Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! Suffice it to say that the best-recognized translations which have sought literal renderings of the text have translated the verse as "I am": NASB, NIV, KJV, RSV, etc. -John 6:35 Jesus spoke these words after a The translation of the Greek present into the English perfect tense is perfectly justifiable here because it doesn't make sense in English, but is it the case with John 8:58? (8:38). " Have you ever felt that way before? Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I I proceeded forth and have come from God . Includes most popular Who does God say I am Bible Passage, Who God says we are in Him (from the Bible), Who God says I am in Jesus Christ. (Col. 3:3) I am certain that God will finish the good work he has begun in me. '", Romans 8:38-39"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.". Matthew 28:20"Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Join us as we explore 12 Bible Verses about Being a Child of God, Being a Child of The King, & Being Children of God (I am a Child of God Scripture Quotes & Bible Verses). (8:42). I am hidden with Christ in God. In this verse, "Have I been" is originally the Greek present tense 'ego eimi'; but here, Jesus was answering the statement in verse 8, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." ", Deuteronomy 31:6"Be strong and courageous. Throughout the Old Testament in the original Hebrew, God is known by his four-letter name YHWH. . " 32Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning me?" Note that they again wanted to kill Him, and this time they give the reason why. Let's take a look. The preceding list has many profound statements. ", There are places, however, in the New Testament where the Greek present tense of 'ego eimi' "I am" can be translated into the English perfect tense "I have been." John 10:31 is referencing back to John 8:59 when it says "The Jews took up stones again to stone Him." If he never claimed to be God, then his public enemies would have never crucified him for blasphemy. He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Others say that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus for saying "Before Abraham was, I am," because "I am" is close to God saying "I am that I am" in Exodus 3:14. A third implication of the name I AM WHO I AM is that God does not change. Be still and know that I am God, the first half of Psalm 46:10, is a popular verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord. D. A new Creature. (Phil 1:6) I am a citizen of heaven, along with the rest of Gods family. 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But, if Jesus was not claiming to be God in John 8:58 and 10:30, then what was it that He said that warranted such a violent response from the Jews in both cases? And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. 16. The Jews took up stones again to stone him. "I am He who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of me" (8:18). Remember, first of all, that it is a response to Moses question. In other words, we can make the case that for Jesus to say, "Before Abraham was, I am" was equivalent to claiming God's name for Himself. But nothing could be farther from the truth. MATT SLICK LIVE RADIOCall in with your questions at 877-207-22763-4pm PST; 4-5pm MST; 6-7pm ESTWatch on FacebookPast Shows Radio PodcastRadio Show SurveySubscribe to CARM Radio, CARM wishlistWant to help CARM in a different way? Which would be the phrase most likely to be the last straw for the Jews? . " In the Gospel of John, an all-important phrase, spoken by Jesus, is repeated seven times. God wanted to assure Moses and Israel that God would become what they would need Him to become.In using the words I AM THAT I AM, God used an expression to reveal to Moses a promise and pledge found in His name. (2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.E. They said that Jesus was claiming to be God. Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. "I always do the things that are pleasing to Him" (8:29). "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father . Nevertheless, there are many non-Christian groups that deny that Jesus is God. People change their mind because of unf I am born againspiritually transformed, renewed and set apart for Gods purposethrough the living and everlasting word of God (1 Peter 1:23). I am Gods workmanship, created in Christ to do good works that He has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). You are Gods heir. In Malachi 3:6 God says, I Yahweh do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (Heb. "Ego eimi" is literally, "I am." Between John 8:59 where the Jews picked up stones to kill Jesus and John 10:30-33 where they again picked up stones to kill him, there is no mention of stoning whatsoever. From what I can see in the Bible, saying you had a preexistence isn't blasphemy. "I speak these things as the Father taught me" (8:28). "You are from below, I am from above" (8:23). This paper will not attempt to analyze the Greek translation principles that have lead various Bibles to render John 8:58 as "I have been" or "I was in existence," etc. Listed below are 21 Things God says about me in the Bible, Scriptures, His Word & Today (for Kids & Adults). God promises in His Word over and over again that He is always with us. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless . I am the true vine and my Father is the Therefore, when they come to this verse, it must be dealt with. 4:16) I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. "eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'christiantoday_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',156,'0','0'])); Isaiah 41:10"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Notice that the majority of the psalm is written in the third person as the psalmist speaks about God. Since they wanted to kill Him both times, it would seem that Jesus had been making some very serious claims, or was it simply that the Pharisees misunderstood Jesus; and that Jesus never did claim to be God? I am the God of your father, Abraham, He said. The Jehovah's Witness Watchtower organization claims that the best translation of John 8:58 is "Before Abraham was, I have been." A son of God. