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Dr Wilbur N Pickering's NT Translation.

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Yeshua1

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BDAG s.v. μονογενης (2): "an only-begotten one, God (acc. to his real being; I.e. uniquely divine as God's son.... a uniquely begotten deity.... Some... prefer to regard μ. as somewhat heightened in mng. in J and 1J to only-begotten or begotten of the Only One, in view of the emphasis on γεννασθσι εκ Θεού (J 1:13 al.); in this case it would be analogous to πρωτοτοκος"

So it appears that either rendering is acceptable, and no need to argue over it.
I agree with that statement, as just do not like the idea that we MUSt prefer one ove the other!
And still think those against only begotten reading into meaning of term , must mean created as JW do!
 

37818

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BDAG s.v. μονογενης (2): "an only-begotten one, God (acc. to his real being; I.e. uniquely divine as God's son.... a uniquely begotten deity.... Some... prefer to regard μ. as somewhat heightened in mng. in J and 1J to only-begotten or begotten of the Only One, in view of the emphasis on γεννασθσι εκ Θεού (J 1:13 al.); in this case it would be analogous to πρωτοτοκος"

So it appears that either rendering is acceptable, and no need to argue over it.
The term does not mean "begotten," or "born."
Post #20 sums this all up!
 

Van

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BDAG s.v. μονογενης (2): "an only-begotten one, God (acc. to his real being; I.e. uniquely divine as God's son.... a uniquely begotten deity.... Some... prefer to regard μ. as somewhat heightened in mng. in J and 1J to only-begotten or begotten of the Only One, in view of the emphasis on γεννασθσι εκ Θεού (J 1:13 al.); in this case it would be analogous to πρωτοτοκος"

So it appears that either rendering is acceptable, and no need to argue over it.

Just because a falsehood is believed, even by a majority, that has no bearing on the validity of the premise. It is not acceptable to perpetuate a mistranslation, even an old one, when the truth is known.
 

Van

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It is appropriate to quote from BDAG always. Not that it is always correct.
"Monogenēs is made from two Greek words. Monos means “alone, only, sole.” Genos has a range of meanings: “offspring, family, relation, lineage, race, kind, species,” etc.[3] However, etymology does not determine a word’s meaning; the way a word is used by writers is what counts. Accordingly, the Greek-English lexicon BDAG defines monogenēs as something “that is the only example of its category.”[4] It seems the real implication of this word is that Jesus Christ is God’s “one and only, unique” Son. As such, Jesus shares divinity with the Father in a unique way (Col. 2:9 cf. Heb. 1:3).[5]"

It would be nice to know whether BDAG has been edited to present an inaccurate view?

Since the entry is not readily available on the internet, why not copy and paste the whole entry?
 

Origen

Active Member
I posted the complete entries from both the 2nd and 3rd editions.

The new LSV(Literal Standard version)

μονογενής, ές (μόνος, γένος; Hes.; LXX; PsSol 18, 4; TestSol 20:2; TestBenj 9:2; ParJer 7:26; ApcEsdr 6:16; ApcSed 9:2; Joseph., Just.; loanw. in rabb.) acc. μονογενῆ (-ῆν J 3:16 v.l.; Hb 11:17 D; also ApcEsdr 6:16)

1. pert. to being the only one of its kind within a specific relationship, one and only, only (so mostly, incl. Judg 11:34; Tob 3:15; 8:17) of children: of Isaac, Abraham’s only son (Jos., Ant. 1, 222) Hb 11:17. Of an only son (PsSol 18:4; TestSol 20:2; ParJer 7:26; Plut., Lycurgus 59 [31, 8]; Jos., Ant. 20, 20) Lk 7:12; 9:38. Of a daughter (Diod. S. 4, 73, 2) of Jairus 8:42. (On the motif of a child’s death before that of a parent s. EpigrAnat 13, ’89, 128f, no. 2; 18, ’91, 94 no. 4 [244/45 AD]; GVI nos. 1663–69.)

