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Who is Melchizedek?
If Adam was created from dust, Eve from a rip of Adam and Christ the begotten son of God then who is the MELCHISEDEC of Hebrew 7:1-3… "He is without father or mother or genealogy; he has neither beginning of days nor end of life . . . he continues a priest forever."
Who or what is the Bible saying about this fellow who gathers the qualities of God?
Who or what is the Bible saying about this fellow who gathers the qualities of God?
Comments
If Adam was created from dust, Eve from a rip of Adam and Christ the begotten son of God then who is the MELCHISEDEC of Hebrew 7:1-3… "He is without father or mother or genealogy; he has neither beginning of days nor end of life . . . he continues a priest forever."
Who or what is the Bible saying about this fellow who gathers the qualities of God?
Melchisedek was the King of Salem (where Jerusalem now stands) at the time of Abraham. He was also a priest of the Most High God.
He is mentioned very briefly by Prophet Moses in the Book of Genesis 14:18-20. Here we see him approaching Abraham and giving him a blessing. Abraham in return gives Melchisedek a tithe of all.
Both of these things shows Melchisedek's superiority to Abraham. In the context of priesthood mentioned by the Holy Apostle in the letter to the Hebrews, it shows that the priesthood of Melchisedek is superior to that of the Levites, of whom Abraham is the father.
Melchisedek is said to have no father or mother. From what I understand, this means simply that no one knows who his father or mother is, since he has no earthly geneology. Melchisedek is by no means seen as God.
He is, however, seen as a foreshadowing or symbol of Christ. His lack of geneology foreshadows Christ's being uncreated. His superiority to Abraham foreshadows Christ's superiority to all of the Prophets (since He is God). As king of Salem he foreshadows Christ being the King of Peace. As a priest superior to Abraham it foreshadows Christ as our High Priest, superior to the Levitical priesthood, which is the point St Paul is making when he says that Christ has "become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchisedek" (Heb. 6:20).
Melchisedek is also seen giving Prophet Abraham bread and wine. This points to Christ giving Himself to us through the sacrament of Holy Communion.
[/coptic], meaning you are a preist forever according to the order of melchesedek. It is said whenver a bishop of the pope is present because melchisedek was the high preist at the time, just as jesus is the high preist, and just as the pope is the high preist.
-pete
This is completely unacceptable to my level of understanding or reasoning.
It is only God that has no beginning or end. Period.
"This Melchizedek, then, have we received as a priest of God made upon the model of Christ, but the one we regard as the type, the other as the original. Now a type is a shadow of the truth"
Since you are unable to grasp the implications of Melchizedek's being a mere foreshadowing of Christ, to the attribution of no mother, father, or earthly history to him, allow me to quote St John Chrysostom who makes it explicitly clear:
"How, you ask, is it possible for a person to have no father or mother and to lack beginning of days and end of life? You heard that he [i.e. Melchizedek] was a type; well, neither marvel at this nor expect everything to be found in the type. You see, he would not have been a type if he were likely to contain every feature that occurs in reality. So what does the saying mean? It means this: Just as Melchizedek is said to have no father or mother on account of there being no mention of his parents and to have no family history on account of there being no history for him, so too Christ, on account of his having no mother in heaven or father on earth, is said to have no family history and in fact has none."
It can't get more explicit than that, but nonetheless, I will put St John's point in my own words: Melchizedek has no father or mother insofar as they are not textually recorded; this is to prefigure Christ who, in contrast, has no earthly father or heavenly mother in reality and actuality.
I am not convinced that any man can possess such attribute of God.
And no man possesses, or has ever possessed, any attribute of God. Melchizedek was a mere human, who in actuality and reality had human parents; his parentage was simply not recorded for the purpose of prefiguring the Eternal One who has no father but the heavenly Father who begat Him before all ages, nor mother but the earthly Mother by whom He took human flesh. Amen. Hence why Christ is God (see John 8:58).
[quote author=tk link=board=1;threadid=3947;start=0#msg55505 date=1148753771]
Now, even among the faithful we have those of us contending the issue of sonship of Christ and the trinity.
If you contend the Truth that the One God exists in three Persons or that God, in the Person of the Son, became flesh, you are not among the faithful but of the anti-christ, as St John says in his Epistle (That does not mean you as a person are evil, but that your opposition to this Truth is). No one is giving him these qualities. As I already stated, Melchisedek did have a father and mother, but his genealogy is never mentioned in order to symbolise the Son of God, who is without beginning. If your understanding of Christianity was correct, and we did give the attributes of God unto men, then yes it would be unacceptable.
However, I'm afraid your understanding of Christianity is incorrect. We do not attribute to man what belongs to God alone. This is correct.
The Bible mind you enjoins us to seek the truth and reasons....if you have found such truth, it does not make anyone yet to find but seeking an unbeliever.
I have learned a little more about Melchizedek and will sleep more over this fellow.
[quote author=tk link=board=1;threadid=3947;start=0#msg55554 date=1148834413]
No man is in position to determine who is a faithful or not, as God alone has that power
This is true. It is the revelation of God through the Apostles that states denying Christ as the Son of God is of the anti-Christ. Not my own.
Please understand that my remark was a general one taken from the Bible, I was not intended to be personal. Again, questioning does not make you the anti-Christ. Questioning is not a bad thing. It comes naturally. One cannot find the Truth without questioning the various concepts and ideas presented to you.
I commend your thirst for what is true, and would in no wise attempt to undermine it. I have never stated that my love for Christ surpasses yours - I doubt very much that it does - nor would I ever suggest such a thing. I would agree with this.
Please pray for me, a sinner.
I do appreciate all input as itmakes me stronger in knowledge.
Peace again to all.
Your definition of "antiChrist" is a relativistic one dependent on your own presuppositions. However, such a definition is not at all useful when speaking upon absolute truths. If you want to declaratively establish what is or is not truth, you must have an absolute refrence point, and that Absolute must have communicated with Man regarding such truth.
Be certain of this; you do not have to be the manifestation of evil itself to hold the reasoning and philosophical ramparts of the antiChrist. For as Saint John expresses in 1John 2:22 "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son." If you deny the very record of the Holy Trinity and its veracity then you have already manifested in yourself the spirit of the antiChrist.
May God bless you and guide you.
And, amen to the prayer.
Thanks brother.
Correct. Those who cast doubt on the Trinity and it's Truth, are those who espouse the very beliefs of the antiChrist.
May God bless you.
So this is the position of the church regarding all christians and non alike that casts doubt on trinity as per John 2:22 .
Yes. The Church accepts the teachings of the Bible in their totality, including John 2:22.
However, I would not designate any group or person who denies the Trinity using the word "Christian". The Incarnation and the Trinity are the two defining doctrines of Christianity, and those who reject these truths can therefore not be called Christians.