Posted on 07/07/2016 6:50:38 AM PDT by Salvation
There is a tendency for us to simplistically dismiss the gods of the ancient world as mere figments of human imagination, but the biblical approach is a bit more complex than that.
To be clear, at no time in the Scriptures were these gods ever acknowledged to be gods in any true sense of the word. There is only one God and He is the LORD.
Consider the following text by St. Paul:
For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—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 8:5-6).
It is a bit unclear whether St. Paul is affirming the existence of these gods or simply prescinding from a debate about that topic. For example, if I were to say to you, “Look, even if you may be right about that particular detail, it still doesn’t change the final answer,” I am not necessarily affirming that you are right about that detail, I am saying that I don’t really want to discuss that point, but rather, move on to the more fundamental point and conclusion.
So St. Paul may not necessarily be affirming that these gods actually exist, but neither is he outright denying that some beings exist that the pagans wrongly call gods.
In the Old Testament a similar stance is evident. There are repeated references to the gods of the pagans or Gentiles. The gods are not usually declared to be nonexistent, but rather it is said that if they do exist they are of no avail and far inferior to the one, true God of Israel: the LORD. There is even a passage in the Book of Psalms that seems to presuppose God in the midst of these gods:
God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? … I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince” (Ps 82 1-2; 5-6).
It is a complex passage. The context seems to be God rebuking princes and leaders of the people. But then why are they called gods? And why are they told that they will fall like princes?
The Scriptures do not tend to deny that entities called gods may in fact exist among the pagans. Hence they may not merely be figments of imagination. Yet if they do exist, they are powerless before the True God of Israel and none of them is a true god in any proper sense of the word. They are called gods but are not.
But if they do exist, what could they be? The frequent biblical answer is that they are demons posing as gods, deceiving the nations. Consider some of the following texts:
They did not destroy the peoples, as the Lord commanded them, but they mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood (Psalm 106:34-38).
Note here that many of the psalms are written in a poetic manner. But here the poetic structure is based on the correspondence of the thoughts, not the similarity of the sounds. Thus the parallel in this psalm is between “They served their idols” and “They sacrificed their own children to demons.” The gods of the peoples and nations around them are called demons.
They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known (Deut 32:16-17).
The attestation here is pretty straightforward: the strange gods are demons.
For you provoked your Maker with sacrifices to demons and not to God; You forgot the eternal God who nourished you, and you grieved Jerusalem who nurtured you (Baruch 4:7-8).
While in this passage the term “gods” is not used along with the reference to demons, the echo of other texts referring to the idols and gods of the heathen seems clear.
What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? (1 Cor 10:20-22)
St. Paul says here that the idols and gods of the pagans are no gods at all but are in fact demons. The sacrifices that the pagans think they are directing to their gods are really being directed to demons.
Thus the Biblical approach to the gods of the pagans is not as simple as mere scoffing and consigning them to the realm of fantasy. The reality was often more tragic and harmful than mere fantasy. The Scriptures hold forth the fearsome possibility (and likelihood) that many of these gods were in fact demons in disguise. They were the deceiver, mockingly assuming his place as a god among the deceived nations.
Early Church Fathers such as Justin Martyr and Tertullian held similar views (that the gods were actually demons).
We do well to remember that when people turn away from God today, it is usually not that they believe nothing, but rather they believe in something (in fact, some believe in almost anything). And in turning to their modern idols, they may not merely be embracing an idea, but far worse, a demon. Our task is not just to summon people away from bad ideas, errors, ignorance, or false doctrines. In many cases we must also rescue them from demons.
Beware the doctrines of demons and their very presence. Scripture’s stance on the gods of the nations is not merely to dismiss them as nonexistent. These gods may in fact be pernicious enemies who are very real, who are not fantasy. As it was then, even so today.
I’m proudly a sheep as you call it. And I follow a sheep the “Lamb of God”. I have no problem with what anyone calls me as I am secure in the knowledge of my Lord. I pray you some day find the same. I certainly bear you no ill will.
