Did God Become Man Part 3: God Becomes One Man, Men Become God: Why

The Jewish philosopher Philo later connected this philosophical concept with the creative word of God found in the Old Testament. The Gospel of John adopted this understanding, presenting the Logos as both the agent of creation and the means of humanity's redemption.

To support the doctrine of incarnation, Christian theology developed the concepts of Original Sin and Divine Sacrifice. According to this belief, Adam's sin was inherited by all humanity, and no human sacrifice could remove its consequences. Therefore, only a divine sacrifice could provide salvation.

As a result, Christians believe that God became man through His Son, who was fully divine. Jesus was crucified as a sacrifice for humanity's sins, resurrected from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God awaiting the final judgment.

For Christians, who represent roughly one-fifth of the world's population, belief in God's incarnation is regarded as essential for salvation.

Men Become God

While Christianity teaches that God became man, another set of religious beliefs teaches the opposite—that human beings themselves can become divine.

These ideas trace their origins to ancient mystical traditions, especially those influenced by Greek philosophy.

Mysticism teaches that the ultimate goal of human life is union with God. Plato described this spiritual ascent, portraying the soul as climbing toward complete unity with the Divine.

This philosophy assumes that human souls are originally part of God but have become trapped within the material world. Through spiritual purification, the soul is believed to free itself and reunite with its divine source.

Mysticism and Sufism

Within Muslim societies, mystical movements emerged that embraced similar concepts. Their followers became known as Sufis, and their spiritual system as Sufism.

Many Sufi traditions teach that through rigorous spiritual exercises, remembrance, meditation, and self-discipline, a seeker can reach a state of complete union with God.

Different Sufi orders, known as Tareeqahs ("paths"), developed unique methods intended to lead followers toward this goal.

This union was described by terms such as:

Fanaa

— the dissolution

of the individual self.

Wusool

— arrival or reaching God.

Although mainstream Muslim scholars rejected the belief that humans literally unite with God, these ideas gained popularity in some mystical circles.

Later, Ibn Arabi developed the doctrine further through the concept of Wahdat al-Wujood (Unity of Existence). According to this view, only God truly exists, while everything in creation is merely a manifestation of the Divine.

This interpretation became highly influential within certain schools of Sufism.

Why Did These Beliefs Develop?

Why did many ancient civilizations come to believe either that God became man or that humanity itself is divine?

According to the author, the underlying reason was humanity's difficulty in understanding the idea of creation from nothing.

Human beings create by transforming existing materials. A wooden table comes from a tree. Metal nails come from iron ore. Plastic chairs originate from petroleum. Human creativity always depends upon reshaping something that already exists.

Because people naturally understand creation through their own experience, they often imagined that God creates in the same way.

This way of thinking appears in many ancient traditions. For example, some interpreted the biblical statement that humanity was created "in the image of God" in a literal sense.

In Hindu philosophy, the cosmic being Purusa becomes both the creator and the material from which the universe is formed. According to this belief, different parts of Purusa's body become the various social classes, leading to the idea that the world itself emerged from God's own being.

The Islamic View

The Islamic understanding differs fundamentally.

Human knowledge is limited and cannot fully comprehend the infinite nature of God. According to Islam, God did not create the universe from Himself or from any pre-existing substance.

Rather, when Allah wills something to exist, He simply commands:

"Be," and it is.

Everything in creation came into existence solely by God's command.

Because creation is entirely separate from the Creator, Islam maintains a complete distinction between God and His creation.

The belief that the universe originated from God's own essence reduces the Creator to the level of created beings, who can only transform existing materials.

Islam therefore teaches that God is absolutely unique. Nothing resembles Him, and His method of creation is unlike anything experienced by His creatures.