08/31/2026
Atheist Attack: "2 Cor 4:4 says Satan is the god of this world, but Is 45:5 says there is only one god. So, which is it? There is one god and it is Satan, or there is more than one god, and Isaiah 45:5 lies?"
2 Corinthians 4:4 "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." ESV
Isaiah 45:5a "I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God…" ESV
Christian: "Where does 2 Cor 4:4 say that 'Satan is the god of this world?' "
Atheist: "You are missing the point."
Christian: "Sorry. What is the point?"
Atheist: "That the two verses contradict because one says there is only one god and the other says there is also a god of this world."
Christian: "Why can't God be the 'god of this world?' "
Atheist: "Oh, so you admit God is a deceiver."
Christian: "I don't see the deception you are talking about."
Atheist: "It says, he 'blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.' That sounds pretty deceptive to me."
Christian: "Really? Sounds like someone is keeping something private, so that people whose business it is not, don't know about it. Is your bank being deceptive by not publishing your financial information on the internet?"
Atheist: "So you think God is the 'god of this world?' "
Christian: "No, I think God uses Satan for that kind of work, just as you said. I was hoping that if I asked enough questions, you would see what is wrong with your argument on your own."
Atheist: "That seems pretty devious and manipulative to me."
Christian: "I'm trying to copy the methodology of the Greek philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle and Plato, who taught by asking questions. I guess I'm not very good at it. Sorry. There is only one God, but sometimes the Bible refers to various pretenders to the divine as 'god' just as most people generally do. It is used for statues, demons, pagan deities, etc. They are all false gods. There is only one real God. Paul quotes Isaiah 45 in 1 Corinthians 8 and then explains all this clearly.
1 Corinthians 8:4-6 "Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that 'an idol has no real existence,' and that 'there is no God but one.' 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many 'gods' and many 'lords'— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." ESV
