What if someone boldly claimed that Jesus himself said He wasn’t God?
How would you tackle this intriguing challenge?
Let’s dive into this thought-provoking dilemma together.
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Recently, a viral video titled “Christianity DEBUNKED in Less Than 1 Minute” sparked this very debate presented by a Muslim named Hamza.
Essentially, here’s how Hamza frames his argument:
- If the Father is the only true God, then Jesus cannot be God.
- If Jesus is God, he must be lying about the Father being the only true God.
- If Jesus is lying, he cannot be God. Therefore, Jesus debunks Christianity.
In this article, I will present four rebuttals to Hamza’s case concerning John 17:3. These responses aim to provide a solid counterargument while offering a reasonable defense and explanation of the divinity of Jesus Christ.
First response: The argument is inconsistent
Hamza’s argument reveals a logical fallacy because he assumes a unitarian (single entity) perspective of God in the first premise. This assumption leads Hamza to present a false dichotomy in the second part of his reasoning. By presenting only two extreme positions — “Jesus is a liar” and “only the Father is God”—Hamza’s oversimplification ignores other possibilities, ultimately weakening his overall argument that asserts Jesus isn’t God.
In Christian theology, it’s crucial to recognize that if Jesus is indeed God, then labeling Him a liar is fundamentally misguided. This matters because, by definition, God is truth, meaning that He cannot lie (see Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).
Hamza’s assertion that Jesus is a liar not only misreads the theological context of Christ’s identity, leading to a significant inconsistency in the argument itself.
As a result, Hamza’s use of logical fallacies and his inaccurate portrayal of Jesus and Christian doctrine ultimately give rise to a straw man argument, significantly weakening the credibility of his position that Jesus cannot be God.
Second response: The argument misinterprets the text
Let’s read John 17:3 to understand what Jesus is actually testifying to.
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Hamza highlights the phrase “the only true God,” implying a divide between God and Jesus. This interpretation weakens the argument by suggesting that acknowledging one does not diminish the divine nature of the other, thereby exposing the flawed reasoning in his claim.
In Greek, “only“ means “the only entity in a class; only one alone.” Jesus uses the same word in John 5:44, “You do not seek praise from the one who alone is God.” Jesus, who is Jewish, acknowledges that only God deserves glory, affirming his monotheistic beliefs. Thus, it is not a denial of His divinity. More on this in the third response.
Third response: The argument dismisses trinitarian doctrine
Jesus’s statement in John 17:3 must be examined and thoughtfully understood through the lens of trinitarian doctrine, wherein the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect and eternal harmony.
In John 17, Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, prays to the Father in His human nature and as the Son. This displays not a lack of divine equality but a functional subordination during the incarnation. In John 17:5, Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (emphasis mine). The Greek word for “glory” is doxa. According to Strong’s Lexicon, in the New Testament, doxa refers to the glory and majesty of God, signifying the visible manifestation of God’s presence, along with the honor and praise that are rightfully given to Him.
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of His preexistence, referring to His eternality as God (see John 3:17; 5:23-24, 30; 6:29; 7:16; 8:42).
Perhaps the clearest example is John 10:30–33, where Jesus’s opponents sought to stone Him based on His claim to be “one” with the Father. Jesus uses the word “one” (ἑν [hen]) in the neuter, suggesting that He and the Father share the same essence or nature.
Fourth response: The argument misunderstands the doctrine of eternal life
Notice also in John 17:3 that Jesus says eternal life is knowing the Father, and He who was sent by the Father.
Jesus doesn’t state that eternal life is only believing in God the Father. He equates “eternal life” with believing in both the Father and the Son whom the Father sent. If you go back and read John 17:1-2, Jesus says, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him” (emphasis mine).
If only God can save people from their sins and offer eternal life, and Jesus says, “whoever believes in Him has eternal life,” then this means Jesus is not denying His divinity but affirming it. He also states in John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life.”
The logical consistency of these assertions shows that Jesus, while acknowledging the Father as the only true God, simultaneously embodies the fullness of God Himself, thereby offering eternal life through belief in Him.
If someone like Hamza approaches you and starts claiming that Jesus cannot be God, I encourage you to use my four responses. Remember, these responses are designed to strengthen your position and provide a foundation for meaningful dialogue on this profound theological debate.
