"that we might become God" catechism

[wyam]

Can anyone help me explain this from the catechsim to protestants?

On page 116 of the 1994 catechism we read:

“…the Son of God became man so that we might become God. The only begotten Son of God assumed our nature, so that he might make men gods.”

This is the protestant’s response:

“We’re told in the Bible we’ll become heirs to the Kingdom, and that God’s love is manifested in our being called the “sons of God”. But, we are never told we will be gods. In fact this contradicts the Word of God.”

Thanks
waym

 

[Dr.Colossus]

This question has been asked on the forums before. The general consensus is that it’s a very poorly-rendered version of the idea expressed in Mass: “By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Him who chose to share in our humanity”. We do not “become gods” literally, but become “partakers of the divine nature”.

 

[metal1633]

wyam:

Can anyone help me explain this from the catechsim to protestants?

On page 116 of the 1994 catechism we read:

“…the Son of God became man so that we might become God. The only begotten Son of God assumed our nature, so that he might make men gods.”

This is the protestant’s response:

“We’re told in the Bible we’ll become heirs to the Kingdom, and that God’s love is manifested in our being called the “sons of God”. But, we are never told we will be gods. In fact this contradicts the Word of God.”

Thanks
waym

The catechism is correct. It is biblical that we become partakers in the divine nature. The Divinisation of our human nature began with the Incarnation when God made our Nature His own. I for one would like to know how that contradicts Gods Word when it IS Gods Word, Christ Himself, who is the perfect example of the Divinisation of the human nature. And are we not being made like him?

2Pe 1:4 By whom he hath given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature.

 

[David_Brown]

metal1633:

The catechism is correct. It is biblical that we become partakers in the divine nature. The Divinisation of our human nature began with the Incarnation when God made our Nature His own. I for one would like to know how that contradicts Gods Word when it IS Gods Word, Christ Himself, who is the perfect example of the Divinisation of the human nature. And are we not being made like him?

2Pe 1:4 By whom he hath given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature.

metal1633 is exactly right. I don’t have the 1994 version with me but the 1997 version (which I thought only made a few changes and none in this section) the passage is #460 and begins by quoting 2 Pet 1:4. The part about “so we might become God” is a quotation from St. Athanasius–and there is also a quote from Aquinas.

Also, wyam gave the quote from the 1994 Catechism as:
“…the Son of God became man so that we might become God. The only begotten Son of God assumed our nature, so that he might make men gods.”

If that quote is correct, the 1997 version the passage reads slightly differently:

“’…the Son of God bcame man so that we might become God’” [quoted from Athanasius]
. “‘The only-begotton Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods’” [quoted from Aquinas]
.