Thursday, December 1, 2022

Lori Ann Robinson Baron on Paul's Affirmation of the Ontological Existence of Gods and Lords in 1 Corinthians 8:4-6

  

In 1 Cor 8:4-6, the volume of the echo of the Shema is increased, as the reference to those who love God is followed by a claim that God is one. Remarkably, it was also followed by a claim that Jesus is the one Lord:

 

(4) Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idols in the world really exists,” and that “there is no God but one (οὐδεὶς θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς).”

(5) Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords—

(6) yet for us there is one God (εἷς θεός), the Father from whom are all things are for whom we exist and one Lord, Jesus Christ (εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς), through whom are all things and through whom we exist (1 Cor 8:4-6; emphasis added).

 

The Corinthians have used the slogans “no idol in the world really exists” and “there is no God but one” to argue for their liberty to eat sacrificial meat. In 1 Cor 8:5-6, Paul qualifies the first slogan which denies the existence of idols to say that there are many “so-called” (λεγομενοι) gods and lords. Paul does not deny that these powers exist in the world, only that they are not gods “for us” (ημιν; cf. 1 Cor 10:20-21). (Lori Ann Robinson Baron, "The Shema in John's Gospel Against its Backgrounds in Second Temple Judaism," PhD diss., Duke University, 2015, 237)

 

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