Posted by Phil on July 13, 1999 at 08:45:07:
In Reply to: Re: Sai Baba posted by april on July 11, 1999 at 18:50:13:
: This brings me to another question...If we
: are all brothers and sisters of Jesus, aren't
: we also, in some modified way of course,
: incarnations? We talked about this on list....
: we are other Christs, right?
Good question, April. The traditional teaching has been that Jesus is begotten of God ("God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God"). Jesus had a created human soul, but this existed in union with his begotten nature. We, on the other hand, are made, not begotten. We are like an Sculptor's work instead of the Sculptor's Child. And so we are images of God, but that's not the same as being an incarnation of God.
With the Incarnation and outpouring of the Spirit, however, we are given grace to be transformed to become as Christ. The early theologians called this process divinization, and it refers to the transformation that grace effects in our human nature, enabling us to come to know God with Christ's own knowing.
So. . . we are not other Christ's by nature, but by grace.
Makes sense?
Phil
: Thanks.
: april
: