Expert: Dr. Billy Kryger - 8/3/2007

Question
Dear Dr. Billy
 Do people exist before they are born into physical bodys?
There is a scripture where God tell a prophet, "I knew you before you were in your mother's womb". So this would seem to indicate that people exist before physical birth.
 What do you think?
                                   Thanks
                                     Bob

Answer
Bob:
    The verse to which you are referring is Jeremiah 1:5:  "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations".  This verse teaches not that Jeremiah existed before he was physically born, but that God's plan for Jeremiah was set into motion before he was born.  God knew what he was going to call Jeremiah (as well as each one of us) to do before he was given life.  Paul speaks of his own call to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles in similar terms (Galatians 1:15, 16).
    Our life began at conception.  I do not believe that we existed before then.  Jesus Christ is the only One that has that distinction.  He has always existed as a part of the eternal Godhead but He took upon Himself the form of a man to come to earth.  He never ceased being God while He was a man.  
    I hope this is helpful.