ru1too Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 John 4:24 states-God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.i'm not sure i understand the LDS position on this. Is God flesh n bones or spirit?I'm sure this has been explained before, but i could not find the thread.Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 He's both--a spirit, in conjunction with a perfected body of flesh and bone. I would argue that in John 4:24, Christ is emphasizing the spiritual aspect of the Father--but not stating, implicitly or otherwise, that God has no physical form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiritDragon Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 The spirit and the body together make the soul. God is a resurrected being with a body of flesh and bone united with spirit. therefore both are correct.We are spiritual beings having a mortal experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 fairmormon.org has a fairly clear explanation of the LDS view of this scripture: God is a Spirit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy740 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 D&c 130:22 22 the father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the son also; but the holy ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of spirit. Were it not so, the holy ghost could not dwell in us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytebear Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Jesus was resurrected as flesh and bone. Unless he died again, Jesus has a body still. It's really less about the phyiscal/spirit nature of God, but about the Godhead being made up of three persons. Two have physical form and one does not. But all three are spirit and should be worshiped in spirit (i.e. with our spirit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Is God flesh n bones or spirit?This is what is known as a "false dichotomy". God is indeed spirit, and is flesh and bones. It is my supposition (and nothing more than that, certainly not settled LDS doctrine) that God's spirit is not separable or distinguishable from his body. I believe that is the meaning of resurrection: The permanent and indissoluble unification of body and spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 It is my supposition (and nothing more than that, certainly not settled LDS doctrine) that God's spirit is not separable or distinguishable from his body.Not settled LDS doctrine? Interesting. By this I assume you mean that you've had other LDS people argue that God the Father can separate His spirit from His body? I find that thinking odd to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytebear Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Not settled LDS doctrine? Interesting. By this I assume you mean that you've had other LDS people argue that God the Father can separate His spirit from His body? I find that thinking odd to say the least.I think he is more arguing that the nature of what a resurrected being's body is actually like. Yes it is physical, but it can also appear in at least a few instances as a body of light. It certainly is not the same body we currently have. So is that light body or spirit or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ru1too Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 fairmormon.org has a fairly clear explanation of the LDS view of this scripture: God is a SpiritThanks for the linkExplains it very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james12 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) Joseph Fielding Smith added more detail to the subject. He said:In the resurrection from the dead, the bodies which were laid down natural bodies shall come forth spiritual bodies. That is to say, in mortality the life of the body is in the blood, but the body when raised to immortality shall be quickened by the spirit and not the blood. Hence, it becomes spiritual, but it will be composed of flesh and bones, just as the body of Jesus was, who is the prototype....When Paul spoke of the spiritual body, he had no reference at all to the spirit body, and there they have made their mistake. They have confused the spiritual body, or, in other words, the body quickened by the spirit, with the body of the spirit alone. They think that those who believe in the resurrection of the literal body believe that it shall be raised again, quickened by blood, which is not the case….After the resurrection from the dead our bodies will be spiritual bodies, but they will be bodies that are tangible, bodies that have been purified, but they will nevertheless be bodies of flesh and bones. They will not be blood bodies. They will no longer be quickened by blood but quickened by the spirit which is eternal, and they shall become immortal and shall never die. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:.285-286) Here he states that spirit replaces blood. He also distinguishes between a body of the spirit alone and one quickened by the spirit. I find it an interesting disambiguation. Edited January 30, 2014 by james12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Joseph Fielding Smith added more detail to the subject. He said: Here he states that spirit replaces blood. He also distinguishes between a body of the spirit alone and one quickened by the spirit. I find it an interesting disambiguation.I think it's funny that he unnecessarily explained Paul when the JST changes it up enough to resolve the problem entirely.JST John 4:26 For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Not settled LDS doctrine? Interesting. By this I assume you mean that you've had other LDS people argue that God the Father can separate His spirit from His body? I find that thinking odd to say the least.I have heard several Latter-day Saints argue exactly that. One idea that seemed to have some currency among some Church members a few generations ago was that Adam himself was actually God the Father, who made himself mortal by eating "fallen" food. Yes, it does sound quite bizarre, but I gather it was not an unheard-of, or maybe not even an uncommon, idea among Saints of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (To be clear, I don't think such an idea was ever mainstream. Pretty sure it derived from the not-always-reliable records of some of Brigham Young's comments on Adam.