Theosis vs Christlikeness

[face2face]

Went over your head

Okay, explain Perfect Humanity

I'm all ears!

F2F

 

[Johann]

All true especially your statement in BLUE

And yet the Lord Jesus and scripture imply even more, in "have I not said you are gods but you shall die as men".

Some people here might read this and interpret it far beyond what's actually written, @David in NJ.

Have a blessed--good night?

J.

 

[David in NJ]

Some people here might read this and interpret it far beyond what's actually written, @David in NJ.

Have a blessed--good night?

J.

Few understand what i mean by that except the Lord, the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures.

Those who read beyond that which the Lord intended will also be doing the same in other scriptures as well as we often see on here.

SHALOM @Johann AND it is 5pm EST USA at this moment = DINNER = HOCKEY at 7pm

 

[David in NJ]

Okay, explain Perfect Humanity

I'm all ears!

F2F

Does not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ explain it for us???

 

[face2face]

Does not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ explain it for us???

Well, go on...

 

[David in NJ]

Well, go on...

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 

[face2face]

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Sorry David, you used the words "Perfect Humanity" and God is not Human so I jumped on this promptly.

Human nature is not perfect; it is flawed. This is why God made a public display of Christ's death. If Almighty God, in His wisdom, had no other way to "fix" our nature, then the only solution was to put it to death on the cross.

F2F

 

[David in NJ]

Sorry David, you used the words "Perfect Humanity" and God is not Human so I jumped on this promptly.

Human nature is not perfect; it is flawed. This is why God made a public display of Christ's death. If Almighty God, in His wisdom, had no other way to "fix" our nature, then the only solution was to put it to death on the cross.

F2F

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

[ProDeo]

I was not aware of this.

God's Nature and Mortal Experience:

Lorenzo Snow's Couple: Lorenzo Snow, the fifth President of the LDS Church, is known for the couplet: "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be."
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

Official Church Teaching: The LDS Church teaches that God the Father possesses a glorified, perfected body of flesh and bones. While the couplet suggests that God was once in a mortal state, the specifics of His mortal experience are not detailed in official church doctrine. The Church emphasizes that God is perfect, all-knowing, and all-powerful.

2. Human Potential to Become Like God:

Becoming Like God: The LDS Church teaches that human beings are literal spirit children of God and have the potential to become like Him. This doctrine is rooted in biblical passages such as Romans 8:16-17, which speaks of being "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." The Church's Gospel Topics essay titled "Becoming Like God" explains this belief in detail.
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

Clarification on Deification: While Latter-day Saints believe in the potential for humans to become like God, this does not imply equality with God or independence from Him. The process involves becoming perfected through Christ's Atonement and living in harmony with God's will. The Church emphasizes that worship is directed solely to God the Father and Jesus Christ.

3. Addressing Misconceptions:

God's Sinlessness: The LDS Church does not teach that God was ever a sinner. The nature of God's mortal experience, as mentioned earlier, is not fully detailed in LDS doctrine, and speculative interpretations are not considered official teachings.

Exaltation and Eternal Progression: The belief in becoming like God is often misunderstood. The Church teaches that through adherence to the gospel of Jesus Christ, individuals can inherit all that God has, but this is achieved through His grace and by following His commandments. It does not mean that individuals will replace God or operate independently of Him.

For more detailed information, I can refer you to the official LDS Church website and the Gospel Topics essays, which provide in-depth explanations of these doctrines.

Homepage - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Discover a service-oriented, globally-connected Christian church that is led by a prophet of God and seeks to follow Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

See if you can find it @ProDeo since I am tired-at the moment.

J.

There have been splits in the LDS church, so it depends where you land on the internet.

 

[David in NJ]

There have been splits in the LDS church, so it depends where you land on the internet.

"As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be." = Serpent Speak #1

 

[ProDeo]

"As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be." = Serpent Speak #1

Absolutely.

 

[APAK]

God's "enegies" is His Holy Spirit. There is no other energy from God that affects us. You are merely repeating a "factory setting" that somehow is supposed to explain away something that is not found in the bible.



You are not understanding the doctrine of theosis as it is taught. Deification means to become a god. It means to become holy or god-like in ourselves...by grace. And this isn't true. We become Christlike in His humanity as we are covered by His divinity. We never become divine ourselves. So then while the Protestants undershoot the truth....the Orthodox go too far. In any case many in the Orthodox church have experienced a close walk in the Spirit. It's the ones who OBSERVE THESE that have walked there that made up the doctrine...confusing the miraculous walk in Christ with that of a god. We never attain the Christ BEFORE He was made man. Rather, we become a mature version of Adam BEFORE he sinned.

