Solitary
Notes
I. There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal most just and terrible in his judgments; hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
Westminster Assembly. “The Westminster Confession of Faith,” August 2022. https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-westminster-confession/., Ch II, Sec I
Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.
Westminster Assembly. “Shorter Catechism, Text and Scripture Proofs,” August 2022. https://thewestminsterstandard.org/westminster-shorter-catechism/., Q. 5
At the very beginning it [Confession of Faith] affirms monotheism, the view that there is one and only one God.
In Judaism and then in Christianity, there is one Most High God, who alone creates, sustains, and rules over all things.
Sproul, R. C. Truths We Confess. Reformation Trust, 2019., Ch 2, Sec 1
He is solitary in His majesty, unique in His excellency, peerless in His perfections. He sustains all, but is Himself independent of all. He gives to all, but is enriched by none.
Pink, A. W. The Attributes of God. Providence Baptist Ministries, n.d., Ch 1
That there is but one God is proved–From the fact that every argument that establishes the being of God, suggests the existence of but one. There must be one First Cause, but there is no evidence of more than one. There must be one Designing Intelligence and one Moral Governor, but neither the argument from design nor from conscience suggests more than one.
Hodges, A. A. The Confession of Faith. The Banner of Truth Trust, 1988., Ch II
Probably the best definition of God ever penned by man, is that given in the “Westminster Catechism”: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” This is a true definition; for it states the class of beings to which God is to be referred. He is a Spirit; and He is distinguished from all other spirits in that He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being and perfections. It is also a complete definition, in so far as it is an exhaustive statement of the contents of our idea of God.
Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Henderson Publishers, 2001., Vol I, Part I, Ch V, §1
Bible References
[11] “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11 ESV)
[35] To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. (Deuteronomy 4:35 ESV)
[39] know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:39 ESV)
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV)
[39] “‘See now that I, even I, am he,
and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. (Deuteronomy 32:39 ESV)
[22] Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (2 Samuel 7:22 ESV)
[60] that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. (1 Kings 8:60 ESV)
[15] Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” (2 Kings 5:15 ESV)
[15] And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. (2 Kings 19:15 ESV)
[20] There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. (1 Chronicles 17:20 ESV)
[6] “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. (Nehemiah 9:6 ESV)
[31] For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?— (Psalms 18:31 ESV)
[10] For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God. (Psalms 86:10 ESV)
[16] “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. (Isaiah 37:16 ESV)
[10] “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me. (Isaiah 43:10 ESV)
[6] Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god. (Isaiah 44:6 ESV)
[5] I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me, (Isaiah 45:5 ESV)
[21] Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me. (Isaiah 45:21 ESV)
[9] remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me, (Isaiah 46:9 ESV)
[10] But the LORD is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation. (Jeremiah 10:10 ESV)
[4] But I am the LORD your God
from the land of Egypt;
you know no God but me,
and besides me there is no savior. (Hosea 13:4 ESV)
[27] You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame. (Joel 2:27 ESV)
[9] And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9 ESV)
[29] Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [30] And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ [31] The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” [32] And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. [33] And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:29-33 ESV)
[18] No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:18 ESV)
[3] And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 ESV)
[30] since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. (Romans 3:30 ESV)
[4] 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”— (1 Corinthians 8:4-5 ESV)
[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. (1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV)
[20] Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. (Galatians 3:20 ESV)
[6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:6 ESV)
[17] To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17 ESV)
[5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (1 Timothy 2:5 ESV)
[19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:19 ESV)
[25] to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 25 ESV)