I Corinthians 8:6 · Bible study
1 Corinthians 8:6 Commentary: One God, One Lord
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How Paul affirms one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 8:6, reshaping the Shema without violating monotheism.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Paul reworks the Shema to confess one God the Father (source and goal) and one Lord Jesus Christ (agent of creation and redemption).
- Key words: εἷς (one), ἐξ (out of / from), εἰς (into / for), διά (through), prepositions that define the Father’s and Son’s distinct roles.
- Main debate: Whether “Father” refers to the first person of the Trinity or to God as the Father of all creation.
- Theological theme: Christian monotheism is not a simple unit but a unity of Father and Son, with Christ included in the identity of the one Lord.
- Best use: A creedal foundation for addressing disputes about Christian liberty, reminding believers that our confession of God shapes how we treat others.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.
WEB World English Bible 2000
yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.
KJV King James Version 1769
But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
yet to us is one God, the Father, of whom are the all things, and we to Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are the all things, and we through Him;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
yet to us [there is] one God, the Father, of whom all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Yet to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him: and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Nosotros empero no tenemos más de un Dios, el Padre, del cual son todas las cosas, y nosotros en él: y un Señor Jesucristo|strong="G2424, G5547", por el cual son todas las cosas, y nosotros por él.
Todavia para nós há só um Deus, o Pai, do qual são todas as coisas, e nós para ele; e um só Senhor Jesus Cristo, pelo qual são todas as coisas, e nós por ele.
néanmoins pour nous il n’ y a qu’ un seul Dieu, le Père, de qui viennent toutes choses et pour qui nous sommes, et un seul Seigneur, Jésus-Christ, par qui sont toutes choses et par qui nous sommes.
so haben wir doch nur einen Gott, den Vater, von welchem alle Dinge sind und wir zu ihm; und einen HERRN, Jesus Christus, durch welchen alle Dinge sind und wir durch ihn.
Nochtans hebben wij maar een God, den Vader, uit Welken alle dingen zijn, en wij tot Hem; en maar een Heere, Jezus Christus, door Welken alle dingen zijn, en wij door Hem.
nondimeno, per noi c’è un Dio solo, il Padre, dal quale sono tutte le cose, e noi per la gloria sua, e un solo Signore, Gesù Cristo, mediante il quale sono tutte le cose, e mediante il quale siam noi.
Ale my mamy jednego Boga Ojca, z którego wszystko, a my w nim; i jednego Pana Jezusa Chrystusa, przez którego wszystko, a my przezeń.
но у нас один Бог Отец, из Которого все, и мы для Него, и один Господь Иисус Христос, Которым все, и мы Им.
然而 我們 只有一位 神，就是父─萬物 都本於 他；我們 也 歸於 他─並 有一位 主，就是耶穌 基督─萬物 都是藉著 他有的；我們 也 是藉著 他有的。
There is for us only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we are for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we have our being through him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Corinthians 8:6
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul here recasts the great monotheistic confession of Israel, the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), in a distinctly Christian form. Barnes, Gill, and Calvin all note that Paul is not abandoning belief in one God but is showing how that one God relates to the world through two distinct persons. The verse is built with careful prepositions: the Father is the source from whom all things originate (ἐξ οὗ), and the Son is the agent through whom all things are made and sustained (δι᾽ οὗ). Clarke highlights that the phrase “we for him” (εἰς αὐτόν) points to believers existing for the Father’s glory, while “we live through him” (δι᾽ αὐτοῦ) credits Christ as the mediator of that life. The consensus is that Paul preserves the unity of God while making room for Jesus Christ as Lord in the full sense of the word, not a competing deity but the one through whom the one God acts.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- 'Father' as first person only: The contrast with 'one Lord Jesus Christ' suggests two distinct persons; the absence of 'Son' as a correlative does not rule it out (Barnes, Gill).
- 'Father' as Godhead in relation to creation: The word 'Father' here may refer to God as the source of all things, not specifically to the first trinitarian person (some Reformed readings).