It would be like a backward culture seeing a man flying in an airplane and think he's superman.

No, the miracle is found in the conveyance...the plane. Just as the miracle is found in Christ who causes us to fly above the things of this world by the Spirit.

Then there are those who have experienced the higher walk and misunderstood its purpose. No one will be judged easier for having walked higher. To whom much is given more is required. The purpose of giving us a divine cleansing purity is to promote a spiritual maturity...in character...that must be earned. We will be judged by how we have fulfilled that requisite.

Happy Christmas to all! :) <><

Yes, genuine believers continue to become more mature in our/their walk as Christlike, indeed. And it pleases God to continue to empower and guide us on this journey by one of his precious spirits; we possess the same spirit of Christ that lives within us.

 

[Hepzibah]

Then you would agree here-


*Theosis is the belief that Christians will participate in the energies of God, but not his essence. God’s energies in Eastern Orthodox theology are how we experience the essence of God as finite creatures since God’s essence is ineffable and incomprehensible.

Well, I would say rather, can partake in His energies, that is, the purification of the Holy Spirit to become closer to Him to know Him more deeply. But we cannot enter into His essence which is far beyond our finite minds.

Timothy Ware defines theosis or deification this way: “Just as the three persons of the Trinity ‘dwell’ in one another in an unceasing movement of love, so we humans, made in the image of the Trinity, are called to ‘dwell’ in the Trinitarian God.

Christ prays that we may share in the life of the Trinity, in the movement of love which passes between the divine persons; He prays that we may be taken up into the Godhead. . . . Nor does the human person, when it ‘becomes god’, cease to be human: ‘We remain creatures while becoming god by grace, as Christ remained God when becoming man by the Incarnation.’ The human being does not become God by nature, but is merely a ‘created god’, a god by grace or by status” (The Orthodox Church, 231-32).

Hmm not familiar with Timothy Ware, as he does not teach the patristic understanding of purification, as something that leads us fully into perfection in this life. My understanding is that man, through grace becomes what God intended for us, but which was disrupted through Adam, but now, restored and it is through attaining this state, through grace alone, that the Holy Spirit can dwell within us, which is necessary for full commune with the Divine.

This incorrect view of salvation flows from a wrong view of the fall and fallen man’s bondage to sin.

Mormonism, which goes far beyond theosis into the error of explicit polytheism, likewise has a weak view of the fall and a high view of man’s natural abilities.

The theology of the church father Origen, who had a tremendous influence on the doctrine of theosis, is closer to Mormonism in many ways than biblical Christianity.

He believed that we eternally pre-existed with God before creation and that there is no hell of eternal conscious torment. Origen’s theology had a huge influence on the Eastern Church and there is a universalist strain within Eastern Orthodoxy today.

Origen has always been highly controversial and considered heretical for suchlike views, and yes, there are some that accept universalism, but don't forget that a lot of EO are cradle believers and not indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit. I am only interested in the ones in the past (hard to find today) that follow the traditional understanding of sanctification.

I found this source of information about Origen, but have not read it right through (so much to read for a beginner like me) so cannot vouch for it but found it interesting:

The School of Alexandria - Origen - Ch 4 - Origen and Origenism - CopticChurch.net

Theosis inadvertently falls into the error of polytheism as the Arians fell into polytheism by making the Son a lesser god than the Father.

I posted a link of Magisterial Trinitarianism which explains very well, I think, how it is much nearer to the Biblical understanding of the Trinity but makes Christ no less divine than the usual understanding of it.

If we become gods in deification, then there is more than one God regardless of what creative language we use to try to defend a belief in monotheism (Isa 43:10).

Theosis collapses all of salvation down into conformity to the image of Christ while overlooking the legal aspects of salvation. If God’s essence is completely unknowable to us, then we cannot know God as Jesus prayed we would (John 17:3).

We can look upon the uncreated Light but cannot penetrate it with our minds unless we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit to know Him, but here is always a part that remains unknown to us as He is above our thinking.

The distinction that should be made is not between God’s essence and energies, but between God’s incommunicable attributes which we will never share in and God’s communicable attributes which we do participate in to a degree.

Well yes that is just another way of saying it.

