Christ existed eternally as divine Son before incarnation; creator of all things
The AG affirms the eternal preexistence of the Son of God, identifying the historical Jesus of Nazareth with the eternal Logos described in John 1:1-3. Before the foundation of the world, the Son existed in full divine glory with the Father and Spirit. The incarnation is understood as the eternal Son voluntarily taking on human nature — not the creation of a new divine being but the enfleshment of the pre-existent Word.
This conviction is essential to AG Christology and soteriology: the one who died for sin was no mere human being but the eternal God himself, which gives his atoning death infinite worth and cosmic significance. The preexistence of Christ also grounds the AG's worship of Jesus as fully and truly divine — not a creature who was elevated to divine status but the eternal Son who condescended to humanity.
The SFT's article on the deity of Christ includes his role in creation (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16) and his eternal nature, aligning the AG firmly with the Nicene Creed's confession that the Son is 'begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made.'
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
- Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, §4: The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