The Original Meaning of Elohim and Theos Calls for a Return to the Biblical Concept of God

The article argues that translating the Hebrew term Elohim and the Greek term Theos as 'God' in Korean Bibles has obscured the biblical emphasis on monotheism and the call to worship the one true Creator. It cites Deuteronomy 6:4 and Isaiah's declarations that Yahweh is the only living God, contrasting this with the dead idols of surrounding cultures. The text explains that the biblical authors used the word 'god' (Elohim, Theos) to confront polytheistic societies, declaring that the Creator of heaven and earth is the sole sovereign over all nations. This universal proclamation, the article says, was meant to challenge every people to turn to the one true God.

The piece notes that early missionaries avoided using the term 'god' in Korean because they feared persecution and martyrdom. It suggests that had they embraced the term, the church could have planted a clear monotheistic identity from its earliest days. The author stresses that changing the familiar Korean honorific 'God' to 'god' is not an attack on tradition but a recovery of the original biblical language. The transition should be guided by teaching, not coercion, and must respect the deep reverence many believers have for the word 'God'.