Deification

 THE titles which belong to the Divine Word by nature, are by grace given to us, a wonderful privilege, of which the Arians showed their sense, not by teaching the elevation of the creature to the Son of God, but by lowering the Son to the level of the creature. The means by which these titles become ours are our real participation ([ metoche ]) of the Son by His presence within us, a participation so intimate that in one sense He can be worshipped in us as being His temple or shrine. Vid. arts. In-dwelling and [ metousia ].

 Athanasius insists on this doctrine again and again.

 "The Word was made flesh in order to offer up this body for all, and that we, partaking of His Spirit, might be made gods." Decr. § 14.

 "While all things which are made, have by participation ([ ek metousias ]) the grace of God, He is the Father's Wisdom and Word, of whom all things partake. It follows that He, being the deifying and enlightening power of the Father, in which all things are deified and quickened, is not alien in substance from the Father, but one in substance." Syn. § 51.

 "He was not man, and then became God, but He was God, and then became man, and that to make us gods." Orat. i. § 39.

 "This is our grace and high exaltation, that even when He became man, the Son of God is worshipped, and the heavenly powers are not startled at all of us, who are one body with Him, being introduced into their realms." ibid. § 42.

 "Because of our relationship to His body, we too have become God's Temple, and in consequence are made God's Sons, so that even in us the Lord is now worshipped, and beholders report, as the Apostle says, that 'God is in them of a truth.'" ibid. § 43.

 "God created Him for our sakes, because of us, preparing for Him that created body, that in Him we might be capable of being renewed and made gods." Orat. ii. § 47.

 "Therefore did He assume the body generate and human, that, having renewed it as its framer, He might make it god and For man had not been made god, if joined to a creature, ... the union was of this kind, ... that his salvation and deification might be sure." ibid. § 70.

 "Although there be but one Son by nature, True and Only-begotten, we too become sons, ... and, though we are men from the earth, we are yet called gods ... as has pleased God who has given us that grace." Orat. iii. § 19.

 "As we are sons and gods, because of the Word in us, so shall we be in the Son and in the Father, because the Spirit is in us." ibid. § 25.

 "We men are made gods by the Word, as being joined to Him through His flesh." ibid. § 34.

 "That He might redeem mankind ... that He might hallow them and make them gods, the Word became flesh." ibid. § 39.

 "What is this advance but the deifying and grace imparted from Wisdom to men?" ibid. § 53.

 Vid. also Adelph. 4; Serap. i. 24; Cyr. in Joann. p. 74; Theod. Hist. p. 846 init.