I know that many verses can be cited to argue for Jesus' pre-mortal existence (e.g. [here](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/80957/what-is-the-biblical-basis-for-jesus-pre-incarnate-existence)). I'm also perfectly aware that a [question asking for the biblical basis for Jesus being God incarnate](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/78/what-is-the-biblical-basis-for-jesus-being-god-incarnate) has already been asked. However, I want to defend the validity of this question on the grounds of the following reasons:

1. Pre-mortal existence does not logically entail *eternal* pre-existence. In principle, if the only thing we know about a being is that it had a pre-mortal existence, then we cannot rule out *a priori* the possibility that that being could still have had a beginning in the past, either recently or a long time ago (e.g. see [the viewpoint of Jehovah's Witnesses on the nature of Jesus](https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/75149/what-is-the-biblical-basis-for-jesus-christ-being-a-created-being-according-to-j)).
2. Eternal pre-existence does not logically entail being God (or does it?). In addition to being eternal, a being needs to be omniscient, omnipotent, and many other things to be regarded as God. So I don't see the two as equivalent statements, although I acknowledge that there is a clear overlap.

Having presented my reasons for asking the question, I ask: What is the biblical basis for Jesus having eternal pre-existence? Are there passages in Scripture that strongly suggest that Jesus never had a beginning in time?