The Pre-Existence Of Jesus Christ

The Meaning of Pre-Existence

The words pre-exist or pre-existence are not found in the Bible. However, the meaning of these words are certainly applicable to Christ in regards to His incarnation. Here are four definitions from well-known dictionaries for the word pre-existence.

Merriam-Webster Definition:
“Existence in a former state or previous to something else;”

Oxford Dictionaries:
“Exist at or from an earlier time than (something):”

Cambridge Dictionary:
“To exist before something else:”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Pre-existence of Christ:
“The doctrine of the pre-existence (or preexistence) of Christ asserts the ontological or personal existence of Christ before his conception.”

All dictionaries agree that pre-existence means to exist before something else. It does not however mean to have always existed. For example: When applying for health insurance you are typically asked if you have any pre-existing health conditions. Such a condition is normally something that has come into existence sometime during your life. The word pre-existence in fact implies a beginning. This whole idea of pre-existence is consistent with Scripture which continually reveals Christ to have existed before His incarnation and before all things were created.

Bible Verses on the Pre-Existence of Christ

All these verses and there are dozens more reveal that Jesus Christ pre-existed before His incarnation. But to be more precise, they reveal that He existed before all things were created or before the beginning. The question is, the beginning of what? It has to be the beginning of something as God had no beginning! The beginning of something is its origin.

Proverbs 8:22-30 “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;”

Daniel 3:25 “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

John 8:58 NLT “Jesus answered, “The truth is, I existed before Abraham was even born!”

John 16:28 “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify you me with thine own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.”

John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

Colossians 1:15-17 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

Hebrews 1:10 “And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:”

1 John 4:9 “because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

Revelation 22:13 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

Let's look at some of these key Scriptures that are often misinterpreted and see what they mean and what Christ pre-existed before, and if they show Christ to have always existed or if His personality had a beginning. We are going to explain Scripture according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed and not by assumptions or personal ideas or opinions and ask if you will please do the same.

For Adventists: “The truths most plainly revealed in the Bible have been involved in doubt and darkness by learned men, who, with a pretense of great wisdom, teach that the Scriptures have a mystical, a secret, spiritual meaning not apparent in the language employed. These men are false teachers. It was to such a class that Jesus declared, “Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God.” The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.” If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished that would make angels glad, and that would bring into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error.” — (E.G. White, RH, June 28, 1906)

Proverbs 8:23-36 - From the Beginning

Starting with Proverbs 8:23-26 which says, “I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.” So Christ was brought forth from the Father before the Earth was created in the days of eternity. And of course if Christ was brought forth than this also confirms His personality has an origin. Note that the Hebrew word “Olam” used for everlasting in verse 23 in the KJV has several possible meanings and has been translated in many different ways according to context and what the translators believed to be correct. It can mean “the vanishing point”, “time out of mind - past or future”, “ancient time” and “beginning of the world” to name a few. Here are some other translations that demonstrate this point.

Proverbs 8:23 CJB “I was appointed before the world, before the start, before the earth's beginnings.”
Proverbs 8:23 HCSB “I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began.”
Proverbs 8:23 NLT “I was appointed in ages past, at the very first, before the earth began.”
Proverbs 8:23 NLV “I was set apart long ago, from the beginning, before the earth was.”
Proverbs 8:23 RSV “Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.”

For Adventists: Some say this passage does not refer to Christ but not so, “Through Solomon Christ declared: “The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.... When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of the earth; then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him.” — (E.G. White, ST, August 29, 1900)

Some also have the wrong concept of the word beginning in Scripture. God of course has no beginning and the word beginning means the “origin” and source of something. One example from the Oxford dictionary for “beginning” is, “The background or origins of a person or organization.” If Christ was co-eternal with the Father, than like His Father, He would have no beginning. The Septuagint that Jesus quoted from says, “He established me in the beginning, before time was, before He made the earth.” So all Bible translations of Proverbs 8:23 in fact actually say Christ has an origin!

Solomon has also used Hebrew parallelism in verse 23 which expresses a thought one way, and then uses a complementary thought to express it another way. So the last two phrases of this verse are saying the same thing as the first phrase but in a different way. This gives tremendous clarity on when he is referring to and yet most still get it wrong. Bible writers did not understand science as we do and measured time by the spheres in the sky that did not exist until Christ created everything. So Christ was established in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) before He made the earth, which was before time was since there was nothing to measure time by yet. Thus we know that the beginning was when the Earth was made where there was nothing in existence to measure time by and hence was before time was. And so the phrases “from eternity”, “from everlasting”, “before time was”, “the days of eternity”, “from the beginning” and “before the earth was” all mean the same thing. Quite simply, before the earth and all things were created. So this passage states Christ pre-existed before He created all things before the beginning of this world.

Daniel 3:25 - The Son of God and the Faithful Three

God's Son was in the fiery furnace with the faithful three over 500 years before His incarnation.

