The Word of God

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  • #25729
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant

    The word of God . . .  does it exist?  If so, what is it? Where is it? How do we find it?  How do we recognize it when we find it? They say the word of God is the bread of life.  What does that mean?

    #25733
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    Keryn
    Participant

    The Eternal Son is the Word of God and becomes the “Word made Flesh” during a bestowal mission of mortal incarnation.  During the bestowal mission, the Word of God lives among us.

    #25735
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant

    So we can say that the Word of God definitely exists.  It all began back in eternity when the Father’s thought found a perfect word of expression.  We call that perfect word the Second Person of Deity, the Eternal Son.  The Father has the original idea and the Eternal Son has the perfect expression of that idea.

    8:0.1 Back in eternity, when the Universal Father’s “first” infinite and absolute thought finds in the Eternal Son such a perfect and adequate word for its divine expression, there ensues the supreme desire of both the Thought-God and the Word-God for a universal and infinite agent of mutual expression and combined action.

    10:3.3 The divine Sons are indeed the “Word of God,” but the children of the Spirit are truly the “Act of God.” God speaks through the Son and, with the Son, acts through the Infinite Spirit, while in all universe activities the Son and the Spirit are exquisitely fraternal, working as two equal brothers with admiration and love for an honored and divinely respected common Father.

    But then the perfect expression of the Father’s thoughts had a Son who came to earth in human form. John called Jesus the Word.

    6:1.3 The Universal Father never personally functions as a creator except in conjunction with the Son or with the co-ordinate action of the Son. Had the New Testament writer referred to the Eternal Son, he would have uttered the truth when he wrote: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

    6:1.4 When a Son of the Eternal Son appeared on Urantia, those who fraternized with this divine being in human form alluded to him as “He who was from the beginning, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, whom we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, even the Word of life.” And this bestowal Son came forth from the Father just as truly as did the Original Son, as is suggested in one of his earthly prayers: “And now, O my Father, glorify me with your own self, with the glory which I had with you before this world was.”

    John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    So now we know what the Word of God is.  It’s a person!

    #25736
    Van Amadon
    Van Amadon
    Participant

    So now we know what the Word of God is. It’s a person!

    Do you think it’s possible that we might become like that too? Not like a Creator Son is, but like a human can in his (or her) sphere.

     

    #25737
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant

    Hahahaha!  Not making fun here, don’t go bonkers on me.  When I first read your post Enno, I thought it said “like a human can” . . .  a tin can . . .   sorry.  Needed a laugh.

    Are you asking if we can become the Word of God in human form like the incarnate Jesus?    Let’s see what other people think about that.  But what I would like to focus on is why it’s so important to think of the word of God, and the Word of God, as a person.

    #25738
    Van Amadon
    Van Amadon
    Participant

    Ok. You’re right. I was just posting what pops in my head and is really a question I am asking to myself. I don’t want to change the direction of the topic.

    #25739
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    Keryn
    Participant

    For me, it’s important to remember that the Word of God is a person, Jesus for us Urantians, because as a child I was taught that the Bible is the word of God.  TUB tells us specifically that the scriptures are not the word of God.  Knowing that the Word of God is a person reminds me that the Word is alive and is a source we can individually draw from at any time.  We don’t require that it be interpreted for us or read to us by members of the clergy or what have you.  We can access it on our own and the Word not only provides help, but listens ….. and cares.

    #25740
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant

    Here’s another quote that sums up the two ideas of the Word being the Eternal Son and made flesh on a bestowal mission:

    20:5.1 The Eternal Son is the eternal Word of God. The Eternal Son is the perfect expression of the “first” absolute and infinite thought of his eternal Father. When a personal duplication or divine extension of this Original Son starts on a bestowal mission of mortal incarnation, it becomes literally true that the divine “Word is made flesh,” and that the Word thus dwells among the lowly beings of animal origin.

    The quote says it’s “literally true” that the Word becomes flesh.  That’s pretty exciting for me because it means that John got it right.  How did John know that?  There’s a little Greek history that comes into play concerning the Logos, but I’m not sure I should digress.  You tell me.

