What is Theosis? | Greek Orthodoxy 101

[@carmelitabiffle5572]

Excellent explaining. I feel Greek Orthodoxy has the right answers about how we are to relate to God.

[@kaykay865]

Orthodoxy is not a nation

[@jedimasterham2]

In scripture, "gods" means magistrate or ruler. It does NOT mean one can become God, or a demi-god. Orthodox is a satanic cult, and it perverts God's word to make people think they can become God.

[@Jbarnes1]

@@kaykay865no duh

[@Awakeningspirit20]

I love how the Greeks spent centuries trying to figure out how to become gods and then St. Paul came around like "lemme show ya how to do that!" Greek logic combined with God's truth has created something amazing here. It's a shame that India never came around in the same way, India is like a parallel civilization to Greece and also discovered how the cosmos worked, but they stayed pagan. An Orthodox India would be the most cosmically-awakened civilization on earth.

[@blsabjflkdsafjb5768]

Fusion ha!

[@justinfinch2458]

advaita vedanta is monotheistic, they believe god manifests through various forms to offer different

[@sklpgr788]

lol you have no idea about india. they are much more philosophically and spiritually advanced than kikeworshippers

[@sklpgr788]

@@justinfinch2458 it’s not.

[@SUMMTHASWORD]

The spirit of beneolent_benevolence be with you. 6476

[@guspapadopoulos]

Thank you Father for making it especially clear to many Protestants who totally are mislead with the whole dogma of essence and energy. Saint Gregory of Palmas also gives a great understanding of essence/energy along with another issue which those who are not Orthodox and that is Heasychast.

[@EricBryant]

I really feel like Theosis is roughly the same concept as sanctification. It's just that deification of the flesh, soul, and spirit is the *process* or *mechanism* by which sanctification happens. 2 Peter 1:4 "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

[@prayunceasingly2029]

Apparently it's also very closely connected with grace as well!

[@beckyyoussef2669]

@Nikos Antikythera But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Matthew 23:8‭-‬9 KJV

[@Castellano87]

@@beckyyoussef2669 1 Cor 4:15 St. Paul says, “For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel”

[@Wholly_Fool]

I finally found a word for what has been happening to me. The protestants around me didnt understand. Now they seem to be opening their mind, because they can't explain why such strange insights enter into my mind about them and their lives. They even started to suspect I was a sorcerer. I thought I was just following the teachings of Christ.

[@johnwheeler4791]

Succinct and excellent introduction to the basic concept of Theosis. Nice to find these presentations, thank you.

[@jedimasterham2]

In scripture, "gods" means magistrate or ruler. It does NOT mean one can become God, or a demi-god. Orthodox is a satanic cult, and it perverts God's word to make people think they can become God.

[@MrGb1965]

Thank you for the helpful post. One question, please. What is meant by the term “Theon geneste”, attributed, I believe to St. Athanathius? Thanks again.

[@annunciationorthodox]

Father will be addressing this question in tonight's Orthodoxy Questions Answered live show!

[@aronbabb115]

Thanks I needed this explanation

[@annunciationorthodox]

Glad it helped!

[@mahngehnjeshu380]

Thank u so much for that clarification, I wish I have the opportunity to learn more from ur institution

[@k9leadstheway531]

So whats the difference between theosis and sanctification? Protestants would say sanctification is the holy spirit conforming and making one more in the likeness of the Son?

[@annunciationorthodox]

Father Maggos will be answering this question in this Thursday night's episode of Orthodoxy Questions Answered! Thank you!

[@k9leadstheway531]

​@@annunciationorthodoxI will be watching. Thanks!

[@GabeGX]

Yeah, I'm an evangelical trying to learn more about Orthodoxy. I'm looking forward to learning more details, but as a general concept "Theosis" seems to be synonymous with what we refer to as "our walk with Christ" or sanctification.

[@JH_Phillips]

Thanks for this course.

