How does Ephesians 4:6 support the concept of monotheism? Definition and Scope of Monotheism Monotheism is the conviction that there is only one eternal, self-existent Creator who alone is worthy of worship (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5). Ephesians 4:6 concisely encapsulates that conviction, affirming not merely the existence of one supreme deity but His universal sovereignty, immanence, and paternal care. The Text “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6) Immediate Literary Context Verses 4–6 present a sevenfold confession of unity—one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and God. This crescendo climaxes in monotheism: the oneness of God grounds every other Christian unity (vv. 4–5). Paul roots practical church harmony in the ontological reality that there is only one God, thereby making division logically incoherent. Old Testament Continuity Paul’s formulation echoes: • Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” • Isaiah 44:6 “I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God.” Jewish monotheism was forged against polytheistic cultures (Egypt, Canaan, Babylon). Excavations at Kuntillet ʿAjrud show early Israelite inscriptions affirming “YHWH” uniquely, countering claims that monotheism evolved late. Christological Harmony, not Competition Ephesians 4:5 already named “one Lord” (κύριος)—Jesus. Yet verse 6 affirms “one God … Father of all.” The juxtaposition forces a Trinitarian reading: Christ shares lordship without fracturing divine unity (cf. John 10:30). Monotheism is preserved because the Son and Spirit (v. 4) co-inhere in the one being of God. Apostolic and Patristic Witness • 1 Corinthians 8:6 mirrors the same structure: “yet for us there is but one God, the Father … and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” • Second-century apologists (e.g., Athenagoras, Letter to Marcus Aurelius 10) argued that Father, Son, and Spirit “are one in power, yet numerically one God.” Manuscript integrity across Codex Sinaiticus and Alexandrinus shows no textual deviation in these claims. Archaeological Corroboration of Early Christian Monotheism • The Rylands Papyrus P52 (c. AD 125) preserves John 18, already confessing the unique divine Son. • Grafitti at the Roman seaport of Ostia (late 2nd century) reads “God Jesus Christ,” demonstrating worship of Christ within exclusive monotheism, not alongside other gods. Philosophical Coherence A multiplicity of omnipotent beings is logically impossible; two “all-powerful” wills would collide. The unified cosmos (fine-tuned constants, irreducible biological information) points to a single ultimate mind (Romans 1:20). Polytheism cannot explain cosmic law-likeness; one Lawgiver can (James 4:12). Counter-Cult Polemic Ephesians 4:6 refutes: • Henotheism (acknowledging many gods, worshiping one) — Paul says there exists only “one God.” • Modalism — the verse distinguishes the Father while earlier verses distinguish the Spirit and Lord, preserving personal plurality within one God. • Polytheistic new-age syncretism — no allowance is given for additional cosmic powers sharing God’s throne. Practical Application 1. Worship: All devotion is due to the one God; prayer life is simplified and centralized. 2. Unity: Ethnic, socioeconomic, and denominational barriers crumble under shared paternity. 3. Evangelism: Exclusivity fuels urgency; if only one God exists, every person must reckon with Him. Conclusion Ephesians 4:6 stands as a succinct, Spirit-inspired declaration that there is only one God, simultaneously transcendent, providential, and immanent. Its Old Testament roots, Trinitarian framework, manuscript certainty, and philosophical necessity converge to undergird biblical monotheism and invite all humanity to worship the Father through the risen Son in the power of the Spirit. |
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