Only begotten Monogenes
Only begotten monogenes definition is
“pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind. God is a Spirit. He is not biological and does not reproduce Himself biologically as you may infer. The word monogenes isn’t about procreation. It’s about a unique RELATIONSHIP between the Father and Christ. Christ is the Father’s unique, one-of-a-kind Son.
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The word monogenes is poorly translated in some versions of the Bible as “only begotten”, and such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. This word used by ancient writers in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Lk 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was used of something unique and specially beloved (only one of its kind). The ancient writers did not intend it to be used in some sort of birthing biological sense.
Monogenes In the Strongs it means Sole or Single Only or Alone by themselves.
The Greek words for Only Begotten would be MONO GENAO not monogenes
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To understand the translation “begotten”, we have to look at the original meaning of the Greek word “monogenes” defined as being “unique” and “one and only.”
If you can understand the relationship between a human father and a human son, then you can understand, in part, the unique relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Godhead.
The analogy breaks down if you try to take it too far and teach, as some CULTS (like the JWs and others) do that Jesus was literally “begotten” as in “produced” or “created” in the bosom by God the Father.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other cults, have taken this to mean that Jesus was literally begotten or born.
If Jesus was “begotten” He could not be God for what distinguishes God from creation is He is “unbegotten.”
To be God requires an ontological self existence, a God who lacks this quality and is dependant for existence on a life sourced from outside of Himself cannot be God.
For Jesus to be “begotten” in ontological terms means He lacked an eternal past which defines who God is.
Some of the other Bible versions have a more accurate translation.
The Complete Jewish Bible. For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.
ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The single Greek word translated “only begotten” is monogenes. Ancient writers often used this adjective to describe a child’s unique relationship with their parent. Moreover, the emphasis was on the specific relationship, not the physical begetting itself. In fact, monogenes is better understood to describe a relationship as “one-of-a-kind” or “unique.” This is exactly how the biblical writers understood the word.
Begotten is used in a filial sense, not a biological sense.
This is not the literal begetting of a son from a father. This would grossly distort the author’s original intent, and is why many modern translators have chosen to use “only” (ESV), or “one and only” (NIV, NLT, HCSB, NET) instead of “only begotten”
Only begotten monogenes definition is “pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind
The author of Hebrews picks up on this expression and writes, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [monogenes] son…” (Heb. 11:17 KJV). We know that Isaac wasn’t literally Abraham’s only begotten son. Isaac was the second son. Ishmael was Abraham’s first-born son. If you understand monogenes as a literal begetting, then you have missed its intended meaning.
God is a Spirit. He does not reproduce Himself biologically as you may infer. The word monogenes isn’t about procreation. It’s about a unique relationship between the Father and Son.
Christ is the Father’s unique, one-of-a-kind Son.
Wikipedia
Monogenes (μονογενής) has two primary definitions, “pertaining to being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship” and “pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind”.
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Monogenēs] doesn’t mean “only begotten” in some sort of “birthing” sense. The confusion extends from an old misunderstanding of the root of the Greek word. For years monogenes was thought to have derived from two Greek terms mono (“only”) and gennaō (“to beget, bear”). Greek scholars later discovered that the second part of the word monogenes does not come from the Greek verb gennao but rather from the noun genos (“class” or “kind”). The term literally means “one of a kind” or “unique” without connotation of created origin.
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James Strong author of Strongs Concordance was a trinitarian and was not fluent in Greek or Hebrew.
The word monogenes was mistranslated by Strong.
The Greek words for Only Begotten would be MONO GENAO not
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In the 4th century A.D. a Christian named Jerome, a Latin man who knew Greek (but that that well) was assigned with the huge task of translating the Greek Bible into Latin: a huge feat never before done. Jerome decided to translate the Greek Bible into Vulgar Latin . He mistranslates the Greek word MONGENES (“only kind”) into “Only Begotten”. Now, the Greek word for “only begotten” is MONOGENAO: a word that nowhere exists in the Greek Bible. So, Jerome mistook MONOGENES for “Only Begotten”. A mistake. This “mistake” was carried over into all translations that used the Vulgate as its source.In other words the term “only begotten” does not appear in the Greek or Aramaic editions of the New Testament. It only occurs in the Vulgate and the translations based upon the Vulgate. In other words, the “mistake” of St. Jerome was passed to other Bible translations based upon his mistake. The authors of the kjv did consult and were influenced by the Vulgar Latin.
“The only begotten. Gr. monogenēs, from two words meaning “only” and “kind,” and thus properly translated “unique,” “only,” “only one of a kind.” As with the title Logos (see on v. 1), only John uses the word monogenēs of Christ (see John 1:18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). Absence of the definite article in the Greek either makes monogenēs indefinite, “an only one,” or makes it an expression of quality, in which case John would be saying, “glory as of an only one [who had come] from beside the Father.” This seems evidently the sense here. See on Luke 7:12; 8:42, where monogenēs is translated “only.” In Heb. 11:17 monogenēs is used of Isaac, who was by no means Abraham’s “only begotten,” or even his first-born. But he was the son of the promise, and as such, the one destined to succeed his father as heir to the birthright (Gen. 25:1–6; Gal. 4:22, 23). “Similarly in respect to the five texts in John’s writings of Christ, the translation should be one of the following: ‘unique,’ ‘precious,’ ‘only,’ ‘sole,’ ‘the only one of his kind,’ but not ‘only begotten’” (Problems in Bible Translation, p. 198). The translation “only begotten,” here and elsewhere, apparently originated with the early Fathers of the Catholic Church, and entered early English translations of the Bible under the influence of the Latin Vulgate, the official Bible of the Catholic Church. Accurately reflecting the Greek, various Old Latin manuscripts which antedate the Vulgate read “only” rather than “only begotten.” … The idea that Christ was “begotten” by the Father at some time in eternity past is altogether foreign to the Scriptures.… Properly understood of Christ’s unique status as the Son of God, the word monogenēs distinguishes between Him and all others who, through faith in Him, are given “power to become the sons of God” (v. 12), and who are specifically declared to be “born … of God” (v. 13). Christ is, and always has been, very “God” (see on v. 1), and by virtue of this fact we “become the sons of God” when we receive Christ and believe on His name.” — SDA Bible Commentary
The following additional explanation, authored by Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, was found on the Biblical Research Institute website:
“Christ as God’s Monogenēs: When the term is used to describe Jesus, it simply means “unique,” or “one and only.” It describes the uniqueness of His nature: “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,…full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NIV). There is no other like Him in that He came from the Father and possesses the glory of the Father. John 1:18 is particularly difficult because the manuscripts provide .at least two different textual variants. Some argue that the original text reads “only Son” and others that the original is “only God.” If one accepts “only God,” then monogenēs could refer to the uniqueness of Christ as God and as God’s means of revelation (cf. verse 14). If we accept the reading “only Son,” His uniqueness as a revealer of the Father would be emphasized.
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