SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM

Mankind has always felt there is more to reality than the physical (i.e., affected by things out of their control, such as storms, eclipses, comets, weather, events, death, etc.). Anthropologists tell us they find things in the graves of primitive hominoids that apparently are for the next life, which they viewed as an extension of this life.

The first written culture was Sumer (southern Tigris, Euphrates Rivers), begun about 10,000 ‒ 8,000 B.C. They wrote poems to express their view of the gods and their interacting, much like humans with all their weaknesses (i.e., like the later pantheons of Canaan, Greece, and Rome). Their traditions existed in oral form long before they were written down.

There was a chronological theological development from

  1. animism to
  2. polytheism to
  3. a high god (or dualism)

The concept of "monotheism" (one and only one personal, ethical God with no female consort), not just the "high god" of polytheism or the good god of Iranian dualism (Zoroastrianism), is unique to Israel (Abraham and Job, 2000 B.C.). Only one rare exception briefly in Egypt (Amenhotep IV, also known as Akhenaten, 1367-1350 or 1386-1361B.C., who worshiped Aten, the sun god, as the only god).  See J. Assmann, The Mind of Egypt, pp. 216-217.

This theological concept is expressed in several phrases in the OT.

  1. "no one like YHWH our Elohim," Exod. 8:10; 9:14; Deut. 33:26; 1 Kgs. 8:23
  2. "no other besides Him," Deut. 4:35,39; 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:2; 2 Sam. 22:32; Isa. 45:21; 44:6,8; 45:6,21
  3. "YHWH is one," Deut. 6:4; Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:4,6; 1 Tim. 2:5; James 2:19
  4. "none like You," 2 Sam. 7:22; Jer. 10:6
  5. "You alone are God," Ps. 86:10; Isa. 37:16
  6. "Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me," Isa. 43:10
  7. "there is no other; besides Me. . .there is no other," Isa. 45:5,6,22
  8. "He is the source of all things," Isa. 45:7 (cf. Amos 3:6)
  9. "there is none else, no other God," Isa. 45:14,18
  10. "there is none except Me," Isa. 45:21
  11. "there is no other;. . .there is no one like Me," Isa. 46:9

It must be admitted that this crucial doctrine has been revealed in progressive ways. The early statements could be understood as "henotheism" or practical monotheism (there are other gods, i.e., Jos. 24:15; 1 Kgs. 18:21), but only one God for us (cf. Exod. 15:11; 20:2-5; Deut. 5:7; 6:4,14; 10:17; 32:12; 1 Kgs. 8:23; Ps. 83:18; 86:8; 136:1-9).

The first texts that begin to denote a singularity (philosophical monotheism) are early (cf. Exod. 8:10; 9:14; 20:2-3; Deut. 4:35,39; 33:26). The full and compete claims are found in Isaiah 43-46 (cf. 43:10-11; 44:6,8; 45:7,14,18,22; 46:5,9).

The OT depreciates the gods of the nations as

  1. human creations ‒ Deut. 4:28; 2 Kgs. 19:18; Ps. 115:4-8; 135:15-18; Isa. 2:8; 17:8; 37:19; 40:19; 41:7,24,29; 44:10,12; 46:6-7; Jer. 10:3-5; Rev. 9:10
  2. demons ‒ Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37; Isa. 8:19; 19:3c; 1 Cor. 10:20; Rev. 9:20
  3. vanity, empty ‒ Deut. 32:21; 2 Kgs. 17:15; Ps. 31:6; Isa. 2:18; 41:29; Jer. 2:5; 10:8; 14:22; Jer. 2:5; 8:19
  4. no gods ‒ Det. 32:21; 2 Chr. 13:9; Isa. 37:19; Jer. 2:11; 5:7; 1 Cor. 8:4-5; 10:20; Rev. 9:20

The NT alludes to Deut. 6:4 in Rom. 3:30; 1 Cor. 8:4,6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5; and James 2:19.  Jesus quotes it as the first commandment in Matt. 22:36-37; Mark 12:29-30; Luke 10:27.  The OT, as well as the NT, asserts the reality of other spiritual beings (demons, angels; see SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS), but only one creator/redeemer God (YHWH, Gen. 1:1).

Biblical monotheism is characterized in the OT by

  1. God is one and unique (ontology is assumed, not specified, cf. Deut. 6:4)
  2. God is personal (cf. Gen. 1:26-27; 3:8)
  3. God is ethical (cf. Exodus 20; 34:6; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 103:8-10)
  4. God created humans in His image (Gen. 1:26-27) for fellowship (i.e., #2). He is a jealous God (cf. Exod. 20:5-6)

From the NT

  1. God has three eternal, personal manifestations (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TRINITY)
  2. God is perfectly and completely revealed in Jesus (cf. John 1:1-14; Col. 1:15-19; Heb. 1:2-3)
  3. God's eternal plan for fallen humanity's redemption is the sacrificial offering of His only Son (Isaiah 53; Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 2:6-11; Hebrews; see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN)

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