nonentities or powerless, for in 10, 19 Paul says they are demons. But it means, there are no such beings in the uni- verse as the heathen conceived their gods to be. There was no Jupiter, Juno, or Mars. There is no God^ no real divine being but one. The objects of heathen worship were neither what the heathen took them to be, nor were they gods in the true sense of that term.
5. Tor though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, as there be gods many, and lords many.
This verse admits of two interpretations. It is commonly understood to mean, that although there are many imaginary gods in heaven and earth, i. e. beings whom the heathen re- gard as divinities, yet in fact there is but one God. When he says, there are many gods and many lords, he is to be under- stood to mean that such is the fact in the mythology of the heathen. A large number of commentators, however, under- stand the passage thus : ' There is but one true God ; for al- though it be admitted that there are many beings called gods, as in fact there are gods many and lords many, yet to us there is but one.' The apostle concedes that, in the wide sense of the term, there are many gods and lords ; and, therefore, if it should be admitted (what he does not admit) that the whole hierarchy of divinities, as conceived of by the heathen, actually existed, it is nevertheless true that there is but one God, the creator and end of all things. In favour of this interpretation is the usage of the O. T. Deut. 10, 17, "The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords." Jos. 22, 22. Dan. 2, 47. Ps. 136, 2. 3. These passages show that the words god and lord are applied in a wide sense to other beings than to the true God. 2. The position and force of the words are in far vour of this view. They mean. Sunt qui dii dicuntur ; there are powers and beings who are called gods, as there are gods many, and lords many. To make this mean, there are in the estimation of the heathen many gods, is to insert something which is not in the text. 3. In 10, 19. 20, the apostle asserts that the objects of heathen worship are real and powerful beings. 4. The apparent contradiction between sajdng, there is no idol in the worlds and saying, there are many gods^ is easily removed. The meaning is, ' There is no such being in the universe as Jupiter or Mara ; for although there is a mul-