What does "one God and Father of all" imply about religious exclusivity? Canonical Context Ephesians 4:4–6 : “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” The statement “one God and Father of all” crowns a seven-fold confession of unity. Its position functions as the climactic theological anchor for the entire epistle, rooting Christian identity, worship, and ethics in exclusive, absolute monotheism. Monotheism Defined Scripture uniformly teaches that God is numerically one (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5–6; 1 Timothy 2:5). Paul simply echoes the Shema while integrating revealed Trinitarian economy: the “Father” is distinguished from the “Lord” (v. 5) and the “Spirit” (v. 4) yet remains the same undivided Being. Philosophically this affirms: 1. Logical consistency: three Persons, one essence. 2. Metaphysical ultimacy: no rival deities exist. 3. Epistemological finality: all truth derives from Him. Fatherhood: Covenant, Creation, Redemption “Father of all” carries three concentric circles: 1. Creation: He brought all things into existence (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24–28). 2. Providence: He sustains “all” (Colossians 1:17). 3. Covenant: He is uniquely Father to believers by adoption in Christ (John 1:12; Romans 8:15). Hence the verse is not teaching universal spiritual sonship that nullifies salvation; rather, it distinguishes common creaturely dependence from salvific relationship, a distinction vital for exclusivity. Scope of “All” πάντων in Pauline usage may denote “all kinds/classes” (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4) or “all creation.” Contextually, “one body…one Spirit…one hope” pertains to the church, yet “one God…over all” widens the claim beyond the church to the cosmos. Thus: • No people group retains an alternative deity with equal legitimacy. • No spiritual realm (angelic or demonic) lies outside His authority (Ephesians 1:21). Exclusivity in Salvation While God’s creative Fatherhood is universal, redemptive access is exclusively through Christ’s resurrection (Romans 10:9; Acts 4:12). The same epistle identifies salvation as “in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:13). Therefore, “one God and Father” means one salvific pathway: faith in the risen Son. Rejection of Polytheism and Syncretism Paul wrote Ephesians amidst Greco-Roman pluralism (Artemis cult, imperial worship). By asserting “one God,” he confronts: • Polytheism: multiple finite gods. • Henotheism: one chief god among many. • Syncretism: blending Yahweh with local deities. Archaeological finds in Ephesus (e.g., Artemision inscriptions) confirm the polytheistic backdrop, heightening the radical nature of Paul’s exclusivity claim. Relation to Other Religions If one God is “of all,” competing revelations that deny the Son’s deity (John 5:23) or the Spirit’s personhood cannot represent complementary truths but contradictory claims. The law of non-contradiction—central to classical philosophy—makes mutually exclusive truth-claims incompatible. Early Church Testimony Ignatius (AD 110, Letter to the Ephesians 1.1) echoes “one God and Father” in exhorting unity against heresies. The Nicene Creed (AD 325) formalizes the same phrase, reinforcing exclusive monotheism linked to the deity of Christ. Implications for Evangelism Because there is one God, all nations must hear one gospel (Matthew 28:19). Evangelistic urgency arises from the logical corollary: universal accountability (Acts 17:30–31). The claim dismantles relativism; if God is “over all,” He sets the singular moral law. Practical Unity in the Church The seven-fold “one” structure argues that doctrinal exclusivity enables relational inclusivity among believers. A shared Father demolishes ethnic divides (Ephesians 2:14–18). Thus exclusivity toward false worship undergirds inclusivity among the redeemed community. Philosophical Coherence and Scientific Correlation Contemporary cosmology affirms a universe with a singular origin (Big Bang, fine-tuning). Singular causation fits a monotheistic model better than polytheistic chaos myths. The anthropic coincidences (e.g., cosmological constant, strong nuclear force values) suggest an intelligent, singular moral agent rather than committee design. Countering Universalism Some claim that “Father of all” = automatic salvation for all. Yet Paul immediately distinguishes believers: “one body, one Spirit…called to one hope.” Outside that body, people remain “without God and without hope” (Ephesians 2:12). Thus the verse negates universalism while affirming universal authority. Summary “One God and Father of all” declares exclusive, absolute monotheism; universal sovereignty; and a singular redemptive avenue through Christ. It repudiates competing deities, mandates global evangelism, binds the church in unity, and grounds ethical obedience. There can be only one ultimate religious reality, rendering all divergent claims false where they contradict the revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. |
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