Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Forest Keeper; MarkBsnr; Kolokotronis; stfassisi; HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg; blue-duncan; wmfights
Does this mean that you see Jesus as sort of an Apollo (son of Zeus) figure because he was also susceptible to human failings and sin? It seems like you are saying that the condition of Jesus was the same as Apollo's, it's just that Jesus behaved better.

That's ridiculous, FK. I simply said that if Christ in his humanity does not have the potential to sin, then he is not fully human. The difference between Christ and Adam is simply that Christ chose not to sin, that he exhibited perfect obedience.

The Church teaches that Christ is one Person with two unmixed and unconfused natures and wills, one divine and one human. The fact that there is full divinity and full humanity in this hypostatic union is not to be understood as one unduly influencing the other, but rather that each is perfect independently of the other.

Otherwise, Christ's suffering, temptation and death and resurrection would be a charade.

Double predestination is simply a one-term expression of two ideas. The first idea is that God is sovereign and He predestines those who will be saved. The Bible is clear that this is so...Rom 8:29-30, Eph 1:4-6, Eph 1:11,

You mean, St. Paul is clear about that? What Paul says in those verses is an "amalgamated" mish-mash of different saying, mostly found in his other works, and a few out-of-context quotes either from St. Matthew or Deuteronomy (the first one uses the kingdom, which is meant in the Jewish messianic sense, and the second one refers specifically to the Jews; St. Paul uses them as heavenly kingdom and to all respectively).

Double or single predestination, taken in the Reformed sense, simply means that God pre-fabricated some people to be good people and also some to be evil. There is no hint of that anywhere in Genesis. If anything, Genesis 6 tells us that God was "grieved" over man's wickedness. If this were all his predestination, then why would he be "grieved?"

What does the word "sacrifice" mean in Orthodoxy? You appear to deny that Christ gave His life willingly. Who do say was the first cause of His death?

Oh, gee, now we have corrupted even the first cause concept! If Christ died because the Father pre-destined him to die, then Christ certainly didn't do it willingly! You are suggesting that God (the Father), who is without cause, and through whom everything was made, predestined the Son as well! How can that be when the Word was with God and was God in the "beginning?" (beginning of what?).

What Orthodoxy says is that Christ took the sins of the whole world and offered himself to Death in exchange for our captivity. That was his sacrifice. Death couldn't hold him and was thus made powerless. This provided freedom for all humanity, past, present, and future, to come to God once the chains of death have been removed on the Cross. Whether we come to God or not is not is our choice. We believe that God knows our choices but does not make them for us. Nor does he force them on us.

Unlike St. Paul, who keeps saying that God [sic] raised Jesus, we believe that Jesus died willingly and that he rose on his own, being God. But if the Father is greater than Jesus [cf Jn 14:28], or if he owes his life to the Father[cf Jn 6:57], or if the Father predestined the Son to die, as the Bible says or suggests, then we have a problem. And there are many such Christological problems in the New Testament, which is precisely why Christological heresies continue to this day; even eretics use the scripture to "prove" their heresy! Bible is very accommodating indeed.

It's not a matter of need, but of His choice. The Bible says He had a plan so we believe He had a plan

Won't argue the "choice" part, but here does it say in the Bible that God made a plan?

4,821 posted on 04/07/2008 6:30:29 AM PDT by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodox is pure Christianity)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4816 | View Replies ]


To: kosta50; MarkBsnr; Kolokotronis; stfassisi; HarleyD; Dr. Eckleburg; blue-duncan; wmfights; ...
FK: "Double predestination is simply a one-term expression of two ideas. The first idea is that God is sovereign and He predestines those who will be saved. The Bible is clear that this is so...Rom 8:29-30, Eph 1:4-6, Eph 1:11, "

You mean, St. Paul is clear about that? What Paul says in those verses is an "amalgamated" mish-mash of different saying, mostly found in his other works, and a few out-of-context quotes either from St. Matthew or Deuteronomy (the first one uses the kingdom, which is meant in the Jewish messianic sense, and the second one refers specifically to the Jews; St. Paul uses them as heavenly kingdom and to all respectively).

What? St. Paul IS part of the Bible, so they are both clear. Every time you declare Paul wrong you are saying the Bible, the one your Church claims to contain a modicum of truth, is wrong. Your Magisterium (or anyone else) can interpret him out of existence, but what he actually wrote is still correct. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on whether Paul was taking things out of context and was wrong.

Double or single predestination, taken in the Reformed sense, simply means that God pre-fabricated some people to be good people and also some to be evil. There is no hint of that anywhere in Genesis. If anything, Genesis 6 tells us that God was "grieved" over man's wickedness. If this were all his predestination, then why would he be "grieved?"

Because God does not derive "jollies" out of men doing evil. He was not "laughing" while Jesus hung dying on the cross. But it had to happen because He ordained it for a higher purpose. Besides, I thought that you would disagree with any notion of God being "grieved" about anything. Used here, I don't take that word in its common sense either.

Oh, gee, now we have corrupted even the first cause concept! If Christ died because the Father pre-destined him to die, then Christ certainly didn't do it willingly!

Christ said that He "could" have summoned an army of angels to deliver Him from the cross. He wasn't kidding. Plus, He specifically prayed for the will of the Father, and that was granted. Of course it was willingly.

You are suggesting that God (the Father), who is without cause, and through whom everything was made, predestined the Son as well! How can that be when the Word was with God and was God in the "beginning?"

I'm not suggesting that because I don't know the mechanics. GOD predestined that Jesus die on the cross. Of that we can be sure. If that is false, then when do you say the decision was made, and by whom specifically?

What Orthodoxy says is that Christ took the sins of the whole world and offered himself to Death in exchange for our captivity. That was his sacrifice.

How is this not satan holding power over God? What if God did not want to pay satan? I mean, did they strike a mutual agreement among relative equals? I've never understood this part of Orthodoxy. If God sacrifices to meet His own standards, then I can understand, but if God is all jammed up and "owes" another for the freedom of His children then it makes no sense to me.

........ And there are many such Christological problems in the New Testament, which is precisely why Christological heresies continue to this day; even heretics use the scripture to "prove" their heresy! Bible is very accommodating indeed.

I guess we heretics DO follow those NT Christological problems, that's why we're heretics. :) But some do have the Church to correct those Biblical errors and lay out the true faith. Us Bible-followers do tend to get in theological trouble when we trust that well-meaning, but flawed book. :)

Won't argue the "choice" part, but here does it say in the Bible that God made a plan?

You keep asking that and I keep answering it with scripture, and then you ask it again. Why? :)

4,922 posted on 04/15/2008 3:38:43 AM PDT by Forest Keeper (It is a joy to me to know that God had my number, before He created numbers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4821 | View Replies ]

To: kosta50

bookmark


5,185 posted on 04/27/2008 10:15:21 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4821 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson