Mormon Exaltation, Theosis, Apotheosis and INTENTIONAL MORMON DECIET: by Damon Whitsell

Mormon Exaltation (eternal progression), Theosis, Apotheosis, and INTENTIONAL MORMON DECIET By Damon Whitsell

Spend some time researching Mormonism and you will eventually run into the Mormon argument that says, “early Christianity and eastern orthodoxy believe in Theosis so therefore Mormonism must be true Christianity”.

I had a Mormon that runs a blog @ http://mormonsarechristian.blogspot.com/ comment on a post at this blog.

After I unravel the deception in his comments, I will give you a link that shows MAC, (Mormons are Christian) already knew that what Mormons call “Theosis” is not what any Christian has ever called Theosis.

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Here is his comment

The Trinity:

A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose. . To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration? The Nicene Creed’s definition of the Trinity was influenced by scribes translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin. The scribes embellished on a passage explaining the Trinity , which is the Catholic and Protestant belief that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The oldest versions of the epistle of 1 John, read: “There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one.” Scribes later added “the Father, the Word and the Spirit,” and it remained in the epistle when it was translated into English for the King James Version, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. . Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was neo-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. Harper’s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.” The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) views the Trinity as three separate divine beings , in accord with the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts.

Theosis

Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, “The Son of God became man, that we might become God.” Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: “we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods” Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: “all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest” Clement of Alexandria explained “Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.” The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: “He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him,” (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988) The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) agrees with Early Christian church leaders regarding theosis.

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I will gloss over MAC’s Trinity paragraph with just a few observations I don’t know any Christians that use 1John 5:7 as a proof text for the trinity.

Many of MAC’s trinity arguments are the same as ONENESS Pentecostals. Who was Jesus praying too and who was Jesus talking too?? That is simple. The Father. A proper understanding of “Tri-Unity” of the Godhead dispels this misunderstanding. While God is 1, He is also 3.

WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER TAKE A MORMON FOR HIS WORD?

MAC says, “Harper’s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says “the formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.” “

MAC conveniently (and dishonestly) quotes the first sentence of the final paragraph of this dictionary entry. Here is the rest of the paragraph:

“Nevertheless, the discussion above and especially the presence of trinitarian formulas in 2 Cor. 13:14 (which is strikingly early) and Matt. 28:19 indicate that the origin of this mode of thought may be found very early in Christian history.”

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SO WHAT IS THEOSIS 

Actually MAC gives a pretty good definition of Theosis in saying that Theosis is “Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans”. Although a little ambiguous in that at first glance “divinization” would seem to mean “becoming a God”, it does not as the following reference will show. But the later part “narrowing the space between God and humans” is a real good definition.

BUT NOTICE The bait and switch technique, There is a vast difference in between “narrowing the space between” and “becoming” Gods,, as expressed in his “out of context“ Church Father quotes. . Lets look at these references.

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Theosis

 (“deification,” “divinization”) is the process of a worshiper becoming free of hamártía (“missing the mark”), being united with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in bodily resurrection. For Orthodox Christians, Théōsis (see 2 Pet. 1:4) is salvation. Théōsis assumes that humans from the beginning are made to share in the Life or Nature of the all-holy Trinity. Therefore, an infant or an adult worshiper is saved from the state of unholiness (hamartía — which is not to be confused with hamártēma “sin”) for participation in the Life (zōé, not simply bíos) of the Trinity — which is everlasting.

This is not to be confused with the heretical (apotheosis) (1) – “Deification in God’s Essence“, which is imparticipable.

(1) Apotheosis (from Greek “to deify”), deification or divinization is the glorification of an individual to a divine level. 

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Deification in MORMONISM

The doctrine of theosis or deification in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints differs significantly from the theosis of Orthodox Christianity. In Mormonism it is usually referred to as exaltation or eternal life. While the primary focus of Mormonism is on the atonement of Jesus Christ, the reason for the atonement is exaltation which goes beyond mere salvation. All men will be saved from sin and death, but only those who are sufficiently obedient and accept the atonement of Jesus Christ before the judgment will be exalted. One popular Mormon quote, coined by the early Mormon “disciple” Lorenzo Snow in 1837, is “As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be.”[2] The teaching was taught first by Joseph Smith while pointing to John 5:19 of the New Testament, “God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ himself did.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-46).

Some Mormons also suggest that discussions of theosis by early Church Fathers show an early belief in the Mormon concept of deification, although they disagree with much of the other theology of the same Church fathers, most notably the doctrine of the Trinity.

The Mormons’ belief differs with the Orthodox belief in deification because the Latter-Day Saints believe that the core being of each individual, the “intelligence” which existed before becoming a spirit son or daughter, is uncreated or eternal. Orthodox deification always acknowledges a timeless Creator versus a finite creature who has been glorified by the grace of God. The Mormons are clear promoters of henotheism (2), and the Church Fathers have absolutely no commonality with their view.

