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Do Christians believe in apotheosis, deification, divinization, or theosis?
Do Christains believe in these quotes made by Christian leaders:
"It is possible for man to become like God, to become deified, to become god by grace. This doctrine is based on many passages of both OT and NT, and it is essentially the teaching both of St Paul, though he tends to use the language of filial adoption and the Fourth Gospel" --Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology
"The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."--Irenaeus of Lyon
"For He was made man that we might be made God."--Thomas Aquinas
How is this any different that the Mormon view of "man may become a god"?
@Rachel: Your comment "If Jesus didn't say it, it doesn't count" is probably the most ignorant answer that you could have given. Unless you don't believe in Acts, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians,...,..., Jude, and Revelations. Also, I don't think I have ever met a Protestant Christian who didn't believe in the "creeds" (Nicene, apostles, etc.), all of which are NOT from biblical times. Too bad you didn't give a thoughtful answer, because I think you might have been the only protestant to have attempted to answer my question.
4 Answers
- PubliusLv 78 years ago
"The Word of God [not God] became a man so that you might learn from a man how to become Gods."
That's clear enough.
Leaving the No True Scotsman fallacy aside, some Christians do, some Christians don't, and some Christians, insanely or ignorantly, rant that divinization is not a Christian doctrine.
It's not our view that a man may become a God, but that Christ may make us Gods if we cooperate with his efforts to perfect us.
- 8 years ago
Most Christians don't believe that man can become god or become godlike.
We are poor wretches saved by the grace of god and can't become god.
We can become born again, but that's only through god's never ending grace.
Irenaeus of Lyon and Thomas Aquinas are catholic figures, not biblical figures.
If Jesus didn't say it it doesn't count.
- ?Lv 68 years ago
Most Christians will say they don't believe they can be gods, but that's only in one context.
In another context they will say things like "They are trying real hard to be like Jesus" (Who is God), they will say they will be sinless in Heaven (God-like), they will also say they will be resurrected, immortal, and live forever and never die (God-like).
If they are talking to a Mormon they ridicule becoming like God, if their trying to convert someone to Christianity they will talk about my second paragraph. It's hard to keep things straight, either you are going to eventually become like God or your not... what is it?
Mormons are the only Christians with the courage to actually say what they believe... in all contexts.
