What Is the Meaning of BC and AD (Versus CE and BCE)?
Time is one of the most basic ways humans understand the world. Yet the way we mark time reflects more than dates—it reflects worldview, culture, and even faith. For centuries, history in the West has been divided using BC (“Before Christ”) and AD (“Anno Domini,” Latin for “in the year of our Lord”). More recently, scholars and institutions have adopted BCE (“Before Common Era”) and CE (“Common Era”) as alternatives.
This raises a key question: What is the meaning of BC and AD, and how do they compare with CE and BCE? To answer, we must explore the history of these terms, how they connect with the Bible and Christian tradition, and what they reveal about the centrality of Jesus Christ in world history.
1. The Meaning of BC and AD
The traditional Western calendar is structured around the coming of Christ.
BC (Before Christ) – Refers to the years before the birth of Jesus. For example, 500 BC means 500 years before Christ’s coming.
AD (Anno Domini) – Latin for “in the year of our Lord.” This designation begins with the birth of Christ and continues forward. AD 2025 literally means “the year of our Lord 2025.”
The system was first developed by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century AD. His purpose was not merely to calculate years but to center the flow of history on Christ, anchoring time itself to the incarnation.
This calendar framework reflects a profoundly biblical idea: Christ is the hinge of history, the one through whom God orders time and eternity.
2. The Rise of CE and BCE
In the modern period, especially in academic and secular settings, CE (Common Era) and BCE (Before Common Era) became popular replacements.
BCE (Before Common Era) corresponds exactly to BC.
CE (Common Era) corresponds exactly to AD.
The dating system itself remains unchanged. Year 1 CE is the same as AD 1. The shift is linguistic, not chronological. The motivation behind the change is usually twofold:
Religious neutrality – Institutions desire a calendar system that does not explicitly refer to Christ, in order to appeal to people of all backgrounds.
Academic uniformity – Scholars in history, archaeology, and related fields often use CE/BCE as a “neutral” convention.
Yet, even in attempting neutrality, CE and BCE still point to the same dividing line: the birth of Jesus Christ.
3. Why the Calendar Centers on Christ
Even secular scholars acknowledge that the life of Jesus of Nazareth is the reference point for our calendar. This reflects the profound impact of Christianity on world history.
From a biblical perspective, this makes sense. Scripture presents Christ as the center of God’s plan for creation and redemption. Galatians 4:4 says, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” The very ordering of time bears witness to this “fullness,” when the eternal Son entered human history.
The Gospel reveals that Christ is not only the Lord of salvation but also the Lord of time. Revelation 22:13 declares that Jesus is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Thus, whether marked BC/AD or BCE/CE, the dividing line of history is Christ himself.
4. Advantages and Problems of Each System
Both sets of terms—BC/AD and BCE/CE—carry advantages and challenges.
BC and AD
Advantages:
Explicitly Christ-centered, reflecting the historical and theological significance of Jesus.
Preserves continuity with centuries of Western tradition.
Challenges:
Less common in academic settings.
May feel exclusive to non-Christian audiences.
CE and BCE
Advantages:
Seen as more inclusive in pluralistic contexts.
Widely used in scholarship.
Challenges:
The system still hinges on Christ, making the “neutrality” somewhat illusory.
Removes explicit reference to Jesus, which can obscure the historical reason for the division.
Ultimately, both systems measure time from the same point: the coming of Christ into the world.
5. The Bible and the Division of Time
While the Bible does not use the terms BC, AD, CE, or BCE, it consistently presents time as ordered by God.
Creation – Genesis 1 establishes that time itself is created by God, structured by days and seasons.
Covenant – Israel’s calendar was tied to God’s mighty acts, such as the Exodus, celebrated through Passover (Exodus 12:2).
Christ – The incarnation marks “the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), centering all history on him.
Consummation – Revelation points to the eternal kingdom, where time as we know it gives way to everlasting life (Revelation 21–22).
This biblical framework reveals that the division of time around Christ is not arbitrary but reflects God’s redemptive plan.
6. The Gospel and the Ordering of Time
The use of BC/AD reminds us that history is not random. God is directing all things toward the return of Christ and the renewal of creation.
BC points to the time of promise, the anticipation of the Messiah through Israel’s history.
AD marks the age of fulfillment, when Christ has come and the kingdom of God has broken into history.
Even those who use CE/BCE cannot escape the fact that history pivots on Jesus. This serves as a quiet testimony to the Gospel: the eternal Son has entered time, and time itself is now measured by him.
7. The Ironic Witness of CE and BCE
One of the most striking features of the debate is its irony. Advocates of CE and BCE often wish to remove explicit reference to Jesus Christ, framing the calendar in “neutral” or “common” terms. Yet the very structure of CE and BCE still divides history at the same point as BC and AD—the first advent of Christ.
This means that even those who deny Christ’s divinity are still marking their years by his coming. Every use of CE or BCE silently acknowledges that something radical happened with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. A carpenter’s son from Galilee became the pivot of time, the event by which all of human history is measured.
From a biblical perspective, this irony is profound. Philippians 2:10 declares that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” Whether willingly or unwillingly, all nations reckon time by the first advent of Christ. Even attempts to secularize the calendar cannot escape the truth that Jesus is the dividing line of history.
Conclusion
So, what is the meaning of BC and AD, versus CE and BCE? BC and AD explicitly anchor history in Christ—“Before Christ” and “Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord.” CE and BCE are modern alternatives that seek neutrality but still divide time by the same event: the birth of Jesus.
The irony is that both systems—whether confessional or “neutral”—testify to the centrality of Christ. The division of time reminds us that history turned when the Son of God entered the world. The Bible teaches that time itself belongs to God, and all of history moves toward the day when Christ returns to make all things new. Our calendars, however we label them, quietly remind us of this truth.
Bible Verses on God’s Sovereignty Over Time
Genesis 1:14 – “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night… and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.’”
Exodus 12:2 – “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.”
Psalm 90:4 – “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.”
Psalm 31:15 – “My times are in your hand.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Galatians 4:4 – “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.”
Ephesians 1:10 – “As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
Revelation 1:8 – “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
Revelation 22:13 – “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
2 Peter 3:8 – “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
