Tonight at 7:30pm EST we hold the eighth lecture on the Biblical basis for the theology we call the Providential Preservation of Scripture. Lecture 8 considers Jesus’ exegetical defense of his equality with the Father recorded in John 10:35 which hinges on the inspiration and preservation of one word, “gods.”
After Jesus says in John 10:30, “I and my Father are one,” in verse 31 the Jews take up stones to stone him. Jesus asks in verse 32 for which of his good works do they stone him, a timely question on the heels of the healing of the man born blind in chapter 9. The Jews reply in verse 33 that it is not for his good works they stone him but for blasphemy in that Jesus calls himself God. It is in Jesus’ reply to the false accusation of blasphemy that we read Jesus’ defense of his oneness with the Father in verses 34 and 35. Of primary significance in the context of this passage is Jesus’ use of a Psalm of Asaph, chapter 82, verse 6, which reads, “I have said, Ye are gods” referring to the princes of Israel. Secondarily, drawn from Jesus’ use of Psalm 82:6 we see the plenary authority of Scripture. It is upon one word “gods” that Jesus defends his deity, and synecdochally the absolute authority of one word, or the part, stands for the absolute authority of the whole of Scripture. Thirdly, and in keeping with the theme of this series, we will note that the entirety of this argument is established and accepted by Jesus and the Jews based on what was written in “your law,” in verse 34, or the copy of the law that the Jews had in hand during the earthly ministry of Jesus.
Don’t miss this important study of the ramification and significance of the preserved word in John 10:35 tonight at 7:30 EST.
Standard Sacred Text.com 