ExposingThe
Trinity!
Why did Jesus Say "I AM" in John 8:58?
Christ is Not Yahweh!
By Nab B. February 19, 2022
"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58)
For any doctrine to be true, it must be examined by the scriptures and in contextual agreement with the whole Bible. Doctrinal bias is untruth!
Trinitarians claim that Jesus used the divine name in Exodus 3:14 when he said: “ego eimi” which translated as “I AM” in John 8:58. Trinitarians say the Jews wanted to stone Him for claiming to be Yahweh! This is FALSE!
I will show you that the same expression ‘ego eimi’ (I am) was translated correctly in other places, EXCEPT in John 8:58. For example, Jesus used "ego eimi or I am" several times in John chapter 8 (see verses 12, 16, 18, 23, 24, 28). All were translated correctly as ‘I am He’ or ‘I am the one’ (with no capitalization)! Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "I am he [ego eimi], who is speaking to you.” (John 4:26) Again, it was translated correctly but not in John 8:58!
If we assume that “ego eimi” or "I am" means Yahweh, then, what about other people who used the same expression? Are they Yahweh or Jehovah too? In a strange way and by the same logic, they have to be! Below are some examples of people besides Jesus using "I am". Take a look:
Gabriel said, “I am [ego eimi] Gabriel.” Was Gabriel Yahweh? (Luke 1:19)
The Baptist said, "I am [ego eimi] not the Christ." Was he saying he's Yahweh but not Christ? (John 1:20)
Paul said, "By the grace of God I am [ego eimi] what I am." Was Paul saying he was Yahweh twice? (1 Cor 15:10)
"I am [ego eimi] a man under authority.” Did the centurion mean Yahweh or himself? (Matthew 8:9)
Judas said, "Not I am [ego eimi] Lord?" Was he Yahweh? (Matthew 26:25)
The blind man said, “I am he [ego eimi].” Was he Yahweh too? If "I am" meant Yahweh, the Pharisees would have stoned him. But they did not! (John 9:9)
The Real Meaning of John 8:58
To paraphrase John 8:58, it says:
“I am the Promised Messiah spoken of before Abraham ever existed!”
Please understand that "I am" is NOT a title or a code for God's name. it is a common word used by common people! Check any Bible Concordance for hundreds of examples.
Why Abraham Rejoiced
Jesus never said he had seen Abraham. All he said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56). This simply meant that Abraham rejoiced at the prospect of the coming Messiah. How on earth do you make this mean Jesus existed before Abraham?!
I will show you what made Abraham rejoice:
“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’" (Galatians 3:8; also Hebrews 11:16-21).
Why The Jewish Leaders Wanted to Kill Jesus
The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because he claimed to be greater than Abraham and not for claiming to be Yahweh! Their desire to kill him was "of their father the devil." (John 8:43-47)
Jesus was Not Referring to the "I AM" in Exodus 3:14!
Using the Greek Septuagint as extra proof, something else is noticed.
The divine name was not "ego eimi”!
Most translations that render Ex 3:14 as "I AM sent me to you" seem inaccurate!
God’s name in Ex 3:14 in the Greek Septuagint appears as: "ego eimi ho ōn” which means "I am the Being", or "I am the self-existing One”.
So Ex 3:14 should read like this:
“This is what you are to say to the Israelites, I am [ego eimi], the Self-Existing One [ho ōn] has sent me to you.”
Most translations highlight the wrong words, ‘ego eimi’ or "I am", instead of ‘ho ōn’ or "the self-existing One"!
Wrapping it Up
How does one gain an accurate understanding of the scriptures? One way is by noting the immediate context, the context of a chapter, and other related passages elsewhere in the Bible. But the best way to understand the scriptures is by the "Spirit of God". Seven times Jesus urged the believers (churches) to "Hear what the Spirit says." (Rev 2:7) And it was he who opened "Their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." (Luke 24:45)
Jesus Christ was not saying to be opened-minded to accept man-made doctrines, rather he said that "the Helper, the Holy Spirit...shall teach you all things." (John 14:26)