What is " The Image of God?"

[mickiel]

Another important aspect of the Image of God, is Christ. 2Corinth. 4:4;" In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God." Christ is also described as the Image of God. There are many who doubt that Jesus even existed, although he was recorded in history by Tertullian, Origen, The Quran, The Tallmud, Josephus, Suetonius, Thallus, Pliny the Younger, Lucian, Celsus, Tacitus and Sextus Julius Africanus.

Jesus was real. Archaeologist have found the actual house of his friends Mary and Martha. They found the tomb of Lazarus and the actual Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed. They have astoundingly found the bones of the High Priest " Caiaphas", who slapped Christ in the face before sending him to Pilate. They have a peice of the actual pavement where Christ stood on before Pilate, called " The Via Dolorosa". And they have the actual bonebox of Simon the Cyrenian, who helped Jesus carry his cross. ( A Black man). They have the actual gate he was marched through, " The Damascus Gate." They have the place he was killed at, Golgotha- " The place of the Skull."

The city this all occured in, Jerusalem, is still there, and the place Jesus was baptised in, the river Jordan, is still there. Jesus was no fictional image, he was just as real as God is.

Originally Posted by mickiel

I totally disagree with this. Christians do not hold a monopoly on God, they just think they do, and obviously so do you. The orginal believers in God were called " The Way." Christian is a term the Romans used to label these people. God has NEVER endorsed the name christianity to represent his people-- never!

And neither can you.

not god as in principle, god as THE BLOODY WORD, MAN. ITs a linguistic/social observation.

The "original christians" called him G_D, LORD, or understood his real name YHWH, but never utter it out of respect.... the original christians were jewish people practicing judeism, with a touch ofa few other civs...., ... BAM, christianity

Originally Posted by mickiel

Well this " Sounds Good", but we can get to know God, and ourselves.
I am not into this " Oh, everything is Mystical, were dumfounded nebulous creatures" kind of spiritual movement.
I know myself better every year, and I learn more about God every year. I don't personally know God, but I personally know more of him.,

For a person to fall for a philosophy that they cannot know themselves; is an act of falling more in love with that philosophy than yourself.
What you Love you can get to know, reguardless of what any of the swamis have cooked up.

Contrary to what you got out of my last post I never intended to imply that one cannot know the nature of self/God.
The point I was trying to raise is that it's fallacy to make absolute statements as to what one is or isn't without knowing the nature of self/God.
Also the quotes didn't imply otherwise either, they suggested (through finding/knowing oneself) the very nature of self is what people call God.
Nothing about not being able to know.. I think you really missed the entire point of my last post.

[mickiel]

Originally Posted by Elijah

Contrary to what you got out of my last post I never intended to imply that one cannot know the nature of self/God.
The point I was trying to raise is that it's fallacy to make absolute statements as to what one is or isn't without knowing the nature of self/God.
Also the quotes didn't imply otherwise either, they suggested (through finding/knowing oneself) the very nature of self is what people call God.
Nothing about not being able to know.. I think you really missed the entire point of my last post.

Well In my view, if one is absolutely sure, you can make absolute statements. I don't fully understand my whole nature, but I am absolutely sure that I am me! One can be absolutely sure without knowing the nature of things. I don't know fully the nature of my girlfriend, but I am absolutely sure that she loves me.

And I disagree with those who call their self nature, God. That is simply another effort from humans to make themselves gods. Its the human equating themselves with God. A fingerprint of the new wave movement for sure.

[mickiel]

Originally Posted by Time

not god as in principle, god as THE BLOODY WORD, MAN. ITs a linguistic/social observation.

The "original christians" called him G_D, LORD, or understood his real name YHWH, but never utter it out of respect.... the original christians were jewish people practicing judeism, with a touch ofa few other civs...., ... BAM, christianity

Again, there is no such thing as " Original Christians", the orginal believers of Christ time were called " The Way." The original church was not a christian church. Christianity is what that original church " Devolved into over years of worldly pacification and mixing with pagan principles and traditions." The Romans created the term Christian.

There are many who doubt that Jesus even existed, although he was recorded in history by Tertullian, Origen, The Quran, The Tallmud, Josephus, Suetonius, Thallus, Pliny the Younger, Lucian, Celsus, Tacitus and Sextus Julius Africanus.

None of these spoke of jesus. I know a few texts mention "krystos" which was just their interpretation of "messiah", which was just a title, liek priest, rabbi, dr, or sir today.

Josephus' account has been PROVEN TO BE A FORGERY by the catholic church. IF he was real and there was evidence then why forge a document?

Again, there is no such thing as " Original Christians", the orginal believers of Christ time were called " The Way." The original church was not a christian church. Christianity is what that original church " Devolved into over years of worldly pacification and mixing with pagan principles and traditions." The Romans created the term Christian.

"original christians" was a typo, i meant "original" christians, in regards to your "orginal followers of god" comment.

You just dont understand what im trying to get across is all, and thats ok.

Originally Posted by mickiel

Well In my view, if one is absolutely sure, you can make absolute statements.
I don't fully understand my whole nature, but I am absolutely sure that I am me!

The point remains that unless the nature of self is known, stating what it is/isn't is merley an assumption.

Originally Posted by mickiel

And I disagree with those who call their self nature, God. That is simply another effort from humans to make themselves gods.

When such a statement is made it doesn't mean on an individual level.
They aren't saying they as an individual are God, as if there were 2 things, the realization is rather a collapse of duality, of self & other.
All that remains is what IS, God if you like. But no-one is that personally/individually, there is just that.
Obviously for practical reasons this is spoken of in terms like "one's self nature is God" or "The Father & I are One".
They merley suggest that in reality things are not two but One, and not even One really, just as an ocean is not One, there is just water.

Originally Posted by mickiel

A fingerprint of the new wave movement for sure.

It's really nothing new.

[mickiel]

Originally Posted by Time

None of these spoke of jesus. quote

I disagree, they all spoke of Jesus.In fact, Jesus is the most popular historical person in human history, bar none. More books have been written about him than anyother person that I know of.


quote
"original christians" was a typo, i meant "original" christians, in regards to your "orginal followers of god" comment.

You just dont understand what im trying to get across is all, and thats ok.

Well I don't, but I do my best to understand you. I simply respond to what you write.

[mickiel]

Originally Posted by Elijah

The point remains that unless the nature of self is known, stating what it is/isn't is merley an assumption.When such a statement is made it doesn't mean on an individual level.
They aren't saying they as an individual are God, as if there were 2 things, the realization is rather a collapse of duality, of self & other.
All that remains is what IS, God if you like. But no-one is that personally/individually, there is just that.
Obviously for practical reasons this is spoken of in terms like "one's self nature is God" or "The Father & I are One".
They merley suggest that in reality things are not two but One, and not even One really, just as an ocean is not One, there is just water.It's really nothing new.

The Father and I are one, is more understandable to me; yet I have never met a person who has attained such a oneness with God. That would be quite something, I would like to meet them.

Of course there's a simple answer to all this ....

going away from the biblical interpretations ..
God's image is whatever you want and perceive it to be.