When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. – Genesis 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 6, 2024): Genesis 5

It is probably the most famous Bible verse of our society. Not long ago, the Bible reference could be seen on a placard at almost every sporting event in the English-speaking world. Often, these placards simply read "John 3:16." Eventually, it began to become the butt of jokes. What does the placard mean? Maybe someone wants to meet in Washroom #3, stall 16.

Inside the church, most of us have John 3:16 memorized. I first memorized the verse from the King James Translation of the Bible as a child. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 KJV).

But I have a problem with our famous Bible verse. Maybe not the whole verse, but with one word in the verse; that word is "begotten." The New International Version rephrases it slightly better, omitting the word begotten. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).

What is the problem with the word "begotten?" It indicated the beginning of an existence. It is a word that the King James Version uses in this and many of the following verses of Genesis 5. According to the King James Version, Genesis 5:3 reads, "And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth" (Genesis 5:3 KJV). Seth represented a new life in the image and likeness of his father, just as his father had been created in the image and likeness of God. It is a condition of the species. We tend to be in the likeness of our parents. In some way, even today, we bear the image and likeness of God because we are the children of Adam. We are "begotten."

However, that does not include Jesus. Jesus was not "begotten." We believe that he is eternal, just like his Father. With anyone else, there is a point where we are begotten, where our existence begins. But that is not so with Jesus. My God is not begotten. He doesn't have a beginning or an end. Pastor David Guzik makes this argument regarding Genesis 5:3.

Even as Seth was in Adam's fallen image and likeness, so also is every one of us. We are all sons and daughters of Adam, born fallen even as Adam was fallen. It would be redundant to say it, but every other person has been born in Adam's image and likeness except Jesus (David Guzik).

Jesus was not begotten; he is eternal. He was not born into the fallen image of humanity as Seth was, but he took on our form in the incarnation and became what we were all intended to be before the human race's fall with the sins of Adam and Eve.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 6