Primary Teaching of John 10:34-36

Exposition of John 10:34-36

Jesus said to them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—can you say that the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? ^[2]

The passage is part of Jesus' dialogue with the Pharisees, where He is accused of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God. Jesus responds by referencing Psalm 82:6, where judges or leaders are called "gods" because they represent God's authority ^[1].

Literary Context

John 10:34-36 is situated within Jesus' Good Shepherd discourse (John 10:1-18), where He describes His relationship with His followers and His unique role as the Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. The Pharisees' reaction to Jesus' claim (John 10:31-33) leads to this exchange, where Jesus defends His statement "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30) ^[2].

Historical Setting

The Gospel of John is generally dated to the late 1st century. Jesus' dialogue with the Pharisees reflects the tensions between Jesus and the Jewish leaders during His ministry ^[3].

Key Terms

The term "gods" (θεοί, theoi) in Psalm 82:6, quoted in John 10:34, is crucial. Jesus uses this term to argue that if human leaders can be called "gods" due to their role in representing God, then He, as the Son of God, is not blaspheming ^[1].

Major Exegetical Decisions

The primary exegetical issue is understanding Jesus' use of Psalm 82:6. Jesus' argument hinges on the principle that if Scripture can refer to humans as "gods," then His claim to be the Son of God is not inherently blasphemous. The interpretation of "the word of God came" to those called "gods" is also significant, as it underlines the representative or authoritative role these individuals have ^[3].

Range of Interpretations

Traditions interpret John 10:34-36 in various ways.

Patristic Interpretation: Augustine views Jesus' argument as emphasizing His divinity while distinguishing between His nature and that of others called "gods." He sees Jesus as affirming His unique sonship ^{[5, 8]}.
Reformed Interpretation: Calvin understands Jesus to be using an argument a fortiori; if those who receive God's word are called "gods," then Jesus, who is the Word, is certainly the Son of God. This interpretation emphasizes Jesus' unique relationship with the Father ^[7].
Catholic (Scholastic) Interpretation: Aquinas discusses the sanctification of Christ, referencing John 10:36. He interprets Jesus' sanctification as related to His human nature, emphasizing the hypostatic union ^[4].
Protestant Academic Interpretation: Scholars like those at Tyndale House see Jesus using Psalm 82:6 to establish a precedent for divine terminology being applied to humans, thereby justifying His own claim to be the Son of God ^[3].

Function in Tradition

John 10:34-36 has been used in various theological debates, particularly regarding Christ's divinity and the nature of His sonship. It has been cited in discussions on the Trinity and the person of Christ across different Christian traditions ^{[6, 9, 10]}.

The passage remains significant in understanding Jesus' identity and mission, as it highlights His unique relationship with the Father and His role as the Son of God sent into the world. The diverse interpretations of this passage reflect the complex theological landscape of Christian thought, underscoring the importance of understanding Jesus' claims within their scriptural and historical context.