Daniel 3:25 “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

For Adventists: “Heaven was very near to these faithful men; they were cast into the fiery furnace, but He in whom they had trusted did not forsake them. Nebuchadnezzar the king exclaimed in amazement, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” How did he know who the fourth was like? The captives had not kept their lips sealed; they had told the Babylonians of their God. Whenever they had an opportunity, they honoured God. They were not ashamed to give Him glory; and from the very description they had given, the king understood that the One with the three captives was the Son of God.” — (E.G. White, BEcho, January 15, 1893)

Micah 5:2 - From Everlasting

Next is Micah 5:2 which is another verse that is frequently misunderstood. I have seen Trinitarians claim this verse means, “Jesus Christ has existed from all eternity! He had no beginning.” Where does this verse state that Jesus has always existed and had no beginning? It doesn't. It is assumed by Trinitarians who have the wrong mindset and choose to believe that from everlasting or ancient of times means no beginning. But this is not what is being said at all.

If you read Micah 5:2 with open eyes you will see that it informs us that Christ has an origin and was brought forth a long time ago. It also uses the Hebrew word “Olam” as Proverbs 8:23 and has the same translation issue. The phrase “goings forth” in the KJV implies an origin of course and why the NIV used the word “origins.”

Micah 5:2 KJV “But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Micah 5:2 NIV “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

So when does this verse say the pre-existence of Christ was? According to the meaning of the word “Olam”, it means before “ancient times”, “from eternity”, “from everlasting”, “before time was”, “the days of eternity”, “from the beginning” and “before the earth was” which all mean the same thing. Before all things were created. Having no beginning is in total conflict with Him having an origin as this verse also states.

John 1:1 - In the Beginning

Consider now John 1:1 “(a) In the beginning was the Word, (b) and the Word was with [the] God, (c) and the Word was God.”

The Word was in the beginning, the beginning of what? It has to be the beginning of something. Was it the beginning of this world? Was it the beginning of the creation of the angels? Whichever beginning you place it at, it has to be the beginning of something. Many Trinitarians use this to say that Christ always was, and had no beginning. But again, that is not what the verse says. Also the Word with has to mean something. The Word was “with” God. They cannot be the same being, or one could not be with the other. As John 1:2 NIV says, “He [Jesus] was with God in the beginning.”

The proper rendering of John 1:1 into English from the original Koine Greek text continues to be a source of vigorous debate among Bible translators, and especially the phrase the Word was God (c). The first verse of John's Gospel says that God's Son Christ Jesus, being referred to as the Word here, was with God in the beginning, (a+b). John 1:1b does not say that the Messiah is God but was with [the] God. It is important to note that the word [the] exists in the Greek text but was left out by translators as they thought it read wrongly, but it is actually correct and has purpose. Here is the original Greek text for (1b).
και and ^{2532 CONJ} ο the ^{3588 T-NSM} λογος Word ^{3056 N-NSM} ην was ^{2258 V-IXI-3S} προς with ^{4314 PREP} τον the ^{3588 T-ASM} θεον God ^{2316 N-ASM}

One can better understand John 1:1 by using the same grammatical structure but with different subjects such as Adam and Eve for example. “In the beginning was the woman, and the woman was with [the] human, and the woman was human.” Adam is “the human” and the woman is Eve, but Eve is also human by nature but Eve is not “the human” in identity. They are two separate persons. Look at this again with this perspective in mind. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the Deity, and the Word was Deity.” The Word, the Son was with the supreme Deity the Father, and the Word was Deity in nature. But the Son was not “the” Deity, the Son was not “the” Father, yet the Son has the Father's divine nature by inheritance. The Word has the same God quality, the same divine nature and the same God-ness as His Father. Thus Jesus was with God in the beginning, but is not “the” God the Father but God by inheritance and nature being the Son.

So what is the beginning mentioned in John 1:1? Verse three reveals it was the beginning of all created things.

John 1:3 states, “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” This verse has two direct statements being that Jesus preexisted and created all things and that all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Did you notice that John said that not only were all things made through Him but also that without Him nothing was made. Therefore Jesus could not have been one of the created things.

Paul also confirms what John wrote, “For by Him all things were created.” He continues with even greater clarity to make sure that we understand what he means by all things. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” Colossians 1:16.

If Jesus created all things then He could not have been one of the created things. Paul adds the following just so there can be no mistake about this fact. “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:17.

John 8:58 - Before Abraham was I am

Another verse brought into question is John 8:58. Note that the words “I am” also mean “I exist.” Some claim that Christ was declaring Himself to be God in John 8:58 because He used the words “I am.” This is erroneously based on the words “I am” being a reference to Exodus 3:14. From this they draw the conclusion that Christ was alluding to a divine name and thereby telling the Jews that He was God. Trinitarians further try and support their claim by saying this is why the Jews picked up stones to kill Him. But this was due to many things Jesus said to them throughout John chapter 8 that slowly brought them to anger. The final straw being Jesus claiming seniority over Abraham who they said was their father. So Jesus claimed greater authority than the patriarch and hence was also claiming to be greater than them. See the meaning of I am in John 8:58 for detailed information.

