We know that an idol is nothing in the world.
An idol nothing in the world
A singular phenomenon, known as the Spectre of the Brocken, is seen on a certain mountain in Germany. The traveller who at dawn stands on the topmost ridge beholds a colossal shadowy spectre, moving on the summits of the distant hills. But, in fact, it is only his own shadow projected upon the morning mists by the rising sun; and it imitates, of course, every movement of its creator. So heathen nations have mistaken their own image for Deity. Their gods display human frailties and passions and scanty virtues, projected and magnified upon the heavens, just as the small figures on the slide of a magic-lantern are projected, magnified, and illuminated upon a white sheet.
Idolatry
I. Its folly.
1. An idol is a thing of the imagination.
2. For there is but one God.
3. He is incapable of any representation.
II. Its forms. Manifold.
1. Among the heathen.
2. Among professed Christians, as--
(1) Love of the world.
(2) Undue attachment or subservience to the creature.
(3) Forgetfulness of God.
III. Its antidote Consider--
1. His true character.
2. His relation to His people.
3. His revelation in Christ. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
Idolatry
I. In Its General History. Notice--
1. The awful principle in which it originated (Romans 1:28)--aversion to God. But the knowledge of its origin may direct as to the means of its overthrow. Nothing in earth or heaven can effectually overcome it but the power and grace of Christ; not force of arms nor power of reasoning.
2. The degraded objects to which it was outwardly paid (Psalms 115:1-18.; Romans 1:1-32.). Surely, then, those who worship them demand our pity, our prayers, and our exertions for their reclamation.
3. The infernal spirit to whom it was really directed (1 Corinthians 10:20).
4. The amazing wealth and power by which it has hitherto been upheld. Talk we of the magnificence of some of the churches of Christendom. Think of the temple of Diana at Ephesus. Let rich Christians, who have it in their power to do so much for the propagation of their religion, but who do so little, let them turn to Isaiah 46:6, and learn a lesson of liberality worthy of a better cause.
II. In that particular view presented in the text. The objector to missionary exertions may possibly be ready to say that if an idol be nothing, there is no need of the efforts, sacrifices, and prayers on which you have been insisting. How slightly he must have considered the matter who does not perceive that this very fact furnishes one of the strongest grounds of appeal on behalf of the unenlightened heathen! If an idol is nothing it follows--
1. That the religious offerings of idolaters have not only been useless, but an abomination.
2. That the very religion of idolaters has promoted the honour and glory of Satan.
3. That the dying prayers of idolaters have been a delusion and a lie. (T. Mortimer, B. D.)
And that there is none other God but one.--
The unity of God
1. What it implies.
2. What are its evidences.
3. What is its bearing upon faith and practice. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
The unity of God is demonstrated
1. By reason.
2. By creation and providence.
3. By revelation. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
Unity of God
A little boy being asked, “How many gods are there?” replied “One.” “How do you know that?” “Because,” said the boy, “there is only room for one; for He fills heaven and earth.”
Aspects of responsibility
(1 Corinthians 8:4-13):--Note--
I. That the moral obligations of all men are determined by their relation to the one God and His son. There are many objects that men call gods, but they are really nothing; they therefore impose no moral obligation.
1. There is One, however, and only One, from your relation to whom there grows up all moral obligations. “One God.” Monotheism is demonstrated by nature; conscience, and the Bible.
(1) He is a Father. The Creator of the universe, but the Father of spirits.
(2) He is the Source of all things.
(3) He is our end. “We in” or “unto Him.” The supreme end of our existence, and object of our love.
2. In connection with Him there is “One Lord Jesus Christ, who was not only His creative Agent, “by whom are all things,” but His redemptive Agent, the Mediator, “and we by” or “through Him.” As Christians, we are what we are through Him.
3. Now the wilt of this One God, as coming through Christ to us, we are morally bound to fulfil--an obligation which can never be abrogated or modified.
II. That what might be wrong for one man to do might not be so for another. The apostle teaches that those who felt that an idol was nothing in the world, and that consequently there was no harm to them personally in eating meat offered to it, would commit no wrong in doing so. The meat had not been corrupted by that, and their consciences not being against it, there would be no wrong in eating it (verse 8). On the other hand, those who had a superstitious idea that they ought not to eat it would commit wrong in doing so (verse 7). That which is against a man’s conscience may not be against the eternal law of right, but is against his own sense of right, and therefore should be avoided. Here is the principle, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” “To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Therefore, “let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”
III. That to offend the conscience of a good man, however weak, is a wrong in all (verse 9). Respect for the weak consciences of good men.
1. May require self-denial on our part.
2. Is urged on the strongest considerations.
(1) The lack of it may inflict serious injuries on the weak.
