The idea of pre-existence, in both its forms, is deeply embedded in the Biblical traditions. As protological pre-existence it describes the nature of entities such as Wisdom, Torah and Christ, as especially akin to God. In its eschatological form it is part of the basic pattern of eschatological thought, and, once again, describes the nature of entities like the Son of Man, Christ and the Church, as especially related to the nature of God.

We shall not here recapitulate the history of pre-existence in the Biblical traditions; that has already been presented, in the conclusions to each chapter. Rather, assuming that history, we shall raise certain questions which seem to follow from the discussion, and to be of some interest to the present-day theological endeavor.

The first question is one whose answer has already been anticipated in the previous paragraphs: to what extent does the Bible intend to speak of the nature of an entity when it attributes pre-existence to it? This seems a very odd question to pose, but it is necessary in view of the influential arguments of men like Bultmann and Cullmann. Bultmann, as we have seen, understands the pre-existence of Christ to signify only that the proclamation which Christ's presence caused has its origin outside this world. It does not intend to say anything explicit about that realm outside this world in which the proclamation originates.