Is Christianity monotheism?

Albion · Sep 25, 2020

thecolorsblend said:
In conversations with Moslems, I find that they reject the idea that we are monotheists. They have a very difficult time wrapping their heads around the Trinity. Heck, a lot of them even struggle with the burning bush appearing to Moses, much less the Trinity. They swear we are not monotheists.

In their defense, the Trinity is tricky doctrine.

Still, if Christianity isn't monotheistic then I am unsure how to describe it. It's certainly not monotheistic in an easily understandable way. But I don't know what else to call it except monotheistic.

Christianity unequivocally affirms that there is only one God, so how else could it be described?

While what you say of Muslims is true and that is what they are taught to believe, all they are going at (even if they do not realize this) is the Christian understanding of the NATURE of our God, not the number of gods.

Dkh587 · Sep 25, 2020

The scriptures are more in line with monolatry than monotheism.

the scriptures teach the supremacy, incomparability and eminence of Yahweh, and the worship of Yahweh, over all the other gods in the heavens.

he is called the Most High God for a reason. He is above all other gods.

Albion · Sep 25, 2020

Dkh587 said:
The scriptures are more in line with monolatry than monotheism.

the scriptures teach the supremacy, incomparability and eminence of Yahweh, and the worship of Yahweh, over all the other gods in the heavens.

he is called the Most High God for a reason. He is above all other gods.

Naaa. The Bible is emphatic about there being but one God. We shouldn't misread the various descriptions of Him that speak in superlatives and attest to his supremacy as meaning "as compared with some competitors."

The fact that other religions of the time worshipped other gods does figure into the Bible's use of some of this language, but that doesn't mean those gods are real.

GPendu · Sep 25, 2020

Dkh587 said:
.

he is called the Most High God for a reason. He is above all other gods.

"all other gods" are idols. They are not "God(s)" at all.
Psalm 82 vs 6: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

John 10 vs 34: Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Have you ever thought that you "a god"? And do you honestly think you are one?
The reason He is called the Most High God is that He is the Most High, and the Only God.

nonaeroterraqueous · Sep 25, 2020

Christianity is definitely monotheistic. All views to the contrary are a misunderstanding of the nature of God.

Danigt22 · Sep 25, 2020

Jhon 1
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

Im sure the Lord Jesus Christ is God. Jhon is eluding that he is indeed the Word of God, which is God.

GPendu · Sep 25, 2020

Danigt22 said:
Jhon 1
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

Im sure the Lord Jesus Christ is God. Jhon is eluding that he is indeed the Word of God, which is God.

Correct. And:
“See now that I, I [am] He, and there [is] no other God with Me. I kill, and I keep alive. I wound and I heal, and there [is] no deliverer from My hand” (Deu 32:39).

Redwingfan9 · Sep 25, 2020

LayHong_Loves_Christ said:
Is Christianity monoGod.sm?

The Westminster Shorter Catechism answers this in question #5.

Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.1

- Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.
  Jeremiah 10:10. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

LayHong_Loves_Christ · Sep 25, 2020

Does Jesus have spirit?
Jesus' spirit is Holy Spirit, right?

LayHong_Loves_Christ · Sep 25, 2020

Is it possible that, one day, Father + Son + Holy Ghost combined and become One Person in Godhead?

chilehed · Sep 25, 2020

LayHong_Loves_Christ said:
Is Christianity monotheism?

I'd say that it's monotheistic. There are other religions that are also monotheistic.

Danigt22 · Sep 25, 2020

LayHong_Loves_Christ said:
Is it possible that, one day, Father + Son + Holy Ghost combined and become One Person in Godhead?

The lord Jesus Christ was that.
Jhon 14
"8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?"

Albion · Sep 25, 2020

LayHong_Loves_Christ said:
Does Jesus have spirit?
Jesus' spirit is Holy Spirit, right?

No. God is a spirit, that's right, but the "Holy Ghost" (also known as the "Holy Spirit" or the Comforter) is the third "person" of the Triune God, along with the Father and the Son (whom we knew as Jesus when he assumed a human body).

