WHO IS GOD? Ancient Remnants Of The Gods (PART 4)

 

WHO IS GOD?

Ancient Remnants Of The Gods (PART 4)

Brett A. Todd

Maybe the God of the Bible is not as unique as you thought.

Once again, I want to be clear, what we have been talking about in these articles on “Who Is God?” is not something new. Biblical scholars have known these things for a very long time, however, this information never had a “Trickle-down” effect, and it never made it to Sunday school.

In Chapter 3, we discussed that more than likely the ancestors of Israel did believe in multiple Gods (polytheism). We listed several verses from the Hebrew Scriptures, (The Old Testament) pointing this out. It is also important to know that this is not a debate among scholars and archaeologists. There are multiple archaeological sites in Israel where polytheistic evidence has been found. One could say that polytheism, the belief in multiple Gods was alive and well before and during the biblical times in Israel.

In this article, we will talk about some of these early remnants of Polytheism in Jewish writings found in the Bible. First, we start with the Hebrew word for God found in the Bible, the word “Elohim” (אֱלֹהִ֑ים ). The word “Elohim” is found throughout the Hebrew Scriptures of the Bible and is literally translated as “Gods”. It is the plural form of the word “God”. Scholars believe the word “Elohim” is derived from a word for “God” from the country called, Ugarit, a country where they believed in many Gods.

One example, where the word “Elohim” is used in the Bible, is in Genesis 1:1, where we read, “God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.” Though our English Bible translations are correct, it is still important to remember that the word “Elohim” is plural and is literally translated, “Gods”. Why is this important? More than likely the word “Elohim” (Gods) reflects the ancient polytheistic beliefs that reach back to an older creation story where it just wasn't one God who created the world, but many Gods. If this is true, the older Creation story may have read something like, “When the Gods began to create the heavens and earth…” How these other Gods were involved in this creation is not completely clear, but, Job 38:1-7 gives us a little hint. In verse 1, we are told that when God (yahweh) laid the foundation of the earth, “...the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” What were these other Gods doing while the God, Yahweh, created the world? They were shouting for joy, they were cheering the God, Yahweh, on.

Many scholars agree that such a creation story may have existed among the ancient Semitic people because we do have older creation stories in the Bible. Yes, you read that correctly, there is more than one creation story in the Bible. Not only do we have older creation stories in the Bible, but some of these stories also have a flare of polytheistic images and beliefs. Here are a few creation stories: (P) Genesis1:1-2:4a and (J) Genesis 2:4b-25, Judges 5:4b-5.

Let’s take a look at one of these creation stories in the Bible where we find an early remnant of polytheism.  Judges 5:4b-5, which also borrows words and images from a polytheistic Ugaritic story. Note the striking parallels of Judges with this myth. I am using the translation of Gravett, Bohmbach, Greifenhagen, and Polaski:

Judges 5:b-5                                     Ugaritic Story

The Earth trembled,                             Ba’al opened a rift in the clouds;

and the heavens poured,                     his holy voice Ba’al gave forth

the clouds indeed poured water.                     Ba’al repeated the is[sue] of his lips

The mountains quaked before the                             At this h[oly] voice the earth quaked

LORD, the One of Sinai,                     at the issue of his [lips]

before the LORD, the God                     the mountains were afr[aid].

Of Israel.

Above, we have one story from the Bible (Judges) and another story from a religious Ugaritic text.  For a Jew or Christian, one might call this Ugaritic story, a pagan story. Either way, there are interesting similarities in these stories: both the God of the Bible and the Ugaritic God, whose name is Ba’al, are presented as "Storm Gods" who are pouring forth water. Both of these Gods are causing the earth to tremble. There are other passages in the Bible well, such as Psalm 29, Psalm 77, Psalm 114, and Psalm 89 that also exhibit these early remnants of polytheism. In the Bible, God is described as the Cloud Rider and in Ugaritic Myths, Ba'al is also described as the Cloud Rider. In the Bible, God is described as the Mountain God and in the Ugaritic story, Ba'al is described as the Mountain God.

Curiously enough, all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, the Ugaritic “Gods” are either mentioned or alluded to: El, Ba'al, Anat, Asherah (a goddess), Yamm, and Mot are all in the Bible. The God of Death, Mot, is not only alluded to in the Hebrew Scriptures (The Old Testament) but also in the New Testament. In Isaiah 25:8 we read, “he [God] will swallow up death forever.” This Scripture in Isaiah is also quoted by Paul in the New Testament and used by clergy in funeral services, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

We could continue by mentioning other early polytheistic remnants found throughout the Bible. However, it is adequate to say, when you ask the question, “Who Is God?” Remember, you are asking a big and complicated question. Friends, this is not Sunday school.

