Polytheism and the God of the Bible

Evidence of Christianity’s validity is the fact that every religious belief system outside of the Bible is a polytheistic invention of humans. People around the world, especially in Asia and Africa, believe in multiple “gods.” Historically, the same was true of the Greeks and Romans. Wikipedia lists 33 gods and goddesses, including Pelee (the goddess of volcanoes), Minerva (the goddess of weather), Zeus and Thor (the gods of lightning), Poseidon (the god of Horses and seafarers), Titan (the god of the oceans), to name a few. How can we compare polytheism and the God of the Bible?

The God of the Bible is incorporated in the Hebrew word “YHWH,” translated as LORD (all caps), or more correctly Yahweh. The events surrounding the death of Christ show that Yahweh controls all the things attributed to human-invented polytheistic gods. Matthew 27:45-56 describes each area of control: Three hours of darkness shows God’s control of astronomical events. The earthquake that splits rocks shows God’s control of geological events. Bringing people who had died long before showed God’s control of life. This description of God’s control over the creation is unique to the biblical account, giving evidence of the difference between polytheism and the God of the Bible.

The tearing of the veil was especially significant.  The veil was commanded in Exodus 26:31-33 and Leviticus 16:2 to separate God from humanity. God was in the “Holy Place,” and humans could not even enter that place.  Tearing that veil, removed it as a barrier no longer separating us from God. This incredible change is a cornerstone of Christianity. John 1:1-14 and Colossians 1:15-20 describe God taking on human form to draw people to Himself.

In Acts 17:23-30 Paul describes to the polytheistic culture in Athens the biblical concept of God: “…in Him we live and move and have our being for we are His children.” Throughout the New Testament, we find calls to “repent.”  That does not mean to remember and beg forgiveness for every mistake you ever made. It means to “think differently.” In Acts 2:38, Peter calls his audience, and us today, to “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.” We need to think differently about the nature of God.

As we compare polytheism and the God of the Bible, we are reminded of an excellent little book by J.B. Philips titled Your God is Too Small.  That same admonition needs to be given to the world today. We cannot achieve the unity that Jesus prayed for and called us to (John 17:20-23) until we understand the uniqueness of Yahweh.

— John N. Clayton © 2025