‘Begetting’ in the Bible means ‘conceiving’. Begetting describes the key role the father plays in reproducing – by ‘fathering’ he passes on genetic material to the next generation. According to chapters such as Genesis 5 (in the Old Testament) and Matthew 1 (in the New Testament) it is at the time of conception, or begetting, that a man becomes a father and a woman becomes a mother. Although the Bible often draws attention to the birth of a child, it doesn’t always make a distinction between an unborn child and a child that has been born – the Greek word brephos is sometimes used in both instances (eg Luke 1:44 and Luke 2:12).
Welcome to the web site for Joy Johnson when she was known as Mandy Baker Johnson. Following the passing of Joy in 2021, this site is now archived. You can read a tribute to Joy here.