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The "God-Makers" Issue

Is God (or someone else) in the business of making humans gods? I found a Mormon writer on line defending that position, and would like to deal with what he said. The article is at http://home.rmci.net/cbolton/EXALT.HTM. It is by Chris Bolton and is entitled A Doctrinal Analysis of Exaltation. It is a great article in that it lists lots of proof texts from the Bible.

You know, if this is really what is in the Bible, we have no reason to deny it. But is it really there? I want to analyze the scriptures cited to "prove" this theory.

The first proof text cited is I Cor. 8:5-6. He maintains that even though the context is speaking of idols, the parenthesis is speaking of other Gods. Here's the passage:

"As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."

You know...you can't have it both ways. If the parenthesis is talking about other Gods in the divine sense, then what makes you think the previous statement isn't....the one that says there is NONE other God but one? In a discussion referring to how many gods there are, isn't the word "none" rather definitive? Yet LDS teach that God had a father, who also had a father, all of whom were men that were later exalted to godhood. Chris argues that if there be gods many and lords many, they must exist. But this is preceded by a statement that there are many that are CALLED gods. You can call a stone a god if you want, but that does not make it a real god. The phrase that translators put in parenthesis is probably a common saying in the culture of the day. So is THIS to be the foundation of faith?

The second proof text cited is John 10:34. He gives a long explanation about the word god in that verse being a real reference to god, but fails to deal with the simple fact that it refers to people who are NOW HUMANS as gods (being a quotation from Psalm 82:6, which clarifies this). Judges who were unjust are being "raked over the coals" somewhat in Psalm 82, and yet, because they had authority over other humans, they are referred to as gods. This may prove that the word god can refer to an imperfect human...but it certainly doesn't prove that anyone is going to be changed from a human to the status of God Almighty in the future! Let's not read something into a passage that isn't there! It says people ARE in some sense (present tense) gods...not that they can become gods, as LDS maintain.

Next we find a list of scriptures which I wish to repeat for your examination because Chris says they only state that we are to worship the One True God, but do not prohibit the existence of other gods. Read them for yourself and you will see that each one refers to the existence of other gods and NONE refer to worship!!!

Deut. 4:35,39, 32:39; I Sam. 2:2, II Sam. 7:22, 22:32; I Kings 8:60; Psalm 18:31; Isa. 43:10, 11, 44:6,8, 45:5-22, 46:9, Jere. 10:10, Gal. 3:20, Eph. 4:6 and James 2:19. You know, at this point I could simply say, "I rest my case" and be done with it. But let me continue.

Chris feels that since Christ was a God before coming to earth that proves we can be, too. That is shallow logic, to place the unique God-man on the same level as humans, especially in view of Christ's statement in John 8:23. What does it mean?

I now deal with a numbered list of scriptures he cites.

1. Acts 17:29, Heb. 12:9 (We are the offspring of God) Doesn't prove the point... where we came from is not the same issue as where we are going.
2. We are heirs of God - Gal. 4:7. Granted...but the question is HOW MUCH do we inherit? Equality? No -- see Eph. 1:21.
3. We are joint-heirs with Christ - Rom. 8:14-17. See above - we will NOT receive that which is specifically prohibited! This passage actually decimates the view. Why? There are two Biblical words for sons/children used here. In verse 14 it is saying that those led by the Spirit of God are the mature sons of God. But in verse 16 it is saying that all who have received the Spirit are born ones (babies) of God. Then it goes on to say that if we are born ones (not mature sons) we will be joint heirs with Christ. In other words, what LDS consider to be godhood is given even to baby Christians!
4. Rev:21:7 We shall inherit all things. This comes the closest to saying we share equally with Christ. But if it is the ONLY verse that gives that indication, then we must realize that it may mean "all" in the sense of the context described in Rev. 21, rather than all without exclusion.
5. We shall receive a mansion. John 14:2. What we receive isn't the same as what we will be in essence.
6. We shall sit on God's throne. Rev. 3:21. I really doubt anyone thinks of this in a super-literal way. To share in the ruling and reigning is a reality. But let's not be illogical.
   If Christ is the "top dog" (and I mean that reverently; use it only because it clearly conveys an authority chain) then there won't be 9 million or even 10 "top dogs". In other words, the concept of Omnipotence implies a pecking order. That is the idea of Eph. 1:21. I plan to rule and reign with him yet UNDER him. And the problem is that this is NOT what Doctrine and Covenants 76:95 and 88:107 say!
7. We will be given a crown of glory - I Peter 5:4 (see #5)
8. We shall receive the same glory and image as the Lord - II Cor. 3:18 Fuzzy thinking. Is this speaking of the same quantity or the same TYPE of glory? Can't be quantity if the LDS concept of degrees of glory is true, for the verse says we ALL are being changed. Other scriptures speak of our growing and becoming like Christ. NO scripture says we will be all that He is -- i.e. God.
9. We will receive the same type of body as Christ - Phil. 3:21. Yes, and in I Corinthians 15 we are told in what ways our body will be like Christ's -- it will be immortal...i.e. we won't die, and it will not be corruptible, or susceptible to decay, nor sin. I have no problem with these concepts.
10. We will be given power. Rev. 2:26. But how much and where? The LDS picture is that we are to be all heavenly father is -- so that would mean we are to get our own planet.
    But the picture in Revelation is of us ruling and reigning with Christ over the new heaven and earth. We inherit what HE inherits. If that is what is meant by Mormon "Godhood", fine. But I believe there will be no "territory" that is ours that isn't also Christ's, and that we will rule UNDER his authority. Further, the picture in Rev. 21:3 is of us being God's PEOPLE (not equals) and him our God. Verse 7 speaks of us as his SONS...and 22:3 speaks of us as God's SERVANTS. None of these indicate the type of equality seen in D&C 76:95. To have real equality we would have to be reigning over the same quantity of real estate. Don't think that's logically possible if Christ is "over all".
11. We will be made rulers. Matt. 15:21,23 (dealt with above, #6 & 10)
12. We shall judge the world and angels - I Cor. 6:2,3 (same idea as above)
13. We bear the image of the heavenly - I Cor. 15:49. And the image of the heavenly spelled out in I Cor. 15 says nothing about equal power or our own planet - see #9 above.
14. We will be like God - I John 3:2. This is a much-abused passage. I am LIKE a car in that I have parts that deteriorate, and I have to have fuel to keep going. But I am not a car. Yes, we will be like God in some ways, but nowhere in the Bible does it say we will be ALL that he is, and indeed we cannot be, because he had no beginning, and he is creator of matter itself. We could only reorganize it. See John 1:1-3, Col. 1:16-17 .
15. We will partake in God's divine nature. II Peter 1:4. Again, yes, we will have God's character in that we will no longer sin or die. Beyond that, let's not add to the scriptures what they do not specify, nor add what they deny (Eph. 1:21).

