One God
  OR Many?

 

   "Hear O Israel the Lord our God is One Lord" (Deut 6:4). This expression of the unity of God is the central confession of the Jewish faith. Primitive religions worshipped many gods. Yet Jehovah revealed Himself to the descendants of Abraham saying, "You shall be my people and I will be your God" (Jer. 30:22). Early Hebrews believed that while there were indeed many gods, they were only to recognize Jehovah as their God.

This understanding is very similar to the teachings of many pseudo-Christian religions today. Such groups say there are indeed many gods, calling Jesus a mighty god, and even saying that Satan himself is a god. Such so-called Christian religions acknowledge the existence of many gods. And they too say, for us there is only one God, the Father: He is the only one we recognize in our worship.

 

MONOTHESIM VS. POLYTHESIM

Such groups claim to have found this understanding in the Bible, yet their revelation has stopped short of the whole revelation by God. Jehovah continued to reveal Himself to the Jewish nation. Jehovah revealed that there are absolutely no other Gods. He is the only real God. He showed them that the so-called gods of the other nations are only idols, that is, things having no exstence as a real God (Ps. 96:4). Jehovah repeatedly revealed Himself as the only true God. "Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me." (Isa. 43:10) He declared, "With the exception of Me there is no God" (Isa. 45:5). The Jews believed what God said. The Jews are therefore monotheists--people believing in the existence of only one God. All other "gods" are not gods at all, they are false gods. Monothesim is the understanding true to the whole revelation by God. This is what the Bible teaches.

Monotheism was however a belief not shared by the pagan world. The common pagan opinion was the world is populated by many gods. Such people who believe in the existence of more than one god, are called Polytheists. Unfortunately, polytheism is a pagan belief that did not die off with the rest of the ancient world. It's modern counterpart is alive and well among many psuedo-Christian religions.

Although Jehovah clearly said, "Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me" (Isa. 43:10),
some pseudo-Christian groups like the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses will not believe Him. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are polytheists. Mormons themselves, hope to become gods. Jehovah's Witnesses translate John 1:1, "in the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God and the Word was a god."Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe Jesus (the Word) is The God, but another god! There is no way John could have meant that Jesus was a god. John was a Jewish Christian, a monotheist! He didn't believe there were any other gods! That is why most recognized translations will read, "and the Word was God."

 

N.T. MONOTHEISTS

Yes, just as God's people in the O.T. were monotheists, so too were the N.T. believers. The apostle Paul showed the knowledge that God exists is obvious to everyone. He said, "that which is known about God is evident to them" (Rom 1:19). Will you notice, he did not say that which is known about the Gods. He did not say the Gods made it evident to them. In Pauls mind there is only one God. This God has alone made it evident that He is God. Is this not what Jehovah revealed to the O.T. believers? Is this not what seems evident to you, as you scan the creation? Paul continued in Romans 1:20, "since the creation of the world His [not their] invisible attrubutes, [again, not their's, but] His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."

 

FUTILE SPECULATIONS

What happens to people, or religious groups when they have not believed what God has made evident? When they believe there are other gods? When they have not believed what God has said? When they have not honored God as God? God's Word says, "they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools" (Rom. 1:21-22).

That God does exist has been evident since the creation of the world--but not that there are many gods! Saying that there is more that one true God is futile speculation, and is contrary to God's word.

 

WHAT IS THE BASIS FOR THEIR
SPECULATION?

Jehovah said, "there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me." (Isa 45:21) But occasionally a group like the JW's or the Mormons will cite 1 Corinthians 8:5, "indeed there are many gods and many Lords", hoping to prove there is more than one true god. But notice the context (from v4) shows that idols are Paul's subject. He first showed that idols have no real existence as gods, and "that there is no God but one" (v4). Then he continued:

For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we are through Him. (1 Cor. 8:5-6).

What is Paul teaching? Does he mean there are many true gods? That Christians only worship one of them? Is he contradicting what he just said in v4, there is no God but one? No, these idols are not true gods. In v4 he said there is no God but one, and in v7 he regretfully said, "However not all men have this knowledge". Why don't they know? Remember what Paul said in Romans, they became futile in their speculations. Professing to be wise, they became fools.

The pseudo-Christian polytheist may cite 2 Corinthians 4:4; ignoring what Jehovah says, he hopes to prove that even Satan is one of the gods. It is true, many people do worship Satan and his cohorts, some without even knowing it! Again refering to idols, Paul said "the things the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God" (1 Cor. 10:20). Although people may worship Satan and make him their "god" he is not a god by nature. He is only a so-called god, by nature he is only a creature. He is a so-called god of this age, because men allow him to rule in their life. Thus to them he has become a god, but is not a true god.

 

ONE TRUE GOD BY NATURE

Monotheists believe in the existence of only one true God. If you believe there is more than one true God, you are not a Monotheist, you are a polytheist. Monotheists side with God, believing there is by nature only one true God. No matter what men call god, or worship, if it is not the one true God, Jehovah, it is a false god whom they serve. Paul wrote the Galatians about the time "when you did not know God," and explained "you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods." (Gal 4:8) No man, not even Satan, is a God by nature. There is only one true God by nature. "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord." All others are false gods, "For I am God, and there is no other" (Isa 45:22).

 

WHO IS JESUS

The Bible says Jesus is God! Yet that does not mean the Son is the Father, but that He shares the Father's very nature. The Bible shows Jesus is a true God, He must be Jehovah. Jehovah is the only true God. If the Bible shows Jesus and the Father are God. THEY MUST BE JEHOVAH. Since Jehovah is the only true God, all others must be false gods.

If your religion teaches that Jesus is a god you have a decision to make. Is Jesus the one true God or is He a false god? (See Jn 1:1, 20:28; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 Jn 5:20)

 

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