The question immediately arises for theology : How is one to relate this conception of the Pre- existent Christ to the Eternal Unity of the God- head ? Beyschlag's theory of an ideal pre-existence in the Divine thought and will is wholly inadequate as a historical interpretation of Pauline thought ; and the same may be said of the theory (Baur, Pfleiderer) according to which the conception of the ' Man from Heaven,' the ' Second Adam,' is the fountainhead of the Pauline Christology. The point in which the ettbrtof NT thought to answer this question culminates is the Johannine doctrine of the Logos ; and to treat of this lies beyond the scope of the present article. Suffice it to say here, that for the whole Johannine group of writings — Apocalypse, Gospel, Epistles — the truth of Christ's pre-existence is absolutely fundamental. On the one hand, there is the deliberate endeavour to relate this, through the concept of the Logos, to the Godhead ; on the other hand, and especially in the First Epistle, the strongest emphasis is laid upon the complete, personal, permanent identity of the Pre-incarnate with Him who became flesh and tabernacled among us. That 'Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh ' is the test and watchword of the Christian faith. Though the foundation for the cosmic signiMcanceof the Incarnation is laid in the prologue to the Gospel (1^) this is nowhere elabor ated as by St. Paul. The ethical interest absorbs all others ; and here St. John has spoken the last word (Jn 3'«, 1 Jn i'-'"). The love of Christ is the
manifested love of God. He who died on Calvary, the propitiation for our sins, ia He who came forth from the bosom of the Father.
LlTEEtATURE.— ThisiseTiorniousinllthctcxt-lmoksonNTTheo- loiiv, inoliidiiii.' tliO!-e bv Baur (lsi):i). Bcysclilag (Kri^-. Ir., 1SD.0), Peine (l:>lii), Holtzmkiin (-I'.ill), Schlatter ('lliil.i), Stevens (ISM)). Weiiiel (-lllls), B. Weiss (Euj,-. Ir., l^s■.;-ba). Among spcciiil IrealiBcs the following may be nientionccl : H. R. Mackintosh, The Doctrine o/ the Person of Jeaus Christ, I'.lli ; A. B. Bruce, The Uumiliatiun of Christ'^ 1881 ; W. Bousset, IJie lif.titiion den Judenthums-, llHiti ; J. Denney, Jenusaiul the Gospel, 11)08; A. Harnack, Uistorn of iJoijmii, Kiig. tr.-, IsliT, vol. L app. i. ; P. Lobstein, Notion de la prcexistence du Fits de Dieu, 1883; W. Olchewski, Hie Wurieln der paulinischeti Christoloqic, 1901); R. L. Ottley, The Doctrine of the Jncanm- dun, ISDU ; O. Pfleiderer, Pauliniam, Kng. tr., 1891, i. 12:i-169 ; D. Somerville, i7. Paul's Conception of Christ, 1S97 ; F. Weber, Judische Theologie, 1897. K. LAW.
PREPARATION.— In the NT Epistles the word appears only in Eph 6" : ' having shod your feet with the preparation (iroiixaala) of the gospel of peace.' The exhortation was suggested by the sandals {catigm) of the Roman soldier. They were very heavy, thickly studded with hobnails, and strongly laced. The purpose which they served in the equipment of the Roman soldier is to be served by the iroinaala provided by the gospel of peace. The sandals gave the soldier lirm footing, and fitted him for fighting or marching through any kind of country. The word has two meanings : in general, that of ' preparation,' ' preparedness,' or ' readiness,' and in particular, ' hrm foundation ' or ' firm footing.' Illustrations of the latter mean- ing are found in Ps 89"' •"I, ' Kighteousne.ss and judgement are the foundation of thy throne ' (RV), also in Zee 5", Ezr (LXX 2 Es) 2"'*. 'The verb ' to prepare ' (^roi/xafeip) in the sense of ' firmly flx ' or ' establish ' is found in Ps 24-, ' and established it upon the floods,' also gg-", Pr 3'», 2 S 5'-. In the NT it has the sense of ' destined ' in Mt 20-'' (' for whom it hath been prepared of my Father ') 25*'- ■", 1 Co 2-', He ll'". I'he common translation of iToipia<ria in Eph 6''Ms ' preparation ' (EV, Erasmus, Hodge, Eadie, etc.), but ' foundation ' or ' lirm foot- ing' is strongly supported (Chrysostom, Bengel, Hatch). The weakness of the translation 'pre- paration ' is that it does not indicate the kind of equipment which is referred to. It translates the word but not the idea. The more restricted mean- ing of ' firm footing,' with its suggestions of con- fidence or assurance, brings out more clearly what the gospel of peace provides. This ' lirm confi- dence ' is not only necessary for ' standing ' in ' the evil day,' but for the general warfare of the Chris- tian at all times.
Literature. — The principal Comnientaries in loco ; E. Hatch, Essaiis in Biblicul Greek, 1889, pp. 61-55 ; A. F. Buscarlet, £zpT ix. [1897-98] 38-40, where there is also a fine illustration of the foot-gear of a Roman soldier.
John Reid. PRESBYTER, PRESBYTERY. — See Elder, Bishop.
PRESENCE. — In the apostolic writings the following Greek words lie beliind our English term ' presence,' diriyavri, IfnrpoaSei', ivwTiOv, Kareviiiinov (prepositions = ' in the presence of,' and frequently rendered ' before ') ; vapovala and wpbauTrov (nouns). There is no need to dwell on such common expres- sions as the ' presence ' of Pilate (Ac 3'^) or of the Council (5^'), or even on St. Paul's mention of bis presence (or absence) in the letters to Philippi (Ph 2'2), Corinth, and Thessalonica. The question of the Apostle's 'bodily presence' being 'insignifi- cant ' (2 Co 10'- '") is discussed elsewhere (see Paul). There remain those passages which sneak of the presence of the angels and of the Lamb (Rev W), and the presence of God. F'rom this source come ' times of refreshing ' (Ac 3'") for the repentant, but also of ' destruction ' for the disobedient (2 Th P,