(a) It may “become a stumbling-block to them that are weak”--i.e., an occasion of sin. Their faith may be shaken, and they may become apostates.
(b) They may be “emboldened,” encouraged to do the wrong. Without your moral strength they will imitate you and will be ruined (verse 10).
(2) The lack of it is a sin both against the weak brethren and against Christ (verse 12).
3. Is exemplified in the sublime resolve of the apostle (verse 13). Here is benevolent expediency, the strongest ground on which the temperance reformation can be wisely and effectively advocated. Give up all rather than ruin souls. Such an utterance as this is characteristic of Paul (Romans 9:3). (D. Thomas, D. D.)
But though there be that are called gods,… to us there is one God, the Father,… and one Lord Jesus Christ.--
Polytheism
1. Its numerous forms.
2. Awful prevalence.
3. Manifest absurdity.
4. Abominable wickedness. (J. Lyth, D. D.)
The unity of God
The apostle had been trained in the monotheism which had from the first been the belief of his race, and from which they had now not swerved for centuries. The unity of God--
I. Is contrasted with polytheistic belief and worship.
1. The heathen deities are “called,” but are not, gods (verse 4).
2. These deities are deemed “gods” and “lords.” They were, and still are, in heathen lands thought supernatural, and are invested by the imagination with claims to the homage and service of men.
3. They are many in number, every natural object, &c., having its deity.
4. They have their several ranks and realms. The superior Olympian deities are “in heaven”; the inferior numina nymphs, fauns, dryads, &c., haunt this “earth.”
II. Furnishes a centre and aim for the new religious life of men.
1. In Himself He is “the one God, the Father.” This was a glorious revelation, and in Christ provision is made for its wide promulgation and acceptance.
2. He is the Creator and Upholder of all; “Of whom are all things.”
3. He is the object of our faith, love, and devotion. We are “for,” “unto Him.” It is at this point that the great revelation of the new theology becomes the great motive of the new religion. Polytheism distracted the mind, and made it impossible that faith in God should become the inspiration of a new and better life. For it was a question, What measure of reverence and of service should be offered to this deity, and what to that? But Christianity revealed one God, in whom are all perfections, and who is the Creator, Governor, and Saviour of mankind. They who live to serve this God have an elevating, purifying, powerful aim in the conduct of their life.
III. Furnishes the noblest motive to the new religious life.
1. The one God is made known by the one Lord Jesus Christ, as the Word reveals the utterer, the Son the Father, which conflicts in no sense with monotheism.
2. Christ is the universal Mediator, “by whom are all things”--the moral as well as the physical creation. All blessings which the Father destines for humanity He has resolved to confer by Christ.
3. We, as Christians, are what we are “through Him.” As in the former clause we recognised the great aim, so here we see the great means and motive of the new, the distinctively Christian life. The Divine nature and mediation of Immanuel, so far from obscuring our belief in the Divine unity, is the most effectual support of it. Even as Jesus said, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father”; and “No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (Prof. J. R. Thomson.)
The unity of God
The term “unity” is difficult to define. It may mean merely the numerical basis of calculation; the contrast between one thing and two or more things of the same kind. But if used in the sense of a unit, it is clear that every one thing is made up of many parts, possesses many qualities, stands in various relations, and though in itself only one thing, is also a part of many other things. By unity is often meant more than the antithesis of many. Though the unity of God means that there is one God, in opposition to the claims of lords many and gods many, yet the phrase implies that whatever internal distinctions there may be in the essence of the Most High, that essence is one essence--a whole, a unity in itself. Unity is individuality, in spite of the recognition of the multiplicity of elements of which it is compounded. Thus a crystal of quartz is a unity distinct from all other crystals, and from the hand that holds it. It possesses a multitude of curious properties as long as it remains one thing; but let me break it into a thousand pieces, and it might soon be proved that every fragment possessed in a measure all those properties. Yet those fragments, though many, previously formed one whole. Consider, again, a tree or plant; its root, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, and seed form one whole of mysterious beauty; and though each twig and leaflet is a perfect creation, having an independent life in itself, yet the many parts do not fail to form a unity. Farther, playing in the branches of the tree there is a world of more mysterious life. Every leaf has its colony of insects, every bough its parasitical growth; the bees are humming in its fragrant flowers, and the birds are building their nests in its branches. But each lichen, moss, insect, and bird is as wonderful in its mysterious combination of many opposites, and dependent structures, and wondrous balancing of powers, as was the tree itself. But while I am considering crystal and tree, and insect and bird, I find that I myself am just such a combination of many parts, faculties, passions, and relations, each of which is sufficiently individual, and yet the whole of which seem all but indispensable to constitute my self-conscious unity. I am a strange combination of body, soul, and spirit; and yet I am reckoned as one man. My senses, reflections, and passions; my body, understanding, and will seem at times capable of individualisation, and to be unities in themselves; but it is the mutual relation and dependence of the parts that constitute the unity of the whole. With this self-consciousness of multiplicity in unity to help me, the revelation that God has made of His threefold nature is less perplexing than it otherwise would be. The unity of the Divine nature, like the unity of all other things, is a unity consistent with the self-inclusions of various constituent elements. (J. W. Reynolds, M. A.)