It is also notable that the words “I AM THAT I AM” in Exodus 3:14 have been variously understood for centuries. The Vulgate translates it as “I am who am.” The Septuagint to “I am he who exists.” The Targum of Jonathan and the Jerusalem Targum paraphrase the words as “He who spake, and the world was; who spake, and all things existed.” The original words literally signify, “I will be what I will be.”

A comparison of Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58 using the Greek Old Testament the Septuagint, reveals that God said, “I am the being (ego eimi ho ohn – εγω ειμι ο ων),” and Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am (prin abraam genesthai ego eimi – πριν αβρααμ γενεσθαι εγω ειμι).” So the divine name is actually “The being (ho ohn – ο ων)”, not “I am (ego eimi – εγω ειμι).” This is further proven by the end of Exodus 3:14 which says “The being (ho ohn – ο ων) has sent me to you.” It does not say “I am (ego eimi – εγω ειμι) has sent me to you.” The words are different in either language and there is no connection. No matter how it is translated into English, “ho ohn” is not the same as “ego eimi.” So there is no connection between “I AM” in Exodus and “I am” in John. In no way does John 8:58 equate Jesus to God except by biased inference based on weak translation and bad grammar. So John 8:58 reveals that Christ pre-existed before Abraham, which was before His incarnation.

John 3:17, 1 John 4:9 - God Sent His Son Into The World

Scripture reveals many times that Jesus was God's Son “before” God sent Him into the world, not after. The following two verses for instance say that God sent His Son into the world. Hence He was already God's Son before He sent Him.

John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

1 John 4:9 “because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

John 17:5, 24 - Before the World Was

The next two verses are self-explanatory and once again consistent with all Scripture. They reveal that the pre-existence of Christ was before the world was or before the foundation of the world. In other words, once again, before the beginning of all things being created. Don't forget that God existed before the beginning of all created things as He had no beginning.

John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify you me with thine own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.”

John 17:24 “Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

Colossians 1:15-17 - First Born Over all Creation

And what about Colossians 1:15-17 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

According to the Bible Jesus Christ was begotten, which literally means born, and before anything was created and long before God sent Him into the world. (John 3:16-17; 18:37; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:1-9 and 1 John 4:9) The Bible does not tell us how Jesus was begotten but God wants us to know that He is His Son who He loves very much. Jesus said, “For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself.” John 5:26. If Jesus had always existed alongside the Father as the Trinity doctrine claims, then God could not have given life to His Son as He would have always had life. But Scripture reveals this is impossible. According to His own testimony, Jesus is the only begotten Son of God and literally received life from His Father.

This is what Paul explained in regards to Christ, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.” Colossians 1:15 KJV. Note that the latter part of this verse in the KJV is a bit misleading and should have been translated as “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1:15 NKJV. Some use this verse to say that Christ Himself was a created being. But such an interpretation is contradicted elsewhere in Scripture such as John 1:1-4 and Colossians 1:16-17. Thus we see that Paul is telling us that Christ was “Begotten First or Born Before all creation” because all of creation was created by Christ through His Father. “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 3:9.

For Adventists: “The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” — (E.G. White, DA, p. 51)
“Jesus was not turned aside by any influence from the faithful service expected of a son. He did not aim to do anything remarkable to distinguish himself from other youth, or to proclaim his HEAVENLY BIRTH.” — (E.G. White, YI, Feb 1, 1873)

Thayer's Greek Lexicon says, “Christ is called, firstborn of all creation, who came into being through God prior to the entire universe of created things.” Barnes New Testament Notes on Colossians 1:15 says, “the word firstborn - pro-tot-ok'-os - properly means the firstborn child of a father or mother.” Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary says, “Begotten (literally, 'born') before every creature.” Matthew Henry's Commentary states “He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made;”

For Adventists: “Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” The first chapter of Colossians will wonderfully enlighten the mind as to the truth as it is in Jesus.” — (E.G. White, ST, Nov. 15, 1899)

The Bible refers to Christ as God's Son at least 120 times. Forty seven times using the phrase “Son of God.” Regarding the genuineness of Christ's Sonship, He is called “the only begotten” five times, “the firstborn” three times, “the firstbegotten” once and God's “holy child” twice. Four verses say He was “begotten” prior to His incarnation so this cannot be applied to His birth on Earth from Mary as some have chosen to believe. Four verses say that He “proceeded forth from,” “came out from” or “camest forth from” the Father. The evidence on this subject is overwhelming. Christ truly is the literal begotten Son of God who was brought forth from the Father before all creation. The example verses below with the help of the Thayer dictionary reveal that Jesus was born of the Father before the world was, then much later, He came into the world.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon
G1831 - To come forth from physically, arise from, to be born of.
G2064 - To come from one place to another.

John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me: for I proceeded forth [G1831] and came from God; neither came [G2064] I of myself, but he sent me.”
John 16:27-28 “For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came out [G1831] from God. 28 I came forth [G1831] from the Father, and am come [G2064] into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
John 17:7-8 “Now they have known that all things whatsoever you have given me are of you. 8 For I have given unto them the words which you gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out [G1831] from you, and they have believed that you did send me.”

