Towards, unto, into and in Theos

Framing the question in such a way may have already set the trajectory of this blog. Firstly, the tense of the question implies that it is a question of the present. However, in both Greek and Hebrew, although there is a verb ‘to be’, it is a common practice to juxtapose two terms together with an implied relationship, the tense not being relevant. Therefore, we are going to endeavour to do the same. Where we are not dealing with an epithet which is juxtaposed adjacent to Theos, we may look at the tense of that co-existence. This is why I have placed the ‘is’ in square brackets because often it is not there. The second point is whether it is relevant to consider whether there should be an article preceding Theos. In Greek there often is, although the articles vary but must be definite articles as there is no such thing as the indefinite article (a, an) in either Greek or Hebrew. Again, we will consider this.

Furthermore, and perhaps most pertinent to the trajectory of this blog, is the fact that Theos is an equivalent of the Old Testament ‘el (אל). This term, similarly mistranslated ‘God’, is, of course, homographic with the word ‘unto’; a word for ‘power’ (as in control); a word for the negative (‘no’, ‘not’ etc); an uncommon word for ‘oath’; and a word for ‘this’/’these’. We paid this some attention at the outset of these posts, at the beginning of our journey, as it were.

‘el (אל), when referring to the creator, occurs on 245 occasions in the Old Testament. It rarely takes the definite article (the). In this form it is ha’el (האל). In this form it occurs 29 times of which 22 times are used as the title for him, whereas the other occurrences typically refer to the homographic ‘these’/’those’.

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto ‘Abraham thy father; (Genesis 26.3)

Yahweh is here reiterating the promises made to ‘Abraham to his son Yitshaq. The occurrence of ha’el (האל) is specific to the countries surrounding him. The same limiting definition is being placed on the refuge cities that a person guilty of manslaughter could flee to:

Then Mosheh severed three cities on this side Yarden toward the sunrising; That the slayer might flee there, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: (Deuteronomy 4.41,42)

The three of the six cities designated as refuge cities which were on the further side of the river were being defined and named. In this sense we can see the use of the definite article is definitive of the specific ones being named or understood and exclusive of any others. This kind of definition works when describing the ‘el himself:

Thou show lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the great, the mighty ‘el, Yahweh of hosts, is his name, (Yeremyahu 32.18)

In language highly reminiscent of Exodus 34, when Yahweh passes by Mosheh calling his name, some of the qualities of the ‘el are being defined here, in clear relation to his name, which we have seen is the identity of Yahweh he requires to live in men, it is that path to becoming him.

Know therefore that Yahweh thy ‘elohym, he is ‘elohym, the faithful ‘el, keeping covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; (Deuteronomy 7.9)

Here we see the ‘el as being defined by his qualities of mercy and keeping covenant with those that love him and keep his commandments. This is the basis of the covenant name, an agreement to be honoured with those in a reciprocal relationship of love with him.

For Yahweh your ‘elohym is ‘elohym of the ‘elohym, and ‘adonay of the ‘adonym, the great ‘el, mighty, and fearful, who regards not persons, nor takes reward: (Deuteronomy 10.17)

Again, he is defined by characteristics pertaining to his name and superiority but specifically that he is not interested in outward appearances or rank in men. These qualities, as we shall see with others, are repeated in the New Testament with regard to Theos.

Blessed be ‘adonay, who daily loads (burdens) us, the ‘el of our salvation. Selah. The ‘el of us, an ‘el of salvation; and unto Yahweh ‘adonay are the issues from death. (Psalm 68.18,20)

Again, we shall see that him being the ‘el of our salvation is repeated in The New Testament.

The ‘el, his way is perfect: the word of Yahweh is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is ‘eloah save Yahweh? or who is a rock save our ‘elohym? The ‘el that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect. (Psalm 18.30-32)

His way is perfect, and his word is the means to direct our steps along that way, and his word is also perfected in us through trial and he, through those utterances, becomes our shield (buckler), making our way perfect, like his.