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." Is it legitimate for the Watchtower organization to insist that John 8:58 is best translated as "I have been"? Galatians 4:7 ESV / 130 helpful votes. ,?" The Lord tells us repeatedly in His Word that He is the great "I AM." Be strong and courageous. Within the name Yahweh is the affirmation I AM WHO I AM. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 33"The Jews answered Him, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God" (NASB). . And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? . This is a very important verse to Trinitarians because it is one of the places we use to show that Jesus is God. it is then rendered as, "Have I been with you so long, and you have not come to know me . . " the God who calls his own people and makes himself their God freely and graciously, that God says to us who believe: I am your God. This is a very important verse to Trinitarians because it is one of the places we use to show that Jesus is God. John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 10:30-33, What made the Jews want to kill Jesus? However, claiming to be one with God is quite different. "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death" (8:51). There are a combination of other verses that contribute to the doctrine. Could it be from where Jesus said, "I and the Father are one" (10:30). John 15:1-5 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. In the Bible we never read any verse where Jesus says the words, I am God. However, this does not mean that Jesus never claimed to be God. 2:19) I can find grace and mercy in times of need. "The things which I heard from Him [God the Father], these I speak to the world" (8:26). "It is my Father who glorifies Me . . The reason is simple. May the peace, presence and love of our Father overwhelm you and overflow in you as you read these encouraging scriptures today. 1 Corinthians 8:6 Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (8:54). ", Zephaniah 3:17"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.". We maintain that Jesus attributed the divine name of God ("I AM" from Exodus 3:14), to Himself, but this verse I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? ?" He used the present tense "ego eimi" which is "I am. If you have, welcome to the club. Then Comes the Command On These Pillars. I will uphold you. The presence of bad times is usually the greatest persuasion of God's absence, but remember that various times in Bible times, God was there even in the midst of war, famine, flood, and even storms. Could it have been where he said, "Before Abraham was, I am"? . New King James Version And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He said, Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. There is no linguistic requirement to translate it as "I have been" particularly when you notice that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus after he said, "ego eimi.". The second implication in the name I AM WHO I AM is that Gods personality and power are owing solely to himself and to no other. Consider Leviticus 24:16 which says, 'Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him" (NASB). What had Jesus been saying? . I cant even explain how I found myself in Zechariah, because sometimes I cant remember if its a real book of the Bible or one I made up in my head because Zechariah sounds like a name that would be a book of the Bible (Eph. I am a branch of the true vine, and a conduit of Christs life. Here are seven scriptures that assure us that God is with us always. God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14) Two small words, three simple letters, "I AM." An example of this is John 14:9 where Jesus says, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me . Was it because Jesus said "Before Abraham was, I have been" or "Before Abraham was, I am"? Please click here to learn how. Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. He already asked, in verse 11, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? God said in verse 12 that I will be with youehyeh immak. We maintain that Jesus attributed the divine name of God ("I AM" from Exodus 3:14), to Himself, but this verse alone may not be sufficient to prove His deity. Let's look at the arguments: The first argument states that Jesus had upset the Jews so much by what He had been saying that when he finally made his statement in verse 58, it was the last straw; the Jews snapped, and then they tried to kill him; but, they maintain, it wasn't because Jesus was claiming the divine title. . Jesus said in John 8:58, "Before Abraham was, I am." . " Job 5:18 A few weeks ago, as I was reading my Bible, I ran across some verses that leapt out at me. Since He did say, in Greek, "I am," it is more likely that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy. What phrase from Jesus did the Jews react to and what 'misunderstanding' did they have about what it was Jesus said that led them to claim that he was making Himself out to be God? Jesus said in John 8:58, "Before Abraham was, I am." God says I am a member of Jesus Christs body: And this is Gods plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by Gods children. The best way to always remind ourselves of this is to remind ourselves of what God's Word promises us when it comes to Him always being present in our lives. you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God, this Abraham did not do" (8:40). " They had just had enough. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. Capital punishment was only for serious sins: blasphemy, adultery, etc. Be encouraged and grow your faith with daily and weekly devotionals. In John 10:30-33 Jesus said, "I and the Father are one. God is with us always and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. This has led to the Biblical God sometimes being referred to as the great I am. Romans 8:15 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.. F. Led by the Spirit of God Matt Slick is thePresident and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. 1 Corinthians 8:6 - But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in "eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'christiantoday_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',150,'0','0'])); Hebrews 13:5"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you. . Exodus 3:14 - And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Following is a list of some key statements by Jesus in chapter 8. . 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. In my opinion, the best explanation for the Jews wanting to kill Jesus is that Jesus was claiming equality with God. So he asks who God is, God says, I am who am I am or I will cause to be what I will cause to be. So Moses, wisely enough, converts that into a third-person formula: okay, he will be who he will be, he is who he is, Yahweh asher Yahweh. 4 Remain in me, as I Also, notice statements 1, 5, 11, and 14. These are clear declarations by Jesus where He exalts Himself to heavenly level. We've all felt at some point that God is distant or even ignorant. In Greek, the words recorded in John 8:58 are "'prin abraam genesthai ego eimi." The term I Am relating to God appears over 300 times in the Bible, first in the book of Genesis (15:1) and last in Revelation (22:16). "Unless you believe that I am, you shall die in your sins" (8:24). Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6, NLT; see also Ephesians 5:30). So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. The most common lie that Satan uses to instill fear into us is that God is far away or absent from our presence. If Jesus is God, then why did He say that the Father was greater than He? For further reading go to Who is Jesus according to the apostle John? God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Some say that the reason the Jews wanted to kill Jesus after He said, "Before Abraham was, I am" is that it was the last straw in a series of difficult and insulting things Jesus had been saying to the Jews in John chapter 8. I am with you. I will help you. Since in English it is awkward to say, "I am with you so long, and you still don't know me . No. I will strengthen you. It is quite possible that either statement would be sufficient; but, of course, any claim by Jesus to the divine name would be a stronger motivation for the Jews to kill Him. They considered this blasphemy. To say "I have been" is to use the perfect tense. By this, we do not mean that Jesus went around Israel saying: Hi, I am Jesus, and I am God. The reason Jesus did not do this is that he came to reveal the Father (cf., Matthew 11:27; John 1:18, 14:9), and, in a monotheistic culture (Mark 12:29), he would not want people to think that he was saying he was the Father. Its the same verb: verse 12 says I will be, and verse 14 says I am So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an This is the present tense. It is perfectly understandable that the Jews would be upset, but, it was Jesus' statement in 8:58 that triggered their murderous attempt. The Bread of Life And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. But if who God is not determined by any forces outside himself, then he is not subject to the changes we are. eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'christiantoday_com-box-3','ezslot_5',113,'0','0'])); Fear is one of Satan's most popular weapons that he uses against us. Notice that they do not have it say, "I am." He will not leave you or forsake you. While this interpretation promotes a healthy rest in the presence of the Lord, it should further be understood as a command to wake up, stop striving, and acknowledge God for who He is, allowing Him to do what only He can do. 12 Bible Verses about Being a Child of God: This is something the Jews would absolutely protest. Not only that, He has proven time and time both in the Bible and even in our lives today that He is there. . . . In Greek, his would have been "aemane," but Jesus didn't use it here. Read Do You Know Why Jesus Uses the Phrase "I Am"? I am a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now, where would they get that idea? Literally, this is "Before Abraham was existing, I am." - Your Daily Bible Verse - January 26 from today's daily devotional. . If Jesus did say, "I am," it would give strong evidence that Jesus was claiming to be God. wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. Must it be translated as "I have been"? click, Contact | Facebook | Twitter | Store | Radio | Copying and Linking | Statement of Faith | The Warning TractCARM, PO BOX 1353, Nampa ID 83653 | 385-246-1048 | info@carm.orgHosting by EverythingsA.com Powered by the Connectivity.Engineer Network, Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, CARM, PO BOX 1353, Nampa ID 83653 | 385-246-1048. If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at info@carm.org. The Jews could easily see this and would protest--particularly when Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am." The cults, like the bad religious leaders who opposed Jesus, deny who Jesus really is as well. 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