WHO IS GOD? GOD OR GODS? (PART 3)

 

WHO IS GOD?

GOD OR GODS? (PART 3)

Brett A. Todd

Sometimes I have to admit that the teaching of the Trinity

is actually a return to the old Semitic beliefs in the Gods

In Chapter 2, it was mentioned that in ancient Semitic writings, which include the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), there is no definition of the word “God”.  So, what are we talking about when we invoke the name “God”? Is God a mysterious thing or a being of some sort?  Maybe or maybe not. We really don’t know. The declarations, “I believe in God” or “I don't believe in God” can be nonsensical.

Today, we ask the question, “God or Gods?” “One or many?” In almost every, if not all Christian circle, the answer is, “There is only one God”. This is true within Judaism, in Isaiah we read these words, “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.” (43:10b-11) Paul in the New Testament had similar sentiments, 1 Corinthians 8:6, “Yet for us, there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ...” Is Isaiah and Paul correct, is there only one God? Do all the authors of the books of the Bible agree with Isaiah and Paul? It all depends on which book in the Bible you are reading. Some agree and others disagree.

Remember when I said in my introduction that humans' understanding of God has and will always be in constant fluctuation and development? I believe this is the situation here. I think, when we take a close examination of early Jewish writings, what we will find is a belief in more than one God. Actually, the early Jews believed in many Gods. The issue for them wasn't whether or not there was just one God or many Gods. Their concern was this: Are we worshiping the right God?

There are some pretty familiar and compelling Scriptures that reveal more than one God. Right from the beginning in Genesis 1:26, we read, “Then God said, 'Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness...'” Note the plural use of the words, “us” and “our”. Some have tried to explain away this use of the plural language for God by calling it “Royal Elizabethan” language that is really not plural, but a royal singular. Others have tried to explain this away with other arguments, but none of these explanations are convincing.

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) we find similar readings supporting the idea of multiple Gods. One of my favorite stories is found in Genesis chapter 6, where we are told that the sons of God came down out of heaven and had sex with the daughters of men. The term “sons of God” means exactly what it says, they were offspring of the Gods, not angels, mind you. The Hebrew word “Elohim” (אֱלֹהִ֑ים), should be translated, as “Gods”, not “angels”. Though some English Bible translations have used the incorrect word “angels” following later Rabbinic teachings, today many Jewish and Christian Scholars agree these were not angels, they were Gods, or we could say they were divine beings. Again, this should not surprise the reader because all of this is a part of the continual development and understanding of God.  It is a progression from many Gods to one God, a progression from polytheism to monotheism.

Probably, one of the more shocking passages in the Bible is from Psalm 82:1 which reads, "God (Elohim) has taken his place in the divine council in the midst of the gods (Elohim) holds judgment." Another interesting passage that uses this plural form for God is Psalm 8:5, "Yet you have made them a little lower than God." Once again, in the correct plural form would read, "Yet you have made them a little lower than the Gods." The word them in this passage refers to human beings.

There are many many more passages that are very clear that there is not just one God, but many Gods. In the Psalms alone we find such passages as Psalm 86:8: “There is none like you among the gods…” Psalm 96:4: “For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.” Psalm 135:5: “For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is above all gods.” Psalm 29:1: “Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of God, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.” Psalm 97:7: “All servants of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.”

Some modern Christians are not comfortable with the idea that there was more than one God in the Bible. In some ways, I must admit that this idea does knock over the Sunday school egg cartoon. But again, remember, all faiths are in development. The faith of both Judaism and Christianity has been developing for thousands of years, so don't be surprised to find beliefs and ideas in the Bible that are different from what you believe today.

WHO IS GOD? (DEFINITION PLEASE!)

WHO IS GOD?

(DEFINITION PLEASE!)

Brett A. Todd

Christians confess that Jesus is

“dominum nostrum”, our Lord, our

God. But what does this mean when

there is no biblical definition for the

word “God” in the Bible?

Nowhere in the early Semitic writings, which includes the Hebrew Scriptures, is the word, “god” defined. For them, god is god and nothing else matters, only “Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God'” (Psalm 14:1). As you might guess, this is a problem for the modern Bible reader when trying to answer the question, “Who Is God?” How can you answer such a question when you don't even know what the word “god” means? If you are going to call someone or something a god, then you better know what the word means.  Actually, the closest we come to a definition of God in the Bible is when God says, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14) which basically means that God is undefinable.

