Where does the concept of "We're all 'little gods'" come from?

[Tom in TN]

I had someone say this to me and I can't agree with it, nor can I find reference to it in Scripture... am I missing something? :thinking

[Marie_M]

It has roots in the unbiblical Word of Faith movement:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_Faith#.27Little_gods.27_controversy
http://www.gotquestions.org/Word-Faith.html

[LightOfMyLife]

I had someone say this to me and I can't agree with it, nor can I find reference to it in Scripture... am I missing something? :thinking I found this link online http://tbm.org/are_we_little_gods.htm

[acceptedintheBeloved]

It's highly doubtful, but I suppose they could have been referring to the following verses... :idunno :

John 10:34NASB


John 10:34NASB

34 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in (A)your (B)Law, '(C)I SAID, YOU ARE GODS'?

Cross references:

A. John 10:34 : John 8:17
B. John 10:34 : John 12:34; John 15:25; Rom 3:19; 1 Cor 14:21
C. John 10:34 : Ps 82:6


Same verse in the KJV, John 10:34:


John 10:34

34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

(See John 10 for context)

Psalm 82:6


Psalm 82:6

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.


Here are links to a lexicon showing the meanings/usage:


theos - Strong's G2316 (John 10:34)

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=G2316


'elohiym - Strong's H430 (Psalm 82:6)

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H430&t=KJV


In the past, I listened to a sermon about these verses... but I cannot presently recall the details... :doh :scratch
But it was nothing at all like some of the false teachings (on this) that are out there. :nope
.

[Tres Wright]

It's not so much a misapplication of Scripture so much as it is a tool of Satan to move people away from the message of Salvation through Christ. If we believe we are all gods, that God is not an entity but just the whole universe itself and everything in it, then we are drawn away from the message that there is only ONE way to Salvation (John 14:6) and Satan has won. This is the centerpiece of the New Age movement- we don't need Salvation because we are all already gods. Many people who follow New Age beliefs are quite surprised to find the Bible actually teaches a completely different message, because the New Age teachers tell them that it's what the Bible says and that they don't need to bother looking it up themselves :rolleyes

[Robert]

Two words:


FROM HELL.

[MrMannn]

It was the very first temptation. Satan tempted eve with this lie.

Gen 3: 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

But the lie goes even further back in time, before men were created.
Isaiah tells the origin of satan. It was satan who led a third of the angels in revolt against God. The reason? satan wanted to be God himself.

This is both the oldest sin and the oldest temptation. the devil has used it countless times over the years, from worship of pharaohs and Caesars to mormon and new age doctrines. Its an evil that has always led men to destruction.

[markus1]

Two words:


FROM HELL.

:sad

[Yekcid]

It's highly doubtful, but I suppose they could have been referring to the following verses... :idunno :

John 10:34NASB

Same verse in the KJV, John 10:34:

(See John 10 for context)

Psalm 82:6


In the past, I listened to a sermon about these verses... but I cannot presently recall the details... :doh :scratch
But it was nothing at all like some of the false teachings (on this) that are out there. :nope
.

Psalm 82 is about the condemnation and sentencing to death of gods. It's always curious to me that people would try to apply Ps 82:6 to themselves when Psalm 82 is not at all a favorable Psalm to the gods in the Psalm. Basically, the God of Israel stands and gives all of them the death sentence in the Psalm.

When Jesus quotes this Psalm in John 10, He is talking to the Jewish leaders, and He isn't exactly on friendly terms with them at the moment as they are contesting His authority. So first realize that Jesus' words here are directly applicable to the Jewish leaders, not all humans. It's is certainly not the case that He is calling them "gods" in the sense that He is sayign they have some sort of divine identity. That would undermine the whole context of the contest that is taking place between Jesus and His opponents.

If you read rabbinical interpretations of Psalm 82 it becomes clear why Jesus would quote it and use it as He does. First, recognize that Jesus is attempting to establish His own divine identity here. Second, the rabbinical interpretations of Psalm 82 in the Mishnah and Aramaic Targum are such that the Psalm is talking about righteous judges of the Torah (not gods) who received the Torah on Sinai and were the correct interpreters of God's Law and vehicles of His Word. Jesus' argument works like this: If they as mere human vehicles and interpreters of God's Word deserved to be called "gods", then how much more does Jesus, God's Incarnate Word, deserve to be called GOD?

There is a sense of real irony in Jesus' comments too. Psalm 82 is clearly about unrighteous elohim (gods) who don't practice justice while the world around them crumbles before their eyes. The Psalmist says these elohim neither know nor understand anything. Ironically, Jesus says that His opponents should believe His deeds so they can indeed know and understand. Jesus may even be poking fun at them and trying to make them look ridiculous. Anyone would be crazy to identify themselves as the elohim in Psalm 82. Those elohim are unjust, they don't know or understand anything, and they are sentenced to death for being unrighteous and unjust.

[acceptedintheBeloved]

Psalm 82 is about the condemnation and sentencing to death of gods. It's always curious to me that people would try to apply Ps 82:6 to themselves when Psalm 82 is not at all a favorable Psalm to the gods in the Psalm. Basically, the God of Israel stands and gives all of them the death sentence in the Psalm.

When Jesus quotes this Psalm in John 10, He is talking to the Jewish leaders, and He isn't exactly on friendly terms with them at the moment as they are contesting His authority. So first realize that Jesus' words here are directly applicable to the Jewish leaders, not all humans. It's is certainly not the case that He is calling them "gods" in the sense that He is sayign they have some sort of divine identity. That would undermine the whole context of the contest that is taking place between Jesus and His opponents.

If you read rabbinical interpretations of Psalm 82 it becomes clear why Jesus would quote it and use it as He does. First, recognize that Jesus is attempting to establish His own divine identity here. Second, the rabbinical interpretations of Psalm 82 in the Mishnah and Aramaic Targum are such that the Psalm is talking about righteous judges of the Torah (not gods) who received the Torah on Sinai and were the correct interpreters of God's Law and vehicles of His Word. Jesus' argument works like this: If they as mere human vehicles and interpreters of God's Word deserved to be called "gods", then how much more does Jesus, God's Incarnate Word, deserve to be called GOD?

There is a sense of real irony in Jesus' comments too. Psalm 82 is clearly about unrighteous elohim (gods) who don't practice justice while the world around them crumbles before their eyes. The Psalmist says these elohim neither know nor understand anything. Ironically, Jesus says that His opponents should believe His deeds so they can indeed know and understand. Jesus may even be poking fun at them and trying to make them look ridiculous. Anyone would be crazy to identify themselves as the elohim in Psalm 82. Those elohim are unjust, they don't know or understand anything, and they are sentenced to death for being unrighteous and unjust.

:thumb I pretty much agree with you. The context was basically (pointing to) "the leadership"... and in this case, those with whom He was speaking, in particular (especially as in contrast to Himself). That's sort of how I recall the sermon I was referring to, though I am not explaining it so well. :hat