The Adopted Significance of [Before All Worlds]

NICENE CREED

the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds

In the context of Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, the early church fathers of the Apostles’ Creed chose this term (begotten) to describe that as a man, Jesus subsists (proceeds) from the Almighty Father in the fleshly form. The term should only be used to describe (the function of his earthly work) to fulfill the covenant of works required by the law as the sole Mediator before God on behalf of the fallen race (1Tim.2:5). The Lord Jesus, who was eternally God before the world was made, let go of equality with the Almighty, which he possesses as the Creator of the world, to live under the likeness of the laws of the Father’s Providence to redeem the sinful race from the curse and condemnation of Adam (Php.2:5-11; Gal.3:13-14; 4:4-5; Jn.5:17). Therefore, he is understood to be begotten and not made in this context *[alone]. He is not a created soul, nor did he take on a human soul as the term (begotten) would normally suggest (Isa.43:15; Jn.1:3; Heb.11:3).

The passage often used to support the term (begotten) comes out of the Septuagint in Psalm 2, where Paul quotes it in Acts 13 and again by the writer of Hebrews several times. In each of these cases, the Greek gegenneka is used to describe the adoption of a son to the Father as the application of Psalm 2 from the eternal and complete perspective of God’s perfect mind (1Cor.2:16). But this is supposed to be applied alongside the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s mediation, which reconciles sinners to God as being born (from above) (Jn.1:12-13; 3:3, 5-7, 11-13, 31; 1Pet.1:23), not as Christ’s birth into the existence of flesh and blood (Matt.16:17; 1Cor.15:50), for that life is spoken of as Christ crucified as king of the Jews (Heb.2:14; Matt.2:2; 27:11; Lk.23:37; Jn.18:39; 19:14, 19-22). Therefore, this is not directly speaking of Christ’s adoption as a son of David (Jn.7:42; Rom.1:3; 2Tim.2:8; Matt.1:1, 16, 20; Lk.3:23), for he was always with the Father (Jn.1:18; 6:46), but of the adopting nature of the holy life of Christ’s perfections that is *[imputed] to those through his death (Heb.1:5), being the express meritorious image given to those who believe (Heb.1:1-4); “adopting” them, who were once sinners, as “sons of God” (Heb.2:10-15).  

In the application of the Holy Spirit joining the justified soul to the Father, by the use of Christ’s perfect merit from before the foundation of the world (Matt.5:48; Heb.4:3-7), while it’s still called, and in the function of, “Today,” the term begotten (Lk.4:21; 19:9; 23:43), under this context (Heb.3:13), should be associated with our election in Christ according to the mind of God before the foundation of the world (Heb.1:5; 3:7, 13, 15; 4:7; 5:5; Eph.1:3-6; 2Cor.6:2). He foresaw us and He foreloved us in the acceptable day of His choosing (2Cor.6:2). 

Therefore, this term should also never be confused with (generation), under the context of Christ’s nature as one co-existing and eternal substance with God and equal to God, as some of the later early fathers may suggest or be found misunderstood. Jesus Christ is not a generation (a creation) of the Father but a hypostasis of God in the human likeness (and weakness) of a man (Rom.8:3-4). This union with the flesh gave God, as the child born unto us (Isa.9:6; Matt.1:21-23), the capability of death (Phil.2:5-8; Heb.2:9), but because Jesus was not a generation of the Father, the law of death could not hold his incorruptible soul under the corruption of our death (Matt.16:18; Acts 2:24; 1Cor.15:55, 56; Heb.2:14). Therefore, this early creed is most likely using the term (begotten) under the understanding of the Greek term monogenes. Therefore, Christ’s Sonship is given for us to function as the glory of God before the face of God under the Lordship of God as sons of this adoption being made holy and blameless before the face of God in a sincere eternal and unchangeable love (Num.23:19; Dt.32:4).

This term identifies Jesus as the one and only unique Son of God (Jn.1:14; 3:16, 18), who transcends the created fallen order of flesh and blood (Heb.2:14; Matt.11:27; 16:17; 1Cor.2:10; Gal.1:16), being exalted as the preeminent High Priest of the glorious order of the Father (Heb.5:5; Rev.5:6, 12; 13:8; 17:18; Matt.25:34). On behalf of the fallen creation, “the Holy One,” who alone is comparable and relative to the Father (Col.1:15), takes on the fallen order (flesh and blood) to reconcile all things to the new and glorious order of the new heavens and new earth as “one new man” from the two (2Cor.5:18, 19; Col.1:20; Eph.2:11-18; 4:10; Php.3:21; Rev.21:5), of which he is Most High God, in immanent function and form (1Tim.6:15; Rev.17:14; 19:11-16; 20:4-6), as the Everlasting Father of our “generation” (in Him)(Isa.9:6); and through the adoption of His perfect earthly work (Jn.19:30; Lk.23:46), the transcendent Father has begotten the elect sons of His everlasting kingdom through Christ’s perfect work predestined before the foundation of the world (Heb.2:13; Isa.8:18; Rom.9:26; Rev.3:12; 21:7; Mark 15:34), those regenerated by the gospel working through the power of the Holy and eternal Spirit in us (Acts 13:32-33; Rom.8:28-30). 

“It is probably this act of faith which St Leo had in mind when he remarked, “at our regeneration … we renounce the devil and express our belief in God”, and again, “He is not in agreement with God who is out of harmony with the profession he made at his regeneration, and who, unmindful of the divine contract, is found remaining attached to what he renounced while departing from what he said he believed.””

J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds, Third Edition. (London; New York: Continuum, 2006), 37.