1 John 4:9

1 John 4:9
1 John 4:9
(KJV) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(1611 KJV) In this was manifested the loue of God towards vs, because that God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world, that we might liue through him.
(1526 Tyndale) In this appered ye love of god to vs ward because that god sent his only begotten sonne into the worlde that we myght live thorow him.
(1382 Wycliffe) In this thing the charite of God apperide in vs, for God sente hise oon bigetun sone in to the world, that we lyue bi hym.

Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
(NIV) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
(THE MESSAGE) This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.
(NCV) This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him.
(NLT) God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.
(ESV) In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
(CEV) God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life.
(NLV) God has shown His love to us by sending His only Son into the world. God did this so we might have life through Christ.
(HCSB) God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
(RSV) In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.

Textus Receptus
en toutw ejanerwqh h agaph tou qeou en hmin oti ton uion autou ton monogenh apestalken o qeoV eiV ton kosmon ina zhswmen di autou

Hort-Westcott
en toutw ejanerwqh h agaph tou qeou en hmin oti ton uion autou ton monogenh apestalken o qeoV eiV ton kosmon ina zhswmen di autou

Corrupted Manuscripts
None

Affected Teaching
If you will notice that both the underlying Greek texts are the same. What we have in this verse is just another case of translators attacking the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the New World Translation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses kept the word “begotten” in. The Greek word behind “begotten” is “monogene” (monogene). It is contained in both the Textus Receptus and the Hort Westcott manuscripts. The word carries with it the meaning of “unique or one-of-a-kind.” The word is used to denote the difference between the Lord Jesus Christ who is in unique relationship with the Father and the born again Christian who are also called sons and daughters of God. In the modern versions, we read that Jesus was the “only” Son of God. This is a misnomer because when you change the word to “only” from “begotten,” you are attacking two major teachings in the Scripture. First, the unique relationship the Lord Jesus had with the Father by means of Him coming to Earth and dying for His Elect and paying the complete price for their sins. The second teaching is that when a person becomes truly born again, they become a son or daughter of God. The modern versions make it sound like there are no other sons or daughters and this is proven incorrect by the following Scriptures.

(2 Cor 6:18 KJV) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

(Isa 43:6 KJV) I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

(1 John 3:1 KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

(Phil 2:15 KJV) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

The importance of the word “begotten” shows the difference between those who have become sons and daughters of God by adoption, ((Gal 4:5 KJV) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.) and the Lord Jesus Christ who has always been with the Father throughout all eternity. In the Greek, there is a perfectly good word which God could have used if He wanted to convey Jesus as His “only” Son and that word is “mónon” (monon) which is used 67 times in the New Testament and is translated “only or alone.”

(John 17:20 KJV) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

(John 11:52 KJV) And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

So in the book of John, there is a usage of the word “monon” and the word “monogene” which shows us that there is a difference in the meanings and their usage. It is also interesting to note that word “begotten” is included in the English text of the 1881 Hort-Westcott Revised Version, the 1901 American Revised Version which is a clone of the 1881 RV and the 1924 Centenary version. This means that the deletion of the word “begotten” is of recent origin. The translation of the Revised Standard Version was approved in 1937 by the National Council of Churches and the NT was completed in 1946. So the change of “begotten” to “only” probably was done around that time. It seems apparent that the modern theologians are no better than their second century Gnostic colleagues.

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