[Kolokotronis]

"It's Romans 6, Kolo. That's where the rub is."

Well, I just read it in English and Greek. I don't see where one gets instant theosis out of Rom. 6. Were that the case, why is +Paul bothering to speak to the Romans. If the fix is in, the fix is in. Rom. 6 seems to be telling us what Christ has done for us and how we are to conform our free will to respond to that. In other words, we've now got another chance to get it right. What am I missing, Kosta?

[kosta50]

Well, I just read [Rom 6:10] in English and Greek. I don't see where one gets instant theosis out of Rom. 6

Being completely dead to sin is not theosis?

I looked at+John Chrysotsom's homilies X, XI (thanks D-fendr).

But let's look at what the Apostle actually says; at the relevant verses:

v.2 How shall we who died to sin still live in it? [comment: is he not saying it's not possible because we have already died to sin; is he not saying 'we' (Christians) cannot sin?]

v.6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; [comment: here he reiterates that those who accepted Christ are dead to sin, free from sin through dying into Christ].

v.7 for he who has died is freed from sin. [comment; doesn't get much clearer that this; we are dead to sin and therefore free form sin]

v.10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. [comment: this is unrelated to dying to sin, but it is one of those sentences where one must wonder if +Paul considers Christ equal to Father in divinity]

v.11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. [comment: again, he states that we are dead to sin; we are free form sin; what else can that mean except that we can sin no more?!]

v.12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, [commnet: here he speaks as if just a few verse above he didn't say that we are free from sin]

v.18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. [comment: again, having been freed...now we can only do righteous deeds]

All in all, I think the protestants are reading these lines as basically saying: when you become a Christian you become dead to sin, free from sin and sin no more. That would be theosis (except that theosis requires a life-long dying unto oneself).