So Paul reveals that Christ created all things and His pre-existence was before all things were created. But he also reveals that Christ was born from God and hence His personality has a beginning.

We know that Christ existed before the beginning of all things being created and that the Bible reveals in many ways that cannot be avoided that Jesus was brought forth from the Father and is the only begotten Son of God. The moment you claim that the personality of Christ had no beginning, then you deny that Jesus is the Son of God. And if you deny the Son of God then you have no means of entering the kingdom of heaven. And if you deny Jesus is the Son of God then you also deny the one true God is the Father. Hence you deny the Father and Son which John called antichrist.

1 John 2:22-23 “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

For Adventists: Ellen White wrote, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. ... He who denies the personality of God and of his Son Jesus Christ, is denying God and Christ.” — (E.G. White, RH, March 8, 1906, p. 9)

So what denies the personality of God and His Son which is denying God and Christ? Her husband explains, “Here we might mention the Trinity, which does away [with] the personality of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ,” — (James White, RH, December 11, 1855, p. 85)

So claiming that Jesus had no beginning and has always existed alongside the one true God destroys their personality. God is no longer a Father and Jesus is no longer a Son. There is in fact no Scripture that says Christ had no beginning or has always existed. To the contrary, Scripture states He does have a beginning. And to state the obvious one more time, He cannot be the Son of God if He has always existed without beginning. Produce one Scripture that specifically says Christ had no beginning or that Christ has always existed. It simply does not exist. It can only be implied by eisegesis.

Revelation 22:13 - The Alpha and Omega

Some claim that the words Alpha and Omega found in Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13 means that Christ is without beginning or end, but it does not say that. It says that Christ is the beginning and the end of something. Not only that, but a beginning is the origin of something and an end is the termination of something. Since when does “always” have a beginning and what good is eternal life if it has an end? Many Christians have the wrong concept of the word beginning in Scripture. Remember that God had no beginning and has always existed. The “Alpha” is the “first” letter of the Greek Alphabet and hence is the “beginning” of the Alphabet, and “Omega” is the “last” letter of the Greek Alphabet and hence is the “end” of the Alphabet. So these terms are simply referring to the beginning and to the end of something, but what? Let's not read into anything or make assumptions but just look at what Scripture does say and what the use of these words meant to the Jews.

Note that every single verse with a reference to the Alpha and Omega without fail follows a reference to the second coming of Christ and the “end” of this world. This is not a coincidence. Christ created this world and brought about its beginning, and He will be there in its end at His second coming and will bring about its destruction. Thus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last as He states in Revelation 22:13. All three phrases mean the same thing. In Revelation 1:17-18 we find, “I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” Who is the Alpha and Omega (the first and the last) that was dead and is alive for evermore? It is Christ.

Revelation 1:7-8 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 21:1-6 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ... 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Revelation 22:12-14 “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

Note also that the last two passages while speaking of the end immediately reveal that those who keep the Commandments get to eat of the tree of life, and that the sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters and liars perish. Note how Revelation 21:7 references Revelation 2:7 below, which in turn references Revelation 22:14 in regards to those who get to eat from the tree of life, which are those who keep the Commandments of God.

Revelation 2:7 “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

So we find a reference to the end of this world and the second coming of Christ before the words in question while directly after these words are two more things that happen directly after the end. That is too much evidence to be coincidental. And since we are at the end of the Bible and dealing with the end, then that is why these verses only refer to the “end.” So if the “end” is referring to the end of this world than the “beginning” obviously refers to the beginning of this world, which we find in the beginning of the Bible such as Genesis 1:1 and references to the first chapter of Genesis. So everything we have seen so far reveals that these verses are referring to the second coming of Christ and the end of this world where the faithful who kept the Commandments of God get to eat from the tree of life while others perish.

Note Clarke's Commentary on Revelation 1:8 and how these words were used and understood by the Jews. Did they see these words to mean that Christ has always existed and is God? This of course would also contradict Proverbs 8 that says Christ was brought forth and so would not be possible anyway.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. Adam Clarke, LL.D., F.S.A., (1715-1832)
“This mode of speech is borrowed from the Jews, who express the whole compass of things by א aleph and ת tau, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet; but as St. John was writing in Greek, he accommodates the whole to the Greek alphabet, of which Α alpha and Ω omega are the first and last letters. With the rabbins מא ועד ת meeleph vead tau, “from aleph to tau,” expressed the whole of a matter, from the beginning to the end. So in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17, 4: Adam transgressed the whole law from aleph to tau; i.e., from the beginning to the end.
Ibid., fol. 48, 4: Abraham observed the law, from aleph to tau; i.e., he kept it entirely, from beginning to end.
Ibid., fol. 128, 3: When the holy blessed God pronounced a blessing on the Israelites, he did it from aleph to tau; i.e., he did it perfectly.”

