16 February 2023 Anno Domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And 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 1:11-14; all scripture quoted is from the King James Version)
This is one devotion that I have hesitated to write even though it is the most important by far of all that I have written. It is of such import that I fear I cannot do it justice, but it needs to be written, nonetheless. I hope the subject covered will be used to open the hearts of many and set a flame burning that can never be extinguished. My devotion is about the most glorious, majestic, and almighty Being ever to be loved and known by man – the only Begotten Son of the Father – the Lord Jesus Christ.
The most all-encompassing term that describes Him is this – the only Begotten Son of the Father. There are two Creeds in the Church, each one of which we repeat in the Reformation Church of England. These two are the apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds. Both are intended to bind the Church under the One Mind that was in Christ Jesus. Professing the same faith and doctrine in the Virgin birth of our Lord, His sinless life, His sacrificial death and resurrection, and ascent to Heaven all join the worshippers around the world in that “faith once delivered to the saints.” It all centers on that most important title – Only Begotten Son of the Father.
The Nicene Creed was adopted by the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. principally for the purpose of combating the Arian heresy which denied the divinity of Christ. That is how important the Church Fathers considered the recognition of Jesus Christ – not as the ‘one and only’ Son of God – but the only Begotten Son of God. Though the godless world concurs, it is the Church itself today that is attempting to reduce our Lord from His rightful title as only Begotten Son to simply a son of God, even if they claim ‘one and only.’ The new bible versions are guilty of corrupting the Word of God in changing that title of the only Begotten Son to ‘one and only’ Son. Our Lord is not the one and only son of God for all of faith are sons and daughters of God. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:4-7) Declaring Christ to be the one and only Son would either make God a liar in John 3:16, or else bring Christ down to the common mass of mortal sons. Christ is the only Son begotten of the Father – we are not – we are ADOPTED – an important distinction!
Christ is not merely ‘a’ Son of God. His Divinity makes a distinction between the mortal and the divine. Though all of faith are sons and daughters by process of adoption, Jesus Christ is not like unto those of us who are adopted into the family of God by grace. He is God, and the Son of God, by virtue of substance and nature. He has existed from eternity past and was begotten in His incarnation by God through the means of the Virgin. Having no human blood in His veins, He was not tainted by the sins of Adam. The Greek term for Begotten is ‘μονογενής,’ or mono genes meaning only naturally born son of God in the flesh. He bears the same Mind and Nature of the Father. He is the Word made flesh who was with the Father in the beginning and by whom all things were made. The Father and Son are both God and equally divine with the same will and substance. While the Father and the Son share qualities, they do not have the same identity of Persons. The Godhead is comprised of Three Persons all with like natures and minds. If we miss the distinction of Christ as ONLY BEGOTTEN, we miss Christ and His glory.
I find the demeaning of the title of the only Begotten Son by those who wish to bring Him down from His rightful place of divinity – a thing impossible to be done, but an error of faith with egregious results.
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 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.” (1 John 4:7-9) (KJV)
Volumes have been written on this very subject by learned scholars and faithful Bible scholars of the past, but the average Christian is not going to read ‘volumes’ on the subject. In fact, he does not need to for the Bible presents the truth in terms so simple even a child, and men like me, can understand. Please use discernment when exposed to the manipulations of faithless professors who presume to manipulate the Word.
