Who can be rightfully called, “god,” or “God?”

Who can be rightfully called, “god,” or “God?”

I certainly do not have enough hair on my head to count the multitude of answers, from people, to this question. Of course, the correct answer is found in the scriptures and it may be easier to answer than many think. The principle of the answer is below, with more detail and scriptures after that.

Do you think that it would be proper to call Moses, God? How about calling others of ancient Israel who judged Israel, such as Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, or Samson, gods? Believe it or not, the Almighty did and it is recorded for us in scripture (Psalms 82:1-6). These ones had authority given them, from Jehovah. They represented qualities of the Almighty in different ways.

Moses represented Jehovah to Pharaoh, as God, in Exodus 7:1 (DARBY), and judged Israel Exodus 18:13

Exodus 7:1:

7 And Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made thee God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

Exodus 18:13:

¹³ On the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from the morning to the evening.

Psalms 82:1-6:

Deborah was a prophet of Jehovah and judged Israel

Gideon was a military leader and prophet of Jehovah who judged Israel

Jephthah was a military leader who judged Israel

Samson was given immense strength from Jehovah and judged Israel

Jesus referred to this fact, as a defense, when his enemies tried to find fault with him, to put him to death. The entire account is at John 10:22-39. Jesus’ scriptural defense is found at John 10:34-36 (in bold). Keep in mind, at that moment in time, Jesus had recently opened the eyes of a man born blind (John 9:1-34), stated that he had been before Abraham (John 8:57-59 (WE)), told the Pharisees (Religious leaders) that their Father was the Devil (John 8:44), stated that he was the light of the world (John 8:12), that he was from the realms above (John 8:23), and that he and his Father are one (John 10:30). Jesus’ reply to their accusation was simple. Jesus referred to Psalms 82:1-6 where humans such as judges or others that have authority from the Almighty over others are referred to as “gods” (John 10:34).

John 10:22-39 (WEB);

²² It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. ²³ It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. ²⁴ The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, “How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these testify about me. ²⁶ But you don’t believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

³¹ Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?”

³³ The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ ³⁵ If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), ³⁶ do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ ³⁷ If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. ³⁸ But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

³⁹ They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.”

The religious leaders picked up stones, to stone Jesus. They accused him of blasphemy.  They accused him of making himself “a god” (NWT); “God” (NIV) (John 10:33).

There is a lot of contention on how John 10:33 should be translated. That is why I presented both translations (NWT/NIV). It does not matter much either way. The judges who judged Israel, included Moses, who was made by Jehovah to be, “God to Pharaoh” (With a capital G). In any case, Jesus set their thoughts straight by also reiterating what they most likely heard before, that Jesus said that he was “the Son of God,” in verse 36. Jesus’ enemies could not have thought that he called himself “God,” as if the Almighty. If Jesus’ enemies would have heard Jesus state that, for a certainty, they would have brought that as a charge worthy of death, in front of Pilate. Rather of charging Jesus as saying that he “made himself the Son of God,” which they did (John 19:6-7), they would have charged him with saying that he “made himself God,” that is, the Almighty. This would have been a more serious “crime.” They did not say that he made himself, “The Father,” or anything else.

John 19:6-7 (WEB);

“⁶ When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.”

⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” ‘

The ones who judged Ancient Israel and derived their authority from the Almighty, were also called “sons of the Most High,” in Psalms 82:6. Moses, in Deuteronomy 33:1 (DARBY) is called “the man of God.” In comparison, just because Jesus said that he was the Son of God, did not make him anymore the Almighty than the “gods, sons of the Most High” spoken about in Psalms 82:6. You are either someone or you are not. However, Jesus was able to reflect his Father’s qualities on a grander scale.

Psalms 82 (RSV):

Humans and the devil have been called “gods” or “God.” They all had a measure of authority over others, from the Almighty. No one else, other than the Almighty, has ever been called, the Almighty God, who is, Yahweh (Jehovah).