I believe some comments I typed in another in this forum will edify the body so I am posting them here with a few additions. Let me give a bit of background.

There has been an ongoing debate between myself and a SDA pastor about the proper meaning of the Greek word “monogenes.” He has claimed that its true meaning, one that it supposedly always meant up until the 4th century AD, is “only one of its kind, or unique.”

I stand against that claim and assert that the Greek word “monogenes” actually has a broader meaning than that. It also conveys the meaning of an “only begotten, only born, only stock, or only offspring.” And this meaning traces back many centuries, even into the time of Plato. I have shared quotes that demonstrate this. If anyone would like to see this please let me know.

So what are the people of God to do? How can we know the truth on this matter, especially for those who have no experience with Greek?

Well, just here, God has blessed the Advent people. He has given to us a post-canonical manifestation of the prophetic gift in fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 4. There are some other lines of Bible evidence that support this too but I won’t get into that now. Suffice it to say that there was a manifestation of the Testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy, through the ministry of Ellen White. And this is where I will pick up my comment.

“To begin with let us understand one of the reasons why God gave us the Testimony of Jesus via the ministry of sister White:

“God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the “last days”; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and TO CORRECT THOSE WHO ERR FROM BIBLE TRUTH... {EW 78.1}

“…for there is instruction that the Lord has given me for His people. It is light that they should have, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. This is now to come before the people, because IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO CORRECT SPECIOUS ERRORS AND TO SPECIFY WHAT IS TRUTH… {3SM 32.2}

“THE MESSAGES THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO HIS PEOPLE BOTH BY WORD OF MOUTH AND IN PRINTED FORM. Thus my work has been made doubly sure. I am instructed that the Lord, by His infinite power, has preserved the right hand of His messenger for more than half a century, in order that THE TRUTH MAY BE WRITTEN OUT AS HE BIDS ME WRITE IT FOR PUBLICATION, IN PERIODICALS AND BOOKS. Why?—BECAUSE IF IT WERE NOT THUS WRITTEN OUT, WHEN THE PIONEERS IN THE FAITH SHALL DIE, THERE WOULD BE MANY NEW IN THE FAITH WHO WOULD SOMETIMES ACCEPT AS MESSAGES OF TRUTH TEACHINGS THAT CONTAIN ERRONEOUS SENTIMENTS AND DANGEROUS FALLACIES… {Lt136-1906.8}

“Brother J would confuse the mind by seeking to make it appear that the light God has given through the Testimonies is an addition to the word of God, but in this he presents the matter in a false light. God has seen fit in this manner to bring the minds of His people to His word, TO GIVE THEM A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF IT {4T 245.3}

“In his teaching, Elder Simpson showed that THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY HAS AN IMPORTANT PART TO ACT IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUTH. {Lt400-1906.10}

Note: So here we have very clear statements about what God seeks to do for us through this gift

Now Egw warned that after her death great changes would take place.

“I tell you now, that when I am laid to rest, great changes will take place {25LtMs, Ms 1, 1915, par. 2}

What is one of the changes that occurred after sister White died? Christology! More specifically there was a shift from a belief in a pre-incarnate begotten Son to unbegottenism. Don’t just take my word for it:

“Adventist beliefs have changed over the years under the impact of ‘present truth’. Most startling is the teaching regarding Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Many of the pioneers, including James White, J. N. Andrews, Uriah Smith and J. H. Waggoner, held to an Arian or semi-Arian view–that is the Son at some point in time before the creation of our world was generated by the Father… [Adventist Review, Jan 6, 1994. p.10]

Now there are numerous things to say here.

To begin with the pioneers did not hold an Arian view and even calling it semi-Arian is dubious. Secondly, the next generation of SDAs also believed that the Son of God was generated by the Father but they did not place this within time. Thirdly, it was several decades after Egw’s death that a completely new view was introduced. This view was that the pre-incarnate Christ was unbegotten and, over the passage of years, it came to be dominant view. We could trace the history of this change via quotes from a variety of authors but that is beyond the scope of this op. The salient point is where we are now. SDA trinitarianism, by and at large, teaches the doctrine of unbegottenism.

This is a great change. It is a new interpretation of Scripture that came into Adventism decades after Egw’s death. It is one that denies the fact that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God in His pre-incarnate existence. In fact, nowadays, His Sonship is often altogether accounted for as a metaphor, or connected to His incarnation, via a prophecy or a decree. And the writings of sister White, the Testimony of Jesus, that say otherwise are denied.

