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Calling Bible/Christian Scholars - help needed

Octavia156

OTO/EGC
Hi All

I am currently doing some research for a fictional book set in pre-enlightement times.
I want to include a character that has read the Bible and although he risks his life in doing so, has come to the belief that Christ is a metaphor - that we are all Christ and God exists - not as a separate being, but as the eternal Life force.

Christ dies so we can live... i.e. to be born you have to die... so Christ represents the Life of Man, the Son of God, God being the eternal human consciousness that never dies, but which begets Man.

Does anyone here know of any quotes from the NT that this character could have interpreted/twisted to support this theory?

It would be of great help.
 

outhouse

Atheistically
I dont know about a metaphor, but Marcion believed in a heavenly type Jesus who wasnt a man.


Pauls Jesus lives in heaven because he had died, so paul makes a lot of mythical spiritual references.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
Hi All

I am currently doing some research for a fictional book set in pre-enlightement times.
I want to include a character that has read the Bible and although he risks his life in doing so, has come to the belief that Christ is a metaphor - that we are all Christ and God exists - not as a separate being, but as the eternal Life force.

Christ dies so we can live... i.e. to be born you have to die... so Christ represents the Life of Man, the Son of God, God being the eternal human consciousness that never dies, but which begets Man.

Does anyone here know of any quotes from the NT that this character could have interpreted/twisted to support this theory?

It would be of great help.

I haven't run across anything. I believe people develop the false belief first and then try to justify it with the Bible.

I think the Albigensions would make a good setting since the church considered them heretics. The Book Labyrinth was based on that so it would make a good research resource.
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
Hi All

I am currently doing some research for a fictional book set in pre-enlightement times.
I want to include a character that has read the Bible and although he risks his life in doing so, has come to the belief that Christ is a metaphor - that we are all Christ and God exists - not as a separate being, but as the eternal Life force.

Christ dies so we can live... i.e. to be born you have to die... so Christ represents the Life of Man, the Son of God, God being the eternal human consciousness that never dies, but which begets Man.

Does anyone here know of any quotes from the NT that this character could have interpreted/twisted to support this theory?

It would be of great help.
I know some verses your character could twist around. You can look up the context at your leisure, or ignore it altogether--your choice :D

Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Romans 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Hebrews 10:10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1 Corinthians 1:4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

1 Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

If you want more, you can just go to biblegateway.com and search "Christ in you," "body of Christ," "Christ die", etc--just don't use the quotes. You'll find plenty of verses you can twist around to support the theory. Manipulating them may not be how your character comes to believe in the idea in the first place, but they are good for supporting what he already thinks.
 

Octavia156

OTO/EGC
I know some verses your character could twist around. You can look up the context at your leisure, or ignore it altogether--your choice :D

Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Romans 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Hebrews 10:10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1 Corinthians 1:4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,

1 Corinthians 1:30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

If you want more, you can just go to biblegateway.com and search "Christ in you," "body of Christ," "Christ die", etc--just don't use the quotes. You'll find plenty of verses you can twist around to support the theory. Manipulating them may not be how your character comes to believe in the idea in the first place, but they are good for supporting what he already thinks.

Thank you so much!
 

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
Hi All

I am currently doing some research for a fictional book set in pre-enlightement times.
I don't want to come off as offensive, but if you are actually doing a research for a book, even if it is fictional, for it to be reliable and rich in content you are actually going to have to read and discover the Christian Bible and many footnotes about its verses, including scholarly reading to guide you. Educated readers with prospects of interest in your chosen subject should expect more extra-Biblical, historical, and perhaps linguistic and other forms of reliable background.
 

Karl R

Active Member
Does anyone here know of any quotes from the NT that this character could have interpreted/twisted to support this theory?

John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

has come to the belief that Christ is a metaphor - that we are all Christ and God exists - not as a separate being, but as the eternal Life force.

Christ dies so we can live... i.e. to be born you have to die... so Christ represents the Life of Man, the Son of God, God being the eternal human consciousness that never dies, but which begets Man.
You might want to be a bit flexible about what this character believes. Find the verses that he uses as the foundation of his belief and then decide what belief he could reasonably infer from those verses.
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
I don't want to come off as offensive, but if you are actually doing a research for a book, even if it is fictional, for it to be reliable and rich in content you are actually going to have to read and discover the Christian Bible and many footnotes about its verses, including scholarly reading to guide you. Educated readers with prospects of interest in your chosen subject should expect more extra-Biblical, historical, and perhaps linguistic and other forms of reliable background.
Except, most people coming up with new ideas or new revelations don't really care about most of these scholarly things, unless they want to somehow try and prove that their beliefs are the original Christian beliefs.

You might want to be a bit flexible about what this character believes. Find the verses that he uses as the foundation of his belief and then decide what belief he could reasonably infer from those verses.
Not necessarily. He could have a sudden revelation, and then rush back to the Bible, flipping through it excitedly to find evidence of his newfound epiphany, and read the verses in a new light. It's what people do all the time.
 

Caladan

Agnostic Pantheist
Except, most people coming up with new ideas or new revelations don't really care about most of these scholarly things, unless they want to somehow try and prove that their beliefs are the original Christian beliefs.
Hey don't be dissing Dan Brown!
 
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