Origin and Pre-existence of the Only Begotten Son

The only begotten Son of God is the eternal Word, who existed in the beginning as the Creator of all things, possessing a divine nature that is original, unborrowed, and underived. 📖

To understand His true origin and position, we must look to the Scriptures, which reveal Him not as a created being, but as the one through whom all creation came into existence.

The Eternal Pre-existence of the Son

The Bible is clear that the Son did not begin His existence at His birth in Bethlehem. He was present before the first act of creative power was exercised.

• ** John 1:1-3:** "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."

• ** Micah 5:2:** The prophet declares that His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." In Hebrew, the term for "everlasting" (olam) denotes time hidden or vanishing, reaching back into the days of eternity.

• ** John 17:5:** Jesus Himself prayed, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

The Nature of His "Begotten" Status

The term "only begotten" (from the Greek monogenēs) signifies His unique relationship and nature as being of the same substance as the Father. It does not imply a beginning in time, for He is the source of all life.

• ** John 1:4:** "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." This life is eternal and immortal, the exclusive property of God.

• ** Colossians 1:17:** "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." To be "before all things" means He exists outside the timeline of created things.

• ** Hebrews 1:3:** He is described as "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person." He is the perfect representation of the Deity.

His Position in the Heavenly Courts

Prior to His incarnation, the Son held a position of absolute equality and authority. He was the active agent in bringing the universe into being.

• ** Genesis 1:26:** In the work of creation, God said, "Let us make man in our image." This plurality reveals the Son working in perfect unity with the Father.

• ** Hebrews 1:2:** God "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds."

• ** Philippians 2:6:** Though He took the form of a servant later, He was originally "in the form of God" and "thought it not robbery to be equal with God."

The Fountain of Life

The Son is not a "streamlet" that receives life from another; He is the Fountain. While humans receive a physical life that can be taken away, the Son has life inherent in Himself.

• ** John 10:18:** Speaking of His life, He said, "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."

• ** 1 John 5:12:** "He that hath the Son hath life." This is because the Son's divinity is the believer’s only assurance of eternal life.

In summary, the Son’s "origin" is found in the depths of eternity past, where He stood as the "Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning [source/ruler] of the creation of God" (** Revelation 3:14). He is the "Mighty God" and "The everlasting Father" ( Isaiah 9:6**), whose position is at the very center of the throne of the universe. 🙏✨

Psalms 8:22-30

The passage you are referencing, which is actually ** Proverbs 8:22-30**, teaches that the only begotten Son of God was "set up from everlasting" as the active agent and companion of the Father in the work of creationATO 124.2+1. While the Father is "greater" in office and position as the Source from whom the Son proceeded, they are of one identical substance and nature, sharing the same eternal life and divine attributes5BC 1130.3+2.

The Eternal Procession of the Son

The Scriptures describe a time in the days of eternity when Christ "proceeded forth and came from God," yet this occurred so far back that it is beyond finite comprehensionPTUK January 9, 1896, page 18.7.

• Set Up from Everlasting: In the beginning of His way, before the earth was or the heavens were prepared, the Son was "brought forth" or "possessed" by the Father (from the Hebrew qanah) Proverbs 8:22-24PTUK October 24, 1895, page 673.3.

• The Only Begotten: Christ is the Son of God not by creation, like angels or humans, but by birth, having "by inheritance" obtained a more excellent name than all other beings Hebrews 1:4PTUK July 18, 1895, page 451.15+1.

• Equal in Substance: As the "express image" of the Father's person, the Son possesses all the attributes of Deity—including original, unborrowed, and underived life—by nature Hebrews 1:35BC 1130.3+1.

The Meaning of "The Father is Greater"

When Jesus declared that the Father is greater, He was speaking of the absolute authority of the Father as the Giver of life, while the Son is the One through whom that life flows to the universe John 14:28ARSH November 14, 1854, page 106.2+1.

• The Giver and the Receiver: Scripture states that the Father "hath given to the Son to have life in himself," acknowledging the Father as the great Source of all things John 5:26ARSH November 14, 1854, page 106.2.

• Equality of Nature: While the Father may be considered "elder" or "greater" in the sense of parental relationship, the Son is "equal with God" in nature and was "in the form of God" from the beginning Philippians 2:6SLH 75.4+1.

• Unity of Essence: This relationship does not imply that the Son is a created being; rather, He is of the very substance of God, making Him the only One of sufficient value to represent the Deity and perform the work of redemption9MR 126.1+2.

The Son as the Master Workman

Proverbs 8:30 describes the Son as one "brought up with Him," functioning as the "Master Workman" or "Architect" during the creation of the worlds Proverbs 8:30PTUK October 24, 1895, page 673.3.

• Daily His Delight: The Son was always with the Father, sharing His glory "before the world was," and was the medium through whom all things were created John 1:1-3ATO 124.2+1.

• The Fountain of Life: Because the Son shares the Father's self-existent nature, He is not a mere "streamlet" but the "Fountain of life" itself, possessing the power to give eternal life to all who believe in Him John 17:35BC 1130.3+1.

• Divine Sovereignty: The Father and Son work in such perfect unity that to claim they have separate interests or plans is to deny the very divinity of Christ John 10:30SITI November 20, 1884, page 697.15.