See also 1. Monotheism and the Incomparability of God, 9. The Immanence and Knowability of God, and 76. Justification.

[1]See 123. Polytheism for the explanation of this verse and Psalm 82:6.

[2]We share in the glory of God, but not in the same sense that Christ shares in God’s glory (John 17:5). It is only through participation in the bride of Christ who is united to Christ that this is possible.

[3]Christians will be fully conformed to the image of Christ in glorification in that they will be without sin and will never desire to sin. See 82. Glorification for an explanation of this doctrine.

Romans 8:40, and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified (past tense).

The difference in understanding 'when Christ appears' brings about the disagreement of when it occurs and no argument will settle it.

[4]“The divine nature” in which we partake is not God’s energies, but his communicable attributes as evidenced by the descriptions of personal holiness which follow through verse ten. To be like God in this sense is not to become a god, but to live in holiness in imitation of God. As God is love, holy, righteous, and pure, we share in his love, holiness, righteousness, and purity through the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, sanctification, and eventually glorification.

[5]We shall be like Christ in glory in that we will be without sin and will share in God’s communicable attributes without wavering.

[6]We are like Christ in this world through living in imitation of him. This is the essence of the Christian life. See 78. Union with Christ and 79. Sanctification.

Refuting Arguments for Theosis

John 10:34: Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?”[1] John 17:22: The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are o…

jamesattebury.wordpress.com

J.

 

[Johann]

Few understand what i mean by that except the Lord, the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures.

Those who read beyond that which the Lord intended will also be doing the same in other scriptures as well as we often see on here.

SHALOM @Johann AND it is 5pm EST USA at this moment = DINNER = HOCKEY at 7pm

SHALOM @Johann AND it is 5pm EST USA at this moment = DINNER = HOCKEY at 7p

Well, I would say rather, can partake in His energies, that is, the purification of the Holy Spirit to become closer to Him to know Him more deeply. But we cannot enter into His essence which is far beyond our finite minds.


Hmm not familiar with Timothy Ware, as he does not teach the patristic understanding of purification, as something that leads us fully into perfection in this life. My understanding is that man, through grace becomes what God intended for us, but which was disrupted through Adam, but now, restored and it is through attaining this state, through grace alone, that the Holy Spirit can dwell within us, which is necessary for full commune with the Divine.




Origen has always been highly controversial and considered heretical for suchlike views, and yes, there are some that accept universalism, but don't forget that a lot of EO are cradle believers and not indwelt and led by the Holy Spirit. I am only interested in the ones in the past (hard to find today) that follow the traditional understanding of sanctification.

I found this source of information about Origen, but have not read it right through (so much to read for a beginner like me) so cannot vouch for it but found it interesting:

The School of Alexandria - Origen - Ch 4 - Origen and Origenism - CopticChurch.net

I posted a link of Magisterial Trinitarianism which explains very well, I think, how it is much nearer to the Biblical understanding of the Trinity but makes Christ no less divine than the usual understanding of it.


We can look upon the uncreated Light but cannot penetrate it with our minds unless we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit to know Him, but here is always a part that remains unknown to us as He is above our thinking.


Well yes that is just another way of saying it.


Romans 8:40, and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified (past tense).

The difference in understanding 'when Christ appears' brings about the disagreement of when it occurs and no argument will settle it.

I'm searching for that term, "sanctification," which is seldom mentioned, along with the outworking of sanctification.


Aorist Tense (Completed Action) – Initial Sanctification

The aorist tense often refers to a completed action, without indicating the ongoing nature of the action. It is used to describe the initial act of sanctification, often when referring to the believer's position in Christ, set apart as holy.

Example:
1 Corinthians 6:11
"But you were washed, you were sanctified (ἡγιάσθητε), you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

ἡγιάσθητε (hēgiasthēte) is in the aorist passive tense, indicating the believer has been sanctified in the past, referring to the initial act of being set apart through salvation.

2. Present Tense (Ongoing Action) – Progressive Sanctification
The present tense emphasizes the continuous nature of an action or state. It is used to describe progressive sanctification, the ongoing work of becoming more like Christ. This is the daily outworking of God's holiness in the believer's life.

Example:
1 Thessalonians 4:3
"For this is the will of God, your sanctification (ἁγιασμός), that you should abstain from sexual immorality."

ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos) refers to the process of sanctification, and its use here highlights the ongoing work of sanctification in the believer’s life.

