If this doctrine is not explicity given in the Bible, how do you know that you are following the true teachings of Jesus and not the misguidance others may have attributed to him?
John 10:30 – The Father and I are One
Christians regard this verse as the golden egg of divine claims. They almost always, however, take it completely out of context. What does Jesus mean when he says that he and the Father are One? One in divinity? Let’s examine the entire passage and arrive at the truth.
“Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and
no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. I and [my] Father are one.
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” - John 10:24-36.
Notice Jesus, referring to his sheep, says that no man can pluck them out of his hand. Then he says that His Father is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of His Hand. He and the Father are one, yes, one in
purpose! Their unity exists in the fact that they are protecting their sheep, not in their godhead, as
Christians claim. Jesus even prefaces his so-called “claim” by saying that the Father “is greater than all” so that there is no confusion in what he is saying yet Christians remain confused. Christians needing to justify themselves, ridiculously claim that Jesus in verse 29 is speaking of the
person of the Father and not of His nature or essential being. However in the very next verse, they now claim that Jesus
is speaking of the nature and essence of the Father and equating himself to Him. This is a classic case of Christians reading into the scripture something that is not there.
Ron Rhodes, author of
Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims, quotes the Athanasian Creed: (emphasis mine, bashfully): “(Christ) is equal to the Father as touching his Godhood, and inferior to the Father as
touching his manhood” (pages 154-155). With statements like this, who needs the funny pages? - See Chapter 2 for a complete refutation of the Trinity.
We are then told that the Jews pick up stones and tell Jesus, “for a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” Rhodes comments, “Notice that Jesus did not respond by saying, ‘Oh, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I was not claiming to be God. I’m just claiming unity of purpose with Him.’ Jesus did not offer a single correction because the Jews understood Him exactly as He had intended to be understood.” Maybe Mr. Rhodes forgot to read the remainder of the passage because Jesus does, most definitely, correct the Jews
misunderstanding of his claim.
In verse 34, Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6: “Is it not written in your law: ‘I said, you are gods?’” He continues: “If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken.” So what exactly is Jesus claiming? He is claiming that he is
receiving the word of God, and that since those who were bestowed this honor in the Law are called “gods,” like Moses in Exodus 7:1, there is nothing blasphemous about him saying that he is the “Son of God.” He is simply confirming previous scripture.
McDowell says: “Greek scholar A.T. Robertson writes that the ‘one’ is neuter, not masculine, in the Greek, and does not indicate one in person or purpose but rather one in ‘essence or nature’” (page 16). However Jesus says about his disciples: “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” (John 17:21). I don’t think any Christian will submit to believe that there is actually a fifteen-unit godhead consisting of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and twelve disciples which includes the “Satanic” Peter, the doubting Thomas, and the traitor Judas Iscariot. The Greek for “one” in both verses (John 10:30, 17:21) is “
hen.” Again, oneness of purpose in meant here.
Correct your Christian friend’s misunderstanding of this passage, just as Jesus corrected the Pharisees. (Ataie,
In Defense of Islam, pp. 18-20)
I believe that God is not the author of confusion. He does not send or authorise multiple religions; the true path is one, just as humanity is one.
is what Prophet Jesus spoke of in the previous passage - the unity of humanity upon the one truth. All the prophets came with the same message and if we analyze that message we can quickly find out what it was and what it wasn't. God wants human beings to use their intellect to search for and strive upon the true path He has revealed for mankind.
According to Christians, God is three persons in one. According to Islam, such a belief is blasphemy. Only one can be correct. God has sent us here on earth with a divine mission to unite humanity upon the truth and to serve Our Lord by enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. Only truth is from God, God does not reveal falsehood. Satan wishes to divide humanity by propagating false beliefs and attributing them to God. Unity does not come in accepting falsehood, but unity comes in striving to follow the true message of God as revealed to His Prophets.
God commands us to be tolerant towards others and respectful of them, yet He also commands us to call them in a gentle and wise manner towards the truth, His true message. And His true Message is only one. Only when we unite upon the truth and in the service of Our Creator as Prophet Jesus said, will we be able to experience the true love that comes from submission to God.
How can we, as believers in God, unite with Satanists? Are you claiming that the same God that warned us of Satan wants us to unite and love his followers? No, we must call all humanity to the true religion of God.