You see in today’s Adventism “monogenes” is said to mean “unique” or “one of a kind” (The Trinity pg 95) and the “begotten” aspect is eliminated. This is a claim that if oft repeated. Many deny that “only begotten” is even a possible true meaning. Thus we read, from the official theological mouthpiece of Adventism, that:

“In the being of God is an essential coprimordiality of three coequal, coeternal, nonoriginated persons (Handbook of SDA theology pg 150)

Sister White, on the other hand, says that in His pre-incarnate existence He was the only begotten Son of God, existing in the likeness of God. And she clearly defines what that phrase means. She brings out the “begotten” aspect very clearly.

“A complete offering has been made; for “God so loved the world, that he gave HIS ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON,”—not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but A SON BEGOTTEN IN THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF THE FATHER’S PERSON, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily {ST May 30, 1895, par. 3}

And if that wasn’t clear enough she uses the synonym “made” too:

“The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, tore from his bosom HIM WHO WAS MADE IN THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind. {RH July 9, 1895, par. 13}

“In order that man might be placed on vantage ground with God, Christ, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, MADE IN HIS EXPRESS IMAGE, came to this world and in the likeness of humanity lived a perfect life. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”…{Ms127-1905.14}

“Jesus WAS MADE ONE WITH GOD. His exaltation created envy and jealousy in Satan’s heart. Satan insisted that God had not dealt with him justly. He criticized God’s plan of government. He declared the divine law to be arbitrary, detrimental to the interests of the heavenly universe, and in need of change {17LtMs, Ms 1, 1902, par. 2}

“Christ was the Lord of heaven and earth, yet for our sake He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. HE WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD, yet He humbled Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant, that He might save us. {20LtMs, Lt 133, 1905, par. 6}

And if that still isn’t clear she also used the verb assimilated:

“Lucifer was the most beautiful angel in the heavenly courts next to Jesus Christ, but Christ was one with God, ASSIMILATED TO THE IMAGE OF GOD to do the will of God. Satan, knowing that Christ had the first place next to God, began to insinuate to the angels that he should be next to God {25LtMs, Ms 90, 1910, par. 4}

So will our SDA trinitarian brethren allow the Testimony of Jesus to correct them? It’s either a “yes” or a “no.”

Now let us consider another angle here too. Egw’s contemporaries all believed in a pre-incarnate begotten Son. I do not know of a single one who claimed otherwise.

Would our trinitarian brethren have us think that sister White believed (or came to believe) in an unbegotten 2nd person of the Godhead but never once said as much? This despite the fact that the SDA church at large was continuing to assert that the pre-incarnate Christ was begotten? Is that really a sound theory inasmuch as one of her functions was to help correct those who err from Bible truth? Can unbegottenism be the Bible truth in light of this? Let’s quote some of her contemporaries.

“TO BE THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD MUST BE UNDERSTOOD IN A DIFFERENT SENSE THAN TO BE A SON BY CREATION; for in that sense all the creatures he has made are sons…HIS BEING THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER SUPPOSES THAT NONE EXCEPT HIM WERE THUS BEGOTTEN; hence he is, in truth and verity the only begotten Son of God; and as such he must be Divine; that is, be a partaker of the Divine nature. This term expresses his highest, and most exalted nature…BUT ALL THE WORKS OF CREATION ARE ASCRIBED TO HIM as the “first born of every creature;’ hence the birth spoken of, MUST HAVE BEEN PREVIOUS TO THE EXISTENCE OF THE FIRST CREATURE IN HEAVEN OR IN EARTH…This gives “the only begotten of the Father” (see verse 14) intelligent existence BEFORE THE FIRST ACT OF CREATIVE POWER was put forth, and proves that it is his Divine nature here spoken of; ” (J.M. Stephenson Review and Herald Nov 14, 1854)

