Theological Term of the Week

polytheism
The belief that there are many gods; the worship of multiple deities.  

• Scripture teaching against polytheism: 

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,

“and my servant whom I have chosen,

that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

Before me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after me. (Isaiah 43:10 ESV)




For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens. (Psalm 96:5 ESV)

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”—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 Corinthians 8:4-6 ESV)

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,“and my servant whom I have chosen,that you may know and believe meand understand that I am he.Before me no god was formed,nor shall there be any after me. (Isaiah 43:10 ESV)



For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens. (Psalm 96:5 ESV)

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”—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 Corinthians 8:4-6 ESV)

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Theological Term of the Week

relativism
“[T]he view that “there is no objective truth,” but rather, what is called truth “is always relative to something else”;1 

• Scripture that argues against relativism: 

“You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45 ESV) (God is the objective standard of what is morally right or holy—or the objective standard of moral truth.)

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:11-13 ESV) (There is one judgment for everyone and everyone will be judged by the same objective standard of moral truth.)

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Theological Term of the Week

skepticism
“[T]he view that even if there is objective truth, none of us can know what that truth is.”1 

• Jesus speaks to a skeptic: 

Jesus answered, … For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” …  (John 18:37-38 ESV)

• From What’s Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions by James N. Anderson:

At first, Skepticism appears to be a thoroughly humble viewpoint. What could be more humble than saying you don’t know anything? What could be more modest than considering your opinion no better than anyone else’s? In reality, however, Skepticism is remarkable bold—even arrogant—because it makes sweeping claims about the capacity of the human mind that it can’t consistently support. 

In effect, Skeptics want us to believe that they alone have discerned some universal truth about human knowledge. But do they claim to know that? If they do, they’re no being consistently skeptical; specifically, they’re not being skeptical about their own claim to know a universal truth. On the other hand, if they say they don’t know that Skepticism is correct, why should we take their position seriously? By their own profession, their opinions about human knowledge are no better than anyone else’s.

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