Sir Lope, I know that you're doing what you know that God calls you to do. God has led you to your calling and now you're already on the line of work.
About what you just said that there are many gods other than God who is in heaven alone -- our Almighty God, is what we call idols. It says in Deut. 4:35 & 39 that there is NO other God besides the LORD our God. There are many verses in the Bible that says there is only one God, that is, James 2:19, Romans 3:30, John 17:3, Zechariah 14:9 and many more.
-- Ian Pdb
PHILIPPINES
Lope Columna: Hi, Ian. Thank you for the acknowledgment of the work that I am doing for God. I respect your long comments about my statement that "there are many gods," and that "Satan is the god of this world." Nevertheless, please bear with me, and please don't be offended when I say that your comments are mixtures of truth and falsehood. This is typical of the modern "born again" and Fundamentalist Christians.
The subject of Who and What is God, and of How many Gods are there, are topics that the whole world is deceived. This is the reason why there are lots of idolatry and religious confusion in the world today.
The right and true knowledge and understanding about the subject of WHO and WHAT is GOD, is a foundational doctrine that if one will get the wrong concept, it will surely lead to all sorts of deception, idolatry, and finally, lost salvation!
HOW VITAL TO SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE IS THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD?
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3 KJV)
The mission of the genuine BRIDE OF CHRIST MINISTRY OF LIFE that God inspired me to establish, is to reveal and preach the WHOLE and supernal truth of the WHOLE Bible. So, I will answer your comments in an article format. Study it. I hope that you will be enlightened.
Allow me to dissect your comments.
IAN PDB: "ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID THAT THERE ARE MANY GODS OTHER THAN GOD WHO IS IN HEAVEN ALONE -- OUR ALMIGHTY GOD, IS WHAT WE CALL IDOLS."
LOPE COLUMNA: The Bible truth is that NOT all other gods are idols per se. Those gods become idols only when people trust them, or worship them in place of the ONE TRUE GOD.
I think, we should define first the Biblical meaning of the word, "GOD." What does the Bible mean when it says, GOD?
From the Hebrew Old Testament, the English word "GOD" came from the word ELOHIYM, which means a Deity or Magistrate. Elohiym or Elohim is in the plural form.
From the Greek New Testament, GOD was translated from the Greek THEOS, which also means Deity, or Supreme Divinity.
Now, we can ask the question, "HOW MANY GODS REALLY ARE THERE? Isn't it that there is only ONE GOD, the one True God?"
This is where people and churches get sidetrack. Many Jews during the time of Christ have this kind of off-track belief and thinking.
Some Background: EVERY NATION WAS APPOINTED ANGELS TO DIRECTLY RULE OVER THEM; THESE ANGELS ARE ALSO CALLED GODS (ELOHIM)!
Kabbalah reveals that when the Creator God divided the Earth's surface as dwelling places for the foundational 70 nations, He assigned or appointed one ministering Angel for every nation. These Angels are in direct responsibility to the nation or country assigned to them. The human leader of every nation (President, King, Prime Minister, etc.) are under the direct control of the ministering Angel. Of course, the Most High God, can at any time, intervene in the national affairs of countries under the Angels.
For the chosen nation of Israel, God did not assign any Angel; God Himself is the direct ruler over them.
Now, all those ministering Angels appointed over the nations are also called Gods (Elohim), or gods.
Psalm 82:1 says that the one God (the MOST HIGH) is the Judge of all these other Gods! If one ministering Angel fails to properly manage his assigned country, the MOST HIGH God, judges him, and replaces him when necessary.
God has taken His place in the divine assembly; He judges among the gods: (Psa 82:1)
MANY JEWS ATTEMPTED TO STONE CHRIST BECAUSE HE SAID THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE GOD!
Jesus replied, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for?" "We aren't stoning You for a good work," the Jews answered, "but for blasphemy, because You--being a man--make Yourself God." (Joh 10:32-33)
Jesus answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, I said, you are gods? (John 10:34)
Christ quoted Psalm 82:6 to show that there are many gods!
