kingdom includes the support of other sons of God.
Job 38:1-7	Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. ... Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? ... When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?	Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ... On what were its footings set, ... - while the morning stars sang together and all the angels [Hebrew the sons of God] shouted for joy?	The sons of God were created before the Earth.
Matt 5:9	Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.	Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
John 1:9-12	That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ... He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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:	The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. [Or This was the true light that gives light to every man who comes into the world] ... He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -	We can become sons of God.
Rom 8:14-19	For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ... but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 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.	because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ... but you received the Spirit of sonship. [Or adoption] And by him we cry, "Abba, [Aramaic for Father] Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.	We now are the children of God. When we are led by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, then we become sons of God and co-heirs with Jesus.
Rom 9:4	Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;	the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.	The people of Israel, those who follow God’s way, will be adopted as sons.
Rom 9:8	That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.	In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.	Spiritual children.
Gal 3:24-26, 29	Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.	So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ [Or charge until Christ came] that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.	We are justified by faith in that faith in Christ leads us naturally (via the Holy Spirit) to be obedient to the law.

Verse	NIV	Notes
Hebrews 2:5-12	It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little [Or him for a little while] lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."	Jesus is our elder brother, leading us to be sons & daughters of the Most High. (His bride is the daughter of Zion.)

Jesus is a Being Created by the Almighty

Verse	NIV	Notes
Col 1:15	He [Christ Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.	The Greek for "firstborn"is prototokos which means "firstbegotten (-born)".
Heb 1:5-6	For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? [Ps 2:7] Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? [2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chron 17:13] And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." [Deut 32:43 DSS]	Hebrew in Ps 2:7 is yalad - beget. The intertwining of the Messiah with the Davidic kingship implies he is a fellow created soul. The Greek for "firstborn"is prototokos
Heb 1:8-9	But about the Son he says, Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. [Ps 45:6-7]	Clearly, there are two gods here: God the Father & God the Son. This does not support the trinity view of 2 persons but 1 God.
Knowing that there are other sons of God who must also be gods, it seems quite appropriate to call the anointed son of God the "king above all gods" (Ps 95:3) and the "God of gods" (Dt 10:17; Jos 22:22; Ps 136:2; Da 2:47, 11:36).
Heb 2:9	But now we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.	The Greek for "made" is elattoo which means to "decrease, make lower". Can the Creator make Himself less than He Is?
Heb 2:11-12	Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." [Ps 22:22]	To say we are of the same family as Jesus and that he is our brother only makes sense if he is a fellow created being.
Heb 2:17	For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service of God and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.	Jesus, in becoming human and suffering death, became a more merciful high priest. This shows growth and development. This only makes sense if Jesus is a fellow created being and does not make sense if he is the same as the Father.
Rom 8:29	For those God foreknew he also predestined to be confromed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.	The Greek for "firstborn"is prototokos

Considering that Jesus is indeed a separate and distinct person from the Father, a being created by the Father, then if Jesus is to rule over us this raises an issue of delegation of authority from the Father. Well, indeed when the Bible addresses the question of Jesus' authority, it states many times and in many ways that the Father has given His Name, power and authority to His anointed Son. These references include: Ps 2 & 45; Isa 9:6-7; Mt 25:31-36, 28:18; Mk 2:10-11; Jn 5:24-30, 17:11-12; Eph 1:18-22; Php 2:9; Col 1:19, 2:9; Heb 1:4, 2:9; 1 Pet 3:22; Rev 5:12. I submit that if Jesus is not a created being but some special dimension of the Father, then delegation would not be an issue; further, it does not make sense. So I believe the fact that the Bible addresses the delegation of authority to the Son supports the view that he is a separately created being.

Only Begotten Son vs Only Son

In the New Testament, in any translation, whenever the words “only” and “son” are used to refer to Jesus, in each case the word used in the Greek translation is monogenes. In the KJV and NKJV, this word is consistently translated as “only begotten”. (This is one of the few cases I find the NKJV to be a better translation than the NIV.) Here are the five passages where monogenes is used to refer to Jesus:

Verse	KJV	NIV
John 1:14	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.	The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, [Or the Only Begotten] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:18	No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.	No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, [Or the Only Begotten] [Some manuscripts but the only (or only begotten) Son] who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
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.	For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [Or his only begotten Son] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:18	He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.	Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. [Or God’s only begotten Son]
1 John 4:9	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.	This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son [Or his only begotten Son] into the world that we might live through him.

Since we all have the potential to be Sons of God, and Adam at least is also a son of God, then Jesus can not be the only son of God. Jesus is the one son of God to be physically born into this world and fathered directly by the Spirit of God. Jesus was born to the virgin Mary and fathered by God via the Holy Spirit. Jesus was literally and physically begotten by God the Father. He is the only son of God to be born into this world in this way. So it is accurate to say that Jesus is the only begotten son of God. This is different from saying that he is the only son of God, which is not biblical. (See Early Apostle's Creed that captures this distinction.)

