Bible Studies - God's Interpretation - 1

Does JOHN 17.3 prove that Jesus is Almighty God?

Many religious leaders, theologians, and followers refer to the words of the Apostle John at Chapter 17, verse 3 as evidence that Jesus is actually God – the Father. At first glance, this may seem a persuasive argument, despite many scriptures contradicting such a claim (more about those later), but, when the verses, and context are analysed, and compared to the rest of the Bible, a different picture emerges. Let me examine this claim about JOHN 17.3, and test it against the complete Bible.

The words of John 17.3 read as follows;

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” - (King James Bible)

Those who believe that Jesus is Almighty God – the Father, claim that, by Jesus saying that his Father is “The only true God” he must mean that he himself is Almighty God, because he is himself described (in the KJV) as “God.” They reason that – if there is only one true God, and Jesus is “God”, Jesus cannot be a false God, so he must be the only God. Is this really what John is saying? Is Jesus claiming to be Almighty God? Let us look more closely at this scripture.

First of all, it is worth observing that Jesus is speaking of two distinct people - “You” (the one he is speaking to), ”and Jesus Christ,” (himself). Also, Jesus has been “sent” by the one who he is addressing, so he is in subjection to him.

It is always important to consider the context of Bible passages. The context can identify the characters being discussed, and the meaning of the writer. In the 17th chapter of John, Jesus is offering a long, and very personal prayer. Who is he praying to? In the first line of the prayer, Jesus identifies who he is praying to. He says - “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son so that your son may glorify you.” So Jesus is speaking to his Father. Who is his Father?

In the Bible book of Exodus, God announces to Moses “I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as God Almighty but, as respects my name, I did not make myself known to them” (Exodus 6.2). Moses was concerned that the people would ask him who has sent him and so, he dared to ask the creator, “Who shall I say has sent me, what is your name?” God revealed to Moses his divine name;

“Y-H-W-H the God of your forefathers, has sent me to you. This is my name, forever” (Exodus 3.15).

For hundreds of years the nation of Israel knew, and used, that name, including the vowels that are missing in today's translations of the Bible. Most scholars of the scriptures will admit that, where the word “LORD” (in capitals) is used in the Bible, it is a substitute for the original Hebrew word that represents the name of The Almighty God. There were four consonants “YHWH” in that name. The written Hebrew language did not incorporate vowels into it so the reader was required to insert them when pronouncing the words. Due to superstition and a misunderstanding of the commandment not to “Take up the name of God in a worthless way”, in the 2nd century BCE, the Israelites began to replace the actual name of God with the Hebrew words “Adoni” and “Elohim” meaning “Lord” and “God“.

There are indications in the scriptures and other literature however, of what the missing vowels of God’s name are. Many scholars believe the Hebrew pronunciation to be “Yahweh.” The nearest translation into English, which was established when the Bible was first translated into the English language, is “Jehovah.” This name was accepted for centuries, up until the twentieth century, when it was gradually eliminated from most (not all), modern Bibles.

Note that God told Moses that “This (Yahweh, Jehovah) is my name forever” indicating that God does not change his name in the future. Elsewhere in the Bible, God tells us “I am the LORD, (Yahweh, Jehovah): that is my name: and my glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 42.8).

So, God – The Almighty God – the one who delivered the Israelites from Egypt, and parted the Red Sea – has his own name. Who then is Jesus? Is he also Jehovah?

“Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name and the name of his son—if you know?” - ( Proverbs 30.4).

Note here in this scripture that God has a son, and his son has a seperate name. The Bible goes on to describe the special relationship between The Almighty God – Yahweh, Jehovah, and his beloved, firstborn son.

“The LORD (Jehovah) produced me as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago. From ancient times I was installed. From the start, from times earlier than the earth. When he prepared the heavens, I was there. When he established the foundations of the earth, Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time.” - (Proverbs 8.22-29).

Note from these verses that God's son – Jesus, was “produced” (created)), that he was “Beside him”, that God especially loved his son, and that Jesus “Rejoiced before him.” All these descriptions are of a distinct, seperate person, who is with God, beside God, loved by God.

In John's gospel, after praying, Jesus tells his disciples “I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am. But for the world to know I love the Father, I am doing just as the Father has commanded me to do” - (John 14.28-31). So, from these verses, we learn several important things about Jesus' relationship with his Father – He loves his Father, he is not currently with his Father, his Father is greater than he is, and Jesus obeys his Father's commands. Now, how can Jesus love, be seperate from, be less than, and obey commands, if Jesus himself is his Father? That does not make any sense.

But, what about this idea that Jesus must be God - because there is only one true God? Why do people claim this? It is based on the opening words of the book of John. In chapter 1, verse 1, it reads (in the KJV), “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”

Yet, even in this verse, we are told that the word (Jesus) is “with” God. Can someone be with someone, if they are actually that person? The key to understanding the confusion about Jesus' identity, is in the word “God”, as used at John 1.1. The original Hebrew word for “god” is “El.” According to a Bible dictionary, ʼEl, - probably means “Mighty One; Strong One.” (Ge 14:18) It is used with reference to YHWH (the name of God, in Hebrew), to other gods, and to men. In some places “El” appears with the definite article (“ha·ʼElʹ, literally, “the God”) with reference to YHWH, thereby distinguishing him from other gods.—Ge 46:3; 2Sa 22:31. The usual Greek equivalent of “El” and ʼElo·himʹ in the Septuagint translation and the word for “God” or “god” in the Christian Greek Scriptures is “the·osʹ.

