For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, ( as there be gods many, and lords many,)
Though there are many beings called gods and lords in heaven and on earth, amid Gentile idol worship where sacrifices were offered to idols and traded upon so that eating them could seem to approve idolatry. Those many gods and many lords include competing doctrines and objects of allegiance and human rules set forth as divine commandments, including men who rob God of His title by taking reverend to their names and clothing themselves to appear sacred and equal with God. It warns of the last days when Satan will set all powers under his control to work through human beings and evil angels to mislead God's people, bringing competing claims, deceptive teachings that undermine truth, false leaders and claims of Christ's presence culminating in a false Christ. That working will come with terrifying signs and wonders in earth and heaven and calamities and crimes of no ordinary character to distract from present duty, yet awake members will rise with greater diligence and discern them by faith as warnings of the coming crisis and harbingers of God's sure triumph. Christ came to correct these distorted ideas of God by revealing the Father's nature and character to make men pure and Christlike, for understanding Scripture is essential to distinguish the true and living God from what is common, in contrast to philosophers who explain creation and calamity by supposed science and laws of nature apart from God.
Words and Historical Setting
The verse was written amid surrounding Gentile idol worship in which people made sacrifices and offerings to idols and priests traded in those offerings, creating the concern that Christians buying food offered to idols might appear to approve idolatrous worship. It acknowledges that many beings are called gods and lords, whether in heaven or on earth.
Those many gods and many lords include competing doctrines and objects of allegiance that contribute to confusion. They include the many doctrines found in the world and human rules presented as divine commandments, so that understanding Scripture is essential to discern truth and to distinguish the true God and what is sacred from what is common.
In this world they also include men who rob God of His title by taking reverend and right reverend before their names and thereby make themselves gods on earth. Such men assume to climb up to be as gods and to be equal with God, clothing themselves with sacred vestments to appear sacred, which God condemns because He does not design fallen man to exalt himself in this way. Taking reverend before one's name evidences ignorance of God and His holiness, since reverend belongs only to Him who dwells in light unapproachable, and rightly viewing God as Moses and Isaiah viewed Him would make men meek and lowly rather than exalting themselves.
Last-Day Deception Foretold
Paul's acknowledgment that many are called gods and lords warns of the last days, when Satan will set in operation every power and agency that submits to his control. That working comes through human beings and through evil angels operating alongside God's own agents, to mislead God's people. It will be fulfilled in the coming sifting of the church, when the effort is made to deceive even the elect.
That last-day working brings competing claims for allegiance and a time of confusion filled with deceptive teachings. Errors will make God seem unreal and will exalt falsehoods in place of eternal truth, and by them Satan will undermine the pillars of truth. False leaders will arise, with claims that Christ is present here or there, culminating in the appearance of a false Christ that will awaken delusive hopes in those who allow themselves to be deceived.
It also brings signs and wonders meant to divert people from present duty. Evil angels will work in deceptions, delusions, calamities, casualties and crimes of no ordinary character. Signs and wonders will appear in nature, with the powers of earth and heaven manifesting terrifying, destructive activity, and Satan's deep plotting will work everywhere to distract attention from present duty.
Awake church members will rise to the emergency with greater diligence as iniquity abounds. Manifestations of satanic power will be presented in their true light. The eye of faith will recognize them as warnings of the coming crisis and the coming future, as harbingers of the grand and awful future, and as pledges of the sure triumph of God's people.
Knowing the True God
The many called gods and lords are the philosophers and great men of the earth who, when in difficulty, try to satisfy their own minds without appealing to God. They ventilate their philosophy about heaven and earth and account for creation and providence by supposed science and laws of nature. They likewise account for plagues, pestilences, epidemics, earthquakes and famines by supposed science and laws of nature. When such false authorities set themselves to explain God's own principles and providences apart from the living and true God, they substitute their own accounts for divine wisdom. They present strange fire in place of the divine, and the result is confusion. This stands in contrast to the harmonious laws of nature that conform with all God's working, and to the living and true God who is a necessity everywhere.
Christ came to correct the condition in which men held distorted ideas of God and had many gods and many lords. He did not come merely to make men religious but to make them Christlike by revealing the nature and character of God and representing the Father. His work was to make human beings pure, holy and undefiled, and to teach them the meaning of true religion. Amid many gods and many doctrines, with human rules presented as God's commandments, understanding Scripture is essential for people of every age to discern truth. Scripture is needed to distinguish the true God and what is sacred from what is common.
There are lords many and gods many in this world in the sense of men who rob God of His title by attaching reverend and right reverend to their names and thereby make themselves gods in the earth. They are condemned for assuming to climb up and be as gods and for clothing themselves with sacred vestments to appear sacred, for fallen man is not designed to exalt himself to be equal with God. Taking reverend before their names evidences ignorance of God and His holiness, since reverend belongs only to Him who dwells in light unapproachable. Rightly viewing God as Moses and Isaiah viewed Him would make men meek and lowly rather than exalting themselves.
