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THE SAVIOUR CHRIST
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begotten of the dead which would only mean the first one to turn from ignorance to Light.
"We, too, are first-born sons, who are reared by God, who are the genuine friends of the First-born, who first of all other men attained to the knowledge of God, who first were wrenched away from our sins, first severed from the devil. And now the more benevolent God 18, the more impiou8 men are; for He desires us from slaves to become sons, while they scorn to become sons."—(Clement) A.N.C.L. vol. iv. p. 81.
7) That the expression the body of Christ' only means the church (Colossians i. 24), which itself means the body of doctrines and not a building or temple.
The nnystery of Christ which is referred to in Colossians iv. 3 and in other tests in the Bible, thus means that it is the “ idea " of one's Godhood that is the Saviour of the soul and that has been personified as a Divine Redeemer.
This Divine “ Idea " is an object of meditation, but it was not intended for worship. A real Man-God is required to take pattern after. As a Divine Concept the allegorical saviour is properly born of a virgin; an actual Man-God must nevertheless have a natural human birth. Allegorical saviours may eat flesh and drink wine, as it is said:
"The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Be. hold a man gluttonous, and a wine-babber, .."-Matt. xi. 19. in defiance of their own precept for mercy " I will have mercy and not sacrifice”-they may curse and swear and use offensive speech" ye generation of vipers !"; "0. ye hypocrites” etc.—but the real ManGod will never use any but sweet speech ; He will never eat fish, flesh or fowl; He will never kill a living being
