Topical Encyclopedia Polytheism, the belief in or worship of multiple gods, stands in direct contrast to the monotheistic teachings of the Bible. Throughout Scripture, the worship of multiple deities is consistently condemned, and the supremacy of the one true God is affirmed. The following passages highlight the biblical stance on polytheism and the call to exclusive worship of Yahweh.Exodus 20:3-5 : "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me." This passage, part of the Ten Commandments, explicitly forbids the worship of other gods and the creation of idols, underscoring God's demand for exclusive devotion. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 : "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Known as the Shema, this declaration emphasizes the oneness of God and calls for complete love and devotion to Him alone, rejecting any form of polytheism. Isaiah 45:5-6 : "I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me, so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other." Through the prophet Isaiah, God declares His uniqueness and sovereignty, affirming that He alone is God, and there is no other. Jeremiah 10:10-11 : "But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus you are to tell them: 'The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.'" Jeremiah contrasts the living God with the false gods of the nations, asserting that only the Creator of the heavens and the earth is worthy of worship. 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 : "So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist." The Apostle Paul acknowledges the existence of so-called gods but reaffirms the Christian belief in one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, dismissing the validity of polytheistic worship. Acts 17:22-23 : "Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and examined your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To an unknown god. Therefore what you worship as something unknown, I now proclaim to you.'" In his address to the Athenians, Paul challenges their polytheistic practices by introducing them to the one true God, whom they unknowingly acknowledge. Revelation 22:8-9 : "And I am John, who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. But he said to me, 'Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!'" In the final book of the Bible, the angel's rebuke to John serves as a reminder to worship God alone, rejecting any form of idolatry or polytheistic tendencies. These scriptures collectively underscore the biblical rejection of polytheism and the call to worship the one true God, who is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and through the Holy Scriptures. Nave's Topical Index Genesis 31:19And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. Nave's Topical Index Genesis 35:2,4 Joshua 24:2,23 Judges 2:13 Judges 3:7 Judges 10:16 Judges 17:5 Jeremiah 2:28 Jeremiah 11:13 Daniel 4:8 1 Corinthians 8:5 Library Eusebius: Constantine. General Index. the life of constantine The Consensus and Dissensus of Creeds. General Index to Socrates' Ecclesiastical History. Letters and Edicts. The Analogy Between the Two Advents of Christ. Our First Proposition Was, that There is Satisfactory Evidence ... Chapter i Paul in Corinth. The Doctrine of God Resources Why are there so many fake Christians? | GotQuestions.orgWhy did Jacob give Joseph a coat of many colors? | GotQuestions.org Are many practices and traditions in Christianity actually pagan in origin? | GotQuestions.org Many: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus |
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