oldman wrote:Hello again Rick, before I answer your question I would first like to here what B.W. has to say about what I posted this morning. The same goes for Byblos.
The answer is - monogenēs
AMG's Complete Word Study Dictionary Of Old Testament and New Testament Words explains it as...
AMG's Complete Word Study Dictionary Of Old Testament and New Testament Words
Strongs 3439
Μονογενής
monogenēs; gen. monogenoús, masc.-fem., neut. monogenón, from mónos ( 3441), only, and génos (1085), stock. Unique, one of a kind, one and only. The only one of the family (Luke7:12 referring to the only son of his mother; Luke 8:42, the daughter of Jairus; Luke 9:38, the demoniac boy).
John alone uses monogenēs to describe the relation of Jesus to God the Father, presenting Him as the unique one, the only one (mónos) of a class or kind (génos), in the discussion of the relationship of the Son to the Father (John1:14, John1:18; John3:16, John3:18; 1Jn4:9).
Génos, from which genēs in monogenēs is derived, means race, stock, family, class or kind, and génō comes from gínomai (1096), become, as in John1:14, "and the Word became [egéneto] flesh." This is in distinction from gennáō (1080), to beget, engender or create. The noun from gennáō is génnēma (1081), the result of birth. So then, the word means one of a kind or unique.
There are two schools of thought regarding the meaning of this term.
The first view, which began with Origen, teaches that Christ's unique Sonship and His generation by the Father are eternal being predicated of Him in respect to His participation in the Godhead. Although monogenēs was traditionally cited in proof of this explanation, modern proponents, recognizing the mistaken identification of genēs as a derivative of gennáō instead of génos, understand the word to be descriptive of the kind of Sonship Christ possesses and not of the process establishing such a relationship.
This would serve to distinguish the Sonship of Christ to God from that spoken of other beings, e.g., Adam (Luke 3:28), angels (Job 1:6), or believers (John1:12).
The last view teaches that Christ's unique Sonship and generation by the Father are predicated of Him in respect to the incarnation. The proponents of this interpretation unequivocally affirm the triune nature of the Godhead and Christ's deity teaching that it is the word lógos (3056), Word, which designates His personage within the Godhead.
Christ's Sonship expresses an economical relationship between the Word and the Father assumed via the incarnation. This stands in fulfillment of OT prophecies which identify Christ as both human, descending from David, and divine, originating from God. Like David and the other kings descending from him, Christ is the Son of God by position (2 Sam 7:14), but unlike them and because of His divine nature, He is par excellence the Son of God by nature (Psa2:7; Heb1:5).
Thus the appellation refers to the incarnate Word, God made flesh, not simply the preincarnate Word. Therefore, monogenēs can be held as syn. with the God- Man. Jesus was the only such one ever, in distinction with the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God.
He is never called téknon Theoú (téknon [5043], child; Theoú [2316], of God) as the believers are (John 1:12; John 11:52; 1 John 3:1-2, 1John 3:10; 1 John 5:2). In John 5:18, Jesus called God His very own (ídion [2398]) Father. To Jesus, God was not a Father as He is to us. See John 20:17. He never spoke of God as the common Father of Him and believers. The term monogenēs also occurs in Heb 11:17.
...so my answer is found in the AMG quote above... and from Vines Expository Dictionary Of NT Words quoted below...
Vines Expository Dictionary Of NT Words
Only Begotten
monogenes (G3439) is used five times, all in the writings of the apostle John, of Christ as the Son of God; it is translated "only begotten" in Heb11:17 of the relationship of Isaac to Abraham.
With reference to Christ, the phrase "the only begotten from the Father," John 1:14, RV (see also the marg.), indicates that as the Son of God He was the sole representative of the Being and character of the One who sent Him. In the original the definite article is omitted both before "only begotten" and before "Father," and its absence in each case serves to lay stress upon the characteristics referred to in the terms used.
The apostle's object is to demonstrate what sort of glory it was that he and his fellow apostles had seen. That he is not merely making a comparison with earthly relationships is indicated by para, "from." The glory was that of a unique relationship and the word "begotten" does not imply a beginning of His Sonship. It suggests relationship indeed, but must be distinguished from generation as applied to man.
We can only rightly understand the term "the only begotten" when used of the Son, in the sense of unoriginated relationship. "The begetting is not an event of time, however remote, but a fact irrespective of time. The Christ did not become, but necessarily and eternally is the Son. He, a Person, possesses every attribute of pure Godhood. This necessitates eternity, absolute being; in this respect He is not 'after' the Father" (Moule). The expression also suggests the thought of the deepest affection, as in the case of the OT word yachid, variously rendered, "only one," Gen 22:2, Gen 22:12; "only son," Jer 6:26; Amos 8:10; Zec 12:10; "only beloved," Proverbs 4:3, and "darling," Psalms 22:20; Psalms 35:17.
In John 1:18 the clause "the only begotten son, which is in the bosom of the Father," expresses both His eternal union with the Father in the Godhead and the ineffable intimacy and love between them, the Son sharing all the Father's counsels and enjoying all His affections. Another reading is monogenes Theos, "God only-begotten."
In John 3:16 the statement, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son," must not be taken to mean that Christ became the only begotten son by incarnation. The value and the greatness of the gift lay in the Sonship of Him who was given. His Sonship was not the effect of His being given. In John 3:18 the phrase "the name of the only begotten son of God" lays stress upon the full revelation of God's character and will, His love and grace, as conveyed in the name of One who, being in a unique relationship to Him, was Proverbsvided by Him as the object of faith.
In 1 John 4:9 the statement "God hath sent His only begotten son into the world" does not mean that God sent out into the world one who at His birth in Bethlehem had become His Son. Cf. the parallel statement, "God sent forth the Spirit of His Son," Gal 4:6, RV, which could not mean that God sent forth One who became His Spirit when He sent Him.
Oldman, So how do you understand - monogenēs?
-
-
-
Why is it that you never answer any questions directly and honestly? Don't you think that alone ought to give you pause to re-examine your entire philosophy? You're telling me not to worry because the truth will be revealed soon? The truth was revealed long ago oldman and the ones who espoused your brand of theology were also exposed as heretics long ago. Answer the questions directly and honestly or please, please do us all a favor and quit this idiotic charade.