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. (Psa 82:6 KJV)
If He called those whom the word of God came to 'gods'--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- do you say, 'You are blaspheming' to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God? (John 10:35-36)
Believe it or not, both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible plainly say that THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE GOD! Christ Himself confirmed that there are many gods, not only one!
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE GOD!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)
John 1:1 shows us that at least there are two Gods: GOD the Father and the WORD (Logos), which became Jesus Christ!
IAN PDB: "IT SAYS IN DEUT. 4:35 & 39 THAT THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BESIDES THE LORD OUR GOD."
To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD he is God; there is none else besides him. (Deu 4:35 HNV)
Know therefore this day... that the LORD he is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is none else. (Deu 4:39 HNV)
There are many verses in the Bible that says there is only one God, e.g., James 2:19, Romans 3:30, John 17:3, Zechariah 14:9 and many more."
LOPE COLUMNA: Let's clarify this apparent contradiction. The wrong concept that people get when they hear the phrases, "there is no other God beside Him," or that "there is only one God," is that their immediate thinking is counting number; that is, the number or quantity of gods. This is called cardinal number in mathematics. This is where people and churches get off-track.
The true concept and meaning of "one God," or "there is no God beside Him," refer to God's rank, authority, or position, not quantity. In mathematics, this is called Ordinal numbering.
Let's review the Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers concepts of Mathematics.
ORDINAL NUMBERS
In common usage, an ordinal number is an adjective that describes the ranking or numerical position of a person or an object, e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. It expresses the relative position of an item in an ordered sequence. For example, if ten runners ran a race, we would say that the runner that ran the fastest was in first place, the next runner was in second place, and so on. But all of the participants in a race are called RUNNERS.
As applied to the number of Gods, we could say that there are many Gods, but the Head, or the First, the Cause of All Causes, the God of Gods, is only ONE!
CARDINAL NUMBERS
Ordinal Numbers are different from the cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) referring to the quantity. Cardinal numbers (or cardinals) are numbers that say how many of something there are, for example: one, two, three, four, five. They are sometimes called counting numbers.
So, when the Bible says that "there is no other God besides Him," this refers to the SUPREME GOD, the Highest of all. This is why there are verses in the Old and New Testament calling God as "the MOST HIGH."
The TRUTH IS: THERE ARE MANY GODS, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE SOURCE OF EVERYTHING, INCLUDING THOSE MANY OTHER GODS!
For though there are those who are called gods, whether in Heaven or in earth (as there are many gods and many lords), (1Co 8:5 MKJV)
But for us, "There is only one God, the Father. Everything came from him, and we live for him. There is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. Everything came into being through him..." (1Co 8:6 GW)
In the same manner, there is only one Lord (Jesus Christ), but there are many other Lords. This is why Christ is called the "LORD of Lords."
For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible... (Deu 10:17 KJV)
... the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (Rev 17:14 KJV)
So, when it comes to the source of everything, or the Creator of everything, there is only one God -- God the Father. But, the medium, or the craftsman that was used through which that everything came into being, is another God -- Jesus Christ! (John 1:3, 10). And ALL the lower Gods under God the Father, must subject themselves to the ultimate WILL of the FATHER. And this includes the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now... (1Co 8:7)
MESSIANIC KABBALAH REVEALS MORE
In Kabbalah, the origin and source of everything is called Ein Sof. EIN SOF refers to the infinite Divine (or GOD). In Hebrew, Ein Sof means "Boundlessness," but is usually translated as the "INFINITE ONE."
EIN SOF is the ultimate source of all creation or existence!
NOTE: Bible verses used in this article is based on the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). If not, the quoted translation is indicated.
-- LOPE COLUMNA --
The BIBLE EXPLAINER AND REVELATOR
Enlightening...
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