Only-Begotten Son
John’s talk of the “only-begotten” has been taken as a reference to an “eternal begetting” of the Son. I agree. But the specific “begetting” spoken of in the Old Testament is the begetting of the “Son,” the Davidic king (Psalm 2:7 with 2 Samuel 7:14 and Hebrews 1), which occurs at the resurrection (Acts 13:33). That is, “begotten Son” is another way of saying “Risen Son” or even “Exalted King.”
Perhaps this is an immanent/economic thing: The eternal begetting of the Son is the eternal reality manifested in the temporal begetting of the Son from the dead. Or, to turn it around, the eternal begetting is an eternal “resurrection” of the Son from the Father. The Son is eternally rising to new life in the Spirit.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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