Saturday, 29 July 2023
ASSOCIATES OF A GREATER PANTHEON
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4).
The image the Apostle Peter conjures in our minds in the verse above stemmed from a Greek mythology. It had to do with the Greek pantheon, or the collective group of gods headed by Zeus, king of the gods. So, the actual expression, “partakers of the divine nature,” is the Greek “theias-phuseos,” which means “associates of the God-kind.”
Thus, Peter was referring to a greater pantheon headed by Jesus. Being born again, we’ve been brought into fellowship or oneness with the God-kind. We’re in that league, meaning that we’re in a fraternity of divinity, a communion of the God-kind. Some Bible scholars have had issues with this. Their disagreement isn’t because Peter’s thoughts were wrong, but they were so afraid to believe what the Word says.
Others argue that Peter shouldn’t have used words that primarily centre around or relate to Greek history, culture or the Greek gods. But there are several other texts attributed to Peter in the epistles that were written and influenced by Hellenistic culture. For example, Peter, for the first time in 2 Peter 1:2 uses the term “epignosis.” The term epignosis is Hellenistic, and it's used 20 times in the Bible out of which 16 of them were all from Paul. Four of them are from Peter (2 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:8; 2 Peter 2:20).
Epignosis is a higher form of knowledge; it means exact, precise or absolute knowledge that can only be attributable to God. The Hellenists or Grecians in their religiosity believed that only the gods knew everything; only the gods can have absolute knowledge. If these Hellenistic thoughts woven into scriptures are accepted, why should anyone disparage the Hellenistic inference or understanding of the pantheon that Peter seeks to communicate?
You belong in the fraternity of the God-kind, having been born into God’s class, with His divine life in your spirit. Now, you’re indestructible, impregnable and always victorious, having been translated from the ordinary realm of mankind to the supernatural class of the God-kind.
CONFESSION: I’m an associate of the God-kind, in a fraternity with divinity. I’m born into God’s class with His nature and character in my spirit. I’ve been translated from the ordinary realm of mankind to the supernatural class of the God-kind. Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY:
Psalm 82:6-7; John 1:12; 1 John 1:3
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 4:1-25 & Psalms 45-48
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 11:45-54 & Judges 4