theosis-english.pdf

THEOSIS

THE TRUE PURPOSE

OF HUMAN LIFE

ARCHIMANDRITE GEORGE

ABBOT OF THE HOLY MONASTERY

OF ST. GREGORIOS ON MOUNT ATHOS

THEOSIS

THE TRUE PURPOSE

OF HUMAN LIFE

HOLY MONASTERY OF ST. GREGORIOS

MOUNT ATHOS

2006

CONTENTS

Translator's note ............................................................. 9

The deiﬁ cation as the purpose of man's life

1st Edition 1992

2nd Edition 1997

3rd Edition 2001

Preface .......................................................................... 15

Theosis the true purpose of human life........................ 19

The incarnation of God:

The cause of man's Theosis.......................................... 24

Theosis the true purpose of human life

4th Edition 2006

The contribution of the Theotokos

to the Theosis of man ................................................... 30

OF SAINT GREGORIOS

63087 MOUNT ATHOS - GREECE

The Church:

The place of man's Theosis .......................................... 34

ISBN: 960-7553-26-8

Theosis is possible through the uncreated

energies of God ............................................................ 39

Qualifications for Theosis............................................ 47

Experiences of Theosis ................................................ 57

Failure of many people to reach Theosis ..................... 64

Consequences of guidance for Theosis........................ 69

Consequences of guidance that does not

lead to Theosis ............................................................. 72

Glossary ....................................................................... 77

Translator’s Note

T he beauty of this book is its simplicity. In clear and

simple terms it states the original purpose of the

Christian life – namely Theosis.

Its author Archimandrite George has been the Abbot

of St. Gregorios Monastery since 1974. He is well known

throughout the Orthodox world both as a theologian and

spiritual father. He has written many books and articles

on theology and the spiritual life. His works have been

translated into many languages.

The idea of Theosis will be unfamiliar to the Western

mind, although it is not a new concept to Christianity.

When Christ said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven

is at hand,” 1 this is a call to a life of Theosis.

Theosis is personal communion with God “face to

face.” 2 To the Western mind, this idea may seem incom-

prehensible, even sacrilegious, but it derives unques-

tionably from Christ’s teachings. Jesus Christ was the

fulfillment of the messianic dream of the Jewish race; 3

His mission to connect us with the Kingdom of God 4

– a Kingdom not of this world. 5 When Jesus said, “You

are gods,” 6 “be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is

perfect,” 7 or “the righteous will shine like the sun in the

1. Matthew 4:17

2. Cf. Genesis 32:30

3. Cf. Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Isaiah 53; Acts 1:6; 2:16-36; 1 Peter 2:6-8

4. Mark 1:15

5. Romans 14:17

6. John 10:34

7. Matthew 5:48

Archimandrite George

Theosis

Kingdom of their Father,” 8 this is to be taken literally.

For those who are interested, further Biblical evidence

for this can be found in Leviticus 11:44-45; 20:7-8; Deu-

teronomy 18:13; Psalms 82:1,6; Romans 6:22; 1 Corinthi-

ans 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:2-4.

The whole sacrificial tradition of Israel beginning

with the sacrificial offering of Isaac reaches fulfillment

in Jesus Christ. St. John the Baptist echoing Isaiah says,

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes upon Himself the

sins of the world.” 9 St. Paul has this in mind when he

says, “If you are Christ’s, then you are descendants of

Abraham, and heirs according to the promise,” 10 because

“those who believe are children of Abraham.” 11 The

name Israel, was given to Jacob by God as an expression

of his fidelity. Later this name was inherited by his faith-

ful descendants. This train of thought is expounded in

the writings of St. Paul, where he blesses the Church as

“the Israel of God;” 12 whilst elsewhere he wrestles with

and is pained by his fellow Jews denial of their own Mes-

siah, labeling them “Israel according to the flesh.” 13

That is why, the Church –“God’s very own Peo-

ple,” 14 – is also known as the “New Israel,” the “spiritual

Israel,” striving to the Heavenly Kingdom. Those first

Christians realised that the Kingdom of God was not

simply equated with a Jewish state or a single people,

but is intended for all humanity. 15 Through repentance

we are all called to the true Exodus –to the New Jeru-

salem 16 – as Christ said, “Do not think that I am come

to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to

destroy but to fulfill.” 17

The Orthodox Church has retained this original mes-

sage of Christ unchanged. It is for this reason that the

Orthodox Church is both the “body of Christ” 18 and the

“faithful bride” 19 who has been true to her lover. It is

this Sacred Tradition which guarantees our fidelity to

Christ’s mission, and it is with this knowledge that He

says “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the

age.” 20 Christ’s teachings could not be arrived at from

the Holy Bible alone; we would simply project our mod-

ern concepts onto the early Church. Theosis stems from

this tradition in which the early Church, Traditional

Christianity, and Orthodoxy are identical.

Traditional Christianity gave expression and defini-

tion to its Theology through the Church Synods; notable

among these being the seven Œcumenical Synods, the

Synod of St. Photios of 867 and the Palamite Synods of

the fourteenth century. Please note: the Church Synods

gave expression and definition to an existent Theology

that was fully present within the Church from the day

8. Matthew 13:43; cf Exodus 34:29-35; Luke 9:28-36.

9. Joh n 1:29

10. Galatians 3:29

11. Galatians 3:7-9

12. Galatians 6:15-16; also cf. John. 1:11-13; Romans 2:28-29; James 1:1

13. Romans 9-11; also cf. John. 8:37-40; 10:32-38

14. 1 Peter 2:9; cf Colossians 2:11.

15. Cf. Matthew 3:7-9; Acts 1:8; 11:1-18; 15:16-17; Galatians 3:14;28

16. Revelation 21:2-3

17. Mat t hew 5:17

18. Colossians 1:18,24; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13.

19. 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 18:23

20. Matthew 28:20; cf John. 17:20-22.

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