In the above set of verses, that word "firstbegotten"
is derived from the Greek word "prototokos", which is
pronounced pro-tot-ok'-os. The Greek lexicon provides this
information concerning this word:

----- Begin Quote -----

AV - firstborn 7, first begotten 2; 9

1) the firstborn
1a) of man or beast
1b) of Christ, the first born of all creation

----- End Of Quote -----

As can be seen, the word "firstbegotten" is synonymous with
"firsborn", which means that others will follow. But exactly
what is Paul referring to here? The answer is found in the
very next words he writes: "firstbegotten into the world".
In other words, it is possible that Paul may be explaining
that Jesus was the first spiritual Being to be born into
this world in human flesh through the process of natural
childbirth, exactly as we saw earlier with the words "only
begotten". As proof of this, consider the following verses
where this same Greek word "prototokos" is also used and
translated as "firstborn":

"And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn
son: and he called his name JESUS."
(Matthew 1:25, KJV)

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there
was no room for them in the inn."
(Luke 2:7, KJV)

Thus we see that, exactly like the Greek word "monogenes",
this word "prototokos" is also used in association with
human childbirth. However, it should be noted that this is
not the only way that Paul uses this word. We have already
seen that Jesus is "the only begotten Son of God", as well
as "the first begotten of the dead"; in other words, He was
the first born in both cases. Paul also uses this word
"prototokos" to refer to this new "Super Race" of which
Jesus is its first member:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren."
(Romans 8:29, KJV)

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
every creature: For by him were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he
is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he
is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fulness dwell;"
(Colossians 1:15-19, KJV)

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,"
(Hebrews 12:22-23, KJV)

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the
first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of
the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood,"
(Revelation 1:5, KJV)

Thus we see that in more ways than one, Jesus Christ truly
is the Firstborn of God's Creation. To clarify this point,
He is the first of God's spiritual beings to be born by the
Will of God in human flesh; and He is also the first of
God's "Super Race" to be raised from the dead; and it is for
this reason that He is also the first, or the favorite, or
the most beloved, of His Father. Jesus said so Himself in
the following verse:

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the beginning of the creation of God;"
(Revelation 3:14, KJV)

This phrase "the beginning of the creation of God" refers
right back to what Paul said in his Epistle to the
Colossians:

". . . who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence."
(Colossians 1:18b, KJV)

In other words, if we put all of the preceding information
together, it seems to me that when we see this phrase "the
only begotten Son of God" used to describe Jesus, it means
two things: First, that Jesus Christ is the first and ONLY
spiritual son of God to come down to Earth to dwell in human
flesh; and second, that He is the Beginning, the Firstborn,
or the First Begotten of the Dead. He is the very beginning
of God's New Creation; and that New Creation is nothing less
than the worldwide spiritual Nation of born-again Believers
by faith, who will someday, hopefully soon, acquire their
full purchased posession; that is, their new Glorified
Bodies, and thus become in every sense of the word, God's
adopted Sons and Daughters, His race of Super Children:

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light:"
(1 Peter 2:9, KJV)

This is "the beginning of the creation of God" that Jesus
appears to be talking about. I want to make it very clear to
you that I am not saying that God created Jesus at the
beginning of time. This would seem to be in contradiction to
the following verses from Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews
which we looked at in part two of this series:

"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most
high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of
the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a
tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of
righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is,
King of peace; Without father, without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life;
but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest
continually."
(Hebrews 7:1-3, KJV)

The previous verses serve to further emphasize the Great
Sacrifice that Jesus made when He forsook His Heavenly
Abode, and His Eternal Divine Nature, in order to take upon
Himself the Earthly garb of human flesh; and then later to
give up the same by means of a cruel agonizing death, all
for the sake of we His wayward children:

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ
died for the ungodly."
(Romans 5:6, KJV)

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down
his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the
brethren."
(1 John 3:16, KJV)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be
equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name: That at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father."
(Philippians 2:5-11, KJV)

To continue our main discussion, perhaps another reason why
Jesus is referred to as "the only begotten Son of God" in
the Scriptures, is because at the time that the Gospels were
written, He was in fact the only one who had ever been
begotten through spiritual rebirth, that is, raised from the
dead and transformed into a combined physical, yet at the
same time, spiritual creature. He possessed, and does
possess, both human and Divine attributes. It is for this
reason that He is both Son of man, and Son of God.

Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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