"God is Christlike and there is no unchristlikeness in God." -- Archbishop Michale Ramsey
Sometimes it is good to read a paraphrase to truly comprehend an idea. This quote by Archbishop Ramsey combines ideas from different verses:
- 1 John 1:5, "God is light and in him is no darkness at all."
- Colossians 1:15a, "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God..."
- Hebrews 1:1-3a, "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation [χαρακτήρ / charaktēr] of his being [ὑπόστασις / hupostasis, i.e. "essence"], sustaining all things by his powerful word."
When Christians really accept the idea that the character of God is exactly the same as the character of Christ, especially as seen at the Cross, it will mess up some of their most cherished dogmas. For instance, the Jesus at the Cross depicts a non-violent, non-retaliatory, all-forgiving, non-judgemental, unselfish, other-centered, unconditionally loving character. Now that is a type of God that will make many people very uncomfortable.
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