Whereby [God] has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.

The term "divine nature" has often been greatly misused. Our trinitarian neighbors often attribute to the "divine nature" meanings such as uncreated, omnipotent, ominiscient, eternal (past and future), as well as immortal. Yet in scripture itself we find no such meanings attached to its usage. Many Bible Students who do not believe in the trinity have often defined "divine nature" as synonymous with "immortality", not dependent on life from anyone else, which attribute traditionally has been thought to only apply to Yahweh inherently, and given by Yahweh only to Jesus and 144,000 joint-heirs with Christ in the resurrection. However, what do the scriptures actually say about "divine nature"? Is it a term that can only apply to Yahweh, Jesus and the 144,000 joint-heirs, or does it in reality have a broader application to others?

We read that Jesus was in the "form (Greek, Morphe: Strong's #3444) of theos" before coming to the earth. (Philippians 2:6) We should not call this "divine nature", because the Bible never calls it such, but it could be called "divine form". The "form" spoken of here is contrasted with the "form" of a bond-servant, the form of a slave, the likeness of man -- sinful flesh -- in bondage to moral corruption. (Philippians 2:7,8; Romans 8:3,20,21) Remembering that the word "theos" in the Bible is based on the Hebrew usage of EL and ELOHIM, and taken in the context of Philippians 2:6, we can conclude that the form of theos refers to the form [appearance] of mightiness as differientiated from the form [appearance] of a human enslaved to sin. Jesus left the form of mightiness he had, emptied himself, and became in the form of a slave. Being in the form, or likeness, of sinful flesh, does not mean that he was actually sinful, but that he had the appearance of all men of sinful flesh, since he suffered as though he were under the condemnation of sin. "Though he was rich [in the a form of glory with his Father -- John 17:5], yet for your sakes he became poor [taking the form of a slave, "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3), that is, he suffered for our sins, and sin's condemnation by means of his death, as the offsetting price for all condemned in Adam -- Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; Hebrews 2:9], that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) It should be apparent that "morphe" in Philippians 2:6,7 is not directly speaking about two different planes of existence, although such is implied.

After much study, prayer and consideration, we have come to the conclusion that the term, "divine nature" (Theios Phusis), used in 2 Peter 1:4, has been traditionally misused. For centuries the popular trinitarian philosophies as well as the idea of "going to heaven" at death have evidently led to this misuse. It has been thought by some that partaking of the divine nature would mean to be of the form and plane of existence as God Almighty. However, the context of 2 Peter 1:4 and the Greek word translated "nature" does not support this idea. The Greek word phusis (Strong's #5449) is nowhere else in the scriptures used to mean a form or plane of existence, at least in the sense that it is often attributed in 2 Peter 1:4. (Here are the places where phusis appears in the Greek text: Romans 1:26; 2:14,27; 11:21,24; 1 Corinthians 11:14; Galatians 2:15; 4:8; Ephesians 2:3; James 3:7; 2 Peter 1:4) Rather it carries the thought of a common course of events or matter. According to Strong it means: "growth (by germination or expansion), i.e. (by implication) natural production (lineal descent); by extension, a genus or sort; figuratively, native disposition, constitution or usage: -- ([man-])kind, nature([-al])." The Christian, by means of the begettal of the holy spirit, now should develop a moral constitution like that of the divine. Thus verses 5-8 of 2 Peter 2 deal with the developing of the divine-like qualities. We were by nature [phusis] children of wrath. (Ephesians 2:3) Because of Adam's sin the nature of man was changed, and the human race became by nature children of wrath. The human plane of existence itself was not changed -- Adam was still a human - on the human plane of existence - after he sinned, but the nature of mankind was changed. Now we have escaped the "corruption that is in the world", no longer children of wrath, but called to be of the divine nature. (While it is true that the full development of the divine nature could result in the receiving a spirit body in the resurrection for those who prove themselves to "joint-heirs" with Messiah, the "divine nature" itself, as expressed in 2 Peter 1:4, is not equal to a resurrection in a spirit body in the form of God.) It is by developing this divine nature that one becomes incorruptible.

Thus we conclude Adam also was called to be a partaker of the divine nature on the human plane as bearing the image of God, but failed by putting his mind on the flesh rather than the spirit. Had Adam crystalized his character in righteousness, he would have been incorruptible morally, no longer subject to being morally corrupted. -- Genesis 1:27; 1 Corinthians 15:53; Romans 8:5-9.

See: With What Body Will We Be Raised?

The Greek word *Theios*, translated as "divine" in the KJV and used in connection with "nature" in 2 Peter 1:4, does not in itself reflect any plane of existence or form. The "Lexical Aids" in the *Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible* says of Theios: "an adj. meaning divine, what is God's especially and what proceeds from him.... Theios denotes an attribute of God and not the character of God in its totality."

The KJV translates this word as "Godhead" in Acts 17:29, denoting divine quality or attribute. Some translations render the word as "divine nature" or "deity" in Acts 17:29. The word "Theios" is also used 1 Peter 1:3, where the KJV translates it again as "divine", as an adjective of "power", referring evidently to the power of Jesus. (verse 1). Again, of itself, *Theios* does not refer to any form or plane of existence, although in reference to God in the context of its usage in Acts 17:29, the qualities do seem to include his form of existence as a mighty spirit being, as opposed to the form of idols, which are formed by man, and which have no power in themselves -- they are not gods by nature, since the nature of the words "theos", "el", "elohim", etc., denote power, mightiness. -- Galatians 4:8; See also Psalm 115:4-8; 135:15-18; Isaiah 44:9-20; Romans 1:23; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 10:19,20; 12:2.

Thus in producing documents on the Restoration Light website, we have been careful in how we present the matter of divine nature vs. divine form. Nevertheless, Jesus did have a divine form -- a form of a mighty spirit being -- before coming to the earth. In his resurrection, he was raised in a spiritual body, and given the attribute of immortality. He is no longer subject to death.

RRD, January 3, 2002; Updated June 22, 2003

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See also our resource page on the Trinity and Oneness doctrines:
Trinity/Oneness Refutation