So as the Jews understood on the meaning of these words, from the beginning and first book of the Bible to the end and last book of the Bible, Jesus encompasses all things. Thus the Jews who actually knew the meaning of these words disagree with the claim made by Trinitarians. The beginning and the end referred to in these passages is the beginning of this created world, while the end is the second coming of Christ and the end of this world, when a New Heaven and Earth are created. Christ brought about the beginning of this world and He also brings about its end. Barnes Commentary on Revelation 22:13 also confirms what Scripture reveals in this respect.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible. Albert Barnes (1798-1870)
“The idea here is, that he will thus show that he is the first and the last - the beginning and the end. He originated the whole plan of salvation, and he will determine its close; he formed the world, and he will wind up its affairs.”

For Adventists: “Christ says, “I am the true witness. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” — (E.G. White, 1SAT, 231.3)
“even from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is the Alpha, the first link, and the Omega, the last link, of the gospel chain, which is welded in Revelation.” — (E.G. White, 10MR 171.1)
“He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” — (E.G. White, 1888, 783.2)
“And so the statement that He is the beginning or head of the creation of God means that in Him creation had its beginning; that, as He Himself says, He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Rev. 21:6; 22:13. He is the source whence all things have their origin.” — (E.J. Waggoner, CAHR, p. 20, 1890)

The author of Hebrews illustrates another way that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2. Barnes Commentary relates this to the Alpha and Omega also.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible. Albert Barnes (1798-1870)
“The author and finisher of our faith - The word “our” is not in the original here, and obscures the sense. The meaning is, he is the first and the last as an example of faith ... The word “author” - ἀρχηγὸν archēgon - (marg. beginner) - means properly the source, or cause of anything; or one who makes a beginning. ... The phrase “the beginner of faith,” or the leader on of faith, would express the idea. He is at the head of all those who have furnished an example of confidence in God, for he was himself the most illustrious instance of it. ... The word “finisher” - τελειωτὴν teleiōtēn - corresponds in meaning with the word “author.” It means that he is the completer as well as the beginner; the last as well as the first. ... “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last.” The word does not mean that he was the “finisher” of faith in the sense that he makes our faith complete or perfects it - whatever may be true about that - but that he occupies this elevated position of being beyond comparison above all others. Alike in the commencement and the close, in the beginning of faith, and in its ending, he stands pre-eminent.”

Considering these verses in Revelation that state the beginning and the end are referring to the creating and beginning of this world, consider now Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3 and Hebrews 1:10.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” [The Beginning]
Compare with:
Revelation 21:1 “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;” [The End]

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He [Jesus] was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

Hebrews 1:10 “And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:”

So these verses do not reveal Christ to be without beginning but that He pre-existed before all things were created in the beginning of this world. The use of the word beginning in this respect is consistent throughout Scripture.

Did Christ have an Origin or just His Personality?

Consider the following. If we could travel at a septuagintacentillion (10⁵¹³) times the speed of light in any one direction, would we ever find the end of the universe, like perhaps a wall with a sign saying this is the end? And if so, what would be on the other side of that wall? And what existed before Christ created this universe and all things through His Father? Was it nothing? And how long did nothing exist for if that was the case? It would have to be forever! And what about God, when did He begin to exist and who created Him? The answer is that there was never a time He did not exist and hence could never have been created. He is God and has always been and so is without beginning! And what about the Son of God who was born of the same substance of God? The same applies. Since Christ is the same substance of His Father, then everything He consists of had no beginning. So His divinity had no beginning, His makeup; His nature had no beginning as it all came from the Father. So in principle, everything Christ is had no beginning. If you trace Christ back you will have to go through the Father and you will never get to a beginning. But His personality as the Son of God began when He was brought forth by His Father. This principle is brought out in Scripture many times. So in effect it was only the personality of Christ that had a beginning. These are the mysteries of God and things our mind cannot possibly comprehend.

For Adventists: “In arguing the perfect equality of the Father and the Son, and the fact that Christ is in very nature God, we do not design to be understood as teaching that the Father was not before the Son. It should not be necessary to guard this point, lest some should think that the Son existed as soon as the Father; yet some go to that extreme, which adds nothing to the dignity of Christ, but rather detracts from the honor due him, since many throw the whole thing away rather than accept a theory so obviously out of harmony with the language of Scripture, that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. He was begotten, not created. He is of the substance of the Father, so that in his very nature he is God; and since this is so “it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.” Col. 1:19 ... While both are of the same nature, the Father is first in point of time. He is also greater in that he had no beginning, while Christ's personality had a beginning.” — (E.J. Waggoner, ST, April 8, 1889)

The pioneers studied and prayed earnestly together with Ellen White and she frequently went into vision and a clear explanation was given to the Scriptures they had been studying together. So the pioneers were in harmony on the main issues of doctrine. Thus Ellen White collaborates what Waggoner said above. “The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, but not in personality.” — (E.G. White, MS116, December 19, 1905)

Ellen White is saying that everything Christ consists of had no beginning as it came from the Father who has always existed. He came out of the Father and so is the same God nature and substance of His Father. And so by His substance He is God in infinity. But His personality began when He was brought forth from His Father as the first born of Heaven.

