I and the father are One - John 10:30 Explained

I and the father are One – John 10:30 Explained

Table of Contents

This article provides an in-depth analysis of John 10:30, where Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” Many Christians interpret this as proof of Jesus’ divinity, but does the Bible really support this claim? We break down the context, linguistic meaning, and related verses to reveal that Jesus was speaking about unity of purpose, not identity in essence. By examining John 17:21-23, Acts 2:22, and other key scriptures, we demonstrate that Jesus consistently distinguished himself from God. Additionally, we explore Old Testament verses that contradict the Trinity and compare biblical terminology like “Son of God”, showing how it applies to other figures besides Jesus. Finally, we highlight Quranic perspectives on God’s oneness (Tawheed) and the rejection of divine sonship.

📖 Key Topics Covered:
✅ The real meaning of “I and the Father are One” (John 10:30)
✅ Biblical proof that Jesus is not God but a messenger of God
✅ How “Son of God” was used metaphorically for others in the Bible
✅ Old Testament verses that refute the doctrine of the Trinity
✅ Quranic refutation of divine sonship and affirmation of God’s oneness

🔍 Read this article to uncover the true message of Jesus, free from later theological distortions, and gain a deeper understanding of monotheism in Christianity and Islam.

Explanation:

John 10:30 Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.” It means being one in purpose, not essence. This is supported by John 17:11, where Jesus prays that his disciples may be one as he and the Father are one
John 17:21 Jesus prayed that his followers may be one, as he and the Father are one. This unity is not about being the same person, but being united in purpose and will.
John 17:23 Jesus prayed that his followers may be brought to complete unity, so that the world may know that God sent him.
John 6:38 Jesus said that he came to do the will of the Father who sent him, indicating that they have separate wills.
John 20:17 Jesus refers to God as his Father and the Father of his followers, indicating that they have a similar relationship with God.

In short, the verses cited by Christians to support the idea that Jesus and God are the same entity actually refer to the unity of purpose and will between Jesus and God, and between Jesus and his followers. It’s important to note that the concept of the Trinity – the idea that God is one being in three persons – is a later development in Christian theology and is not explicitly taught in the Bible. The term “Trinity” is not even found in the Bible. Furthermore, the term “Son of God” in the Bible does not necessarily mean that Jesus is God. In the Jewish context, the term “son of God” was used to refer to those who had a special relationship with God, such as the kings of Israel or the prophets.

Additional References

📖John 14:28
You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

📖Mark 10:18
Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

📖Acts 2:22
Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.

📖John 5:30
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

📖Matthew 12:18
Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

📖John 5:36
I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.

📖John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

📖Acts 3:13
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.

📖Acts 13:23
From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.

These verses reinforce the idea that Jesus is not God, but rather a messenger sent by God to fulfill a specific purpose. They suggest that Jesus was a prophet who spoke on behalf of God and performed miracles to demonstrate his authority, but he was not divine in nature.

Brief Explanation about Jesus’ unity Teachings

📖John 10:30
I and the Father are one.” This statement has been interpreted to mean that Jesus is claiming to be the same person as God the Father. However, the Greek word “hen” used here suggests that Jesus is claiming to be united with God the Father in purpose and mission, rather than claiming to be the same person as him.

📖John 17:21
Jesus prays for the unity of all believers, just as he and the Father are united, so that the world may believe that he was sent by God. Jesus prays that believers are in God just as he is. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

📖John 17:23
Jesus prays for complete unity among believers, so that the world may know that God sent him and loves believers just as he loves Jesus. Jesus and believers are in God’s unity. “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

📖John 10:30
Jesus declares that he and the Father are one, but this does not necessarily mean they are one essence. Being one may refer to being united in purpose. “I and the Father are one.

📖John 17:11
Jesus prays for the unity of believers, just as he and the Father are one, which may refer to being united in purpose or will against evil. “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

📖John 6:38
Jesus states that he came to do the will of God who sent him, indicating that they have distinct wills. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

📖John 20:17
Jesus refers to God as his Father and the Father of believers, and as his God and the God of believers. “Son of God” can refer to a righteous person. “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.

The above statement is attributed to have been made by Jesus and Christians cite it as an evidence that God and Jesus are coequal and coeternal.

