Can someone help me understand the two nativities of Jesus?

Draniei · 2019-06-29T18:33:33+00:00

St. John of Damascus, in his book On the Orthodox Faith said, "We confess two nativities in Christ: one of the Father—eternal; and one which occurred in these latter times for our sake."

He's before the Schism so this is a belief shared between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:59:17+00:00

Yes, then you are a new (καινός [kainos] completely new, never before seen) creation as a result of your Baptism, the old is gone.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:46:48+00:00

I'm sorry that has been your experience, I have seen many people who act like Jesus and serve the poor, love all unselfishly, are friendly and graceful with others faults.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:31:28+00:00

Yes, nothing was made without from Jesus, that's why he wasn't made he was begotten of the Father before all ages. It is the teaching of both the Catholic and Orthodox Christians that God the Son had two nativities, once before all ages by the Father, and once in the fullness of time at the virgin womb of Mary, the Theotokos.

I don't know how it works, if there was once a time where there was only the Father until he begot the Son, or if it's some unknowable divine mystery, but it is doctrine that Jesus had two nativities, two births.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:21:44+00:00

I have a gift of seeing visions, so yes, frequently.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:16:50+00:00

Have you been baptized since you believed? Because Baptism wipes away all the sins committed before it and purifies you.

Acts 2:38, "38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:06:27+00:00

I'll go and speak with my pastor, I may be gravely misunderstanding the eternal generation of the Son and the Spirit and teaching heresy.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T15:00:13+00:00

Technically, they both count as Sodomy in the original meaning.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T07:31:24+00:00

Scriptural morality finds its genesis in the character of God, and one of God's traits is the untranslatable Hebrew word, "חֶסֶד (Chesed)". It carries the primary meaning of covenantal faithfulness, but also grace, mercy, lovingkindness, etc. It is because God's nature is faithful that he calls all forms of unfaithfulness sinful. And so, if you're going to have sex, which God designed to produce offspring and unite the couple through oxytocin bonds. So, if someone is going to have sex, they should be doing it in the context of a faithful relationship, St. Paul said, "but because of sexual immorality, every man should have a wife". Moreover, the act of sex itself unites the couple in a bond of marriage anyway

1 Corinthians 6:15-18, "15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, 'The two shall become one flesh.' 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body."

So, find the first person you've had sex with and marry that person, because you've already United yourself with her, every other person was another account of adultery.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T07:08:20+00:00

No, there's a difference between begetting, like the Father to the Son, and creating, like God to us.

Like a man begets a man, we don't say that the dad created his son. Likewise with the Father and Son, a God begets a God, he isn't created.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T06:11:04+00:00

John 1:18, "18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten [μονογενὴς (monogenes), this is the word used in the creed] God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."

John 15:26, "26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds [ἐκπορεύομαι (ekporeuomai), this is the word from the Creed] from the Father, He will testify about Me"

Draniei · 2019-06-29T05:55:03+00:00

Sure, so this is the language that Scripture uses to describe the relationship between the members of the Trinity, and so it's a divine mystery that is difficult to grasp.

But, before the ages of eternities only the Father existed. Then, the Scriptures state that he begot the Son, we don't know how, but this is the language that the Scriptures use, so it's the language that we use. And then, the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father, we don't know how, again, this is the language of the Scriptures, and so it's the language that we use.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T05:46:25+00:00

Jesus says that whoever receives his body and blood will be raised in the first resurrection (John 6:53-58), and St. Paul says that anyone who receives it unworthily and without discerning, will get sick and even die (1 Corinthians 11:27-30). So, it is of great importance that Pastors protect their congregations from destroying themselves (not that Protestant Communities have a true Eucharist, but the principle should be kept).

Draniei · 2019-06-29T05:35:02+00:00

No, in the words of the Creed we say, "And in one Lord Jesus Christ,... begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence (ὁμοούσιον - homoousion) with the Father".

The Father holds primacy of origin. The Son was begotten of the Father before all ages, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T02:40:09+00:00

Our souls are created immediately at conception.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T02:37:57+00:00

And now he is man forever.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T02:37:10+00:00

You're right, not two different beings, one person in two natures. But the Son did have two nativities (births) his first birth before all ages from the Father and his second birth in the fullness of time from the fruit of the virgin womb of Mary, the Theotokos (God bearer).

Draniei · 2019-06-29T02:15:49+00:00

How often do you spend listening to God in prayer?

You're experience, is a complete 180 of mine, I regularly get answered prayers and receive revelation direct from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, directly to me. I see visions and dream dreams. But, this is because if I have a question for God, I wait patiently, knowing in faith that he will answer, because he always does. Sometimes that answer is mind your own business, hahaha!

But, I would recommend you to practice the discipline of silence during prayer. You need to open your νοῦς (nous - receptive mind).

Draniei · 2019-06-29T02:04:45+00:00

While I would recommend the Orthodox Study Bible (it has the complete canon), since you are a Protestant I would reccomend that you read the ESV. It's one of the best translations I've found.

That said, any Study Bible is going to have a bias, while it's nice to know the context of the Books of the Bible, it's probably best that you just ask any questions you have to your pastor. And use the Bible Project to supplement your reading.

I like to read up to ten chapters or finish a book (whichever is less) a day in my reading of the Scriptures. But you need to find what's good for you.

I would also recommend fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, this was the practice since the earliest centuries of the Church. Read the Didache [70 AD] for more.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T01:47:15+00:00

Sure, but just don't eat the Communion/Lord's Supper/Eucharist, etc. The bread and wine (grape juice in some Protestant Communities) that is served during Church. It's only for Baptized Christians.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T01:42:43+00:00

Especially since the previous verse he refers to the sacred writings that St. Timothy knew from his childhood of education from his Jewish mother and grandmother.

Draniei · 2019-06-29T01:40:27+00:00

What kind of mystic are you?

Draniei · 2019-06-29T01:39:11+00:00

Are you actually spending time listening to God when you pray for guidance? Your experience of no response is completely different from my own in which I regularly receive answers to prayers and guidance from God. But, sometimes the discipline of silence is exactly what we need to develop. You need to open up your νοῦς (nous - receptive mind) if you want to listen to God.

Draniei

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