Does the title Spirit of Christ in 1 Peter 1:11 mean that Jesus preexisted? An examination of the context of the passage, as well as Peter's Christology, will help us understand the meaning of the phrase.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes to Gentile believers (who were being persuaded to be circumcised according to the law) about what it means to be children and heirs of God. In chapter four, the apostle writes: Galatians 4:1-7 (NASB) Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. 3 So…
There are a handful of verses that are used by some to try and prove the preexistence of Jesus, which, according to modern orthodoxy, equates with Jesus being God. One of those verses is found in Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 (NASB) For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the…
There are a handful of passages that some point to in an effort to prove that Jesus preexisted as God in heaven. One of those verses appears in the book of Micah: Micah 5:2 (NASB) "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."Jerusalem was going to muster troops to fight Assyria, but God took…
John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus is sometimes used in an attempt to prove that Jesus preexisted in heaven: John 1:15, 27 and 29-30 (NASB) John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" ...27 "It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."...29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and…
The book of Acts should play a key role in the development of our theology because it demonstrates what the early Church believed and taught. In other words, the book of Acts offers a firsthand look at how the disciples implemented Jesus' mandate to go into all the world "teaching them all that I have commanded you."[1] If the doctrine of the Trinity and Jesus' incarnation are foundational teachings, as modern orthodoxy claims, we should find them in abundance in the book that records the…
Post-biblical orthodoxy has long held that Jesus created the world. Passages such as Genesis 1:26, John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-18, when viewed through a Nicene lens, appear to some to support this interpretation. Another passage that is often referenced is found in Hebrews: Hebrews 1:1-2 (NASB) God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through…
One of the most often quoted passages in support of Jesus' deity is also one of the most contested. Trinitarians and non-Trinitarians alike each assert that it supports their own Christological view: Philippians 2:5-11 (NASB) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.…
Many Christians sitting in the pew believe that their view of God, indeed orthodoxy's view, is derived solely from the Bible. They would never suspect, however, that the roots of their belief in a triune God comes, not from Scripture, but from Greek philosophy. Nor could they imagine that the respected early Church Fathers were to blame for synthesizing pagan philosophy, such as Plato's, with the sacred texts. While the average Christian is unaware of such matters, Biblical scholars find this to be old news.…
One of the passages cited as proof that Jesus pre-existed in heaven before being incarnated into the world comes from what is referred to as Jesus' high priestly prayer:John 17:4-5 (NASB) "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (emphasis added)The Definition of GloryThe word "glorify" in the Greek is doxazô, and it means to render or…