Is the biblical term "God" a denotation for a specific lifeform, or a title?
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I’m looking at this from a purely biblical perspective.
“God is a spirit” (John 4:24)
A spirit is a (for humans) invisible supernatural lifeform.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon describes the lifeform as:
> 3. "a spirit, i. e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring,
> deciding, and acting";
In connection with God, however, mainstream Christology often uses the term “nature of God” or “divine nature”, especially when it comes to describing the triune God’s essence or substance, as it is found in Christ who is said to be the "God-man" in the hypostatic union , having both a fully human and a fully divine nature. Considering myself a human, I think to understand what is meant by "human" nature, as being part of the human species/lifeform.
The term “divine nature” however seems quite abstract, and is found only once in the Bible, in 2 Peter 1:4
> by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious
> promises, that through these you may be partakers of the **divine
> nature**, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
> lust.
Re-born Christians have the “great and precious promise” of being “partakers of the divine nature”.
They „shall be like Him (God)“ (1. John 3:2).
One could conclude from this that Christians who become "partakers of the divine nature", inherit the divine nature when they go to heaven, and thus become fully God, if the term "God" is to be understood as a lifeform. On this point, I think most mainstream Christians would agree, that this is not the case - heavenly resurrected Christians don't become the "God" lifeform, but the "spirit" lifeform.
> It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a
> natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
> As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as
> is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we
> have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image
> of the heavenly Man. (1. Corinthians 15:44,48-49)
Hence the question: the only time the Bible speaks of the "divine nature" it is clear that from a biblical standpoint it means the lifeform of "incorruptible spiritual bodies".
So is "God" a type of lifeform as appears to be the understanding and intermittent use of the term by people believing in the homoousion , or is it a general title that the one Almighty God carries in the highest possible sense?
Asked by Js Witness
(2416 rep)
Apr 30, 2024, 11:16 AM
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