2. Illogical Claims of Jesus Being God

📖John 10:30 The Father and I are one.

Questions:

If God and Jesus are equal, how come God wasn’t born by mother Mary as it is the case with Jesus (Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:26-27)?
How come God wasn’t circumcised as Jesus was (Luke 2:21)?
How come God wasn’t allegedly killed by Romans as it was allegedly the case with Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3)?
How come God didn’t call people to breakfast as the case with Jesus (John 21:12)?
How come God wasn’t tempted by Satan as it was the case with Jesus (Matthew 4:1-10)?
How come God didn’t cry and pray as Jesus did (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34 & John 11:35)?
How come God didn’t pray as Jesus did (Matthew 26:39)?
How come God didn’t hunger and thirst as Jesus did (John 4:6-7)?
How come God never sleeps as Jesus did (Mark 4:35)?
How come God never gets tired as Jesus did (John 4:6)?
How come God never chased moneychangers with a whip as Jesus did (John 2:15)?
If Jesus is coequal and coeternal with God, then what happened to Isaiah 40:18&25?

3. Jesus as a Separate Being in the Bible

📖John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” In this verse, Jesus acknowledges God as the only true God, indicating that he is not claiming to be God himself.

📖Mark 13:32
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” This verse suggests that there are things that only God knows, and Jesus does not have access to that knowledge, indicating that they are not one and the same.

📖1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” This verse indicates that Jesus is a mediator between God and humanity, suggesting that he is not God himself, but rather a separate being.

Misunderstanding of John 10:30

Short Explanation

John 17:11 Jesus prayed for his followers to be united just as he and the Father are united.
Jesus promised that his followers will know that he is in the Father, they are in him, and he is in them.
2 Corinthians 6:16 Paul reminded the Corinthians that they are temples of the living God and God dwells in them.
1 Corinthians 3:8 Paul emphasized the unity of purpose between himself and Apollos in spreading the Gospel.
Genesis 2:24 The Torah teaches that a man and woman become “one flesh” in marriage, signifying unity.
Matthew 19:5 Jesus used the “one flesh” concept to describe the unity of husband and wife in marriage.

More Verses from the Old Testament that Disagree with the Doctrine of the Trinity

📖Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
📖Isaiah 43:10
Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
📖Isaiah 45
I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.
📖Isaiah 44:6
This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

📖Isaiah 43:10
You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

📖Numbers 23:19
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

📖Isaiah 44:24
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself.’

📖Isaiah 41:4
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

📖Job 25:4-6
How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

📖Isaiah 45:15
Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savior of Israel.

Explanation

Deuteronomy 6:4: This verse is known as the Shema, a foundational statement of the Jewish faith. It emphasizes the oneness of God.
Isaiah 43:10: This verse suggests that there is no other God besides the one true God.
Isaiah 45: This verse emphasizes the exclusivity of God and suggests that there is no other divine entity besides Him.
Isaiah 44:6: This verse suggests that God is the only deity and there is no other beside Him.
Isaiah 44:6: This verse emphasizes the oneness and exclusivity of God.
Isaiah 43:10: This verse suggests that there is no other God besides the one true God.
Numbers 23:19: This verse emphasizes that God is not a human being and cannot bcompared to one.
Isaiah 44:24: This verse emphasizes the uniqueness of God as the Creator and suggests that there is no other entity besides Him.
Isaiah 41:4: This verse emphasizes the oneness of God as the first and last.
Job 25:4-6: Numbers 23:19 and Job 25:4-6 emphasize the fundamental difference between God and human beings, underscoring the need for humility, dependence on God, and trust in His power and goodness. These passages highlight the unique nature and greatness of God and emphasize the importance of recognizing our limitations as human beings.
Isaiah 45:15, Israel is referring to Jacob, the term “Israel” is used to refer to the twelve tribes of Jacob, and Israel is another name for Jacob. In this verse, God is both hiding Himself and acting as a Savior. However, He can make others saviors by giving them authority. A savior, in the Bible, is someone who has the domain to protect people or help them. For example, Jesus can be seen as a savior because He will return by the permission of God to save people and defeat the Antichrist. In the Old Testament, Cyrus is also referred to as a savior. In Isaiah 45:1, God calls Cyrus “His anointed,” saying, This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him, when it refers to God as “hiding,” it emphasizes that God works in mysterious and often unseen ways. While He may not always be directly visible or obvious to human eyes, His presence and power are always at work. God, in His sovereignty, can choose to send others as saviors or deliverers, granting them authority to act on His behalf. However, while He may give this authority to others, He remains the true and ultimate Savior. All human saviors, like Cyrus in the Old Testament or Jesus in the New Testament, are instruments used by God to fulfill His divine purposes, but they do so by His permission and power. Ultimately, God is the only true Savior, and He is the one who grants the authority for others to save in His name.

