Question 33 - Why is He called God's only begotten Son, since we also are children of God?
Answer - Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God.1 We, however, are children of God by adoption, through grace, for Christ's sake.2
1 John 1:1-3, 14, 18; 3:16; Rom. 8:32; Heb. 1; I John 4:9. 2 John 1:12; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:5, 6.
Question 34 - Why do you call Him our Lord?
Answer - Because He has ransomed us, body and soul,1 from all our sins, not with silver or gold but with His precious blood,2 and has freed us from all the power of the devil to make us His own possession.3
1 I Cor. 6:20; I Tim. 2:5, 6. 2 I Peter 1:18, 19. 3 Col. 1:13, 14; Heb. 2:14, 15.
Have you ever done an in-depth study of this word??? I think it is sort of lost in the English and, admittedly, it has been about 20 years since I have looked at it. I think there is more to it but I recall that it was difficult to understand the full import.
I did a brief review of this word. I would suggest the Cathcism has somewhat overstated the meaning. It simply means unique - the widow of Nain's son was her monogenes son, Issac was Abraham's monogenes son (despite his having other children), etc. I don't think we can add any more to it than simply something of uniqueness (which indeed Jesus is!). In what manner Jesus is unique is not specified by this word but unique He is indeed.
Mike,
Have you ever done an in-depth study of this word??? I think it is sort of lost in the English and, admittedly, it has been about 20 years since I have looked at it. I think there is more to it but I recall that it was difficult to understand the full import.
Greg
Mike,
I did a brief review of this word. I would suggest the Cathcism has somewhat overstated the meaning. It simply means unique - the widow of Nain's son was her monogenes son, Issac was Abraham's monogenes son (despite his having other children), etc. I don't think we can add any more to it than simply something of uniqueness (which indeed Jesus is!). In what manner Jesus is unique is not specified by this word but unique He is indeed.