Odin is my kinsman. I discovered I have a “family” on the other side. Not a desert god of adoption, but northern gods of my blood. They challenged my concepts of strength and manhood and purpose in the world, and encouraged me to challenge them.
Jesus is on a space station sending “I love you” texts to all and sundry, but if He ever gets involved in a person’s individual problems, it is literally a miracle.
By that standard, every time I call on the Northern Gods is a miracle.
I have nothing against Jesus, but I’ll not deliberately make his followers my neighbors, that’s for certain.
God was answering your prayer. You just didn’t like the answer. We don’t always understand why God does what He does, but we have to trust. Just remember the person who gives you everything you want is not necessarily the person with your best interest in mind.
Odin’s companions are ravens and wolves. For they to “baa-aa” and return to the flock would be devolution.
“Mohammed (p!$$ be upon him) claimed an angel came to him.”
By their fruits ye shall know them....
“Satan will respond to your prayers also.
But he is of course a liar.”
Calling everything Satan that is beyond your experience affects your life, not mine.
“God was answering your prayer.”
And He continues to. His name is Odin. And he introduced Freyr to me. His wife Frigga has had her eye on me a long time, because She knew I would come. Ullr came into my life on His own, He’s a hunter. Thor is standoffish, but there when you need Him. ;)
One of His goals is to grow your spirit and I have found that to be more like boot camp than Christmas vacation.
He will push you to your limit and then some.
He has answered my prayers in His way. His way has made me tougher and more mature.
It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. Yet going to the Cross wasn't easy either, but he did that as payment for my many sins.
When He says, pick up your cross and follow Him, he doesn't mean follow Him in a Mercedes Benz at a safe distance.
He means "pick up your sword and get in the battle between Good and evil."
As you know, battles aren't easy, but they are rewarding in terms of growth of strength and spiritual maturity.
And this battle is particularly rewarding because the more we suffer for our growth, the more we appreciate it...the closer we draw to him.
.
Churchianity is truly an empty faith.
Worshiping a church or the nicolaitan that runs it is a spiritual dead end.
Read the Acts, and John’s first epistle, and you will get the right answers on the eternal quiz.
“As an aside, God is not a concierge.”
I’m sure your God is a very nice person up there in outer space, concerned with things he finds more important.
You don’t feel as good as I do, and you’re not experiencing the blessing I am. But don’t let that interfere with you putting together chains of very high-sounding words, LOL.
Satan is just a descriptor...may not even be a single entity.
I use that name merely to describe the polar opposite to the One who created the world.
There may be a pagan template that can explain Him. In fact, perhaps Odin or Zeus are the Creator.
That said, I would examine that for myself until I was certain...and not take my ancestors' word for it.
I am a Christian because I have discovered it to be real, not because my ancestors believed it.
Seek the Truth...don't fall into the traps that lay in wait for you.
And evil has many traps waiting for you.
By the fruit of the tree, or another tree’s fruitlessness, I know them. Your scriptural sword has two edges.
Actually, no...he's not a very nice person.
He's more like a drill sergeant in my experience. A very tough drill sergeant.
I believe they are. And with that perspective you can watch Ancient Aliens and see how interactive they’ve been with man over millennia. Delusion, delusion, but dear Giorgio with the wild hair does not see it.
The Muslim god is demonic.
If you believe in the evolution thing. God makes the wisdom of me foolishness. But thank you for the civil discourse It is nice to have a disagreement with someone who does not resort to name calling and insults May your day be blessed
The Koran and Hadith cannot disguise the author’s nature. Nor can the Havamal disguise the Author’s nature. Nor the individual authors of books of the Bible.
What if the “mark of Cain” was pale skin and blue eyes? What if Enoch was “taken away” by God, to the North? ;)
Rather a loving but firm parent.
Judge them by their actions or fruits.
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