Affirms
Christ existed eternally with God before becoming incarnate
Churches of Christ affirm the pre-existence of Jesus Christ. The Word of John 1:1 who 'was in the beginning with God' and 'was God' became flesh in the Incarnation. This eternal pre-existence is seen as clearly taught in John 1, Philippians 2:5–11, and other passages and is essential to Trinitarian Christology.
The Restoration Movement's rejection of creeds does not mean rejection of the truths those creeds affirm. The pre-existence of Christ is grounded in the biblical text itself and is consistently taught in Churches of Christ as a foundational Christological truth.
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
- Alexander Campbell, The Christian System (1839)