CCC 460: We Become God

[stjosephtomasi]

Please explain this. The Son of God became man so that we might become God. That sounds stronger than sharing in His divine nature. Do we actually become God?

**460 **The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:“For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.”

 

[1ke]

Look up divination or theosis.

No, we do not become God, or a god. We become partakers in the divine nature. We receive the Beatific Vision.

 

[myfavoritmartin]

Please explain this. The Son of God became man so that we might become God. That sounds stronger than sharing in His divine nature. Do we actually become God?

**460 **The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:“For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.” “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.”

As you guys know I am ussually not the one to defend the Catholic church, but I think or at least I hope what is meant here can be paralled with or justified to a couple verses that come to mind…

1 John 3:2 (New American Standard Bible)

2(A)Beloved, now we are (B)children of God, and (C)it has not appeared as yet what we will be We know that when He (D)appears, we will be (E)like Him, because we will (F)see Him just as He is.

Ephesians 3:19 (New American Standard Bible)

19and to know (A)the love of Christ which (B)surpasses knowledge, that you may be (C)filled up to all the (D)fullness of God.

 

[Genesis315]

And of course the most explicit verses:

2 Peter 1:3 As all things of his divine power which appertain to life and godliness, are given us, through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own proper glory and virtue. 4 By whom he hath given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature: flying the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world.

It also bears pointing out that theosis is emphacized more in the East than the West (the West places more emphasis on sancitification), so that might be why it seems a little odd.

 

[myfavoritmartin]

It is important to remember, we aren’t ever going to in challenge to God, rather of him in the family sense…
1 Corinthians 15:24-2824Then comes the end,* when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For ‘God* has put all things in subjection under his feet.’ But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection’, it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all.

 

[Mommyof02green]

]I looked up paragraph 460 in the CCC (I left the reference numbers in and made them clickable links)
CCC paragraph 460:

The Word became flesh to make us “partakers of the divine nature”:78 "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God."79 "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God."80 "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."81
Source: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt2art3.htm

Also in the margin of the CCC (book) there are cross-references to other paragraphs in the CCC. Paragraph 460 has the following paragraphs 1265, 1391, and 1988 for cross-references.

For paragraph 1265 see: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2.htm#1265
For paragraph 1391 see: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art3.htm#1391
For paragraph 1988 see: usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect1chpt3art2.htm#1988

N.B: On the web-page if the paragraph number is a clickable link that means that it has cross-reference to other paragraphs in the CCC.

I won’t pretend to know what it means. I haven’t truely read it yet myself. I’m just a frim believer that everything has to be taken IN context. So I just wanted to proved some contexts to the quote in the OP.

 

[Contarini]

**Please explain this. The Son of God became man so that we might become God. That sounds stronger than sharing in His divine nature. **

Why? How would you define “God” other than “that which/the one who has a divine nature”?

We share in that nature by grace, of course. We are not and never will be divine in and of ourselves. But this is what salvation is all about–union with God. If it isn’t, what’s the point of it all?

Edwin