The
Son of God and Many Sons of God
Paul believed himself to be an
ambassador to the gentiles, appointed by God (e.g., 1 Cor 1:1). As such, he
believed that there was only one supreme divinity, the God of Israel. He makes
this clear throughout his writings, but especially in the Corinthian letters
where he addresses the practice of eating foods related to the cults of other
gods. There he alludes to the Shema, claiming that “there is no god but one” (1
Cor 8:4; cf. Deut 6:4). And even as he acknowledges the existence of other gods
(8:5), he qualifies this acknowledgement, saying, “but for us, there is
one God, the Father” (1 Cor 8:6). These statements are remarkably similar to
the pagan claims of Maximus of Tyre, who as noted above could claim, “There is
one god, the king and father of all, and . . . there are many other gods who
are his offspring and who share in his rule” (Philosophical Orations
11.5). While Maximus does not conclude from this hierarchical structure to the
realm of the divine that only the one supreme God should be worshiped, Paul
does. Similarly, to the Romans Paul exclaims that “God is one” (Rom 3:30). For both
Jews and non-Jews, then, Paul believes that one supreme God exists. Only this God
is worthy of worship. Consequently, participation in the cults of other gods
should be avoided (1 Cor 10:20-22). (Matthew Thiessen, “Paul among the Sons of
God,” in Paul Within Paganism: Restoring the Mediterranean Context to the Apostle,
ed. Alexander Chantziantoniou, Paula Fredriksen, and Stephen L. Young
[Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2025], 96-97)
