Before All Ages

I was born on December 18, 1958. My life began at conception, but my age is counted from my birthday – both within the bounds of time.

We divide time into B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini). In B.C., we count backward from year 1, and in A.D., we count forward. Both periods stretch beyond memory and are regarded as immemorial. Time itself began with creation, preceded by eternity.

Jesus was begotten before creation, before time, and therefore before all ages. The word ‘ages’ refers to the cosmos viewed in terms of its extension through time.

The phrase ‘born before all ages’ does not denote Christmas or the Nativity of Jesus to the Virgin Mary. Rather, it speaks of a period predating time itself, affirming that Jesus was eternally begotten of the Father.

The opening phrase of the Book of Genesis and the Gospel of John is ‘In the beginning.’  This phrase finds its counterpart in the Greek ‘En arche’ and the Hebrew ‘bereshit,’ where ‘be’ signifies ‘in’ and ‘reshit’ denotes ‘the beginning,’ revealing a strong biblical foundation.

The Old Testament ‘wisdom’ is the New Testament ‘logos’ or the ‘word.’ Proverbs 8 focuses on the place of wisdom in creation: ‘Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth’…’When He established the heavens, I was there.’ One early translation, known as Targum, rendered Genesis 1:1 this way: “In Wisdom, God created the heavens and the earth.” 

John, referring to Christ the Word, says, “All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.” Hence, ‘the beginning’ is not simply the start of time. ‘In the beginning’ means ‘in Wisdom, in the Word, in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, God created the heavens and the earth.’

The words ‘before all ages’ were added to the Nicene Creed at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. to refute several heresies.

“There was a time when he was not,” Arianism claimed. It was a heretical doctrine that contrasted the self-existent, immutable, and infinite God with the Son, whom it depicted as created, mutable, and finite.

Alexander of Alexandria countered this argument with the following statement: “If the Son is the Word, Wisdom, and Reason of God, how can there be a time when He was not?”

Adoptionism, another heresy, argued that Jesus Christ became the Son of God through a process of adoption, denying his eternal sonship.

To directly counter the erroneous belief of these heresies, the Church Fathers inserted the phrase ‘before all ages’ into the Nicene Creed, highlighting the Son’s Co-eternity with the Father.  Athanasian Creed (400 AD) declares, “He (Jesus) is God, begotten of the substance of the Father before time, and he is man, born of the substance of his mother in time.”

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul records a first-century Christian hymn: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…all things were created through him and for him.” Some interpret the term ‘firstborn’ to mean the Son of God was created. However, the title ‘firstborn’ is used for Jesus to denote his preeminence. If all things were created through Christ, and he existed before all things, he cannot be a created being.

So, Paul should be understood to mean that the Son was the first being God generated. Because He was ‘begotten, not created,’ the Son is the exact image of the Father's essence.

Jesus himself says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I  AM.” In another place, he says, “I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

Catholics have consistently cherished the pre-existence of Christ. When establishing the first Christmas as a replacement for the Roman Saturnalia celebrations, early Catholics held three Masses in honor of Christ: one celebrating his ‘birth before all ages,’ another his ‘birth from the virgin’s womb,’ and a third his ‘birth in the hearts of the faithful.’

While the nature of ‘the ages before creation’ and ‘the pre-existence of the Son of God’ remains beyond my full comprehension, I willingly embrace them as mysteries. In the spirit of Mary, I hold these profound truths in my heart and contemplate them.