Affirms
Christ existed eternally as the divine Son before the Incarnation
Calvary Chapel affirms that Jesus Christ, as the eternal Son of God, pre-existed his birth in Bethlehem. He is the Logos of John 1:1, who was with God and was God before all creation. The Incarnation was not the beginning of the Son's existence but the taking on of human nature by one who had always existed.
This eternal pre-existence is inseparable from Calvary Chapel's affirmation of the Trinity and the full deity of Christ. Calvary Chapel teaches this against adoptionist or Arian interpretations, holding that the Son did not become divine at any point but has always been the second person of the Godhead.
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
- Calvary Chapel Statement of Faith
- Calvary Chapel Distinctives (Chuck Smith)