02 — The Scriptural Ground
The doctrine of deification is not a Byzantine overlay on the New Testament but a reading of its most realistic language about salvation. This section works through the texts: 2 Peter 1:4 as the locus classicus, Psalm 81/82:6 with the Lord’s own use of it in John 10:34–35, the Pauline theology of adoption, conformity, and glory, the promise of 1 John 3:2, and the Transfiguration as the paradigm of what deification looks like.
Tradition: Pan-Orthodox
Contents
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| partakers-of-the-divine-nature.md | 2 Peter 1:4 in its Greek and its context; Psalm 81/82:6 and Christ’s argument in John 10:34–35; the Johannine union texts and the patristic exegesis of all three |
| sonship-glory-and-the-transfiguration.md | The Pauline adoption, conformity, and glory texts (Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:3–4); 1 John 3:2; and the Transfiguration as the paradigm and pledge |
Reading Order
Begin with partakers-of-the-divine-nature.md for the two texts that carry the technical vocabulary of participation and of “gods,” then sonship-glory-and-the-transfiguration.md for the broader New Testament theology of adoption and glory and for the event in which the doctrine is seen rather than argued.
See Also
- Master README — collection overview and navigation
- 01 — What Theosis Is — the definition these texts ground
- 03 — The Patristic Witness — the Fathers’ reading of these texts, next in sequence
- The Orthodox Scriptures — the canon, the LXX, and the Church’s manner of reading