“First”, “Only”, “One of a Few”, and “No One Else” 71 uniqueness; rather, the idioms in most cases are Hebrew thought patterns put into passable Greek. 5. Miscellaneous Instances of Uniqueness in the New Testament a) Only (movno") Christian authors generally declare God’s uniqueness with some form of “only” or “alone” (movno"). In his temptations, Jesus affirms exclusive loyalty to God: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him alone (movno") you shall serve” (Matt 4,10/Luke 4,8; Deut 6,13).Similarly, Jesus rebukes his audience for seeking the approval of its peers and “not seeking the glory that comes from the only God (monou qeou')” (John 5,44; see 17,3). Jesus makes a striking confession v about the unknowability of the coming of the end time: “But of that day and hour, no one (oujdeiv") knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (movno")” (Matt 24:36). Thus God alone enjoys unique knowledge and does not share it with heavenly messengers or earthly messiahs (33). We find expressions of God’s exclusivity in doxologies such as the one that ends the letter to the Romans: “... to the only wise (movnw/ sofw'/) God be glory for evermore! Amen” (Rom 16,27) (34). This unique wisdom of God summarizes the thrust of the whole doxology: “revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages, but is now disclosed” (16,25-26). Thus to “the only wise God” is glory due for the uniqueness of “wisdom” now revealed. Mark and Luke record the controversy between some Scribes and Jesus over his declaration of forgiveness of sins. In their eyes Jesus “blasphemes” or dishonors God by encroaching upon God’s unique prerogative: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (eij mh; ei|" oJ qeov", Mark 2,7) or “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (eij mh; movno" oJ qeov", Luke 5,21). But God gave Jesus this power, so he in no way diminishes God’s uniqueness. b) One (ei|") Another traditional term, “one” (ei|"), expresses God’s exclusivity. Mark narrates a remark by Jesus about the “first” law, in which Jesus (33) For example: “the only High One (movno" u{yisto") ... the only finder (movno" euJrethvn) ... the only God (oJ qeo;" movno")” (1 Clement 59.3). (34) See J. DUPONT, “Movnw/ Sofw'/ Qew'/”, EThL 22 (1964) 362-375; E. NORDEN, Agnostos Theos (Darmstadt 1956), 240-251.