So what about the following Scriptures. Do the first two verses contradict the last? Absolutely not.

John 14:28 “You have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”

1 Corinthians 11:3 “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”

Philippians 2:6 “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”

The word greater in John 14:28 refers to position but not in nature in the same way it does with a man and a woman or even a father and son. In 1 Corinthians 11:3 we see that the head of the woman is man. Does this mean the husband is a superior being to his wife? The answer is obviously no. She is a human being just as the man is and they are equal in nature. So the husband is greater than his wife only by position. The same applies to a father and son. The father is greater by position due to age and hence authority. And so the father is greater in that he was first. The same applies to our Heavenly Father and His Son. The Father is greater by position in that He was first, but not greater by nature and hence form as Philippians 2:6 states.

For Adventists: As the husband of Ellen White stated in regards to the Father and Son, “The Father was greater than the Son in that he was first.” — (James White, RH, January 4, 1881)

So we observe the same concept of being equal in nature, but Christ submitted Himself to the Father as He was greater in that He was first being His literal Father. So we find in these verses the principle of headship and submission established by God as displayed both in marriage and in the Godhead.

So these Scriptures in fact also reveal that God is the literal Father of Christ and that Christ is the literal Son of God. And as Waggoner, Ellen White, James White and Scripture reveals, that means Christ came after the Father being the Son.

Ellen G. White Quotes on the Pre-Existence of Christ

For Adventists: Does Ellen White also reveal the pre-existence of Christ was before the beginning of all created things and hence before His incarnation?

These first three quotes are very clear that His pre-existence was before Christ assumed human nature.

“The invitations of mercy were made a jest, and they denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, and derided the idea of His preexistence before He assumed human nature. But the tattered shreds of human reasoning will be found to be only as ropes of sand in the great day of God.” — (E.G. White, ST, August 30, 1910)

“They are believers in the age to come, and disbelievers in the preexistence of Christ before He came to our world. Although I had not the slightest knowledge of the faith of those present, being a stranger to the people, yet the remarks were so fitting to those present that Brother Jones, elder of the church, said he thought they would accuse him of telling me; but we came directly into the meeting without one word of conversation with anyone. I dwelt particularly upon the divine character of Jesus Christ.” — (E.G. White, MR1033, 53.6, 1890)

“This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the preexistence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God's holy, sanctified day.” — (E.G. White, RH, September 12, 1893)

“The humiliation of the man Christ Jesus is incomprehensible to the human mind; but His divinity and His existence before the world was formed can never be doubted by those who believe the Word of God. The apostle Paul speaks of our Mediator, the only-begotten Son of God, who in a state of glory was in the form of God, the Commander of all the heavenly hosts, and who, when He clothed His divinity with humanity, took upon Him the form of a servant.” — (E.G. White, 1SM 243.2)

Here she reveals that Christ pre-existed before the beginning of everything being created which of course was before His incarnation. She also states that to deny Christ pre-existed before His incarnation is a denial of His divinity.

“There are many who deny the preexistence of Christ, and therefore deny his divinity; they do not accept him as a personal Saviour. This is a total denial of Christ. He was the only-begotten Son of God, who was one with the Father from the beginning. By him the worlds were made. In denying the miraculous incarnation of Christ, many turn from other truths of heavenly origin, and accept fables of Satan's invention.” — (E.G. White, ST, May 28, 1894)

Below she quotes John 1:1 which is in the beginning, which was the beginning of all created things as seen previously.

“But while God's Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding His preexistence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father. From everlasting He was the Mediator of the covenant, the One in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted Him, were to be blessed. “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God.” — (E.G. White, RH, April 5, 1906)

Note the following quote from Ellen White as to what she meant when she said from everlasting.

“The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by him as his right. This was no robbery of God. “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way,” he declares, “before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.” — (E.G. White, RH, April 5, 1906)

Ellen White quotes Proverbs 8:23-26 above and equates eternity with everlasting, meaning before the beginning of all created things. So when she said eternity, she did not mean that Christ had always existed. She confirms this twice when she says that Christ was “brought forth,” which means she is also saying that the personality of Christ had a beginning. Interestingly enough, the following two GC approved Sabbath School lessons confirm this also, which is before the Adventist Church became fully Trinitarian and were still teaching Biblical truth.

“The direct statement of Jesus, “I came forth from the Father,” reads literally, “I came out of the Father.” Putting with this, His testimony in John 10:38, “The Father is in Me, and I in Him,” we have His personal witness that He truly was “begotten of the Father,” as John says in 1:14.” — (SDA Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly, Lesson 4, October 24, 1936, p. 12)

“In the few passages we have studied here, we find that Christ was with the Father “before the world was,” “from, the days of eternity,” “before the foundation of the world,” “before all things.” He was therefore no part of creation, but was “begotten of the Father” in the days of eternity, and was very God Himself.” — (Ibid, p. 13)

So we find that the Adventist Church once knew that such phrases as “from the days of eternity,” “before the foundation of the world,” “before all things” meant in the days before anything existed and it was seen as though there was no time. So these were often referred to as the days of eternity. So easily Christians take these expressions the wrong way when Scripture shows that would be contradictory to stating that Christ was brought forth before the beginning of all creation.

