My Journey to Life - Daily Study Guide

Q9. Scripture calls Jesus both “only begotten” and “firstborn.” Does this mean Jesus is a created being?

Picture: Q9. Scripture calls Jesus both “only begotten” and “firstborn.” Does this mean Jesus is a created being? JTLD 143.1

The term “only begotten” comes from the Greek word monogenes and can mean unique, as well as only. Isaac is called Abraham’s only begotten son (Hebrews 11:17) even though he was not Abraham’s only son, or even his firstborn. The Greek word for firstborn is prototokos which means the pre-eminent one, the one who receives the privileges of the firstborn, not necessarily the literal firstborn. For instance, David (Psalms 89:27), Jacob (Exodus 4:22), and Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:9) are called firstborn, yet none were literal firstborn children. They were symbolically called “firstborn” because they were inheritors of their father’s spiritual leadership and privileges. Similarly, Jesus possesses everything that His Father possesses. He has all the privileges and prerogatives of God. His existence is from eternity, with no beginning and no end. JTLD 143.2

• Bible Discovery: Psalms 89:19-29; Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 3:13; 8:58; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3
• Further Reading: Ellen G. White, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1126.4-5