Topical Bible: Idolatry: Consists in Speaking in the Name of Other Gods

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Idolatry, in the biblical context, is the worship or reverence of idols or false gods, which is strictly prohibited by the Scriptures. One specific aspect of idolatry is speaking in the name of other gods, which is considered a grave sin against the one true God, Yahweh. This act is seen as a direct violation of the First Commandment, which states, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

The Bible provides numerous warnings and examples regarding the dangers and consequences of idolatry, particularly the act of invoking or speaking in the name of other gods. In Deuteronomy 18:20, the Lord explicitly warns against false prophets who speak in the name of other gods: "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death" . This severe penalty underscores the seriousness with which God views the act of attributing divine authority to any entity other than Himself.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites are repeatedly admonished to avoid the practices of the surrounding nations, which often included the worship of multiple deities. In Jeremiah 10:11, the prophet declares, "Thus you are to tell them: 'The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from this earth and from under these heavens'" . This statement serves as a reminder of the futility and ultimate demise of false gods, contrasting them with the eternal sovereignty of the Creator.

The narrative of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, found in 1 Kings 18, illustrates the powerlessness of false gods when their prophets called upon them. Despite their fervent pleas, "there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention" (1 Kings 18:29). This account highlights the impotence of idols and the folly of speaking in their names, as opposed to the living God who answers with fire from heaven.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul addresses the issue of idolatry in his letters to the early Christian communities. In 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, he acknowledges the existence of so-called gods, yet affirms the supremacy of the one true God: "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist" . Paul emphasizes that believers are to recognize and worship only the true God, rejecting any form of idolatry.

The act of speaking in the name of other gods is not only a violation of God's commandments but also a distortion of truth and a misrepresentation of divine authority. It leads individuals away from the worship of the true God and into spiritual deception. The Bible consistently calls for the exclusive worship of Yahweh and warns against the allure of idolatry in all its forms, urging believers to remain faithful to the covenant relationship with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 18:20
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The First Commandment
... Adoration consists in bowing to him, or worshipping him. ... When God is speaking to
us in his Word ... Therefore, when Israel committed idolatry with the golden calf ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 1 the first commandment.htm

Greek Plagiarism from the Hebrews.
... that he knew the imperishable world which consists of the ... And the same, tacitly
vilifying the idolatry of the multitude ... "Whilst thou art yet speaking," says the ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xiv greek plagiarism from the.htm

CHAP. II. 4-25 (2-23).
... an age, may be measured by their speaking of vulgar ... show what that is in which the
answer consists. ... as Baal; the other was still grosser"was pure idolatry. ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap ii 25-apr 2-23.htm

The Ecclesiastical Writers. By "The Fathers" we Understand the ...
... to win over the pagans from idolatry; the Paedagogue ... allegorically represented."
[374:1] Moses, speaking allegorically, if ... name Jesus in Hebrew consists of two ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter i the ecclesiastical writers.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... The grossest vice here prohibited is external idolatry. This commandment consists
of two parts. ... In like manner, speaking of the extension of the Redeemer's ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

Chapter xii
... had been only the incipient stages of idolatry, which were ... Comparatively speaking,
Pharaoh was in the right over against ... It consists in a rather curt dismissal ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xii.htm

The First vision "On Earth"
... When we say that the population consists of so ... men of Israel when he represented
trees as speaking. ... family or tribe" who should introduce idolatry into Israel ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the first vision on earth.htm

Of the Papacy.
... This is, properly speaking to exalt himself above all ... is wherein his papal government
really consists, as I ... to condemn, to murder and to force us to idolatry. ...
/.../luther/the smalcald articles/article iv of the papacy.htm

Faustus Repels the Charge of Sun-Worship
... Faustus' love of evil-speaking has made him forget his own ... as we see in the word
idolatry, which means ... and vestal virginity is great, yet it consists wholly in ...
/.../faustus repels the charge of.htm

Though in Almost Every Age There have Indeed Been in the Heathen ...
... produced, allowed men to continue the idolatry of their ... of the art and skill of good
speaking, than an ... particulars of which the whole scheme consists: But this ...
/.../vi proposition vi though in.htm