dberrie2000 wrote:No one is arguing James Talmage is not a tradition Christian.
Only that as Hugh Nibley once stated--the opinions of scholars are not usually good for more than 20 years.
Seeing that God the Son died as men do--the point about gods dying isn't an especially effective argument either:
The Plural Elohim of Psalm 82: Gods or Men?
http://michaelsheiser.com/TheNakedBible/divine-council/
My answer: “gods” (i.e., elohim, as the text says). This post contains a link to my paper on Psalm 82 read at the 2010 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). It refutes all the arguments that the elohim of Psalm 82 are humans (an argument that undermines the deity of Christ in John 10:34-35 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ). I think the divine plurality of the psalm is part of John’s portrayal of Jesus as God, and it is impossible to make that argument if the elohim are mere men.
The post also contains a link to a second ETS paper of the same year about what the term elohim means, and why plural elohim are compatible with monotheism. Short answer: since the biblical writers use elohim of a five entities besides the God of Israel, it cannot be a term associated with one unique set of attributes — one has to deny demons are real, for example, if one denies other elohim besides the God of Israel are real (Deut 32:17 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ).1
Mittens said:---James Talmage, a Mormon Apostle, said Psalm 82:6 is not about becoming gods.
"In Psalm 82:6, judges invested by divine appointment are called 'gods.' To this scripture the Savior referred in His reply to the Jews in Solomon's Porch. Judges so authorized officiated as the representatives of God and are honored by the exalted title 'gods.' Compare the similar appellation applied to Moses (Exo. 4:16; 7:1). Jesus Christ possessed divine authorization, not through the word of God transmitted to Him by man, but as an inherent attribute. The inconsistency of calling human judges 'gods,' and of ascribing blasphemy to the Christ who called Himself the Son of God, would have been apparent to the Jews but for their sin-darkened minds." (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 501). --
Mormons often quote Psalm 82:6 which Jesus quoted in John 10:30-34 to show that we can become gods. Rather than them believing the truth from a Christian, perhaps they will believe it from their own apostle.
Repeating the same century old opinion of an LDS scholar and apostle won't make your point.
The scholars today are in consensus that ancient Israel believed in the reality of the Divine Council of the gods--and the Old Testament writers are indicted along with that consensus--Psalm82 included:
The Plural Elohim of Psalm 82: Gods or Men?
http://michaelsheiser.com/TheNakedBible/divine-council/
My answer: “gods” (i.e., elohim, as the text says). This post contains a link to my paper on Psalm 82 read at the 2010 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). It refutes all the arguments that the elohim of Psalm 82 are humans (an argument that undermines the deity of Christ in John 10:34-35 [Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)] ). I think the divine plurality of the psalm is part of John’s portrayal of Jesus as God, and it is impossible to make that argument if the elohim are mere men.
