The Bible constantly affirms the existence of one, and only one, true God and is a central tenet of all Abrahamic religions. From the earliest Hebrew texts to the Christian writings, the Scriptures reject the existence or worship of other gods, emphasizing a monotheistic understanding of God's nature. This singular divine being is unparalleled, supreme, and distinct from any other entity considered to be a deity. **Yahweh is God alone** The Torah is said to be the "teachings" of God that was given to his people Israel by Moses ([[Skolnik2007-ki]]) who presented God's nature and power as unparalleled. Israel was one of the earliest civilizations to worship one God, and the concept of one true God is the foundation of Israel's identity and worship. After spending many years teaching and guiding Israel, Moses describes God in a poem in Deuteronomy 32 dating back as far as the 12th–11th centuries B.C2 ([[Tigay2003-la]]) > "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 God alone controls death and life, is more powerful than anyone and no other Gods exist besides him. More songs like this would praise God alone for performing mighty miracles ( Exodus 15:11), for making all the nations ( Psalms 86:8), breaths life into all people ( Isaiah 42:5), and maintaining creations itself ( Psalm 104:5-9). **Old Testament Teachings** Throughout the OT, Jehovah is affirmed as the one and only true God. Verses like Deuteronomy 4:35, Deuteronomy 4:39; Joshua 22:34; 1 Kings 8:60; 1 Kings 18:21, 1 Kings 18:39; Psalm 100:3; and Psalm 118:27 explicitly declare Jehovah as Elohim or el. Additionally, there are instances where the compound name "Jehovah God" (Yahweh Elohim) is used, such as Genesis 2:4-9, Genesis 2:15-22; Genesis 3:1, Genesis 3:8-9, Genesis 3:13-14, Genesis 3:21-23; Genesis 24:3; Exodus 9:30; Psalms 72:18; and Jonah 4:6. When God declared war on the spiritual powers of Egypt ( Exodus 8:10, Exodus 9:14), He used his power and might to show that there was no one like him on Heaven or Earth. "You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other. ( Deuteronomy 4:35, Deuteronomy 4:39)". Isaiah repeats these statements ( Isaiah 45:5, Isaiah 46:9) and in Isaiah 40:18 the prophet records the words of God, "To whom, then, will you compare God?" and verse 25, "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" Isaiah 44:7 challenges any other entity to declare the future like God does. Isaiah 46:5 questions any comparison to God, and verse 9 states, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me." and even shows that God often challenged others to present anyone like him in all of creation that could compare: >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. 7  Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. 8  Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.” (Isaiah 44:8) Throughout the Bible, we can see that Prophets, Kings, and even other nations' leaders echo this theme. King David would declare "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, 2 Samuel 22:32; 1 Chronicles 17:20) a statement his lineage would go on to praise God for as well ( 1 Kings 8:21). When the foreign military leader Naaman saw the power of God, he declared "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; "( 2 Kings 5:15). Prophets such as Nehemiah and Micah state "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;... ( Nehemiah 9:6a)" and "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love ( Micah 7:18)." When King Hezekiah was surrounded by Assyria, King Sennacherib vowed to destroy Israel and its God, just as he had destroyed the other nations whose gods failed to save. The Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and many other nations, and now they threatened Judah ( 2 Kings 18:13). In their threats against the city of Jerusalem, the Assyrians openly defied the God of Judah, likening Him to the powerless gods of the nations they had conquered ( 2 Kings 18:28–35; 2 Kings 19:10–12 ([[noauthor_2014-sj|Got Questions?]])). It is in desperation that King Hezekiah called in prayer to God to save them saying: >"18 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, 19 and have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. 20 So now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord." (Isaiah 37:18-20) Because of his prayer, God did save Israel and showed that any so-called god or king has no power over the Holy One of Israel. ###### New Testament Teachings The New Testament continues the theme of monotheism from the Old Testament, consistently affirming the belief in one, singular God who is supreme over all creation. This affirmation is evident in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the apostles, who reiterate and expand upon the monotheistic tradition established in the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus, throughout His ministry, emphasizes the worship of one God ( John 5:44, John 17:3), as seen in His declaration in Mark 12:29-30, quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-5: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." The apostles further reinforced this monotheistic doctrine in their letters to the early Christian communities. For example, Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians ( Ephesians 4:6), speaks of "one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." Paul would continue this teaching throughout his letters to the church ( Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Timothy 2:5) as well as Peter ( 1 Peter 1:3), Jude ( Jude 1:25), John ( 1 John 5:20-21), and James ( James 2:19) emphasize there's only one true God. Additionally, in the epistles, the apostles address the issue of idols and the existence of "gods" in the surrounding culture. In 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, Paul dismisses the polytheistic practices of the time by asserting, "We know that 'an idol is nothing at all in the world' and that 'there is no God but one.'" Moreover, Acts 17:22-31 presents Paul's address to the Athenians, where he introduces them to the "unknown god" they worship without knowledge. He identifies this God as the Creator of everything, who is not confined to temples or reliant on human service, distinguishing the Christian God's transcendence from the myriad deities of Greek religion. This theme is further developed in various passages like 1 Corinthians 10:19-20, Paul explains that sacrifices to idols are essentially sacrifices to demons, not to God, emphasizing the spiritual danger of idol worship. Galatians 4:8 reflects on the believers' past, noting that they were once enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. Similarly, James 2:19 acknowledges the monotheistic belief as a fundamental truth, pointing out that even demons recognize the existence of one God. These passages collectively show the New Testament's clear stance against idolatry and the worship of multiple gods, reinforcing the monotheistic message at the heart of Christianity: there is only one true God, creator and sustainer of all that exists, who demands exclusive devotion and worship.