"I and the Father are One" John 10:30.
Before we take a look at how the Savior meant for us to understand how he and the Father are one, there's a couple of things I'd like to point out first.
How many beings or persons does it take to make up a triune god, or Trinity? Of course the answer is ' 3.' How many persons, or beings does the Savior tells "are one"? The answer is, "I and My Father are one." If anything by Yahoshua saying that he and the Father are one he is 'disproving ' the idea of a Trinity or 3 in 1 god. If Yahoshua was part of a triune god he would have said, "I and the Father and the Holy Spirit are one." But of course neither he, nor anyone else in the Bible ever so much as mentioned the idea of a 3 in 1 god or Trinity. The very first time that the word “Trinity” was ever used in relation to the Bible was in the year 213 A.D., by a so-called 'church father' named Tertullian. Prior to that it didn't exist. But from that time until now 'trinitarians' have been trying to harmonize such a belief with the Bible by using a handful of misunderstood passages, such as the one we'll look at now, John 10:30. The remaining passages, such as John 1:1; John 8:58; John 20:28; Isa 9:6; etc..., are all discussed on this website, 'theremnantofisrael.org'.
Even though Yahoshua made it clear on numerous occasions while on earth and afterwards that his Father, Yahuweh, is the Only True God so many refuse to believe it. Prior to the invention of the printing press and the first bible benign printed in 1455 A.D., everyone was at the mercy of the priest and preachers. But today everyone can read or hear the Bible for themselves, they do not have to take the word of their priests or preachers any longer.
So for the individual who is honestly seeking the truth and not simply following the traditions they been brought up in, let's take a look at John 10:30 and how the Messiah Yahoshua wants us to understand how he and the Father are one.
I think it will become extremely obvious in this article that the Messiah is in no way trying to make himself out to be part of a 2 in 1, or 3 in 1 god, in which it is said he's the second part of.
If the Messiah was not trying to imply that he and his Father "are one" in the sense of them both being part of a "godhead" then what did he mean? Turn, if you would, to John 17 and we're going to read verses 3, 11, and 21-23. (You might want to mark these passages in your Bible)
In John 17:3, lifting his eyes to heaven Yahoshua said "This is Eternal Life, that they might know YOU, Father, the Only True God, and Yahoshua the Messiah, whom you sent"
Yahoshua starts his prayer to His Heavenly Father, by making it clear to all those who will hear him, that He IS NOT the Only True God, but rather His Father, Yahuweh is. And He, Yahoshua the Messiah is the one that the Only True God sent.
To know and believe 'both' that the Father is the Only True God, and that Yahoshua is the one that He sent, according to the Savior, is a matter of Eternal Life. “This is Eternal Life....” John 17:3.
In verse 11, of chap 17, the Savior, tells us: "And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to you, Holy Father, keep them in your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as we are one" John 17:11,
In what sense are we to be 'one' even as the Yahuweh, the Father, and Yahoshua the Messiah, are 'one'? Yahoshua will answer that question for us in verses 21 -23.
Jn 17:21-23, "...that they may all be one; even as You Father, are in Me, and I in you, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You did send Me. And the glory which You have given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, 'just as We are one'; I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that You did love Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which You have given Me; for You did love Me before the foundation of the world, O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You did send Me..."
There is so much that the Savior said here that we can and will discuss in more detail, such as the fact that glory which the Father has given him, he gave that glory to His disciples, and of course THIS IS NOT the glory that was his because of his being part of a Trinity, or co-equal with the Father, He just got through explaining to His disciples, and us, that His Father alone is the "Only True God". Then how are we to be one “just as” they are one – the answer is “in unity” (vs 23).
We are to be one “just as” the Messiah and the Father are one “in unity”.
1) We are to be one with Yahoshua and the Father, in doctrine, or teaching.
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2 John 1:9 "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in 'the teaching of Messiah,' does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son,"
Of course one of the primary teachings of the Messiah is that His Father, is both His God and our God (John 20:17) and His Father is, the "Only" True God, (John 17:3).
For anyone to go beyond this and say that the 'Only True God' is actually made up of a 3 different beings, known as a trinity, in which the Savior is the 2nd part of, is not abiding in the teaching of the Messiah, and does not have the Father. As the apostle John just stated above. For NEVER does the Savior or anyone else in the bible ever ask us to believe that the Almighty is anyone other then the Heavenly Father, Yahuweh.
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1 Cor 1:3,10; "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Master (Lord) Yahoshua the Messiah,...Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Master Yahoshua the Messiah, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment."
In other words “in unity”. Obviously one of the things that the Corinthians did understand is that the God mentioned here, or any where else in the bible, was not a Trinity. How did they know that? Paul told them.
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1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to understand that Messiah is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Messiah.
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1 Corinthians 8:5-6
For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven (such as angels as we'll take a look at in a moment) or on earth (such as the 'judges of Israel, which we'll also look at shortly), as indeed there are many gods and many lords, -
[6] yet FOR US THERE IS BUT ONE GOD, THE FATHER, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord (see Act 2:36), Yahoshua Messiah, through whom are all things (see Heb 1:1-2), and we exist through Him.
2) By being in unity with the Father and Son, we are to be forgiving towards one another as Yahuweh is towards us
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Matt 6:14-15; For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."
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Eph 4:32; "And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Messiah also has forgiven you"
3) By being in unity with the Father and the Son, we should be one, in are love for one another.
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John 17:23; I in them, and You in Me. that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that You did send Me, and did love them, even as You love Me"
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John 13:34; "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another"
4) We should "walk even as He (the Savior), walked," 1 John 2:6, with the same attitude that He had, that not our will be done, but Yahuweh's will be done.
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Matt 26:39, "My Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me, yet not my will but your will be done."
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Jn 7:17, If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, OR whether I speak from Myself.
In other words, 'one in unity of purpose.'
In conclusion, the Savior in John 10:30, COULD NOT be implying that He and His Father are one in the sense that they make up a the 3 in 1 god of the Trinity, for they are only 2, NOT 3. And in whatever way the Savior and his Father are one, he clearly tells us - we are to be one "just as they are one" - John 17:11,22.
The Messiah Yahoshua's prayer to the Heavenly Father did not go unanswered. His followers are one, in the manner described above, "just as" He and the Father are one. For we are commanded to "walk even as the Savior walked" (1 John 2:6)
If you've come to believe the words of the Savior in that his Father is the Only True God won't you please join us in worshiping the Father in spirit and Truth?
For an explanation on the remainder of this passage, and who the 'gods' were that the Savior referred to in verse, 34-35, see the article, "I said you are gods."
We can we be certain that nobody believed the Messiah was claiming to be God or equal with God. It's true that a few times, John 10:30, John 5:18 and John 8:58, they accused him of claiming equality with God. But at his trial nobody ever suggested that he was claiming to be God not the chief priest not the "false" Witnesses nobody accused him of claiming equality with God Please read carefully the passages below.