So, in summary of the above, we can say that the ‘el is defined specifically in positive and negative terms, separating him from being defined as another ‘el, as not respecting persons in judgment; he is merciful and makes covenant with those who love and keep his commandments; he is great and to be feared; his word is perfect and directs believers along a perfect way, which is his way; he is faithful; and, taking all these together, he is the ‘el of [our] salvation.

In the New Testament we see these qualities reiterated, and much more, in terms of the definitive Theos, the Theos who is unlike any other theoi:

But if our euangelion be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the theos of this age has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious euangelion of anointed, who is the image of the Theos, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4.3-4)

The definite article is clearly making a distinction between two theoi here, the theos of this age, a carnal spirit of present wisdom that blinds potential believers from the true message of anointed, and the Theos, the only true one who lives and whose image is seen in the face of Iesous. This is the spirit of definition, making clear statements of identity that differentiate him from any other.

But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it makes no matter to me: Theos accepts no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: (Galatians 2.6)

As in the Old Testament passage above, Theos has no respect of faces toward men, whoever they are or think they are, he looks only upon the inner man and judges accordingly.

But the Theos, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us with anointed, (by grace you are saved;) (Ephesians 2.4,5)

This judgment is, of course, tempered by his great mercy, as is evidenced in the revelation of his name in Exodus 34.

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of the Theos is sent unto the nations, and that they will hear it. (Acts 28.28)

This mercy leads to his salvation.

The Theos is faithful, by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son Iesous anointed our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1.9)

So, we have seen attributes associated with the ‘el in the Old Testament reiterated in describing the Theos of the New. From this point on, in the New Testament, we start to see a different construction that juxtaposes [the] Theos with qualities, epithets or phenomena. In this case it is with the word pistos (πιστος) which is usually translated ‘faithful’ and, apart from defining the Theos, it can also define those who are receptive to his word and reciprocate it in belief. The related words in this family of Greek words are pistis (πιστις) usually translated ‘faith’ or ‘belief’ and pisteuo (πιστευω) ‘to believe’. The construction, here in 1 Cor.1.9 is ‘pistos ho Theos’ (πιστος ο θεος) – faithful the Theos. A similar construction occurs in 1 Timotheos:

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. (1 Timotheos 3.1)

The phrasing ‘this is a true saying’ is pistos ho logos (πιστος ο λογος) and would perhaps be better translated ‘faithful the word’. It occurs in Paulos’ letters to Timotheos and Titos on a number of occasions. If we say that the word [is] faithful and we also say that the Theos [is] faithful then it is not a stretch to say that the Theos, also, [is] the word:

In the beginning was the word, and the word was towards the Theos, and the Word was Theos. (Iohannes 1.1)

Here, there is a verb, was, which is set in the past tense because the beginning being referred to is in the past. At that time the word was in a reciprocal (towards) relationship with Theos and was Theos. His utterances were indivisible from him because they were the speech that emanated from him and were the revelation of his mind, but they were sent forth to ‘elohym to perform the creation and were received back as obedient acts and verbal acknowledgement. It is this revelation of the spirit which is him and emanates from him:

But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth: for the father seeks such to worship him. The Theos is spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (Iohannes 4.23,24)

The Greek here follows the same construction as ‘the Theos [is] faithful’ and ‘the word [is] faithful’, that is the two elements are juxtaposed without a verb in between, thus – pneuma ho Theos (πνευμα ο θεος). Spirit denotes mind, as we have seen in an earlier blog. Spirit is Theos, Theos is a mind. The utterances of the spirit are the word. Theos [is] word. All the subsequent juxtapositions are dependent on this principle. The revelation of who he was, is and will be are revealed by and in himself. He seeks people to reciprocate such and worship him in spirit and in truth.

