The true nature of the relationship between Jesus Christ (and by potential extension, us) and God is the greatest truth (of many) that has been hidden from us. Christ is unique. There isn't anyone before or since that has reached the teleologic status that Christ achieved during his human lifetime. While we won't become Gods per se, we can certainly become much more Godlike by following the teleologic path he laid out for us. When we arrive at a critical mass of understanding (and put it into practice), that is how humanity will pass through the great filter and achieve the human singularity. Right now, the momentum is going in the other direction. We'll get there eventually, even if it likely won't be in our lifetimes. It will take a few more generations of trailblazers to turn the tide. I guess we all sought this challenge! God bless us and keep us throughout. Love each other. Spread the Word.
(Jesus) Christ is not God, he is the vessel that tapped into his divine potential, the life that shines light as a partion of God, Almighty, that manifested through him as an abstraction. Destiny is the same for everbody in The Universe, 'Kingdom of Heaven' from within, or an Infinite Hell, you decide every 8 minutes how you direct your life. His teach as a beaken of light in darkness!
I've always been fascinated by the story of Christ. I was born and raised Catholic and attended Catholic school and catechism daily as a child, at least until I couldn’t stand the nuns anymore. Still, I never lost my love for Jesus and his teachings. That being said, I never bought into the idea that Christianity was the only path to living a righteous life and attaining salvation, not even as a child. It just didn’t seem to be a position that an inclusive spiritual leader like Jesus would support. I was also questioning whether or not Christ had truly lived the life they say or was mostly legendary. Naturally, I asked Chris a lot of questions on the topic and we had some great discussions. I implored Chris to share the material from these discussions with our patrons and he wrote a beautiful post (Logos, Jesus, and the CTMU) and later recorded it for me so I could make it into a video and reach a wider audience. https://youtu.be/q5Fo3DHFJpY
Although faithfully following the teachings of Christ is a sure road to salvation, it’s not the only way. There are core values in many religions that are consistent with one another and each can provide a valid path to the discerning traveler. https://youtu.be/OA1SDjZ00tE
There have been many great prophets throughout history that have brought great insight and value to their respective religions. Just because we believe that Christ was the cream of this crop doesn’t detract from the great contributions of others; or the ability of their teachings to provide a pathway to salvation, insofar as it coincides with teleology. As far as the question of whether or not Christ actually existed, we think there are sufficient accounts and evidence that attest to this. I don’t think Chris read The Case for Christ, but I very much enjoyed the compelling arguments made by Strobel and highly recommend it!
St. Gregory of Nazianzus’s (c. 329 – 390) following statements are highly relevant to our conversation. As you know, St. Gregory of Nazianzus is one of the key theologians who laid the foundation for the trinitarianism.
From: St. Gregory of Nazianzus: Oration 30: On the Son - Section 20
(1) I take the view that he is called “Son” because he is not simply identical in substance with the Father but stems from him. He is “Only-begotten” not just because he alone stems uniquely from what is unique, but because he does so in a unique fashion unlike things corporeal.
(2) He is “Word,” because he is related to the Father as word is to mind, not only by reason of the undisturbed character of his birth, but also through the connection and declaratory function involved in the relationship.
(3) One could say too, perhaps, that his relationship is that of definition to term defined, since “word” has the meaning in Greek of “definition.” He who has known the Son (“seen” means “known” in that context) has known the Father.
(4) The Son is the concise and simple revelation of the Father’s nature—everything born is a tacit definition of its parent.
(5) You would not be wrong, were you to explain the name from the fact that he exists inherently in real things. Is there anything whose being is not held together by reason?
(6) He is called “Wisdom” as being the science of matters divine and human. How could the maker be ignorant of the principles involved in his works?
(7) He is “Power” because he is what sustains his creatures and furnishes them with the power to maintain themselves.
(8) He is “Truth” because truth is a single whole, whilst falsehood is a splintered complex, and because he is the unstained seal, the utterly faithful impress of the Father.
(9) He is called “Image” because he is consubstantial with the Father; he stems from the Father and not the Father from him, it being the nature of an image to copy the original and be called after it. But there is more to it than this. The ordinary image is a motionless copy of a moving being. Here we have a living image of a living being, indistinguishable from its original to a higher degree than Seth from Adam and any earthly offspring from its parent. Beings with no complexity to their nature have no points of likeness or unlikeness. They are exact replicas, identical rather than like.
(10) He is called “Light” because he is the brilliance of souls pure in mind and life. If ignorance and sin are darkness, knowledge and inspired life must be light.
(11) He is “Life” because he is “Light” constituting and giving reality to every thinking being. “For in him we live, move, and exist” and there is a two-fold sense in which he breathes into us; we are filled, all of us, with his breath, and those who are capable of it, all those who open their mind’s mouth wide enough, with his Holy Spirit.
(12) He is called “Righteousness” because he decides in accordance with merit; he makes a fair assessment of the superior.
(13) He is called “Sanctification” because he is purity, so that what is pure may be filled with his pureness.
(14) He is “Redemption,” because he sets us free from the bonds of sin and gives himself in exchange for us as a ransom sufficient to cleanse the world.
(15) He is “Resurrection” because he raises us up from this world and leads us on to life, done to death, though we were, by sin.
