St. Athnasius' quote

kalsam

Hi                                          I read this quote many places but it's hard to understand "God became man so that man might become God."what does it mean?

coptic boy777

I interpret it as God came to the earth in the form of man so that we may relate to Him and act like Him in our society.

Its like He came to set an example of how we should act as humans and if we act like Him then we are acting like God.

childoforthodoxy

My dear brother kalsam,

There are numerous theses and dissertations on this particular topic. Most patristic interpretation on this matter is found in the writings of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but there certainly exists some patristic interpretation from the Oriental Orthodox modern day Fathers. This line is not easy to explain thoroughly in a few paragraphs here online, but I will direct you to the word "theosis." Though there is much material out there, it is not all in line with pure Orthodox thought, so I caution you in your journey in learning about this.

At the very least, I will say that it is the purpose of our creation, our existence, and our ultimate goal.

Pray for me,
Childoforthodoxy