Eternal Word pre-existed all creation; incarnation is entry of eternal into time
The Assyrian Church of the East fully affirms the eternal pre-existence of the Son of God. The Divine Word (Memra in Syriac) is coequal and coeternal with God the Father, existing before all ages and all creation. The Word is the agent of creation, through whom all things were made. The Incarnation is not the creation or generation of a new divine person, but rather the assumption of human flesh by the eternally existing Word.
This doctrine is foundational to East Syrian Christology: the Word who eternally proceeds from the Father became incarnate in Jesus Christ. The pre-existence of the Word ensures the divinity of Christ and establishes the continuity between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ. This doctrine is proclaimed in the ancient liturgies of the Church of the East and is central to the catechetical instruction of the tradition.
Key Distinctions
- Preexistence affirmed:
- affirmed — the Son eternally pre-existed the Incarnation
- Ot identity:
- the eternal Word is the agent of creation and is identified with YHWH's self-manifestations
Scripture References
Sources
- Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on John
- Church of the East Liturgical Tradition
- Assyrian Church of the East Syriac patristic tradition