John 10:30-31,
εγω και ο πατηρ εν εσμεν
εβαστασαν παλιν λιθους οι ιουδαιοι ινα λιθασωσιν αυτον
“I and
my Father are one. Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone him.”
Let’s
look at Jesus’ commentary on this topic in John 10: 30-36 ESV.
εγω και ο πατηρ εν εσμεν
30 I and the Father are one.”
εβαστασαν παλιν λιθους οι ιουδαιοι ινα λιθασωσιν αυτον
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους πολλα εργα
εδειξα υμιν καλα εκ του πατρος δια ποιον αυτων εργον εμε λιθαζετε
32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from
the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
απεκριθησαν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι περι καλου
εργου ου λιθαζομεν σε αλλα περι βλασφημιας και οτι συ ανθρωπος ων ποιεις
σεαυτον θεον
33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we
are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make
yourself God.”
απεκριθη αυτοις [ο] ιησους ουκ εστιν
γεγραμμενον εν τω νομω υμων οτι εγω ειπα θεοι εστε
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said,
you are gods’?
ει εκεινους ειπεν θεους προς ους ο
λογος του θεου εγενετο και ου δυναται λυθηναι η γραφη
35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and
Scripture cannot be broken—
ον ο πατηρ ηγιασεν και απεστειλεν εις
τον κοσμον υμεις λεγετε οτι βλασφημεις οτι ειπον υιος του θεου ειμι
36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into
the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
Jesus doesn’t defend himself by saying
that he is actually God. His defense is
that the Bible refers to some people who receive God's word as gods.
Therefore, shouldn’t someone sent by God be able to call himself the Son
of God? He defends himself by saying
that the Pharisees are mistaken in their belief that it is blasphemy for a
person to make the claims that he makes.
He is saying that it is not blasphemy for a person who is sent and
sanctified by God to claim to be one with God.
He is denying that his earlier statement, “I and the
Father are one” is a blasphemous statement for a person to make. Since he is claiming that it is not
inappropriate for a person to say what he said, he is also denying that his
statement was a claim to be God.
Let's look at Jesus's explanation of what He means to be one.
John 17:11, 20-23
και ουκετι ειμι εν τω κοσμω και αυτοι εν τω κοσμω εισιν καγω προς σε ερχομαι πατερ αγιε τηρησον αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ω δεδωκας μοι ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
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ου περι τουτων δε ερωτω μονον αλλα και περι των πιστευοντων δια του λογου αυτων εις εμε
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
ινα παντες εν ωσιν καθως συ πατηρ εν εμοι καγω εν σοι ινα και αυτοι εν ημιν ωσιν ινα ο κοσμος πιστευη οτι συ με απεστειλας
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
καγω την δοξαν ην δεδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις εν
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
εγω εν αυτοις και συ εν εμοι ινα ωσιν τετελειωμενοι εις εν ινα γινωσκη ο κοσμος οτι συ με απεστειλας και ηγαπησας αυτους καθως εμε ηγαπησας
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Jesus makes it clear that he is talking about unity in purpose when he says that people are "one". You have to ignore the context of the defense Jesus gives and his explanation of being "one" in order to believe that he is talking about the Trinity in John 10.