Title for Jesus	Biblical?
Son of Man	Yes
Son of God	Yes
Only Son of God	No
Only Begotten Son of God	Yes

To my eye, the Bible is clear that God the Father and Jesus the Son are separate beings. The Father created the son and all of us in His image (Gen 1:27; Job 38; Ps 2 & 45; Heb 1 & 2).

The Bible is also clear that we all have the potential to be sons of God, if we are obedient to God, follow His commandments and are led by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we are expected to eventually reach this potential (Rom 8:19, Eph 1 & 2 Pet 3:9).

The concept of the Holy Trinity, that God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one and the same God, three persons yet also one person, is a fabrication of the church and is against the teachings of the Bible. (The only partial Biblical support for this concept, part of 1 John 5:7, was added later to the King James version of the Bible. This is now well documented in most modern translations including the NKJV, NAB, RSV and NIV.) Instead of knowing that Jesus is also a created being, our elder brother, and an example of what we all should strive to become, the one who showed the way, he has been changed into the Supreme Creator, God the Father, and separated from us thereby denying our true potential to also be sons of the Most High. By calling him the "only son" of God, instead of rightfully the "only begotten", we deny that any other soul can also be a son of God. Any church which teaches the Holy Trinity has actually gone into Babylon, into spiritual corruption. Heed the warning of Revelation 18 for the faithful to come out of Babylon.

To say that Jesus is the same as God Almighty is not Biblical. Jesus is a god (Ps 45:7). Jesus comes in God’s name, serves God and is given power and authority by God. We are to believe in and worship God the Father. We also know and declare that God anointed and sent His son Jesus to be Messiah and mediator between us and the Father. As the anointed son of God, he has been given the Father's name and authority and thereby we rightfully call him Lord and God (Ps 118:26; Mt 28:18; Mk 2:10-11).

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one, a particular son of God who has remained faithful and who God has appointed to be Savior, Lord and King over us. Over us children of God who are struggling to be mature sons by remaining faithful.

I believe it is important to have the proper understanding of who and what Jesus is. An improper or Pagan view of Jesus, one which is not biblically sound, affects our relationship with God. There is a big difference between Jesus being some aspect or dimension of the Godhead which manifest in this world versus Jesus being a separately created being who has been given power and authority to rule over us. It affects us on an unconscious level. If Jesus is indeed a fellow created being, this view has much greater implications as to who we really are, and that can be very empowering.

It is clear to anyone who reads the books of Acts that the early church had much more power than we see manifest today. I propose that false or Pagan theology on a few fundamental issues, which infiltrated the church in the very beginning (1 Jn 2:18; 2 Jn 8), has created a wall of separation within us and thereby contributes to cutting us off from the very power the Father makes available to the faithful. I further propose that the concept of the Holy Trinity is one of those Pagan concepts which creates a wall of separation in our minds and robs us of the power the Almighty desires for us to have access to.

Let us reflect further on our potential and on God's plan to bring us to maturity. In my opinion, when the Bible speaks about the predestined plan of God and of those who are the elect, it is not referring to some preselected subset of all souls who will be the only souls to choose to come to repentance during their life on Earth. It is referring to God’s plan to give all souls enough time to come to repentance. To believe that only some are chosen ahead of time as the elect and that they are the only ones to receive salvation seems to me to be a form of elitism. The elect are those souls who have matured early and are thereby ready to help all through the tribulation and then to rule with Christ. The predestined plan of God is to guarantee that enough souls will be ready to be sealed for this service prior to the Lord's return. The rest of the souls are not yet condemned for all eternity, but it is God's goal that they come to maturity and repentance during the millennium under the leadership and love of Jesus and the elect, the saints who had already risen to God’s calling.

Jesus is savior because he is the anointed one who expresses God's will, the one we see who lived without sin and became God’s sacrificial Lamb. It seems that Jesus could have used his popularity to rise to power, yet he remained faithful and fulfilled God’s plan by not abusing his power and remaining in the role of servant, even unto sacrifice. This earned him the seat at the right hand of the Father and the position of High Priest in the Heavenly Sanctuary, where he has been servicing our prayers, requests and needs with the help of the Holy Spirit and Heavenly Host. Jesus is a real being, our friend and advocate, who is always ready and willing to assist all who call upon his name for help.

Jesus will yet manifest as Lord and King, a role where he will be given the power to take control of this world. Those who are ready will rule with him as his bride, the true church. They are the children of God who have matured in their walk with the Spirit of Love. This is not a master - servant relationship. It is a partnership, as with a king and queen. Jesus will then lead us all during his millennial reign as Lord and Teacher as we complete our journey to be sons and daughters of the Most High.

Come Lord Jesus and continue to show us the way!

Letting go of the concept of the Holy Trinity can present some theological challenges.
It can be difficult because often other non-biblical ideas are subtly tied to it and make it difficult to deal with this subject by itself.
One example is one’s understanding of exactly how Jesus’ blood cleanses us from sin. To go deeper on this topic, please continue to:
The Bible: Truth, Alterations & Discernment

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