Does God beget ?

John 1:14-18

"ONLY-BEGOTTEN GOD" - mo�no�ge�nes' the�os'  [of Jesus]

"So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of undeserved kindness and truth.  (John bore witness about him, yes, he actually cried out-this was the one who said [it]-saying: "The one coming behind me has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me.")  For we all received from out of his fullness, even undeserved kindness upon undeserved kindness.  Because the Law was given through Moses, the undeserved kindness and the truth came to be through Jesus Christ.  No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is in the bosom [position] with the Father is the one that has explained him".

"Jesus' being called the "only-begotten Son" (John 1:14; 3:16, 18; 1John 4:9) does not mean that the other spirit creatures produced were not God's sons, for they are called sons as well. (Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:4-7) However, by virtue of his being the sole direct creation of his Father, the firstborn Son was unique, different from all others of God's sons, all of whom were created or begotten by Jehovah through that firstborn Son. So "the Word" was Jehovah's "only-begotten Son" in a particular sense, even as Isaac was Abraham's "only-begotten son" in a particular sense (his father already having another son but not by his wife Sarah).-Heb 11:17; Gen 16:15."

This next quote is from Ignatius and in part expresses his view on a three past Godhead:-

THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE TRALLIANS: LONGER VERSION.

CHAP. VI.--ABSTAIN FROM THE POISON OF HERETICS.

   "I therefore, yet not l, out the love of Jesus Christ, "entreat you that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment."(6) For there are some vain talkers (8) and deceivers, not Christians, but Christ-betrayers, (9) bearing about the name of Christ in deceit, and "corrupting the word" (10) of the Gospel; while they intermix the poison of their deceit with their persuasive talk, (12) as if they mingled aconite with sweet wine, that so he who drinks, being deceived in his taste by the very great sweetness of the draught, may incautiously meet with his death. One of the ancients gives us this advice, "Let no man be called good who mixes good with evil." (15) For they speak of Christ, not that they may preach Christ, but that they may reject Christ; and they speak (16) of the law, not that they may establish the law, but that they may proclaim things contrary to it. For they alienate Christ from the Father, and the law from Christ. They also calumniate His being born of the Virgin; they are ashamed of His cross; they deny His passion; and they do not believe His resurrection. They introduce God as a Being unknown; they suppose Christ to be unbegotten; and as to the Spirit, they do not admit that He exists. Some of them say that the Son is a mere man, and that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are but the same person, and that the creation is the work of God, not by Christ, but by some other strange power."-This document (last modified September 27, 1996) from the "http://ccel.wheaton.edu" Christian Classics Ethereal Library server, at "http://www.wheaton.edu/" Wheaton College.

The Scriptures speak of "the only-begotten son" of a widow who lived in the city of Nain, of Jairus' "only-begotten daughter," and of a man's "only-begotten" son whom Jesus cured of a demon. (Luke 7:11, 12; 8:41, 42; 9:38) The Greek Septuagint uses mo�no�ge�nes' when speaking of Jephthah's daughter, concerning whom it is written: "Now she was absolutely the only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter."-Jg 11:34.

The apostle John repeatedly describes the Lord Jesus Christ as the only-begotten Son of God. (John 1:14; 3:16, 18; 1John 4:9) This is not in reference to his human birth or to him as just the man Jesus. As the Lo'gos, or Word, "this one was in the beginning with God," even "before the world was." (John 1:1, 2; 17:5, 24) At that time while in his prehuman state of existence, he is described as the "only-begotten Son" whom his Father sent "into the world."-1John 4:9.

He is described as having "a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father," the one residing "in the bosom position with the Father." (John 1:14, 18) It is hard to think of a closer, more confidential, or more loving and tender relationship between a father and his son than this.

The angels of heaven are sons of God even as Adam was a "son of God." (Ge 6:2; Job 1:6; 38:7; Luke 3:38) But the Lo'gos, later called Jesus, is "the only-begotten Son of God." (John 3:18) He is the only one of his kind, the only one whom God himself created directly without the agency or cooperation of any creature. He is the only one whom God his Father used in bringing into existence all other creatures. He is the firstborn and chief one among all other angels (Col 1:15, 16; Heb 1:5, 6), which angels the Scriptures call "godlike ones" or "gods." (Ps 8:4, 5) Therefore, according to some of the oldest and best manuscripts, the Lord Jesus Christ is properly described as "the only-begotten god [Gk., mo�no�ge�nes' the�os']."-John 1:18, NW, Ro, Sp.