4. Obeying Allah’s Messenger

📖Quran 48:10
Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muhammad] – they are actually pledging allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of himself. And he who fulfills that which he has promised Allah – He will give him a great reward.

Explanation:

Quran 48:10 This verse states that pledging allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is equivalent to pledging allegiance to Allah, and that breaking such an oath only harms oneself. Conversely, fulfilling the oath brings great rewards.
Additional text : The comparison is made between the statement of Jesus (PBUH), “I and the Father are one,” and the Quranic verse of 48:10, which states that pledging allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is equivalent to pledging allegiance to Allah. However, Muslims do not understand or interpret this as an incarnation of Allah in Muhammad (PBUH), unlike some interpretations of the Christian belief in the Incarnation.

5. Jesus, God, and Man

Matthew 15:24 Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. This is a metaphorical language, meaning the misguided servants of God.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man or son of man.
Matthew 12:40 Jesus is referred to as the Son of Man.
John 8:40 Jesus is referred to as a man.
Malachi 3:6 This verse states that God does not change, emphasizing His unchanging nature and the consistency of His character over time.

Regarding the point about God not having a biological son, this is a central belief in both Judaism and Islam, and is also recognized by some Christian denominations. While Jesus is often referred to as the “Son of God” in the New Testament, this is generally understood as a metaphorical or symbolic relationship rather than a biological one.

All prophets called sons of God in bible

📖Luke 3:38
Adam, who was the son of God

📖Exodus 4:22
Jacob is God’s son and firstborn: ‘Israel is my son, even my firstborn.

📖2 Samuel 7:13-14
Solomon: ‘I will be his father, and he shall be my son.

📖Jeremiah 31:9
Ephraim: ‘for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

📖Deuteronomy 14:1
is God’s firstborn, common people are called the sons of God: ‘Ye are the children of the Lord your God.

Explanation

Luke 3:38 Adam is referred to as the son of God, emphasizing his direct creation by God.
Exodus 4:22 Jacob, who was also called Israel, is referred to as God’s son and firstborn, highlighting the special relationship between God and the Israelites.
2 Samuel 7:13-14 Solomon is promised by God that He will be his father and Solomon will be His son, emphasizing the unique relationship between God and the kings of Israel.
Jeremiah 31:9 Ephraim, one of the tribes of Israel, is referred to as God’s firstborn, emphasizing the special relationship between God and the nation of Israel (Twelve tribe of Jacob).
Deuteronomy 14:1 The Israelites as a whole are referred to as God’s firstborn, emphasizing their special status as God’s chosen people.

More Sons of God in Bible

📖Job 1:6
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The “sons of God” here are likely angels.

📖Job 38:7
When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” This verse is describing the creation of the world, and the “sons of God” are again likely angels.

📖Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’” This verse is talking about how the people of Israel will be called “children of the living God.

📖Romans 8:14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” This verse is talking about how Christians who are guided by the Holy Spirit are considered “sons of God.”

It’s important to note that the phrase “son of God” in these contexts does not imply a literal biological relationship, but rather a metaphorical or symbolic one that denotes a special relationship or status.

6. Faith, Obedience, and Divine Revelation

📖1 John 5:1
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

📖Deuteronomy 32:19
And when the LORD saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. 20And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

📖Matthew 15:24
I sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.

📖John 5:30
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath SENT me.

📖1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

📖Deuteronomy 12:32
Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

📖John 5:24
Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

📖John 1:49-51
Nathaniel asks Jesus are u the son of God? Jesus says, Truly I am the son of man and Angels comes down on the son of man not son of God.