The true nature of the relationship between Jesus Christ (and by potential extension, us) and God is the greatest truth (of many) that has been hidden from us. Christ is unique. There isn't anyone before or since that has reached the teleologic status that Christ achieved during his human lifetime. While we won't become Gods per se, we can certainly become much more Godlike by following the teleologic path he laid out for us. When we arrive at a critical mass of understanding (and put it into practice), that is how humanity will pass through the great filter and achieve the human singularity. Right now, the momentum is going in the other direction. We'll get there eventually, even if it likely won't be in our lifetimes. It will take a few more generations of trailblazers to turn the tide. I guess we all sought this challenge! God bless us and keep us throughout. Love each other. Spread the Word.
(Jesus) Christ is not God, he is the vessel that tapped into his divine potential, the life that shines light as a partion of God, Almighty, that manifested through him as an abstraction. Destiny is the same for everbody in The Universe, 'Kingdom of Heaven' from within, or an Infinite Hell, you decide every 8 minutes how you direct your life. His teach as a beaken of light in darkness!
I've always been fascinated by the story of Christ. I was born and raised Catholic and attended Catholic school and catechism daily as a child, at least until I couldn’t stand the nuns anymore. Still, I never lost my love for Jesus and his teachings. That being said, I never bought into the idea that Christianity was the only path to living a righteous life and attaining salvation, not even as a child. It just didn’t seem to be a position that an inclusive spiritual leader like Jesus would support. I was also questioning whether or not Christ had truly lived the life they say or was mostly legendary. Naturally, I asked Chris a lot of questions on the topic and we had some great discussions. I implored Chris to share the material from these discussions with our patrons and he wrote a beautiful post (Logos, Jesus, and the CTMU) and later recorded it for me so I could make it into a video and reach a wider audience. https://youtu.be/q5Fo3DHFJpY
Although faithfully following the teachings of Christ is a sure road to salvation, it’s not the only way. There are core values in many religions that are consistent with one another and each can provide a valid path to the discerning traveler. https://youtu.be/OA1SDjZ00tE
There have been many great prophets throughout history that have brought great insight and value to their respective religions. Just because we believe that Christ was the cream of this crop doesn’t detract from the great contributions of others; or the ability of their teachings to provide a pathway to salvation, insofar as it coincides with teleology. As far as the question of whether or not Christ actually existed, we think there are sufficient accounts and evidence that attest to this. I don’t think Chris read The Case for Christ, but I very much enjoyed the compelling arguments made by Strobel and highly recommend it!
Dr. Gina Langan & Mr. Herman:
St. Gregory of Nazianzus’s (c. 329 – 390) following statements are highly relevant to our conversation. As you know, St. Gregory of Nazianzus is one of the key theologians who laid the foundation for the trinitarianism.
From: St. Gregory of Nazianzus: Oration 30: On the Son - Section 20
(1) I take the view that he is called “Son” because he is not simply identical in substance with the Father but stems from him. He is “Only-begotten” not just because he alone stems uniquely from what is unique, but because he does so in a unique fashion unlike things corporeal.
(2) He is “Word,” because he is related to the Father as word is to mind, not only by reason of the undisturbed character of his birth, but also through the connection and declaratory function involved in the relationship.
(3) One could say too, perhaps, that his relationship is that of definition to term defined, since “word” has the meaning in Greek of “definition.” He who has known the Son (“seen” means “known” in that context) has known the Father.
(4) The Son is the concise and simple revelation of the Father’s nature—everything born is a tacit definition of its parent.
(5) You would not be wrong, were you to explain the name from the fact that he exists inherently in real things. Is there anything whose being is not held together by reason?
(6) He is called “Wisdom” as being the science of matters divine and human. How could the maker be ignorant of the principles involved in his works?
(7) He is “Power” because he is what sustains his creatures and furnishes them with the power to maintain themselves.
(8) He is “Truth” because truth is a single whole, whilst falsehood is a splintered complex, and because he is the unstained seal, the utterly faithful impress of the Father.
(9) He is called “Image” because he is consubstantial with the Father; he stems from the Father and not the Father from him, it being the nature of an image to copy the original and be called after it. But there is more to it than this. The ordinary image is a motionless copy of a moving being. Here we have a living image of a living being, indistinguishable from its original to a higher degree than Seth from Adam and any earthly offspring from its parent. Beings with no complexity to their nature have no points of likeness or unlikeness. They are exact replicas, identical rather than like.
(10) He is called “Light” because he is the brilliance of souls pure in mind and life. If ignorance and sin are darkness, knowledge and inspired life must be light.
(11) He is “Life” because he is “Light” constituting and giving reality to every thinking being. “For in him we live, move, and exist” and there is a two-fold sense in which he breathes into us; we are filled, all of us, with his breath, and those who are capable of it, all those who open their mind’s mouth wide enough, with his Holy Spirit.
(12) He is called “Righteousness” because he decides in accordance with merit; he makes a fair assessment of the superior.
(13) He is called “Sanctification” because he is purity, so that what is pure may be filled with his pureness.
(14) He is “Redemption,” because he sets us free from the bonds of sin and gives himself in exchange for us as a ransom sufficient to cleanse the world.
(15) He is “Resurrection” because he raises us up from this world and leads us on to life, done to death, though we were, by sin.