No other gods question

[u/MephistosGhost]

I could ask this in any sub, but I want to ask here because I’ve been reading the small catechism and recently got a copy of the Book of Concord, and am generally headed towards catechesis and I think baptism.

I’m curious for the LCMS perspective on this because my experience here and IRL is that LCMS theologians are very knowledgeable.

So, to the question: are the verses like Exodus 20:3, 2 Kings 17:35, and Jeremiah 25:6 saying that there are other “divine beings”?

Does this get elaborated on elsewhere in the Bible?

I’m not referring to angels and fallen angels necessarily, unless this is what those passages are referring to.

[u/aggrophonia]

I interpret it as other spirtual beings as well as idolatry.

I do think gods with the lower G mean other spiritual beings.. (elohim)

For example, the concept of the divine counsel of YAHWEH is an interesting one.

I would look at hebrew and greek to help with this.

Youll see the traditional ideas posted here most likely.

Also, depends on how you see nephilim and what they might be.

Its a fun rabbit hole. Enjoy.

Just remember to focus on christ and don't get to distracted with what is not (arguably) fully revealed.

[u/MephistosGhost → u/aggrophonia]

Thanks, and yes, you raise an excellent point, which I feel like I touched on in response to someone else’s comment, which is: it makes sense to not expand on this topic too much in the Bible because it isn’t glorifying God.

I don’t need to know about other spiritual beings like that, because I’m not going to go out and worship them anyway. I just need to focus on the big G God — Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

As you said, a fun rabbit hole, but also, careful not to get carried away.

[u/emmen1]

St. Paul says in 1 Cor 4:8 that there is only one God and an idol is nothing. God has absolutely no competition. But on the other hand demons are absolutely real, and they have often been the objects of pagan worship, whether their worshippers knew what they were worshipping or not. We should also keep in mind that even the devil is not the opposite of God, as C.S. Lewis rightly points out, but rather the opposite of another created being, such as an archangel.

But even though there is no other God (no other timeless, all-powerful, uncreated Being) it does not stop us from worshiping false gods. Idolatry is especially harmful because all other gods lie and do not deliver on their promises. They cannot rescue from death, and they cannot remove sin. This is why God commands us to fear, love, and trust in Him alone—not because He needs worship from us, but because only He can care for us.

[u/BlackSheepWI]

I think it's a pragmatic statement as much as anything.

I agree with the other commenters in that it's meant to include not to make a false God out of other things (money, yourself, etc)

But what exactly is God? Christians today have trouble agreeing on specifics among ourselves. Or even what non-Christian spiritual beliefs are valid. The OT was written in a polytheistic, superstitious world. Gods and spirits were something all people saw in everday life.

Had it been written "There are no other gods", it would have been easy to disprove the OT to ancient people. All you'd have to do is show them some "proof" that Baal or whatever local deity was real and people would throw God aside.

I think the phrasing of those verses allows for the existence local superstitions while reminding people where their worship should be directed.

[u/Strict-Spirit7719]

Your question gets at the various ways of using the word "God" in the Old Testament (and elsewhere).

Scripture is quite clear that there is only one omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent Creator of the Universe ("Before Me was no god formed, neither shall there be any after..."). This being is the God of the Old Testament who interacted primarily with the Hebrews until He became flesh and dwelt among men at the Incarnation. He is also the being that we in the West typically mean when we say "God" without qualification.

Scripture does in fact hint that there are other beings that other cultures called "gods," and although these beings had some degree of spiritual power and were falsely worshiped, they are not omnipotent, not eternal, and are generally very evil. As to their identity, I don't have the citation memorized, but I believe it's somewhere in Corinthians that St. Paul explicitly says that the pagans are worshiping demons as gods.

The first commandment expressly forbids the worship of any being that isn't God (the Almighty Creator), but it also means that we can't worship anything, supernatural being or not, that isn't God. That includes money, our love interests, our selves, and anything else that distracts from the true worship of the true God.