[@soniarizkallah5666]

What does it mean commune with God.?

[@annunciationorthodox]

Father Maggos will be answering your question in tonight's live Orthodoxy Questions Answered!

[@SUMMTHASWORD]

The spirit of benevolent_benevolence be with you. 707

[@annunciationorthodox]

God bless you

[@stressaccount7664]

I find it interesting that there is a new interest in Orthodox Christianity in the west. What I've gathered is it has maintained the traditional lineage of Christianity. Theosis seems to be a ground for living as a Christian in the world that was not present for me growing up in the Pentecostal denomination. My reading of Seraphim Rose's book on nihilism has pushed me further in this direction. However I live on a little island on the west coast of Canada and wonder if there is any church here let alone orthodox near by.

[@cabellero1120]

Christian life without Theosis is arbitrary. If you place an iron rod in a furnace, it does not become the fire, rather, it takes on properties of the fire. We are to become by grace, What He is by nature. Does it not say in Scripture, We are to be partakers of the Divine nature.. We are not just saved from Something We are saved for Someone! ☦️🙏

[@Liminalplace1]

Similar to many Protestants ..speaking truth from the wrong scriptures . None of those scriptures quoted meant that in their original context but that doesn't mean it is not taught elsewhere.

[@thenarrowdoor7]

we are born from adam and we must reborn with christ

[@Crabbypino]

Thanks for this post

[@Bibleguy89-uu3nr]

Ooof. I like the idea of theosis but that's a bad set of passages to go to. I'd suggest checking out Heiser on that.

[@gobucs3146]

Theosis can only be explained by someone who has achieved it, it isn’t academic. You can’t explain it academically. Read writings of St Joseph the Hesychast, St Paisios, St Porphyrios, the Elder Ephraim, etc.

[@nadzach]

Those to whom the word of God came? Ive been waiting many years for anyone who could understand what it means to know "the beginning of the response of God," i hope im spelling this right, but Solomon wrote ענה and LXX translates this "the beginning of the response." One day i asked God what was the quickening in the gospel of John. I had been following the way of life: the quickening of the heart is salvation through forgiveness because God still loves us in spite of our sin. Thats our first stepp into the outer court. He makes the sacrifice of putting us before even his own son to open the way for us μαρκ מערה (maybe i spelled it wrong, but its there in the passage on the way of life)--we are "established" in his kingdom? And μετ'θεου מאת is the Father with me. את = AΨ. I have accepted the will of the Father as my will. So that i can say, "i am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." I was so excited that day, for my soul was healed and quickened, enabling me to live more righteously. And then the quickening of the mind--לוק, the latter part? I was following the pathway from grace to grace--making my way toward the mercy seat. Because of the one thing God wants of us. "Seek my face." And he drew me with cords of love. Jesus is the face of God. He is seated, now, on the mercy seat as in the πρωτον psalm. And he draws the ελεκτον

[@marvinl9646]

How is theosis different from the continual process of sanctification? I’m speaking from a Protestant perspective.

[@annunciationorthodox]

Father Angelo will be answering your question in tonight's Orthodoxy Questions Answered live show.

[@TheMutePsalmist]

​@@annunciationorthodoxwhere is this live show and can you give some time stamp aswell if possible?

[@McCarthy1776]

I hear other orthodox scholars saying the opposite. What youre saying is no different than protestant religions.

[@jesusloveyou3976]

What are you even saying? Absolutely no Orthodox scholars say anything opposite to theosis.

[@parkermize]

Wasn't He referencing His authority to judge the fallen angels???

