We live in a time where many people are suffering from an identity crisis.
No, I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about you. I'm talking about us. I'm talking about the identity crisis in, and perpetuated by, the American Church.
Do you know who are we are?
What are 'humans'?
Are humans, are we, deplorable, evil spawns of filth? Are we inherently sinful and evil creatures lower than dirt?
I've heard plenty of pastors and sermons say so.
Good news, that's a lie.
We aren't fundamentally, at our core, deplorable beings.
We are gods.
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Does that sound to you like heretical, blasphemy?
The people thought so when Jesus said it.
Here's what He said in reply:
“Are there not,” replied Jesus, “these words in your Law – ‘I said, You are gods’?
John 10:34 (OEB)
So, in my defense, God called us gods, and Jesus affirmed those words. So, I'm just going to believe what it says. I'm going to believe that we are gods.
Going Deeper
But, for the sake of completion, let's look deeper.
What exactly is Jesus quoting?
Am I just taking things out of context?
Are there more verses that support this idea?
What about everything that counters this idea?
The Original Verse
Clearly Jesus is quoting something right? So what is Jesus quoting in the verse that I quoted?
It was I who appointed you gods, children of the Most High all of you.
Psalm 82:6 (OEB)
Jesus was quoting a Psalm.
It's pretty meh to pull lines out of a Psalm without the full context. So:
God the Upholder of Justice
A psalm of Asaph.
God has taken his stand
in the divine assembly:
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.
“How long will you crookedly judge,
and favor the wicked? Selah
Do right by the weak and the orphan,
acquit the innocent poor.
Rescue the weak and the needy,
save them from the hand of the wicked.“They have neither knowledge nor insight,
in darkness they walk to and fro,
while the earth’s foundations totter.
It was I who appointed you gods,
children of the Most High all of you.
Yet like mortals you will surely die,
you will fall like any prince.”
Arise, O God, judge the earth,
for all nations are yours by inheritance.Psalm 82 (OEB)
This is kind of a weird Psalm. What's going on here?
First, God is judging all the other gods in the divine assembly.
Other gods?
Divine assembly?
God's judgment against the other gods is that they are in the wrong for favoring the wicked over the marginalized people who are in need.
God's sentence is that these gods will die like every other mortal.
So, who are these gods?
What is this assembly?
Who are the marginalized who walk in darkness?
This is one of those cases where there is no clear answer, and so much debate. All I can do is trust the Spirit of God within to lead me and guide me in all truth. Use your own discernment to test my words. Admittedly, I don't feel there is enough evidential support to my interpretation, but I can't write anything else.
The assembly and gods are the people of Israel. They were chosen by God and given the knowledge of truth for the task of partnering with God to put the world back together.
Those walking in darkness are other nations who are blind to the light of God.
The Israelites were rejecting their purpose and favoring the exploitation of the ignorant over spreading the light of God's love.
For this they became blind mortals themselves.
Years later, Jesus calls himself the Son of God and the people plan to stone him for blasphemy.
The Context
Soon after this the Festival of the Rededication was held at Jerusalem. It was winter; and Jesus was walking in the Temple Courts, in the Colonnade of Solomon, when the people gathered around him, and said, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us so frankly.”
“I have told you so,” replied Jesus, “and you do not believe me. The work that I am doing in my Father’s name bears testimony to me. But you do not believe me, because you are not of my flock. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they will not be lost; nor will anyone snatch them out of my hands. What my Father has entrusted to me is more than all else; and no one can snatch anything out of the Father’s hands. The Father and I are one.”
Some of the people again brought stones to throw at him; and seeing this, Jesus said, “I have done before your eyes many good actions, inspired by the Father; for which of them would you stone me?”
“It is not for any good action that we would stone you,” they answered, “but for blasphemy; and because you, who are only a man, make yourself out to be God.”
“Are there not,” replied Jesus, “these words in your Law – ‘I said, You are gods’? If those to whom God’s word were addressed were said to be ‘gods’ – and scripture cannot be set aside – do you say of one whom the Father has consecrated and sent as his messenger to the world ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the work that my Father is doing, do not believe me; if I am doing it, even though you do not believe me, believe what that work shows; so that you may understand, and understand more and more clearly, that the Father is in union with me, and I with the Father.” The authorities again sought to arrest him; but he escaped their hands.
