In this post I will rebut the oft-repeated claim of unitarians and various anti-Trinitarians that the term “G/god” was used in a more fluid sense, and not necessarily to the one supreme true God of all. Their main purpose in raising this objection is to undermine the essential Deity of Christ since they reason that just because the [N]ew [T]estament applies the word “God” (theos) to Jesus, this doesn’t prove that he is being described as God Almighty.  

I will show that the primary usage of the term theos in the NT is to the one true God, and rarely employed for secondary, inferior beings. Of the approximately 1,315 occurrences of theos, roughly 99% of the time it is used in reference to the Father, whom even anti-Trinitarians admit is called God in an absolute, eternal sense.  

As renowned NT scholar Murray J. Harris puts it:

“But you may ask, why are there so few examples of this usage in the New Testament? If Jesus really is God, why is he not called ‘God’ more often? After all, there are over 1,300 uses of the Greek theos in the New Testament. Several reasons may be given to explain this apparently strange usage.

“First, in all strands of the New Testament the term theos usually refers to the Father. We often find the expression God the Father, which implies that God is the Father. Also, in trinitarian formulas ‘God’ always denotes the Father, never the Son or the Spirit. For example, 2 Corinthians 13:14 reads, ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’ What is more, in the salutations at the beginning of many New Testament letters, ‘God’ is distinguished from ‘the Lord Jesus Christ.’ So Paul’s letters regularly begin, ‘Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’ As a result of all this, in the New Testament the term theos in the singular has become virtually a proper name, referring to the trinitarian Father…” (Harris, 3 Crucial Questions About Jesus [Baker Books; Grand Rapids, MI 1994], p. 99; emphasis mine)

I will further demonstrate that, apart from those places when it is employed of Christ, theos is never used in a positive sense since it always describes those who are falsely taken to be gods. The context of these occurrences all refer to beings that are either demons who are not divine, or to human beings, particularly rulers, who are wrongly viewed and/or worshiped as deity.  

FALSELY CALLED THEOS

Here are all the texts where the phrase theos is used for beings other than the true God:

“Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, “I said, you are gods”? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, “You are blaspheming,” because I said, “I am the Son of God”?’” John 10:33-36

Pay careful attention to the context of the Psalm, which our Lord cited:

A Psalm of Asaph. God (Elohim) has taken his place in the divine (El) council; in the midst of the gods (elohim) he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.I said, “You are gods (elohim), sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”Arise, O God (Elohim), judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!Psalm 82:1-8

Obviously, these individuals are not being called gods in a positive sense since they are corrupt rulers whom God will destroy and displace.

“And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’” Acts 7:41-43

“Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man!’ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.” Acts 12:20-23

“After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.’ He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.” Acts 28:1-6

“Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” Philippians 3:19

“Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8

Does anyone deny that the preceding cases all refer to beings who are wrongly viewed as divine, to things that are really no gods at all?

In fact, this is precisely what Paul states, namely, the gods and lords of the Gentiles are nothing more than demons,

“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.’ For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’—” 1 Corinthians 8:4-5

“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 Corinthians 10:19-22

Who are no gods at all, since they do not possess a genuine divine nature:

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” Galatians 4:8-9

The final case is a bit controversial:

“In their case the god of this world (ho theos tou aionos toutou) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

It is debated whether this is a reference to Satan preventing individuals from accepting the Gospel, or to the Father handing persistent, stiff-necked rebellious sinners over to the desires of their hearts for their repeated and ongoing resistance and opposition to the truth of the Gospel (Cf. John 9:39-41; 12:37-42; Acts 7:51-54; Romans 1:18-28; 11:7-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

In the case that this is calling the Devil theos then it is simply another instance where a being other than the true God is thus called, not because he is actually divine. Rather, it is because Satan is controlling the world and influencing mankind to carry out his will, as opposed to the will of the true God (Cf. Luke 4:5-7; John 8:44; 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 2:15-17; 5:19).  

Here is an article which provides a more in-depth discussion on the meaning of this specific verse: What about 2 Corinthians 4:4?.

In the next part I will examine the cases where Jesus is called theos in order to see in what sense does the inspired NT identify Christ as God: NEW TESTAMENT USE OF THEOS PT. 2.

• Uncategorized