One God, one Lord
I. The one God. The oneness of Deity is here emphasised. It is insisted on throughout the Scriptures. The conflict, confusion, and absurdity conspicuous in polytheism find no place in Judaism or Christianity. This oneness is confirmed by nature, providence, and the moral sense. The one God is--
1. The Source of all things. We know not how; the manner is not revealed to us; the fact is. God may have left much to man’s scientific instinct to discover. He may have intended not a little to remain in mystery. We may travel reverently along the lines of true knowledge till they cease for us; then the great truth remains still for our enlightenment and comfort. The march backward of science is towards unity; revelation began with it.
2. The end of all things. “We unto,” not “in,” “Him.” What is here asserted of some of God’s works applies to all (Colossians 1:16). The whole universe looks God-wards. So far as intelligent creatures do not find the end of their existence in God and seek His glory, so far they fall out of harmony with the rest of creation and bring failure into their lives.
II. The one Lord. The Head of the Church was the active power in creation. This verse teaches the Divinity of Christ in a very impressive manner. The administrative, mediating position occupied by Christ is recognised; but the assertion that “through Him” all things were, is only explicable on the supposition of His Deity. Moreover, this very expression is applied elsewhere to God (Rom 9:36; Hebrews 2:10), and the expression “unto Him” is in Colossians 1:15 applied to Christ. Paul is speaking about idols as “gods and lords.” These were all regarded as deities. In carrying over the same terms to the realm of Christianity, there is nothing which should lead us to suppose that “Lord” is less Divine than “God.”
III. The special relations subsisting between believers and the one Lord and one God.
1. They are “through” Christ--as creatures, amongst “all things”; but the additional “we through Him” indicates special relationship. Believers are such through Christ; they believe in Him. Through Him they are separated from “all things,” and made a peculiar people. Apart from Christ believers are nothing; through Him they become “heirs of God.”
2. They are “unto God” in a special sense, and through Christ. They show forth the Divine glories as others cannot. They reflect the Divine love manifested in redemption. They are presented to God as the fruits of Divine grace. Once rebellious, they are now obedient; once defiled, they are now purified, &c.
3. God is their Father. In a certain sense He is the Father of all, but in a spiritual sense He is not so. Of some Christ said, “Ye are of your father the devil.” But the believer has received the adoption through Christ. (W. E. Hurndall, M. A.)
The many gods and the one God
I. The world’s many gods. To make gods for himself has been man’s great object all along. Every nation has had its gods, and every age. Is there no god-making still, even in our day? Money, business, pleasure, lusts, luxuries! Will they prove more helpful in the day of trouble than Baal, or Jupiter, or Buddha? Will they forgive, and save, and comfort?
II. The saint’s one God. Yes; one only, the living and the true God. Jehovah is His name. With undistracted eye the Christian looks but to one, not many; with undivided heart he fixes on one, not many; and that one sufficient to fill his whole heart, and soul, and being. How the thought of that one God--infinite, eternal, and unchangeable--makes all that are called gods to vanish utterly away! “Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul.” We need no other; we need no more.
III. The saint’s one Christ. “To us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ.” As there are many beings who go under the name of God, so are there many who go under the name of Christ, yet there is but one Christ, not two, nor many. The tendency of the present day is to multiply Christs. A Christ as the impersonation or representative of humanity is quite in accordance with the spirit of the age. But every one wants to have his own Christ, just as each heathen wanted to have his own god; the Christ that suits his own fancy, or his own philosophy, or his own intellect, or his own circumstances. Some want a Christ who is not God; others a Christ who is not a sacrifice; a Christ without a cross, and without blood; a Christ who will teach but not expiate sin; a Christ whose life and death are an example of self-surrender to the utmost, but not an atonement; a Christ who is not a judge, nor a law-giver, nor a priest, and only a prophet in the sense of teacher. If thus, then, there is but one Christ, then there is but--
1. One Cross.
2. One Priest.
3. One altar.
4. One sacrifice.
5. One way to the kingdom. (H. Bonar.)