[@beckyyoussef2669]

Yes He is - they don't take the Bible literally. They tend to allegorically interpret which is why they have weird doctrines like this

[@Tornadospeed10]

@@beckyyoussef2669 if you take everything the Bible says at face value and completely literally you’re failing to interpret the Bible correctly…. Does it not say “God is not man” at many points in the Bible? So by your logic, because everything in the Bible is completely literal, Jesus wasn’t God. It’s just foolish to think everything was completely literal. Figurative language plays a huge part and a lot of what Jesus says required a deeper thought and context to interpret. It’s also just naive to say 1500-2000 years after Christ is when we suddenly started to become Christians in the correct way

[@pavlekovacevic1676]

​@@beckyyoussef2669 says protestant XD

[@JaakkoJohannes]

@@beckyyoussef2669If you take everything in the bible literally, then you have to believe we will sacrifice animals again in a temple in the future. If you believe this then christ died for nothing.

[@jameslundrigan2751]

He said we don’t share in Gods “essence” but in his “energies”. Now I am aware of these distinctions however I would ask this brother of ours if he thinks the “Essence” of God is the same as his “nature”? For me the two words are synonyms. Essence, nature. I think these to thing are really saying the same thing. And so, if I am correct, I say if because I reserve the right to be wrong and corrected, but if God’s essence and his nature are the same thing, then perhaps theosis is taking part in/ sharing in the divine essence. 2 Peter 1:4 through which he has given to us the greatest and precious promises, that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are parakeets of the divine nature. Again, if nature and essence are the same thing, then perhaps we do partake in the divine essence. Of course this doesn’t and wouldn’t make us equal to God or God’s within our own right, but one body made up of the divine and his redeemed creation. As our Lord Yeshus said in his prayer in John, that we may so be one. That we would be one with the Father in the SAME way He is one with the Father. John 17:11 11 I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. John 17:20-21 20 “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

[@SUMMTHASWORD]

{{{}}} The spirit of vigilant_vigilance be with you.

[@cherokeejack3502]

So, similar to sanctification? Man's will is not "free" it is a fallen nature, stained by sin.

[@solomonsvehla7105]

Theosis is divinization-of gods in God.

[@kassandra1071]

Seems you missed his point at 1:32

[@drooskie9525]

@@kassandra1071 Just depends on how you mean it. the priest stated you do not share in the essence of God, but rather his energies... but his energies are the properties (to my understanding anyway) like immortality, eternal, infinitude, power, omniscience, love, etc. We become gods by grace, but more so in the pagan sense (arguably higher even), but never ever like God in the essence sense. A analogy often used is a rod of iron in a fire. the iron takes on the properties of fire but does not ever become the fire itself.

[@robinmiller871]

I always felt my divine nature from an early age. That as children of GOD, our path was to God hood. Not as GOD but as God's to rule by GODS side. It seems that much is lost in translation. The ambiguity of certain words and thier definitions, confuse many if us. Often, it seems we are speaking of the same thing but with different words/perspectives.

[@joelpostma8242]

Psalm 82... if you keep reading.. is certainly NOT referring to a human. I wonder if the GO church takes a Sethite view of Gen 6.

[@johnnyd2383]

In order to understand as to whom Lord is speaking to, in Psalm 82, one ought to read it from the beginning. God addresses the earthly rulers and powers in the land (v. 2, 3, 4) as if they were gods (v. 1), angelic sons of the Most High. The address is full of irony. It is as if God says to them that they exercise such power on Earth it is as if you are gods yourselves! That they imagine themselves as they are above the common judgment of man, and are members of God's Heavenly council. It is thus clear that those addressed by God in this Psalm are not members of His Heavenly council, but earthly rulers of Israel. The Psalm assures these exalted rulers that for all their uncommon pretensions to invincible power, they will still die like any other men (v. 7). Angels do not die, and they certainly do not die like men. Therefore the objects of the denunciation were men, not angels. Going back to the Gospel, namely (John 10, 34), Lord Himself when quoting Psalm 82, said that the words, "You are gods" referred to those "to whom the Word of God came" - i.e. to men. This in itself should settle the question about whether God was addressing angels or men in the Psalm 82.