In order to understand the original meaning behind John 1.1, it is necessary to be aware of some background information on the King James Bible, where this quote comes from. The KJV, or the “Authorised Version” as it is also known, is the translation that most modern Bibles are based on. However, the KJV is itself based on previous Catholic translations, mostly in Latin. Those previous translations carried errors and falsifications which were inserted anonymously.

Two examples of this are the 1st letter of John chapter 5, verse 8 where the KJV reads "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Historians and scholars agree that these words were never written by the Apostle John and were never in the original Bible.

Another misleading change is at Matthew 24.36 where the original scripture reads - “Concerning that day and hour, no-one knoweth, not the angels, nor the son, but only the Father.” (American Translation). But, in the KJV, the words "nor the son" are deliberately omitted, giving the false impression that Jesus knows the day and hour of judgement. With these falsifications in mind, let me comment on John 1.1.

There are two occurrences of the word "the-os" (God) at John 1.1, and they differ. The first is "ton-The-os" literally "The God."

The second occurrence of the word (this time describing Jesus), is "the-os", without the definite article. Although ancient Greek didn't incorporate indefinite articles, the reader was required to insert one, depending on the context. Many translations render this second "the·os" (a predicate noun) as “divine,” “godlike,” or “a god.” because it is not describing the definite article, “The” God, but is rather describing a quality or character of the subject, that he is god-like, or of a divine nature. Look at some other translations which take this into account;

“The word dwelt with God and what God was, the word was” -The New English Bible

“And a god was the word” - Das Evangelium nach Johannes

“The word was divine” - The Bible – An American Translation

“And the word was a god” - New Testament by James L Tomchuck

“The Logos was divine” - The New Testament - An Improved Version

“God of a sort the word was” - A German Translation

“A god was the word” - The Emphatic Diaglott

“And the word was a divine being” - La Bible du Centenaire

Elsewhere in the Bible, such as John 8.44, where Jesus describes the Devil as "a manslayer and a liar,” there is no indefinite article before the predicate nouns but the translators correctly inserted one. Therefore translators who support the trinity doctrine are being very inconsistent with their use of the indefinite article, as it suits their need.

So, according to John 1.1, Jesus can be described as “a god” - “theos.” Does that then mean that he is either The Almighty God – because of John 17.3, or that he is a false God – which would be unthinkable? The answer is no, to both conclusions.

All through history, there have been many “gods.” The Apostle Paul wrote, “There are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many “gods” and many “lords.”

So, when faithful worshippers of God spoke of him in comparison to the false gods of other nations, they always distinguished “God” – “Almighty God” – YHWH”, as ”The true God.” (see Genesis 6.4, Exodus 1.21, 1 Thessalonians 1.9, 1 John 5.20).

Yet others can be called gods (“theos”) without being false gods. They are “gods” in the sense that they have been granted God's authority and power.

In the Bible, angels, and even humans are sometimes referred to as “gods.” Satan is called “the god of this world” at 2 Corinthians 4.4. At Exodus 7.1 God says to Moses “See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh.” This did not mean that Moses was either Almighty God, or a false god. At Isaiah 41.23 and Psalm 82.6, God says to the leaders of the nations “ye are gods.”

The same is said of Jesus, at Isaiah 9:6 where he is is prophetically called ʼEl Gib·bohrʹ, “Mighty God” But, notice that, even Jesus is never called ʼEl Shad·daiʹ - “God Almighty”, or "ton-The-os" literally "The God," which is applied only to YHWH at Genesis 17:1. Jesus being called a “god” does not make him Almighty God – “The only true God” – Yahweh, Jehovah, but neither does it make him a false god.

Paul confirms this when he writes - “There is actually to us one God, the Father, from whom all things are and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are and we through him.” - (1 Corinthians 8.5,6).

Jesus himself, when being tried by the San Hedrin, declared “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said: “You are gods”’? If he called ‘gods’ those against whom the word of God came—and yet the scripture cannot be nullified - do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am God’s Son?” Note that the charge against Jesus is not that he claimed to be Almighty God, but “God's son.”

Others testified that Jesus was not Almighty God – Yahweh, Jehovah, but God's beloved son.

“The angel said to her: “Holy spirit will come upon you, and power of the Most High will overshadow you. And for that reason the one who is born will be called holy, God’s Son.” - Luke 1.35

“Then those in the boat did obeisance to him, saying: “You really are God’s Son.” - Matthew 14.33

“He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.” - Matthew 27.43

“But when the army officer and those with him keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake and the things happening, they grew very much afraid and said: “Certainly this was God’s Son.” - Matthew 27.64

If there is any confusion about Jesus' nature, it was not in the mind of the Apostle John. At John 1.18 (in the original Greek) John writes "No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is in the bosom position with the Father is the one that has explained him," and at John 20.31 He writes "But these have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God."

All through his life, Jesus declared his Father's name to people because he loved his Father, and he honoured his name. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus began by praying “Hallowed be thy name (Yahweh, Jehovah).” Jesus prayed “I have made your name known among men.” Why do the churches of the world today not honour Almighty God's name – as Jesus asked us to?

Jesus himself never claimed to be Almighty God – Yahweh, Jehovah. In fact, Jesus called Jehovah “My Father and your Father, My God and your God.” - John 20.17

Even when Jesus had returned to heaven, he still addressed his Father as “My God” and referred to “The name of my God.” - Revelation 3.12

So, John 17.3 does not mean that Jesus is his Father - Almighty God – Jehovah. Jesus never sought glory or power for himself, but always directed worship and thanks to his Father. Jesus Christ is King of Kings, the Messiah, our Master, our Saviour, the greatest man who ever lived, the King of God's kingdom, and God's beloved son, in whom God has placed all authority and power, but, he is not Almighty God.