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Theosis

(2) Henotheism (Greek εἷς θεός heis theos “one god”) is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities.[1]

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As we see from this ORTHODOXwiki reference, Mormon exaltation is not Christian Theosis but rather Apotheosis and Henotheism. Christian Theosis has to do with becoming more God like, NOT becoming God.

Theosis in the Eastern Orthodox and the protestant sense means to be sanctified, set apart and becoming “holy”. The protestant form of Theosis is expressed by saying that as Christians, we are saved by grace through faith, FROM BOTH the penalty of sin, and the power of sin. We simply do not have to be a slave to sin any longer and through adoption as sons, we may partake in the nature of God if we “walk in the Spirit”. This does not mean however that we become like God ontologically or in position. In contrast, when Jesus says he and His Father are ONE, he is saying he and the father are ONE BEING.

Theosis in eastern orthodox and the early church fathers view was,” salvation from unholiness by participation in the life of God.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosis

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BUT WHAT ABOUT MAC’S QUOTES?? Don’t they show early church father believed in Theosis in the way Mormons do? NO THEY DO NOT.

MAC, other Mormons, and cult mebers in general will quote Pre-Nicene Church Fathers out of context to support their heretical doctrines.

MAC says “St. Athanasius of Alexandria (Eastern Orthodox) wrote, regarding theosis, “The Son of God became man, that we might become God.”

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The statement by St. Athanasius of Alexandria, “The Son of God became man, that we might become God”, indicates the concept beautifully. II Peter 1:4 says that we have become ” . . . partakers of divine nature.” Athanasius amplifies the meaning of this verse when he says theosis is “becoming by grace what God is by nature” (De Incarnatione, I). What would otherwise seem absurd, that fallen, sinful man may become holy as God is holy, has been made possible through Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate. Naturally, the crucial Christian assertion, that God is One, sets an absolute limit on the meaning of theosis – it is not possible for any created being to become, ontologically, God or even another god.

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Theosis

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CONVENIENTLY MAC fails to tell that Athanasius himself clarified this very thing in his third treatise against the Arians: “To become as the Father is impossible for us creatures.” http://www.archive.org/stream/selecttreatises00newmuoft/selecttreatises00newmuoft_djvu.txt

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So Then MAC quotes a few more Fathers. Lets see if his quoting is faithful to what the Fathers intent was, OR do Mormons intentionally use selective and targeted out of context quoting practices.? The responses to MAC’s quotations are in BLUE

The following quotes come from this post on this blog which contains many quotes showing church fathers did not believe Mormon doctrine.

Did The Early Church Believe Mormon Teac

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.” Irenaeus wrote in the late 2nd Century: “we have not been made gods from the beginning, but at first merely men, then at length gods”

Irenaeus Against Heresies, (A.D. 190) 1:10:1

For the Church, although dispersed throughout the whole world even to the ends of the earth, has received from the Apostles and from their disciples the faith in one God, Father almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them…

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Ibid., 1:22:1

We hold, however, the rule of truth, according to which there is one almighty God, who formed all things through His Word, and fashioned and made all things which exist out of that which did not exist….

Ibid., 2:1:1

Nor is He moved by anyone; rather, freely and by His Word He made all things. For He alone is God, He alone is Lord, He alone is Creator, He alone is Father, He alone contains all and commands all to exist.

Ibid., 2:11:1

It is easy to demonstrate from the very words of the Lord that He acknowledges one Father, Creator of the world and Fashioner of man, who was proclaimed by the Law and by the Prophets; and that He knows no other, this being God over all.

Ibid., 2:30:9

Of His own accord and by His own power He made all things and arranged and perfected them; and His will is the substance of all things. He alone, then, is found to be God; He alone is omnipotent, who made all things; He alone is Father, who founded and formed all things, visible and invisible, sensible and insensate, heavenly and earthly, by the Word of His Power.

Ibid., 2:34:2

…let them learn that to be without beginning and without end, to be truly and always the same, and to remain ever without change, belongs to God alone, who is Lord of all. All things, however, which are from Him, all that have been made and which will be made, receive each their own beginning of existence; and inasmuch as they are not unbegotten, in this way they are inferior to Him who made them. They perdure, however, and continue through a length of ages, according to the will of God their Maker; for indeed, He makes them to be in the beginning, and afterwards gives them continuance.

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Justin Martyr in mid 2nd Century said: “all men are deemed worthy of becoming ‘gods,’ and of having power to become sons of the Highest”

Justin, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew (A.D. 155), 5

For whatever things exist after God or will at anytime exist, have a corruptible nature, and are such as may be blotted out and no longer exist. God alone is unbegotten and incorruptible, which is why He is God. Everything else after Him is produced and corruptible. 

