What does ‘one’ refer to in 1 Corinthians 8:6?

What does ‘one’ refer to in 1 Corinthians 8:6?

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| PentecostalTheology.com

               

αλλ ημιν εις θεος ο πατηρ εξ ου τα παντα και ημεις εις αυτον και εις κυριος ιησους χριστος δι ου τα παντα και ημεις δι αυτου [TR – undisputed – Stephanus, Beza, Elzevir and Scrivener : all identical]

‘One’ is applied to two persons.

Firstly, to ‘God the Father’ and secondly, to ‘Lord Jesus Christ’.

Some translations insert a comma between ‘God’ and ‘the Father’ but they do not insert a comma between ‘Lord’ and ‘Jesus Christ’.

Therefore I think it should be clarified that ‘one’ (in the first case) does not mean ‘there is only one Deity who is named the Father’. This is the implication in the addition of the comma. But the comma is not there in the original.

Therefore the question (for interpreters of the meaning of the passage) is : to what does ‘one’ refer ?

Is it the case that ‘one’ refers to the whole that follows ‘God the Father’ ?

That is to say, there is one Person who possesses Divine attributes of Deity as such (Divine attributes regarding Divine nature) and who also, within that Divine nature, is in a relationship of Person which relationship is denoted ‘the Father’.

Thus the ‘one’ refers to the entire expression ‘God the Father’ and should not be misinterpreted due to the insertion of a divisive comma.


EDIT after response.

I would point out that ‘one (God the Father)’ has a different meaning to ‘one God (the Father)’.

2 Comments

  • Reply April 25, 2023

    Anonymous

    In this context Paul is arguing that food offered to idol gods and lords are actually offered to demons since there is only One Creator God and One Redeeming Lord.

  • Reply April 25, 2023

    Anonymous

    Speaks to the unity of the eternal Triune Godhead, as distinct from the many false gods of the world.

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