Shermana
Heretic
the distinction is made in the translation, and rightly so, because Paul certainly didnt believe the gods of the nations were real. When people carve gods our of wood and stone, they are certainly confused when they pray to them and make offerings to them...i would certainly call that confused. :yes:
Well....this goes back to a few subjects including the Septuagint version of Deuteronomy 32:8, which clearly indicates that the nations of the world each have their own "son of god" ruling over them, while Israel is the choice of THE god. What do you think of the "Rudiments" which some translations write out as "Elemental Spiritual Forces", they are clearly talking about actual spiritual beings, powerful and evil ones. Paul most certainly believed that Satan existed, as "The god of this age", so why are the other "many gods and many lords" now non-existent?
Colossians 2:8
New International Version (©2011)
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:20
New International Version (©2011)
Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:
Galatians 4:3
New International Version (©2011)
So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world.
Also, there is a major Semantic issue which is often abused, as to the issue of "believing in" these other "gods", as opposed to "believing in and acknowledging their existence" which is much different than "having" other gods. If I said "I believe in Satan", the context is like "I believe in Dark Matter". The only god I "Believe in" in terms of who I acknowledge as "my god", the "god of Shermana", is the god of Israel, the "god of the gods".
Surely the Psalmists believed in these "gods" whom the "god of the gods" is god over.
It has also been said, and this concept was discussed in the NT Apocrypha as well such as the Apocryphal Acts so it thus had currency among many Christian groups, that idols housed the spirits of demons and such "fallen gods" and there was in fact something to the worship of these idols, even if the statues themselves were motionless and had no power, they were conduits to the power of the unholy arts through the agency of these evil "gods".
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