NT Scholars on John 17:5 as a proof of Jesus' pre-existence

 

One of the most common passages ever used against the Trinity is John 17:3, where Jesus refers to the Father as "the only true God" [τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν]. Trinitarians have often pointed out that only two verses later, Jesus says the following:

"And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." (John 17:5)

One escape route for those who wish to find a way out of the clear meaning of the text is to say this is related to the decrees of God, or that Jesus was simply "in the mind of God" for all eternity. While that is certainly true, it is by no means a good grounds for trying to get out off the fact this text clearly teaches Christ's preexistence. Here is what some commentators and scholars have said on this verse: 

"Therefore he can now ("and now") pray for his glorification, a state he then proceeds to describe as "the glory that I had with you before the world was made." These words speak of the preexistent, original glory of the Son with the Father that Jesus, now that as Son he is returning to the house of the Father (cf. 16:28; 14: 1), presently requests of the Father as the glory due to him there. It is the unique glory of the Son "with" the Father, of the Word that was "with God and was God" (1:1), a glory antecedent to the power with which he was clothed as the Son of man by God when he descended from heaven." (Herman Ridderbos, The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary, pgs. 549-50)

"Now Jesus prays God to glorify Him. He looks for glory in the last place that men would seek it, namely in the cross. And He sees this glory for which He prays as linked with His pre-incarnate  glory with the Father. 21 There is a clear assertion of Christ's pre-existence here (we have already seen such a claim, 1:1; 8:58; 16:28). There is also the claim that He had enjoyed a unique glory with the Father in that pre-existent state.  And now~ as men are about to do their worst to Him, He looks for the Father to glorify Him again in the same way." (Leon Morris, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel According to John, pg. 721, source) 

"If any ambiguity remains concerning Jesus’ identity in 17:3, it vanishes in 17:5, which affirms Jesus’ preexistence with the Father in glory." (Craig Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, 2 vols, pg. 1054, source)

"παρὰ σεαυτῷ, that is, by causing me to return to the position I enjoyed before the incarnation; cf. παρὰ σοί., and with both cf. 1.1, πρὸς τὸν θεόν. The glory, that is, is the heavenly glory of Christ; the prayer is a prayer for exaltation and ascension. After the crucifixion the Son of man will ascend where he was before (6.62)." (C.K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction and Commentary with Notes on the Greek Text, pg. 504)

"What is clear is that Jesus is asking to be returned to the glory that he shared with the Father before the world began, i.e. before creation (cf. notes on 1:1; 8:58)." (D.A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John, pg. 557, source)