Pre-existence of Christ
Encyclopedia
The pre-existence of Christ refers to the doctrine of the ontological or personal
existence of Christ
before his conception. One of the relevant Bible
passages is where, in the Trinitarian
view, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis called the Logos
or Word. However, other non-Trinitarian
views question the aspect of personal pre-existence or question the aspect of divinity, or both.
This doctrine is reiterated in John 17:5 when Jesus refers to the glory which he had with the Father "before the world was" during the Farewell discourse
. John 17:24 also refers to the Father loving Jesus "before the foundation of the world".
. Trinitarian Christology
explores the nature of Christ's pre-existence as the Divine hypostasis called the Logos
or Word, described in the passage , which begins:
This being is also called God the Son
or the Second Person of the Trinity. Theologian Bernard Ramm
noted that "It has been standard teaching in historic Christology that the Logos, the Son, existed before the incarnation. That the Son so existed before the incarnation has been called the pre-existence of Christ."
Other aspects of Christology
explore the incarnation
of this Divine being as the man Jesus
. In the words of the Nicene Creed
, Christ "came down from heaven
, and was incarnate." Some Christians believe that God the Son "emptied himself" of divine attributes in order to become human, in a process called kenosis
, while others reject this.
Douglas McCready, in his analysis and defence of the pre-existence of Christ, notes that whereas the preexistence of Christ "is taken for granted by most orthodox Christians, and has been since New Testament times", during the past century the doctrine has been increasingly questioned by less orthodox theologians and scholars.
James D.G. Dunn, in his book Christology in the Making, examines the development of this doctrine in early Christianity, noting that it is "beyond dispute" that in , "the Word is pre-existent, and Christ is the pre-existent Word incarnate," but going on to explore possible sources for the concepts expressed there, such as the writings of Philo
.
When the Trinity is reflected in Christian art
, the Logos is sometimes depicted in a way that resembles the man Jesus (in depictions of the Garden of Eden
this looks forward to an Incarnation yet to occur). Sometimes the Logos is distinguished with a beard, "which allows him to appear ancient, even preexistent."
Apart from and other New Testament passages, some Trinitarian denominations also consider a number of Old Testament
texts as supporting or consistent with the doctrine, including Gen. 3:13-15, Gen. 49:10, Job 19:25-29, Num. 24:5-7, Jos. 5:13-15, Ps. 2:7-12, Ps. 22, Ps. 110:1, Pro. 30:1, Isa. 9:6-7, Isa. 53, Dan. 3:24-25, and Dan. 9:24-27. For example Tertullian
in Against Marcion
Ch.21 sees a pre-existent appearance of Christ in the fiery furnace
of one who is "like the son of man (for he was not yet really son of man)" The identification of specific appearances of Christ is increasingly common in evangelical literature from the 1990s onwards, for example in Alpha Teach Yourself the Bible in 24 Hours W. Terry Whalin states that the fourth person in the fiery furnace
is Christ, and that "These appearances of Christ in the Old Testament are known as Theophanies or 'appearances of God' ". This however is not the usual use of theophany
.
Other non-Trinitarian Christians with belief in pre-existence (below) may have different or similar interpretations of such verses.
and most early advocates of Arianism
accepted the pre-existence of Christ. Likewise Michael Servetus
, although denying the doctrine of the Trinity
as it is classically formulated, accepted the personal pre-existence of Christ.
Today, several Non-Trinitarian denominations also share belief in some form of the pre-existence of Christ, including Jehovah's Witnesses
who identify Jesus as the archangel Michael, interpreting John 1:1
by translating with the phrase "a god," rather than "God." Mormonism
teaches Christ's pre-existence as first and greatest of the spirit sons.
John Locke
and Isaac Newton
appear to have maintained belief in the pre-existence of Christ despite their rejection of the Trinity.
Although Oneness Pentecostals accept that "Christ is the same person as God," they also believe that "The 'Son' was 'born,' which means that he had a beginning." In other words, "Oneness adherents understand the term [Son] to be applicable to God only after the incarnation." They have consequently been described as holding an essentially unitarian position on the doctrine, and of denying the pre-existence of Christ. However, some members of the movement deny this interpretation of their beliefs.
1. Those who nevertheless accept the virgin birth.
This includes Socinians, and early Unitarians
such as John Biddle
, and Nathaniel Lardner. Today the view is primarily held by Christadelphians
. These groups typically consider that Christ is prophesied and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, but did not exist.
2. Those who also deny the virgin birth.
This includes Ebionites
and later Unitarians, such as Joseph Priestley
, Thomas Jefferson
, as well as modern Unitarian Universalists
. This view is often described as adoptionism
, and in the 19th Century was also called psilanthropism
. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
described himself as having once been a psilanthropist, believing Jesus to be the "real son of Joseph." Friedrich Schleiermacher, sometimes called "the father of liberal theology
", was one of many German theologians who departed from the idea of personal ontological pre-existence of Christ, teaching that "Christ was not God but was created as the ideal and perfect man whose sinlessness constituted his divinity." Similarly Albrecht Ritschl
rejected the pre-existence of Christ, asserting that Christ was the "Son of God" only in the sense that "God had revealed himself in Christ" and Christ "accomplished a religious and ethical work in us which only God could have done." Later, Rudolf Bultmann
described the pre-existence of Christ as "not only irrational but utterly meaningless."