John 10:22-39 (OEB)
Jesus claims to be the Messiah, to be the Son of God. For this blasphemy, the people (Israelites) seek to stone him. In his defense, Jesus quotes where God calls other humans gods and reasons that since he is a messenger of God, he is well within the framework to assume the title of 'Son of God'. Jesus uses his works a proof that he and the Father are one.
The people have not been in alignment with the purpose God has for them and see someone claiming to be God as a blasphemer.
Jesus is doing the will of the Father and sees himself as one with God, calling himself the Son of God.
Doing the will of God causes you to be one with God.
Doing the will of God causes you to be a god.
Doing the will of God open your eyes to who you have always been.
...
Yes, I know, it sounds quite blasphemous to me as well. That's why I find it to be one of the most radical verses in the bible.
Yes, I am making a bit of a leap. There seems to be a big difference between Jesus claiming he's God and claiming we are god.
I'll try providing some more evidence and connections after briefly acknowledging some of the common refutations.
Common Counters
All Have Sinned
For all have sinned, and all fall short of God’s glorious ideal,
Romans 3:23 (OEB)
Frankly, I find this argument to be a bit silly. Just because all have sinned, that doesn't change our fundamental identity. A wrench can be used as a murder weapon, but it is still a wrench because it was created to be a wrench.
All it means that all have sinned, is simply that all need reminded of who they really are.
The Serpent's Lie
For God sees that on the day when you take of its fruit, your eyes will be open, and you will be as gods, having knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:5 (BBE)
This is the strongest refutation. The serpent's lie was that eating the fruit would make Eve a god. The temptation to become a god is the whole thing that led to the fall.
It must be quite blasphemous what I'm proposing. I'm essentially proposing that same lie.
...
Unless that interpretation is wrong...
This topic is another whole article in and of itself. I'm skimming over a lot, but simply put, was the serpent lying or telling the truth?
The deceptive lie of the serpent was that they would become what they already were. The lie was that they weren't already one with God, and needed to do something to attain that oneness.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve were one with God.
The serpent convinced Eve they weren't and tricked them into partaking of the knowledge of good and evil.
This knowledge blinded them from the light of God, causing them to live separate from Him.
More Evidence
Alright. I've presented the bones of my case, and addressed the main refutations. Now, I want to present the main evidence to sure up my claims.
Creation
First, let's start at the beginning and look at who we were created to be.
And God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of the sky, and over the tame animals, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creature that crawls on the earth." And it was so. And God created humankind in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26,27 (NHEB)
For me, this is the very core of what it means to be a god.
We are made in the image of God, Imago Dei. Unless God made us a poor reflection of Himself, we are made like Him and share His divine nature.
Children of God
He came to his own –
yet his own did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God –
to those who believe in his name.
John 1:11,12 (OEB)
For you are all sons of God, through your faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26 (OEB)
Multiple places we are called children, sons and daughters, of God. Offspring are of the same identity as their parent.
We Will Judge Angels
In his letter to the Corinthians, when talking a bit about court systems, Paul casually mentions that we will judge angels.
Don’t you know that we are to try angels – to say nothing of the affairs of this life?
1 Corinthians 6:3 (OEB)
I argue that you cannot judge what you are lesser than. So, we are, at the very least, greater beings than angels.
One With God
I've spoken at length about being one with God.
At that time you will recognize that I am in union with the Father, and you with me, and I with you.
John 14:20 (OEB)
Again, I argue, to be one with, we must be made the same.
...
Maybe you're convinced, maybe not. That's okay. This is a bit of a strange concept compared to what is typically taught.
I will say, it isn't a new idea, and it's not my idea. Deification or Theosis is pretty common in ancient theologies over the Orthodox, Catholic, and Mystical traditions.
Regardless, I will leave you with this summation.
Conclusion
“Are there not,” replied Jesus, “these words in your Law – ‘I said, You are gods’?
John 10:34 (OEB)
There is an identity issue that the Church likes to harp on.
But, there is a much deeper identity issue within the Church itself.
This identity issue robs the Church of her power and authority. It turns us from eternal gods, to mere mortals.
The Church teaches we are retched sinners in the hands of an angry God.
That is a lie.
We are blind gods seeking the light of our true identity as Children of a loving God.
We are blind because we favor the wicked over the poor and marginalized.
Repent (metanoeō), change your way of thinking, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. The captives are set free. Sight has been restored to the blind. And the oppressed have liberty.
So, what is your identity?
You are made in the image of God. Made of the same substance as the God above gods. You are one with the grandest thing in the universe. You are a god.
You are Love.