Recognizing this problem, some Bible scholars have opted for the approach of “looking backward” to answer the question, “Who is God?” How does this work? For them, since Jesus is God and is the perfect representation of God, then all one has to do is look at Jesus first to know God and God's characteristics. In other words, if you know Jesus and his ministry, then you will automatically know God. Using some rather blunt and faulty grammar to get my point across, for these scholars, “What Jesus is, God is. You know God and God's characteristics by knowing Jesus.”

The problems with this approach are too vast to discuss at this time. However, and more importantly, is the fact that Jesus never claimed to be God. So, the idea that one can look at Jesus and then know God is quite a fanciful idea. Further, we are still ignoring the big white elephant in the room, we don't have a definition for the word “God” in the Bible.

Other theologians in search of a definition of “God” have chosen to rummage through the Bible to find Bible verses describing God's divine characteristics or may we say God's nature. However, this picking and choosing method often leads to false information. For example, most Christians would agree that God is love (1 John 4:8), but what about such Bible stories in which this same God of love commanded the Temple guards to slaughter everyone, including women and children? (Ezekiel 9:6). Does this sound like an all-loving God? Of course not, there is nothing just or loving about killing children. So, as you can see, picking and choosing Bible verses has its negative side to it when trying to answer the question, “Who is God?”

The Bible reader needs to understand that what one book of the Bible might say about God may not be the same in another book of the Bible. Again, there is no unified teaching concerning God and God's characteristics in the Bible. Different authors say different things about God. Sometimes these authors agree, other times they disagree. So who is god? Well, that all depends on which book in the Bible you are reading.

What we do know from early Semitic writings, which include the Hebrew Scriptures is that there are a lot of entities called God. Biblical scholar, Mark S. Smith, has tallied the following list of Gods. They include major and minor deities, demons, dead kings and some living kings, monstrous cosmic enemies, or the dead more generally, deities images, standing stones, and other cultic items and places, as well as stars and legendary heroes.

The characteristic that stands out for each one of these Gods listed above is their supposed “mystical otherness”. They may or may not look like humans but all of these Gods were reported as having done something that the average human has not. But how helpful is this to understand the word “God”? Not too helpful. Remember, according to Smith's research, even a human or a stone can fit this description of mystical otherness.

Smith's list of Gods should not surprise the average Bible reader, not only are these same entities mentioned in the Bible, but the First Commandment of the Ten Commandments strictly forbids the worship of any of them, “...you shall have no Gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Note, it does not say that there are no other Gods, it just says that you cannot worship them in any form. Verses 4 through 5 continue this commandment by saying, “you shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God.”

It would seem obvious to these ancient people a definition for the word “God” was not important. Again, God is God and nothing else matters. However, it was important for them that they were worshipping the right God (s).

WHO IS GOD? (INTRO)

WHO IS GOD? (INTRO)

Brett A. Todd

Since the 18th century, scholars have been searching for the historical Jesus, when they have yet to answer the most significant question of all, “Who is God?

 

As I mentioned in the previous article, the question, “Who is God?” might seem easy to answer, but it is not. Actually, it is a very complicated, “bigger than us” type of question. So, what we have learned in Sunday school is not sufficient. It's a good start, you have to start somewhere, right? The problem is most people stop there while their pastors and churches continue to nurse them with these same “naive” Sunday school ideas.

I should be clear to the reader that I'm using the words “Sunday School” in a metaphorical manner to communicate the idea of an elementary, or should we say, a simplistic understanding of God and the Bible which are in many ways, inaccurate. Even more so, these simplistic notions go beyond the doors of the church to their institutions of higher learning.

Thinking back to my Fundamentalist College days, we took all of these Sunday school ideas a step further to perfection by memorizing the attributes of God and more. God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Eternal, Immutable... “Ah! Now we know God. We have finally arrived.” However, all we learned were the technical words for the theories we learned in Sunday school.

So, where do we start? First, we need to acknowledge that there are a lot of different ideas about God and the Bible. In the United States alone, there are over 200 church denominations, and around the world, there are a whopping 45,000 denominations that believe in something different from all the other church denominations. This is also true of Bible scholars and theologians, and there are a lot of them, who all have different ideas and views of God. Is God all-powerful? Some would say “yes” while others would say “no”. Is God all-knowing? Again, some would say “yes” while others would say “no”. We could go on and on with these kinds of questions, and yes, there would be all sorts of answers. Let's face it, the question, “Who is God?” is big and complicated and there are no shortcuts.

