John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 8:5

"For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth; as there are gods many, and lords many;" — 1 Corinthians 8:5 (ASV)

For though there be that are called—"They have," he says, "the name, but the reality is lacking." He uses the word called here to mean—renowned in the estimation of men. He has also made use of a general division when he says in heaven or on earth. The gods that are mentioned as being in heaven are the heavenly hosts, as Scripture terms the sun, moon, and the other stars.

Moses shows from this, however, how very far they are from being entitled to divine honors: that they were created for our use. The sun is our servant; the moon is our handmaid. How absurd, therefore, it is to render to them divine honors! By the gods that are on earth are properly meant, in my opinion, men and women for whom religious worship has been appointed.

For, as Pliny observes, those who had served mankind well had their memory consecrated by religion, so that they were worshipped as deities—Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Mercury, and Apollo, who were mortal men but were, after death, exalted to the rank of deities; and, more recently, Hercules, Romulus, and eventually the Caesars. It is as if it were in the power of mankind to make deities at their pleasure, while they cannot give themselves either life or immortality.

There are also other terrestrial gods, taken either from cattle or from other animals; for example, among the Egyptians: the ox, the serpent, the cat, the onion, and the garlic; and among the Romans: the boundary-stone and the stone Vesta.

They are gods, then, only in name; but Paul says that he does not dwell on deifications of this sort.