John 3:16-18 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. 17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18  Note 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. . Hermans Note; 3439 monogenes only, and genos, stock. Unique, one of a kind, one and only. The only one of the family (Luke 7:12 referring to the only son of his mother; Luke 8:42. means race, stock, family, class or kind. John alone uses monogenes to describe the relation of Jesus to God the Father, presenting Him as the unique one, the only one of a class or kind, in the discussion of the relationship of the Son to the Father (Jn 1:14,18; 3:16,18; 1Jn 4:9). Question: ""What does it mean that Jesus is God's only begotten son?"" Answer: The phrase only begotten Son occurs in John 3:16, which reads in the King James Version as, ""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."" The phrase ""only begotten"" translates the Greek word monogenes. This word is variously translated into English as ""only,"" ""one and only,"" and ""only begotten."" It's this last phrase (""only begotten"" used in the KJV, NASB and the NKJV) that causes problems. False teachers have latched onto this phrase to try to prove their false teaching that Jesus Christ isn't God; i.e., that Jesus isn't equal in essence to God as the Second Person of the Trinity. They see the word ""begotten"" and say that Jesus is a created being because only someone who had a beginning in time can be ""begotten."" What this fails to note is that ""begotten"" is an English translation of a Greek word. As such, we have to look at the original meaning of the Greek word, not transfer English meanings into the text. So what does monogenes mean? According to the Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (BAGD, 3rd Edition), monogenes has two primary definitions. The first definition is ""pertaining to being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship."" This is the meaning attached to its use in Hebrews 11:17 when the writer refers to Isaac as Abraham's ""only begotten son."" Abraham had more than one son, but Isaac was the only son he had by Sarah and the only son of the covenant. The second definition is ""pertaining to being the only one of its kind or class, unique in kind."" This is the meaning that is implied in John 3:16. In fact, John is the only New Testament writer who uses this word in reference to Jesus (see John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). John was primarily concerned with demonstrating that Jesus was the Son of God (John 20:31), and he uses this word to highlight Jesus as uniquely God's Son, sharing the same divine nature as God, as opposed to believers who are God's sons and daughters through faith. The bottom line is that terms such as ""Father"" and ""Son,"" that are descriptive of God and Jesus, are human terms used to help us understand the relationship between the different Persons of the Trinity. If you can understand the relationship between a human father and a human son, then you can understand, in part, the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity. The analogy breaks down if you try to take it too far and teach, as some Christian cults, that Jesus was literally ""begotten"" as in produced or created by God the Father.;" -------------------------------------- Hebrews;11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son ------------------------------------- Acts7:29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. . Hermans Note;1080 generation, kind, offspring. To beget as spoken of men; to bear as spoken of women; pass., to be begotten or be born. (I) In the act. sense: (A) Spoken of men, to beget (Mt 1:2-16; Ac 7:8,29; (D) Spoken of women, to bear, bring forth (Lk 1:13,57; 23:29; Jn 16:21; figuratively Ga 4:24; Sept.: Ge 46:15; Ex 6:20; Ezr 10:44). (II) In the pass. sense genna&omai, contracted gennoŚmai. (A) To be begotten (Mt 1:20, ""that which is conceived in her"" or begotten, i.e., in her womb, the fetus; Heb 11:12). (B) To be born as used generally (Mt 2:1,4; 19:12; 26:24; Mk 14:21; Jn 3:4, blind; 9:2, 19, 20, 32; 16:21, ""into the world""; Ac 7:20; 22:28, I have been born a Roman; Ro 9:11; Heb 11:23; Ga 4:23,29, ""after the flesh,"" in the course of nature). With eis (1510), unto, denoting finality, destination (Jn 18:37; 2Pe 2:12). In Mt 1:16, ""of whom [fem. gen.]"" meaning of the mother. See Lk 1:35. In Jn 3:6, with ek (1537), ""out of the flesh"" (a.t.), indicating the source. See also Jn 8:41. With en (1722), in, and the dat. of place (Ac 22:3). With the dat. of state or condition (Jn 9:34, in the state of sinfulness or sins). In Ac 2:8, ""wherein we were born,"" meaning the dialect, the native tongue. Metaphorically, ek (1537), out of God or of the Spirit, only in the writings of John, meaning to be born of God or of the Spirit, in a spiritual sense, to have received from God a new spiritual life. See also Jn 1:13; 3:5,6,8; 1Jn 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18, and to be ""born again"" or from above which is equivalent to be born of God (Jn 3:3,7); also a&no4then (509), from above.;"