2. Pre-existence as figure of speech & anachronisms

For many, it is difficult to speak of a pre-existence of Christ, if He was not a distinct, conscious person before His birth. When He had a pre-existence as ‘word’ (Logos), then that sounds very abstract, and ‘pre-existence’ applies only ‘figuratively speaking’. That latter is correct, and in Scripture we also find a fine example of this.

In Hebrews 7, the remarkable encounter is addressed that once took place between Abram and Melchizedek, “king of Salem” and also “priest of God Most High”. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews elaborates on how Melchizedek blesses Abram and thereby unmistakably proves to be the greater of the two. This superiority is also shown by the fact that Melchizedek receives tithes from the spoils that Abram had obtained. And then we read:

9 And (as it were) through Abraham even Levi, (who is receiving tithes), hath given tithes,
10 for he was yet in the loins of the [fore]father when Melchisedek met him.

Levi gave tithes to Melchizedek “as it were”. Is that literal? Would Levi have personal recollections of the tithes that Abram once gave to Melchizedek? No, of course not! And yet, in Biblical terms, Levi had a ‘pre-existence’ in Abram. In Abram, Levi was ‘pre-existent’. Just as all mankind is also ‘pre-existent’ “in Adam”. For every human being proceeds from Adam.

So too was the Son of God ‘pre-existent’ as God’s Logos. For God Himself begat Him through the word that came to Mary. For those familiar with the thought that the Son of God became man (as is traditionally taught), this interpretation of ‘pre-existence’ will undoubtedly take some getting used to. Yet Scripture itself leads the way in this. For the word became flesh. The example of Levi who “as it were” gave tithes to Melchizedek can help us in this regard.

Anachronisms

In line with this, we must also be aware of the phenomenon of anachronism in retrospection. That requires some explanation. When we look back on matters in the past, it is very common in everyday language to refer to something with a name that is of (much) later origin. For example, it is not strange to say: ‘my wife was born in 1966’, even though she was not yet my wife at birth. We also find this kind of anachronism in Scripture. For example, in the account of Abram, the place Dan is mentioned, even though that place could not yet have been called Dan at the time (Gen.14:14). What the later editor meant was: Abram’s army pursued them as far as the place we now know as Dan. Thus, the place is retrospectively assigned a name. See also Gen.40:15; Ex.13:17 and Deut.34:1. Such anachronisms are not stylistic errors but are regarded as a common idiomatic figure of speech.

It is important to recognize this phenomenon and not fall into false conclusions. When 1 Corinthians 15:47 says of Jesus Christ: “… the second man [is] out of heaven,” we must not conclude from this that He thus was already man in heaven. It simply means: the One whom we now know as “the second man” is heavenly in origin (for He was begotten by God Himself).

When Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:6 that all things are through Jesus Christ, this does not mean that He thus was already Jesus Christ at the time of creation. All things came into being through “the word,” and since Jesus Christ is the word made flesh, it can retrospectively be said that all things are through Jesus Christ.

Delen: