You can become more like God via theosis/divinization and man inherited death, not sin

[Deus vult]

Eastern Orthodox here and opposed to Sola Scriptura since the Bible only came after tradition much like writing by hand came before typing on a computer. There was no Bible in ancient Christianity. If all Bibles disappeared over night, what would church look like? It would look Orthodox/Catholic.

We do not inherit sin, we inherit a fallen world and with that, death. Imagine your parents were guilty of murdering several people, would that make you guilty of the same thing? Absolutely not. Instead, you would inherit a life of being adopted or sitting in foster care as your parents would most likely be imprisoned. We can still however sin, but that’s why we seek forgiveness and should still seek forgiveness since many times we sin without even being aware.

Salvation also happens through theosis by becoming more like Christ since faith without works is dead. Obviously, one cannot become more like Christ without faith in Christ. The issue with Protestantism is that it threw out the baby along with the bathwater due to some bad apples. It’s no different than the democrat response of “defund the police” given cases of police brutality in recent years. The only condition to accepting modernity is to never forsake tradition. Tradition is how Christ’s apostles and the patriarchs have been able to pass down the faith before the Bible was even put together.

 

[Pearl]

There was no Bible in ancient Christianity.

There were the books of the Old Testament which Jesus himself quoted, also there are quotes from the Old Testament in Paul's writings.

 

[Deus vult]

There were the books of the Old Testament which Jesus himself quoted, also there are quotes from the Old Testament in Paul's writings.

But not the New Testament which completes the Bible. The Old Testament alone gives us a whole different religion: Judaism. It’s the same as saying the Torah existed before Jesus since the Torah is the first 5 books. There is no Christianity with the Old Testament alone.

And there is hardly any similarity between Judaism and Christianity, either. There is no such thing as “Judeo-Christian” as many believe. The Jews reject Jesus to the same degree that Muslims do. Either he’s the savior or he’s not. Can’t have it both ways.

 

[Windmill Charge]

But not the New Testament which completes the Bible. The Old Testament alone gives us a whole different religion: Judaism. It’s the same as saying the Torah existed before Jesus since the Torah is the first 5 books. There is no Christianity with the Old Testament alone.

And there is hardly any similarity between Judaism and Christianity, either. There is no such thing as “Judeo-Christian” as many believe. The Jews reject Jesus to the same degree that Muslims do. Either he’s the savior or he’s not. Can’t have it both ways.

Those who study history, writing styles, grammar and scripture, tell us that the early Christian Church had portions of scripture from the end of the 1st century.

Paul letters from even earlier, so your claim of no bible in the ear.y chur h is untrue.

 

[Lizbeth]

But not the New Testament which completes the Bible. The Old Testament alone gives us a whole different religion: Judaism. It’s the same as saying the Torah existed before Jesus since the Torah is the first 5 books. There is no Christianity with the Old Testament alone.

And there is hardly any similarity between Judaism and Christianity, either. There is no such thing as “Judeo-Christian” as many believe. The Jews reject Jesus to the same degree that Muslims do. Either he’s the savior or he’s not. Can’t have it both ways.

Those who are born of the Spirit and have the Spirit can see that the gospel is preached as well as foreshadowed in the old testament. Bible says the gospel is to the Jew first, then the Gentile. And it says salvation is of the Jews. Old covenant faithful saints have a place with the born again people of God in His everlasting kingdom.

 

[Lizbeth]

There were the books of the Old Testament which Jesus himself quoted, also there are quotes from the Old Testament in Paul's writings.

Amen. The old testament scriptures are the scriptures that the apostle wrote about saying they are inspired by God and profitable for instruction, reproof, correction etc.

 

[Monosy]

But not the New Testament which completes the Bible. The Old Testament alone gives us a whole different religion: Judaism. It’s the same as saying the Torah existed before Jesus since the Torah is the first 5 books. There is no Christianity with the Old Testament alone.

And there is hardly any similarity between Judaism and Christianity, either. There is no such thing as “Judeo-Christian” as many believe. The Jews reject Jesus to the same degree that Muslims do. Either he’s the savior or he’s not. Can’t have it both ways.

If the old testament gave us judaism Jesus would not have been constantly in theological conflict with the Pharisees.

That statement also demonstrate that you do not know much about judaism because judaism is a mix of torah, mishnah, kabbalah, zohar... which include for some a lot of teachings that go against what Jesus taught.

Jesus said that the Torah was about him so proper application of Torah would lead to Jesus not Judaism.

 

[Episkopos]

Eastern Orthodox here and opposed to Sola Scriptura since the Bible only came after tradition much like writing by hand came before typing on a computer. There was no Bible in ancient Christianity. If all Bibles disappeared over night, what would church look like? It would look Orthodox/Catholic.

Agreed. But that can be something bad as well as good. I agree that interpretations, translations, and human agendas, have basically spoiled the gospel for most people. Maybe 90% of believers or would be believers have gone astray through a lack of instruction and false teachings.

BUT, without access to a bible there would not be the minority of people who surpass the laity and the clergy into intimacy with God.

So for the small percentage of those who read the bible correctly...by seeking God for answers, rather than making up their own minds about what it is saying, having a bible is most welcome.

The bible is NOT a book of answers....it is a book of questions...that only God can answer through demonstration of His life and power that He wants us to walk in. But if we have no bible, how can true seekers know what to ask?

We do not inherit sin, we inherit a fallen world and with that, death. Imagine your parents were guilty of murdering several people, would that make you guilty of the same thing? Absolutely not. Instead, you would inherit a life of being adopted or sitting in foster care as your parents would most likely be imprisoned. We can still however sin, but that’s why we seek forgiveness and should still seek forgiveness since many times we sin without even being aware.

We have an ingrained sin nature..sometimes called original sin...that we all are deviated from God in . We have all sinned and gone astray.

The cross of Christ is there to crucify the sin nature thus liberating us into a holy walk IN Christ.

Salvation also happens through theosis by becoming more like Christ since faith without works is dead.

This is a good aspect of Orthodox Christianity...rejected by Catholics and Protestants (the West). However, there can be a lot of hocus-pocus added to that by people wanting something so bad they are willing to take short-cuts...like we see in charismatic circles.

Obviously, one cannot become more like Christ without faith in Christ. The issue with Protestantism is that it threw out the baby along with the bathwater

Agreed. Luther hated the truth enough to make up a new gospel....a different "reformed" gospel.

due to some bad apples. It’s no different than the democrat response of “defund the police” given cases of police brutality in recent years.

Agreed again. Going too far the other way. People tend to go to extremes having never experienced a proper balance.

The only condition to accepting modernity is to never forsake tradition. Tradition is how Christ’s apostles and the patriarchs have been able to pass down the faith before the Bible was even put together.

But what is the apostolic tradition if not to walk in resurrection life in Christ? In Him is no sin.

A liturgy is a human tradition. It's wrong to impose a local human tradition and put that on a par with the tradition of the apostles. We see that error with Rome who forced people into their tradition...with their pomp and hierarchies.

What we seem to avoid is being led by the Spirit in all these endeavours. Councils, creeds? All from men. All religious institutionalism that negates the depth of grace to lead people in life and power. People want too much control over others. But Paul said that we are to have no dominion over the faith of others...for by faith we stand. Not beliefs, creeds and lip-service.

 

[amadeus]

Salvation also happens through theosis by becoming more like Christ since faith without works is dead. Obviously, one cannot become more like Christ without faith in Christ. The issue with Protestantism is that it threw out the baby along with the bathwater due to some bad apples. It’s no different than the democrat response of “defund the police” given cases of police brutality in recent years. The only condition to accepting modernity is to never forsake tradition. Tradition is how Christ’s apostles and the patriarchs have been able to pass down the faith before the Bible was even put together.

1jo 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

[Jericho]

There was no Bible in ancient Christianity.

How do you suppose Christianity would have spread without the Bible? Through word of mouth alone? That doesn't seem likey.

But not the New Testament which completes the Bible. The Old Testament alone gives us a whole different religion: Judaism. It’s the same as saying the Torah existed before Jesus since the Torah is the first 5 books. There is no Christianity with the Old Testament alone.

There is a saying: The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. It's been said that one-third of the New Testament either quotes from or alludes to the Old Testament. You really can't understand one without the other. By the way, Old Testament and New Testament really just mean old covenant and new covenant.

 

[Pyreaux]

Eastern Orthodox here and opposed to Sola Scriptura since the Bible only came after tradition much like writing by hand came before typing on a computer. There was no Bible in ancient Christianity. If all Bibles disappeared over night, what would church look like? It would look Orthodox/Catholic.

We do not inherit sin, we inherit a fallen world and with that, death. Imagine your parents were guilty of murdering several people, would that make you guilty of the same thing? Absolutely not. Instead, you would inherit a life of being adopted or sitting in foster care as your parents would most likely be imprisoned. We can still however sin, but that’s why we seek forgiveness and should still seek forgiveness since many times we sin without even being aware.

Salvation also happens through theosis by becoming more like Christ since faith without works is dead. Obviously, one cannot become more like Christ without faith in Christ. The issue with Protestantism is that it threw out the baby along with the bathwater due to some bad apples. It’s no different than the democrat response of “defund the police” given cases of police brutality in recent years. The only condition to accepting modernity is to never forsake tradition. Tradition is how Christ’s apostles and the patriarchs have been able to pass down the faith before the Bible was even put together.

Not Eastern Orthodox, but I concur the Protestants jumped ship too early before Vatican II when the Roman Catholics realized they forgot they believed in theosis. The early "Bible" was the dead sea scrolls, lettters and modern authorities who were alive to preach, scripture was from the horse's mouth. But when the Apostle were all murdered, the second generation Bishops didn't have the clout to usurp their authority. The Bible had to be made into an authority. Not much use out of that apostolic succession claimed. Sola Scriptura is false, but even Martin Luther himself taught theosis.

 

[Lizbeth]

Not Eastern Orthodox, but I concur the Protestants jumped ship too early before Vatican II when the Roman Catholics realized they forgot they believed in theosis. The early "Bible" was the dead sea scrolls, lettters and modern authorities who were alive to preach, scripture was from the horse's mouth. But when the Apostle were all murdered, the second generation Bishops didn't have the clout to usurp their authority. The Bible had to be made into an authority. Not much use out of that apostolic succession claimed. Sola Scriptura is false, but even Martin Luther himself taught theosis.

No, they didn't jump ship soon enough! Should never have gotten on board that ill-fated ship to start with! When we see spiritual truths being ensconced, captured, boxed up, set in cement with extra-biblical terminology, it is often a clue that the flesh and carnal mind have gotten hold of it.......we need to discern when the natural man is trying to capture and explain things that can only be spiritually perceived. The carnal mind/intellect of man misses the mark and leads astray into error. Not to mention it robs God of His glory. Man tries to re-invent the wheel that GOD invented. Where is "theosis" in HIS word? "Do not go beyond what is written."

Scripture cannot be broken, JESUS said. "All scripture" is authoritative to the true believer and was so before the canon. Jesus and the apostles and early church received it as truth and took it to heart. "All scripture" before and after it was gathered into a single book.

 

[Pyreaux]

No, they didn't jump ship soon enough! Should never have gotten on board that ill-fated ship to start with! When we see spiritual truths being ensconced, captured, boxed up, set in cement with extra-biblical terminology, it is often a clue that the flesh and carnal mind have gotten hold of it.......we need to discern when the natural man is trying to capture and explain things that can only be spiritually perceived. The carnal mind/intellect of man misses the mark and leads astray into error. Not to mention it robs God of His glory. Man tries to re-invent the wheel that GOD invented. Where is "theosis" in HIS word? "Do not go beyond what is written."

Scripture cannot be broken, JESUS said. "All scripture" is authoritative to the true believer and was so before the canon. Jesus and the apostles and early church received it as truth and took it to heart. "All scripture" before and after it was gathered into a single book.

