Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
Psalm 82 says, "You are gods but you will die like men"; not particularly my choice of final destination, thank you very much.
And Jesus said the angels see God's face- does that make them gods?
Gabriel said that he stands before God- does that make him a little god?
Methexis = participation. . . my cat also participates in my household.
There's simply too much straining at the bit in these readings, as if perspiration and hope would make it so. What about loving the person next to you? Isn't THAT the great commandment?? I saw too much doctrine on the LSM/lc, grasping doctrine, feverish even, and far too little love. I suspect the 2 phenomena are connected.
Love is giving when nothing comes back. The LSM trainers told us bluntly, "Don't waste your time" with those who cannot repay you in this age. I suspect that their church-building programme & their teachings are tightly linked. Thoughts & intentions go right along with acts.
I don't know about Irenaeus, but Cyril had little love that I can see. He loved to fight. I wouldn't cite him as an authority.
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Note that they did not call themselves gods. God called them that. God appointed them with authority and in the verse you quoted he says he will take away that authority and they will "die like men".
This is the bible evidence:
1) In Psalm 82:6, God called them gods:
Psalm 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Cambridge bible says:
I is emphatic. It is by God’s appointment that they have been invested with divine authority to execute judgement in His name.
2) Christ defended himself as the son of God by pointing out that God called them gods in the Scripture.
a) Jesus confirmed that God called them gods:
John 10:34 Jesus replied, "It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, 'I say, you are gods!'
If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be set aside--
...
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?
3) The early church understanding of deification matches this understanding of the Psalms.
Augustine of Hippo (354–430) said: "But he himself that justifies also deifies, for by justifying he makes sons of God. 'For he has given them power to become the sons of God' [referring to John 1:12].
If then we have been made sons of god, we have also been made gods.
Justin Martyr (c. 100-165)
"[Men] were made like God, free from suffering and death, provided that they kept His commandments, and were deemed deserving of the name of His sons, and yet they, becoming like Adam and Eve, work out death for themselves; 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.