The Immanence versus Transcendence 'paradox' is the unresolved, endless argument within classical theology about the nature of God, and consequently Jesus Christ: the argument about whether God is ultimately like-Man in his nature of being; or if instead God is ultimately infinitely higher than, and utterly different-from, Man.
Immanence emphasizes that Men are Sons of God, that is children of God (and of the same kind) - and that Jesus became a Man, and Jesus was God - thus Man is God...
Yet if Man is already God, why was Jesus necessary and what function did he perform.
Transcendence emphasizes that God is unbridgeably greater than Man - thus Man never can be God; therefore Jesus always-was God... as well as becoming a Man...
This is the I versus T mystery/ paradox, which is supposedly-solved by stating that Jesus is both God and Man, which are nonetheless utterly different... but Men can never be God, because Men are (ultimately) utterly different-from Jesus Christ.
So, the proposed 'solution' to the paradox of Immanence and Transcendence is that both I&T are true, simultaneously, and utterly true: God is both at once Immanent and Transcendent; fully, and without compromise; always was, is now, and forever shall be.
The example of Jesus is taken to show us that this is so, and how this can be so - Jesus being conceptualized as having been conceived and born both fully divine and also fully a mortal Man - despite that God and Man are defined as being wholly- infinitely, un-bridgeably different-from each other.
The promise for Men to become Sons of God is interpreted (following Paul) to mean that we are adopted children of God; that we are not full children and of the same kind - but infinitely lower beings who are (by adoption) given some (but not all, because that is regarded as impossible) of the rights and duties of heirs of God.
The above paradox which has (apparently) plagued and/or divided Christianity since not long after the ascension of Jesus is that the Immanence v Transcendence debate is founded-in the assumption that Time is Not a factor.
The difficulty is therefore rooted in the time-less perspective of 'classical' Greek-Roman pagan philosophy - metaphysical assumptions that saw reality as timeless and time as illusion - thus God (ultimate source of reality) is seen as necessarily 'outside' of time.
In other words; this concept of God is of one who experiences past, present and future simultaneously - for God, in ultimate reality, there is no time; and God surveys all times, and acts on all times; all of the time.
My understanding is that this already-existent set of classical pagan philosophical assumptions absorbed the new religion of Christianity, and applied its prior assumptions to the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.
This distorted the truth of Christianity - and led to several insoluble 'paradoxes' that were dealt with by declaring them 'mysteries', and the mysteries became dogmas.
But (in complete contrast); taken at face value (as described in the Gospels, but especially the Fourth Gospel) Jesus Christ happened in time; and his life and teachings implicitly assume that time is real and necessary.
In other words, I regard it as both possible and true to see God, Jesus and man as existing In Time; and therefore the story of creation, incarnation, death and heaven is one that happens as an historical sequence of events - an 'ongoing process'.
In other-other words: reality was changed by Jesus Christ - Jesus Christ himself changed through his life and after - and 'things-in-general' were different after Jesus than before.
BC and AD therefore refer to a crux in cosmic history; and change is real and continuous.
When the 'in-time' understanding is taken as a real assumption; then the apparent paradox of Transcendence versus Immanence can disappear. The apparent paradox (or 'mystery') is seen as an artifact of trying to explain the historical events of Jesus Christ without reference to Time - an artifact, therefore. of a misguided attempt to explain history, while asserting that Time is ultimately unreal.
If, instead, we take it that Time is a part of basic reality - that time is inseparable-from basic reality; and that reality changes through time - then we are no longer looking for an eternal description of The nature of Jesus Christ, or God, or Man. All are expected to develop ('evolve') through time.
At any particular time-slice; we would expect t find different degrees of Immanence and Transcendence; and indeed we may then discover that a trend to obliterate the I versus T paradox and distinction is the main thing about reality, the main purpose of creation.
This is my conviction: That God's primary purpose in creation is to make it possible for Men (who are already gods, but 'immature', incomplete) to choose to become raised to full divinity.
Jesus Christ is the example of this aim being achieved, and he provided (and provides still) the 'method' by which Men who came after could make the choice, and take a qualitative step, towards becoming gods of the same (fully-creative, fully-loving) nature as God.
Eventually, in an Immanent sense: Man will be 'a god' as God - that is a god-like-God; just as Jesus Christ became, fully; and just as Jesus promised we could likewise become.
'Yet' in a Transcendent sense; God will always be 'above' Man - because it was God who created this reality within-which we dwell.
Even when a Man (such as Jesus Christ) becomes a full-god, at a level with God - it will always be within that creation which (historically, in-time) was-made by God; and continues to be-made by God, by Jesus Christ, and by that-which-is-god in our-selves.