Of the epithets that include the verb ‘to be’ we find the statement that the Theos is true:

He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that the Theos is true. (Iohannes 3.33)

The Greek here is ‘ho Theos alethes estin’ (ο θεος αληθης εστιν). Iohannes the baptist is speaking about Iesous and the origination of his identity being heavenly, that is he was sent by Theos, embodying the characteristics of Theos. If somebody receives this witness from Iesous as coming from the Theos then he himself has committed to the truth of the Theos in Iesous and remains in that state so long as he remains in that belief. Other occurrences of ‘sealing’ indicate that an unwavering commitment to the truth of Theos is a certainty for salvation. Theos is true inasmuch as his revelation is a revelation of him and he is the source of truth, and it has the outcome of not being a lie. If this is what he is, what is intrinsic to his identity, then it is vital that those who seek to become him, and whom Theos seeks to become him, are also true. If they hold fast to that revelation of truth and seek to become true, as he is, then they can be assured of becoming him in the end. Whatsoever is of Theos, therefore, is true/truth; whatsoever is not of him is antithetical to that revelation of truth, it is false.

We can see these qualities in Iesous when he says, to Thomas:

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the father, but by me. (Iohannes 14.6)

Iesous uses the ‘ego eimi’ (εγω ειμι) form – ‘I, I am’. As a present tense fulfilment of the ‘I will be’ implicit in the name of Yahweh (Ex.3.14). He is fulfilling the identity of the Theos by being the embodiment of his way, his life and his truth, because the Theos is all of these things:

And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priskilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of the Theos more perfectly. (Acts 18.26)

manifestly declared to be the epistle of anointed ministered by us, written not with ink, but with spirit of living Theos; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3.3)

Theos is true, he is living and he has a way. It is the revelation of his truth that leads us to walk in the way which he has ordained, and trod in his son, that leads to aionian life:

And this is life aionian, that they might know thee the only true Theos, and Iesous anointed, whom thou have sent. (Iohannes 17.3)

Iesous embodies these things – way, truth, life – and therefore declares the name/identity of Theos in himself. If we assent to that declaration and hold on to it steadfastly then we can be assured of becoming him in the end. If we are to do so we must walk that way unto aionian life by the impetus of the revelation of his truth, which is himself.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that the Theos is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 Iohannes 1.5)

Here, the Greek follows the same pattern as that of Theos being true – ho Theos phos estin (ο θεος φως εστιν). The verb to be is included again. In this beginning of the first letter of Iohannes, we find the same themes being expressed as we found, particularly, in Iohannes 1.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that aionian life, which was with the father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the father, and with his son Iesous anointed…If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Iesous anointed his son cleanses us from all sin. (1 Iohannes 1.1-3,6-7)

The word is living, because it is of Theos, and its way leads unto aionian life, which is also of, and is, the Theos. The life, in the living word, was manifested to us in Iesous. Having fellowship or communion – which is to share a oneness of mind – with the father and the son is to engage in the same manifestation as the son. If we walk in the light of that manifestation of the living word, then we will fight the carnal mind with that living spirit and we will have access to forgiveness of sins through the metonymic blood of anointed.

One of the qualities that people often associate with Theos is his goodness and, indeed, it is the thing that Yahweh says he will reveal to Mosheh when he passed by him and declared his name:

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have aionian life? And he said unto him, Why do you speak to me of good? there is none good but one the Theos: but if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments. (Maththaios 19.16,17)

Here the Greek is oudeis agathos ei me eis ho Theos (ουδεις αγαθος ει μη εις ο θεος) – there is none good but one the Theos. Iesous is not prepared to accept the appellation ‘good’, as the only source for goodness, and the revelation of the name, is the father. The man cannot do a good thing, he must become like the father to inherit aionian life, which is of the father. He can do this by keeping the commandments and giving up his wealth in this age. Fundamental to this description of Theos as being the only one that is good is that he is one, which is here represented by the homographic eis (εις), signifying, primarily, in this place, the meaning ‘one’, but carrying the homographic sense of unto, as the route unto Theos is the route unto becoming one with him.

