Bible Answer Man Converts to Eastern Orthodox!

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Drake

As pertains to us, the believers, we will always be creatures yet we also are in the same genre of possessing both divinity and humanity as our Firstborn Brother. In that sense, we are or becoming God in life and nature as He is.

I’ll pause here and ask for your acknowledgement of agreement or if you don’t agree I’ll ask an explanation of your differing understanding from what I have stated. Please provide scripture to substantiate your point of view.

The Bible does not say we are "becoming God." Lee said it, not based on scripture, but on the writings of certain "church fathers." [ N.B. Jesus said call no man "father." Matt. 23.9 ]

The writings of these so-called "church fathers" are in no way binding on us as the church today. If we accept Athanasius as authoritative, then we must also acknowledge Ignatius who gave us the bishopric hierarchy which gave authentication to the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. These early post-apostolic writers and ministers were definitely used by the Lord in their day, but perhaps their only lasting legacy was the canonization of the New Testament. Only the Bible is definitive for the church today.

In the garden of Eden, the Serpent tempted first man Adam and Eve with the subtle deceit of "opening their eyes, and you shall be as God." (Gen 3.5) Today the oldest sect, the Eastern Orthodox, and a relatively new sect, the Mormon Latter Day Saints, both use this teaching to their advantage. But it's hard to say if any of their adherents are actually regenerated, blood-washed children of God. It's no wonder that Apostle Paul, fighting the earthly wisdom of extraneous errors, reduced his message to "Christ and Him crucified." (I Cor 2.2)

Why would any Christian denomination doggedly adhere to these extra-biblical teachings, espoused only by the fringes of Christendom, and rejected by nearly all Bible-based, fundamentally sound, professing, evangelical Christians?

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by Ohio

The Bible does not say we are "becoming God." Lee said it, not based on scripture, but on the writings of certain "church fathers." [ N.B. Jesus said call no man "father." Matt. 23.9 ]

The writings of these so-called "church fathers" are in no way binding on us as the church today. If we accept Athanasius as authoritative, then we must also acknowledge Ignatius who gave us the bishopric hierarchy which gave authentication to the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. These early post-apostolic writers and ministers were definitely used by the Lord in their day, but perhaps their only lasting legacy was the canonization of the New Testament. Only the Bible is definitive for the church today.

In the garden of Eden, the Serpent tempted first man Adam and Eve with the subtle deceit of "opening their eyes, and you shall be as God." (Gen 3.5) Today the oldest sect, the Eastern Orthodox, and a relatively new sect, the Mormon Latter Day Saints, both use this teaching to their advantage. But it's hard to say if any of their adherents are actually regenerated, blood-washed children of God. It's no wonder that Apostle Paul, fighting the earthly wisdom of extraneous errors, reduced his message to "Christ and Him crucified." (I Cor 2.2)

Why would any Christian denomination doggedly adhere to these extra-biblical teachings, espoused only by the fringes of Christendom, and rejected by nearly all Bible-based, fundamentally sound, professing, evangelical Christians?

To be strictly correct, Gen 3:5 says to be like God in knowing good and evil, and man has already become God in knowing good and evil. Gen 3:5 was a truthful statement, that if Adam and Eve ate the fruit they would become like God.This is proved by Gen 3:22:

Gen 3:22
And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

If Gen 3:5 was a general prohibition on man becoming like God, then no Christian should even talk about being conformed to the image of Christ and immortality.

Gen 3:4-5, and Gen 3:22 shows two conditions for being like God - knowledge and immortality. Mankind has already acquired the first. Jesus secures us the second. Since God has not denied immortality from any of his children, it is appropriate to say that God desires His children to become like Himself.

It does raise issues for "Bible-based, fundamentally sound, professing, evangelical Christians" when the vast majority of early church fathers who gave us the Canon and the Trinity doctrines, all believed in theosis to one degree or another. They believed it as much as they were comfortable to talk about Christians as gods, a step that an average evangelical would never take. And yet these same "Bible-based, fundamentally sound, professing, evangelical Christians" would rather hold onto and defend their European pseudo-pagan/Christian Christmas and Easter traditions than consider the early church beliefs.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

It does raise issues for "Bible-based, fundamentally sound, professing, evangelical Christians" when the vast majority of early church fathers who gave us the Canon and the Trinity doctrines, all believed in theosis to one degree or another.

Wow! They did all that? The Canon, the Trinity, and Theosis?

Makes me question all three. Devotee's have been known to get it wrong more times than not ... even the disciples, that all of Christendom consider their touchstone.

Hey, theosis promoters? Has it ever dawned on you that you could be wrong?

[Drake]

Originally Posted by awareness

Wow! They did all that? The Canon, the Trinity, and Theosis?
Makes me question all three. Hey, theosis promoters? Has it ever dawned on you that you could be wrong?

I am as convinced about the divinization of the believer as I am about the Trinity, the Bible as the completed Holy Writ, God’s redemption through the blood of Christ, Jesus being God, the indwelling Spirit, and all the other marvelous wonders of God’s complete salvation...

So,... no... the divinization of the Body of Christ, the deification of the Bride of Christ is as much an article of faith to me as everything else in God’s provision to His Church. They are all colorful parts of the one mosaic of God’s purpose with man.

Drake

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Drake

I am as convinced about the divinization of the believer as I am about the Trinity..

All of these basic tenets of the faith have strong biblical basis ... Yet deification or "becoming God" has only Lee, Athanasius, the EOC, and the Mormons ... But that's apparently enough proof for you?

[Acolyte4236]

Originally Posted by Ohio

All of these basic tenets of the faith have strong biblical basis ... Yet deification or "becoming God" has only Lee, Athanasius, the EOC, and the Mormons ... But that's apparently enough proof for you?

Well the LC, and the LDS views are not identical. And neither of them are identical with the Orthodox view, not by a long shot.

For the Orthodox the view is that humans participate in God's power or his energies, also known as his activities. If energies sounds weird to you, first its a biblical term. Second, Christians used it in the debates about the Trinity and Christology in the fourth thru sixth centuries.

That the LC and Lee globbed on to CHristian terminology and completely messed it up is not a reason for lumping them all together or dismissing them out of hand.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Drake

I am as convinced about the divinization of the believer as I am about the Trinity..

Good luck with that ... and thanks for your reply.

Harold

[Drake]

Originally Posted by awareness

Good luck with that ... and thanks for your reply.

For sure luck is not involved.. rather, I was predestinated unto sonship.

How about you, Brother Harold?

Drake

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Drake

For sure luck is not involved.. rather, I was predestinated unto sonship.

How about you, Brother Harold?

Drake

If you've read the book of life you'd know already.