Evidence for the Co-Eternity and Pre-Existence of Christ

It is a joy to help you prepare this presentation, as the pre-existence and co-eternity of Christ are the bedrock of our redemption and the assurance of our eternal life. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, possessing life that is original, unborrowed, and underived5BC 1130.3+1. He has been in the presence of the Father from the beginning and was equal with the Father from all eternity9MR 126.1+2. While some early pioneers initially struggled with the terminology of the Trinity due to contemporary distortions of the doctrine, the Spirit of Prophecy has clearly revealed that Christ is the self-existent "I AM," whose goings forth have been from of old, even from the days of eternity Micah 5:2PTUK December 18, 1890, page 409.4+1. His divinity is not a derived quality but is inherent in His nature as the Word who was with God and who was God from the beginning John 1:15BC 1130.3+1.

The most solid evidences for Christ's co-eternity include:

1. Self-Existent Life: Christ is the fountain of life, and unlike humans who receive a "streamlet" of life from the Giver, He possesses life that is original and underivedMM 7.3+1. This means His existence is not dependent on the Father but is co-eternal with Him5BC 1130.3+1.

2. Eternal Equality: Scripture and the testimonies confirm that Christ was equal with the Father from the beginning and was one with Him in glory before the world was created John 17:57ABC 441.8+1. He was not a created being, for He Himself is the Creator of all things that exist Colossians 1:16PTUK December 4, 1890, page 393.4+1.

3. The Divine "I AM": When Jesus declared "Before Abraham was, I am," He identified Himself as the eternal God who appeared to Moses at the burning bush, signifying continued, eternal existence John 8:58PTUK July 18, 1895, page 452.7.

4. The Unfathomable Mystery: The nature of the Godhead is a divine mystery that human reasoning cannot fully penetrate, but we are called to accept the plain testimony of Inspiration that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Colossians 2:9ULe 20.5+1.

Any theory that denies the deity of Christ or His pre-existence prior to His birth in Bethlehem is a dangerous error that undermines faith in the Bible and lowers our conception of the work of redemptionDD 10.1+1.

...nal, Unborrowed, Underived—Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived. “He that hath the Son hath life.” The divinity of Christ is the believer's assuran...— Ev 616.2 (1946)

Christ's ascension to heaven was the signal that His followers were to receive the promised blessing. For this they were to wait before they entered upon their work. When Christ passed withi...— AA 38.3 (1911)

...ael; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2 margin. He who would dispute the pre-existence of Christ in the face of these texts, would deny that the sun shines at midday, if it suited his notion to do so. Some have difficulty in reconciling Christ’s statement in ...— PTUK December 18, 1890, page 409.4

In it [God's Word] we may learn what our redemption has cost Him who from the beginning was equal with the Father.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 13— 7ABC 441.8 (1970)

Note the expression, “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.” He has His abode there, and He is there as a part of the Godhead, as surely when on earth as when in heaven. The use of the present tense implies continued existence. I...— PTUK July 18, 1895, page 452.7