The 
Person 
Paradigm

Primitive Christianity

 

God as Good Kingdom of God Primitive Christianity Personhood Potted Biographies Mythopoeic Web Marketing

Clothed with Virtue
Clothed with Light

 

For what is the garment of the soul? Virtue, of course. And what its nakedness? Vice. .. What is the gain of your costly garments? how long shall we continue agape for this attire? Let us put on the glory of Christ: let us array ourselves with that beauty, that both here we may be praised, and there attain unto the eternal good things, by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost together, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, world without end. Amen

Clothed with virtue

Ecf 19. They walk naked up and down the city, for they have no garment of virtue. But if this doth not seem to them to be a disgrace, this again is of their exceeding madness, for that they have no feeling of the unseemliness, but while they are ashamed of having their body naked, they bear about the soul naked, and glory in it. St Chrysostom

And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created …. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; … And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Colossians 3:10 -13

 

 

Ode XXI (odes of solomon)

I raised my arms high
to the grace of the Lord,

for he had cast off my bonds.
My helper had lifted me to his grace and salvation.

I discarded darkness
and clothed myself in Light.

My soul acquired a body
free from sorrow,
affliction or pain.

The thought of the Lord restored me.
I fed on his incorruptible fellowship.

And I was raised in the Light
and went to him,
near him,
praising and proclaiming him.

He made my heart flood into my mouth,
made it shine on my lips.

On my face the exultation of the Lord increased,
and his praise.

 

One of the clearest pictures is in the Shepherd of Hermas

"And these virgins, who are they?" "They," said he, "are holy spirits; and no man can otherwise be found in the kingdom of God, unless these shall clothe him with their garment.  For if you receive only the name, but do not receive the garment from them, you profit nothing. For these virgins are powers of the Son of God. Consequently if you bear the Name, but do not bear His power, you bear His Name to no effect.

The Shepherd goes on to say that the stones which bore His Name but did not clothe themselves with the clothing of the virgins were cast away

"What sort of clothing do they have, Sir?" I asked,
"The names themselves," he said, "are their clothing. Whoever bears the Name of the Son of God, should bear the names of these also; for even the Son Himself bears the names of these virgins.

As many stones," he said, "as you saw enter into the building of the tower, being given in by their hands and waiting for the building, they have been clothed in the power of these virgins.

For this cause you see the tower made a single stone with the rock. So also they that have believed in the Lord through His Son and clothe themselves in these spirits, shall become one spirit and one body, and their garments all of one colour. But such persons as bear the names of the virgins have their dwelling in the tower."

"The stones then, Sir," I asked, "which are cast aside, why were they cast aside? For they passed through the gate and were placed in the building of the tower by the hands of the virgins." "Since all these things interest you," said he, "and you enquire diligently, listen as touching the stones that have been cast aside. "

"These all, received the name of the Son of God, and also received the power of these virgins. When then they received these spirits, they were strengthened, and were with the servants of God, and they had one spirit and one body and one
garment; for they had the same mind, and they wrought righteousness. "

"After a certain time then they were persuaded by the women whom you saw clothed in black raiment, and having their shoulders bare and their hair loose, and beautiful in form. When they saw them they desired them, and they clothed themselves with their power, but they stripped the power of the virgins off themselves. "

"They then were cast away from the house of God, and delivered to these women. But those who were not deceived by the beauty of these women remained in the house of God. So you have," he said, "the interpretation of those who were cast aside."

 

 

God as Good! 

 
  Primitive Christianity

Paul vs James

'agape' love definition

Ancient Baptism

'The kiss of peace'

Mary Magdalene's kiss

The Agapetae

The Body

Tertullian

The Shepherd of Hermas


 
 
 

Contact
Andrew Moore

moorea@ozemail.com.au


official websites queensland

Content Copyright © 1997 - 2006
Andrew Moore
All rights reserved.