A Study of John 10:30 (I and the Father Are One.)
This verses is almost used by every Christian who wants to prove the divinity of Jesus. They make it so certain that this verses is so explicit which shows Jesus was God! But does it really? We shall examine this alleged claim made by Christians and close this case for good.
Now in order to refute or expose the lies Christians make for this verse one has to read the context which seems to be a pretext. What is a Pretext?
A pretext (adj: pretextual) is an excuse to do something or say something that is not accurate. Pretexts may be based on a half-truth or developed in the context of a misleading fabrication. Pretexts have been used to conceal the true purpose or rationale behind actions and words.
In other words John 10:30 I and the Father are one seems to be a very misleading statement which we shall expose.let's read a few verses prior to the statement.
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22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.” (John 10:22-30)
Now from context it seems like a tense moment where the Jews cornered Jesus asking him who he really is? In response after a long metaphorical explanation Jesus seems to suggest he is God? And that's exactly what Christians use to prove Jesus's divinity. Remember where we mentioned about Pretext? This is exactly what we mean by pretext :
A pretext (adj: pretextual) is an excuse to do something or say something that is not accurate. Pretexts may be based on a half-truth or developed in the context of a misleading fabrication. Pretexts have been used to conceal the true purpose or rationale behind actions and words.
Let's read further on few verses after john 10:30 and find out what was the reaction of the Jews after hearing Jesus say I and the Father are one :
31The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? (John 10:31-36)
Did you Catch the joke? Notice how the Jews picked up stones to stone jesus, yet Jesus challenged them by saying why are you stoning me, the Jews replied they are stoning him because he blasphemed I.e Jesus was claiming to be God? Yet the answer Jesus gave back was he is not God rather he is a son of God !.. On top of that calling the Jews God.
Let's dismantle this passage step by step :
Jesus encounters the Jews
The Jews ask who he is
Jesus tells them he's doing his father job
Jews still were unsure
Jesus tells them he and the father are one
Jews pick up stones to stone him
Jesus challenges them why are they stoning him
Jews reply Jesus he blaspheming calling himself God
Not only did Jesus call the Jews god's (John 10:34) he also proved them wrong by calling himself a son of god negating such statements by the Jews !
do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? (John 10:36)
Jesus is confirming he is not God rather a son of God, in Jewish understanding this means a Servant of God. also note psalm 82:6 ye are gods meaning judges, the John 10:30 could mean the Jews didn't accept Jesus as a judge like themselves!
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Now coming back to the pretext how the context was distorted making one think that Jesus claimed to be God, we have another point to make.
If Jesus said to the Jews why do you stone me if i said I'm the son of God why did the Jews think he was blaspheming by claiming to be God? Unless Jesus never said I and the father are one?
Think of it the those Jews could not have been that stupid that they didn't now the difference between someone calling them self son of God or God Almighty? It's clear Jesus could not have said I and the father are one.
Also not according to verse 36 Jesus said :
"do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
Here we read Jesus told them he was the Son of God, the highest laden question is where did Jesus say in those context verses that he was the Son of God? If we read from verse 22 all the way down to verse 30 nowhere did Jesus refer himself as the son of God? Which only means it's a missing verse or replaced with verse 30 I and the father are one.
It's dilemma for Christians once scrutinised, at least we can conclude Jesus never claimed to be God in John 10:30 nor anywhere else in the bible to be precise.