Sources

OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Ps.82.6 → John.10.34-John.10.36 (confidence: 86 votes)”
John “I and the Father are one.” -- John 10:30”
John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 10:34: 10:34-36 I say, you are gods! If the word god could be applied to people other than the Lord, then Jesus was not breaking the law by referring to himself in this way. Yet Jesus is not just any son of God; he is the Son of God who was sent . . . into the world.”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Perfection of the Child Conceived, Art. 1: Article: Whether Christ was sanctified in the first instant of His conception? I answer that, As stated above (Question [7], Articles [9],10,12), the abundance of grace sanctifying Christ's soul flows from the very union of the Word, according to Jn. 1:14: "We saw His glory . . . as it were of the Only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." For it has been shown above (Question [33], Articles [2],3) that in the first instant of conception, Christ's body was both animated and assume”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER XVI. 12, 33 (continuea). (part 5): as is done by the Manicheans, or any other pests, if such there be, that fall into similar foily. 5. But to those who are still babes in mind, and who as carnal, the apostle says, require to be nourished with milk, all discoursing on such a subject, wherein we deal not only with the believing, but also with the understanding and the knowing of what is spoken, must be burdensome, as being still unable to perceive such things, and be more fitted to oppress than to feed them. Whence it comes to pass that the sp”
Heidelberg Catechism (Reformed) “Heidelberg Catechism (Reformed, 1563), Q. What does it mean that he: Q. What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary”? A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God,1 took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit,2 from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary,3 a truly human nature so that he might also become David’s true descendant,4 like his brothers and sisters in every way5 except for sin.6 1 John 1:1; 10:30-36; Acts 13:33 (Ps. 2:7); Col. 1:15-17; 1 John 5:20 2 Luke 1:35 3 Matt. 1:18-23; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; Heb”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: 15:5 15:6 15:10 15:16 15:16 15:16 15:19 16:2 16:7 16:7 16:12 16:12 16:13 16:13 16:20 16:26 17:3 17:3 17:3 17:3 17:5 17:5 17:6 17:9 17:12 17:12 17:15 17:19 17:19 17:19 17:19 18:36 18:37 19:33 19:34 19:36 20 20:5 20:17 20:17 20:19 20:22 20:22 20:22 20:23 20:23 20:23 20:23 20:28 20:31 21:15 21:15 21:18 Acts 1 1:10 1:11 1:23 2:4 2:21 2:23 2:23 2:24 2:24 2:33 2:37 2:37-38 2:38 2:39 2:41 2:42 2:42 3:6 3:6 3:15 3:21 3:25 4:12 4:12 4:18 4:28 4:28 4:32 5:29 5:31 5:41 6:2 6:3 6:3 6:6 6:10 7:21 7:30 7:44 7:48 7:48 7:55 7:56 7:59 8:13-18 8:14”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER III. 29-36. (part 1): 1. This lesson from the holy Gospel shows us the excellency of our Lord Jesus Christ's divinity, and the humility of the man who earned the title of the Bridegroom's friend; that we may distinguish between the man who is man, and the Man who is God. For the Man who is God is our Lord Jesus Christ, God before all ages, Man in the age of our world: God of the Father, man of the Virgin, yet one and the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Son of God, God and man. But John, a man of distinguished grace, was sent 94 before Him”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 98: 16:16 16:17 16:19 16:19 16:27 17:11 18:3 18:17 18:18 18:19 18:25 19:1-30 19:3-9 19:3-9 19:4-9 19:5 19:9 19:10 19:10 19:11 19:11 19:28 20:28 22:37 22:38 23:39 24:1-25:46 24:3 24:6 24:6 24:14 24:14 24:14 24:24 24:29-35 24:30 24:30 24:31 24:31 24:34 24:34 24:36 25:31 25:31 25:31-46 25:31-46 25:31-46 25:31-46 25:32 25:32 25:41 25:46 26:26 26:26-28 26:27 26:63 26:64 27:24 27:43 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:19 28:20 28:20 28:20 28:24 Mark 1:8 1:15 3:4 6:18 6:48 7:4 7:4 7:4 7:28 9:42-48 10:2-12 10:4-9 10:7 10:8 10:11 10:12 10:13 12:26 13:7 1”
CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 105: 9:5 9:5 9:5 9:19 9:21 9:21 10:4 10:4 10:6-9 10:13-21 10:17 11:8 11:25-27 11:28 11:32 11:33-36 11:36 11:36 11:36 12:3 12:13 15:10 15:12 16:25-27 1 Corinthians 1:9 1:10 1:17-25 1:20 1:20-25 1:23 1:23 1:23-24 1:24 1:24 1:24 1:27 1:27 2:2 2:7-8 2:8 2:8 2:8 2:10-11 2:11 2:12 2:12 2:14-15 3:8 3:8 3:16 3:17 3:19 7:2 7:25 7:31 8 8:5 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:7 10:1 10:17 10:31 11:2 11:24-26 11:29 11:31-32 12:3 12:3 12:3 12:3 12:4-7 12:4-11 12:5-6 12:5-6 12:8 12:8 12:8-10 12:11 12:12 12:24 13:10 14:32 14:37 15:3-4 15:16-17 15:20 15:2”

Ask Your Own Question