Dawah Wise

How misused: The speaker misapplies John 1:1 to argue against Yeshua's co-eternality and deity, often by separating 'the Word' from God or claiming it refers to a created entity. They fail to acknowledge the Greek grammatical structure affirming the Word's divine nature and identity with God (θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος), thereby denying Yeshua's eternal pre-existence and full divinity.

Scripture's answer: John 1:1, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,' clearly establishes the eternal pre-existence and full deity of the Logos (Yeshua). The Greek phrase 'θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος' (theos ēn ho logos) means 'the Word was God,' affirming His divine nature. This verse teaches that Yeshua is co-eternal with the Father and possesses the same divine essence, not that He is a created being or merely 'a word from God'.

How misused: Speakers interpret Yeshua's statement 'I and the Father are one' as merely a unity of purpose or mission, rather than a claim of ontological unity and shared divine essence. They often equate this unity with the unity Yeshua prays for believers (John 17:21-22) to negate His unique divine claim, ignoring the Jewish audience's reaction of attempting to stone Him for blasphemy (John 10:33) because they understood His claim as making Himself God.

Scripture's answer: In John 10:30, 'I and the Father are one' (ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν – ego kai ho patēr hen esmen), Yeshua claims a unity of essence, not just purpose. The use of 'ἕν' (hen), a neuter noun, indicates unity of nature rather than numerical identity of persons. The immediate context of John 10:33, where the Jews accuse Him of blasphemy 'because you, being a man, make yourself God,' confirms that His audience understood this as a claim to divine identity. This verse is a clear assertion of Yeshua's co-equality and co-essentiality with the Father, crucial for Trinitarian doctrine.

How misused: This verse, 'And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent,' is consistently misapplied to deny Yeshua's deity by claiming 'the only true God' refers exclusively to the Father and thus excludes Yeshua. This selective reading ignores the broader Johannine Christology which repeatedly affirms Yeshua's divinity (e.g., John 1:1, 8:58, 20:28) and the Christian understanding of an inclusive monotheism where Yeshua shares the divine nature of the 'only true God'.

Scripture's answer: John 17:3 affirms the Father as 'the only true God' but does not exclude Yeshua's deity. The coordinating conjunction 'and' links Yeshua as equally essential to eternal life. Christian theology understands this within a Trinitarian framework: the Father is the sole ultimate source of divinity, but the Son (Yeshua) shares that one divine essence. Numerous other passages in John attest to Yeshua's full divinity (e.g., John 1:1, 1:18, 5:18, 8:58, 10:30, 20:28), demonstrating that the Father is the unique source of deity, which the Son fully possesses.

How misused: Speakers deny that Yeshua's statement 'Before Abraham was, I am' (πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί – prin Abraam genesthai egō eimi) is a claim to divine identity. They often argue that 'ego eimi' is a common Greek phrase and does not necessarily equate to God's self-designation YHWH in Exodus 3:14. This overlooks the deliberate juxtaposition with Abraham's existence and the strong reaction of the Jews who immediately picked up stones to kill Him for blasphemy, indicating they clearly understood His claim to be divine.

Scripture's answer: In John 8:58, Yeshua's 'I am' (ἐγὼ εἰμί – egō eimi) is an absolute, non-predicated use, directly echoing the divine name YHWH (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה – Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) in Exodus 3:14 in the Septuagint. The Jews' immediate reaction to stone Yeshua for blasphemy (John 8:59) unequivocally demonstrates their understanding that He was claiming divine pre-existence and equality with God, not merely a temporal prior existence.

How misused: The verse, 'But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,' is frequently used to deny Yeshua's omniscience and, by extension, His deity. This misinterpretation fails to understand the orthodox Christian doctrine of the hypostatic union, where Yeshua, in His incarnate human nature, voluntarily limited His divine attributes (kenosis) without ceasing to be God. He speaks here from His human limitation, not His divine essence.

Scripture's answer: Mark 13:32 is correctly understood within the framework of Yeshua's two natures (hypostatic union). As fully God, Yeshua is omniscient. As fully man, He voluntarily accepted certain human limitations during His earthly ministry, including a functional limitation of knowledge regarding the timing of His return. This self-limitation (kenosis, Philippians 2:7) does not negate His divine nature but demonstrates His humility and complete identification with humanity, affirming that His divine essence remained unchanged.

How misused: Speakers consistently misinterpret 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”' as teaching that God literally cursed Yeshua or that Yeshua Himself was cursed. This ignores the substitutionary nature of Yeshua's atonement, where He bore the penalty of the Law's curse on humanity's behalf, rather than being personally cursed by God. This passage is used to undermine Yeshua's divinity and portray Him as condemned by God.

Scripture's answer: Galatians 3:13, quoting Deuteronomy 21:23, teaches that Yeshua, through His death on the cross, took upon Himself the legal curse (penalty) of the Law that humanity deserved due to sin. He 'became a curse' (not 'was cursed' by God Himself) by willingly subjecting Himself to the humiliating and public death associated with a curse, thereby freeing believers from the Law's condemnation. This act demonstrates His sacrificial love and redemptive power, not a personal condemnation by God.

How misused: Speakers often deny the Messianic fulfillment of Isaiah 9:6 ('For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace') by arguing that the titles 'Mighty God' or 'Everlasting Father' are merely metaphorical or that the passage does not refer to Yeshua's divinity. This ignores the explicit divine titles attributed to the Messiah in this prophetic text, which are consistently affirmed in the New Testament as fulfilled in Yeshua.

Scripture's answer: Isaiah 9:6 unambiguously attributes divine titles to the coming Messiah. 'Mighty God' (אֵל גִּבּוֹר – El Gibbor) is a title for God Himself (e.g., Isaiah 10:21). 'Everlasting Father' (אֲבִיעַד – Avi-Ad) denotes His eternal and paternal care, consistent with divine attributes. This verse is a powerful prophetic declaration of the Messiah's full deity, directly fulfilled in Yeshua, who is indeed Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

How misused: This verse, 'I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols,' is frequently taken out of context to argue that God does not share His glory with Yeshua, thereby denying Yeshua's deity. This misinterpretation fails to distinguish between God's incommunicable, essential glory (which He shares with no other gods/idols) and the communicable, derived glory that Yeshua possesses as God incarnate and also shares with believers (John 17:22, 24).

Scripture's answer: Isaiah 42:8 speaks of God's unique, essential divine glory which He does not surrender to pagan idols. It does not preclude Yeshua possessing and sharing that same divine glory, as Yeshua is God. John 17:5 explicitly states Yeshua's pre-incarnate glory: 'And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.' This demonstrates that Yeshua shares in the unique glory of the Father, not as a separate entity receiving it, but as one with the Father.