Logos Christology in the 2nd Century A.D.

The gospel of John was written circa 90 AD. The Logos Christology became prominent in the early and middle 2nd second century A.D. 

The early church fathers who were Native Greek speakers deemed γενής in μονογενής as "begotten''. Tertullian spoke of Christ as "unigenitus'' because alone genitus of God [Against Praxeas VII]. The Greek fathers like Justin Martyr used μονογενὴς in the context of the begetting of the Son before all creatures (Dialogue to Trypho, 105).

The Logos and Wisdom are the same thing in the Septuagint

who hast made all things with thy word,

ho poiesas ta panta en logo sou Wisdom 9:1 LXX

ὁ ποιήσας τὰ πάντα ἐν λόγῳ σου

Thine Almighty word leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction,

ὁ παντοδύναμός σου λόγος ἀπ’ οὐρανῶν ἐκ θρόνων βασιλείων ἀπότομος πολεμιστὴς εἰς μέσον τῆς ὀλεθρίας ἥλατο γῆς ξίφος ὀξὺ τὴν ἀνυπόκριτον ἐπιταγήν σου φέρων. Wisdom 18:15 LXX

I came out of the mouth of the most High,

ego apo stomatos uphistou exegthon 

ἐγὼ ἀπὸ στόματος ὑψίστου ἐξῆλθον Sirach 24:3 LXX

Jesus Christ is both Logos and Wisdom in the Greek New Testament

''James Dunn has said , "What pre - Christian Judaism said of Wisdom and Philo also of the Logos , Paul and the others say of Jesus.'' (Discovering the Way of Wisdom: Spirituality in the Wisdom Literature, By Edward M. Curtis, John J. Brugaletta, 2004).

In the New Testament, Jesus was called ''sophia'' (feminine word for Wisdom) in 1 Corinthians 1:24 and its counterpart ''logos'' (masculine word for Word) in John 1:1, 1:14

John was using ἐγένετο in its denotation "to come into existence" or "was made" (1:3, 1:10 NASB/NKJV). The Word "came into human existence (sarxi egeneto) and dwelt among us 1:14ab). It refers to the new existence of the Word (who was already God (theos) in 1:1c) as human (sarx). The same sense which is in the majority of English translations (the Word became flesh - NRSV, NASB, ESV). Also in other Ancient Versions, like that of the Old Latin (Vetus Latina) of the 2nd century A.D. and Vulgate (et Verbum caro factum 1:14a). In Syriac: (ܘܡܠܬܐ ܒܤܪܐ ܗܘܐ ܘܐܓܢ) (the Miltha (the Word) ܒܤܪܐ [became] flesh. 1:14a).

"From that time on, Wisdom appeared on earth and lived among us." Baruch 3:37 (GNT with Apocrypha, 1996)

Wisdom is only/uniquely begotten in the Septuagint

Wisdom was κτισο [created] ρπος αιονος [before the ages] [Proverbs 8:22 LXX]. Verse 25 says that the way she was created was by being γενναο [begotten]. Thus, Wisdom was a child/offspring of God, sharing in his divine nature. In the Deuterocanon, Wisdom was also created before all things were made (Sirach 1:4).

The context of Proverbs 8 shows that εκτισεν (to create) is specifically referring to the creation of an offpspring (γενναο) in verse 25. In the Hebrew of verse 30, Wisdom is indeed an offspring for she is described as "nursling", who is daily with God, who begat her before the ages (προς αιονους) in vv. 24-25.

In the Deuterocanon, Wisdom was ''uniquely begotten or only begotten'' (μονογενης) (Wisdom of Solomon 7:27 LXX). 

Jesus Christ is only/uniquely begotten in the Greek New Testament

In the New Testament, Jesus was called ''sophia'' (feminine word for Wisdom) in 1 Corinthians 1:24 and its counterpart ''logos'' (masculine word for Word) in John 1:1, 1:14.

In the second century C.E., Christians who were native Greek speakers also understood the Greek word monogenes as ''only begotten'' or ''uniquely begotten'' (i.e. the only one begotten differently from others). In the Gospel of John, monogenes (1:14, 1:18) occurred in close proximity with other sons who were also described as ''begotten'' (egennethesan) of God (John 1:12-13). In this case, monos in monogenes should be seen as ''unique'' (i.e. alone of its kind, single in category): ''uniquely begotten.'' In  In John 1:18, Jesus is called  both ''God'' and ''uniquely begotten''( in the bosom of the Father''). [ ''only begotten God'' NASB]. ''only begotten God'' meant ''existed as God'' same as in verse 1 (''The Word was God''). 

