The first commandment of the Ten Commandments is: "Thou shalt have no other God's before me." I have read this passage many, many, times and each time I thought that it referred to the many god's being created out of man's own hands. God's of stone or wood; god's like our TV's, automobiles, homes....anything that we possessed that we loved almost to the point of worship
In Deuteronomy 4:28 we read "And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." It is easy to see where I came about believing this to mean gods created by man's hand, of wood or stone.
But......I overlooked the last part of that verse "....which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." I believe that the above verse is referring to the gods being worshipped this day by the various churches of today. The various churches today do not believe that our Father and His Begotten Son have a body.
The Catholic Church, for example, teaches that God is a supreme intelligence with neither body nor figure, and cannot be seen. See the definition of the Catholic God here:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06612a.htm
Just reading about the Catholic God makes my head spin with confusion.
The Methodist Church is not much different than the Catholic Church in trying to define who God is. Though the Methodist Church's definition doesn't make my head spin quite as much as the Catholics definitions simply because they, the Methodists, have trouble even giving a definition of God's nature! As evidenced here: http://www.ammethch.org/frstlssn.html
And finally, one last church of today and their beliefs about God - the Presbyterian Church.
This is what they believe: http://www.pcanet.org/general/cof_chapi-v.htm#chapii
"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; "
The above paragraph is taken from the Presbyterian web site above, but it is in context pretty much what the Catholic Church and the Methodist Church believe in also, just stated in a different way. Notice that the God of other religions are without body parts or passions? Notice then that the God of other religions cannot hear, nor see, nor smell, nor eat? How could a God without body parts or passions be expected to hear, see, smell, or eat? How could a child of God, created in His own image, be expected to comprehend an incomprehensible God? Again, my head spins just reading what other religions say when they try to explain God. My God IS NOT "invisible, without body, parts, or passions......incomprehensible." I was created in God's own image. (See Genesis 1:26-27.)
If you believe that the Bible is the word of God, then turn to Exodus 33:11: And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.... I think that verse is pretty clear and no explanation is necessary. Moses spoke to God face to face.
In Hebrews 1:3, we read about Christ sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. How could that be if He had no form to have a right hand?
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about John the Baptist and what a great man he was. We read in Matthew 3:16 - 17: "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". From this I glean a couple of things. First, my God must have a mouth for He spoke, and second, this is evidence of three separate and distinct Beings; The voice of the Father, the Son being baptized, and the Holy Ghost descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Now could someone explain how these three can be one (other than in purpose) and be without body parts or form? I find other religions definitions of God incomprehensible.
I have one other question for those of another religion: If God and Jesus don't have bodies, what did Jesus do with his body after He was resurrected from the dead? After He was crucified and sealed in a tomb, He was resurrected and He showed Himself to many, including His apostles. He even ate with His apostles. His apostles witnessed him ascending into heaven. So again the question, what did Jesus do with His body if He is now suppose to be without body or form?
Joseph Smith as a boy was as confused in his day as many are confused in this day. Which church is correct? Which church was he to join? Joseph Smith read in the Bible in James 1:5 : If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Joseph then went as suggested and asked of God. Joseph was then privileged to see both the Father and the Son, and had the honor of being the first prophet of this last dispensation and to restore the original church once again on earth. Joseph, then, is another testifier that both the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a body, and that we are truly created in Their image.
The strange Gods of the other Christian religions are indeed incomprehensible to me. Again in Deuteronomy 4:28 we read "And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." So, the question remains; are the other religions worshipping false Gods? Think about it. IMHO