Romans 6:19
"I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification (ἁγιασμός)."

This verb construction points to the present reality of sanctification, where the believer is actively pursuing holiness.

3. Future Tense (Consummation of Sanctification) – Ultimate Sanctification
The future tense describes the final, ultimate sanctification, which is the future glorification and perfection of the believer. This aspect refers to the completion of the process when believers are fully conformed to the image of Christ at the return of Christ.

Example:
1 Thessalonians 5:23
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify (ἁγιάσαι) you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

ἁγιάσαι (hagiasai) is in the aorist form, but the context implies the future sanctification that will occur at the return of Christ, when the believer is finally and completely made holy.

J.

 

[Hepzibah]

@Johann we have touched on this previously. There has been a dispute amongst theologians on the aorist tense, whereby some, (those who defended entire sanctification) in the west during the Holiness Movement, claimed that it can be used in a completed past sense which I believe is the ECF's view.

You have no need to quote the conventional Protestant view as I know it well. I wonder whether the beliefs of Wesleyans of late have changed on this which would explain why they have moved towards gradual sanctification. I found this paper:

https://divinityarchive.com/bitstream/handle/11258/39135/5%20Use%20of%20Aorist%20Tense.pdf?sequence=1

I may try to get though it, but I am wanting to find it more fully in the ECF's.

 

[Johann]

You have no need to quote the conventional Protestant view as I know it well. I wonder whether the beliefs of Wesleyans of late have changed on this which would explain why they have moved towards gradual sanctification.

I don't quote you the conventional Protestant view but Scripture @Hepzibah.

Here's quotes from the ECF' that sanctification is indeed progressive.

The Early Church Fathers (ECF) consistently emphasized that sanctification is an ongoing process rather than a completed, one-time event. They viewed sanctification as a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, prayer, repentance, and participation in the life of the Church.

Here are some key quotes that reflect the progressive nature of sanctification according to the Early Church Fathers:

1. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD)
Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 37:

“Now the Lord, in the Scriptures, has made mention of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the following words: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good things to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.' This anointing is what purifies us, perfects us, and prepares us for eternal life... so that we may be partakers of the divine nature.”

Meaning: Irenaeus sees sanctification as a work of the Holy Spirit, purifying and perfecting believers throughout their lives. This shows the ongoing process of transformation, moving toward participation in the divine nature.

2. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215 AD)
The Instructor, Book 1, Chapter 6:

“The beginning of virtue is the progress towards it, and the end is its fulfillment. We are instructed by the Lord Himself to proceed from virtue to virtue, and from righteousness to righteousness, growing into the full stature of Christ.”

Meaning: Clement stresses that the believer’s journey toward virtue is progressive, with each step leading to greater holiness and righteousness, ultimately culminating in Christlikeness. The use of "progress" indicates that sanctification is an ongoing process.

3. Tertullian (c. 155–240 AD)
On Repentance, Chapter 8:

“Repentance itself, even though it brings forgiveness of past sins, does not immediately confer the perfection of righteousness, but it is a means of cleansing, of making the soul pure, and of laying the foundation for future works of righteousness.”

Meaning: Tertullian notes that while repentance brings forgiveness, it does not instantly perfect the believer. Instead, it begins a process of cleansing and laying the groundwork for continual righteousness. This implies that sanctification is progressive.

4. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)
On the Spirit and the Letter, Chapter 29:

“The one who is just begins in the present, and if he continues, he will perfect his justice, which is not completed at once, but grows by constant perseverance. This justice is a process, not a one-time act.”

Meaning: Augustine emphasizes that justification and sanctification (justice in this context) begin but are not completed immediately. Instead, it is a continuous process that involves growth through perseverance. This aligns with the understanding of sanctification as a lifelong transformation.

5. John Chrysostom (c. 349–407 AD)
Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 6:

“Sanctification is not completed immediately in this life but progresses in us as we grow in virtue and bear fruit in the Spirit. For the just man is not born perfect but matures by means of his actions and grace.”

Meaning: Chrysostom makes it clear that sanctification is not instantaneous but is instead a gradual process that involves growth and maturing. The believer becomes more righteous as they act in accordance with the Spirit’s guidance.

6. Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350–428 AD)
Commentary on 2 Peter 1:4:

"The divine nature, which is imparted to us through the Holy Spirit, grows progressively in us, leading us step by step from one degree of perfection to the next."