Jesus was the only one begotten before time began (i.e. eternally begotten). The word ''begotten'' was used to indicate ''sonship'' (see monogenes with huios in John 3:16, 18). And time was not involved in this begetting. Time was created. All things (including time) came into being through the Logos and not one thing came into being without the Logos (John 1:3).

 John 1:1 and John 1:18 forms an inclusio:

The Word was God John 1:1c A
Only begotten God John 1:18b B

 

in the bosom of the Father John 1:18c B 

The Word existed with God John 1:1b A

 

It also forms a chiastic structure (A-B-B-A), which also Alpha, Beta, Beta, Alpha represents the transliteration of "father" in Aramaic, a reference to God the Father. 

The Word who was God was the selfsame only begotten (uniquely begotten) before all things came into being (v. 3).

Asexual generation

The begetting of the Son is also asexual (involves no sexual activity) similar to the virgin birth. This sonship/ begetting was unique because it was asexual (no sexual activity), only the Father was involved in this begetting.

Begotten only carries genetic sense

The Father is unbegotten since no is above him. It is assumed. Everyone agrees with it anyways. The Father has no origin. The Son came from the Father means the Son does not exist apart from the Father, the Son got the Father's essence. We came from our parents and we got their genes.

''begotten'' is not used as an action verb (even though in reality it is a finite verb) when it is used with the phrase ''before time began''. The reason for this is that time doesn't apply to ''before time'' so the sense of ''begotten'' (having a beginning) doesn't apply as well. Only its genetic sense apply. One who is begotten is produced but this production is different from making a paper from a tree. Being begotten entails the passing of nature from parent to offspring. Thus, being begotten before time meant existing as literal offspring of God (sharing in his own nature, like a child shares in his parent's nature) before time. In our world, this refers to the law of biogenesis (like begets like). The early church in the 2nd century A.D. up to the 4th century A.D. also spoke of Jesus having the substance (i.e. nature) of God. 

Logical Possibility

1. Meaning of Eternity in Eternal Generation of the Logos

God created time. But before time began, God was doing something. What verb tense would we use to refer to the actions of God prior to the creation of time? The Septuagint and the Greek New Testament used the phrases "before the ages" and "before time" in the context when God was doing something. "eternally begotten" is just "begetting outside time". Eternity refers to the state of existence apart from time. Yet the Bible uses verbs in the past tense and present tense to refer to the actions of God before time was created. If we would like to be consistent, then, this Biblical usage of time in reference to God's actions before time should also be illogical, an impossibility, and contradiction but it isn't.

Whatever God did (past tense) before time began can be understood as an action without beginning or ending (eternal). All God's actions , whatever the verbs are, had the same sense of ''existed before time'' without reference to a beginning since there is no time involved in the actions. The Son was begotten before time meant the Son existed before time just as God chose, loved, foreknown, etc. before time began. 

The Son was begotten before time meant the Son existed without beginning, just as God created and begotten Wisdom before time meant Wisdom existed without beginning. Past actions before time began merely refers to existence without beginning regardless of the verbs used. In other words, the action words (verbs) with its tenses that indicated a beginning  (i.e. time) does not apply to those actions God himself did before time began. 

''begotten'' is not used as an action verb (even though it is a verb) when it is used with ''before time began'', simply because time doesn't apply so the sense of ''begotten'' (having a beginning) doesn't apply as well. The word ''begotten before time began'' meant ''existed before time began''. Nothing more, nothing less. And anything that existed before time began is ''eternal''.

When we say that Jesus is ''eternally begotten'', what we mean is that the Jesus as ''the Son'' has ''existed before time began'' (i.e. there's no time when Jesus wasn't God's son). God has many begotten sons (John 1:12-13) but Jesus was the ''only son of his kind'' (ho huios, ho monogenes, John 3:16) because only Jesus was begotten before all things (including time) came into being (cf. John 1:3, 1:18). 

Another interpretation of ''eternal''in regard to an action (always happening and never had began). The Son's begetting being eternal is similar to the radiance being eternal because the light from where it comes from is eternal (Hebrews 1:3, Wisdom 7:26-27 LXX).

2. Eternal Begetting is a miracle

Fire is the Son's original essence prior to his incarnation. This is exactly Yahweh's essence in the O.T. This is not illogical /logically impossible because Adam himself came from the ''dust'' of the earth and Eve came from the ''rib'' of Adam. Who among us today came from ribs and soil? No one. That kind of generation was unique to Adam and Eve. So who among the sons of God was unquely begotten except The Son of God, who is begotten before time began?