Ask most Christians who know the Bible, “Where does the Bible say Jesus claimed to be God?” and they’ll likely answer, “He said in John 10:30, ‘I and the Father are one.’” But that is a far cry from saying, “I am God,” or the like. One is struck with the thought, “Is that the best evidence Christians can provide that Jesus claimed to be God? If so, perhaps he never made such a claim.”
This is a very important issue for Christians. Most of them assert that a person must believe that Jesus is God in order to be a genuine Christian and thus possess salvation and the hope of eternal life. That’s what the institutional church has always insisted. But interpreting Jesus’ saying in John 10:30 as a claim to be God ignores its context.
Jesus was attending the Feast of Dedication at the temple in Jerusalem. We read, “The Jews therefore gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.’” (John 10:24). Jesus responded by mentioning his marvellous works that he had been doing and how they testify to his intimate relationship with God (vv. 25-29).
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Author: Kermit Zarley
Keywords: Trinity, Triunity, Trinitarianism, Trinitarian, Arianism, Arian, Three in one, Three gods, Three gods one person, Arius, Arias, Nicene Creed, Nicaea, Nicea, Athanasian Creed, Athanasius, Father son holy spirit, Father son holy ghost, Triune, Three persons in one God, Socinian, Socinianism, Socinian heresy, Jesus God, God the Son, Nicene, Nicean Creed, Council of Nicaea, Council of Nicea, homoiousios, Homoousios, Homoiousian, one with the father, I and my father are one, incarnate, God incarnate, incarnation
Bible reference(s): John 10:30, John 17.11, John 17:22-23
Source: “Did Jesus Claim to Be God in John 10:30?” The Restitution of Jesus Christ, 2008.
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