How is Christ said to be only begotten? Surely it is only human beings who are begotten, so that they have a father and a mother. One moment they are not, and then they are. Christ was never begotten in that sense. There was never a time way back in eternity when Christ was not, because he is with the Father as one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons in one Godhead that cannot change. If God changed, well then he would not be perfect, because if he changed for the better, he could not have been perfect before he changed. So the theologians talk about Christ being eternally begotten, which is true, and yet it does not make any sense. If you are begotten, then you were not at some time. But eternally begotten is not meant to suggest to our minds that there was ever a time when he was not. It is meant instead to suggest the close relationship between the members of the Godhead, Father and Son. You rather have the picture of a king in ancient time, in Bible time, who had a mature, adult son, who reigned with him as co-regent. And they reigned together, equally king, both utterly loyal to each other, one in heart and mind. It is meant to draw our mind to closeness and love, not superior, inferior.
There are those who teach the eternal subordination of the Son to the Father. It is even said that Christ’s intercession for his people throughout eternity is an example of that submission. But Christ’s intercession is a symbol for us. Christ died for us on the Cross, offered up his perfect righteousness, took the punishment for our sin. ‘It is finished,’ he said. The Son was subordinate to the Father while he was on earth, because he was representing us and living a life of perfection for us, subordinate to the Father. But that was only while he was the God-man on earth. He voluntarily submitted himself to the authority of the Father. But before he came in the world and once he went back to heaven, he is equal with the Father in every sense. He intercedes for us simply by being in heaven and showing his scars in his glorified body. His very presence there is what intercedes for us and represents us in heaven as the one who bore our punishment and offered up his righteousness for us. The efficacy of what he accomplished on Calvary lasts forever. He does not literally speak to the Father as though pleading and craving for us. He is equal with the Father, his accomplishments are there in the glorified scars of his body, which last and are effective, efficacious throughout all eternity. So there is no servile pleading from the Son to the Father.