Michlaude Discipleship Project

Chapter 4

Defining Our Terms (2 of 2)

Term 4: Apotheosis

Apotheosis is the pagan and heretical idea that humans can become gods by nature — either through secret knowledge (Gnosticism), through exaltation (Mormonism), or through evolution (New Age).

The difference:

  • Theosis: "I become by grace what Christ is by nature, and I remain a dependent child, never the source of divinity"
  • Apotheosis: "I become by nature what God is, transcending my created nature entirely"

Genesis 3:5 is apotheosis: "you will be like God." The serpent's promise was not participation. It was identity theft.

Psalm 82:6 is theosis: "I said, 'You are gods.'" The offer was real, but it was by appointment and obedience, not by seizing.

2 Peter 1:4 is theosis: "partakers of the divine nature." The language is carefully chosen — koinonoi, sharers, not owners.

HONEST NOTE: The English translation "that we might become God" (from Athanasius) is dangerous without the Greek context. The Fathers never taught apotheosis. Modern readers who quote them without the patristic context often fall into it.

Term 5: Partakers vs Possessors

This is the most important distinction in the entire book.

Partakers (koinonoi):

  • Share in something that belongs to another
  • Receive by grace
  • Remain dependent
  • Example: you partake of a meal someone else cooked

Possessors (kleronomoi with full ownership):

  • Own something by right
  • Have independent claim
  • Are not dependent
  • Example: you possess your own house

2 Peter 1:4 says we are partakers of the divine nature. We never become possessors of deity. We share in God's life the way a branch shares in the vine's life (John 15:5) — by remaining connected, not by becoming the vine.

This is why Hebrews 1:14 still works after Pentecost. Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve the heirs. Heirs are not owners yet. They are partakers, still dependent on the Father's house.

Term 6: Status vs Walk

Finally, we must distinguish between forensic status and experiential walk:

Status (Sons of God):

  • Given at regeneration (John 1:12)
  • Sealed by the Spirit (Eph 1:13-14)
  • Cannot be lost (Rom 8:38-39)
  • Legal, positional

Walk (Children of Light):

  • Developed by abiding (John 15:4-5)
  • Tested by obedience (1 John 1:6-7)
  • Can be quenched (1 Thess 5:19)
  • Moral, experiential

You are a son of God the moment you believe. You become a child of light as you learn to walk in the day. The first is a gift. The second is a discipline empowered by the gift.

This is why Paul can say "you are children of light" and then command "walk as children of light." The status is secure. The walk is not automatic.

Why These Definitions Matter

Without these distinctions, you will:

  1. Read Psalm 82 and think God is making humans into new gods by nature (apotheosis)
  2. Read 2 Peter 1:4 and think you are becoming omnipotent
  3. Read 1 Corinthians 6:3 and think you can command angels now
  4. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:5 and think "children of light" is just a nice metaphor

With these distinctions, you will:

  1. Read Psalm 82 and see a real offer of participation, forfeited by pride
  2. Read 2 Peter 1:4 and see a real sharing in God's character, by grace
  3. Read 1 Corinthians 6:3 and see a future participation in Christ's judgment, by union
  4. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:5 and see a present calling to walk in the light you have received

KEY IDEA: Definitions are not academic. They are protective. They keep you from the pride that felled the sons of God, and they keep you in the humility that marks the children of light.

How We Will Use These Terms

For the rest of this book:

  • "Sons of God" will refer to believers by adoption (meaning #4), unless specified as angels
  • "Children of light" will refer to the ethical walk empowered by the Spirit
  • "Theosis" will mean participation by grace, never apotheosis
  • "Partakers" will be our preferred term over "gods," to avoid confusion
  • We will distinguish status (given) from walk (developed)

When we quote the Fathers saying "become God," we will immediately qualify it with their own explanations. When we quote Psalm 82, we will specify which "gods" we mean. When we quote Paul, we will honor his indicative-imperative structure.

This is not pedantry. This is the only way to build a bridge from the divine council to daily discipleship without the bridge collapsing into heresy.

Partaker. Not pretender. Not replacement. The word for a child who eats at the Father's table and is nourished by what is served, without claiming to be the cook. Your mission is lived at that table. You carry into the world what you received there — not what you generated.

Next: Chapter 5 — Justin and Irenaeus — When Psalm 82 Became a Christian Charter