Early Adventist Views on the Origin of Christ

The personality of the Son of God had a beginning as the only begotten of the Father, occurring before the creation of all thingsATO 128.1. 🌟

The Origin of the Son

The very titles of "Father" and "Son" inherently signify that the Father existed before the SonATO 128.1. In the order of nature, it is a logical necessity that the Father must have existed prior to the subsequent existence of the SonATO 128.1. To claim that the Son is as old as the Father is a contradiction of terms that is naturally impossibleATO 128.1. If the inspired writers had intended to convey the idea of a co-etaneous existence between the two, they would not have used terms that so clearly denote a sequence of existenceATO 128.1. Therefore, the divine nature of the Redeemer was born, making Him the "first born of every creature" in reference to His divine order Colossians 1:15ATO 128.1.

Distinction from Created Beings

While the Son had an origin, He is fundamentally distinct from the created universeBEST September 15, 1889, page 281.4+1.

• Only Begotten, Not Created: Christ is the only begotten Son of God, a unique relationship that separates Him from every other order of intelligence in the universeBEST September 15, 1889, page 281.4+1.

• The Divine Creator: Since all things in heaven and earth were created by Him, He cannot be counted among the things that were created John 1:3BEST September 15, 1889, page 281.4+1.

• Heir by Birthright: As a Son, He is the natural heir of His Father, possessing by birthright the Father’s own characteristics, power, and authorityPTUK February 2, 1899, page 69.4.

• The Fullness of God: It pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell, and He is the express image of the Father’s person and the brightness of His glory Hebrews 1:3+1PTUK February 2, 1899, page 69.4+1.

His Pre-existence Before Creation

The Son of God had a real, intelligent existence before He ever exercised creative powerATO 128.1. He is the Word who was in the beginning with God, and through Him, all worlds and all ranks of intelligences were brought into being John 1:1+1ATO 128.1+1. He is before all things, and it is by His power that all things consist Colossians 1:17BEST September 15, 1889, page 281.4. His birth preceded the existence of the first creature in heaven or on earth, establishing Him as the most dignified and exalted Being in the entire universe, the Father only exceptedATO 128.1. 🙏

The Life of the Son

The life that Christ possesses is the very life of the Father, given to the Son to have in HimselfPTUK February 2, 1899, page 69.4+1. As the image of the invisible God, He reveals every perfection of the Father’s character, for the Father bestowed His own individual characteristics upon HimPTUK February 2, 1899, page 69.4. This divine life is original and is the source from which everything in the universe is upheld and consistsATO 124.2+1. When we look at the Son, we see the Father's love manifested through a Being who has been with Him from the beginning of His wayPTUK February 2, 1899, page 69.4+1.