Did Jesus Deny His Deity in John 8:40?

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For the Filipino version, click here: “Itinanggi ba ni Jesus ang Kanyang pagka-Diyos sa Juan 8:40?” 

“But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.” (John 8:40)[1]

That is one of the favorite verses of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to prove that Jesus is not equal with God. We see this verse quoted time and again in their official magazine, Pasugo.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is man. He is different from God. He is not God, neither is He God-Man. ...Christ Himself taught that He is a man telling the truth. Said our Lord jesus Christ: “As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God." (Jn. 8:40, NIV)[2]

Sa kabila ng mga katangian ni Cristo, ano ang Kaniyang likas na kalagayan? “Datapuwa’t ngayo’y pinagsisikapan ninyo akong patayin, na taong sa inyo’y nagsaysay ng katotohanan, na aking narinig: ito'y hindi ginawa ni Abraham.” (Juan 8:40) Sa pagkakataong ito ay malinaw na ipinakilala ni Cristo na siya ay tao. Hindi kailanman sinabi ni Cristo na Siya ang tunay na Diyos. Samantalang kung siya, dapat sana'y ipinakilala Niya ang sarili Niya na Diyos. [In English: “Despite the attributes of Christ, what was His nature? ‘But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham.’ (John 8:40) At this instance, it is clear that Christ introduced Himself as man. Christ never said that He is the true God. If He is, He could have introduced Himself as God.”][3]

Here we see that the INC made it appear that, by saying He is “a man,” Christ Himself denied that He is God and that “He is different from God... neither is He God-Man.”[4] So, did Jesus categorically deny His deity in John 8:40?

We admit that, in John 8:40, Jesus said He is “a man.” We believe in His perfect humanity. But we do not agree that He in effect denied His nature as God. In that verse, He did not actually say “I am a man, not God.” He just said He is “a man.” For the sake of discussion, let us grant that, when He said that He is “a man,” He affirmed His humanity. The fact that He said He is man does not mean that He said that He is not God. His affirmation of one thing is not equivalent to His denial of another.

What was Jesus really saying in this verse? According to the INC, “It is clear that Christ introduced Himself as man.” [5] Was that the point our Lord made when He said that He is “a man who has told [them] the truth that [He has] heard from God”?

The INC wrested John 8:40 from its context. The simple context of a verse would be the verses before and after it. When we isolate a verse, we end up making it say what it did not intend to say. Someone said, “A text without a context is a pretext.”

The immediate context shows that Christ's humanity was not under fire in this encounter between Him and the Jews. They did not question His humanity. But, they doubted His authority. What He affirmed was that He was Someone to Whom God has spoken. Him being a man was indicated in the verse yet it was not the issue. So, the New Living Translation rendered the clause this way: “I told you the truth I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me.” (Emphasis mine) He did not need to prove or “introduce” His humanity. That was not the main point of His statement. The contention was whether God sent Him or not. That's why He declared, “I told you the truth I heard from God”.

Let us study the context of John 8:40. Because they refused to listen to him, Jesus challenged the claim of the Jews that they were descendants of Abraham.

I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father. (Vv. 37-38)

So, they countered, “Abraham is our father.” (v. 39) But they missed His point. Our Lord was not questioning their ancestry. He was criticizing their spirituality.

Physically the Jews of course are the descendants of Abraham. Yet this same crowd was seeking to kill Jesus, Abraham’s true Son, thus showing that they were not Abraham’s spiritual descendants (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6, 8; Gal. 3:29). They were rejecting His message...[6]

That's why Jesus declared the truth that God spoke to Him: “But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” (Emphasis mine) There was no need at all to affirm His humanity. He was calling upon them to accept His authority.

But they won’t believe Him. Instead, they sought to kill Him. Thus, they proved that they were of the devil and not of God. Just as the enemy resisted God, so also the Jews rejected Jesus. To refuse to listen to Him is to revolt against the Father Who spoke to Him, just like what Satan did.

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. ... Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." (vv. 42-44a, 48)

However, what is amazing was that, in declaring His authority, Jesus categorically affirmed His deity: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (v. 58. Emphasis mine.) The INC made this assertion: “If He is [God], He could have introduced Himself as God.”[7] Here in the context of John 8:40, in this instance, He did introduce Himself as God. Just as the fact that He is man is clear in the passage, so also the fact that He is God.

Abraham came into being; but when he was born, Jesus was already existing. I Am is a title of Deity (cf. Ex. 3:14; Isa. 41:4; 43:11-13; John 8:28); the Jews’ response (v. 59) showed they understood it that way. Jesus, because of His equality with God (5:18; 20:28; Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9), existed from all eternity (John 1:1).[8]

So, in verse 40, our Lord asserted His authority to the Jews. He did not have to affirm His humanity to them. If we will carefully study its context, we would even end up seeing that, instead of denying His deity, Jesus actually declared that He is God.

Apparently, in their attempt to prove that Christ is not God, the INC ended up misquoting John 8:40. To hear the words of God is to rightly understand it. Their wrong understanding shows that they have not truly heard it.

Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God. (v. 47)

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NOTE: We have moved to our new home, http://bibleexpose.org/.

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[1] All Bible verses are from the English Standard Version, unless otherwise noted. Emphasis mine.

[2] Ruben D. Aromin, “Just when was Christ made God?” Pasugo: God’s Message, July 1994, 12, 13.

[3] Daniel D. Catangay, “Ang mga katangian ni Cristo at ang kaniyang likas na kalagayan,” Pasugo: God’s Message, February 1995, 13-14. Note that I quoted the American Standard Version (ASV) here when I translated the quote from Pasugo because Catangay quoted from Ang Biblia 1901, which is a Filipino translation of the ASV.

[4] Aromin, 12.

[5]  Catangay, 14.

[6] Edwin A. Blum, “John” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, ed. John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983, 1985), 305.

[7] Catangay, 14

[8] Blum, 306. Emphasis mine. We will deal more regarding the implication of Christ's declaration of "I Am" in another article.