Ephesians; 1:3 – the Trinity; the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, part 8 (Col 1:15-20).

Sunday, September 30, 2018

 

Title: Ephesians; 1:3 - the Trinity; the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, part 8 (COL 1:15-20).

 

Only begotten (Greek, monogenes) = eternal generation or emanation. The Son was only begotten (unique One) from eternity and was given by the Father to mankind. 

 

This is related to the son-ship of Christ as introduced in the Old Testament, but expounded in the New Testament where it is used of Christ five times (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; I John 4:9), all in the writings of John.

 

The thought is clearly that Christ is the Begotten of God in the sense that no other is. He is without beginning, Creator of all things, the Originator of all things (the beginning), and also the first-born or preeminent One. The titles Father and Son relate to deity and also an intimate relationship of love from all eternity.

 

JOH 17:1 These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee,

 

JOH 17:2 even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life.

 

JOH 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

 

JOH 17:4 "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do.

 

JOH 17:5 "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.

 

We saw that when God called for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, that he called him “your son, your only one.” The sacrifice occurred on Mt. Moriah, the very place that Jesus would be sacrificed, where it would be the only place and time that He would ask, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Abraham called the place Yavah Yareh, God would provide. That day God provided a ram. Over 2000 years later, He would provide His only-begotten Son.

 

This is further illustrated in Heb 11.

 

HEB 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son (monogenes);

 

HEB 11:18 it was he to whom it was said, "In Isaac your descendants shall be called."

 

HEB 11:19 He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.

 

A type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father also received the Son back to the glory they shared before the world was. Death could not hold Him.

 

Isaac was the promised seed. Ishmael was not. There is only One name under heaven by which men can be saved. The promised One, born of a virgin, Mighty God.

 

The Son who was the only Begotten from eternity past was given by the Father.

 

Monogenes (only begotten) used by the Apostle John.

 

JOH 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

JOH 1:15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"

 

JOH 1:16 For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

 

JOH 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

 

JOH 1:18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God [many manuscripts have “only begotten Son”], who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

 

Only begotten from the Father and only begotten Son … in each of these two usages there is no definite article with only begotten, Father, or Son and that lays stress on characteristics rather than identity.

 

In verse 18 John writes theos at the head of the sentence even though it is an accusative, or object of the verb seen. “God no man has seen at any time…” emphasizes deity, and again, without the article, emphasizes the characteristics of deity. The only one to explain Him is the only begotten Son.

 

 “the only begotten son, who 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.” [Vine]

 

JOH 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

 

This 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. God gave us Himself. He gave us the greatest greatness. His Sonship was not the effect of His being given.

 

JOH 3:17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

 

JOH 3:18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

 

The name refers to the attributes of God. Jesus is the full revelation of God’s character and will. No created being could do it.

 

His love and grace were conveyed in the name of the Father who sent the Son to the earth as a human, lower than the angels for a little while in humiliation, provided as an object of faith, having two natures in one Person.

 

1JO 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

 

1JO 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

 

1JO 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

 

1JO 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.