This quote reveals that Christ was the Son of God not only before His incarnation but before the angels were created. And since Ellen White distinguishes between before and after the angles were created, then she is also revealing that there was a time that Christ was brought fourth from His Father. If Christ had always existed then she would not need to specify when.

“Angels that were loyal and true sought to reconcile this mighty, rebellious angel to the will of his Creator. They justified the act of God in conferring honor upon Christ, and with forcible reasoning sought to convince Lucifer that no less honor was his now than before the Father had proclaimed the honor which He had conferred upon His Son. They clearly set forth that Christ was the Son of God, existing with Him before the angels were created; and that He had ever stood at the right hand of God, and His mild, loving authority had not heretofore been questioned; and that He had given no commands but what it was joy for the heavenly host to execute.” — (E.G. White, Story of Redemption, 15.2)

The following quote also reveals that Christ was the Son of God before His incarnation. Ellen White is referring to those who deny Jesus is the literal Son of God and states it is a folly to argue with such people who give evidence of their own ignorance of God and of his Son.

“Another dangerous heresy is the doctrine that denies the divinity of Christ. Men who have no experimental knowledge of Jesus, will yet assume an appearance of great wisdom, as though their judgment were beyond question, and boldly declare that the Son of God had no existence prior to his first advent to this world. This position directly contradicts the plainest statements of our Saviour concerning himself; yet it is received with favor by a large class who claim to believe the Scriptures. With such persons it is folly to argue. No argument, however conclusive, will convince those who reject the direct testimony of the Son of God. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” [1 Corinthians 2:14.] Those who persistently cling to such errors, give evidence of their own ignorance of God and of his Son.” — (E.G. White, 4SP 347.3)

Below Ellen White literally states that there was a time that Christ did not exist but it was so far back in time that we would be exhausted from the research trying to work out when that time was. Trinitarians also say that Christ has two natures since they claim Jesus is also the one God and God cannot die. So it is claimed that only His human nature died on the cross. But if only the human nature died, then our Redeemer is only human and the divine Son of God took no part in the work of redemption for He could neither suffer nor die. Ellen White disagrees saying Christ united His divinity with humanity.

“Angels of God looked with amazement upon Christ, who took upon Himself the form of man and humbly united His divinity with humanity in order that He might minister to fallen man. It is a marvel among the heavenly angels. God has told us that He did do it, and we are to accept the Word of God just as it reads. And although we may try to reason in regard to our Creator, how long He has had existence, where evil first entered into our world, and all these things, we may reason about them until we fall down faint and exhausted with the research when there is yet an infinity beyond.” — (E.G. White, 7BC 919.5)

Note that Waggoner in the two paragraphs below says that it was so far back in time that it was practically without beginning and so far back to be far beyond the grasp of the mind of man.

“The Word was “in the beginning.” The mind of man cannot grasp the ages that are spanned in this phrase. It is not given to men to know when or how the Son was begotten; but we know that he was the Divine Word, not simply before He came to this earth to die, but even before the world was created. Just before His crucifixion He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” John 17:5. And more than seven hundred years before His first advent, His coming was thus foretold by the word of inspiration: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. We know that Christ “proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8:42), but it was so far back in the ages of eternity as to be far beyond the grasp of the mind of man.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness, p. 9, 1890)

“The Scriptures declare that Christ is “the only-begotten Son of God.” He is begotten, not created. As to when He was begotten, it is not for us to inquire, nor could our minds grasp it if we were told. The prophet Micah tells us all that we can know about it in these words, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. There was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God, from the bosom of the Father (John 8:42; 1:18), but that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is practically without beginning.” — (E.J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness, p. 21, 1890)

“Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God... The prophet Micah writes of Him, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, tho thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of Thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” — (E.G. White, ST, August 29, 1900)

Above Waggoner and Ellen White quote Micah 5:2 and are in harmony as you would expect. And as we have already seen, from everlasting applies to before time was, that is, before the beginning of all created things. Self-existent means existing independently of other beings or causes. This applies to both the Father and the Son that are not reliant on other beings to exist and so are self-existent. The Father gave His life to His Son and so Christ has the same life as His Father and why He is also self-existent. “For as the Father has life in himself; so has he given to the Son to have life in himself.” John 5:26. If Jesus had always existed alongside the Father as the Trinity doctrine claims, then God could not have given life to His Son as He would have always had life. But Scripture reveals this is impossible.

In fact Ellen White tells us that, “All things Christ received from God, but He took to give.” — (DA, p. 21). All things means that God gave not only His life but even His own Spirit to His Son.