Person of Christ
In Christology, the Person of Christ refers to the study of the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ as they co-exist within one person.There are no direct discussion in the New Testament regarding the dual nature of the Person of Christ as both divine and human...
existence of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
before his conception. One of the relevant Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
passages is where, in the Trinitarian
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
view, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis called the Logos
Logos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
or Word. However, other non-Trinitarian
Nontrinitarianism
Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that disagree with the doctrine of the Trinity, namely, the teaching that God is three distinct hypostases and yet co-eternal, co-equal, and indivisibly united in one essence or ousia...
views question the aspect of personal pre-existence or question the aspect of divinity, or both.
This doctrine is reiterated in John 17:5 when Jesus refers to the glory which he had with the Father "before the world was" during the Farewell discourse
Farewell discourse
In the New Testament, Chapters 14-17 of the Gospel of John are known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to eleven of his disciples at the conclusion of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, the night before his crucifixion....
. John 17:24 also refers to the Father loving Jesus "before the foundation of the world".
Trinitarian belief in the doctrine
The concept of the pre-existence of Christ is a central tenet of the doctrine of the TrinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
. Trinitarian Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
explores the nature of Christ's pre-existence as the Divine hypostasis called the Logos
Logos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
or Word, described in the passage , which begins:
This being is also called God the Son
God the Son
God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit...
or the Second Person of the Trinity. Theologian Bernard Ramm
Bernard Ramm
Bernard L. Ramm was a Baptist theologian and apologist within the broad Evangelical tradition. He wrote prolifically on topics concerned with biblical hermeneutics, religion and science, Christology, and apologetics...
noted that "It has been standard teaching in historic Christology that the Logos, the Son, existed before the incarnation. That the Son so existed before the incarnation has been called the pre-existence of Christ."
Other aspects of Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
explore the incarnation
Incarnation (Christianity)
The Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos , "became flesh" by being conceived in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos .The Incarnation is a fundamental theological...
of this Divine being as the man Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. In the words of the Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
, Christ "came down from heaven
Heaven (Christianity)
Traditionally, Christianity has taught Heaven as a place of eternal life and the dwelling place of Angels and the Throne of God, and a kingdom to which all the elect will be admitted...
, and was incarnate." Some Christians believe that God the Son "emptied himself" of divine attributes in order to become human, in a process called kenosis
Kenosis
In Christian theology, Kenosis In Christian theology, Kenosis In Christian theology, Kenosis (from the Greek word for emptiness (kénōsis) is the 'self-emptying' of one's own will and becoming entirely receptive to God's divine will....
, while others reject this.
Douglas McCready, in his analysis and defence of the pre-existence of Christ, notes that whereas the preexistence of Christ "is taken for granted by most orthodox Christians, and has been since New Testament times", during the past century the doctrine has been increasingly questioned by less orthodox theologians and scholars.
James D.G. Dunn, in his book Christology in the Making, examines the development of this doctrine in early Christianity, noting that it is "beyond dispute" that in , "the Word is pre-existent, and Christ is the pre-existent Word incarnate," but going on to explore possible sources for the concepts expressed there, such as the writings of Philo
Philo
Philo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
.
When the Trinity is reflected in Christian art
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art produced in an attempt to illustrate, supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity, though other definitions are possible. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, although some have had strong objections to some forms of...
, the Logos is sometimes depicted in a way that resembles the man Jesus (in depictions of the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
this looks forward to an Incarnation yet to occur). Sometimes the Logos is distinguished with a beard, "which allows him to appear ancient, even preexistent."
Apart from and other New Testament passages, some Trinitarian denominations also consider a number of Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
texts as supporting or consistent with the doctrine, including Gen. 3:13-15, Gen. 49:10, Job 19:25-29, Num. 24:5-7, Jos. 5:13-15, Ps. 2:7-12, Ps. 22, Ps. 110:1, Pro. 30:1, Isa. 9:6-7, Isa. 53, Dan. 3:24-25, and Dan. 9:24-27. For example Tertullian
Tertullian
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian , was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He is the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of Latin Christian literature. He also was a notable early Christian apologist and...
in Against Marcion
Marcionism
Marcionism was an Early Christian dualist belief system that originated in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144; see also Christianity in the 2nd century....
Ch.21 sees a pre-existent appearance of Christ in the fiery furnace
Fiery furnace
Fiery furnace may refer to:* The fiery furnace in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into in Daniel 3* Fiery Furnace , a region of Utah's Arches National Park* The Fiery Furnaces, a rock band...
of one who is "like the son of man (for he was not yet really son of man)" The identification of specific appearances of Christ is increasingly common in evangelical literature from the 1990s onwards, for example in Alpha Teach Yourself the Bible in 24 Hours W. Terry Whalin states that the fourth person in the fiery furnace
Fiery furnace
Fiery furnace may refer to:* The fiery furnace in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into in Daniel 3* Fiery Furnace , a region of Utah's Arches National Park* The Fiery Furnaces, a rock band...
is Christ, and that "These appearances of Christ in the Old Testament are known as Theophanies or 'appearances of God' ". This however is not the usual use of theophany
Theophany
Theophany, from the Ancient Greek , meaning "appearance of God"), refers to the appearance of a deity to a human or other being, or to a divine disclosure....
