Is Jesus Christ present everywhere?

[Not David]

I mean, if He is God then He will be everywhere, but how can it be possible if He has a corporal body?

 

[devin553344]

The Holy Spirit is also to measure of body at times, which is what the resurrection spells out if I remember correctly. 1 Corinthians 15:44

 

[dzheremi]

I mean, if He is God then He will be everywhere, but how can it be possible if He has a corporal body?

Is Ephesians 1:23 too obvious a reference? Christ's filling all things is realized in the unity of the Church.

Our common father, St. John Chrysostom, tells us the following:

As though this were not sufficient to show the close connection and relationship, what does he add? "The fullness of Christ is the Church." And rightly, for the complement of the head is the body, and the complement of the body is the head. Mark what great arrangement Paul observes, how he spares not a single word, that he may represent the glory of God. "The, complement," he says, i.e., the head is, as it were, filled up by the body, because the body is composed and made up of all its several parts, and he introduces Him as having need of each single one and not only of all in common and together; for unless we be many, and one be the hand, and another the foot, and another some other member, the whole body is not filled up. It is by all then that His body is filled up. Then is the head filled up, then is the body rendered perfect, when we are all knit together and united. Perceivest thou then "the riches of the glory of His inheritance? The exceeding greatness of His power towards them that believe? The hope of your calling?"

 

[Not David]

Is Ephesians 1:23 too obvious a reference? Christ's filling all things is realized in the unity of the Church.

Our common father, St. John Chrysostom, tells us the following:

As though this were not sufficient to show the close connection and relationship, what does he add? "The fullness of Christ is the Church." And rightly, for the complement of the head is the body, and the complement of the body is the head. Mark what great arrangement Paul observes, how he spares not a single word, that he may represent the glory of God. "The, complement," he says, i.e., the head is, as it were, filled up by the body, because the body is composed and made up of all its several parts, and he introduces Him as having need of each single one and not only of all in common and together; for unless we be many, and one be the hand, and another the foot, and another some other member, the whole body is not filled up. It is by all then that His body is filled up. Then is the head filled up, then is the body rendered perfect, when we are all knit together and united. Perceivest thou then "the riches of the glory of His inheritance? The exceeding greatness of His power towards them that believe? The hope of your calling?"

Well, it sounds symbolic rather than saying Jesus Christ is present everywhere even when He has a corporal body.

 

[Sam91]

I believe He 'kind of' is everywhere because of the Holy Spirit and the Father. Being all-knowing and aware of everything is like being present everywhere simultaneously while only manifested in a body in one place.

Anyway, when no longer constrained bybthe laws of time and physics maybe it will be easier to comprehend. I doubt this will be the case because I suspect we will be in awe for a very long time when we arrive in Heaven.

Edit: Just noticed that this was in a congregation specific forum. Sorry, going to leave the post because it made me happy writing it but I'll delete if you guys want me to.

 

[dzheremi]

I wouldn't think it any more symbolic than asserting "Christ is among us" when you are in church. I believe if you ask one of our EO posters, they will tell you it is so, because Christ Himself told us it is so. (Matthew 18:20)

But they will probably have a more detailed explanation relative to the EO faith, so I will wait along with you and our friends who have also posted here for one of them to show up. I, like you, am interested to read their answers.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Well, it sounds symbolic rather than saying Jesus Christ is present everywhere even when He has a corporal body.

it's not simply symbolic. every Liturgy we say, "In the tomb with the Body, in hades with the soul as God, in paradise with the thief, on the Throne with the Father and the Spirit was Thou, oh boundless Christ, filling all things, infinite."

yes, He took on the fullness of humanity, but did so without ceasing to be the omnipresent Son and Word.

 

[Not David]

it's not simply symbolic. every Liturgy we say, "I the tomb with the Body, in hades with the soul as God, in paradise with the thief, on the Throne with the Father and the Spirit was Thou, oh boundless Christ, filling all things, infinite."

yes, He took on the fullness of humanity, but did so without ceasing to be the omnipresent Son and Word.

Interesting, is the Lord Christ only corporal or is He in Spirit too?

