February 5, 2024
Good day! I am writing a series of short reviews of abbreviated COGR video clips. I am looking for input and comments. If it makes it easier, I will gladly supply a Word document so comments can be put in the document, and we can communicate directly. My email address is lattema@icloud.com. I hope you find these reviews helpful.
Transcript:
“Furthermore, when you possess that—when you possess that light, the fullness of the Godhead. Bodily, I’m just—I’m recapping because I felt like it didn’t come across all the way for some of you. And maybe because I didn’t say it as well as I wanted to.
But when you have, see here, the woman wasn’t looking up at the sun, as it was some distant thing up in the sky. She was clothed with it. She had no need of the sun to delight her, because she was the sun. The sun was inside of her. She was the fullness of the Godhead. Bodily.
Do you get that? See what about God? Yeah, God’s there. He’s in her. She was the fullness of the Godhead. Bodily.
She had no need of the sun to light her from afar or the moon, because she was standing on the moon and clothing the sun.
When you get over here, this angel’s not being lit from the sun from way back here. His face is the sun. And when you look at this angel, you behold the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. You actually see the face of Jesus Christ in this angel.
So they have no need of the sun because they are the sun.” (Addison Everett)
Commentary:
The COGR believes that they possess the presence of God. They have the fullness of the Godhead bodily. They describe the image of a woman not just looking at the sun from a distance but being clothed with its light. She doesn’t need the sun to bring her joy because she becomes the sun – the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In the same way, the COGR claims that believers like this woman can be filled with God’s presence. They argue that God is not just present in them but that they embody the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
The concept of “the fullness of the Godhead bodily” is derived from a biblical passage found in the New Testament, specifically in the book of Colossians. Colossians 2:9 (New King James Version) states: “For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
This verse is often interpreted within the context of Christian theology as expressing the unique nature of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that in Jesus, the complete divine essence is present in bodily form. This concept is central to the Christian belief in the Incarnation, which asserts that Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
In conservative Christian theology, particularly within mainstream Christian denominations, the belief is that Jesus Christ is unique in being the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This concept is closely tied to the doctrine of the Incarnation, which asserts that Jesus is both fully God and fully human. It is not typically extended to other beings.
The Nicene Creed, which is a statement of Christian faith widely accepted across various Christian denominations, articulates the orthodox view on the nature of Christ. It declares that Jesus Christ is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” This understanding emphasizes the uniqueness of Jesus as the divine Son.
While there may be variations in theological perspectives among different Christian denominations, the idea of another being embodying the fullness of the Godhead bodily is not a common or accepted view within mainstream Christian theology. Other beings may be considered as part of creation or agents of God’s will, but the unique status of Jesus Christ is a foundational doctrine within conservative Christian theology. If anyone were to claim that they, as an individual, are the fullness of the Godhead bodily in a theological context, they would be seen as having departed from traditional Christian beliefs.
In Christian theology, a theist typically believes in a personal, transcendent God who exists apart from creation. On the other hand, pantheism is the belief that the divine is identical to the universe or that everything is God. If a person were to assert that they, as an individual, embody the fullness of the Godhead bodily, it might align more with a pantheistic or even panentheistic perspective rather than traditional theism.
The COGR seems to teach that the church collectively, and by extension its individual believers, becomes the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is not seen in traditional Christian theology, which generally reserves such language for Jesus Christ alone. The belief that the entire church embodies the divine essence may be seen as departing from the orthodox understanding of the unique divinity of Jesus. The COGR also holds the belief that the Apostles are imbued with God to such an extent that touching an Apostle is equivalent to touching Jesus. This perspective is an exaggerated form of veneration of the Apostles, going beyond the biblical understanding of their role as human leaders chosen by Jesus. The COGR also holds the belief that God is actively working to establish a tangible and locatable kingdom on earth. This idea contrasts with traditional Christian views that emphasize a future eschatological kingdom or the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God. Based on all these things, the COGR may be characterized as panentheistic rather than strictly theistic or pantheistic. Below is a brief explanation of these terms:
Theism is the belief in a personal, transcendent God who exists independently of the world and is involved in human affairs. In theistic traditions, God is considered separate from creation, even though God may be immanent and involved in the world.
Pantheism is the belief that everything is God, and God is identical to the universe. In pantheism, there is no distinction between God and the created world; everything is seen as a manifestation of the divine.
Panentheism is a view that combines elements of theistic and pantheistic perspectives. It holds that God is both transcendent (existing beyond the world) and immanent (present within and throughout the world). In panentheism, God is intimately connected to the world, but there is still a recognition of a transcendent aspect of God beyond the created order.
In general, the term Christian is often associated with theistic beliefs. Theism, broadly defined, involves the belief in a personal and transcendent God who is separate from the created world. Traditional Christian theology, including conservative Christian theology, is rooted in theistic principles, with the understanding of God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
There is evidence that the COGR has adopted unorthodox or heterodox views that deviate from traditional theistic Christianity. The theology in question, panentheism or pantheism, is generally considered an outlier among Christians and heretical by many or most mainstream Christian denominations.
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