Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
What does it mean
to "become participants of the divine nature"?
This phrase is found only in 2 Peter 1:4. Probably
the best approach in answering your question is to examine the
passage and explore its theological significance. The text reads: "His
divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness
through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and
goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious
promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine
nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil
desires" (2 Peter 1:3, 4, NIV). Let's break it down into
sections.
1. "His divine
power has given. .
." Satisfying our deepest needs is not the result of our
power, but of divine power "given/bestowed upon us." The word translated "divine"
(Greek, theios) is the same word used in the phrase "divine nature."
The human need is defined as "life and godliness." The
term
"life" seems to refer to eternal life, which humans forfeited through
sin. "Godliness" emphasizes likeness to God in the daily experience
of believers living a pious life. Christ has provided for our future relationship
with Him through eternal life, and for our present walk with Him through a
sanctified life (cf. 2 Peter 3:11).
2. "Through
our knowledge of him. . ." The gift reached us through our knowledge
of Christ. This is not simply factual information but a deep
personal commitment, an experiential knowledge of Christ's
saving power. Here again it was Christ who took the initiative
by calling us into that relationship. He called us through
the revelation of "his own glory and goodness." The
text presupposes the role of the Holy Spirit as the revealer
of the glory or majesty of Christ (His deity) and of His goodness
(the excellence of His life).
3. "Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises. .." The glory and goodness of
Christ are the means by which we receive God's promises. These "exceedingly
great and precious/valuable" promises are priceless because
they are based on the priceless sacrifice of Christ
(1 Peter 1:18, 19). They
include not only "everything we need for life and godliness," but
also what follows.
4. "That
through them you may participate in the divine nature. .
." When we by faith appropriate those promises we immediately
become participants of the divine nature. They are accompanied
by the privilege of participating in the divine nature. Obviously,
Peter is not saying that we become gods, but that we participate
in that which is not ours by nature or right. He describes
a privilege given to us through Christ's saving work: the privilege
of being in union with God and participating in His "divine
power" (verse 3). To become participants of the divine
nature means to be enabled, through God's power, to become
like God spiritually and morally in our daily experience.
5. "Escape
the corruption in the world. . ." Our participation
in the divine nature makes it possible for us to live godly
lives, escaping the corruption of the world caused by human
sinful desires. The grammatical construction suggests that
the participation in the divine nature follows our escape from
the corruption of the world—"Having escaped the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires we have become
participants of the divine nature." In that case our escape
from corruption took place at the moment of our conversion. And now, through our participation in
the divine nature, we are preserved in a world of sin from that
corrupting influence.
6. Conclusion: This
passage emphasizes several ideas. First, Peter indicates that
salvation is the result of God's work from beginning to end.
It's a divine gift bestowed on us through Christ.
Second, salvation is ours only in union with God through
Christ, who is not only human but also divine. When we are connected
to Christ we participate in His divine nature; we are "in
Christ" (cf. 1 Peter 3:16; 5:10,14).
Third, to become participants
in the divine nature is to receive divine power from Christ through
the Spirit to resist evil and grow in God's likeness (1 Peter
1:15; 2 Peter 1:5-9).
Fourth, this experience
presupposes that human nature is spiritually weakened and in
constant need of divine power. In the resolution of the human
predicament God granted us the privilege of a real union with
Him in Christ.
9/06
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