December 7, 2014: We Are Gods – Michael Hidalgo

The Psalmist proclaims we are gods – and uses the same Hebrew word for God (elohim) when he says this. And while this idea may well make us uneasy Jesus quotes it to refute the arguments of the religious elite in John 10.34. Of course, this does not mean what we think it means, does it? Can it?

Well first, this Scripture – or any Scripture – does not proclaim we are divine. However it does teach that we can become by grace what God is by nature. This is what Peter was getting at when he speaks about participating in the divine nature. It’s not just that we know about God or that we know God intimately. That we experience a union with the Divine.

This is why Scripture speaks so adamantly about us being perfect, and being co-heirs with Jesus. The presumption of the authors is we can (and will) become like Jesus. We have so disavowed this idea that it can seem like utter nonsense. But it is what the early church held to for years. Perhaps it’s time once again to pursue this union with Jesus. And how would we do that? The first step is learning about the life he lived. Which means immersing our whole self in him and in his teachings.