Explanation

1 John 5:1 – Those who believe in Jesus Christ are considered “born of God” and are known as the begotten sons of God.
Deuteronomy 32:19 – The phrase “sons of God” is used metaphorically to refer to the Israelites in this passage.
Matthew 15:24 – Jesus uses metaphorical language when referring to the Israelites as “lost sheep”.
John 5:30 – Jesus emphasizes that he is not acting on his own will but following the will of the God who sent him, indicating his subordinate position to God.
1 John 4:12 – The passage emphasizes that no one has ever seen God and that God’s love is made complete in those who love one another.
Deuteronomy 12:32 The passage warns against adding or subtracting from God’s commands.
John 5:24 – This passage emphasizes that eternal life is obtained through believing in Jesus Christ and following the will of the God who sent him.
John 1:49-51 – Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man”, a title that emphasizes his humanity, rather than the “Son of God.

Biblical Reports Without Knowledge

Luke 12:9 Refers to “Son of Man”
John 5:16 Reports without knowledge
John 3:16 Reports without knowledge
Acts 4:13 Peter and John were considered to have no formal education or training in the Scriptures (i.e., “ignorant and uneducated men”)

Brief Explain

Luke12:9: This verse refers to “Son of Man,” which is a term Jesus used to refer to himself in various instances throughout the Gospels.
John 5:16: This passage describes the reaction of the Jewish leaders to Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath. John reports their reaction, but it is not clear whether he has firsthand knowledge of the event.
John 3:16: This verse is part of a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, and John is recording the conversation. It is not clear whether he was present during the conversation or whether he heard about it secondhand.
Acts 4:13: This passage describes the reaction of the Jewish leaders to Peter and John’s boldness in preaching the Gospel. They were surprised that these men, who were not trained in the Scriptures like the Jewish leaders, could speak with such authority. Peter and John were considered to have no formal education or training in the Scriptures (i.e., “ignorant and uneducated men”).

Sons of God in Bible

Jesus John 3:16; John 5:22; and others Only son of God
Adam Luke 3:38 Acknowledged, Son of God
Jacob/Israel Exodus 4:22 Son of God
David
Psalm 2:7 Son of God ( Some believe it’s a prophecy about Jesus, the same Psalm had a prophecy that indicate Jesus wasn’t crucified).

In addition to Jesus, the Bible also refers to Adam, Jacob/Israel, and David as sons of God. While Christians generally believe that Jesus is the only son of God, these biblical passages suggest otherwise. Either Christians have not read the Bible thoroughly or they are ignoring the inconsistencies and errors within it. Psalm 2:7 specifically uses the term “begotten” in reference to David, and Jacob is called God’s firstborn in Exodus 4:22. These passages cannot be ignored by Christians who believe in the exclusivity of Jesus as the son of God.

7. Quran’s Rejection of Blasphemy and Emphasis on the Oneness of God

Quran 18:4 Condemns the idea of Jesus being the son of God and states that those who believe so have no knowledge.
Quran 112:1-4 Emphasizes the oneness of Allah and that there is no equivalent to Him. States that Allah does not beget nor is He born, thus refuting the idea of Him having offspring or a son.
Quran 19:35 Emphasizes the power of Allah to bring things into existence with just a command and states that it is not fitting for Him to have a son.
Quran 4:171 Urges people not to attribute to Allah anything but the truth and emphasizes that Jesus was a messenger of Allah, not His son. Affirms the oneness of Allah and condemns the idea of a trinity.
Quran 5:72-73 Condemns the belief that God is the Messiah Jesus or that He is one of three. Emphasizes the seriousness of associating partners with Allah and the consequences that follow. Affirms the oneness of Allah.

Additional Information

If you have any questions or comments about the content of this article, we encourage you to reach out to us. You can leave a comment below the article. We value your feedback and are always eager to engage with our readers, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas you’d like to share, In this article, we have also included several verses that completely disprove the Christian misuse of the term “Son of God” and the false claim that Jesus is God. These verses show how the Bible itself refutes these ideas and exposes the contradictions in Christian theology, Our goal is to create content that is informative, helpful, and engaging, and your input can help us achieve that goal. Thank you for taking the time to read our article, and we look forward to hearing from you!