.
Other non-Trinitarian Christians with belief in pre-existence (below) may have different or similar interpretations of such verses.
Non-Trinitarian belief in the doctrine
It is possible to accept the pre-existence of Christ without accepting his full divinity in the Trinitarian sense. For example, it is likely that AriusArius
Arius was a Christian presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt of Libyan origins. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead, which emphasized the Father's divinity over the Son , and his opposition to the Athanasian or Trinitarian Christology, made him a controversial figure in the First Council of...
and most early advocates of Arianism
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
accepted the pre-existence of Christ. Likewise Michael Servetus
Michael Servetus
Michael Servetus was a Spanish theologian, physician, cartographer, and humanist. He was the first European to correctly describe the function of pulmonary circulation...
, although denying the doctrine of the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
as it is classically formulated, accepted the personal pre-existence of Christ.
Today, several Non-Trinitarian denominations also share belief in some form of the pre-existence of Christ, including Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
who identify Jesus as the archangel Michael, interpreting John 1:1
John 1:1
' is the first verse in the Gospel of John. The King James Version of the verse reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". The phrase "the Word" is widely interpreted as referring to Jesus, as indicated in other verses later in the same chapter...
by translating with the phrase "a god," rather than "God." Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
teaches Christ's pre-existence as first and greatest of the spirit sons.
John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
and Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
appear to have maintained belief in the pre-existence of Christ despite their rejection of the Trinity.
Oneness Pentecostals
Oneness Pentecostals are non-Trinitarian Pentecostal Christians who do not accept the pre-existence of Christ as distinguished from God the Father, believing that prior to the Incarnation only "the timeless Spirit of God (the Father)" existed. Afterwards God "simultaneously dwelt in heaven as a timeless Spirit, and inside of the Son of Man on this earth."Although Oneness Pentecostals accept that "Christ is the same person as God," they also believe that "The 'Son' was 'born,' which means that he had a beginning." In other words, "Oneness adherents understand the term [Son] to be applicable to God only after the incarnation." They have consequently been described as holding an essentially unitarian position on the doctrine, and of denying the pre-existence of Christ. However, some members of the movement deny this interpretation of their beliefs.
Denial of the doctrine
Throughout history there have been various groups and individuals believing that Jesus' existence began when he was conceived. Those denying the pre-existence of Christ can be broadly divided into two streams:1. Those who nevertheless accept the virgin birth.
This includes Socinians, and early Unitarians
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
such as John Biddle
John Biddle (Unitarian)
John Biddle or Bidle was an influential English nontrinitarian, and Unitarian. He is often called "the Father of English Unitarianism".- Life :...
, and Nathaniel Lardner. Today the view is primarily held by Christadelphians
Christadelphians
Christadelphians is a Christian group that developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century...
. These groups typically consider that Christ is prophesied and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, but did not exist.
2. Those who also deny the virgin birth.
This includes Ebionites
Ebionites
Ebionites, or Ebionaioi, , is a patristic term referring to a Jewish Christian sect or sects that existed during the first centuries of the Christian Era. They regarded Jesus as the Messiah and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish religious law and rites...
and later Unitarians, such as Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, as well as modern Unitarian Universalists
Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
. This view is often described as adoptionism
Adoptionism
Adoptionism, sometimes called dynamic monarchianism, is a minority Christian belief that Jesus was adopted as God's son at his baptism...
, and in the 19th Century was also called psilanthropism
Psilanthropism
Psilanthropism is an approach to Christology which understands Jesus to be a "mere human", and the literal son of human parents. The term derives from the combination of the Greek ψίλος , "plain," "mere" or "bare," and ἄνθρωπος "human." Psilanthropists generally deny both the virgin birth of...
. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
described himself as having once been a psilanthropist, believing Jesus to be the "real son of Joseph." Friedrich Schleiermacher, sometimes called "the father of liberal theology
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
", was one of many German theologians who departed from the idea of personal ontological pre-existence of Christ, teaching that "Christ was not God but was created as the ideal and perfect man whose sinlessness constituted his divinity." Similarly Albrecht Ritschl
Albrecht Ritschl
Albrecht Ritschl was a German theologian.Starting in 1852, Ritschl lectured on "Systematic Theology". According to this system, faith was understood to be irreducible to other experiences, beyond the scope of reason. Faith, he said, came not from facts but from value judgments...
rejected the pre-existence of Christ, asserting that Christ was the "Son of God" only in the sense that "God had revealed himself in Christ" and Christ "accomplished a religious and ethical work in us which only God could have done." Later, Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Karl Bultmann was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg...
described the pre-existence of Christ as "not only irrational but utterly meaningless."