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Romans 1:18-32 – The Evolution of God
“The evolution of God” is both a modern and ancient blasphemy. Both primitive societies and those supposedly intellectually advanced and therefore superior, share in common the flaw where they “suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18) and become “futile in their speculations” (Romans 1:21). Both ancients and moderns professing to be wise, … became fools (Romans 1:22). Throughout history and time, man has ignored God, changed God, pluralized God, humanized God, redefined God, and even “evolutionized” God into extinction. “The evolution of God” is an offensive and troublesome title, as it should be.
Within Philosophical circles, “the evolution of God” suggests that God – as a being – evolves from a lesser state to a greater state. It implies that God somehow becomes better and greater because of His interaction with creation. Believe it or not, there is an actual modern philosophy which affirms that. Within modernity, the basis is more philosophical than biblical and is called “Process Theology.” This man-made vision of God is…
“a modern theological movement based on the view of reality in which process, change and evolution are as fundamental as substance, permanence, and stability. God is undergoing a process of growth and development. He is not omnipotent or omniscient” (www.theology.edu/theology/glossary.htm).
In other words, this false philosophy says God Himself is forever changing and ever evolving. In reality, this is a de-evolution of the God found within the Bible.
Within anthropological circles, “the evolution of God” is not the evolution of the being of God, but rather what beings created in His image imagine about God, consequently creating many gods. “The evolution of God” is about “the evolution of ideas about God and gods.” The rest of this article will focus on this aspect of “the evolution of God.”
Consider the following quote:
“The Atenism-Judaism borrowing connection begins with a general naturalistic assumption that not only denies the possibility of external revelation, but from a rational perspective, supposes that monotheism was a late development that evolved from polytheism, which had in turned evolved from polydemonism, and so on back.” (www.tektonics.org/copycat/akhenaten)
In other words, what came first – polytheism or monotheism? The general consensus among the intellectual elite and theologically liberal is that polytheism came first as a primitive thought by primitive man. This of course rejects the Biblical record because the proponents themselves reject the Biblical record.
The benefit of doing much reading is that the ideas of others can spawn new ideas, new ways of looking at old ideas. This new (to me) thought of mine can be called, “The evolution of ideas.” How do ideas change? In what direction do they evolve? We will use this query to investigate monotheism and polytheism.
In my experience, new ideas are rather simple, and not complex. Over time the evolution of ideas tends to make things more multifaceted, at least as compared to the beginning. Take the concept or idea of American Democracy. Is American government today simpler or more complex than when it began? Take as another example, “Christianity.” Is “Christianity” today simpler or more complex? The answer to both is that they evolved into a more involved complexity. That is why, for example, in “Christianity” there was a “Reformation” and a “Restoration.” People saw in their day a “Christianity” something far bigger and more complicated than what they read of in the beginning. And politically, that is why many Americans are today decrying “Big Government.” Compare the simple elegance of the Declaration of Independence or the organically uncomplicated Constitution to just about any bill passed by Congress and you will see the difference between simple and complex.
As time rolls by, ideas usually get more complex, rather than simpler. Many times their unadulterated purity is diluted by ideas completely foreign to the original. Admittedly sometimes they get better; usually they just get bigger.
Contrary to what experience teaches us, to suggest that monotheism grew out of polytheism is exactly the opposite conceptually. Polytheism is far more complicated than monotheism as each aspect of nature has to be assigned a different god to be worshipped in a different way by different nations (1 Kings 20:28). Therefore I suggest that the premise suggesting monotheism grew out of polytheism, is itself flawed. And in logic, it is impossible to come to a true conclusion if one begins with a flawed premise.
Therefore “the evolution of God” is about true monotheism changing, evolving, and becoming far more complex within the mind of man – not the mind of God – and thus resulting in man creating polytheism. This “evolution of ideas” is the exact opposite of modern thought. Modern man in all of his foolish speculations (Romans 1:21) suggests that polytheism came first and that monotheism evolved. If that is true, then simply spoken, we worship a false god today, a god created by man for man, formulated out of many gods, evolving into one monolithic monotheism.
Why should we Christians think any differently than what secularized modern man thinks about simple-minded primitive man? Why should we believe that monotheism came first?
To believe that monotheism is the original and only true theism is to deny not only the evolution of God (what beings think of God) but the evolution of man as a physical being. Man did not evolve but was and is a creation of and by God.
Colossians 1:16 NASB For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Today modern man wants to believe all of creation evolved including God Himself.
To believe in monotheism is to believe in moral accountability by individuals and nations to the one God is over all.
Acts 17:29-31 HCSB Being God’s offspring, then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. (30) “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, (31) because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
Today so sophisticated as society is, accountability is unthinkable and old fashioned.
To believe in monotheism we understand that “the evolution of God” leads to the degradation of man. Idolatry brings immorality. Man does not evolve higher but lowers himself morally by removing belief in the one true God. “This is the true story of the ‘The Descent of Man’” (Exploring the New Testament, Ralphe Earle, p.303).
Romans 1:22-28 HCSB Claiming to be wise, they became fools (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. (24) Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. (25) They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (26) This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual intercourse for what is unnatural. (27) The males in the same way also left natural sexual intercourse with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty for their perversion. (28) And because they did not think it worthwhile to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.
Today man in all his glory formulates his own moral standards by denying moral standards therefore freeing himself from the concept of sin.
To believe in monotheism is to assert that polytheism is irrational and ultimately self-serving.
Romans 1:18-21 ESV For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (21) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Today theism itself is irrational among the intellectually superior among us.
To believe in monotheism is to believe that the extremely complex natural world did not begin simple itself and evolve into an ever increasing, self-mutating complexity. To believe monotheism is the original theism is to believe “In the beginning, God (Genesis 1:1).
Today it is archaic and backwards to believe in creation, so much so that even believers in monotheism have diluted their faith by believing in theistic evolution.
To believe in monotheism teaches us that we need a simple understanding of God – that there is a God above nature, not part of nature, not to be worshipped through nature, but to be exalted above even that creature which is the most complex creature of all – man. How can the more advanced man bow down to a bird?
Today modern man simply bows down to himself, congratulating himself on his new enlightenment.
To believe in monotheism is to believe that God must instruct me how to worship Him because He is not my creation, I am his.
Today even the religionists who dare not create God in their own image, create worshipping God in their own image.
To believe in monotheism is to believe in the original theism. So where did the idea of many gods come from? From the simple truth of there being one God worshipped by all, holding all accountable for their actions. The idea of one God evolved into what man wanted his god to be.
To believe in monotheism as the one and only true theism simply makes sense because simplicity evolves into complexity. And the evolution of man’s thinking about God needs to become simple again philosophically, theologically, biblically, socially and personally.
I agree with you completely. It’s funny that I ask most of my family and my church members what came first polytheism or monotheism, they say polytheism. To me I thought that for awhile unconsciously then I asked myself why would people believe in many gods and then turn to one God? Hundreds of gods are easier because with them you can worship who you want and live the lifestyle you like. Plus where did these gods come from. Why would one god make more gods to be over creation if he could handle creation by himself.It doesn’t make sense.
It’s more easier to believe in one God first then turn to other gods. The Bible is the infallible word of God, it says the first people were Adam and Eve. They walked and talked with God and knew Him personally before they fell. So they were monotheists and taught their kids monotheism.
I like how you explain ideas are simple and then complex. It makes more sense. I will use that to explain it in my youth group’s bible study tomorrow.
Here is a good website I found explaining in great detail about the origin of polytheism from monotheism. Check it out its really good. http://custance.org/old/evol/2ch1/2ch1.html