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When I was a teenager we had a Grange Hall where the whole High School studentbody could go to dance on Friday nights. Upon entering the hall, we would receive the imprint of a stamp on our hand, so that in case we left for any reason, we could get back in without having to pay again.
In another part of the county, the cattlemen would take metal rods with patterns on them, and place them into a hot fire, and stamp the hot image on the hide of their cattle, for identification of ownership purposes. It was called “branding” and is a method several thousand years old.
Upon the occasion of the cattle being sold, they were often “trail-branded” in addition to the original ownership branding. This eliminated much confusion on the trail, if the cattle got scattered and had to be rounded up and identified.
And when they were sold at market, sometimes they were branded a third time, with the new owners brand. All of the brands were listed in the sales pap0ers to eliminate any problems of identifying which property went with which owner.
Both are methods of causing identification to be easier when claims are made as to what someone is supposed to be, or is alleged to be. If it is stamped, or branded, it indicates a transaction in progress.
Every cattleman knew that to make a brand correctly, you had to bend the iron in the opposite direction of that in which you wanted to read the brand. The imprint would be an exact opposite of the brand.
Sheep are not branded with a hot iron like cattle, but are clipped, or notched, in the ear, for the same purpose as cattle are branded. It is a means of branding for ownership and property identification.
When printing newspapers, the printers have to “set type” which is backwards to what the reader sees when he reads the printed page. The print on the page is called “anti-type.” The effect of the anti-type impressed onto the page is called
“typical.”The Greek New Testament tells of a similar situation for Christians. There is a Greek word “xarakteer” which resembles that branding iron used on the cattle. It is not the branding iron that needs to be read, but the completed brand on the hides of the cattle. And those brands will all be identical to each other, and exact reverse replicas of the branding iron itself.
Jesus is called the “Xarakteer” and we are the “eikon” or image of the “xarakteer.” Jesus is the imprinted image of God and we are to display the owner's brand of ownership by our behaviour, by emulating the brand belonging to the owner of the herd to which we belong, not of cattle, but of sheep of the fold.
This is the meaning of Rev 3:12 when Jesus writes upon the saints, “the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”
And it is the meaning of Rev 19:12 “…and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” It is the brand of ownership.
When people in the society around us, that in which we live our daily lives, see our behaviour, they will recognize our owner by that brand of living typical (type) of Christian living.
Jesus is called the xarakteer of God in Heb 1:3 and we are called the eikon of God in I Cor 11:7 – Jesus is that pattern which when impressed upon our lives, will show the owner's identity.
Paul expressed it another way – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” [Gal 2:20]
This is how Christ places the imprint of the image of God upon our flesh and our heart and our soul.
I do hope this helps some to understnad how it is that Jesus is the “image of God” as expressed in Heb 1:3 and We are the “image of God” as expressed in I Cor 11:7]
You said “When people in the society around us, that in which we live our daily lives, see our behaviour, they will recognize our owner by that brand of living typical (type) of Christian living”
How is Cristian living different than Jewish or Islamic living?
Paladin……….I see one problem with your analogy, it has to do with the word (CHRIST), the word Christ does not always mean Jesus as most assume, it means Christos or Anointed, and while Jesus is indeed anointed, we are also Christos or Anointed Ones, You analogy is correct with regards to Imaging , but i believe we as well as Jesus are (Christs or Anointed) with the same Brand as Jesus is when we recieve the Holy SPIRIT. The mark of a Christian is the HOLY SPIRIT that produces the Fruits of the Spirit as it did in Jesus. Let this mind be in you as in Christ Jesus our Lord, Same Mind same Spirit. IMO
peace and love to you and yours Paladin enjoy reading your views……………………….gene
Quote (Gene @ July 13 2009,13:31) Paladin……….I see one problem with your analogy, it has to do with the word (CHRIST), the word Christ does not always mean Jesus as most assume, it means Christos or Anointed, and while Jesus is indeed anointed, we are also Christos or Anointed Ones, You analogy is correct with regards to Imaging , but i believe we as well as Jesus are (Christs or Anointed) with the same Brand as Jesus is when we recieve the Holy SPIRIT. The mark of a Christian is the HOLY SPIRIT that produces the Fruits of the Spirit as it did in Jesus. Let this mind be in you as in Christ Jesus our Lord, Same Mind same Spirit. IMO peace and love to you and yours Paladin enjoy reading your views……………………….gene
Once again, Amen!
God bless you always!Quote (bodhitharta @ July 13 2009,12:09) You said “When people in the society around us, that in which we live our daily lives, see our behaviour, they will recognize our owner by that brand of living typical (type) of Christian living” How is Cristian living different than Jewish or Islamic living?
Most of Jewish and much of Islamic living is stipulated in law and is established in ritual. Christianity is much looser in that the laws of Christianity have to do with free-will activity, ranging from acts of charity to actions of worship.Islam prays on prayer rugs at set hours of the day, Christians pray in secret at any hour of the day. Jews by law are required to go to the temple thrice in the year, but the temple does not exist for them.
Many are the differences if one is knowledgeable of the laws of each. AND if the person considered is true to those laws.
