@Zao is life, that KJV translation, which is also in a Creed, is one of the few times that the translators got it wrong, because there are two almost-identical participles in Greek, one of which means "born" or "begotten" (in the older English), while the other one means "unique." Again, it's a rare instance in which the more recent translations get it right, usually with the words "one and only Son."
When the Holy Spirit creates Jesus, the second Person of God, often said to be the "Angel of the LORD" in the Old Testament, I believe, who is one of the Persons of the three in the one God, enters her womb and joins with a sinless, human body. He is fully human, enabling him to die, and fully God, all as Jesus, so that he is able to rise from the dead.
The four gospels testify to Jesus' death and to his resurrection, certified by many eyewitnesses who have been willing to suffer and die for the truth of their testimonies.
The process of Christ's creation is a mystery, because the Bible doesn't say, but we know the result.
It's not a "creation" at all according to the language, Bruce.
Now the Word became [1096 ginomai] flesh and took up residence [4637 skenoo] among us. We saw his glory - the glory of the one and only [3439 monogenes], full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. (John 1:14 [NETfree])
monogenes:
mono: One only. One and only. One of its kind.
monogenes:
from 3441 and 1096; only-born, i.e. sole:--only (begotten, child).
see GREEK for 3441
see GREEK for 1096
3441
μόνος movnos monos {mon'-os}
probably from 3306; remaining, i.e. sole or single; by implication, mere:--alone, only, by themselves.
1096 (the Word became 1096 flesh)
γίνομαι givnomai ginomai {ghin'-om-ahee}
a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.
He dwelt [4637 skenoo] among us. The NETfree Bible notes says this about the word:
-- QUOTE The Greek word translated took up residence (σκηνόω, skhnow) alludes to the OT tabernacle, where the Shekinah, the visible glory of God's presence, resided. The author is suggesting that this glory can now be seen in Jesus (note the following verse). The verb used here may imply that the Shekinah glory that once was found in the tabernacle has taken up residence in the person of Jesus. Cf. also John 2:19-21: --
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body." [KJV]
The NETfree Bible note continues:
-- The Word became flesh. This verse constitutes the most concise statement of the incarnation in the New Testament. John 1:1 makes it clear that the Logos was fully God, but 1:14 makes it clear that he was also fully human. A Docetic interpretation is completely ruled out. Here for the first time the Logos of 1:1 is identified as Jesus of Nazareth - the two are one and the same. Thus this is the last time the word logos is used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the second person of the Trinity. From here on it is Jesus of Nazareth who is the focus of John's Gospel. -- END QUOTE
Docetism: The doctrine of the Docetes, that Jesus only
appeared to have a physical body and was ultimately of celestial substance.
