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LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1935, Page 174

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

174 Proceedings of Thirty-Sixth Regular Convention,

a) Shangdi literally means “above or high ruler,” and while it
ig used as the proper name of the highest Chinese god, it does not
mean god.

b) Heathen Chinese usage supports this. The Chinese have many
agod. If, then, Shangdt meant god, then all the gods of China should
be called shangdis. But the fact is that they are not so called: they
are all called shen. Even Shangdi, the chief idol, would not be a god
to the Chinese heathen if he were not a shen. Since, then, the com-
mon term for all the Chinese gods is not shangdi, it is evident that
Shangdi does not mean god. :

c) The usage of the term Shangdi in Bibles and Christian litera-
ture shows that it does not mean god. In a large number of instances
where our Bible and our Catechism has god or God the Chinese ver-
sion does not use Shangdi, but Shen. And we are told that the words
god and God cannot always be translated Shangdi. We speak of the
true God and of false gods, but it is impossible to speak of the true
Shangdi and of false shangdis. This clearly proves that Shangdi does
not mean god.

Hence Shangdi for God is a mistranslation. The meaning of the
term ruler above indicates supremacy, and among the Chinese idols
the supremacy of the one idol over the others; but it does not carry
with it the idea of deity, which the Chinese ascribe to all their shens.
Shangdi is therefore not the equivalent of the terms theos, deus, Gott,
god, ete., all of which ascribe deity to him to whom they are applied.

III.

The Chinese word for god is shen. This is supported by common
usage in China.

a) The Chinese have no god whose proper name is Shen. All
their gods are shen, including Shangdi. A Chinese proverb says:
“Tf Shangdi were not a shen, it would be of no use to pray to him;
but if he be a shen, he cannot be deceived.” Whatever is a shen is to
the heathen Chinese a god. Thus according to accepted Chinese usage
shen means god.

b) Also in the Bible and in Christian literature Shen is used in
this sense, both when false gods are meant and when the true God
is spoken of. In 1 Cor. 8, 6 where the deity of the true God is stressed
over against the idols, we read: “Though there be that are called shen,
whether in heaven or in earth, as there be shen many and lords many,
but to us there is but one Shen.” And in the Nicene Creed, which
emphasizes the deity of Christ, we read: “Shen of Shen, Light of
Light, very Shen of very Shen.” ;

To assert that Shen does not express a sufficiently high degree
of Deity to be used as translation for God not only runs counter to