This concludes my reference to Chris's article. The underlying problem I see with this whole concept of eternal progression is that it is disobedience to the scripture's many commands to Magnify, Glorify and EXALT God (not man). When we say the only difference between God and us is he got the chance long before we did to progress to that station, we are erasing a lot of important lines of demarcation spelled out in the Bible. First, of course is the above list which repeatedly tells us there are no other gods! So it's just plain a lie.

In further correspondence with Chris I have come to the conclusion that my frustration in the use of the word godhood as a possibility for us comes from the fact that LDS have a different concept of what a GOD is than we do. We see God as the only God...thus to put us on his level is simply an impossibility. Chris indicated that just as a father, grandfather and great grandfather each are under authority yet each have the same responsibilities of oversight of offspring...so we can be what God is yet be under him. But that is only true IF there is a succession of Gods. And the Bible indicates no such succession. It makes God the first, the last, the only God. His title "I am" indicates self-sufficiency as well as eternality. So we can't be what he is...eternally independent of all "authority".

Secondly, is the fact that God is the original creator of ALL. We are specifically told that there was NOTHING that Christ didn't create...nothing visible, nothing invisible. (John 1:1-3, Col. 1:15-17) That pretty much covers everything, wouldn't you say? In Romans 1 we are told about fallen mankind who started worshipping the creation instead of "the" creator. There is only one creator. Mormons don't even know the name of theirs. They only know Elohim and Jesus reorganized matter. My God created it! If Elohim and Jesus received their promotion to Godhood from some other God (it would have to be...laws don't have energy to change a being from man to God)...then they were that God's CREATION...and Mormons are worshipping the creation, rather than "the" creator. Romans 1 has some TOUGH things to say about people who commit this sin... Check it out.

It sickens me to read the subtle implication that my God lived on an earth and sinned and died, and then was later promoted to Godhood. Yes, I know this makes Mormons feel more "close" to him, but it destroys His uniqueness and glory.

It also is quite illogical to say we should ONLY worship the Gods of this planet (Elohim and Jesus) if they received their power to be God from someone who is obviously greater than they are because He INVENTED this whole scheme of eternal progression and enacted it. If we are to exalt God...is he not to exalt his father? WHY NOT? If I were the original God...the first, most powerful one, I would not tell anyone to keep my name secret! Further, if there is another God, it reduces some of the claims Elohim and Jesus made to LIES. There certainly WERE visible and invisible things made without their involvement, if at the beginning of "all" they did not have the powers of godhood!

And looking to the future...it is a hollow offer that Mormonism makes of godhood, not only because it isn't a Biblical option, but also because it is mission impossible to live the kind of life required to attain that goal. I know (as a woman) that the Bible indicates I may be able to "rule and reign with Christ"...but I am not seeking that! God seeks worshippers, not competitors. All in the world I want is to hear him say to me "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." That will be enough. And that, through the grace of Christ, is an attainable goal.