 

[Andrewn]

I mean, if He is God then He will be everywhere, but how can it be possible if He has a corporal body?

Jesus Christ is God. He is everywhere, spiritually.

In addition, many Christian groups, including EO, believe that in the Lord's Supper the bread and wine are transformed into the physical body and blood of Christ.

 

[nutroll]

He is indeed present everywhere. In the Holy Friday matins one of the hymns talks about how as God He was present among those conspiring to put Him to death. A truly chilling thought, but true. As to how all this works, I haven't figured out how Good manages to be omnipresent in the first place, I can't comprehend how He can be present everywhere while having a body. It's a good thing I don't have to know how God does things to know that He does do those things. If He was present everywhere before the Incarnation (which He was) then He must be now because God does not change.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Interesting, is the Lord Christ only corporal or is He in Spirit too?

yes and yes, as He is the Word made flesh. fully God and fully man without separation, division, confusion, or change.

 

[buzuxi02]

God transcends time and space. There have been saints and monks said to have been in two or more places at the same time. Even Jews believe Elijah makes an appearance to all Jewish homes during the passover sedar.

 

[prodromos]

One of the titles we give Mary the Theotokos is "Platytera ton ouranon", "more spacious than the heavens" which is a reference to Mary's womb containing the uncontainable God.

 

[ArseniusTheSilent]

Try getting to Divine Liturgy early this week. When you see a church that is almost empty, realize that it is already packed with the Church Triumphant. Once I started to think in those terms, the idea of Christ being present everywhere and always became far more obvious.

 

[Newtheran]

I mean, if He is God then He will be everywhere, but how can it be possible if He has a corporal body?

"Our Father, which art in heaven."

Luke 22:69, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 8:1, Colossians 3:1, Matthew 26:64, 1st Peter 3:22, Hebrews 2:12, Mark 16:19, Revelation 3:21, Hebrews 10:12, Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 1:20, Acts 2:33, and Acts 7:55-56

All put Jesus' resurrected form in one specific place...at the right and of God in heaven. The last (Acts 7:55-56), the story of the martyrdom of Stephen, indicates that Stephen sees him there as he is dying.

So I think that's pretty much incontrovertible evidence of where Jesus is at the moment.

John 14:16
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

John 15:26
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,

John 16:7
"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

John 16:8
"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

The Holy Spirit is in the person of the Trinity in the world, and as the Trinity is 3 in 1, Jesus and the father are also present spiritually in the world through this unity...and very specifically, Jesus is present in the Eucharist as well.

Some of these things are beyond rational comprehension through natural laws as we experience the physical world.

 

[ArmyMatt]

sort of. I can see where you are going but I think you're splitting up God more than He can be split up.

 

[Andrewn]

All put Jesus' resurrected form in one specific place...at the right and of God in heaven. The last (Acts 7:55-56), the story of the martyrdom of Stephen, indicates that Stephen sees him there as he is dying. So I think that's pretty much incontrovertible evidence of where Jesus is at the moment.

You make good points. I'll be commenting in the Lutheran Forum. Don't want to overstay our welcome here .

 

[Newtheran]

You make good points. I'll be commenting in the Lutheran Forum. Don't want to overstay our welcome here .

Good point. And for anyone reading my posts here...although I attempt to keep Orthodox practices and would never disagree with that church's teachings on matters I'm not Orthodox so I don't have anywhere near as good an understanding of it as someone who is. If in inadvertently say something incorrect, please correct my misconceptions and - for whoever is reading it - listen to the correction.

 

[Rubiks]

I reject "omnipresence" as an attribute of God because it suggests panentheism. The western understanding of "omnipresence" is really just an extension of God's omniscience and omnipotence.

If a king has absolute power over a country it does not mean that the king is present everywhere in the country.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I reject "omnipresence" as an attribute of God because it suggests panentheism. The western understanding of "omnipresence" is really just an extension of God's omniscience and omnipotence.

If a king has absolute power over a country it does not mean that the king is present everywhere in the country.

no it doesn't. pantheism implies a god limited to creation. the Christian God is not limited to creation. therefore, Him being omnipresent isn't pantheistic at all.