I'm not judging Protestants who sought to escape tyranny, just in terms of doctrine their weird acceptance of some Catholic doctrine and tradition certainly suffers on this subject. "Theosis" is just a label for the doctrine, just like other labels used like [Edit: I just now read the rules that bans discussing the Trinity, excuse me]. Coined from ancient patristic statements like;

• "God... became what we are in order to make us what he is", St Irenaeus of Lyons (130 A.D. Grant, Irenaeus of Lyons 1997, 164)
• "God became man, so that we might be made gods", St Athanasius of Alexandria (295 A.D. On the Incarnation of the Word 54)

What is called theosis / divinization / deification: i.e., is what the Bible describes as the partaking of and sharing in divine nature of the Lord as St. Peter once wrote (2 Pet. 1:4) by invitation, by adoption, by gift. Human persons are called to be transformed and transfigured (meta-morphed) from a fallen nature and "changed into the same image from glory to glory" into the same glory as the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). John taught “we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). Tell me how this is not theosis, that we can become like God?

Indeed, the "Scripture cannot be broken" as you quote Jesus saying, when he used Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34

1. Jesus’ prefaced his quotation by asserting that he and the Father were one (10:30).
2. This claim was regarded as blasphemy in that Jesus was making himself out to be God (10:33).
3. Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 to establish he is justified; the law doesn't forbid his claim.

The common consensus of this quotation is that Jesus was arguing the law doesn't forbid calling a human a god, as Psalm 82 says humans are gods, thereby the law allows him to claim to be a god on the basis of Psalm 82:6. Irenaeus and Athanasius comport with a Biblically oriented theology based on ancient Israelite scriptures, such as Psalm 82.

Justin Martyr,

• "Let the interpretation of the Psalm be held just as you wish, yet thereby it is demonstrated that all men are deemed worthy of becoming “gods,” and of having power to become sons of the highest.... (Dialogue with Trypho)

Irenaeus of Lyon:

• "For we cast blame upon Him, because we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods; although God has adopted this course out of His pure benevolence, that no one may impute to Him insidiousness or grudgingness. He declares, “I have said, Ye are gods; and ye are sons of the Highest.” (Against Heresies, Bk. IV, ch. 38, sec. 4)

Clement of Alexandria:

• "Accordingly this grace is indicated by the prophet, when he says, “I said that ye are gods, and all sons of the Highest.” For us, yea us, He has adopted and wishes to be called the Father of us alone, not of the unbelieving." (Protreptikos 12)
• "Being baptized, we are illuminated; illuminated, we become sons; being made sons, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are made immortal. “I,” says He, “have said that ye are gods, and all sons of the Highest.” (Paedagogus, Bk. I, ch. 6)

Clement of Alexandria uses Psalm 82 to show that our Biblical "sonship", in Christ, is synonymous with our becoming god. Hence, what it means to be a son of God, “we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2).

While Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, there is no separation of God’s person from his gifts. When he grants us the righteousness of Christ, he grants us Christ himself. When Luther speaks of our union with the divine, when Christ indwells us, there are traces of deification found in Luther passages that seem to support the Finnish Lutheran claim that deification as the exchange of our natures is at the center of Luther's theology.

In the Christmas sermon of 1514:

• "Just as the Word became flesh so is it necessary that the flesh become the Word. For the Word becomes flesh precisely so that the flesh can become Word. In other words, God became man so that man may become God. Thus power becomes powerless so that weakness may become powerful. The Logos put on our form and manner, image and likeness, so that he might clothe us with his image, form and likeness. Therefore, wisdom became foolish, so that foolishness might become wisdom. And so with regard to all other things that are in God and us, in everything he assumes ours, so that he might confer onto us his …"

From a 1525 sermon:

• "And so we are filled with “all the fullness of God.” This phrase, which follows a Hebrew way of speaking, means that we are filled in all the ways in which God fills; we are filled with God, and he pours into us all his gifts and grace and fills us with his Spirit, who make us courageous. He enlightens us with his light, his life lives in us, his beatitude makes us blessed, and his love causes love to arise in us. Put briefly, he fills us in order that everything that he is and everything he can do might be in us in all its fullness, and work powerfully, so that we might be divinized throughout"

In a 1526 sermon:

• “God pours out Christ His dear Son over us and pours Himself into us and draws us into Himself, so that He becomes completely humanified (vermzenschet) and we become completely deified (gantz und gar vergottet, “Godded-through”) and everything is altogether one thing, God, Christ, and you.”‘ (Martin Luther, D. Martin Luthers Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe, 58 volumes (Weimar, 1883- ), 20:229,30 and following, cited in Werner Elert, The Structure of Lutheranism, volume 1 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1962),175-176)

