What Does It Mean to Partake of the Divine Nature?

Originally, humanity was created perfect by God. People possessed a perfect human nature by which they could think and reason about themselves and creation. Unlike animals, people possessed the ability to know God, communicate with Him, and rule over all His perfect creation (Gen. 1:26–27; 2:7). God gave Adam and Eve a simple test, permitting them to eat of any tree within creation except the