SUMMARY OF THE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT:  

JESUS IS PRE-EMINENT, NOT PRE-EXISTING HIS BIRTH 

JESUS DID NOT PRE-EXIST HIS LITERAL BIRTH 

The Bible rwaches that Jesus was “pre-eminent” (first in rank), not pre-existing, not literally existing before his human birth. It shows that Jesus existed in God’s foreknowledge, plan, and purpose, and he was fully brought into existence at his birth. 

GOD IS THE GREAT ARCHITECT 

A key Bible principle of Bible teaching is that God speaks of things that do not yet exist as

though they already do.

As the Great Architect of creation, the LORD God possessed wisdom before He created. He

knew humanity would sin as in the Garden of Eden, but He had already planned for the

salvation of His people. God promised that the “seed of the woman” (Jesus) would put to

death the “seed of the serpent” (sin in the flesh) through the sacrifice of Jesus. 

Key Bible Verses 

Romans 4:17 “as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence

of  the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things

that do not exist.” 

Proverbs 8:22-23 “The LORD possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of his work, the first of

his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.” 

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (KJV) 

THE WORD: THE DIVINE PURPOSE OF GOD 

The Bible uses many different literary styles, including literal and figurative descriptions.  Sometimes the reader is told plainly regarding a symbol and its interpretation (i.e. Revelation 1:29) and sometimes it is contextual or based on what has been written beforehand. Therefore, it is essential to determine if what is decribed is literal or figurative. 

John starts his Gospel stating, 

Key Bible Verses  

John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

God.The same was in the beginning with God.” 

John 1:14 “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.”

Jesus is “the Word of God” and the “Word made flesh”, however this does not indicate Jesus was God or that Jesus pre-existed his literal birth.  

Key Bible Verses 

Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was

without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God

moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light..” 

Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” 

• In the beginning of creation, God spoke (the word) and His word was performed. 

• In the Greek language (language of the New Testament) the Greek for “word” is “logos.”  

• “Logos” means, something said, motive, expressing the divine intention, mind, purpose. 

As the Great Architect: 

• In God’s wisdom, He developed a plan with intent and purpose (logos) before He began creating. 

• Jesus was and is central to God’s divine intention and purpose (logos).  

• Jesus was the “logos”, the divine intention and purpose of God, who was literally born and made flesh! 

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE SHOWING GOD’S PURPOSE IN JESUS 

Because Jesus was central to God’s plan and purpose from the beginning, the Bible uses language in some situations that is figurative and not literal regarding Jesus. 

The following are some examples: 

God is the source of Jesus existence 

John 6:62 “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” 

From reading John 6:52-62 we understand that Jesus was speaking figuratively when he said one must eat his flesh and drink his blood to gain eternal life. This is also the context of Jesus asking the question regarding the Son of Man ascending to where he was before. 

• Jesus is speaking about being the bread of life that came down from heaven, referring to the manna in the wilderness in the Old Testament (Exodus 16:31-35; Numbers 11:6-9). 

• The manna was associated with dew (Numbers 11:9). Dew does not come down from heaven but is formed on the ground. This further indicates that Jesus was not speaking literally, but figuratively. 

• Jesus was not talking about literal food. He said his food was to do the will of his Father (John. 4:34). 

Jesus is pre-eminent, not pre-existent 

John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 

• The Greek phrase “I am” is “ego eimi”, which is not the divine name. It means “to be” or “to exist” and is common throughout the New Testament (Acts 23:30 – “laid wait”; Act 24:25 – “to come”; Acts 26:29; 27:23; 1 Corintians 15:10; Philippians 4:11 - Paul says “I am”). 

• Jesus is the promised son of Abraham who will fulfill the promises through faith and baptism into Jesus (Matthew. 1:1; Galatians 3:6-8,16,26-29). 

• The Gospel was preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8). Abraham rejoiced, in advance, to see his promised son, Jesus (Matthew 1:1) fulfill the promises God made to him (Genesis 12:1-3). 

Colossians 1:15-18 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by

him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or

dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he 

before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 

 Jesus is the image/replica of God, he is thefirstborn from the dead and has the pre-eminence (first in rank or position, not time) in everything.

• In Colossians 1:15, Jesus is the “image of the invisible God”. Jesus is the replica, not the original. 

• God made Jesus His firstborn (Psalm 89:27) as described by the conception and birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-23,  Luke 1:26-35, Galatians 4:4). 

• Colossians 1:18 qualifies Jesus as “the firstborn from the dead”. It also states that Jesus would be “pre-eminent” (to be first, in rank or influence). This is speaking about rank, not time. 

Jesus was in the plan of God from the beginning 

The following descriptions of, and statements about Jesus from the Bible will demonstrate

that figurative language was often used to describe Jesus’ role and mission as foreordained

by God, before He created:

• Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). 

• Jesus was the chief cornerstone “foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20). 

• The building will be “fitly framed together” (Ephesians 2:21) to perform its role in the ”kingdom prepared…from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). 

• Jesus was foreordained, but not formed until his birth (Galatians 4:4) 

• Jesus’ glory was the subject of the prophetic testimony speaking of the sufferings of Christ in advance and the glory to follow (1 Peter 1:11; John 12:41). 

SUMMARY 

• The LORD God is the Great Architect of creation. 

• God had a plan with divine intention and purpose (“logos” in Greek) before He began creating. 

• God speaks of things as though they exist, before they actually exist. 

• Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s Word (logos) who came into existence at his literal birth. 

• Jesus did not personally exist before his birth.  

• The Bible’s use of language suggesting Jesus’ pre-existence reflects:  

• God’s way of speaking. 

• The work will be accomplished. 

• The figurative/symbolic and often graphic expressions used to describe the work of Jesus. 

• Jesus is:  

• The promised Messiah to fufill promiese God made to people such as Abraham. 

• Central to and the manifestation of God’s purpose. 

• A true human who obeyed and was exalted by God. 

• Pre-eminent (rank), not pre-existent (time) in God’s plan as the Great Architect.