LSM’s Deification Doctrine—Biblical or Blasphemous? Nigel Tomes

[aron]

Originally Posted by Igzy

How does one become God in life and nature but not the Godhead? What part of God is not Godhead? How can anything truly be God but not be the Godhead? Is there some small corner of God that is not the Godhead?

Bottom line: If it's God, then it's the Godhead. And if it's not the Godhead, then it's not God.

And that's where the disclaimers come in: "We're becoming EXACTLY like God*"

(*Well, not exactly. Not in the Godhead. Not as an object of worship. That would be heretical.)

But God doesn't have disclaimers, and partialities. There aren't "baby Gods" and "acting Gods"; not in this age. And if there are, in fact "levels" or "degrees of God-hood" in another age, Jesus was pretty specific: "Don't waste your time with empty speculation. Take care of each other. Don't presume anything." See e.g. "What is that to you? You follow Me." in John 21. I could cite another half-dozen verses.

Originally Posted by Igzy

There is no way to "be God" and not be the Godhead.

Isn't that "doing the math?"

Also, claiming one can be God but not the Godhead opens the door wide to claims that Jesus was God but not Godhead.

Math is an exercise in logic. If A = B, and B = C, then A = C. And so on. If the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, most of us agree that this means that Jesus was God incarnate. And Jesus Himself used this methodology: "If the Christ was the seed of David, then how did David in spirit call Him Lord, saying the LORD said to my Lord, sit at my right hand..."

Or how about this for logic: "Oh no! Now we've seen God, and we're going to die!!!" Hey dummy, didn't the angel just promise us a child? How are we going to have a child if we're dead? Calm down. Relax and take a deep breath. (cf Judges 13)

But the consensus of the flock is a safeguard for letting our logic take us beyond what's been clearly stated, or even inferred. Let me follow with an example of carrying logic too far.

"If Mary is the mother of Jesus (e.g. 'How then does the mother of my Lord visit me' in Luke 1:43), and Jesus is God, then how can we not say that Mary is the Mother of God?" Um, sorry but if God is without beginning ("from everlasting to everlasting You are God" [Psa 90:2]) then it doesn't make sense for me that God has a mother. And suffice it to say that I'm not alone in this opinion.

Ultimately, theosis as an idea in the LC rests on the fact that Lee said it. Here's LC logic: There is only one apostle per age (oriental culture, more than logic). Therefore whatever the 'apostle' says is right. So if Lee taught theosis, then it is true. Who are you to question the apostle?!? Surely your heart is dark and rebellious!

That is the LC logic.