From the previous Lesson 2A.4, we've learned that Monotheism in Christianity generally refer to three contrasting theologies, all professing belief in One God, but with different concepts of God.

• Unitarianism adheres to strict monotheism and that is the belief in the single personality of God.
• Binitarianism, the belief that God is an absolutely single being; and yet there is a "twoness" in God.
• Trinitarianism, the belief that  "the one God exists in three Persons and one substance, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." 

The fact that not all Christians believe in the same God (Lesson-2E) raises an obvious question. Who is the God that Christians should know, believe in and worship? The Bible teaches only one truth about God, so the existence of various concepts of God can only mean one thing, the other concepts that are not based on the Bible are therefore man-made doctrines.  The fact that not all professing Christians believe in the same God (Lesson-2B) simply prove that there are some professing Christians that do not really know the true God.

Let us therefore continue our studies so we may come to know who are considered as "slaves of gods that are not real" according to the Bible.

Who are the slaves of "gods that are not real" or "gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all" or simply "false gods"?

2G.1   How does the Bible, consider those who do not know God? 

Apostle Paul said of such people, in Galatians 4:8, this is written:

Before you knew God, you were slaves of gods that are not real. (Contemporary English Version)

The same verse in other versions of the Bible:

⁸But at that previous time, when you had not come to be acquainted with and understand and know the true God, you [Gentiles] were in bondage to gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all [gods that really did not exist]. (Amplified Bible)

 8. Before you Gentiles knew God you were slaves to so-called gods that did not even exist. (Living Bible)

Apostle Paul said that those who do not know true God are considered. . . .

• "slaves to gods that are not real"
• or, "slaves to gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all"
• or, "slaves to so-called gods that did not even exist".

Thus, if anyone does not know the true God, then he is surely a slave "gods that are not real" or "gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all" or simply "false gods".

Questions to Ponder: <Click for details

Are there people of today who are worshiping gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all? Or, are there people of today who are worshiping gods who are not real?

2G.2   How did they become slaves of gods that are not real or false gods?

In Roman 1:19-21, these are written:

19. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively.* God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
20. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
21. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.
22. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. (NLT)

These people instinctively knew God but

• They wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. 
• And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.

The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.

2G.3   How did their (the slaves of gods that are not real) minds become darkened and confused in their understanding of God?

In Romans 1:21, in the Amplified Bible, these are written:

²¹Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and ^[a]godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened. (AMP)

With vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations, their senseless minds were darkened. Thus they became futile (useless) and godless in their thinking.

Questions to Ponder: <Click for details

Are there beliefs about God that are based on vain imaginings, foolish reasoning and stupid speculations? Are there people of today who are confused or mystified in their understanding of God?

The blind led by the blind

2G.3   How did the Lord Jesus Christ generally described these group of people whose minds are darkened and confused that they became "slaves of gods that are not real or false gods"?

In Matthew 15:14, Jesus once told His disciples referring to the religious leaders of Israel, the scribes and Pharisees, who won't believe in Him:

Leave them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind; and if one blind person leads another, both will fall into a pit." (NJB)

The same verse in another version of the Bible:

 "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.'' (NKJV)

Jesus generally calls them blind. They are composed of blind religious leaders and their blind followers.

What is the consequence if the blind leads the blind?

They will both eventually fall into a pit or a ditch.

2G.4   In what sense are these religious leaders and their followers blind?

In Isaiah 44:18, this is written:

They do not know nor understand; for He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. (NKJV)

They are not literally blind. They are blind in the sense that their minds and hearts have been shut so that they cannot see or understand the truth.

2G.5   What is the proof that these blind religious leaders do not really know and understand the truth about God?

In Matthew 15:7-9, Jesus said these things to the scribes and Pharisees:

7. "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8. `These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
9. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' '' (NKJV)

The same verse in another version of the Bible:

⁷You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said:
⁸These people draw near Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far away from Me.
⁹Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men. (Amplified Bible)

The fact that these blind religious leaders base their worship of God on their man-made doctrines is proof that they do not really know the truth about God. For it is vain or useless to worship God based on man's teachings and commandments.

Questions to Ponder:

Are there religious leaders of today that are considered blind by the Bible because they teach their man-made doctrines instead of the doctrines or teachings of God that are written in the Bible? What are some of the popular man-made doctrines being taught by these blind teachers?

The unbelievers who are blinded Satan

2G.6   Who blinded the minds of these people and what become of them?

In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Apostle Paul explains rather emphatically

  ⁴The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. (CEV)

The same verse in another version of the Bible:

Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, . . . . . . . . . . (NLT)

The god who rules this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers.

What become of these unbelievers?

The last part of the above verse 2 Corinthians 4:4, please take note:

  ⁴The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. (CEV)

They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like.

2G.7   How could anyone know that these unbelievers have been blinded by Satan?

In Isaiah 5:20, this is written:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (NKJV)

The same verse in another version of the Bible:

Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. (NLT)

Anyone would know that they have been blinded by Satan by the way they discern things.

