The Duality and Kingdom of God
The following scriptures indicate the duality nature of God:
John 17
20 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Isaiah 9
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Gospel of Thomas
(I08) Jesus said: He who shall drink from my mouth shall become like me; I myself will become he, and the hidden thing shall be revealed to him.
Romans 3
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
From the above scriptures, it can be seen that God is a type of duality. When you for example point to the Father, you not only point to Him, you point to everyone in Him at the same time. Therefore the Father is Himself an individual, but also everyone in Him at the same time - and both modes of being are inseparable. That is why when the Father (or any other God) says that besides Him there is no other God (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:35, 1 Kings 8:60, Isaiah 44:8), He is able to do so without suggesting other members of the God union be excluded. If the Father is Himself, as well as all those who are in Him at the same time, then when the Father says that besides Him there is no other God, He is by necessity talking about Himself, as well all those who are in Him. This double mode identity of God is seen particularly in Isaiah 9:6, where Christ is identified as Himself, as well as the (Wonderful) Counselor (who is the Holy Spirit - John 14:26) and the Everlasting Father. God's double mode identity is seen once more in the Gospel of Thomas verse 108, in which Christ says He will become anyone who has faith.
Generally when the scriptures say that there is one God, they mean that there is one union of individuals who are each God, where when you point to one individual in the union, you by necessity point to all the other individuals in the union at the same time. (Alternately stated, when the scriptures say that there is one God, they mean that there is one union of individuals who are each God, such that each individual in the union is not only himself, but also everyone else in the union at the same time.) Anyone outside of this union is not God. An important implication of all of this, in particular John 17:20-23, is the fact that those who have faith are members of the God union, and are hence God. Therefore someone who has faith, is not only himself, but also everyone else in the union at the same time, including God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is consistent with John 10:31-36 which indicates that those who have faith are gods, and 2 Peter 1:3-4 which indicates that those who have faith are partakers of God's divine nature. (Note: if someone who has faith is a god, but there is only one God, that person has to be God [i.e. be an individual God himself, as well as belong to the union of God].)
All of the above suggest that the kingdom of God is not just God's kingdom, but a kingdom filled with Gods. This is important because it allows you to see more clearly, the prize you will receive when you have faith correctly, and keep on having it no matter what. Salvation is not just an opportunity to live forever, it is an opportunity to become God! (See here for more information on the Godhood of Man.)
John 17
20 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Isaiah 9
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Gospel of Thomas
(I08) Jesus said: He who shall drink from my mouth shall become like me; I myself will become he, and the hidden thing shall be revealed to him.
Romans 3
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
From the above scriptures, it can be seen that God is a type of duality. When you for example point to the Father, you not only point to Him, you point to everyone in Him at the same time. Therefore the Father is Himself an individual, but also everyone in Him at the same time - and both modes of being are inseparable. That is why when the Father (or any other God) says that besides Him there is no other God (e.g. Deuteronomy 4:35, 1 Kings 8:60, Isaiah 44:8), He is able to do so without suggesting other members of the God union be excluded. If the Father is Himself, as well as all those who are in Him at the same time, then when the Father says that besides Him there is no other God, He is by necessity talking about Himself, as well all those who are in Him. This double mode identity of God is seen particularly in Isaiah 9:6, where Christ is identified as Himself, as well as the (Wonderful) Counselor (who is the Holy Spirit - John 14:26) and the Everlasting Father. God's double mode identity is seen once more in the Gospel of Thomas verse 108, in which Christ says He will become anyone who has faith.
Generally when the scriptures say that there is one God, they mean that there is one union of individuals who are each God, where when you point to one individual in the union, you by necessity point to all the other individuals in the union at the same time. (Alternately stated, when the scriptures say that there is one God, they mean that there is one union of individuals who are each God, such that each individual in the union is not only himself, but also everyone else in the union at the same time.) Anyone outside of this union is not God. An important implication of all of this, in particular John 17:20-23, is the fact that those who have faith are members of the God union, and are hence God. Therefore someone who has faith, is not only himself, but also everyone else in the union at the same time, including God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is consistent with John 10:31-36 which indicates that those who have faith are gods, and 2 Peter 1:3-4 which indicates that those who have faith are partakers of God's divine nature. (Note: if someone who has faith is a god, but there is only one God, that person has to be God [i.e. be an individual God himself, as well as belong to the union of God].)
All of the above suggest that the kingdom of God is not just God's kingdom, but a kingdom filled with Gods. This is important because it allows you to see more clearly, the prize you will receive when you have faith correctly, and keep on having it no matter what. Salvation is not just an opportunity to live forever, it is an opportunity to become God! (See here for more information on the Godhood of Man.)
posted by P. Douglas | 5:31 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home