Q5. Only Begotten God

[Zard]

                                                Trinity Quotes from Call the Words a Sage

 

Witnessing                       He with God always a witness

                                           Holy Trinity blessedness

 

Sealed                              Equals side by side glorified

                                           Heart to heart they ever abide

 

Truth                                 Christ as love, Father as wisdom

                                           Holy Spirit as truth, God’s kingdom

 

Waterfalls                        Triple Falls-Father wisdom power

                                           Son fount love Spirit truth shower

 

Truth                                 Father truth, Son peace, Spirit love

                                           Bequeath to beneath from above

Dear Reader-Please email me at marbout50@gmail.com if you would like a copy of my book, 

Call the Words a Sage

Thanks, Brian Bouton

 

[BC Diane]

John makes a definite distinction between God the Father and God the Son.  And yet they are one and the same - "the Word with God... the Word was God";  "No one has ever seen God; the only God who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known".  This is a mystery!  That Jesus is the ONLY GOD is absolutely true.  There is only one God.  That Jesus is the ONLY BEGOTTEN GOD is absolutely true.  As a human, He alone was physically begotten by God.  He is ONE AND ONLY in HIs humanity; He is ONE AND ONLY in His divinity.  As is the Father and the Spirit - God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

[Krissi]

This is a very difficult verse to understand. 

• No one has ever seen God. 
• The unique/only Son, himself God,
• (is also?) the one who is in the bosom of the Father.
• He (referring to the Son) has revealed himself.

1. By "unique" John may be letting the readers know that there will never be another Son, that Jesus was the only Son God would have, and no subsequent Sons should be expected. I believe this is what is meant by "only Son."

2. Yes, John distinguishes between the Son and the Father. He also equates them. The Son is BOTH God and somehow residing in God's bosom. Jesus is also outside of God, as would be a Son. I have two sons. They exist outside of my body, obviously. Perhaps the word "son" was chosen to emphasize that Jesus resided/existed outside the "body" of God?

3. Part of the problem, here, is that the word "trinity" does not appear in the Bible -- the concept of trinity, then, has to be deduced from passages that only hint about it without directly describing the trinity. Thus, we're stuck trying to figure out how three can be one. This confusion is further compounded by the concept of trinity being based on the idea of Christ's nature (God and man simultaneously.)

So, what does this mean for my concept of trinity? I'm not smart enough to understand either the trinity or the dual nature of Christ. My mind can only gloss over these concepts, never really taking it in. In a way, i'm left with the Holy Spirit only ... I think. The Spirit is IN me, and therefore quickens or enlightens the aspects of these concepts I need to know. Quite frankly, most of the time when I read the bible I do so without thinking of these foundational concepts.