• They call good evil and evil good.
• They put light to be darkness and darkness to be light.
• They consider that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

These religious leaders and their followers are blinded by Satan because they perceived or recognize things to the contrary. And this is clearly stated in the previous verse:

The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. (2 Corinthians 4:4, CEV)

They are blinded because they cannot see the light, the good news about Christ, who shows what God is like. Or simply, they cannot see, understand and believe the truth about God that is taught by the Lord Jesus Christ that are clearly written in the Holy Bible.

Questions to Ponder:

Are there people who perceive or recognize things contrary to the truth written in the Bible? Is it possible for Satan to blind people's mind so that they will believe what is contrary to the truth written in the Bible?

The proof that there are people who are blinded by Satan

2G.8   Is there a biblical example that the people blinded by Satan cannot see and understand the truth even if they can read it directly in the Bible?

The example is about idolatry. In Isaiah 44:15-17, these are written:

15 A man uses part of a tree for fuel and part of it for making an idol. With one part he builds a fire to warm himself and bake bread; with the other part he makes a god and worships it. 16 With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, "How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire!" 17 The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, "You are my god--save me!" 18 Such people are too stupid to know what they are doing. They close their eyes and their minds to the truth. 19 The maker of idols hasn't the wit or the sense to say, "Some of the wood I burned up. I baked some bread on the coals, and I roasted meat and ate it. And the rest of the wood I made into an idol. Here I am bowing down to a block of wood!" 20 It makes as much sense as eating ashes. His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all. (TEV)

Those who worship idols or practice idolatry have closed their eyes and their minds to the truth. Such people are blind and their leaders who teach and lead them worship graven images are also blind. Although they clearly see with their eyes that these are graven images, they still bow down to and pray to them. The fact that they bow down and pray proves that they consider these idols as their gods-- a clear manifestation that although they are not literally blind, they cannot see the truth concerning the evil of idolatry because the god of this wicked world, Satan, has blinded their minds.

• In verse 20, this is written: His foolish ideas have so misled him that he is beyond help. He won't admit to himself that the idol he holds in his hand is not a god at all. Without any doubt, this man is a "slave of gods that are not real".

Can they clearly read it in the Bible that God prohibits the worship of idols or graven images of any kind?

In Exodus 20:3-6, the prohibition of idolatry is clearly declared in what is popularly called the "Ten Commandments".

3. "You shall have no other gods before Me.
4. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
5. you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (NKJV)

In Deuteronomy 5:7-9, the prohibition of idolatry clearly explained to the people of Israel by Moses:

7. `You shall have no other gods before Me.
8. `You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
9. you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (NKJV)

In Acts 17:29, Apostle Paul explained these things to the men of Athens:

And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. (NLT)

YES, this act and prohibition of idolatry is clearly written in the Bible. It is evil before God, yet many consider such practice good in direct opposition to to His will. This proves that those who bow down and pray to idols and images are blinded by Satan, for they perceived things to the contrary―they call good evil and evil good.

Thus, those who bow down and pray to idols and images, even if they profess to be Christians, are indeed blinded by Satan for they cannot see and understand the truth even if they can read it directly in the Bible.

Questions to Ponder:

Are there people who bow down or even kneel before idols or images in earnest prayer? Are these people who pray to idols or images praying to God?

Warning to those who might also be deceived

2G.9   Did the Apostles warned the early Christians about the coming of the evil one?

In II Thessalonians 2: 9-10,  it is written:

The Wicked One will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and use every kind of wicked deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved.  (II Thessalonians 2: 9-10, TEV)  

Apostle Paul said that the Wicked One will come with the power of Satan, who will use every kind of wicked deceit on people who will perish.

• They will perish because they will not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. 

Instead, they will come to believe the contrary, which are lies, proving that they are indeed blinded by the evil one.

What is one of the lies that people will be led to believe in?

Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. . . . . . (Romans 1:25, NLT

People will be deceived and led to believe in lies, instead of the truth about God.

2G.10   Will people easily notice the deception being made by the evil one?

In II Timothy 3:5 Apostle Paul issued a warning:

They will keep up the outward appearance of religion but will have rejected the inner power of it. Keep away from people like that. (New Jerusalem Bible)

People will hardly notice the deception being made by the evil one.  It will be very subtle and people will be unaware of the devil's scheme. The evil one will use religion to deceive people into believing what is false.

Those who are unaware of the dangers that such deception might bring, would even believe that they are on the right track. They will be duped into believing that their religion is of God when in fact it is of the devil. 

2G.11   How did God warn people about this kind of religion?

God gave this warning in Proverbs 14:12:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."  (NIV)

The popular belief that all religion leads to God is not true because there are many religions that seems right to a man, but in the end it will lead him to death.

Questions to Ponder:

Is it right to say that not all religion leads to God because they have conflicting or differing beliefs about God? Is it possible that some religions do not worship the true God but instead they are unwittingly worshiping gods that are not real or gods who by their very nature could not be gods at all?

Man should therefore verify the truthfulness of the religion he seeks to join, specially the God he seeks to know, serve and worship. He must make sure that all its teachings are based on the truth―the words of God written in the Bible. Otherwise, all his services and worship will be in vain or useless. The worst is, it will even lead him to death.

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