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Did Jesus believe in many “gods”?

Claim:

Jesus said, “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (Jn. 10:35-36) Was Jesus arguing that there were many gods? Mormon theologians claim that this gives warrant for polytheism. Is this the case?

Response:

Jesus was making an a fortiori argument based on his citation of Psalm 82. In the psalm, the heavenly beings are called “gods” (ʾelohîm) because they were able to dispense judgment over the people. Jesus was saying, “How much more should I be called God for my authority?” We discuss at length whether these are human rulers, demons, or gods in our assessment of Psalm 82:1.

About The Author
James Rochford

James earned a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, graduating magna cum laude. He is the founder of Evidence Unseen and the author of several books. James enjoys serving as a pastor at Dwell Community Church in Columbus, Ohio, where he lives with his wife and their two sons.

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