Monotheism is the belief that there is only one true God.
The word comes from the Greek monos (“single” or “alone”) and theos (“God”).
Biblical monotheism affirms that the God of Israel is the sole Creator, Ruler, and Redeemer of the universe.
This truth stands at the foundation of both the Old and New Testaments and is essential to the Christian faith.
Monotheism is not merely a philosophical idea; it is the revealed truth that there is one living and true God who alone is worthy of worship. From the opening words of Genesis to the final chapters of Revelation, Scripture insists that God is unique — without rival, equal, or competitor. Israel was called to confess and guard this truth in the midst of polytheistic cultures. Jesus and the apostles reaffirmed it while also revealing the deeper mystery that the one God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Biblical monotheism therefore excludes both the worship of many gods and the denial of the Trinity.
- The Bible consistently teaches that there is only one true God; all other “gods” are idols or false.
- Israel’s foundational confession, the Shema, declares: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
- Monotheism undergirds the exclusive claims of the gospel — salvation is found in no one else but the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ.
- The one God is not a solitary unit but exists eternally as three distinct Persons who are co-equal and co-eternal.
- Biblical monotheism is ethical as well as theological: the one God demands exclusive loyalty and worship.
- The doctrine protects the church from idolatry, syncretism, and any teaching that multiplies deities or diminishes the uniqueness of God.
- The confession of one God is the starting point for understanding creation, providence, redemption, and final judgment.
- Exclusivity – There is only one true God; no other gods exist in reality.
- Universality – The one God is the God of all nations and the entire created order.
- Unity – God is one in essence; His being is not divided.
- Trinity – The one God exists as three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Idolatry Forbidden – Worship is to be given to God alone; idols are empty and powerless.
- Covenantal Claim – The one God has bound Himself to His people in covenant and requires their exclusive allegiance.
- Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
- Deuteronomy 4:35, 39 – “The Lord is God; there is no other besides him… the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.”
- Isaiah 43:10-11 – “Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.”
- Isaiah 44:6 – “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”
- Isaiah 45:5-6, 18, 22 – “I am the Lord, and there is no other… Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”
- Mark 12:29 – Jesus quotes the Shema: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
- John 17:3 – “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
- 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 – “There is no God but one… yet for us there is one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.”
- Ephesians 4:4-6 – “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”
- 1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
- James 2:19 – “You believe that God is one; you do well.”
Monotheism is the bedrock confession of the Bible: there is one true and living God, and He alone is worthy of worship, trust, and obedience. This truth sets the God of Scripture apart from every false deity and every human invention. Yet the same Scriptures that insist on God’s oneness also reveal that the one God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Biblical monotheism is therefore both exclusive and richly personal. It calls every person to turn from idols and to know and worship the only true God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.