What Does it Mean that Believers are Partakers of the Divine Nature?

 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop

2 Peter 1:2-3 says "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (NKJV).

These opening verses are part of the writer's salutation to his audience that he describes in 1:1 as "...those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." 

This is descriptive of believers in general but the context of the Letter suggests that Peter was focused on a particular Christian community.

If we consider that this Letter follows the tradition in 1 Peter, we can conclude that it may have been addressed to "the pilgrims of the dispersion", a reference to Jerusalem believers who were facing severe persecution under Herod for their faith in Christ and were dispersed during the early period of the New Testament Church (cf Acts 12:1-4; 1 Peter 1:1). 

Now back to our analysis.

My view is that the salutation statement in 2 Peter 1:2-3 is therefore simply a broad one. It recognizes that the new life that believers have received in Christ and the hope of glory for the life come (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17) as part of what makes a Christian community.

This encouragement is instructive of the circumstances that Peter addressed under his first Letter. He is now writing to  the recipient to primarily warn them about the snare of false teachers (2 Peter 1:16-21, 2:1-22) and to encourage believers to remain steadfast in their faith (2 Peter 3). 

McLaren's Exposition Commentary considers the statement "partakers in the divine nature" in 2 Peter 1:4 as a portrayal of Christ's indwelling in the believers by His Spirit. I agree with this observation. It is theologically consistent with the teaching of Scripture concerning God's revelation, redemption and fellowship with His saints.

Sadly, I have come across some Christian traditions [especially sections of the charismatic movement] whose interpretation of the statement implies that believers share in divinity. They read this Scripture together with Psalm 82:6 which they lift out of its passage context to teach what the Bible never contemplates.This hermeneutical approach to Scripture is manifestly false and misleading to the reader.

Christ's indwelling in the life of the believer does not result in an investiture of the divine nature in us. It also doesn't qualify us to become "gods" as some wrongly interpret Psalm 82:6 to mean.

God's divine attributes are incommunicable and cannot therefore be shared with His creatures. 

At no time in this life or in the life to come shall believers share in the essence of God's divine nature. We remain God's children or followers who have been redeemed by God's grace in Christ and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2020