Purpose of Introducing a New, Unrecognized Deity in Worship
The introduction of a new or previously unrecognized deity into worship is a concept that appears in both biblical narratives and theological discussions, often highlighting a contrast between established religious practices and novel spiritual claims. In the New Testament, Paul's address in Athens provides a notable example. Observing an altar inscribed "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD," Paul uses this as a starting point to introduce the God of Christianity, whom he declares to be the creator of the world and everything in it [1]. This approach suggests that the Athenians, in their polytheistic context, had acknowledged the possibility of a deity beyond their known pantheon, creating an opening for Paul's evangelistic message [5]. Matthew Henry notes that Paul's sermon to the Athenians differed significantly from his sermons to Jews or Gentiles familiar with the Old Testament, as it addressed those "without the true God in the world" [4].
The idea of "new gods" also appears in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 32:17 speaks of Israel sacrificing to "gods whom they knew not: new gods that came newly up, whom their fathers feared not" [2]. This passage critiques the adoption of deities that were foreign to their ancestral worship and covenant with God. The Geneva Bible translation emphasizes the novelty and unfamiliarity of these gods [2].
Theological discourse has often grappled with the implications of introducing new divine concepts. Tertullian, a patristic writer, challenged the Gnostic notion of a "new god," arguing that the true God is neither unknown nor uncertain [6]. He also critiqued the idea of God desiring to make himself known "like those of mankind who have recently come into the possession of riches, and who make a display of their wealth," as Celsus had suggested [8]. Similarly, Arnobius, another early Christian writer, addressed the pagan argument that their religion was truer due to its antiquity, countering that the gods they worshipped were "young and little children" [3].
John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, discussed the human tendency to invent new forms of worship or new deities. He noted that while people might change images, they often retained the same gods in their minds, or consecrated new images without believing they were creating new gods [7]. Calvin also warned against burdening conscience with "new observances" or contaminating the worship of God with human inventions, emphasizing that the apostles' doctrine opposed such innovations [9]. The introduction of a new deity, therefore, often serves as a theological point of contention, highlighting questions of divine revelation, tradition, and the nature of true worship.
Sources
- Acts “For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you. -- Acts 17:23”
- Deuteronomy “Deuteronomy 32:17 (Geneva1599) — They offred vnto deuils, not to God, but to gods whome they knew not: new gods that came newly vp, whome their fathers feared not.”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Methodius, Arnobius — BOOK II.(1) (part 54): lately; but it is also shown that the gods themselves, to whom you heap up bulls and other victims at the risk of bringing on disease, are young and little children, who should still be fed with their mothers' milk.(9) 72. But your religion precedes ours by many years, and is therefore, you say, truer, because it has been supported by the authority of antiquity. And of what avail is it that it should precede ours as many years as you please, since it began at a certain time? or what(10) a”
- Acts (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Acts 17:22: We have here St. Paul's sermon at Athens. Divers sermons we have had, which the apostles preached to the Jews, or such Gentiles as had an acquaintance with and veneration for the Old Testament, and were worshippers of the true and living God; and all they had to do with them was to open and allege that Jesus is the Christ; but here we have a sermon to heathens, that worshipped false gods, and were without the true God in the world, and to them the scope of their discourse was quite different from what it was to the other. In the former case their business was to le”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 17:23: as I passed by and beheld your devotions--rather, "the objects of your devotion," referring, as is plain from the next words, to their works of art consecrated to religion. I found an altar . . . To the--or, "an" unknown god--erected, probably, to commemorate some divine interposition, which they were unable to ascribe to any known deity. That there were such altars, Greek writers attest; and on this the apostle skilfully fastens at the outset, as the text of his discourse, taking it as evidence of that dimness of religious conception which, in virt”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 3: Tertullian — CHAP. IX.--MARCION'S GNOSTIC PRETENSIONS VAIN, FOR THE TRUE GOD IS NEITHER UNKNOWN NOR UNCERTAIN. THE CREATOR, WHOM HE OWNS TO BE GOD, ALONE SUPPLIES AN INDUCTION, BY WHICH TO JUDGE OF THE TRUE GOD. (part 1): Now I know full well by what perceptive faculty they boast of their new god; even their knowledge.(1) It is, however, this very discovery of a novel thing--so striking to common minds--as well as the natural gratification which is inherent in novelty, that I wanted to refute, and thence further to challenge a proof of this unknown god. For him whom by their knowled”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 27: that God was something else than wood and stone. For they changed the images at pleasure, but always retained the same gods in their minds; 84 84 The French is “Neantmoins ils ne disoyent point pour cela au’un Dieu fut divisé;”—nevertheless, they did not therefore say that the unity of God was divided. besides, they daily consecrated new images without thinking they were making new gods. Read the excuses which Augustine tells us were employed by the idolaters of his time ( August. in Ps. 113). The vulgar, when accused, replied that”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. VI: But if you will have us to meet the most ridiculous among the charges of Celsus, listen to him when he says: "Now God, being unknown amongst men, and deeming himself on that account to have less than his due, (6) would desire to make himself known, and to make trial both of those who believe upon him and of those who do not, like those of mankind who have recently come into the possession of riches, and who make a display of their wealth; and thus they testify to an excessive but very mortal ambition on the part of God." (”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 92: in all things. But to ascribe the origin of the traditions by which the Church has hitherto been oppressed to the apostles is mere imposition, since the whole substance of the doctrine of the apostles is, that conscience must not be burdened with new observances, nor the worship of God contaminated by our inventions. Then, if any credit is to be given to ancient histories and records, what they attribute to the apostles was not only unknown to them, but was never heard by them. Nor let them pretend that most of their decrees, thoug”