For though there be those called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
All Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 8:5 Go To 1 Corinthians 8
John Chrysostom
AD 407
5. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are gods many and lords many; yet to us there is one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we unto Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we through Him. Since he had said, that an idol is nothing and that there is no other God; and yet there were idols and there were those that were called gods; that he might not seem to be contradicting plain facts, he goes on to say, For though there be that are called gods, as indeed there are; not absolutely, there are; but, called, not in reality having this but in name: be it in heaven or on earth:— in heaven, meaning the sun and the moon and the remainder of the choir of stars; for these too the Greeks worshipped: but upon the earth demons, and all those who had been made gods of men:— yet to us there is One God, the Father. In the first instance having expressed it without the word Father, and said, there is no God but one, he now adds this also, when he had utterly cast out the others.
Next, he adduces what indeed is the greatest token of divinity; of Whom are all things. For this implies also that those others are not gods. For it is said Jeremiah 10:11, Let the gods who made not the heaven and the earth perish. Then he subjoins what is not less than this, and we unto Him. For when he says, of Whom are all things, he means the creation and the bringing of things out of nothing into existence. But when he says, and we unto Him, he speaks of the word of faith and mutual appropriation (οἰκειώσεως), as also he said before 1 Corinthians 1:30, but of Him are you also in Christ Jesus. In two ways we are of Him, by being made when we were not, and by being made believers. For this also is a creation: a thing which he also declares elsewhere; Ephesians 2:15 that He might create in Himself of the two one new man.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and we through Him. And in regard to Christ again, we must conceive of this in like manner. For through Him the race of men was both produced out of nothing into existence, and returned from error to truth. So that as to the phrase of Whom, it is not to be understood apart from Christ. For of Him, through Christ, were we created.
6. Nor yet, if you observe, has he distributed the names as if belonging exclusively, assigning to the Son the name Lord, and to the Father, God. For the Scripture uses also often to interchange them; as when it says, Psalm 110:1 The Lord says unto My Lord; and again, Psalm 65:8 Wherefore God Your God has appointed You; and, Romans 9:5 Of Whom is Christ according to the flesh, Who is God over all. And in many instances you may see these names changing their places. Besides, if they were allotted to each nature severally, and if the Son were not God, and God as the Father, yet continuing a Son: after saying, but to us there is but One God, it would have been superfluous, his adding the word Father, with a view to declare the Unbegotten. For the word of God was sufficient to explain this, if it were such as to denote Him only.
And this is not all, but there is another remark to make: that if you say, Because it is said 'One God,' therefore the word God does not apply to the Son; observe that the same holds of the Son also. For the Son also is called One Lord, yet we do not maintain that therefore the term Lord applies to Him alone. So then, the same force which the expression One has, applied to the Son, it has also, applied to the Father. And as the Father is not thrust out from being the Lord, in the same sense as the Son is the Lord, because He, the Son, is spoken of as one Lord; so neither does it cast out the Son from being God, in the same sense as the Father is God, because the Father is styled One God.
7. Now if any were to say, Why did he make no mention of the Spirit? our answer might be this: His argument was with idolaters, and the contention was about gods many and lords many. And this is why, having called the Father, God, he calls the Son, Lord. If now he ventured not to call the Father Lord together with the Son, lest they might suspect him to be speaking of two Lords; nor yet the Son, God, with the Father, lest he might be supposed to speak of two Gods: why marvel at his not having mentioned the Spirit? His contest was, so far, with the Gentiles: his point, to signify that with us there is no plurality of Gods. Wherefore he keeps hold continually of this word, One; saying, There is no God but One; and, to us there is One God, and One Lord. From which it is plain, that to spare the weakness of the hearers he used this mode of explanation, and for this reason made no mention at all of the Spirit. For if it be not this, neither ought he to make mention of the Spirit elsewhere, nor to join Him with the Father and the Son. For if He be rejected from the Father and Son, much more ought He not to be put in the same rank with them in the matter of Baptism; where most especially the dignity of the Godhead appears and gifts are bestowed which pertain to God alone to afford. Thus then I have assigned the cause why in this place He is passed over in silence. Now do thou if this be not the true reason, tell me, why He is ranked with Them in Baptism? But you can not give any other reason but His being of equal honor. At any rate, when he has no such constraint upon him, he puts Him in the same rank, saying thus: 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you all: and again, 2 Corinthians 12:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit: and there are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of workings but the same God. But because now his speech was with Greeks and the weaker sort of the converts from among Greeks, for this reason he husbands it (ταμιεύεται) so far. And this is what the prophets do in regard of the Son; no where making mention of Him plainly because of the infirmity of the hearers.
