. .
.how are we to interpret Jesus’ word that he and God are hen? Are they one or equal or what? First, since the audience correctly
understands it as a claim to parity with God (“You being a man make yourself
god”), hen in 10:30 does not mean
moral unity with God. Jesus’ obedience to God is the shared ideal of every
covenant member, the apex of Jewish piety and something for which each and
every person strives. In this, Israelites are not striving for divinity! No,
moral unity (see Edwyn C. Hoskyns, The
Fourth Gospel [London: Faber & Faber, 1947], 389-390) with God is not
enough.
It has been suggested, however, that hen be translated not as “one” but “equal”:
“I and the Father are equal.” The argument is based on a similar use of this
language in 1 Cor. 3:8, in which the status of Paul and of Apollos are compared
(J. Bernard, A Critical and Exegetical
Commentary on the Gospel according to St. John [Edinburgh: T&T lark,
1926], 366). In a conciliatory move, Paul insists that he and Apollos, while
quite different in Paul’s eyes, are on a par when contrasted with God: “Neither
he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the
increase” (3:7). And he continues, “He who plants and he who waters are hen” (3:8), which must be translated in
this context as “equal” or “on a par.” In the conflict at Corinth, Paul senses
that in many ways Apollos is perceived as superior to him, for Paul lacks eloquence,
wisdom, and “power” (1:7; 2:1, 4; 4:9-12). Yet Paul can claim the superior
place at Corinth as its “skilled master builder” (3:10). But for the purpose of
quelling the factions and strife, he will agree that he and Apollos are “equal”
in regard to their mission and to the church. Hen in 3:8 does not refer to oral unity or metaphysical identity,
but to equality of power, role, and status.
In 10:30, the Fourth Gospel does not claim
that Jesus is the Father or that he replaces Yahweh, but rather proclaims him “God”
alongside God (1:1-2) and “equal to God” (5:18) . . . according to John 5,
claims of Jesus’ equality with God were precipitated by a Sabbath healing which
was interpreted in 5:17 as an act of creative power (5:19-20). Noting in John
10 speaks of creative power, but . . . in regard to 10:17-18, there are ready
to hand references to Jesus’ eschatological power. In regard to what aspect of
eschatological power are Jesus and God equal? Verses 28-29 put them on a par in
regard to “snatching out of the hand”:
|
Jesus (10:28)
|
The Father (10:29)
|
|
I give
them eternal life
and they shall not perish forever, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand |
My father
who has given me and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand |
About the text of 10:29 there is considerable
scholarly discussions, the results of which may further clarify the meaning of
10:30. C.K. Barrett (Schnakenburg, Gospel
according to St. John, 317) and those who took up the discussion of this
text (J. Birdsall, “John X.29,” JTS
11 [1960]: 342-44; and J. Whittaker, “A Hellenistic Context for John 10,29,” VC 24 [1970]:241-44) all agree that meizōn, not meizon, is the correct reading, so that the text says, “My Father .
. . is greater than all.” The statement that God is “greater than all” has
considerable relevance for the argument in 10:28-30, where it minimally means
that God is more powerful than the “snatchers.” But J. Whittaker suggested that
“greater than all” is a formulaic way of referring to the supreme deity
(Whittaker, “A Hellenistic Context for John 10,29,” 245-58), noting that this
greatness is based not only on God’s creative power but especially his ruling
and executive powers as pantocrator, despotēs, and basileus. Regarding John 10, Jesus claims a power in v. 28 that,
according to v. 29, is a power of God who is “greater than all”—the executive
of the cosmos. But in 10:30, having just said that God is “greater than al,”
Jesus claims that “I and the Father are equal.” Regarding the substance of the
claims made in 10:28-30, if God is rightly called “greater than all” and if “greatness”
consists of executive and eschatological power, then when Jesus claims equality
with this God he claims these very powers as despotēs and basileus.
The juxtaposition of “greater than all” and “equal”
was bound to cause an explosion.
If God is “greater than all,” God has
nevertheless given “all to Jesus:
The Father loves the son and has given all
into his hands. (3:35)
The Father loves the son and shows him all
that he himself is doing. (5:20)
The Father has given all judgment to the Son.
(5:27)
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all
into his hands . . .(13:3)
This “all” might be “the words of God”
(3:33), that is, heavenly revelation, creative power (5:19-20), but also God’s eschatological
power (5:21-29; 10:17-18). (Jerome H. Neyrey, An Ideology of Revolt: John’s Christology in Social-Science Perspective
[Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988], 69-71)
