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It seems obvious that I the New Testament says to a larger audience - Christ in you, the hope of glory it is speaking of a copy of Someone for multiple people.
Christ - a living and unusual Person duplicated in you, and in you, and in you, etc. etc. in many people over many ages.
"To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27)
It is not a typical thing that is proposed here. It is mysterious. Some mysterious things are very real.
Christ can be copied and put into many people.
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I said Jesus Christ can be copied and put into many people.
Jesus Christ, He, Himself ... He by the grace of God can be put into many many people.
Now look people. Paul says that the Christ within the believers will one day be marveled at. Today He is somewhat hidden. The world should see His effect on those who believe in Him.
But the hidden One will be more manifested in glory at His second coming and be "marveled at" by the world.
Proof:
"When He [Christ] comes to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at in all those who have believed ..." (2 Thess. 1:10a)
On this earth, some nations will be transferred into the next millinnial kingdom age. Not all will be judge in the great tribulation with death. Some who are spared and transferred into the next age ruled by the sons of God will "marvel" the splendor of the shining OUT Christ who was in the Christians.
"When He comes to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at ..."
At that time the overcoming and victorious believers who are not defeated or backslidden will appear with Christ in glory. For He is in them as their life. And they have lived unto Him.
"For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory." (Col. 3:1-4)
@sonship saidThe perfection of Jesus himself was not at issue. The problem was not the meaning of the sentence, but rather the lack of relevance to the conversation.
@BigDoggProblemAnd here we have paragraphs of Standard Evangelical Cliches, none of which engaged the conversation.
How in a more regular conversational way do you propose that I say "Christ is the perfect Person"? Let's start there. If you have a more conversational way to convey that truth, suggest it.
Now if you disagree or simply don't believe He is the perfect Person, don't use conversational etiquette as the excuse.
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@secondson saidWhat about the 3rd party I mentioned? Any thoughts on that?
When the error occurs it is with the vessel and not Jesus.
Jesus is being "formed in" the believer, but the believer must actively pursue or "follow after" the Spirit, and to the degree that the believer yields is he/she conformed, from within, "to the image of his Son".
It is a process called sanctification, and it takes a lifetime, but the full realization of it wi ...[text shortened]... anctification>glorification.
There's a good deal more to it than that, but you don't care do you?
Barring Jesus appearing and speaking directly to a person, as with the Apostle Paul, doesn't some human have to tell another about him?
@sonship said
@BigDoggProblemBarring Jesus appearing and speaking directly to a person, as with the Apostle Paul, doesn't some human have to tell another about him?
May I ask, what is your real concern here ?
My only question is, if there is an occasional copying error, can the Jesus within people evolve?
@sonship saidWell, I'm really neither "worried" nor "fearful" about it - more curious.
@BigDoggProblemMy only question is, if there is an occasional copying error, can the Jesus within people evolve?
You mean that my reply to the two concerns before, still leave you worried about the same thing ? Whatever I explained was unsatisfactory to allay your fears even a little bit ?
But yes, I feel like you haven't really engaged the question. That is of course your prerogative. I can't force anyone to play ball.
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It’s not scriptural.
We are instructed to grow in Christ , to become more like Christ each day etc.
Let me ask you.
In Romans 8:34 the Bible tells us that Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for the believers.
" ... It is Christ Jesus who died and, rather was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." (Rom. 8:34)
But in the same chapter in verse 10, speaking to a multitude of Christians Christ is in them as well.
"But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness." (v.10)
Is that not in a sense a "copy" of Christ in believers on earth?
Christ is in heaven interceding at the right hand of God.
Christ is in the believers on earth as divine life in their human spirit.
Why can't I say that a "copy" of the Christ at God's right hand has been put into the believers on earth ?
@sonship saidIf I copy text from one location and paste it into another it becomes a separate entity and in no way linked to the place I copied it from.
@divegeesterIt’s not scriptural.
We are instructed to grow in Christ , to become more like Christ each day etc.
Let me ask you.
In Romans 8:34 the Bible tells us that Christ is at the right hand of God interceding for the believers.
[b]" ... It is Christ Jesus who died and, rather was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who a ...[text shortened]... n't I say that a "copy" of the Christ at God's right hand has been put into the believers on earth ?
As a believer, have you become a god in your own right, an equal to God?
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If I copy text from one location and paste it into another it becomes a separate entity and in no way linked to the place I copied it from.
As a believer, have you become a god in your own right, an equal to God?
I don't think my analogy is exhaustively parallel. Most analogies are not exhaustively parallel.
Having said that the Jesus Christ in the believers is not separate from Jesus Christ Who died and rose and is at the right hand of God.
There, perhaps, the analogy has its limits. The New Testament is emphatic that Jesus Christ is in the believers.
"Test yourselves whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves. Or do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disapproved." (2 Cor. 13:5) [/quote]
The normal Christian faith has to include the realization that Jesus Christ is living in me as a Christian. He is God/man you know?
Here again Paul argues with the contrarian Corinthians that they seek proof of Jesus Christ speaking in Paul. Paul says not only Christ is speaking in him but He is also powerful in them, the ones who he is speaking to. Bottom line - Christ is in the teaching apostle and Christ is in the audience too.
"Since you seek a proof of Christ who is speaking in me, who is not weak unto you but is powerful in you." (2 Cor. 13:3)
Do not let it escape you attention. Paul is NOT saying "Only in ME is Christ living. You better listen therefore!!" No, he is saying Christ is in me the apostle strong towards you and strong IN YOU as well.
Be cognizant of this.
Christ is so much in Paul that in Philppians he says he longs emotionally for the Philippians in the bowels [or inward parts] of Christ.
"For God is my witness how I long after you all in the inward parts [or literally bowels) of Christ." (Phil. 1:8)
Paul's tender inward emotional and spiritual inner parts had become "the inward parts of CHRIST". No wonder he had written - "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17)
When Christians say "Let Jesus into your heart" we are not playing around. We mean Jesus Christ is in a form, a marvelous form, in which He can be copied as a living Person UNITED with YOU.
A higher profession does not exist.