Christ eternally pre-existed as divine Son before his incarnation
The BFM2000 affirms that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who existed before all creation and took on human flesh at the incarnation. This eternal preexistence is regarded as intrinsic to his divine nature: as the second person of the Trinity, the Son has no temporal beginning.
Southern Baptist theology teaches that the Logos (Word) of John 1 is identified with Jesus of Nazareth, meaning the historical person who walked the earth is the same eternal divine being who was 'in the beginning with God.' This eternal sonship is distinguished from adoptionist views that would see Jesus' divine status as beginning only at his baptism, resurrection, or birth.
The preexistence of Christ is also connected to SBC teaching on the atonement: it was the eternal Son of God who became flesh, lived, died, and rose — giving his sacrifice infinite worth. The BFM2000 and SBC systematic theology consistently uphold eternal sonship as a non-negotiable element of Christological orthodoxy.
Key Distinctions
- Preexistence affirmed:
- affirmed — the Son/Logos eternally pre-existed the Incarnation
- Ot identity:
- the eternal Word and agent of creation (John 1:1-3); identified with YHWH in various OT theophanies
Scripture References
Sources
- Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article II.B: God the Son