The Reasoning Behind John 3:16, 17

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3: 16, 17.

Such is God’s Valentine to humanity.

Jesus is called “God’s only begotten Son.” The word “begotten” is a compound of two Greek words used in Scripture. One word is mono, meaning “one.” The other is genes, meaning “kind, type, or species.” Combined they are used to speak of God’s only one of a kind son. The Greek monogynist is used to mean the only one of the same nature as. In Scripture Jesus is not spoken of as a Son of God, but the Son of God. 

Two different Greek words are translated “son” in Scripture. 

Teknon stresses the fact of human birth. It is used of homosapiens. 

Huios emphasizes dignity and character relationships. It is used of Jesus.

This is the line of logic that leads Christians to revere Jesus as the nexus of God.

As such, Christians believe Jesus was God manifest as a corporeal, touchable, human being: the man/God-God/man.

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colos. 2: 9)

Godhead translates “theotetos” meaning not just divine attributes, but the very essence, the nature of God, the totality of who God the Father is, His supreme nature. 

The term “son” is not used in the sense of progeny, offspring. It speaks of association, not generation. The dictionary as well as Scripture recognizes the title as referring to association, not generation. James and John were called “the sons of thunder.” The name Barnabas means “son of encouragement.”

God the Father, and God Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit in association formed the Godhead as coequal, three in one.

Jesus “ . . .  was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (I Peter 1: 20) This means before time began it was predetermined Jesus would be our propitiation.          

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2: 17) 

A graphic of what is meant by propitiation is an old Tarzan movie in which the natives would sacrifice a chicken to the gods as a peace offering to get a given result. The purpose and result of Jesus’ sacrificial death, His propitiation, are: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved….”  (Acts 16: 31)