A few translations, in support of the Trinitarian "God the Son" concept, would invert the phrase mo�no�ge�nes' the�os' and render it as "God only begotten." But W. J. Hickie in his Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament (1956, p. 123) says it is hard to see why these translators render mo�no�ge�nes' hui�os' as "the only begotten Son," but at the same time translate mo�no�ge�nes' the�os' as "God only begotten," instead of "the only begotten God."

Paul referred to Isaac as Abraham's "only-begotten son" (Heb 11:17), even though Abraham also fathered Ishmael by Hagar as well as several sons by Keturah. (Ge 16:15; 25:1, 2; 1Ch 1:28, 32) God's covenant, however, was established only through Isaac, Abraham's only son by God's promise, as well as the only son of Sarah. (Ge 17:16-19) Furthermore, at the time Abraham offered up Isaac, he was the only son in his father's household. No sons had yet been born to Keturah, and Ishmael had been gone for some 20 years-no doubt was married and head of his own household.-Ge 22:2.

So from several viewpoints in regard to the promise and the covenant, the things about which Paul was writing to the Hebrews, Isaac was Abraham's only-begotten son. Hence, Paul parallels "the promises" and the "only-begotten son" with "'your seed' . . . through Isaac." (Heb 11:17, 18) Whether Josephus had a similar viewpoint or not, he too spoke of Isaac as Abraham's "only son."-Jewish Antiquities, I, 222 (xiii, 1).

Such reconciliation to God is necessary because an alienation has existed, a separation, a lack of harmony and of friendly relations, more than that, a state of enmity. This came through the first man Adam's sin and the resultant sinfulness and imperfection inherited by all his descendants. (Ro 5:12; compare Isa 43:27.) The apostle could therefore say that "the minding of the flesh means enmity with God, for it is not under subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it be [due to its inherited imperfect, sinful nature]. So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God." (Ro 8:7, 8) Enmity exists because God's perfect standards do not allow for his approving or condoning wrongdoing. (Ps 5:4; 89:14) Of his Son, who reflected his Father's perfect qualities, it is written: "You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness." (Heb 1:9) Hence, even though "God is love" and even though "God loved the world [of mankind] so much that he gave his only-begotten Son" on mankind's behalf, the fact remains that mankind as a whole has been in a state of enmity toward God and that God's love toward the world of mankind was love toward enemies, a love guided by principle (Gr., agape) rather than affection or friendship (Gr., philia).-1Jo 4:16; Joh 3:16; compare James 4:4.

The following is an example of the ideas of God calling other creatures god, God etc.

Taken from 'THE ANTE-NICENE FATHERS'  The Writings of the Fathers down to A.D. 325 printed July, 1975   THE REV. ALEXANDER ROBERTS, D.D., AND  JAMES DONALDSON, LL.D., EDITORS  AMERICAN REPRINT OF THE EDINBURGH EDITION VOLUME 4   TERTULLIAN PART FOURTH;  MINUCIUS FELIX;  COMMODIAN;  ORIGEN, PARTS FIRST AND SECOND.

ORIGEN  BK 7 Ch.65 p.1267-8

"In regard to the Persians, we have already said that though they do not build temples, yet they worship the sun and the other works of God. This is forbidden to us, for we have been taught not to worship the creature instead of the Creator, but to know that �the creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God;� and �the earnest expectation of the creation is waiting for the revelation of the sons of God;� and �the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who made it subject, in hope.� We believe, therefore, that things �under the bondage of corruption,� and �subject to vanity,� which remain in this condition �in hope� of a better state, ought not in our worship to hold the place of God, the all-sufficient, and of His Son, the First-born of all creation. Let this suffice, in addition to what we have already said of the Persians, who abhor altars and  images, but who serve the creature instead of the Creator. As to the passage quoted by Celsus from Heraclitus, the purport of which he represents as being, �that it is childish folly for one to offer prayers to images, whilst he knows not who the gods and heroes are,� we may reply that it is easy to know that God and the Only-begotten Son of God, and those whom God has honored with the title of God, and who partake of His divine nature, are very different from all the gods of the nations which are demons; but it is not possible at the same time to know God and to address prayers to images."

�The Word� is a title for Jesus when he was in heaven acting as his spokesman or messenger between God and humans.

Luke 14:26 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters�yes, even his own life�he cannot be my disciple.

1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.