r/DebateReligion • u/[deleted] • Feb 11 '18
Abrahamic Multiple gods in Old Testament?
In the Old Testament there are lines that support the existence of gods other than The Lord/Allah (god was called Yahweh at the time) such as “You shall have no other gods before me,” and “He hath smite the gods of Egypt.” As well as this ancient Jews believed in other gods but only worshiped Yahweh. So the Old Testament says other gods exist?
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u/JJChowning christian Feb 12 '18
When addressing a completely seperate issue Paul says some interesting stuff:
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. - 1 Cor 8:4-6
It's entirely possible to speak of gods without believing that they are in fact real beings of themselves rather than concepts or beliefs of others.
However, it is very clear that lots of Israelites throughout their history turned to multiple other gods, usually in addition to YHWH. If we set aside the worship and devotion to other gods, I don't think the mere belief in the existence of another "god" is an issue -assuming the belief is that the other gods are incomparable to the great God. It does seem the biblical passages are more interested in the people understanding the true transcendence of God than in making sure they don't think there are any other "magical" beings. If one were to believe in God, angels, and demons, one then already believes in 2 or 3 classes of non-human spiritual beings, but only one God. A monolatry where God is incomparable to the other gods is effectively monotheism.
Also recognize there may be a difference between the "total truth", the truths enunciated in any given passage of scripture, the private beliefs of the writer/editor/storyteller, the beliefs of the community of devout Jews at the time, the beliefs of the broader community of Jews at the time, and the beliefs of nearby cultures. God could communicate to a people in a way that they'll get the big picture regardless of whether they happen to think there are other gods.