We also find a wide range of answers to the question, “Who is God?” in the Bible. There is no one unified answer. Is God a God of love or revenge or maybe both? Is God spirit or does God have body parts, you know, arms, hands, legs, feet, and nose? Does God eat and drink? Even more revealing, does God, like humans, have regrets and repent for God's wrongdoings? Does God get angry, laugh, cry, get jealous, and become happy or sad? Does God feel pain like humans feel pain? Does God sin or is God perfect? Does God need our help? Or, is God beyond all of this? Sometimes the answer is “yes” while other times it is “no”. It all depends on your culture, religion, and which book of the Bible you are reading. There is no “one size fits all”.

For some, all of this might seem alarming. What does this mean for my faith and practice to begin delving into the unknown by asking, once again, “Who is God?” Will I lose my faith? Will God still love me? These are good, and yes, expected concerns, but keep in mind, questions are healthy and not damning.  Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once said, “We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answer.” Personally, I see the question, “Who is God?” as an invitation for growth as well as an invitation to see God “face to face” and to know God in truth. I see it as a time for renewal.

To set the stage for the following articles, I will argue that humans' understanding of God has been and will always be in constant fluctuation and development. Some of those changes are quite significant and for some, startling. From the beginning, humans have received little snapshots of God to help them refine and redefine their views of God. These snapshots continue to this day. As the Apostle Paul once said, “For now we see only a reflection...Now I only know in part...” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

It should be obvious to the reader that in these short articles, I will not be able to do justice to the topic at hand.  Rather, this format is to help non-trained Bible scholars understand scholarly studies of the Bible. My goal is to make you think and ask questions.

WHO IS GOD? (A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME)

WHO IS GOD?

 (A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME)

Brett A. Todd

I took a little break from my little blog, “This Is Not Sunday School”. Now I'm ready to start writing again and I hope you are ready to read and think. In the next few articles, I will attempt to answer the question, “Who is God?” The question might seem easy to answer, but it is not. The question is bigger and more complicated than what one has been taught in Sunday school. However, before I begin, I have been reminded that for some, my articles are a little controversial, and maybe, a little heretical. So, before I approach the question, “Who is God?” I want to discuss my historical approach and maybe even ease the minds of those who may think my articles are controversial or even heretical.

I don't want to get into the details of my education, but my studies hail from Trinity and Northwestern University/Garrett Evangelical Seminary. Northwestern University and Garrett-Evangelical Seminary are sister institutions of higher education with strong Methodists roots. Professors in the field of Hebrew and New Testament, and theology are shared by both institutions. My mentor was Robert Jewett, a world-renowned New Testament scholar, who was also the New Testament scholar at the prestigious University of Tubingen, in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. My theology professor was James E. Will, he was a student of Paul Tillich. Dr. Will and Dr. Jewett have had a big impact on my research in New Testament studies and Philosophical Theology. Therefore, it should surprise no one that I am a Hegelian New Testament scholar at heart. Another field of study I spend an insurmountable time in is New Testament Textual Criticism. Daily, I am translating and examining ancient manuscripts, it is my passion. We will talk more about this down the road. I also work with several biblical languages as well as Spanish and English. One of my Greek professors used to tell me that my Greek was better than my English. I don't know if that was criticism or praise, but probably a little of both. Hopefully, this will give you a small blueprint of my thinking and writings.

Concerning the nature of my writings. Are they controversial and heretical? Well, that depends on who you ask. I know that I have been written off by Evangelical Bible Thumpers who may think I'm incarnate of the devil, and that is okay, whatever. However, it is important to understand that what I have and will share in my articles are the very things that have been taught in mainline seminaries for over a hundred years. This means, if your pastor attended a United Methodist, United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church, United Presbyterian Church, Episcopalian, etc. seminary they were taught these same things I have been sharing with you. Now, whether they were listening or not in their classes, is another story. I'm also aware that some pastors are afraid to teach what they were taught in seminary for fear of losing their job. Either way, for a pastor not to share and use what they were taught in seminary, is really a disgrace and it is also a big part of why so many churches today are dying. COVID is not the problem, the problem is that too many pastors and churches are still living in Sunday school.

What is my approach to the Bible? I use what is called the historical approach. What I mean by this is that I look at the Bible in light of all the evidence to understand and interpret the Bible. For example, did Matthew the tax collector write the Book of Matthew? By looking at all the evidence from the Book of Matthew, the answer is quite clear, no. Matthew did not write the Gospel of Matthew. In fact, we don’t know who wrote any of the four Gospels.

