Irenaeus

[Dave_Regenerated]

According to this Wikipedia article: -

The teaching about deification of a Christian can be found as early as in the works of Irenaeus (c. 130–202), a Greek Father who is also known as the Father of Catholic theology,[3] and who was bishop of the church of Lyons in France. For example, in the preface to his apologetic work Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies) vol. 5, Irenaeus states that "[T]he Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ ... did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself"."[4] Athanasius of Alexandria was an author of the phrase about Jesus Christ which has become popular in Christmas homilies: "He was made human so that he might make us sons of god" (De incarnatione 54,3, cf. Contra Arianos 1.39). Divinization in the context of the Eucharist was taught by Gregory of Nyssa and Cyril of Alexandria. The term never meant for them breaching the absolute ontological distinction between God and his creation.[2]

There were many different references to divinization in the writings of the Church Fathers.

As previously noted, in the second century, Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (c. 130–202) said that the Word Jesus Christ had "become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself."[4] He added:

Divinization (Christian) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So Irenaeus was taught by Polycarp who knew the Apostle John. This means that, accordingly, the Apostle John must have believed in the idea that humans can become like God or, better, like Jesus himself.

If that is true, it means the Trinity isn't a correct doctrine. If a guy that knew a guy that knew John the Apostle said Divinization meant being equal to Christ, the concept of the Trinity makes less or no real sense.

Do we cast blame on him [God] because we were not made gods from the beginning, but were at first created merely as men, and then later as gods? Although God has adopted this course out of his pure benevolence, that no one may charge him with discrimination or stinginess, he declares, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are sons of the Most High." ... For it was necessary at first that nature be exhibited, then after that what was mortal would be conquered and swallowed up in immortality.[5]

 

[TB2]

If that is true, it means the Trinity isn't a correct doctrine. If a guy that knew a guy that knew John the Apostle said Divinization meant being equal to Christ, the concept of the Trinity makes less or no real sense.

Don't see how that follows (and I'm pretty sure they were maintaining strict ontological distinctions; i.e., they weren't saying that believers become The one and only God but become like God; nor were they teaching that we are pre-existent like Christ/the Word in John 1.1). But either way, that has no connection to the Trinity, and we don't even need to discuss the Trinity, because prayer and worship of Jesus Christ as deity alongside Yawheh/God the Father to the exclusion of all other false pagan gods goes back to the earliest Christian writings we have (i.e., the NT).

 

[Eleanor]

If that is true, it means the Trinity isn't a correct doctrine. If a guy that knew a guy that knew John the Apostle said Divinization meant being equal to Christ, the concept of the Trinity makes less or no real sense.

The Trinity comes from the actual evidence of the NT, where:

1) We have three separate persons (divine agents), Father, Son and Holy Spirit, presented in the work of salvation:
a)--at its beginning (Luke 1:35),
-----at the inauguration of Jesus' public ministry (Matthew 3:16-17) and
-----in the work of atonement (Hebrews 9:14),

b) the Holy Spirit completing the work (salvation) of the Father through the Son
(Acts 2:38-39; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Ephesians 1:3-14, Ephesians 2:13-22; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2),

c) the only way to enter the kingdom of the Father (salvation) is through faith in the Son and regeneration by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-15).

2) And where Jesus shows the personhoods of three distinct and separate divine agents:

The Son is sent by the Father, in the Father's name (John 5:23, 36, 43).
The Spirit is sent by the Father in the Son's name (John 14:26).
The Spirit is subject to the Son as well as to the Father, for the Spirit is sent by the Son as well as the Father (John 15:26, 16:7, 14:26).

One doesn't send oneself, one sends another who is separate from oneself.

Your assertion of translation errors remains simply a convenient assertion until demonstrated.

The Trinity--one God in three separate divine persons--is presented in NT teaching from the beginning.[/QUOTE]

 

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

According to this Wikipedia article: -

The teaching about deification of a Christian can be found as early as in the works of Irenaeus (c. 130–202), a Greek Father who is also known as the Father of Catholic theology,[3] and who was bishop of the church of Lyons in France. For example, in the preface to his apologetic work Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies) vol. 5, Irenaeus states that "[T]he Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ ... did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself"."[4] Athanasius of Alexandria was an author of the phrase about Jesus Christ which has become popular in Christmas homilies: "He was made human so that he might make us sons of god" (De incarnatione 54,3, cf. Contra Arianos 1.39). Divinization in the context of the Eucharist was taught by Gregory of Nyssa and Cyril of Alexandria. The term never meant for them breaching the absolute ontological distinction between God and his creation.[2]

There were many different references to divinization in the writings of the Church Fathers.

As previously noted, in the second century, Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (c. 130–202) said that the Word Jesus Christ had "become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself."[4] He added:

Divinization (Christian) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So Irenaeus was taught by Polycarp who knew the Apostle John. This means that, accordingly, the Apostle John must have believed in the idea that humans can become like God or, better, like Jesus himself.

If that is true, it means the Trinity isn't a correct doctrine. If a guy that knew a guy that knew John the Apostle said Divinization meant being equal to Christ, the concept of the Trinity makes less or no real sense.

Ireneus isn't orthodox in all his beliefs. He spent so much time refuting heresies that some of the gnostic ideas appear to have infiltrated his theology.

He also said that Jesus was something like 50 years old at the time of the crucifixion.

 

[Carbon]

Ireneus isn't orthodox in all his beliefs. He spent so much time refuting heresies that some of the gnostic ideas appear to have infiltrated his theology.

He also said that Jesus was something like 50 years old at the time of the crucifixion.

Keep in mind there are forgeries also.