John 1:18 calls Jesus the begotten God. Therefore he must be God Almighty right? “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” Seems pretty clear doesn’t it. Jesus is God, the only begotten God. Case closed……………….Not so fast. John 1:18 is actually rendered in two different ways. One uses the word ‘son’, the other ‘God’. Translations render these differently because ancient manuscripts use either one. Before I begin to explain further, I need to point out that it is clear that these two different versions show that there is some textual corruption. Only one version can be true (or neither if we want to get technical). For now, let’s examine different translations of this verse and you will see it is divided between ‘begotten theos/god or begotten son. (King James Version) “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (New International Version) “No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” (New American Version) “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” (Revised Standard Version) “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” (New Living Bible) “No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him.” (New Jerusalem) “No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” So which one is correct? Well I suppose a person who believes in the Trinity would say one and a person who doesn’t would say the other to suit their views. But I am going to show you that neither support the Trinity Doctrine. Let’s imagine that it is, “begotten God”. Well that doesn’t prove a Trinity nor the idea that Jesus is God. Why? Because God is without beginning and begotten means that you came from another at some point. Thus if Jesus is the begotten theos, then he is not the eternal God by whom all came. So if this is true, then the way to read this verse would be as further clarification for John 1:1. Here we see that the Word was theos, and so verse 18 could be implying that this Word that was with God came to be with him by being begotten of God. But is there proof or some evidence that supports ‘begotten theos’? Well Origen read it that way, thus if it is incorrect, then it is an old corruption. But it is indeed a strange corruption if it is because most corruptions that were changed or implanted in order to support … Continue reading John 1:18