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerome1232 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 I have heard several Latter-day Saints argue exactly that. One idea that seemed to have some currency among some Church members a few generations ago was that Adam himself was actually God the Father, who made himself mortal by eating "fallen" food. Yes, it does sound quite bizarre, but I gather it was not an unheard-of, or maybe not even an uncommon, idea among Saints of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (To be clear, I don't think such an idea was ever mainstream. Pretty sure it derived from the not-always-reliable records of some of Brigham Young's comments on Adam.)Are we not told that after resurrection our spirits and our bodies will never again be separated, I'm not sure that if I were to take the view that God can separate from his body that I could reconcile those two ideas. Inseparable body and spirit was always my thought. I suppose in fairness I'm taking the assumption that God the father is a resurrected man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 I'm taking the assumption that God the father is a resurrected man.This is not an assumption. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith About half way through under the sub-header: When we comprehend the character of God, we comprehend ourselves and know how to approach Him.This is still current, acknowledged, clear doctrine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 I think it's funny that he unnecessarily explained Paul when the JST changes it up enough to resolve the problem entirely.JST John 4:26 For unto such hath God promised his Spirit. And they who worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth.Yeah, but the LDS Church and the JST weren't exactly simpatico when JFS was writing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnn727 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 John 4:24 states-God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.Actually it says "God is spirit", there is no "a" in the verse. Also: If you think that means he has no body then since the same verse says you must worship him in spirit I guess you need to get out of your body to worship Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Actually it says "God is spirit", there is no "a" in the verse.That entirely depends on the translation. The original Greek is only "God Spirit". Both the "is" and the "a" are rendered via interpretation.The King James does indeed render it "is a". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ru1too Posted January 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Actually it says "God is spirit", there is no "a" in the verse. Also: If you think that means he has no body then since the same verse says you must worship him in spirit I guess you need to get out of your body to worship Him.My KJV actually reads "God is a spirit"I don't know what that means, that's why I'm here asking.I have learned a lot from the answers I've received on this subject.I believe now that God is both body and spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 My KJV actually reads "God is a spirit"I don't know what that means, that's why I'm here asking.I have learned a lot from the answers I've received on this subject.I believe now that God is both body and spirit.I believe that the particular scripture you reference has much more to say than what you are quoting. In other words you are considering the particular phrase out of contest of what just took place at a well between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Keep in mind that Samaritans were not allow to worship at the physical temple in Jerusalem. Jesus is not telling the Samaritan woman that the physical temple is worthless but he is telling her that with G-d all things are spiritual and that without the spiritual connection between physical man and physical G-d - in other words spirit to spirit. There is no worship. This concept is very evident throughout all scripture. That the spirit gives life to the letter of the law. Thus it is the spirit of a law and not the letter of the law that matters to G-d because in such sense, G-d is the spirit of the law and so is man to also worship - one with that spirit. Jesus says the same thing in essence in John 17.The Traveler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Yeah, but the LDS Church and the JST weren't exactly simpatico when JFS was writing. :)Without having actually researched it, that was my presumption. At that time the Reorganized church and the LDS church were quite antagonistic toward each other, and the JST rested with the Reorg. Church. I still find it humorous. And by that, I do not in any way mean to imply that JFS was wrong or that there is a conflict in the thoughts. Just a funny coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 John 4:24 states-God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.i'm not sure i understand the LDS position on this. Is God flesh n bones or spirit?I'm sure this has been explained before, but i could not find the thread.ThanksHe's both. A spirit is still a spirit, even if it has a physical body to dwell therein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.