Bruce Michael
Well-Known Member
Hello Friends,
Relevant to the discussion on the divinity of Christ are the doctrines of an early Christian group: the Nestorians- I prefer "group" to "sect" as the latter is now mainly used in the pejorative sense.
Before the Muslims came and spoiled the party, the Nestorians were set to be the major Christian religion of Asia. In 1625 a Nestorian pillar at Sian-Fu in Northwest China was discovered. It was carved with inscriptions of how Nestorian missionaries reached that remote land in A. D. 635- the pillar was set up in A.D. 781. That represents the farthest point East of Jerusalem to which Christianity had penetrated at that time.
Nestorious (died circa 451) was not above persecuting others himself. He had persecuted the Arians and was known thereafter as the "incendiary".
Nestorious was patriarch of the Church in Constantinople from 428 to 431. His doctrine, which later became heretical, was that Mary could not be called the Mother of God, for Mary was a human being, and that God should be born of a human being is impossible.
The Nestorians were quite correct however, as Christ entered into the Body of Jesus at the time of the Baptism. The saying
Further proof that this is the correct rendering is found in Augustine's dispute with Faustus the Manichean (circa A.D. 400):
"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee." Hebrews 5:5- compare Hebrews 1:5-Paul's comment is in Acts 13:33.
Christ was "begotten" at the time of the Baptism. Here is an image from Markus' wonderful site:
Baptism of the Jordan
Visegrád Codex, 1085
-Br.Bruce
Relevant to the discussion on the divinity of Christ are the doctrines of an early Christian group: the Nestorians- I prefer "group" to "sect" as the latter is now mainly used in the pejorative sense.
Before the Muslims came and spoiled the party, the Nestorians were set to be the major Christian religion of Asia. In 1625 a Nestorian pillar at Sian-Fu in Northwest China was discovered. It was carved with inscriptions of how Nestorian missionaries reached that remote land in A. D. 635- the pillar was set up in A.D. 781. That represents the farthest point East of Jerusalem to which Christianity had penetrated at that time.
Nestorious (died circa 451) was not above persecuting others himself. He had persecuted the Arians and was known thereafter as the "incendiary".
Nestorious was patriarch of the Church in Constantinople from 428 to 431. His doctrine, which later became heretical, was that Mary could not be called the Mother of God, for Mary was a human being, and that God should be born of a human being is impossible.
The Nestorians were quite correct however, as Christ entered into the Body of Jesus at the time of the Baptism. The saying
"Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11)
is rendered correctly as "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (Psalms 2:7),
as it does appear in some Bibles. This is one of those cases were the Bible was changed to fit in with preconceived ideas. Further proof that this is the correct rendering is found in Augustine's dispute with Faustus the Manichean (circa A.D. 400):
Therefore, thou didst generate the Coeternal, to whom
thou didst say, "This day I have begotten thee." Mark 1:9-11
thou didst say, "This day I have begotten thee." Mark 1:9-11
This is the reason for the Voice of the Father
spoken over him at his baptism, "Today have I begotten thee,"
which pointed not to that particular day on which he was baptized,
but to that "day" of changeless eternity, in order to show us that
this Man belonged to the personal Unity of the Only Begotten. For
a day that neither begins with the close of yesterday nor ends
with the beginning of tomorrow is indeed an eternal "today."
The author of Hebrews made it clear:spoken over him at his baptism, "Today have I begotten thee,"
which pointed not to that particular day on which he was baptized,
but to that "day" of changeless eternity, in order to show us that
this Man belonged to the personal Unity of the Only Begotten. For
a day that neither begins with the close of yesterday nor ends
with the beginning of tomorrow is indeed an eternal "today."
"So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee." Hebrews 5:5- compare Hebrews 1:5-Paul's comment is in Acts 13:33.
Christ was "begotten" at the time of the Baptism. Here is an image from Markus' wonderful site:
Baptism of the Jordan
Visegrád Codex, 1085
-Br.Bruce
