Christ: the image of God

From a message by a Curious Questioner--
>CQ> Subject: Re: God?

>>QU> The earliest Christians, including Paul, disagree with you...

>CQ> 2 Cor 4:4? This is a verse about the "God of this age who has blinded the eyes of men..." and then mentions Christ, who is the "image of God"[.] It is not a good verse to prove his Deity, since humans are also made in the "image of God" (Genesis 1:26).

In the verse following (2Cor.4:5), Paul clearly says that Christ Jesus is "THE LORD." The word "human" appears nowhere in the Bible. MAN (Adam) was made in the image of God, and then became CORRUPT by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and sin entered into the world. In Genesis 5:3, we find that Adam's son Seth was not said to be born in the image of God, but rather, Adam "begat a son in his own likeness, after his image."

Paul confirms that "corruptible man" no longer bears God's image, in Romans 1:23, and the need for man to be "conformed" to the image of God is brought out in Romans 8:29.

"The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven." - "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1Cor.15:47,49)

Flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (Man needs to be "changed." :)

>CQ> I would say that Heb 1:3 is an excellent example, though. Jesus is called the radiance of His [God's] glory, and the exact representation of His being.

He is called "the express image of his person" in Heb.1:3.

>CQ> The Greek word for "exact representation" is "Charakter"

Charakter is right, but RE-presentation is not. The Lord Jesus is the true image of the invisible God, the brightness of his glory.

>CQ> The Synoptics are virtually silent on his Deity. John, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews are the ones who set forth specifically this doctrine, although Paul does have reservations still, probably because of his strict monotheistic Jewish background, from calling Jesus God.

As the author of "the epistle of Paul the apostle to the Hebrews", Paul certainly does set forth the correct doctrine. And in 1Cor.12:3, Paul clearly says that Jesus is the Lord. And he calls him "the great God" in Titus 2:13. There is no doubt that Jesus is the Lord.

>CQ> Romans 9:5 has translational problems.

No, but some people have BELIEF problems with that verse that claims that Christ is over all, God blessed for ever. Corruptible man needs to: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be unto you. Amen. --Richard