Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 7/4/2009

Question
Hi Pastor,

I hope you can answer me this question. According to the New Testament Jesus is God's firstborn son. His only son. But in the book of Exodus (Exodus 4:22) it says: Israel is my firstborn son. And in the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:9)it says that: Ephraim is my first born son.

How do you reconcile all this? The Bible is not supposed to contradict itself. So how many first born sons does God really have?

Thanks: Joe

Answer
Hi Joe,

Thank you for this question.  The Bible does not call Jesus God's first born son.  He is the ONLY BEGOTTEN son.  That word means that He is of a unique nature... but He was not created, He has always been with God and He has always been God.

John 1:14,18
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.


18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

John 1:1-3


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ
Pastor Don