02/07/2026
Begotten vs. Created: A Crucial Difference
To be begotten means to come out of something that already exists. The begotten shares the same essence as its origin. This idea appears in the natural world God created: for example, an eagle gives rise to an eaglet. The offspring is fully like the parent, sharing the same eagle nature. This is the principle that like produces like. On the other hand, to be created means to come into existence from something unrelated to the creator. For instance, when eagles gather twigs to build a nest, the nest is something they produce through their effort, but it doesn't share their life, blood, or essence. The nest is a creation, while the eaglet is begotten--sharing the same life and nature as the parent.
By using this precise language, God makes clear that Jesus is not a created being, like an angel or a human. Instead, He is truly the Son, begotten from the Father's own essence. He is fully divine, because He shares the same nature as the Father.
Often we're accused of lowering Jesus' status by emphasizing His role as Son. In fact, it's the opposite. By acknowledging Him as the only begotten, we actually elevate His divinity. We're affirming that He isn't just something made by God, but is the very offspring of God. The term "only begotten" (from the Greek word monogenes) serves as the ultimate testament to His divine nature. We hope that, as you reflect on this, you gain a fuller appreciation of who Jesus really is--the Son who shares the very nature of the Father.
The purposeful use of "only begotten" appears throughout the New Testament to anchor this truth:
John 1:14: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
John 1:18: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
John 3:16: "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."
John 3:18: "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."
1 John 4:9: "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."