 

[Lizbeth]

I'm not judging Protestants who sought to escape tyranny, just in terms of doctrine their weird acceptance of some Catholic doctrine and tradition certainly suffers on this subject. "Theosis" is just a label for the doctrine, just like other labels used like [Edit: I just now read the rules that bans discussing the Trinity, excuse me]. Coined from ancient patristic statements like;

• "God... became what we are in order to make us what he is", St Irenaeus of Lyons (130 A.D. Grant, Irenaeus of Lyons 1997, 164)
• "God became man, so that we might be made gods", St Athanasius of Alexandria (295 A.D. On the Incarnation of the Word 54)

What is called theosis / divinization / deification: i.e., is what the Bible describes as the partaking of and sharing in divine nature of the Lord as St. Peter once wrote (2 Pet. 1:4) by invitation, by adoption, by gift. Human persons are called to be transformed and transfigured (meta-morphed) from a fallen nature and "changed into the same image from glory to glory" into the same glory as the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). John taught “we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). Tell me how this is not theosis, that we can become like God?

Indeed, the "Scripture cannot be broken" as you quote Jesus saying, when he used Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34

1. Jesus’ prefaced his quotation by asserting that he and the Father were one (10:30).
2. This claim was regarded as blasphemy in that Jesus was making himself out to be God (10:33).
3. Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 to establish he is justified; the law doesn't forbid his claim.

The common consensus of this quotation is that Jesus was arguing the law doesn't forbid calling a human a god, as Psalm 82 says humans are gods, thereby the law allows him to claim to be a god on the basis of Psalm 82:6. Irenaeus and Athanasius comport with a Biblically oriented theology based on ancient Israelite scriptures, such as Psalm 82.

Justin Martyr,

• "Let the interpretation of the Psalm be held just as you wish, yet thereby it is demonstrated that all men are deemed worthy of becoming “gods,” and of having power to become sons of the highest.... (Dialogue with Trypho)

Irenaeus of Lyon:

• "For we cast blame upon Him, because we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods; although God has adopted this course out of His pure benevolence, that no one may impute to Him insidiousness or grudgingness. He declares, “I have said, Ye are gods; and ye are sons of the Highest.” (Against Heresies, Bk. IV, ch. 38, sec. 4)

Clement of Alexandria:

• "Accordingly this grace is indicated by the prophet, when he says, “I said that ye are gods, and all sons of the Highest.” For us, yea us, He has adopted and wishes to be called the Father of us alone, not of the unbelieving." (Protreptikos 12)
• "Being baptized, we are illuminated; illuminated, we become sons; being made sons, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are made immortal. “I,” says He, “have said that ye are gods, and all sons of the Highest.” (Paedagogus, Bk. I, ch. 6)

Clement of Alexandria uses Psalm 82 to show that our Biblical "sonship", in Christ, is synonymous with our becoming god. Hence, what it means to be a son of God, “we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2).

While Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, there is no separation of God’s person from his gifts. When he grants us the righteousness of Christ, he grants us Christ himself. When Luther speaks of our union with the divine, when Christ indwells us, there are traces of deification found in Luther passages that seem to support the Finnish Lutheran claim that deification as the exchange of our natures is at the center of Luther's theology.

In the Christmas sermon of 1514:

• "Just as the Word became flesh so is it necessary that the flesh become the Word. For the Word becomes flesh precisely so that the flesh can become Word. In other words, God became man so that man may become God. Thus power becomes powerless so that weakness may become powerful. The Logos put on our form and manner, image and likeness, so that he might clothe us with his image, form and likeness. Therefore, wisdom became foolish, so that foolishness might become wisdom. And so with regard to all other things that are in God and us, in everything he assumes ours, so that he might confer onto us his …"

From a 1525 sermon:

• "And so we are filled with “all the fullness of God.” This phrase, which follows a Hebrew way of speaking, means that we are filled in all the ways in which God fills; we are filled with God, and he pours into us all his gifts and grace and fills us with his Spirit, who make us courageous. He enlightens us with his light, his life lives in us, his beatitude makes us blessed, and his love causes love to arise in us. Put briefly, he fills us in order that everything that he is and everything he can do might be in us in all its fullness, and work powerfully, so that we might be divinized throughout"