Meaning: Theodore teaches that sanctification, as the impartation of divine nature through the Spirit, is a progressive work. The believer grows "step by step," further demonstrating the processive nature of sanctification.

7. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395 AD)
The Life of Moses, Book 1:

“Sanctification is not a static achievement but a dynamic process. The soul does not become perfect all at once but progresses by learning and striving toward the likeness of God.”

Meaning: Gregory of Nyssa clearly articulates that sanctification is not a one-time event but a dynamic process of continual growth and striving toward the perfection that is found in God's likeness.

8. Ambrose of Milan (c. 337–397 AD)
Exameron, Book 6:

“The work of sanctification involves the ongoing purification of the soul, and it is achieved gradually through the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that believers grow from strength to strength in their pursuit of holiness.”

Meaning: Ambrose teaches that sanctification is an ongoing process of purification, a work that gradually increases the believer’s holiness and conformity to Christ. This is a progressive and lifelong endeavor.

9. Jerome (c. 347–420 AD)
Commentary on Isaiah, Book 2:

“The soul is sanctified by the Holy Spirit’s work, but this sanctification is not completed all at once. It is an unfolding process, where the soul gradually sheds its old habits and assumes new virtues in the likeness of Christ.”

Meaning: Jerome affirms the gradual nature of sanctification, where the soul is progressively transformed over time as it adopts virtues and is conformed to Christ’s image.

10. Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260–340 AD)
Demonstratio Evangelica, Book 6:

“Sanctification is a lifelong process of cleansing and becoming more holy, as believers continue to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. The believer is not made perfect in a moment but over time through the work of the Spirit.”

Meaning: Eusebius stresses that sanctification is lifelong and progressive, emphasizing the continuous work of the Holy Spirit to conform the believer to Christ.


The Early Church Fathers clearly view sanctification as a process rather than a completed act.

They emphasize growth, progress, and continuing transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit. The concept of a one-time completed sanctification or entire sanctification does not align with the overwhelming consensus of the ECFs, who emphasize a progressive work of holiness that continues throughout the believer’s life.

http://biblegreekvpod.com/GreekII/GreekII_lesson22.pdf

Johann.

 

[Johann]

There have been splits in the LDS church, so it depends where you land on the internet.

LOL!!

Guess you are right.

J.

 

[Lizbeth]

Okay, explain Perfect Humanity

I'm all ears!

F2F

This verse comes to mind:

Eph 4:13

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 

[Johann]

This verse comes to mind:

Eph 4:13

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 

[Hepzibah]

I don't quote you the conventional Protestant view but Scripture @Hepzibah.

This is your view Johann which you are entitled to hold though many have disagreed with it.

Here's quotes from the ECF' that sanctification is indeed progressive.

This is why it is so difficult to have a discussion with those who bring presuppositions to the table.

It is indeed a progression as well as an event.

It is the end of an ascent, after participation in the life of the church, prayer and repentance. It is usually a l-o-n-g journey of discovering that what one actually has, is a shadow of what one reads of the spiritual life of the original believers. It is usually a slow increasingly depressing knowledge of ones failure and lack of any reality of ones claims to be a child of God, unless antinomianism has taken over.

The Early Church Fathers (ECF) consistently emphasized that sanctification is an ongoing process rather than a completed, one-time event. They viewed sanctification as a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit, prayer, repentance, and participation in the life of the Church.

Here are some key quotes that reflect the progressive nature of sanctification according to the Early Church Fathers:

1. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD)
Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 37:

“Now the Lord, in the Scriptures, has made mention of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the following words: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good things to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.' This anointing is what purifies us, perfects us, and prepares us for eternal life... so that we may be partakers of the divine nature.”

Meaning: Irenaeus sees sanctification as a work of the Holy Spirit, purifying and perfecting believers throughout their lives. This shows the ongoing process of transformation, moving toward participation in the divine nature.

You have quoted something that does not say what you want it to say. Paul has already been anointed which enables us to be partakers and lead others to it. Otherwise it would be the blind leading the blind.

2. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215 AD)
The Instructor, Book 1, Chapter 6:

“The beginning of virtue is the progress towards it, and the end is its fulfillment. We are instructed by the Lord Himself to proceed from virtue to virtue, and from righteousness to righteousness, growing into the full stature of Christ.”

Meaning: Clement stresses that the believer’s journey toward virtue is progressive, with each step leading to greater holiness and righteousness, ultimately culminating in Christlikeness. The use of "progress" indicates that sanctification is an ongoing process.

