The Greek word for begotten in Matthew 1:20 is gennao. In Matthew 1:2-16 the Greek word is used thirty-eight times and is translated as “begot.” Verse 16 says, “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” The Greek word translated “born” here is also a form of the word gennao. In English the past participle of beget is begotten, and the past participle of bear is born. Furthermore, in English we can differentiate the words beget and bear, using beget to refer to the male and bear to the female. The male generates the conception, and the female completes the conception by her delivery of the child. Then we have the birth.
Although we can differentiate in English the words beget and bear, in Greek gennao is used both for the male’s begetting and the female’s bearing. In the first sixteen verses of Matthew 1, gennao, translated “begot,” is used thirty-eight times with respect to males. In verse 16 this word is used in relation to the female and is translated “born.” Jesus was not begotten of Mary-He was born of her. The point we would emphasize here is that in Matthew 1 the same Greek word is used both for a male’s generating and for a female’s giving birth. Verse 20 speaks of “that which is begotten in her.” It would also be correct to translate this verse, “That which is born in her.”
The word “begetting” may also be used to include the whole process of conception and birth. When the Bible says, “Abraham begot Isaac,” the word “begot” includes both the father’s generating and also the mother’s delivery. The word begot used thirty-eight times in Matthew 1:2-16 comprises both the generating of the conception and the completing of the birth.
Thus far, we have two important facts. First, the word “begotten” in 1:20 is a particular expression describing Mary’s conception. Because this expression is particular, extraordinary, we should not understand it in an ordinary way. This was not a usual, common, normal conception, and we cannot understand it according to the knowledge in our natural mind. On the contrary, we should understand it according to the facts revealed in the Bible. The second fact is that the words begot and begotten in Matthew 1 comprise the delivery as well as the conception.
With these facts as the basis, we may say that in the divine conception God was born into Mary. This is not a matter of biology but a matter of the divine incarnation. In this incarnation God was born, begotten, into Mary. The Lord Jesus was God born into a human virgin. Because He was born into a virgin, He took on humanity and was delivered out of that virgin to become the God-man. This is Jesus, Jehovah the Savior and Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:21, 23).
“Jesus” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Joshua (Num. 13:16), which means Jehovah the Savior, or, the salvation of Jehovah. Hence, Jesus is not only a man but Jehovah, and not only Jehovah but Jehovah becoming our salvation. Whereas Jesus was the name given by God, “Emmanuel,” meaning “God with us,” was the name called by man. Jesus the Savior is God with us. He is God incarnated to dwell among us (John 1:14). He is not only God but God with us.
Revelation 17 presents a vision of Babylon the Great. According to verse 5, Babylon the Great is called “The Mother of the Prostitutes and the Abominations of the Earth.” Verse 4 exposes the fact that although this woman has a pleasant appearance, evil is concealed within her. “The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication.” Outwardly Babylon the Great is clothed in purple and scarlet and is gilded with gold, precious stone, and pearls. Furthermore, she has a golden cup in her hand. But this cup is full of abominations and unclean things of her fornication. This is a picture of Christendom today. Christendom may have the golden cup, but the contents of the cup are idolatry, fornication, and every kind of evil.
We surely cannot remain in Babylon the Great. Rather, we need to obey the Lord’s word in Revelation 18:4. Here He tells us, “Come out of her, My people, that you may not participate in her sins, and that you may not receive other plagues.” Since Babylon the Great is twofold, to come out of her means to come out of both religious Babylon and material Babylon. This coming out is for the coming back to the proper church life, and this coming back is the recovery. Although we love all the brothers in Christ in the Catholic Church and in the denominations, we must leave the Babylonian system and come back to Jerusalem, that is, come back to the proper church life. This is the recovery of the church.
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