The Pre-existence of God The Son(part 1)
From- "Major Bible Themes" by Lewis Sperry Chafer
Being at the same time perfectly human aind perfectly Divine, The Lord Jesus Christ was both like and unlike to the sons of men. The Scripture is clear regarding His likeness to the sons of men, presenting Him as a Man among men, who was born, lived, who suffered, and who died:
John 1:14 (KJV)
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
1 Tim 3:16 (KJV)
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels,
preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Heb 2:14-18 (KJV)
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
He (Christ) also himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
{15} And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
{16} For verily he took not on him the nature of angels;
but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
{17} Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
{18} For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted,
he is able to succour(Grk=aid or relieve) them that are tempted.
The scriptures are equally clear as to His unlikeness to men; not only in the sinless character of His human life, His sacrificial The scriptures are equally clear as to His unlikeness to men; not only in the sinless character of His human life, His sacrificial death, His glorious resurrection and ascension, but in the fact of His eternal pre-existence.
On the human side, He had a beginning; He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a Virgin. But on the Divine side, He had no beginning; He existed from all eternity. In Isaiah we read:
Isa 9:6 (KJV)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The distinction is obvious between the child which was BORN and the son which was GIVEN. In like manner it is stated on Galatians 4:4:
Gal 4:4-5 (KJV)
But when the fulness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
{5} To redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons.
He who was the Eternal Son was, in the fullness of time, "made {the offspring} of a woman".
Col 2:8-9 (KJV)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.
{9} For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
TWO TYPES OF REVELATION
The fact of the pre-existence of the Son of God is established by two distinct lines of revelation in the Bible:
1) as directly stated and 2) as implied.
1) As Directly Stated
The pre-existence of Christ is asserted in an extensive body of Scripture which is of great importance since it enters vitally into the revelation of the FACT of His Deity. By these scriptures, the Son of God is seen to be in His infinite Person co-equal with other persons of the Godhead, and this fact is unaffected by His incarnation. The Scriptures state:
John 1:1-2 (KJV)
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
{2} The same was in the beginning with God.
Micah 5:2 (KJV)
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old,
from everlasting.
John 8:58 KJV
Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Before Abraham was, I am.
Exo 3:13-14 KJV
And Moses said unto God,
Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them,
The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you;
and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
{14} And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:
and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,
I AM hath sent me unto you.
Isa 43:10-13 KJV
Ye are my witnesses,
saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen:
that ye may know and believe me,
and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed,
neither shall there be after me.
{11} I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
{12} I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed,
when there was no strange god among you:
therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD,
that I am God.
{13} Yea, before the day was I am he;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand:
I will work, and who shall let[Heb=hinder] it?
John 17:3-5 KJV
And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
{4} I have glorified thee on the earth:
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
{5} And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 13:3 KJV
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,
and that he was come from God, and went to God;
Phil 2:5-11 KJV
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
{6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
{7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
{8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
{9} Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every name:
{10} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
{11} And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Col 1:13-20 KJV
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
{14} In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
{15} Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
{16} For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by him, and for him:
{17} And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
{18} And he is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead;
that in all things he might have the preeminence.
{19} For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
{20} And, having made peace through the blood of his cross,
by him to reconcile all things unto himself;
by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Heb 1:1-3 KJV
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
{2} Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds;
{3} Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 13:8 KJV
Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
[Continued on part 2]
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