And Iesous answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, Israel; The Lord our Theos, the Lord is one: And thou shall love the Lord thy Theos with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Markos 12.30)

The idea of Theos being one is something that we have dealt with in previous blogs, especially in respect of the name of Yahweh:

And Yahweh shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Yahweh, and his name one. (Zecharyah 14.9)

In the future tense fulfilment of Yahweh’s name when all people have been gathered together into him, in one, then it can be said that he is one. Although we can see that oneness has a sense of defining him exclusively, it is not a limiting factor of singularity. He is good and no other one can be that. He is one Theos, and there is no other but him. However, his oneness is seen in a unity of mind which is fulfilled when all the multitude of willing recipients of that spirit are gathered together into the one that is him.

There is one body, and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one belief, one baptism, One Theos and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4.4-6)

We saw, in a previous blog, how that the terms for ‘one’ used here are a mixture of two terms – en (εν) and eis (εις) – which elsewhere are homographs of, respectively, ‘in’ and ‘unto’/’into’. So, the journey of becoming one with Theos is a directional path that ends up in him. It is occasioned through belief in that one spirit and overwhelming immersion in that same spirit.

For though there be that are called theoi, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be theoi many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one Theos, the father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Iesous anointed, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8.5-6)

Theos is defined by who he is, and of course will be, and who he is not. Out of him proceed all things, the things of his spirit and by that we are able to become one in him. This process has been occasioned by the creative work of Iesous who was the first to manifest Theos in perfection and after whom we must follow.

The final quality we shall look at is that of love:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of the Theos; and every one that loves is born of the Theos, and knows the Theos. He that loves not knows not the Theos; for the Theos is love. In this was manifested the love of the Theos toward us, because that the Theos sent his only begotten son into the kosmos, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved the Theos, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if the Theos so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (1 Iohannes 4.7-11)

The Greek here is ‘ho Theos agape estin’ (ο θεος αγαπη εστιν) – the Theos love is. The word for ‘propitiation’ is ‘ilasmos’ (ιλασμος) and is closely related to the word, similarly translated ‘propitiation’, ‘ilasterion’ (ιλαστηριον) which occurs in Romans 3.25 (which we have looked at in a previous blog) and whose other occurrence is in Hebrews 9.5 where it is translated as ‘mercyseat’ and is clearly describing the kaporeth with the kerubym which sat on top of the ark.

Theos has loved us in that he sent his son to be that which occasions forgiveness of sins via the declaration of his righteousness. That is, the son manifested the love of the father by giving up his life/soul/identity by immersion in the spirit in order to overcome the carnal mind. When we see the son, we see the declaration of Theos and we are able to follow that path. The path of love requires that we follow his lead. We must reciprocate the love of Theos by reflecting to him who he is and by demonstrating to others, predominantly those that are, or will become, believers, the father.

In a future blog we will discuss in more detail the love of Theos but for now let us reflect on the qualities of Theos. The word Theos occurs 1,343 times in the New Testament and in almost every occurrence it gives us various aspects of his identity and behaviour. These include, but are not limited to, glory, perfection, gift giving, knowledge, wisdom, righteousness, grace, forbearance, mercy, hope, peace, consolation, comfort, that he raises the dead, that he is invisible, unseen by the eye of man, does not lie, does not tempt with evil, that he is immortal, he is immutable, and he builds. Besides these almost every statement of his is an indication of who he is, and will be, how he behaves towards us and towards those that oppose him and who it is we should be seeking. The few qualities we have looked at in more detail here – love, faithfulness, truth, light, spirit, goodness, oneness and word – have shown us some of those fundamental characteristics which he is happy to directly juxtapose with his title which, as we saw early on in this journey, is from the word ‘to set’ or ‘place’ and indicates the vertical orientation of order that comes down from the father through his representatives, particularly his son, and is received by willing and obedient ears whose mouths reciprocate back up towards him.