[@joelpostma8242]

@@johnnyd2383 I see too much evidence of a Divine Council Worldview in the age of the Bible Writer to accept your arguement... More peace to you as you discover how the DCW makes all the weird passages of the bible more clear. (if its weird. its important !)

[@johnnyd2383]

@@joelpostma8242 EOC existed for decades prior to the times writers wrote NT books, and we preached Resurrected Lord at the times when OT books were in existence only. Once NT books were written down it took more decades to have them manually copied. Our parishes were functioning normally in the mean time. EOC faith thus predates NT books and we do not need to reverse-engineer them. We know them by heart as they are excerpts from the original faith as Lord delivered it once unto Saints. We feel sorry for all those who are trying to come to the original faith by reverse-engineering texts of the Bible and are miserably failing. Some realized where originality is and are thus joining EOC. Others are perhaps too proud or like too much their hats having on a forehead inscription "POPE". God knows.

[@johnnyd2383]

@@joelpostma8242 EOC existed for decades prior to the times writers wrote NT books, and we preached Resurrected Lord at the times when OT books were in existence only. Once NT books were written down it took more decades to have them manually copied. Our parishes were functioning normally in the mean time. EOC faith thus predates NT books and we do not need to reverse-engineer them. We know them by heart as they are excerpts from the original faith as Lord delivered it once unto Saints. We feel sorry for all those who are trying to come to the original faith by reverse-engineering texts of the Bible and are miserably failing. Some realized where originality is and are thus joining EOC. Others are perhaps too proud or like too much their hats having on a forehead inscription "POPE". God knows.

[@Sunicarus]

He sounds like Ray Romano, is it just me?

[@eltonron1558]

Yes, we do not become gods, however, immortal spirits, joint heirs brethren, with the son, which clearly means, FAMILY. Ephesians 3;15. I'm really liking the Greek orthodox attitude on this, however, not the embrace of graven imagery on steroids. I just don't understand that.

[@Papasquatch73]

that’s interesting. I interpret the words in Psalm 82 and John 10 as referring to the divine counsel. Michael Heiser has done quite a bit of work in this area.

[@chriswright2483]

Agreed

[@HaleStorm49]

And who was on that counsel?

[@grabeless1656]

Me First time I fall upon the term "theosis" :" whaaat? Where did all humility talk go? Damm I got clickbaited by a heretical site." Its the craziest thing I have red about orthodoxy

[@memymo1310]

Becoming like God is the point. We are his icons on earth. Nothing crazy about it. We are just reclaiming our proper place and our original character giving back to us by Christ. We are little "g" gods...created to rein under God, over creation. Even in the grace of humility we image God. Isn't the Trinity MOST humble???

[@Sokofeather]

I've been listening to Michael Heiser on the plural small-g 'gods', creations of God, lower than Christ, which seems the same language used for Saints by Paul.

[@nicofash6366]

What is Greek Orthodoxy? Isnt the Orthodox Christian faith just Orthodoxy?

[@annunciationorthodox]

Father Angelo will be answering your question in tonight's Orthodoxy Questions Answered live show.

[@jameswiliams]

THEOSIS Becoming TEMPLES of God, is a PART TAKE with the Holy Spirit known as being Holy, the Overcoming of mortality, BECOMING a new creation part man part god or a god by the Grace of God (1 Corinthians 3 :16) Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God”?

[@tyowongndeso]

so it's basically that we have to become christ like, more like christ.

[@brendagula6290]

For Protestants this would be glorification which is in the Bible and the same when Jesus received his glorified body.why doesn't Orthodox church just use the word used in the Bible??? Glorification!

[@annunciationorthodox]

Father Maggos will be answering your question in tonight's live Orthodoxy Questions Answered!

[@andreasxstavs9028]

This video, with all due respect, doesn’t make much sense. The Orthodox approach often involves reading their own narrative into scripture (eisegesis) rather than drawing meaning directly from scripture (exegesis). They tend to cherry-pick verses and attach their traditions to them, which can overlook God’s command to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Theosis is not a biblical concept or teaching but rather a man-made Orthodox religious tradition. It simply doesn’t make sense.