What is clear: Paul confesses one God and one Lord Jesus Christ, distinguishing their roles while affirming the full divinity of Christ and the unity of God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'Father' in verse 6a | Christians agree that Paul is affirming the one God who is the source (ἐξ οὗ) of all things and the goal (εἰς αὐτόν) of our existence. | Some interpreters (Barnes, Gill) see 'Father' here as the first person of the Trinity, distinct from the Son. Others read it as God in his role as Creator and Father of all, without specific reference to the first person only. |
| Relation to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) | All recognize that Paul is deliberately echoing the Shema to confess the same one God of Israel. | The disagreement is over how far Paul goes in identifying Jesus with the 'one Lord' of the Shema. Some argue that 'one Lord Jesus Christ' directly replaces the divine name, implying full deity; others see a more functional substitution that does not necessarily demand ontological equality. |
| Christ's role as agent of creation | All agree that Paul assigns creation to Christ: 'through whom are all things' (δι᾽ οὗ). | Some traditions (e.g., Arian) read this as Christ being a high creature through whom God made the world, while orthodox Christianity sees it as the pre-existent Son, fully God, acting as the Father’s agent. |
| Implications for ethics | The confession in verse 6 is meant to guide Christian behavior, especially toward those of weaker conscience. | Traditions differ on how strictly the principle applies: some emphasize absolute freedom in adiaphora (things indifferent), while others stress that love limits liberty in all disputed practices. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The immediate setting is a dispute in Corinth about meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:1, 13). Some believers, proud of their theological knowledge, argued that since idols are nothing, eating such meat is harmless. Others, with weaker consciences, saw it as participation with demons. Paul’s response is theological before it is practical. He grounds Christian liberty in a proper confession of who God is.
Corinth was a city crowded with temples, statues, and festivals honoring many gods and lords. The phrase “gods many and lords many” (v. 5) reflects the religious landscape of the Roman Empire, where emperors were worshipped as lords and traditional deities filled the pantheon. Against this noise, Paul declares a single, clear confession. The word “yet” (ἀλλ᾽) at the start draws a sharp line: while the pagan world believes in many, Christians know the truth.
The verse also echoes the Shema, the daily prayer of every Jew: “Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Paul reshapes it by naming Jesus as the one Lord, identifying him with the Yahweh of the Old Testament while distinguishing him from the Father. He does not say “one God” includes Jesus as a second God; he says there is one God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ. This is not a contradiction but a revelation of how the one God exists in relationship, as source and as agent.
Paul is not writing a systematic theology, but he is giving the Corinthians a creed to hold against both pagan polytheism and Jewish rejection of Jesus. The confession here is the foundation for the ethical guidance that follows: if Christ is the Lord through whom all things exist, then our actions toward other believers must reflect his sacrificial love.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for 1 Corinthians 8:6. The verse is uniformly attested in the manuscript tradition, with only minor spelling differences (e.g., the presence or absence of the article before πάντα). These do not affect interpretation. The reading is secure.
Reception History
1 Corinthians 8:6 has played a central role in Trinitarian theology from the early church onward. The prepositions distinguishing the Father as source (ἐξ οὗ) and the Son as agent (δι᾽ οὗ) were used by Irenaeus and Athanasius to articulate the relationship between the Father and the Son without subordinating Christ's divinity. In the Nicene Creed, the phrase “through whom all things were made” (δι᾽ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο) likely echoes this verse and John 1:3. Later, during the Protestant Reformation, Calvin and other Reformers cited the verse to show that Christ is the mediator of creation and not a mere creature. In modern scholarship, the verse is seen as a key text for understanding early Christian adoption of the Shema and the inclusion of Jesus within the divine identity. Across traditions, it remains a foundational confession for Christian monotheism.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Christian confession redefines God: Paul moves from what “we know” (v. 4) to what “we confess.” The one God is not a distant principle but a Father, and the one Lord is not a tyrant but Jesus Christ.
- Creation and redemption have a shape: The Father is the source of all things (ἐξ οὗ) and the goal of our existence (εἰς αὐτόν). Christ is the agent (δι᾽ οὗ) through whom both creation and new life come.
- True knowledge leads to love: This confession is not abstract. It is meant to shape how we treat those who stumble. Knowing the one God means living for him, and living through Christ means loving like Christ.
Five-point outline
- One God, the Father: He is not one among many but the singular source of everything. The word “Father” here points to his role as creator and sustainer of all.
- We for him: Our existence has a purpose, to live for God’s glory. This counters a self-centered faith.