2. pert. to being the only one of its kind or class, unique (in kind) of someth. that is the only example of its category (Cornutus 27 p, 49, 13 εἷς κ. μονογενὴς ὁ κόσμος ἐστί. μονογενῆ κ. μόνα ἐστίν=‘unique and alone’; Pla., Timaeus 92c; Theosophien 181, §56, 27). Of a mysterious bird, the Phoenix 1 Cl 25:2.—In the Johannine lit. (s. also ApcEsdr and ApcSed: ὁ μονογενής υἱός; Hippol., Ref. 8, 10, 3; Did., Gen. 89, 18; ὑμνοῦμέν γε θεὸν καὶ τὸν μ. αὐτοῦ Orig., C. Cels. 8, 67, 14; cp. ἡ δύναμις ἐκείνη ἡ μ. Hippol., Ref. 10, 16, 6) μονογενὴς υἱός is used only of Jesus. The renderings only, unique may be quite adequate for all its occurrences here (so M-M., NRSV et al.; DMoody, JBL 72, ’53, 213–19; FGrant, ATR 36, ’54, 284–87; GPendrick, NTS 41, ’95, 587–600). τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μ. ἔδωκεν J 3:16 (Philo Bybl. [100 AD]: 790 fgm. 2 ch. 10, 33 Jac. [in Eus., PE 1, 10, 33]: Cronus offers up his μονογενὴς υἱός). ὁ μ. υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ vs. 18; τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μ. ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεός 1J 4:9; cp. Dg 10:2. On the expr. δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός J 1:14 s. Hdb. ad loc. and PWinter, Zeitschrift für Rel. u. Geistesgeschichte 5, ’53, 335–65 (Engl.). See also Hdb. on vs. 18 where, beside the rdg. μονογενὴς θεός (considered by many the orig.) an only-begotten one, God (acc. to his real being; i.e. uniquely divine as God’s son and transcending all others alleged to be gods) or a uniquely begotten deity (for the perspective s. J 10:33–36), another rdg. ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός is found. MPol 20:2 in the doxology διὰ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Some (e.g. WBauer, Hdb.; JBulman, Calvin Theological Journal 16, ’81, 56–79; JDahms, NTS 29, ’83, 222–32) prefer to regard μ. as somewhat heightened in mng. in J and 1J to only-begotten or begotten of the Only One, in view of the emphasis on γεννᾶσθαι ἐκ θεοῦ (J 1:13 al.); in this case it would be analogous to πρωτότοκος (Ro 8:29; Col 1:15 al.).—On the mng. of μονογενής in history of religion s. the material in Hdb.3 25f on J 1:14 (also Plut., Mor. 423a Πλάτων . . . αὐτῷ δή φησι δοκεῖν ἕνα τοῦτον [sc. τὸν κόσμον] εἶναι μονογενῆ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἀγαπητόν; Wsd 7:22 of σοφία: ἔστι ἐν αὐτῇ πνεῦμα νοερὸν ἅγιον μονογενές.—Vett. Val. 11, 32) as well as the lit. given there, also HLeisegang, Der Bruder des Erlösers: Αγγελος I 1925, 24–33; RBultmann J (comm., KEK) ’50, 47 n. 2; 55f.—DELG s.v. μένω. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.

I also posted this.
The new LSV(Literal Standard version)
 

37818

Well-Known Member
"Monogenēs is made from two Greek words. Monos means “alone, only, sole.” Genos has a range of meanings: . . .
The second word is also typically cited as, ginomai, Strong's Greek number 1096.
 

Van

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So after the dust settles, monogenes refers to a one of a kind, unique entity. BDAG provides almost no support for the mistranslation, stating clearly one of a kind or unique best translates the actual meaning. I am not sure what is being said, perhaps in John and 1 John uniquely divine is preferred to only begotten. :)
 

Origen

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So after the dust settles, monogenes refers to a one of a kind, unique entity. BDAG provides almost no support for the mistranslation...
I don't think BDAG even does that. It states: "Some prefer to regard μ. as somewhat heightened in mng. in J and 1J..." Not exactly an enthusiastic endorsement of the view.
 
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Origen

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Murrray J. Harris has a brief but very interring discussion on μονογενής in Prepositions and Theology in the Greek New Testament p.174.

Μονογενής (from μόνος + γένος) denotes “the only member of a kin or kind” (LSJ 1144a). So in a familial sense it means “of sole descent” (F. Büchsel, TDNT 4:738), referring to the only child in a family, a meaning attested in secular Greek literature (e.g., Hesiod, Op. 376), the LXX (e.g., Jdg 11:34; Tob 3:15), and other Jewish literature (e.g., Josephus, Ant, 1.222; 5.264), and the NT (Lk 7:12; 8:42; 9:38). From the personal application of μονογενής to “the only member of a kin” there developed a nonfamilial and (sometimes) nonpersonal use in reference to “the only member of a kind” (Latin unicus, “sole, unique”; cf. μόνος, “alone” and γένος, “species”).

But in Johannine usage the conjunction of μονογενής and υἱός (Jn 3:16, 18; 1Jn 4:9) shows that it is not the personal uniqueness of Jesus in itself that John is emphasizing but his being “of sole descent” as the Son of God. He is without spiritual siblings. He is “sole-born” and peerless. No one else can lay claim to the title Son of God in the sense in which it applies to Christ. Certainly, in relation to πατήρ the term μονογενής in Jn 1:18 is likely to mean “the one and only Son” (NIV2) rather than “the only One” or “the One and Only” (NIV1).

Etymologically, μονογενής is not associated with begetting (γεννάομαι) but with existence (γίγνομαι). Yet it is not surprising that μονογενής soon came to acquire overtones of “being begotten” or “generation,” for in 1Jn 5:18 Christ is described as ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, “ the One who was born of God.” It seems that the impulse to render μονογενής by unigenitus (Latin, “only begotten,” as in the comparatively late Greek creeds translated into Latin) rather than by unicus (as in the earlier Latin renderings) arose from christological dispute and in particular the desire to establish from Scripture the doctrine of the generation of [p. 175] the Son by and from the Father.1 As far as the evidence of the NT is concerned, μονογενής depicts familial relations, not manner of birth. John does not have in mind either the virgin birth of Jesus or the “eternal generation” of the Son when he uses μονογενής, although F. Büchsel (TDNT 4:741) suggests that μονογενής “probably includes also [the idea of] begetting by God.”
 
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