– Conception and Resurrection –
Contexts of Gennao Outside John's Gospel
The verb gennao appears in various contexts in the New Testament. In some places, gennao might at first seem to have a meaning other than what it has in John. Those passages are explained below.
Conception
Matthew 1:20 says: "that which is conceived [gennao] in her is of the Holy Spirit" (KJV unless noted). Here, a translator has the difficult task of deciding whether to give a rendering that reads smoothly in English or one that stays close to the original Greek at the expense of English. If the rendering stays close to the original, it would be, "that which is begotten in her" or "that which is born in her"; but both of these sound odd in English. Older translators tried to convey the sense. The Wycliff Bible speaks of that which is born in her, and the Vulgate does this with the expression natum est (is born) in her.
Since the King James Version was meant to be read in churches, it had to reflect good English. The translators gave the sense of the original rather than a word-by-word translation of the terms used. If they had chosen exact parallel terms, they would have had to construct an English sentence that would refer to the result — to that which had been brought about in Mary's womb.
On the other hand, if Matthew had intended to describe conception (the beginning stage) rather than what he describes (the final stage), he would have used the verb syllambano (to conceive). In conclusion, no reference to conception is made in Matthew 1:20, and, despite the problems of translation, the verb gennao is used in the same sense here as it is used in John's Gospel.
The resurrection
In Acts 13:32-34, Luke wrote: "This day have I begotten [gennao] thee." This might suggest a reference to the resurrection. However, this would mean that Jesus Christ became the Son of God at the resurrection — which contradicts numerous passages in the New Testament in which Jesus is called the Son of God even before his resurrection. For example, John the Baptist called him the Son of God (John 1:34). Satan challenged Jesus by saying: "If you are the Son of God..." (Matthew 4:3). Later, the demons recognized him as the Son (Matthew 8:29), and at his crucifixion, the crowds taunted him on the same point (Matthew 27:40). Therefore, Acts 13:33 cannot mean that Jesus became the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.
The expression "This day have I begotten thee" is a quote from Psalm 2:7. The sonship of Christ was pronounced from heaven during the transfiguration, too, with a quotation from the same psalm (Matthew 17:5), and earlier still, during his baptism (Matthew 3:17), and even before his human birth (John 3:16). In these passages, as well as Hebrews 1:5 and 5:5, the word "today" is simply a part of the Old Testament scripture that carries the all-important element — Christ's sonship. The passage is quoted because it contains the phrase, "You are my Son," not because it says "today." We often quote entire passages even when we need only a part of them.
Since Acts 13:33 and other passages cannot mean that Jesus Christ became God's Son by his resurrection, we need to examine the original context (Psalm 2:7) to see what it meant there.
"This day" in Psalm 2
The psalm (verse 2) says that kings rise and conspire against the Lord and his Anointed — a reference to Christ. This is a Messianic hymn, which early Christians must have quoted frequently. Verse 6 of the psalm speaks of a decree and of the king's ascension to the throne, and verse 12 adds the result — homage to the king.
2 Samuel 7:12-14 sheds some light on this. There, God makes a covenant with David to establish Solomon's kingdom. He announces that he will be Solomon's Father, and Solomon will be his son. This passage refers to a human king rather than to Christ, as we can see from verse 14, "If he [the king] commits iniquity, I will chasten him." On the day the king ascended to the throne, he was "begotten of God" — a standard formula for enthronements. Further support for this is found in later Jewish literature. One of the Targums says: "Thou art as dear to me as a son to his father, and innocent as though I had this day created thee."
The reason for the king's privileged position was the anointing. The king was God's anointed. On that day he was set apart and accepted by God. The Book of Revelation echoes the same formula in the promise made to the believer who inherits God's kingdom: "I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (21:7; see also 2 Corinthians 6:17-18). In saying that God will be a Father and the believer a son, God is not implying that he is not a Father now, or that believers are not already God's children (Matthew 6:9).
Son of God — by the resurrection
Romans 1:4 says that Jesus Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." The difficulty presented by this passage is not one of translation, text or context — it is one of exegesis. The first step is to analyze the statement itself. An example may help us understand how the language works. If a general maneuvers his armies on the battlefield in such a way as to win the battle and bring his forces home, he may receive a medal. Someone might say that the battle "declared him to be a general with unusual strategic prowess." This statement is not meant to be taken to declare him to be a general. He was a general, even before the historic battle. The statement declares him to be a brilliant general.
The above example can help clarify Paul's statement. The resurrection declared Jesus Christ to be the "Son of God with power" — that is to say, the powerful Son of God. The power is implicit in the exaltation of the Son of God. He was already the Son of God, as can be seen in verse 3: God's Son "was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." In other words, God gave his Son for the sins of the world (John 3:16), and this Son of God came as a physical descendant of David (Romans 1:3). Paul's theology demands careful handling of this refinement. He is saying that Christ's physical descent is not the fullness of the Son of God, but his resurrection from the dead places him in a special relation to us — one marked with power.
Firstborn from the dead
It is sometimes proposed, based on Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5, that Jesus Christ would not be called the firstborn from the dead unless others would be born in the same way later. In other words, the term "first" suggests that others follow, who will be born in the same way as the first. This interpretation is wrong. There is no term "first" or a term "born" in the text. The term "firstborn" is used, which is a title. The meaning of the title is not order of birth, but privilege.
In Exodus 4:22, Israel is described as God's "firstborn." This title does not assert that Israel was born first or that others would be born later. It is a title of honor, not a reference to birth or birth order. It describes a privileged position over other nations. Christ, as the "firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29) has a special position. He is preeminent, even to the extent of being worshipped by the angels (Hebrews 1:6).
Those born of God do not sin
"Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin" (1 John 3:9). This refers to practicing sin as a way of life. Translators try not to be wordy in their renditions, but some paraphrases are not afraid of expanding the verse to convey the meaning. For example, the Williams translation says: "No one who is born of God makes a practice of sinning...and so he cannot practice sinning, because he is born of God." This understanding of the passage is in agreement with John's teaching. He stresses that those who have love are born of God (1 John 4:7), and those who believe in Jesus Christ are born of God (1 John 5:1). Those statements are about a regeneration that takes place on the basis of a change of perspective, a conversion.
A Christian is a new creation as soon as he or she receives the Spirit of God and the word of God (1 Peter 1:23). They are considered "newborn babies," requiring "pure milk of the word" and spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2), until they come to the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). The birth from above marks only the beginning of the Christian life. There are important foundations to be laid, spiritual buildings to be constructed, maturity to be achieved, and knowledge to be obtained.
Copyright 1988