“According to this, JESUS CHRIST IS BEGOTTEN OF GOD IN A SENSE THAT NO OTHER BEING IS; ELSE HE COULD NOT BE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. Angels are called sons of God, and so are righteous men; but CHRIST IS HIS SON IN A HIGHER SENSE, IN A CLOSER RELATION, than either of these. God made men and angels out of materials already created. He is the author of their existence, their Creator, hence their Father. But JESUS CHRIST WAS BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER’S OWN SUBSTANCE. HE WAS NOT CREATED OUT OF MATERIAL AS THE ANGELS AND OTHER CREATURES WERE. He is truly and emphatically the “Son of God,” the same as I am the son of my father. This will appear more plain as we proceed” (D.M. Canright, RH June 18, 1867)

“That this very person, who was BORN BEFORE EVERY CREATURE, is the same as afterward appeared unto men upon this earth, in the land of Palestine, the beloved apostle John demonstrates beyond all possible doubt. (J. G. Matteson Review and Herald, April 10, 1866)

“Christ Is THE ONLY LITERAL SON OF GOD. “The only begotten of the Father. He is God because he is the Son of God; not by virtue of his resurrection. If Christ is THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF FATHER, then we cannot be begotten of the Father in a literal sense. It can only be in a secondary sense of the word… (J. G. Matteson, Review and Herald, October 12th 1869, ‘Children of God’)

“Answer: “YOU ARE MISTAKEN IN SUPPOSING THAT S.D. ADVENTISTS TEACH THAT CHRIST WAS EVER CREATED. THEY BELIEVE, ON THE CONTRARY, THAT HE WAS “BEGOTTEN” OF THE FATHER, AND THAT HE CAN PROPERLY BE CALLED GOD AND WORSHIPED AS SUCH.”(Review and Herald, April 17, 1883, The commentary, Scripture questions, ‘Answers by W. H. Littlejohn)

“Upon Christ, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER (ALL OTHER BEINGS WERE CREATED BY CHRIST) BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER was bestowed creative, life-giving, and law-making power. In these he was made equal with the eternal Father. Upon no other being were bestowed such gifts. With this power Christ not only created all things, but he up-holds all life in this and every shining world...{GCDB February 2-4, 1893, p. 99.11}

“Elder Porter then said that IN SPEAKING OF CHRIST HE SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID CREATED, BUT “BEGOTTEN.” BEGOTTEN IS THE EXACT LANGUAGE OF SCRIPTURE. The new birth which we must experience to become the children of God is a new creation. We are born of the Spirit of God. This is beyond our comprehension. NEITHER CAN WE TELL HOW CHRIST WAS BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER. This is one of the “deep things of God.” {GCDB February 2-4, 1893, p. 120.5}

“HE WAS BEGOTTEN, NOT CREATED. HE IS OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE FATHER, SO THAT IN HIS VERY NATURE HE IS GOD; and since this is so “it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” (E. J. Waggoner, The Signs of the Times, April 8, 1889)

“It is true that there are many sons of God; but CHRIST IS THE “ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD,” AND THEREFORE THE SON OF GOD IN A SENSE IN WHICH NO OTHER BEING EVER WAS OR EVER CAN BE. The ANGELS ARE SONS OF GOD, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), BY CREATION; CHRISTIANS ARE SONS OF GOD BY ADOPTION God Rom. 8:14, 15); but CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD BY BIRTH. (E. J. Waggoner “Christ and His Righteousness pg 12, 1890)

“CHRIST WAS BEGOTTEN, NOT CREATED; SATAN WAS CREATED, NOT BEGOTTEN. As THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON Christ could enter fully into the councils of God. Because he could not do this as Christ did, envy sprang up in the heart of Satan, and he began to determine, I will exalt myself. He began to stir up rebellion, to say, God is arbitrary, and he began also to get his sympathisers. “We are in slavery, and I have a better plan of government. Choose me as leader, exalt me, and then I will exalt you.” Do you not see the same principle that has been in the world ever since the fall? You exalt me and I will exalt you,-perhaps. {E.J. Waggoner Bible Echo and Signs of the Times February 17, 1896, p. 52.12}

“.…THE SON CAME INTO EXISTENCE IN A DIFFERENT MANNER, AS HE IS CALLED “THE ONLY BEGOTTEN” OF THE FATHER. IT WOULD SEEM UTTERLY INAPPROPRIATE TO APPLY THIS EXPRESSION TO ANY BEING CREATED IN THE ORDINARY SENSE OF THAT TERM.” (1881 Uriah Smith Thoughts, Critical and Practical on the Book of Revelation, pg 73, 74)

“THE SCRIPTURES nowhere speak of Christ as a created being, but on the contrary PLAINLY STATE THAT HE WAS BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER.” (1897 Uriah Smith, Daniel and Revelation, p. 430)

“The angels, therefore, are created beings, necessarily of a lower order than their Creator. CHRIST IS THE ONLY BEING BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER.” (James Edson White [Son of Ellen White], Past Present and Future, p. 52).

