Biblical Criticism – Before Abraham Was- I Am

In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the meaning of Jesus’ words in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.” He clarifies that this statement must be understood theologically, not temporally, for it reveals Christ’s eternal divinity and His existence before all creation.

Refuting the Misinterpretation:
The Pope rejects the idea that Jesus only existed “in God’s mind” before Abraham. He explains that everything exists in God’s knowledge simultaneously — without sequence or time — so the phrase “before Abraham” cannot refer to mere divine foreknowledge.

Distinguishing Between Divinity and Humanity:
From a human standpoint, Jesus did not exist before Abraham, since His body was born of the Virgin Mary. But from a divine standpoint, He has always existed, for His being is eternal. The word “I am” signifies continuous divine existence, not a past state of being.

Nature of Divine Existence:
When asked whether Christ existed as “body or spirit” before Abraham, the Pope explains that such a question is meaningless — Christ existed as divinity, not as a physical or created spirit. The divine nature is eternal and uncreated.

Comparison with Other Scriptures:
He refers to God’s words to Jeremiah — “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” — clarifying that this denotes foreknowledge, not prior existence. In contrast, Christ’s declaration “I am” expresses real, eternal being, the same divine identity revealed to Moses in Exodus: “I AM WHO I AM.”

Faith Message:
The Pope concludes that this verse is a direct affirmation of Christ’s divinity, showing Him as the eternal, self-existent God, not bound by time or creation — the same “I AM” who is ever-present and unchanging.

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