What we know from this passage is that
God the Father loved Yeshua before the foundation of the world.
All I care to say at this point, David is this: I understand everthing spoken in John 17 to be the words of a Son to His Father. I believe that is established in v 1 and is continued in 11, 21, 24,25 and I think it not unreasonable to assume this relationship throughout Christ's prayer.
Secondly, because of this very disagreement/debate, I have concluded that everywhere in the Gospels, in Paul, Peter and John, the words "Jesus Christ" are equivilient -- in the mind of these authors ----- to "Son of God." .In other words, in the future, I will read and teach that you can substitute "Son of God" for "Jesus Christ."
The first point is foundational, for me. The second is new.
John