In a 1526 sermon:

• “God pours out Christ His dear Son over us and pours Himself into us and draws us into Himself, so that He becomes completely humanified (vermzenschet) and we become completely deified (gantz und gar vergottet, “Godded-through”) and everything is altogether one thing, God, Christ, and you.”‘ (Martin Luther, D. Martin Luthers Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe, 58 volumes (Weimar, 1883- ), 20:229,30 and following, cited in Werner Elert, The Structure of Lutheranism, volume 1 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1962),175-176)

Deification? That is a heavily loaded word, which again is not found in scripture. Scripture says there were no other Gods before Him and will not be after Him either. Scripture also says we must not go beyond what is written. Jesus said we shall be "like the angels". Angels are referred to as gods and sons of God in scripture.

 

[Pyreaux]

Deification? That is a heavily loaded word, which again is not found in scripture. Scripture says there were no other Gods before Him and will not be after Him either. Scripture also says we must not go beyond what is written. Jesus said we shall be "like the angels". Angels are referred to as gods and sons of God in scripture.

Indeed, the Bibles calls angels "gods", demons "other gods" and some humans "gods". You're issue of singularity of gods arise from the so-called "denial verses" of Isaiah. For Isaiah to writes "I am the Lord there is none beside me", is to say I am unlike any other, it’s not to say there are no other gods. Just as Isaiah when using the exact same words about Babylon was not saying Babylon is the only city (Isa 47:10), he was saying Babylon was incomparable, alone in comparison. It's not a working proof text.

Theosis is simply Salvation itself. The Bible's definition of salvation is when the body has transformed into the type of glory Christ had when he was resurrected (Philip. 3:21). Once a mortal man becomes adopted by God as his "son", he joins the "genos" or species of god (Acts 17:29). Whatever you call an exalted human, an immortal, transcending into angelic beings, becoming derivative lesser gods, like-God, etc this does not replace God as our one true God, no matter how many beings hold the title. It's a matter of relativism. "For though there be that are called gods... in heaven... as there be gods many... But to us there is but one God, the Father" (1 Corinthians 8:5).

To insist that the term "god" refers to God alone, and that no one can obtain his qualities, or if obtained can't then be called gods or like God, Genesis shows that is not true. God said man became as "gods" because they knew good from evil, an attribute of gods only at the time. Though the Fall also made Adam distinct from a god, being imperfect and mortal, but Christ came to redeem the fall.

Shall we not all be resurrected into an immortal and be 'eternal' like God is, as an inheritance (Mark 10:17)? Are we not adopted and become an heir, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans. 8: 17). As sons of God, we are to inherit “all” that the Father has, including some of His attributes (Revelation 21:7). To become one with Christ, even as Christ is one with the Father (John 17:20-23) To sit with Christ on His throne as He sits in the Father's throne (Revelations. 3:21) To receive a glorified, immortal body like the body that Christ has (Philippians 3:21) To partake of the divine nature and be given all things pertaining to life and godliness, receiving glory (2 Peter 1:3-4) To be made kings and priests unto God and his Father (Rev. 1:6) As spirit children of God, to become partakers of his holiness (Hebrews 12:9-10) To be exalted by God (1 Peter 5:6). We were commanded to become perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:4). Are these promises, immortality, power, dominion, and other formerly unique attributes of God impossible to obtain?

 

[Hepzibah]

Early church teaching was, that we are to share in the energies of God, but not the essence, so therefore did not teach what is pressured by the word divination.

 

[marks]

2 Peter 1:2-4 KJV
2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Much love!

 

[Hepzibah]

John said earlier, that the Orthodox liturgy is man made. It is scripture actually, from beginning to end, which l discovered during attendance of it.

 

[Pyreaux]

Early church teaching was, that we are to share in the energies of God, but not the essence, so therefore did not teach what is pressured by the word divination.

Did you mean divinization?

 

[Hepzibah]

Did you mean divinization?

Sorry a typo, yes of course.