- One Lord, Jesus Christ: Paul applies the Old Testament title for God to Jesus. He is the Lord who made all things and through whom we are saved.
- We through him: Every blessing, creation, redemption, daily life, comes to us through Christ. He is the mediator.
- Unity without confusion: Father and Son are distinct in role but not in essence. Paul’s grammar holds them together without collapsing them into one another or dividing them into two gods.
Illustration hooks
- Think about a family business. One person may own it (the source), another may run it day to day (the agent). Both are essential, but their roles differ. This is a limited picture, but it helps grasp how the Father and Son relate to creation.
- Consider a symphony. The composer conceives the music (source), but the conductor leads the orchestra to perform it (agent). The music comes through the conductor, yet the composer is the origin.
- In daily life, we often trust a doctor’s expertise even though we cannot see everything they do. Faith in Christ as Lord is similar: we live through him without fully comprehending how he holds all things together.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does calling Jesus “Lord” mean I have to obey him in every area of my life, or is it just a title?
- How do I explain to a non-Christian friend that we worship one God but also Jesus, without sounding like a contradiction?
- If God is the source of all things, why does so much of life feel chaotic and purposeless?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the heart of a dispute about food, idols, and freedom. Paul does not just give advice; he plants a confession. Before we know how to act, we need to know who God is. Let the passage reshape your understanding of God before you discuss how to apply it.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6. What does Paul mean when he says “an idol is nothing in the world”? How does that set up what he says in verse 6?
- Why does Paul add “the Father” after “one God”? What does that title emphasize about God’s relationship to creation?
- The prepositions are significant: the Father is “of whom” (source) and “for him” (goal); Christ is “through whom” (agent). What do these different prepositions tell us about the roles of the Father and the Son?
- How does this verse relate to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4)? What does Paul add, and what does he keep the same?
- Some see “Father” here as the first person of the Trinity; others see it as God considered as Father of creation. Which view fits the context better, and why?
- If Jesus is the one Lord through whom we exist, how should that change the way we make decisions about what we eat, drink, or do in public?
- Paul uses this confession to address a conflict about “strong” and “weak” believers. How can a right understanding of God help us navigate disagreements in your church today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 6:4 | Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. |
| Jonah 1:9 | He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.” |
| Malachi 2:10 | Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers? |
| Matthew 11:27 | All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him. |
| Matthew 28:18 | Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. |
| John 1:3 | All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. |
| John 5:20 | For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. |
| John 5:29 | and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws a sharp contrast between pagan gods and lords and the one true God and Lord. As creatures we live in reference to the Father, the source of our being; as Christians we live through Christ, who saves us. This distinction highlights their unique roles in creation and redemption.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that "one God, the Father" here describes God as the source and father of all creation, not specifically the first person of the Trinity. He stresses that all things come from God as fountain, yet through Jesus Christ as the agent of creation, a role that demands true divinity.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin clarifies that Paul distinguishes the Father as the source of all existence and the Son as the mediator through whom we are
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw a careful distinction: the Father is the source of all things and the one in whom believers live, while Christ is the agent through whom all things exist and through whom believers have their being. This highlights the unique roles of both Persons in creation and redemption.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that Paul’s phrase “one God, the Father” does not exclude the Son and Spirit from deity, just as “one Lord Jesus Christ” does not exclude the Father from lordship. The oneness is inclusive: the Father, Son, and Spirit share the same divine nature, with each having distinct roles in creation and redemption.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the Greek phrase "we in him" actually means "we for him" or "unto him," showing believers exist for the glory of God the Father. He contrasts the one Lord Jesus with the many lords of paganism and highlights that while all things come from the Father by creation, believers are especially restored to him by the new creation through Christ.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry stresses that idols are nothing in the world, having no real divinity or power to defile the creatures of God. Since heathen idols are mere lying vanities, they cannot change the nature of what God has made good. For Henry, the unity of God is a foundational Christian truth, and eating meat once offered to an idol is therefore a matter of Christian freedom.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists that the confession "there is but one God" excludes only idols, not Christ. He then distinguishes roles: all things originate from the Father and exist for Him, while all things come through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is equally divine. It is through Christ alone that we have access to the Father and every spiritual blessing.