“This is indeed a divine trio, but THE CHRIST OF THAT TRINITY WAS NOT A CREATED BEING such as His angels – HE WAS THE “ONLY BEGOTTEN” OF THE FATHER, and He came to the earth as the one with the Father FROM THE “DAYS OF ETERNITY” Micah 5:2 (margin). His goings forth were of old, and He came full of “grace and truth” to reveal God to man. John 1:14, 17 (“The Trinity” Australian Union Conference Record July 19, 1909)

“Since CHRIST IS BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, he must therefore be of the same substance as the Father; hence he must have the same divine attributes that God has, and therefore he is God.” (O, A. Johnson, Bible Doctrines, page 34, Lesson IX, ‘God the Father’ 1917)

“To beget means to cause to exist- Webster. The human body that was prepared for him was begotten, but Christ, the Annointed One, was not brought into existence when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. “His goings forth have been from of old from everlasting.” Micah 5:2. CHRIST WAS BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER SOME-TIME BEFORE THE PERIOD KNOWN AS TIME, (Rev 3:14) and he was begotten again at his resurrection (Acts 13:33, 34) (C.F. McVagh “Stick to the Message Western Canadian Tidings December 18, 1918)

These quotes go from 1854 up till 1918 and I could give even more. The entire span of Egw’s life is covered here.

Would our trinitarian brethren really have us to believe that Egw actually believed in unbegottenism but, for some reason, never corrected this great error that virtually all, if not actually all, of the SDA church from her time was believed?

Or is it rather that a great change has occurred, since her death, and the SDA church today has gone astray from the landmark pillar regarding the personalities of God and of Christ as Father and only begotten Son?

What say you friend?

“THE REAL QUESTION INVOLVED IN THIS CONTROVERSY IS THAT OF THE SONSHIP OF CHRIST. IS HE GOD’S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON? The answer to this question is the answer to every other spiritual and moral question that can possibly arise. THE QUESTION WAS FIRST RAISED BY LUCIFER, the first of all the angels. THE QUESTION INVOLVES PRINCIPLES THAT ARE ETERNAL AND STRIKES AT THE ROOT OF A FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF HEAVEN. (H.M. Kelly – The Canadian Watchman – October 1, 1933)

Does H. Kelly sound incorrect in his assessment or does he sound in harmony with what the Testimony of Jesus has given us? I know my answer. What is yours?

“CHRIST WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, AND LUCIFER, THAT GLORIOUS ANGEL, GOT UP A WARFARE OVER THE MATTER, until he had to be thrust down to the earth. {Ms86-1910 (August 21, 1910) par. 30}

“The creation of our world was brought into the councils of heaven. There the covering cherub prepared his request that he should be made prince to govern the world then in prospect. This was not accorded him. JESUS CHRIST WAS TO RULE THE EARTHLY KINGDOM; UNDER GOD He engaged to take the world with all its probabilities. THE LAW OF HEAVEN SHOULD BE THE STANDARD LAW FOR THIS NEW WORLD, FOR HUMAN INTELLINGENCES… {Ms43b-1891 (July 4, 1891) par. 3}

“THIS FACT THE [FALLEN] ANGELS WOULD OBSCURE, THAT CHRIST WAS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, and they came to consider that they were not to consult Christ.” {TDG 128.2}

Where do you stand brethren? What is your understanding?

“In His work the Lord Jesus needs men who will stand with their face to the foe fighting manfully, men who understand that Christ is the Son of God, the author and finisher of their faith {17LtMs, Ms 99, 1902, par. 13}

Whom do you uplift? What do you uplift Him as?

“Christ should be uplifted as the first great teacher, the only-begotten Son of God, who was with the Father from eternal ages. The Son of God was the great teacher sent into the world as the light of the world. {FE 381.2}

It is very simple to grasp:

“He “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” John presents this wonderful subject with such simplicity that all may grasp the ideas set forth, and be enlightened. {RH April 5, 1906, par. 3}