Did Jesus claim to be God in John 10:33?
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Before we look into this, we need to read the context which is described in John 10:27-36
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.
31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,
32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, `I have said you are gods’?
35 If he called them `gods,’ to whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken–
36 what about the one whom the Father set ; Apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God’s Son’?
Trintarians often point out the words “I and the Father are one”, then later we can see that the Jews thought that Jesus was claiming to be God. Therefore the claim is made that Jesus was claiming to be God which upset the Jews. But on closer inspection this text reveals the complete opposite. The irony here is that Jesus said earlier in verse 29, My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all and after the accusation that Jesus was claiming to be God by the Jews, Jesus then reminds them of the usage of the word “gods/theos” in the Old Testament.
Jesus was actually referring to Psalms 82:6 which reads:
“I said, `You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’
After Jesus reminds the Jews of this, he then asks them:
…”Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s son’?” (verse 36 ).
We know that ‘theos’ is Greek for God, but the word can also be used to describe the following:
- refers to the things of God
- his counsels, interests, things due to him
- whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way
- God’s representative or viceregent
- of magistrates and judges
If indeed you claim that Jesus was saying that he was God here, then listen closely to what Jesus says to you:
“Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?”
So did Jesus say that he was the Almighty God judging by the repsonse above? I think it is obvious that what Jesus was saying was that he was the son of God. If you disagree with this and still argue that Jesus was claiming to be God, then are you not accusing Jesus of blasphemy by saying that he claimed to be God just as these Jews did? Read Jesus response again, “Why do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said I am God’s son”. Should we be like thise Jews and argue against Jesus about what he said?
Again this scripture reinforces the truth that Jesus is not God but God’s son. If you use this verse to say that Jesus is the Almighty God then you are making the same error that the Jews made and you are ignoring what Jesus said in defense of this accusation.
Further, the following scripture repeats the fact that the Father and Jesus are one. But it also says that we are one too, thus if you think that the Father and Jesus are one means that Jesus is God, then you have to say that we are God too in order to be consistent.
John 17:21
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Obviously the oneness that is being talked about is one in spirit and unity of purpose. That is clear to see because we too are included in this oneness.
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