二者都讲“神化/theosis”,也都用到“人成为神”这类强语汇,但在神学框架、用语传统与实践导向上有明显差异。可以抓“共同基点+三条差异线”来看。[1][2][3][4]

## 一、共同基点:都讲“参与神生命,而非成第四位格”

– 东方正教:强调人“与神联合、得着不朽、参与神的生命”,但永远是受造者,不进入神的本质(essence),不成为“三一中的第四位”。[3][5]
– 李常受:概括为“神成为人,为要使人在生命和性情上成为神,但不在神格上”;再三限定:信徒得着神的生命与性情,却绝不进入神格、绝不成为可敬拜的那一位。[2][4][1]
– 两者都刻意守住造物主—受造物的区分:
– 正教用“本质/能量(essence/energies)”区分,可参与的是神的不受造“能量”,不可参与的是本质;[6][3]
– 李用“生命与性情/神格(life & nature / Godhead)”区分:可参与的是神可分赐的生命与性情,不可参与的是神格与独一可敬拜的地位。[7][1][2]

## 二、差异一:本体论工具——“本质/能量” vs. “生命与性情/神格”

– 东方正教:
– 神学上依托巴西流—格里高利—帕拉玛斯传统,明确区分神的“本质”(绝对不可参与)与“能量”(神向外发出的不受造行动和临在,人可在其中被神化)。[3][6]
– Theosis=参与神的不受造能量,在此过程中“成为神”,但本质上仍完全是受造者。
– 李常受:
– 不用“本质/能量”术语,而用“生命与性情/神格”来划线:
– 成为神=在生命与性情上被构成,与神同类;
– 绝不在神格上,与三一神同等。[4][1][7]
– 有学者指出,可以把“生命与性情/神格”视为一种平行于“能量/本质”的简化区分,用以在华语福音派语境下表述神化而不引入繁复的本体论技术词。[8][1]

## 三、差异二:修炼路径——修行与奥秘观 vs. 经纶与“喫神”话语

– 东方正教:
– 神化路径与礼仪、禁欲、耶稣祷文、圣餐生活密切相连,强调在教会共融中、通过参与 sacramental life 与 hesychasm 来被神化。[6][3]
– 强调“参与”“交通”,而不强调“神人调和/构成”的有机语言。
– 李常受:
– 用“神经纶—分赐—调和—构成”的语言:三一神经过过程,作生命分赐到信徒里,信徒藉“喫、喝、享受神”(祷读、呼求主名、小排聚会)而在里面代谢变化,达到“在生命性情上成为神”。[9][2]
– 路径是明显“经纶+有机”的:重“神的行动分赐进来”,而非修行技术本身;强调“喫神”而不强调观想“神圣光辉”。[1][9]

## 四、差异三:教会形态与神化的落点

– 东方正教:
– 神化是教会礼仪与修行生活的最高目标,但在教会论上通常没有用“团体神人”或“四合一实体”等强本体论语言;
– 教会被看作“圣灵在圣礼中作工、带人进入与神共融”的场域。
– 李常受:
– 把神化直接连到“身体实际”和“四合一实体”(父、子、灵与身体)的教会论:
– 三一神与新人类在生命性情上相互调和,形成“团体神人”;
– 教会作为“神人团体”的本体论图像,与地方教会实行(地方召会+合一见证)紧密捆绑。[10][7]
– 因此,神化不仅是个人目标,更是“神经纶高峰”下教会本体的关键范畴;这在东方正教里较少这样与某一具体运动形态强绑定。

## 五、一句可用的综合命题

> 若简要比较:李常受的神人观在大方向上与东方正教的神化观共享一个核心——信徒在基督里真实有分神的生命与性情,却永远不进入神的本质/神格,也不成为三一中的第四位;然而,两者使用不同的本体论工具与教会语境:正教以“本质/能量”区分,把神化安置在圣礼与修行—共融结构中,而李则以“生命与性情/神格”划界,将神化理解为三一神在神圣经纶中分赐、调和并构成团体神人的有机过程,并强力与地方教会与身体实际连结,这使他的神人观在表述与教会落点上具有明显不同于东方正教的轮廓与张力。[2][4][7][10][1][3]

Sources
[1] ETS 2015: “In Life and Nature but Not in the Godhead” https://an-open-letter.org/en/ets-2015-in-life-and-nature-but-not-in-the-godhead/
[2] Truth Concerning the Ultimate Goal of God’s Economy, The, глава 1 https://bibleread.online/all-books-by-Watchman-Nee-and-Witness-Lee/book-truth-concerning-the-ultimate-goal-of-gods-economy-the-Witness-Lee-read-online/1/
[3] Salvation as Theosis: The Teaching of Eastern Orthodoxy https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/salvation-as-theosis-the-teaching-of-eastern-orthodoxy/
[4] DEIFICATION—BECOMING GOD IN LIFE AND IN NATURE BUT … https://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/DEIFICATIONBECOMING-GOD-IN-LIFE-AND-IN-NATURE-BUT-NOT-IN-THE-GODHEAD.HTML
[5] Defenders of the Doctrine of Deification – Religious Studies Center https://rsc.byu.edu/prelude-restoration/defenders-doctrine-deification
[6] Divine Energies and Orthodox Soteriology – Theopolis Institute https://theopolisinstitute.com/leithart_post/divine-energies-and-orthodox-soteriology/
[7] Becoming God in Life and Nature: Watchman Nee and Witness Lee … https://www.localchurch.kr/theology/51308
[8] Becoming God in Life and Nature: Watchman Nee and Witness Lee … https://doaj.org/article/f468a629a2894a638def242bee168a97
[9] Essence and Economy: An Introduction to Witness Lee’s Doctrine of … https://academic.oup.com/jts/article/76/1/238/8046240?rss=1
[10] Four-in-one: Witness Lee & Trinitarian Ecclesiology | conversant faith https://conversantfaith.com/2025/06/12/four-in-one-witness-lee-and-trinitarian-ecclesiology/
[11] The difference between the real deification in Orthodox Christianity … https://www.facebook.com/groups/ask.about.the.orthodox.faith/posts/6209344132419471/
[12] Theosis in Orthodox Church vs. Little Gods Doctrine in N.A.R. … https://www.facebook.com/groups/ask.about.the.orthodox.faith/posts/24573722415555030/
[13] The False Gospel of Witness Lee and The Living Stream Ministries https://www.scribd.com/document/483085644/The-False-Gospel-of-Witness-Lee-and-the-Living-Stream-Ministries-Contrast
[14] [PDF] Mystical Forms in Eastern Orthodoxy – Affirmation & Critique https://www.affcrit.com/pdfs/1998/04/98_04_sd.pdf
[15] “Stamp Thine Image”: Incarnation and Deification https://worldviewbulletin.substack.com/p/stamp-thine-image-incarnation-and
[16] THEOSIS, SINO-CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND THE SECOND … https://orthodoxyindialogue.com/2017/09/13/theosis-sino-christian-theology-and-the-second-chinese-enlightenment-heaven-and-humanity-in-unity-reviewed-by-michael-reardon/
[17] Questions of Reliability and/or Authorship – EvC Forum https://evcforum.net/dm.php?control=msg&m=480792&mlist=on&mbrid=4630