Quote (Gene @ July 13 2009,13:31) Paladin……….I see one problem with your analogy, it has to do with the word (CHRIST), the word Christ does not always mean Jesus as most assume, it means Christos or Anointed, and while Jesus is indeed anointed, we are also Christos or Anointed Ones, You analogy is correct with regards to Imaging , but i believe we as well as Jesus are (Christs or Anointed) with the same Brand as Jesus is when we recieve the Holy SPIRIT. The mark of a Christian is the HOLY SPIRIT that produces the Fruits of the Spirit as it did in Jesus. Let this mind be in you as in Christ Jesus our Lord, Same Mind same Spirit. IMO peace and love to you and yours Paladin enjoy reading your views……………………….gene
While I agree with your picture of Christianity as being anointed, I was not trying to tell all of Christianity in my post on image. I am already censured for too long a post, why would I now try to include everything I know in one post?(Gen 1:27) And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.
(Gen 9:6) whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man is his blood shed: for in the image of God hath He made man.
(2Co 4:4) in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;
(Gen 5:3) And Adam liveth an hundred and thirty years, and begetteth a son in his likeness, according to his image, and calleth his name Seth.
my sister had brought this to my attention the other day, at her church, the pastor spoke and told her we are not made in the image of Yah, we are the image of Adam (ref. Bereshith 5.3) This is the reason why so many fail in their walk, because we think we are the image of Yah and try to attain this 'image' when we are the image of Adam (sin) and do not attain our rightousness until judgement.
do you agree?
Quote (princess of the king @ Nov. 17 2009,14:48) (Gen 1:27) And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them. (Gen 9:6) whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man is his blood shed: for in the image of God hath He made man.
(2Co 4:4) in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;
(Gen 5:3) And Adam liveth an hundred and thirty years, and begetteth a son in his likeness, according to his image, and calleth his name Seth.
my sister had brought this to my attention the other day, at her church, the pastor spoke and told her we are not made in the image of Yah, we are the image of Adam (ref. Bereshith 5.3) This is the reason why so many fail in their walk, because we think we are the image of Yah and try to attain this 'image' when we are the image of Adam (sin) and do not attain our rightousness until judgement.
do you agree?
I Cor 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.I do not agree that man is made in the image of Adam. I do believe all parents beget progeny in their own image. The parent is flesh and blood, and begets flesh and blood offspring.
God is spirit, and the “Father of all spirits. We are made in his image in that we are sentient and sapient.
The Spirit, God, has hands, eyes, ears, arms, legs, feet, nostrils, heart, soul, and loves; and He is the original and perfect.
Man has hands, eyes, ears, arms, legs, feet, nostrils, heart, soul, and loves; and he is the flesh and blood image of the perfect spirit, though imperfect himself.
Quote (bodhitharta @ July 13 2009,12:09) You said “When people in the society around us, that in which we live our daily lives, see our behaviour, they will recognize our owner by that brand of living typical (type) of Christian living” How is Cristian living different than Jewish or Islamic living?
If there are three men in a city who are very religious after the tenents of their faith, one is a Christian, one a Muslim, one a Jew. If you observe their daily ritual of religious practice, you will begin to notice, maybe even question, the religion of the Christian.The Muslim kneels on a prayermat facing Mecca a set number of times in a day; the Jew follows the rituals of his fathers and prays at set times and in set ways, similar to the pattern observed in the Muslim; but the Christian prays in secret.
The Jew and the Muslim are very conscious of the weak and poor, and consequently are generous almost to a fault. Some even beyond fault. And they are great lovers of their fellow. Concerned for his well being, sometimes even will lay down his life to save his fellow's life. But the Christian, in addition, will lay down his life to save his fellow's soul.
I think deeply religious men will always build and enhance a community, no matter what their religious system. I think that Christians will build and enhance a society. And there is a difference.
Quote (Gene @ July 13 2009,13:31)
(Gene)Quote Paladin……….I see one problem with your analogy, it has to do with the word (CHRIST), the word Christ does not always mean Jesus as most assume, it means Christos or Anointed, and while Jesus is indeed anointed, we are also Christos or Anointed Ones, You analogy is correct with regards to Imaging , but i believe we as well as Jesus are (Christs or Anointed) with the same Brand as Jesus is when we recieve the Holy SPIRIT. Agreed! And the history of the word “Xristos” goes far back into the old covenant, as all the priests and kings were
“Xristos” also. Even David spared Saul's life on several occasions because he recognized Saul as “The Lords Xristos.”Quote
The mark of a Christian is the HOLY SPIRIT that produces the Fruits of the Spirit as it did in Jesus. Let this mind be in you as in Christ Jesus our Lord, Same Mind same Spirit. IMOpeace and love to you and yours Paladin enjoy reading your views……………………….gene
Very well put my friend. Have you ever pondered the immensity of the gift God has bestowed on us in just the giving of life? We live, and move, and have our being due solely to the love of a Father, not that we are worth it, but have the potential to be worth it. I think THAT is marvelous.
God, who knows me best, loves me anyway.
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