    #25741
    Van Amadon
    Van Amadon
    Participant

    Wow! That’s refreshing. I’ve never thought of Jesus like that.

    #25742
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant

    Knowing that the Word of God is a person reminds me that the Word is alive and is a source we can individually draw from at any time.

    Spot on Keryn!  You nailed it in my opinion.  Jesus is the living Word . . . as I see it.

    #25743
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant

    I’ve never thought of Jesus like that.

    Do you mean as the living word or a person who listens and cares?

    #25744
    Van Amadon
    Van Amadon
    Participant

    I’ve always understood Jesus as the living word and that he listens and cares. As far as I’m concerned, he has done and continues to listen and care for me as if he’s with me in the flesh. Which is why I love him so much. My problem is that I haven’t listened to him close enough I’m sure.

    Until Keryn expressed it, I don’t think I ever took note how the idea of the Bible being the Word of God was a part of those things I’ve unknowingly intellectually crystallized, as it stands in contrast to the real truth that the Word of God is a person.

    Shows ya how much I know.

     

    #25745
    Bradly
    Bradly
    Participant

    I suggest another read of Papers 6 & 21 in consideration of the topic!  = )  (The Bible is not the Word of God by the way….and neither is the FER.  The Bible is written BY mortals, some of whom were inspired in their expressions.  The UB is written by time and space celestials who give witness to universe realities as they factually and experientially know them and Part IV is a narrative as told by witnesses and participants of the events.)

    So….the way I have come to view the Word is as the expression of God.  The first expression (Eternal Son)but also the ongoing expression of God in time and space through the Paradise/Michael/Creator/Master Sons.  The Eternal Son (Paper 6) was God’s first utterance or thought expression.  “Word” is an expression, whether spoken, thought, or written I think.  The Creator Sons aka Paradise Sons (Paper 21) are each a unique expression of the Eternal Son and God who then co-create with the Spirit in time and space creation.

    It’s a whole continuum of Word….or the expression of God in Paradise and also in time and space.

    We are told that each local universe Michael/Creator/Paradise/Master Son is the representative of God in the Local Universe.  To see the Son is to see the Father as representative (or re-presentation) of his nature, his purpose, his plan, his process, and his love for all of creation.  Way cool!!

    21:2.2 (235.5) When a Creator Son departs from Paradise to embark upon the adventure of universe making, to become the head — virtually the God — of the local universe of his own organization, then, for the first time, he finds himself in intimate contact with, and in many respects dependent upon, the Third Source and Center. The Infinite Spirit, though abiding with the Father and the Son at the center of all things, is destined to function as the actual and effective helper of each Creator Son. Therefore is each Creator Son accompanied by a Creative Daughter of the Infinite Spirit, that being who is destined to become the Divine Minister, the Mother Spirit of the new local universe.

    :good:

    #25747
    Bonita
    Bonita
    Participant
    Bradly wrote: The Bible is not the Word of God by the way….and neither is the FER.
    Jesus explained to Nathaniel that the Hebrew scriptures were not infallible.  They were and are not perfect and therefore cannot be the literal word of God. However, he never denied that God sometimes spoke through prophets. What he did say is that even if God chose to speak through a prophet, the prophet’s written word might not adequately reflect what God actually said. The word of God is a living truth and cannot be crystallized in black and white print. Yet, we currently have an epochal revelation in writing, in black and white print . . . actual written words.  So what does that mean to us if they’re dead words.  Why bother giving us dead words?  Are they really dead?

    159:4.7 The authority of truth is the very spirit that indwells its living manifestations, and not the dead words of the less illuminated and supposedly inspired men of another generation. And even if these holy men of old lived inspired and spirit-filled lives, that does not mean that their words were similarly spiritually inspired.

    155:6.2 Our Father did indeed speak through Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea, but he did not cease to minister words of truth to the world when these prophets of old made an end of their utterances.

    101:2.6 2. The revelation of truth, whether by direct personal ministry of the Spirit of Truth, by the world bestowal of divine Sons, or through the revelations of the written word.
    #25750
    Avatar
    Gene
    Participant

    Outside the box here but:

    the word should be expressed on all levels of reality as well? Absoniters – ? Probably no bestowal happening there.

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