John 10:30

Joshua Perez

10/31/24

"The Father and I are one" (John 10:30 HCSB)

1. Many Trinitarians assume that in this statement, Jesus was claiming that he and the Father are both "the one true God.” There is no reason to conclude this from the passage. In verse 11, Jesus says:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)

Later in the chapter, the Jews ask him to tell them plainly if he is the Messiah. He responds:

"The Jews surrounded him and asked, 'How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.' 'I did tell you and you don’t believe,' Jesus answered them. 'The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand'" (John 10:24-29 HCSB)

The whole context of John 10:11-30 is shepherding the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus making an ontological claim to divinity in this passage is rather unlikely, and seems out of place considering the context. So what did he mean by saying he and the Father were "one"? In this verse Jesus utilizes the neuter Greek word hen (ἕν), which in other contexts explicitly means "one in agreement or purpose". The Bauer's lexicon defines this term as:

"marker of extension toward a goal that is understood to be within an area or condition...marker of close association within a limit...of the whole, which the parts are closely joined" (Bauers, entry for hen). 

Jesus and the Father are "one" in the fact they have the same mission and goal (shepherding the sheep of Israel). This concept of being "one in agreement" is used elsewhere in the Bible, where the context makes it clear that an ontological claim is not being made. Not even seven chapters later, in John 17, Jesus makes several more statements about being "one", yet believing that he was claiming those who are one, are one in being or essence would be problematic.

"Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one… May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:11, 21-22)

We as Christians are not "one being", rather we are united in purpose. In the same manner, the Father and son are also "one" in purpose; that being shepherding the sheep of Israel. In 1 Corinthians 3:6-8, Paul says:

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth... Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose (hen- ἕν), and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:6,‭8‬ ‭HCSB‬‬)

Paul here uses the example of himself and Apollos to show how the one who plants, and the one who waters are "one" in purpose. What’s interesting is that in 1 Corinthians 3:8, the language used for being "one" is the exact same language used in John 10:30. However, no one assumes that Paul and Apollos make up the same "being." Some translations (such as the HCSB or NIV) even choose to translate the same word (hen) differently in the two passages: "one" in John 10:30 and "one in purpose" in 1 Corinthians 3:8. This simple fact should tell any serious Bible student that there is certainly a Trinitarian bias concerning translation. 

If Jesus' goal had been to convey the message that he and the Father are both "the one true God", he would have used the masculine Greek word heis (εἷς), which would denote being one masculine essence, person, or being. The entry for heis in the Bauer's lexicon lists "a single person with focus on quantitative aspect one", "a single entity", "single, only one" as various uses of the word. In fact, every time God is called "one" in the New Testament and in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek term heis is used. Therefore, stating the Bible teaches God is only one person is grammatically correct.

"Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one (heis)" (Deut. 6:4 LXX)

 "Jesus answered, The foremost is, 'Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one (heis)'" (Mark 12:29 NASB) 

"Yet for us there is only one (heis) God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him" (1 Cor. 8:6 NASB) 

"Now a mediator is not for one party only; but God is only one (heis)" (Gal 3:20 NASB)

 "One (heis) God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:6 NASB)

God is only one person, and scripture teaches that he is the Father alone.

2. Many might raise the argument that since the Jews assumed Jesus was professing himself to be God, this means that his statement of being one with the Father was a claim to divinity.

“Again the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which of these works are you stoning Me for? ” “We aren’t stoning You for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because You — being a man — make Yourself God.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬-‭33)‬ ‭

However, it would be a major exegetical blunder to side with the Jews' interpretation of Jesus’ words. It is quite literally a motif in the Gospel of John that they keep getting it wrong, and keep misunderstanding Jesus. Fortunately, we don’t need to assume they got it wrong, as Jesus nearly always corrected them. 

"Jesus answered them, “Isn't it written in your law, I said, you are gods? If He called those whom the word of God came to ‘gods’—and the Scripture cannot be broken—do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:34-36 HCSB)

"God stands in the divine assembly; He pronounces judgment among the gods: "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and needy; save them from the power of the wicked. They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, 'You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High. However, you will die like men and fall like any other ruler.' Rise up, God, judge the earth, for all the nations belong to You." (Psalm 82 HCSB)

As Jesus explains using Psalm 82 as a proof text, the title "god" (elohim or el in hebrew, theos in greek) is often given to earthly rulers who posses authority. For instance, Moses in Exodus 7:1 is called "god" over pharaoh. The Great Sanhedrin in the land of Israel was given direct divine authority from Hashem (Deut. 17:8-13), and we see them being directly addressed using the title "gods" (Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:28; Psalm 82). According to the traditional interpretation of Psalm 45:6-7, the Judahite king is called "god" (elohim) by Hashem—who is referred to in verse 7 as the God of the king who is the source of his authority. Elohim always implies authority, but it does not always imply divinity. This, is Jesus' very argument. If it is not blasphemy for the judges of Israel to be referred to as "gods", than him claiming to be the son of God cannot be blasphemy (as it implies inferiority). Thus, the Jews were incorrect in their accusation of Jesus. Jesus and the Father are "one" in shepherding the sheep of Israel, and he calls us to be united as one in purpose with them as well.