What does “begotten of the Father” mean?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09

In the Coptic Orthodox faith, the term begotten (ⲙⲓⲥⲓ - misi), when applied to the Son of God, is a profound theological truth that distinguishes the nature of the Son from the nature of all created things. To say the Son is "begotten of the Father before all ages" (ⲉⲧⲁⲩⲙⲓⲥⲓ ⲙ̀ⲙⲟϥ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲫⲓⲱⲧ ϧⲁϫⲱⲟⲩ ⲛ̀ⲛⲓⲉ̀ⲱⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ) is to affirm His full divinity.

1. Begetting vs. Creating

There is a critical distinction between "begetting" and "creating."

• To Create: When a craftsman creates something, like a table, the table is of a different nature than the craftsman. All of creation was made by God "out of nothing" (ex nihilo). Therefore, we are creatures, not gods.
• To Beget: When a being begets, it brings forth something of the exact same nature as itself. A human begets a human; a lion begets a lion. Therefore, because the Father begets the Son (ⲡⲓϣⲏⲣⲓ - pishiri), the Son is of the same essence (ⲧⲏⲓⲟⲩⲥⲓⲁ - ti-ousia) as the Father. He is "Very God of Very God."

2. Eternal and Without Beginning

Unlike human begetting, which involves time and a beginning, the divine begetting of the Son is eternal. There was never a time when the Father was not the Father, and there was never a time when the Son did not exist.

• The Son is the "Radiance of His glory" (Hebrews 1:3). Just as light is begotten of the sun the moment the sun exists, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father.
• This refutes the ancient heretic Arius, who falsely claimed "there was a time when He was not." The Coptic Church, led by St. Athanasius, fought to ensure we understand that the Son’s begetting is beyond time and change.

3. "Light of Light"

In the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which we recite in every liturgy, we say "Light of Light" (ⲟⲩⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ - ou-ouoini evol khen ou-ouoini). This analogy helps us understand that the Son comes from the Father without diminishing the Father. When you light a candle from another candle, the first light is not decreased, and the second light is identical in nature to the first. This is how the Son is begotten—He proceeds from the Father's essence without dividing it.

4. Direct Refutation of Heretics and Non-Believers

• The Jews: By denying the eternal begetting of the Son, they refuse to recognize the Fatherhood of God and the divinity of the Messiah, remaining in spiritual blindness regarding the true nature of the Godhead.
• The Muslims: They stumble over the word "begotten," mistakenly thinking it implies a physical or carnal act (which we strictly deny as blasphemy). We speak of a spiritual, divine begetting that is proper to the nature of God.
• Protestants and modernists: While they may use the word, they often lack the deep Patristic understanding of Homoousios (Consubstantiality) that the Coptic Church has preserved since the Council of Nicea. They frequently treat the Son as subordinate in "rank," whereas we maintain He is equal in every way to the Father.

5. Why It Matters for You

If the Son were not "begotten" (of the same essence) but merely "created," He could not save us. Only God can save man. By being eternally begotten of the Father and then becoming incarnate for our sake, the Son bridges the gap between the divine and the human. As St. Athanasius famously said, "He became human that we might become divine."

In the Coptic Liturgy of St. Basil, we address the Son as the "Only-begotten" (ⲡⲓⲙⲟⲛⲟⲅⲉⲛⲏⲥ - pi-monogenis), honoring His unique relationship with the Father as the source of our life and salvation.