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” The Father gave his Spirit without measure to his Son, and we also may partake of its fulness. Jesus says: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” — (E.G. White, RH, November 5, 1908)

This is why Ellen White said that the Father and Son are one in Spirit. “From eternity there was a complete unity between the Father and the Son. They were two, yet little short of being identical; two in individuality, yet one in spirit, and heart, and character.” — (E.G. White, YI, December 16, 1897)

Conclusion

Everything that Christ consists of had no beginning; His divinity had no beginning, His makeup, His substance all had no beginning as it came from the Father. So in principle, everything Christ is had no beginning. If you trace Christ back you will have to go through the Father and you will never get to a beginning. But His personality as the Son began when He was brought forth by His Father. So in effect it is only the personality of Christ that had a beginning.

As Christian book author Ellen White wrote, “The Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, is truly God in infinity, but not in personality.” — (E.G. White, MS116, December 19, 1905). “The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” — (E.G. White, DA, p. 51). “Jesus was not turned aside by any influence from the faithful service expected of a son. He did not aim to do anything remarkable to distinguish himself from other youth, or to proclaim his heavenly birth.” — (E.G. White, YI, Feb 1, 1873). “The Eternal Father, the unchangeable one, gave his only begotten Son, tore from his bosom Him who was made in the express image of his person, and sent him down to earth to reveal how greatly he loved mankind.” — (E.G. White, RH, July 9, 1895)

Christ was the first born over all creation. Meaning He was born before ALL THINGS as Paul wrote in Colossians 1. This is what Christ pre-existed before. All things! Many Christians have the wrong idea of words like self-existent and pre-existence which are words not found in the Bible but are used by many including Ellen White. And like Scripture, we need to be careful not to misunderstand what Ellen White is saying which so many easily do, but to line up ALL that she wrote to understand what she was saying. Because while she uses these phrases, she also states that Christ was the first born of heaven, tore from the bosom of the Father, and that while He is God in infinity, she says His personality had a beginning. She reveals that He was brought forth from the Father before all things were created and quotes Proverbs 8 on this. Though it would not necessarily be incorrect to say that Christ has always existed before he was born from the perspective that He existed in the bosom of His Father.

Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

So Ellen White and Scripture reveals that the pre-existence of Christ was before ALL created things but this does not mean that He has always existed. And not forgetting that if He had, then He CANNOT be the Son of God. Think about those words for a moment. Jesus is God's Son in the very real sense and meaning of these words. If we deny this then we deny the personality of the Father and Son and that is what the Apostle John and Ellen White called the spirit of antichrist. This is what Satan wants us to do and was his plan all along. Thus we need to be very careful that we do not fall into this trap.

And one might also ask. Why do some have this mindset that Jesus must be inferior or not God just because He is literally God's Son and was brought forth before the creation of all things? It does not change who Christ is or what He has done or that He is God's Son who loves us so much that He laid down His life for us. It also does not change His God nature or His divinity that He got from His Father by inheritance. He is of the very same substance of His Father and hence has the same God nature of His Father as He possesses by birth all the attributes of His Father. A son also rightfully takes the name of the father and Christ as the only begotten Son of God has rightfully the same name. Hebrews 1:1-9 says that Jesus is an heir who has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the angels and that name is God! So Jesus inherited His Father's name, character and divine nature in the same way a human son inherits the human nature and name of his parents. It is Satan that tries to give us the wrong mindset here, sowing wrong thoughts into our mind that ultimately has many deny that He is the literal Son of God.

It is also often claimed that the non-Trinitarian belief denies the pre-existence of Christ, which as you have now seen is not true. The real problem exists by a belief in the trinity. An Adventist Christian author from the past who was a close friend of Ellen White said, “The great mistake of Trinitarians, in arguing this subject, is this: they make no distinction between a denial of a trinity and a denial of the divinity of Christ. They see only the two extremes, between which the truth lies; and take every expression referring to the pre-existence of Christ as evidence of a trinity. The Scriptures abundantly teach the pre-existence of Christ and his divinity; but they are entirely silent in regard to a trinity. The declaration, that the divine Son of God could not die, is as far from the teachings of the Bible as darkness is from light. And we would ask the Trinitarian, to which of the two natures are we indebted for redemption? The answer must, of course, be, To that one which died or shed his blood for us; for “we have redemption through his blood.” Then it is evident that if only the human nature died, our Redeemer is only human, and that the divine Son of God took no part in the work of redemption, for he could neither suffer nor die. Surely, we say right, that the doctrine of a trinity degrades the Atonement, by bringing the sacrifice, the blood of our purchase, down to the standard of Socinianism.” — (J.H. Waggoner, 1884, The Atonement In The Light Of Nature And Revelation, p, 173)

Socinianism is the heretical tenets of Faustus Socinius, a 16th-century Italian theologian, denying the divinity of Christ, the existence of Satan, original sin, the atonement, eternal punishment, and explaining sin and salvation in rationalistic terms.

Scripture reveals the Father and Son created all things and that the pre-existence of Christ was before creation, that is, in the beginning, when all things were created by Him and through Him. The Biblical non-Trinitarian belief does not deny the divinity or the pre-existence of our Lord and Saviour, but the trinity doctrine does have many serious implications such as denying the personality of the Father and Son and the Atonement to name just two.