Saturday, December 24, 2016

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Who is Christ?

I suppose that based on the title of this post I am getting ready to explain or answer the question, who is Christ. Well, yes and no! Since it is the season of Advent and Christmas is practically around the corner, I suppose sharing or reaffirming who Christ is isn't a bad idea. However, one might ask: why all this hullabaloo about Jesus for almost 2000 years, now? Well, I can tell you what the first Christians believed simply based on St. Paul's writings, and trust me he wrote most of the New Testament, and planted most of the early churches we read about in it, so I can assure what he said was pretty much what they believed, unless you where gnostic. And, if you were gnostic back then it is possible that your views on Christ would have seemed a bit delusional. Regardless, what I am about to share probably sounds a bit gnostic since it explains the divinity of Christ in a clear way. Anyhow, enough said, the following texts are from the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians.

Colossians 1:15-23 (NRSV)

"The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in[a] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[b] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled[c] in his fleshly body[d] through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel (NRSV)."



I hope you enjoyed reading. Blessings and I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, just in case I don't post again before then.







Reference:

NRSV Bible