What about "God is Spirit" don't you accept? Christians only (all variants)

[Quiddity]

Interesting read Victor... but I don't buy that we were made in God's PHYSICAL image, but in his SPIRITUAL image. Again, the emphasis on the physical is MAN'S, and not God's intent.

Great, neither do I. That's not what it meant.

 

[Quiddity]

Of course we need to focus on the Spiritual, but isn't the physical simply a type of representation of this?

It shares in similarities, but does it look like it? I don't think so.

 

[nutshell]

It shares in similarities, but does it look like it? I don't think so.

Hmmm...I tend to believe our spirits aren't exact replicas, but they do look like us in that there is a head, two arms, two legs, etc.

I believe our spirits generally have the same personanlities as we do and that they are self-aware individuals.

Now, where did our spirits come from? That's a different question and seems less likely that it resembles the physical world.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Great, neither do I. That's not what it meant.

Part of the premise of the earlier text you quoted (which is from what???) cited the opposite as part of it's premise.

 

[Polaris]

Interesting read Victor... but I don't buy that we were made in God's PHYSICAL image, but in his SPIRITUAL image. Again, the emphasis on the physical is MAN'S, and not God's intent.

I agree with you that often man over-emphasizes the physical, probably because it is what we can best relate with. However, that doesn't mean that NO emphasis or consideration should be put on it. God clearly made all things both spiritual and physical and many times when He makes reference to one, both are implied. For example, when Christ performed healings and declared "thy faith hath made thee whole" I believe in many cases, if not all, He was referring to both spritiual and physical aspects of the individual. Also there is no reason to believe that God was not referring to both the physical and spiritual when He created man in His image. Why are you so quick to assume no importance to the physical nature of things when clearly God created the physical world along with the spiritual? Why would he have even bothered creating us as physical creatures if there was no importance to it?

 

[Scuba Pete]

I agree with much of what you said.

To answer your final question, I don't completely dismiss the physical. But I don't read ANYWHERE in the scriptures that "God is physical". However, there are several references to God being Spirit. I think that my emphasis should be the same as the scriptures.

I agree with you that often man over-emphasizes the physical, probably because it is what we can best relate with. However, that doesn't mean that NO emphasis or consideration should be put on it. God clearly made all things both spiritual and physical and many times when He makes reference to one, both are implied. For example, when Christ performed healings and declared "thy faith hath made thee whole" I believe in many cases, if not all, He was referring to both spritiual and physical aspects of the individual. Also there is no reason to believe that God was not referring to both the physical and spiritual when He created man in His image. Why are you so quick to assume no importance to the physical nature of things when clearly God created the physical world along with the spiritual? Why would he have even bothered creating us as physical creatures if there was no importance to it?

 

[Scuba Pete]

I agree with much of what you said.

To answer your final question, I don't completely dismiss the physical. But I don't read ANYWHERE in the scriptures that "God is physical". However, there are several references to God being Spirit. I think that my emphasis should be the same as the scriptures.

I agree with you that often man over-emphasizes the physical, probably because it is what we can best relate with. However, that doesn't mean that NO emphasis or consideration should be put on it. God clearly made all things both spiritual and physical and many times when He makes reference to one, both are implied. For example, when Christ performed healings and declared "thy faith hath made thee whole" I believe in many cases, if not all, He was referring to both spritiual and physical aspects of the individual. Also there is no reason to believe that God was not referring to both the physical and spiritual when He created man in His image. Why are you so quick to assume no importance to the physical nature of things when clearly God created the physical world along with the spiritual? Why would he have even bothered creating us as physical creatures if there was no importance to it?

 

[the truth be with us]

what about god created Adam in his own image... wouldn’t that make god physical? If gods image is sprit would we be sprits then without bodies? or both physical and sprit? (not taking anything else into concentration) i beleave in the last... like matter can't take form withour energy and energy can't take form withour matter...

 

[Scott1]

I have no real idea who this Pelagius is, nor do I particularly care.

Darn it Pete... one of us is gonna get you to learn about the history of your faith some day.... I guess today is not that day.

Which is more important? The church or the Spirit?

What is the difference?

 

[Squirt]

To answer your final question, I don't completely dismiss the physical. But I don't read ANYWHERE in the scriptures that "God is physical". However, there are several references to God being Spirit. I think that my emphasis should be the same as the scriptures.

Nobody I've seen is saying that God is not spirit. I certainly believe that He is. I'm simply stating that He is not solely Spirit, or exclusively spirit and I don't read ANYWHERE in the scriptures that He is. We are given numerous instances in which He appeared to various people in the Old Testament. We're told He has hands, a face, feet, and back parts, and that He walks and talks and eats. You simply dismiss all of these as being metaphorical. We're told that Adam bore a son after his image and in his likeness, just as we are told that God created man after His image and in His likeness. The wording is virtually identical and yet you attribute a literal meaning to the one usage and a figurative meaning to the other. I don't think we Latter-day Saints are reading something into the scriptures that isn't there; I think you're turning a blind eye to something that is there. And I'll be darned if I can figure out why.

 

[Scuba Pete]

what about god created Adam in his own image... wouldn’t that make god physical? If gods image is sprit would we be sprits then without bodies? or both physical and sprit? (not taking anything else into concentration) i beleave in the last... like matter can't take form withour energy and energy can't take form withour matter...

