Dominion
- Thread starter Prober
- Start date
lunamoth
Episcopalian
Are you taking that from someplace in the Bible Mark? Just looking for a little context.
I would not say that the Christian mission is one of taking dominion over the earth, but one of reconciliation.
Saltmeister
The Dangerous Dinner
Yeah, it's kind of hard to know what you mean when we don't have a passage from the text. The notion of "dominion" comes up in different places but is discussed in different contexts.
Are we talking about God's people having authority over worldly matters, or is it about God's people's relationship with "worldly dominions?"
In other words, is it about us running the world or our relationship with "the powers that be"?
Whose dominion? Ours or their's? Whose army? Whose kingdom? Whose power and authority?
Are we talking about God's people having authority over worldly matters, or is it about God's people's relationship with "worldly dominions?"
In other words, is it about us running the world or our relationship with "the powers that be"?
Whose dominion? Ours or their's? Whose army? Whose kingdom? Whose power and authority?
JosephM
Well-Known Member
To me personally, "taking dominion" over the earth as referenced in Gen:1:26 is an allegory. When God speaks of the earth in a spiritual sense to me he is speaking of 'flesh man' who is made of the dust of the earth. Taking dominion to me means to 'subjugate' or prevail against the flesh and included is the 'world' associated with it.
Perhaps,
Hebrews 12:26-27 makes it clearer:
Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. [27] And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
The name of the 'game', so to speak, is to be an overcomer. An overcomer of what? The world and all thats in it. In my journey, 'my earth' (as the things that are made) continues to be shaken and will be shaken until only those things remain in me that cannot be shaken. (the eternal things like love and peace etc.)
That's my take on your question,
Love and Peace,
JM
Yes. Thinking about Genesis and G^d giving Adam dominion.
Wondering how much of the planet you take dominion over. Your house and yard, your neighborhood (picking up trash, neighborhood watch, etc), your state and country (voting, civil service), the world (missions, activism for peace, etc).
Joseph, I really like this! Never thought of it this way. And that old flesh man is a rascal!
That's the truth! I'm thinking of Peter and the Devil sifting him like wheat.
Thanks Joseph.
I guess to make those decisions, you would need intimate knowledge of the thing or problem. I suppose there's something mystical to that. Somewhere in my "past life" I learned that you had to know something's true name to control it. Maybe that's why G^d let Adam name everything.
pattimax
Somewhat returning
I thought it was because Adam had intimate knowledge of God. He KNEW where he came from.
I think this is bang on.
God led all creatures to Adam, to show them who governed in His name, and to see what names Adam would give the creatures.
This was prior to the Fall, so Adam would see with the 'eye of the soul' into the soul of the creature before him — he would know their essence, rather than their materiality.
With regard to Dominion, I think this is the true role of kingship, and the word is 'nobility' — from the Latin noscere to know.
A true ruler knows himself, and those in his charge, and acts accordingly, so the ancient art of nobility was to stand aside and ensure that another might succeed — noble character is not quantified by aristocratic heritage but by nature, of the highest moral character, but the true ruler knows that he is nothing without the faith of the ruled invested in him — this is the meaning of the royal 'we' — the King embodies everybody in principle, and speaks on behalf of everyone.
Two analogies:
The Arab Chief to Lawrence in the David Lean film Lawrence of Arabia "I am a river to my people!"
And the image from the John Boorman film Excalibur (both these images are wildly sentimental) when Arthur recovers himself and rides out on the quest — longshot of Spring bursting into life on the bough as he rides by, bringing the land out of endless winter ... that's nobility for me.
Thomas
pattimax
Somewhat returning
Absolutely beautiful.