Though there are many beings called gods and lords in heaven and on earth, amid Gentile idol worship where sacrifices were offered to idols and traded upon so that eating them could seem to approve idolatry.
Those many gods and many lords include competing doctrines and objects of allegiance and human rules set forth as divine commandments, including men who rob God of His title by taking reverend to their names and clothing themselves to appear sacred and equal with God.
It warns of the last days when Satan will set all powers under his control to work through human beings and evil angels to mislead God's people, bringing competing claims, deceptive teachings that undermine truth, false leaders and claims of Christ's presence culminating in a false Christ.
That working will come with terrifying signs and wonders in earth and heaven and calamities and crimes of no ordinary character to distract from present duty, yet awake members will rise with greater diligence and discern them by faith as warnings of the coming crisis and harbingers of God's sure triumph.
Christ came to correct these distorted ideas of God by revealing the Father's nature and character to make men pure and Christlike, for understanding Scripture is essential to distinguish the true and living God from what is common, in contrast to philosophers who explain creation and calamity by supposed science and laws of nature apart from God.
Words and Historical Setting
The verse was written amid surrounding Gentile idol worship in which people made sacrifices and offerings to idols and priests traded in those offerings, creating the concern that Christians buying food offered to idols might appear to approve idolatrous worship. It acknowledges that many beings are called gods and lords, whether in heaven or on earth.
Those many gods and many lords include competing doctrines and objects of allegiance that contribute to confusion. They include the many doctrines found in the world and human rules presented as divine commandments, so that understanding Scripture is essential to discern truth and to distinguish the true God and what is sacred from what is common.
In this world they also include men who rob God of His title by taking reverend and right reverend before their names and thereby make themselves gods on earth. Such men assume to climb up to be as gods and to be equal with God, clothing themselves with sacred vestments to appear sacred, which God condemns because He does not design fallen man to exalt himself in this way. Taking reverend before one's name evidences ignorance of God and His holiness, since reverend belongs only to Him who dwells in light unapproachable, and rightly viewing God as Moses and Isaiah viewed Him would make men meek and lowly rather than exalting themselves.
Last-Day Deception Foretold
Paul's acknowledgment that many are called gods and lords warns of the last days, when Satan will set in operation every power and agency that submits to his control. That working comes through human beings and through evil angels operating alongside God's own agents, to mislead God's people. It will be fulfilled in the coming sifting of the church, when the effort is made to deceive even the elect.
That last-day working brings competing claims for allegiance and a time of confusion filled with deceptive teachings. Errors will make God seem unreal and will exalt falsehoods in place of eternal truth, and by them Satan will undermine the pillars of truth. False leaders will arise, with claims that Christ is present here or there, culminating in the appearance of a false Christ that will awaken delusive hopes in those who allow themselves to be deceived.
It also brings signs and wonders meant to divert people from present duty. Evil angels will work in deceptions, delusions, calamities, casualties and crimes of no ordinary character. Signs and wonders will appear in nature, with the powers of earth and heaven manifesting terrifying, destructive activity, and Satan's deep plotting will work everywhere to distract attention from present duty.
Awake church members will rise to the emergency with greater diligence as iniquity abounds. Manifestations of satanic power will be presented in their true light. The eye of faith will recognize them as warnings of the coming crisis and the coming future, as harbingers of the grand and awful future, and as pledges of the sure triumph of God's people.
Knowing the True God
The many called gods and lords are the philosophers and great men of the earth who, when in difficulty, try to satisfy their own minds without appealing to God. They ventilate their philosophy about heaven and earth and account for creation and providence by supposed science and laws of nature. They likewise account for plagues, pestilences, epidemics, earthquakes and famines by supposed science and laws of nature. When such false authorities set themselves to explain God's own principles and providences apart from the living and true God, they substitute their own accounts for divine wisdom. They present strange fire in place of the divine, and the result is confusion. This stands in contrast to the harmonious laws of nature that conform with all God's working, and to the living and true God who is a necessity everywhere.
Christ came to correct the condition in which men held distorted ideas of God and had many gods and many lords. He did not come merely to make men religious but to make them Christlike by revealing the nature and character of God and representing the Father. His work was to make human beings pure, holy and undefiled, and to teach them the meaning of true religion. Amid many gods and many doctrines, with human rules presented as God's commandments, understanding Scripture is essential for people of every age to discern truth. Scripture is needed to distinguish the true God and what is sacred from what is common.
There are lords many and gods many in this world in the sense of men who rob God of His title by attaching reverend and right reverend to their names and thereby make themselves gods in the earth. They are condemned for assuming to climb up and be as gods and for clothing themselves with sacred vestments to appear sacred, for fallen man is not designed to exalt himself to be equal with God. Taking reverend before their names evidences ignorance of God and His holiness, since reverend belongs only to Him who dwells in light unapproachable. Rightly viewing God as Moses and Isaiah viewed Him would make men meek and lowly rather than exalting themselves.