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MAC next two quotes will be in red.

Clement of Alexandria explained “Saints . . pure in heart . . are destined to sit on thrones with the other gods that have been first put in their places by the Savior.” 

I could not find any specific quotes of Clement on the nature of God BUT this wikipedia article will shed some light on MAC’s assertion that Clement taught men can become Gods.

Saint Clement of Alexandria 

He united Greek philosophical traditions with Christian doctrine and valued gnosis that with communion for all people could be held by common Christians specially chosen by God.[citation needed] He used the term “gnostic” for Christians who had attained the deeper teaching of the Logos.[1] He developed a Christian Platonism.[2] He presented the goal of Christian life as deification, identified both as Platonism’s assimilation into God and the biblical imitation of God.[1]

Like Origen, he arose from Alexandria’s Catechetical School and was well versed in pagan literature.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_of_Alexandria 

Notice that Mormon and Christian differences on the concept of Theosis can be seen in these statements here. “He presented the goal of Christian life as deification, identified both as Platonism’s assimilation into God and the biblical imitation of God.[1]”

The idea of IMITATION, thus theosis, of God is biblical ,,,, verses, Plato’s’ idea of “assimilation INTO God” which is UNBIBLICAL and from PLATO. 

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The Gospel of Thomas (which pre-dates the 4 Gospels, but was considered non-canonical by the Nicene Council) quotes the Savior: “He who will drink from my mouth will become as I am: I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him,” (Gospel of Thomas 50, 28-30, Nag Hammadi Library in English, J.M.Robinson, 1st ed 1977; 3rd ed. 1988)

Well Quoting from a Gnostic Gospel just shows how desperate Mormons are to validate their heretical and damnable doctrine of exaltation. We have Greek manuscripts of the 4 gospels that go back to 50 – 60 ad. The Gospel of Thomas dates around 90 ad. My Mormon uncle liked the Davinci code very much. I guess MAN and all Mormons do.

As with the early church fathers, Mormons will accept what lines up with their preconceptions, But will deny the fundamental tenants of Gnosticism and the Gnostic gospels, just to try and say they are not the only ones who believe that men can become Gods. Actually all occultist think they can become God. Google “occult secret doctrine” and see that Satan has been telling the same old lie that he told in the garden, that men can become gods. BUT the occultist believe Genesis 3:22 and the Luciferian doctrine that occultist draw from it.

Gnostisism denies the reality of ALL MATTER and believe it is an illusion. According to Gnosticism, There are really no humans, mush less any man exalted to Godhood with a physical body that will have physical sex to populate his own physical planet.

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SO HERE IS THE INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE AGAINST MAC

Don’t be deceived into thinking he is the only Mormon to use intentional deception. I found this Mormon blogpost http://heartissuesforlds.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/reynolds-on-orthodox-theosis-at-the-nsdc-ii/ in which MAC has commented. Here is the Content of the post. KEEP IN MIND This is a Mormon blog. It shows MAC was lying intentionally.

Reynolds on Orthodox theosis at the NSDC II

October 25, 2008 by Todd Wood Reynolds per Aaron this afternoon, live from Utah:

“The Orthodox notion of theosis is not what some Mormons say it is. It historically refers to imitating God’s energies or becoming like the incarnate Christ, but explicitly reject the idea that we can become like God’s essence”

This is coming from a Mormon AND,,, THE VERY FIRST comment from a Mormon after that typically expresses the popular Mormon Notion. Johndh “I’m aware that the orthodox concept of theosis is different from mine. It doesn’t bug me.”

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MR, “Mormons are Christian” and all other Mormons, IT IS NOT ONLY YOUR DOCTRINE that offends Christians and cause us to say Mormons are not Christian. IT IS ALSO the underhanded tactics you all use in arguing your positions. MAC, you knew full well that the Mormon Concept of THEOSIS is NOT what church fathers believed. But Still yet you come to this blog to post your intentional deception.

As we say in the south SHAME ON YA’LL. =========================================================

Here are some related post on this blog.

Did The Early Church Believe Mormon Teac

Mormon Missionaries Instructed in the Ar

HOW ANCIENT IS THE TRINITY DOCTRINE?

Scripture Twisting Methods of the Cults

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AMENDMENT TO THIS BLOG Since making this blog, the owner of the Mormon blog I referenced, contacted me to inform me that he is NOT A MORMON but rather a Baptist pastor. So I was wrong in the context of my statement that MAC deliberately used deception. Although this does slightly diminish the truthfulness of my statement. It does not change the fact that MAC was still propagating his false Mormon rhetoric of “early Christians believed in Theosis in the same way Mormons do”,,,, in light of the fact that he knew there is an answer for that in the content of the post in which he commented. .

The definitions from the OthrodoxWiki shows conclusively that Mormons do not practice Theosis,,,, but apotheosis and henotheism.

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