So, are my articles controversial and maybe even heretical? For those who want to continue living in Sunday school, the answer is maybe. But for those who want to hear what the Bible has in store for seeking minds, the answer is no. Rather, it is a whole new world of learning, discovery, and excitement.

The Eye Of A Needle

 

The Eye Of A Needle (Mark 10:25)

Brett A. Todd

If you have ever spent time reading the New Testament of the Bible, more than likely you came across the words of Jesus, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25). Bible scholars agree, there is no question that Jesus said these words, but there are those gullible preachers who have and continue spread a wishful interpretation in order to sound dynamic and educated. For them, the eye of a needle was actually a small gate in Jerusalem where camels had to crawl on their knees to fit through the gate into the city of Jerusalem. There's one problem with this popular “educated” and “dynamic” interpretation, it is not true. There is not one shred of archaeological evidence that such a gate ever existed in Jerusalem.

Where did they get this interpretation? The furthest back we can go with this interpretation is to that of Theophylact, a Byzantine archbishop of the Middle Ages (around 1055 – after 1107 CE) who wrote a Bible commentary. Some have suggested that his interpretation came from the early Church Fathers, however, there is no such evidence that goes any further back than Theophylact himself.

Simply, Jesus' words about the eye of a needle are actually an exaggeration to catch the attention of his followers. It is a hyperbole. As you read the words of Jesus throughout the four Gospels, you will discover that he used this type of speech a lot. Here is another example found in Luke 6:41, Jesus said, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye but do not notice the log in your own eye?” And yes, there are more... Jesus loved to use this effective teaching method. Jesus used a lot of hyperboles. Adela Yarbro Collins writes:

The hyperbolic character of the saying catches the attention of the audience effectively and leads them to confront seriously the problem with wealth as a hindrance to entering the kingdom.

Did other ancient writers use such exaggerations to connect with their students and readers? Yes, for example, in early Judaism we find such statements where it is an elephant, not a camel, that had to go through the eye of a needle (See Witherington III).

In our next study, we will answer the question of whether or not Jesus was a pure Jew.

Jesus The Messiah With A Little Caveat

Jesus The Messiah

With A Little Caveat

Brett A. Todd

Did Jesus believe that he was the long-awaited Messiah?  This is a completely different question than asking, did Jesus believe he was God?  God and Messiah are not interchangeable titles but Messiah and King often refer to the same person, like King David in the Bible who is called the king and anointed one (the Messiah). Psalm 28:8 referring to King David reads, “The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.”  Yes, the title Messiah means “the anointed one”.  

Did Jesus believe he was the Messiah, the anointed one (the King)?  Yes.  Among scholars, there really isn't much of a debate on this matter.  This is how Mark 15:32 narrates this Jesus title, “Let the Messiah, the king of the Jews, come down from the cross now...”

You may remember the story of when Jesus stood before Pilate.  Pilate asked Jesus point blank if he was the King of the Jews.  Jesus' answer is interesting, he said, “You say so.”  Which means that yes I am but I don't need to say because you already did (Mark 15:2). Further, all four Gospels agree, above the head of Jesus on the cross hung a sign that read, “King of the Jews” (Mark 15:26).  So once again, did Jesus believe he was the Messiah, the King of the Jews?  More than likely, yes, and he died for it as well.

Here is a little caveat, Jesus was not the first person to claim to be the Messiah.  You may remember, even in the Gospels there is a warning that many will claim to be the Messiah (Matthew 24:5).  But there were even those before Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah.

Back in 2000, archaeologists discovered what some scholars believe to be the most important archaeology find since the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946/7.  Along the banks of the Dead Sea, they found a stone, now called “Gabriel's Stone”, with peculiar writing.  One can view this magnificent stone now displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Why is this stone so significant?  This 4th-1st century BCE stone, or earlier, refers to a messiah who will die and rise from the dead in three days.  In Hebrew, it reads, “In three days, live”  Of course, this stone is not referring to the Jesus of the New Testament. Instead, according to  Israel Knohl, a professor of Biblical studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem believes this refers to Simon Peraea (4 BCE).

What does all of this mean?  Long before Jesus came along, there was a certain expectation that a Messiah King would come and deliver them, the Jews, from captivity.  Jesus was just one of those individuals who believed he too was the Messiah King.  More than likely,  Christians borrowed this same idea of the Messiah dying and being raised from the dead on the third day from the same source those who wrote Gabriel's Stone got theirs.  Maybe the old proverb from Ecclesiastes is right, “...there is nothing new under the sun.”

In our next study, we will look at the words of Jesus, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  What was Jesus talking about, an actual camel and an eye of a needle, or was it a gate found in Jerusalem?