Both are in the feminine sense. The former a Divine Creation and the latter a Divine Re-Creation. Those in the Godhead are GIVEN authority.
Strong's Concordance
theotés: deity
Original Word: θεότης, ητος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: theotés
Phonetic Spelling: (theh-ot'-ace)
Short Definition: deity, Godhead
Definition: deity, Godhead.
In the Christian Greek Scriptures, certain words derived from
the·osʹ (god) appear and relate to that which is divine. The related words
theiʹos, thei·oʹtes, and
the·oʹtes occur at Act 17:29,
Romans 1:20, Colossians 2:9, and 2 Peter 1:3,4.
At Acts 17:29, Paul, when in Athens, showed that it is illogical for humans to imagine that “the Divine Being [
to theiʹon, a form of
theiʹos] is like gold or silver or stone.” Many translators here use terms such as “the Godhead,” “the Deity,” or “the divinity” (
KJ, AS, Dy, ED, JB, RS), while E. J. Goodspeed’s translation says “the divine nature.”
According to
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, the expression "to
theiʹon" is derived from the adjective
theíos, meaning ‘pertaining to God,’ ‘divine.’” Liddell and Scott’s
Greek-English Lexicon gives as the meaning “the Divinity.”
So the phrase "to
theiʹon" can be understood to refer to a person or to a quality. The context must guide the translator in his choice of words. Here at Acts 17:29, the context clearly shows that the person of God is being described, and so the expression should appropriately be rendered “Divine Being."
At
Romans 1:20 the apostle refers to the undeniable visible evidence of God’s “invisible qualities,” particularly his “eternal power and Godship [
Thei·oʹtes].” Other translations read “Godhead” or “deity” (
KJ, NE, RS, JB), conveying to many the idea of personality, the state of being a person. However, according to Liddell and Scott’s
Greek-English Lexicon, the Greek word
thei·oʹtes means “divine nature, divinity.” So there is a basis for rendering
thei·oʹtes as referring to the quality of being a god, not the person of God, and this is supported by the context. The apostle is discussing things that are discernible in the physical creation. For example, while the creation does not reveal the name of God, it does give evidence of his “eternal power”—needed to create and sustain the universe. The physical creation also displays his “Godship,” the fact that the Creator truly is God and is worthy of our worship.
At Colossians 2:9, the apostle Paul says that in Christ “all the fullness of the
divine quality [form of
the·oʹtes] dwells bodily.” Here, again, some translations read “Godhead” or “deity,” which Trinitarians interpret to mean that God personally dwells in Christ. (
KJ, NE, RS, NAB) However, Liddell and Scott’s
Greek-English Lexicon defines
the·oʹtes in basically the same way it does
thei·oʹtes, as meaning “divinity, divine nature.” The Syriac
Peshitta and the Latin
Vulgate render this word as “divinity.” Thus, here too, there is a solid basis for rendering
the·oʹtes as referring to quality, not personality.