Indeed we are to progress to culminate in Christlikeness in this life. Be ye Holy as I am Holy indicates as to when.

3. Tertullian (c. 155–240 AD)
On Repentance, Chapter 8:

“Repentance itself, even though it brings forgiveness of past sins, does not immediately confer the perfection of righteousness, but it is a means of cleansing, of making the soul pure, and of laying the foundation for future works of righteousness.”

Meaning: Tertullian notes that while repentance brings forgiveness, it does not instantly perfect the believer. Instead, it begins a process of cleansing and laying the groundwork for continual righteousness. This implies that sanctification is progressive.

4. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)
On the Spirit and the Letter, Chapter 29:

“The one who is just begins in the present, and if he continues, he will perfect his justice, which is not completed at once, but grows by constant perseverance. This justice is a process, not a one-time act.”

Meaning: Augustine emphasizes that justification and sanctification (justice in this context) begin but are not completed immediately. Instead, it is a continuous process that involves growth through perseverance. This aligns with the understanding of sanctification as a lifelong transformation.

Augustine has never been accepted in the east as he has done in the west.

5. John Chrysostom (c. 349–407 AD)
Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 6:

“Sanctification is not completed immediately in this life but progresses in us as we grow in virtue and bear fruit in the Spirit. For the just man is not born perfect but matures by means of his actions and grace.”

Meaning: Chrysostom makes it clear that sanctification is not instantaneous but is instead a gradual process that involves growth and maturing. The believer becomes more righteous as they act in accordance with the Spirit’s guidance.

Again, we go through the process till blessed by restoration in this life. There is never any point when we have acquired the mind of Christ fully. But holiness is required.

6. Theodore of Mopsuestia (c. 350–428 AD)
Commentary on 2 Peter 1:4:

"The divine nature, which is imparted to us through the Holy Spirit, grows progressively in us, leading us step by step from one degree of perfection to the next."

Meaning: Theodore teaches that sanctification, as the impartation of divine nature through the Spirit, is a progressive work. The believer grows "step by step," further demonstrating the processive nature of sanctification.

7. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395 AD)
The Life of Moses, Book 1:

“Sanctification is not a static achievement but a dynamic process. The soul does not become perfect all at once but progresses by learning and striving toward the likeness of God.”

Meaning: Gregory of Nyssa clearly articulates that sanctification is not a one-time event but a dynamic process of continual growth and striving toward the perfection that is found in God's likeness.

8. Ambrose of Milan (c. 337–397 AD)
Exameron, Book 6:

“The work of sanctification involves the ongoing purification of the soul, and it is achieved gradually through the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that believers grow from strength to strength in their pursuit of holiness.”

Meaning: Ambrose teaches that sanctification is an ongoing process of purification, a work that gradually increases the believer’s holiness and conformity to Christ. This is a progressive and lifelong endeavor.

9. Jerome (c. 347–420 AD)
Commentary on Isaiah, Book 2:

“The soul is sanctified by the Holy Spirit’s work, but this sanctification is not completed all at once. It is an unfolding process, where the soul gradually sheds its old habits and assumes new virtues in the likeness of Christ.”

Meaning: Jerome affirms the gradual nature of sanctification, where the soul is progressively transformed over time as it adopts virtues and is conformed to Christ’s image.

10. Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260–340 AD)
Demonstratio Evangelica, Book 6:

“Sanctification is a lifelong process of cleansing and becoming more holy, as believers continue to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. The believer is not made perfect in a moment but over time through the work of the Spirit.”

Meaning: Eusebius stresses that sanctification is lifelong and progressive, emphasizing the continuous work of the Holy Spirit to conform the believer to Christ.


The Early Church Fathers clearly view sanctification as a process rather than a completed act.

They emphasize growth, progress, and continuing transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit. The concept of a one-time completed sanctification or entire sanctification does not align with the overwhelming consensus of the ECFs, who emphasize a progressive work of holiness that continues throughout the believer’s life.

http://biblegreekvpod.com/GreekII/GreekII_lesson22.pdf

There comes a point, in the believers life when he is transfigured, and made a partaker at that point, but this is missed out by opponents and if the heart has been hardened, no arguments from scripture will persuade them as it is hidden from their sight as the Trinity is hidden from those who oppose it.

There are many quotes from the ECF's that confirm that it is a goal to reach. I might get round to quote them.

Johann.