What Does it Mean that Jesus is the “Begotten” Son of God?

Published on by nickcady

I recently received this comment on my post titled What Does It Mean that Jesus is the Son of God?:

One definition of “begotten” is to create or produce, to bring into existence. 

If God and Jesus are both eternal, and they have no beginning of existence and no end of existence, how is Jesus God’s begotten son?

The answer to this question lies in understanding the Greek word translated “begotten” and the attempt to explain something important that challenges the limits of human language.

“Begotten” Does Not Mean “Created”

When the early church clarified its beliefs about Jesus at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), it used a very precise phrase:

γεννηθέντα, οὐ ποιηθέντα (gennēthenta, ou poiēthenta) = “Begotten, not made.”

That phrase is crucial.

  • “Made” means created—something that comes into existence
  • “Begotten” means sharing the same nature as the one who begets
  • gennaō (γεννάω) = “to beget” implies the same nature
  • poieō (ποιέω) = “to make” implies a different nature

So when Christians say Jesus is begotten, they are explicitly saying that He is not a created being.

This language was chosen in response to teachers like Arius, who argued that the Son (Jesus) was a created being. The church’s answer was clear: Jesus is not made—He is begotten.

Why Say that Jesus is “Begotten” at All?

We get this language from the Bible, and from Jesus’ own words. For this reason, it’s important that we not dismiss them, but receive them and try to understand them.

In passages like John 1:14, 1:18, and 3:16, Jesus is called the “only begotten Son.”

The Greek word behind this phrase is: μονογενής (monogenēs)

While it has traditionally been translated in English as “only begotten,” its meaning is slightly different. It most directly means: “one of a kind,” “unique,” or “only one of His kind”

So when John calls Jesus the monogenēs Son, he is emphasizing that:

  • Jesus is the unique Son of God
  • He is not one Son among many
  • He is the Son in a completely different category

This fits with what the creed later clarifies: Jesus is not just another “child of God” – He is the Son of God in a way that no one else is.

“Begotten” Speaks of Relationship, Not Beginning

Theologians have used the phrase “eternal generation” to describe this truth:

  • The Father is eternally Father
  • The Son is eternally Son
  • The Son is from the Father—but not after the Father

In other words: There was never a time when the Son did not exist. So “begotten” does not describe a moment in time, but rather an eternal relationship within the Godhead.

Why Not Just Say “Born”?

The Greek word gennaō can also be translated “born,” so this raises a question about why English translations of the Bible and creeds use the word “begotten” instead?

The reason is an attempt at theological precision.

  • “Born” tends to imply a moment in time
  • “Begotten” emphasizes shared nature, without implying that there was a “starting point” when it began.

So, begotten is carefully chosen to preserve the idea that the Son is unique and that He shares in the Father’s nature, but was not created.

The Unique Son: Jesus Is the Son by Nature; We Become Sons by Adoption

This brings us to an important distinction. The Bible says that we become sons or children of God through faith in Jesus (John 1:12, 1 John 3:1)

As sons of God, we share in the inheritance which is ours as sons, and Jesus is our brother. But there is a difference between the way that we are sons of God and the way that Jesus is the Son of God.

  • Jesus is the only begotten Son
  • Believers are adopted as sons (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:4–7)

Jesus is:

  • Son by nature
  • Eternal
  • Shares the same divine essence as the Father

We (believers) are:

  • Sons and daughters by adoption
  • Not sons from eternity past, but:
  • Brought into God’s family by grace

John 1:12 says: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

We become children of God. Jesus never became the Son, He has always been the unique Son of God – in a way that no one else is or ever will be.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just a technical theological point, it’s actually essential to the gospel.

If Jesus were made, then He would be a creature. But if Jesus is “begotten, not made,” then He is fully God.

And that matters because:

  • Only God can fully reveal God
  • Only God can truly save

The message of the gospel is that the eternal Son of God came to us, so that we, who are not sons by nature, might become sons by grace.

Going Deeper: “Eternal Generation” versus “Procession”

The doctrine of “Eternal Generation” is the way that theologians explain some of the passages in the Bible which describe the Son as being from the Father, while not being created by the Father. This is different from “procession,” which is the term traditionally used for the Holy Spirit.

For example:

  • “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
  • “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:26)
  • “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3a)
  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

The Bible describes the Son as being “from” the Father, but not as a created being or someone who came into existence at some point—rather, as the eternal Son who has always been in perfect relationship with the Father.

Here are four basic assertions about the Trinity that are universally accepted by Christians [1]:

  1. There is one and only one true and living God.
  2. This one God eternally exists in three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
  3. These three Persons are completely equal in attributes, each sharing the same divine nature.
  4. While each Person is fully and completely God, the Persons are not identical.

It is in an attempt to write down what the Bible, and Jesus Himself stated regarding the nature of God, that we use the terms “begotten” and explain it using the language of “eternal generation.”

Resources for Further Study

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