*This doctrine, consistently taught by the Orthodox, and which was expounded by particular clarify by St. Athanasius, and more recently in the Western Church by John Wesley, who translated Theosis as “Entire Sanctification” to avoid the confusion that “Deification” might cause given the unfortunate exposure of Anglophone Christians to the Pagan Greek concept of Apotheosis in isolation (this was less of a problem in Continental Europe, where Martin Luther taught the concept explicitly (which is one reason why, and I think my friends
@MarkRohfrietsch and
@Ain't Zwinglian will appreciate this comment, I regard Luther as very much a proponent of Orthodoxy, insofar as he taught Theosis and promoted a praxis very much in accord with Orthodoxy, including the partaking of the Eucharist in both kinds, a belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the use of liturgy in both the vernacular and liturgical languages,** and the veneration of the Theotokos, including in Luther’s case the use of a version of the Hail Mary prayer, and Iconodulism, particularly with regards towards the Crucifix, which was in blessed contrast to the massive iconoclastic devastation wrought in Calvinist lands and in most of Great Britain, with much of what survived Archbishop Cranmer (which was quite a lot) being destroyed following the martyrdom of St. Charles I under the tyrannical reign of Oliver Cromwell and his Puritans.***
1. 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV):
"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
This is one of the clearest Biblical references to Theosis, where believers are said to "participate in the divine nature." It emphasizes transformation and communion with God, which is central to the concept of Theosis.
2. John 10:34-36 (NIV):
"Jesus answered them, 'Is it not written in your Law, "I have said you are gods"? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?'"
Jesus quotes **Psalm 82:6**, which says, "I said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’" The implication in this passage suggests that those who receive the word of God partake in a divine status. While not equating humanity with God in essence, it underscores the potential for humans to be divinely elevated through union with Christ.
3. Romans 8:29-30 (NIV):
"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Here, Paul speaks about believers being **conformed to the image of Christ** and eventually **glorified**. This glorification is understood in Patristic theology as part of the process of Theosis, where believers are gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ, sharing in His divine life.
4. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV):
"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
This verse describes the **progressive transformation** of believers into the image of Christ, which corresponds with the idea of Theosis. It emphasizes that the process is driven by the Holy Spirit and involves sharing in Christ's glory.
5. 1 John 3:2
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."
This verse reinforces the future aspect of Theosis: believers will be **like Christ** when He returns. It points to the ultimate goal of the Christian life as a full transformation into Christ's image, including the sharing of His divine life.
6. Colossians 3:3-4 (NIV):
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
This speaks of the believer’s life being **hidden in Christ** and the eventual manifestation of this life "in glory." It suggests that the life of Christ and the life of the believer are intertwined, and that believers will one day share in His glory, which is a key component of Theosis.
7. Psalm 82:6 (NIV):
"I said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’"
This verse, which Jesus refers to in John 10:34, has been interpreted by Church Fathers and Orthodox theologians as referring to the divine potential and status given to humanity by God. It is not understood in an absolute sense (humans becoming ontologically identical to God), but rather in terms of participating in God's life and glory.
8. Ephesians 4:13 (NIV):
"Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
This passage reflects the idea that believers are called to grow into full **maturity in Christ**, which can be seen as part of the process of Theosis, where Christians gradually grow to reflect Christ's fullness and divine nature.
These verses collectively support the doctrine of Theosis by emphasizing the transformation of believers into the image of Christ, their participation in the divine nature, and the ultimate glorification they will share with Christ. This process is not about becoming God by nature, but rather becoming fully united with God through grace, reflecting His divine life, holiness, and love.
Thus we can see that Theosis is incontrovertibly scriptural, and not, as some would allege, a Patristic innovation (which is an oxymoron - departures from the Gospel and the Apostolic Tradition which occurred during the Patristic era were immediately labelled as heresies and subject to anathema, and it was to contain and control such innovations that the Ecumenical Synods were held). Indeed, the fact Martin Luther taught the doctrine, as did, to some extent, John Calvin, in addition to John Wesley, demonstrates its scriptural incontrovertibility, given the care with which these men used scripture to test their dogmatic theology and to correct for Scholastic misunderstandings which had crept into the Western kergyma (teaching of the faith).
**Ergo, Luther celebrated the Mass in both Latin and German, and Latin remained a first-class liturgical language in Lutheranism into the early 19th century, although unfortunately this is not presently the case, resulting in an under-utilization of Latin-language Lutheran church music by composers such as JS Bach and his sons and Franz Schubert (who did six Latin settings of the Mass and one German setting).
*** This episode, along with the Salem Witch Trials, makes me ashamed of my Congregationalist background, insofar as Congregationalism represented a reform of Puritanism, although Congregationalism was really a moderation of Puritanism, a correction in which the laity, following a well-deserved tongue lashing by the great preacher Jonathan Edwards (who, while not as a good a preacher as St. John Chrysostom, was still able to move people to tears and cause Anglophone North Americans across the colonies that would soon become the United States and Canada to embark on a journey of repentence from the sinful excesses both of Puritanism, and of the period of 1670-1730 in the English speaking world more generally). Also as a Congregationalist I have consistently fought to make Congregationalism more Orthodox, both with my initial ministry in the UCC and with my later mission parishes, with a view towards these churches eventually becoming Orthodox (Congregationalism is the only form of church polity aside from the Episcopal polity with strong scriptural support, albeit not following the specific model used by Congregationalists, but rather, insofar as the Bishop was the pastor of a single church in each city initially, which would, as that church expanded, become his cathedral, and with new parish churches being formed, headed up by presbyters.