Obviously god made us in his image and stuffed that image into these earthly tents or a temple if you will.

I Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. NIV

II Corinthians 5:1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. NIV

II Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. NIV

Our soul LIVES in this earthly tent, and it is awaiting an imperishable one.

 

[Quiddity]

I believe our spirits generally have the same personanlities as we do and that they are self-aware individuals.

Whew! For a second there I thought I had double personality...

Now here is where things got crazy. You said,

Hmmm...I tend to believe our spirits aren't exact replicas, but they do look like us in that there is a head, two arms, two legs, etc.

So they aren't exact replicas but they do like us. Gotcha.
Although I suppose I could ask how they differ. But I won't.

You continue by saying,

Now, where did our spirits come from? That's a different question and seems less likely that it resembles the physical world.

It's less likely to resemble the physical world but it has 10 fingers, 2 feet, a head, etc.?
What am I missing here? :help:

 

[Quiddity]

Part of the premise of the earlier text you quoted (which is from what???) cited the opposite as part of it's premise.

The text is from the Cathecism of the Catholic Church. I find it a rather simple and pleasant read. But hey, I'm catholic. I figured the GREEN with numbers was a dead give away. Scott used it often in the past. I know better now, my apologies.

The sentence that jumps out at me to basically explain our view on the matter is,
It is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit

What makes up the whole human person? BODY AND SOUL.

 

[nutshell]

Whew! For a second there I thought I had double personality...

No double personalities here.

Nor here.

Now here is where things got crazy. You said,

So they aren't exact replicas but they do like us. Gotcha.
Although I suppose I could ask how they differ. But I won't.

But I'll tell. I imagine our spirits have that "glow" about them - you know what I mean? So in that way, they aren't exact replicas. I'm sure there's more, but I really don't know.

You continue by saying,

It's less likely to resemble the physical world but it has 10 fingers, 2 feet, a head, etc.?
What am I missing here? :help:

The spiritual resembles the physical world, but LDS teachings say God created our spirits from "intelligences" that already existed - I'm not certain what those "intelligences" were like. I doubt the "intelligences" resemble the physical world, but our spirits - "intelligences" given shape, do resemble.

I don't know if I'm making any sense. Sorry.

 

[Polaris]

To answer your final question, I don't completely dismiss the physical. But I don't read ANYWHERE in the scriptures that "God is physical". However, there are several references to God being Spirit. I think that my emphasis should be the same as the scriptures.

You're basing your whole argument on one scripture that says "God is a Spirit", yet, like Squirt pointed out you seem to ignore the rest of the Bible. I would argue that the statement in John is targeted more towards motivating a spiritual mindset for worshipping God rather than attempting to describing His complete nature with a single phrase. Your idea of God really begs the question "Why did he make us as physical beings?". Further if you believe Christ is His son and espeicially if you believe Christ is God, why was Christ resurrected? What is the purpose of the resurrection if God is only a spirit? What is the purpose of this physical body that we have and why do we retain it after the resurrection? I believe that we have a body (both before and after the resurrection) to enable us to become more like our Father who has a glorified and perfected body. Obviously we need to become more like him spiritually as well.

 

[Scott1]

God is spirit.

God is a gift.

God is communion.

God is love.

God......... IS.

 

[Quiddity]

No double personalities here.

Nor here.



But I'll tell. I imagine our spirits have that "glow" about them - you know what I mean? So in that way, they aren't exact replicas. I'm sure there's more, but I really don't know.




The spiritual resembles the physical world, but LDS teachings say God created our spirits from "intelligences" that already existed - I'm not certain what those "intelligences" were like. I doubt the "intelligences" resemble the physical world, but our spirits - "intelligences" given shape, do resemble.

I don't know if I'm making any sense. Sorry.

This just raised new questions. Nevermind.....

 

[Scuba Pete]

Ah... Jesus was God's foray into the physical. The word became flesh, meaning it wasn't flesh before.

You're basing your whole argument on one scripture that says "God is a Spirit", yet, like Squirt pointed out you seem to ignore the rest of the Bible. I would argue that the statement in John is targeted more towards motivating a spiritual mindset for worshipping God rather than attempting to describing His complete nature with a single phrase. Your idea of God really begs the question "Why did he make us as physical beings?". Further if you believe Christ is His son and espeicially if you believe Christ is God, why was Christ resurrected? What is the purpose of the resurrection if God is only a spirit? What is the purpose of this physical body that we have and why do we retain it after the resurrection? I believe that we have a body (both before and after the resurrection) to enable us to become more like our Father who has a glorified and perfected body. Obviously we need to become more like him spiritually as well.

 

[Bishka]

Ah... Jesus was God's foray into the physical. The word became flesh, meaning it wasn't flesh before.

And this will get you into the Trinity question.....

 

[Polaris]

Ah... Jesus was God's foray into the physical. The word became flesh, meaning it wasn't flesh before.

As becky hinted, we don't believe Jesus and God the Father are the same person. Further we believe that Jesus did not have a physical body before his birth. But you still haven't answered my question. If God is only a being of spirit, what is the point to giving us a physical body and why was Christ resurrected?