Begotten

The word ‘begotten’ describes a unique father/son relationship. Abraham had a ‘one and only’ or ‘begotten’ son, Isaac (Hebrews 11:17). However, ‘begotten’ is more often used in the New Testament to describe the eternal relationship between God the Father and God the Son (John 1:14,18, John 3:16). Jesus was the only begotten human Son of the Father in that Mary conceived Him by the Holy Spirit but at the same time, as the Son of God, He has always existed in relationship with God the Father. The Son of God has always been, there was never a time when He didn’t exist. In other words, the Father has eternally and always been the Father of the Son. The Son is of the same substance as the Father: this means that the Son is everything the Father is except ‘Father’. This discussion was summed up at the Council of Nicaea in the year 325AD, from which came the Nicene Creed. (See God the Son, Jesus)