John 10:30; John 8:58; John 14:9

Greg

Trinitarian assertions:
 
1. “I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).
 
In this statement, Jesus asserts his unity with God the Father, implying his divine nature.
 
2. “Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).
 
Here, Jesus uses the phrase "I am," which echoes the divine name revealed to Moses in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). Many interpret this statement as Jesus identifying himself with the eternal nature of God.
 
3. “He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).

Jesus declares that seeing him is equivalent to seeing God the Father, suggesting his divine identity.
 
Response:

1. Jesus was asserting his oneness with the Father in spirit, fellowship, and agenda.  It is recorded in John 17:11b (RSV) that Jesus prayed: "Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one."  Was he praying his disciples would become God?  Of course not.
 
2. Jesus did not quote Exodus 3:14.  It is a different phrase.  Those who think Jesus was quoting Yahweh have been misinformed.
 
"First, Jesus does not quote the full title. Jesus does not say, “Before Abraham was, I am who I am" (note - some think this is more accurately rendered - "I will be who I will be").  He only says part of the phrase.  Secondly, he says the wrong part of the phrase if this was his goal....God shortens his divine name in the second half of Exodus 3:14 and says to tell them: “The one who is (ο ων) has sent me to you.” The translators of the (so-called) Septuagint do not use “egō eimi” here, instead they use ο ων (“ho on”).....in John 8:58, Jesus does not use the complete divine title in Exodus 3:14a, nor the partial divine title in Exodus 3:14b, but instead uses “egō eimi” which was a common expression in Greek to identify oneself as the person being talked about, i.e. “I am he” or “I am the one” (Matt. 14:27; Mark 13:6; etc.)."  Source – biblicalunitarian.com (Parenthetical statements are mine).
 
3. This means that the Father's character, his words, and his deeds were being demonstrated by Jesus. To see the Son was to see the Father that he was perfectly representing.  God was not Christ, God was in Christ.
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