Is it possible that, one day, Father + Son + Holy Ghost combined and become One Person in Godhead?

No.

God is one being and always has been one being. However, he is a three-way being and we call each of the three of them by the term "persona" or "persons" but this does not mean separate individuals in the way that we would call three men different "persons."

JacksBratt · Sep 25, 2020

St_Worm2 said:
Yes!

And..... that's a wrap....

Next question.....

Dkh587 · Sep 25, 2020

Albion said:
Naaa. The Bible is emphatic about there being but one God. We shouldn't misread the various descriptions of Him that speak in superlatives and attest to his supremacy as meaning "as compared with some competitors."

The fact that other religions of the time worshipped other gods does figure into the Bible's use of some of this language, but that doesn't mean those gods are real.

The Bible is emphatic about the supremacy and eminence of Yahweh above the gods.

Exodus 15:11

Who is like unto thee, O Yahweh, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Deuteronomy 10:17

For Yahweh your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward

Psalm 8:5-6

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the gods*, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

*the Hebrew word for gods is used here, not angels. This is verifiable through any interlinear.

Psalm 82:1

God standeth in the congregation of God; he judgeth among the gods.

Psalm 86:8

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Yahweh; neither are there any workslike unto thy works.

Psalm 89:6

For who in the heaven can be compared unto Yahweh? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto Yahweh?

Psalm 95:3

For Yahweh is the great God, And the great King above all gods.

The name of El-Elyon (God Most High) testifies of the supremacy of Yahweh over all the gods. He is the highest and most powerful god there is. He is the 1 true God.

Dkh587 · Sep 25, 2020

GPendu said:
"all other gods" are idols. They are not "God(s)" at all.
Psalm 82 vs 6: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

John 10 vs 34: Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
Have you ever thought that you "a god"? And do you honestly think you are one?
The reason He is called the Most High God is that He is the Most High, and the Only God.

No, I am not a god. I am not a divine being like God & the angels and the sons of God. I am a human.

I do not think I am a god.

the reason he is called the Most High God because he is the highest God - that’s what El-Elyon means.

Albion · Sep 25, 2020

Dkh587 said:
The Bible is emphatic about the supremacy and eminence of Yahweh above the gods.

Yes, but the reference is only to the belief in such gods by certain people, not to our God being better than or above any other actual, existing, gods.

The name of El-Elyon (God Most High) testifies of the supremacy of Yahweh over all the gods. He is the highest and most powerful god there is. He is the 1 true God.

Dkh587 · Sep 25, 2020

Isaiah 43:11

I, even I, am Yahweh; and beside me there is no saviour.

Hosea 13:4

Yet I am Yahweh thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.

God says there is no saviour but him, yet we see that there are indeed other saviours that are sent by the very God who said he is the only saviour.

Judges 3:9

And when the children of Israel cried unto Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

Judges 3:14

But when the children of Israel cried unto Yahweh, Yahweh raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Acts of the Apostles 5:31

Him(Jesus) hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

This works the same way with God being the only god, and there being no other god except for him.

Dkh587 · Sep 25, 2020

Albion said:
Yes, but the reference is only to the belief in such gods by certain people, not to our God being better than or above any other actual, existing, gods.

The Bible is chock full of language referencing the supremacy, eminence, and superiority of our God above all other gods.

if there were no gods beneath our God, calling him the Most High God would be redundant.

Albion · Sep 25, 2020

Dkh587 said:
The Bible is chock full of language referencing the supremacy, eminence, and superiority of our God above all other gods.

if there were no gods beneath our God, calling him the Most High God would be redundant.

TO US perhaps.

We already are convinced of the Oneness of God and we have the advantage of knowing the whole history of the Hebrew people up to Christ.

But for the Hebrews at the time of those Old Testament writings, polytheism was known to be the rule among the various peoples who surrounded them.

Is Christianity monotheism?

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