[@TheMatriarch-uf6xs]

So they’re not legalists. That’s a good thing. Scripture speaks to everyone differently.

[@beckyyoussef2669]

That particular Psalm is referring to the fallen angels. Your interpretation is wrong

[@thorgeist]

I’m inclined to agree with you, the word “Elohim” which is “gods” or “God depending on context, is used in Psalms 82 is a title we humans have never been given, or called by God. The Jews try to say it means the “judges.” Yet, Judges nor Kings ever embellishes this concept. I’m not sure where some of these Christians get this theory that Psalms 82 is about humans. Deuteronomy 32 and Genesis’ Tower of Babel event explain this further.

[@JoshuaButler-b6p]

Better tell the Lord, because He applies it to the Pharisees in John 10:34.

[@Unxpekted]

We are Gods, so we are all Christ or is it Christ within us? Illumination is also used by freemasons...

[@willtheperson7224]

We partake in the Divine Nature of God through his powers as we read from the Epistle of Peter or behold the Gifts (Energeia) of the Spirit as we read from St Paul.

[@maxwelllewis4486]

You are misunderstanding what Freemasons say (especially the Orthodox ones).

[@prayunceasingly2029]

@@maxwelllewis4486 there are orthodox freemasons?? Yikes. Freemasonry has another God.

[@prayunceasingly2029]

gods is little g, and it's experienced by grace. Man is not fully God but can become like God by sharing in the divine nature. Man will never achieve Godhood though, this is what the Mormons believe.

[@maxwelllewis4486]

@@prayunceasingly2029 No, it doesn't. You clearly have no idea about what you're talking.

[@Theodoros.K.Mouchtaris]

Father it is beyond "imagination" that you're saying Theósis! The correct of course, and you know that, is Théosis... Θέωσις in Greek. After you saying it like that I even searched it in KZbin to see if Americans (mistakenly) say it like that... Even there they said it correctly. At least they were correct to where the accent is placed. And one more thing. Please remove this opening (and closing) music. It is inappropriate, to say the least. It is extremely far from being close to our religion, for sure. What's more it is even far for being really Greek! It follows a very low level folklorish foreigners' stereotype about Greece. No one in Greece could even bear to hear... So sorry 😢

[@adim00lah]

I enjoyed the video, but why do you call yourself father rather than friar (brother)? Jesus said not to call any man upon earth father. "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Matthew 23:9

[@gabrielgabriel5177]

This is heresy in real orthodoxy ( so called oriental orthodoxy )

[@tutorialchief]

there is no free will, i dont go into detail but if for example you are born in a isolated country, full of nice loving people, lots of food and everything you need, there would be body disease or maybe one day some questions arise of marvelous world, but no one would care about god, theosis salvation...even some foreign fellow would tell those things than people would have no intrest in it because they are already happy, why do you think tribal people around the world rejected christian ideas, money, technology??!! They were happy with their lives all day long, so the question arises without suffering there would be no thoughts about god, transformation of people, good and bad?

[@tutorialchief]

a creator cannot be free either, as long as there is will its not free, that simple, before will there comes passion, if you have some passion you also lack something obvious, if you lack something than you are not free, you are driven by your passion and than through will you create

[@eprimchad2576]

ok well im not arguing this but a christian could argue that those tribes or natives, which also have their own religions, are worshipping demons and false idols, which would obviously turn them further away from god, not towards it. they practice child sacrifice, mass murder and rape, and you think everything is good in their lives all day long? hilariously ignorant.

[@jameswiliams]

THEOSIS Becoming TEMPLES of God, is a PART TAKE with the Holy Spirit known as being Holy, the Overcoming of mortality, BECOMING a new creation part man part god or a god by the Grace of God (1 Corinthians 3 :16) Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God”? Theois is a process by which we are able to know God personally