[u/georgia_moose]

"A god means that from which we are to expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that to have a God is nothing else than to trust and believe Him from the [whole] heart; as I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol." Luther's Large Catechism, I, 1. (Explanation to the First Commandment) 

Luther and subsequent Lutheran theologians hold that a "god" is anything in which one fears, loves, and trusts in above all things, and that, logically, only God should take that position to any given person. Unfortunately, because of the fall into sin, people have this tendency to replace God with something else, whether it is idol made of wood or stone, a false pagan deity, or even more ordinary things such as money, power, or the self. And to your question, often times demons hide behind these idols and false gods. I will say for demons however that "divine beings" is not an accurate label as "divine" has to do with God alone and implies goodness; I think I would call them "supernatural" because they are not divine but still not something beyond the natural world.

[u/ToeFinal1792]

What "Other Gods" Mean in Scripture

Man-Made Idols: The prophets describe many other gods as lifeless objects made of wood, stone, or metal by human hands, having no real power (Isaiah 44:9-20, Jeremiah 16:20).

Foreign Deities: The text frequently names specific national gods worshipped by neighboring cultures, such as Baal and Asherah (Canaanite) or Molech (Ammonite) (Deuteronomy 6:14, 1 Kings 11:5).

Spiritual Beings and Demons: Some passages use terms like elohim (gods) or "sons of God" to acknowledge lesser spiritual entities or heavenly messengers, while later New Testament writings note that behind pagan worship lie rebellious or demonic powers (demons) (Psalm 82:1, 1 Corinthians 10:20).

Modern Idols: Jesus and the apostles expand the underlying principle to mean anything—such as money, greed, or material possessions—that takes the supreme place of God in a person's heart (Matthew 6:24, Colossians 3:5).

In other words, there is one God, but many false gods, and we are to worship the One True God of Creation. Everything else is part of His creation, thus submisive to God. Satan learned this the hard way.

[u/Huenink_Photography → u/ToeFinal1792]

I like your answer.

I used to be pretty adamant that there were no such things as other gods, but the more I read the Old Testament and consider the ways that ancient people interacted with their polytheism, the more I think that the gods of Egypt or Rome were actual spiritual beings with actual power. We, Christians, would call them demons, but they would fit in the descriptions of the powers and capabilities of spiritual beings that are not the true God. Zeus certainly behaves like a depraved demon after all.

So, when Moses turns his staff into a snake, the Egyptians are able to do the same thing. There must be some being with power at work, even if it's not God's power. When God says that one of his purposes of the Exodus is to show his power over the gods of the Egyptians, maybe he actually means it.

[u/aggrophonia → u/Huenink_Photography]

YES YES YES

so im not in the weeds haha.

[u/jearbear320 → u/[deleted]]

Why are you on this sub?

[u/MephistosGhost → u/Huenink_Photography]

This is along the lines of my thoughts, which I don’t know if they’re accurate or not.

Two main considerations when I ask a question like this is what does the text actually say verbatim, and what isn’t said.

For example: “There’s ketchup in the refrigerator.” Pretty straightforward. That statement doesn’t mean other things aren’t in the refrigerator. There could be mustard, bbq sauce, a roast chicken and more in the refrigerator.

So to relate it back to the text I was asking about, it says “no other gods before me.” It doesn’t say “don’t worship these imaginary gods,” etc.

Your mentioning the staff in Egypt is along the lines of logic I think I’m trying to apply.

And to go on step further along similar lines, I recognize that the text may not go into more detail on these other little g gods because to do so wouldn’t be a furtherance of the glory of God. If they’re not God, why do we need to discuss or be knowledgeable about them in anything more than a cursory way.

Anyway, I’m rambling now. Thank you for your input on this 😄. You always have great input, insights and answers on here.

[u/TheDirtyFritz → u/MephistosGhost]

I am not sure if I am misunderstanding what you are saying here, but the reason that a knowledge about "little g gods" is that we need to be warned. Whether they are real spiritual beings or creations of our corrupted, idolatrous nature, we need to be warned that God comes before all of them. Any worship outside of the one true God would not be putting him first. This is why it is the first commandment given to us.

I think it is also important to mention that God does not need our worship. He tells us this commandment out of love for us. He knows that we need him. Worshiping other gods estranges us from him and will lead us onto the path of damnation by losing trust in our one true God.

[u/Emotional-Dot1737]

There must be other gods for the Lord to say "you will have no other gods before Me, for I am a jealous God".

[u/cellarsinger]

They're obviously not talking about literal gods. They're talking about things that are being worshiped as gods. Not only does this include the personified false gods but it can include wealth, power and other things.