Friday, November 17, 2023

Timothy Milinovich on the ontological existence of the "gods" and "lords" in 1 Corinthians 8:5

  

The central elements (8:5a, b) concede that there are many so-called “gods” that others in Corinth might worship or acknowledge. The many temples in Corinth certainly were used for sacrifices to various Greek and Roman traditional deities, including Aphrodite, Asclepius, and Isis (among others). Paul tacitly decries these “so-called gods,” whether in heaven or earth. Jewish tradition recognized spiritual powers that affected events on earth and daily life. These were at times called “daemons.” Although spiritual entities, they were not considered to be “gods” themselves. They did not take part in the creative process of the earth and they were not perfect. In fact, many were viewed as corrupt or malicious. (Timothy Milinovich, Beyond What is Written: The Performative Structure of 1 Corinthians [Eugene, Oreg.: Pickwick Publications, 2013], 119)