- John 8:24: ean gar me pistuesete hoti ego eimi
- John 8:28: tote gnosesthe hoti ego eimi
- John 8:58: prin Abraam genethai ego eimi
- John 13:19: hina pisteusete hotan genetai ego eimi
- John 18:5: legei autois Ego eimi
- John 18:6: hos oun eipen autois Ego eimi
- John 18:8: eipon humin hoti ego eimi
is He speaking in Greek or is He speaking in Aramaic or Hebrew?
if He is speaking Hebrew what did He actually say instead of Ego Eimi?
Ani Hu? ((Isaiah 41:4, 43:10, 43:25, 45:18, 46:4, 51:12 and 52:6)) all of these in Septuagint are rendered "Ego Eimi" in Greek, exactly like Exodus 3:14 is also -- and in Isaiah 'Ani Hu' in Hebrew is well know to be a shortened form of I AM THAT I AM.
so the Jews recognize that Ego Eimi is a direct reference to the name of God, especially when it's used without an object ((tho in Isaiah it is used both with and without)) -- but especially when it is used in the 'absolute sense' as John records 7 times in his gospel ((hmm, seven, coincidence eh??)), it is without doubt reference to deity.
the early church all knew this --
“…the whole unhappiness of the Jews was not that they had sin, but to die in sins…In these words, ‘Except ye believe that I am,’ Jesus meant nothing short of this, ‘Except ye believe that I am God, ye shall die in your sins.’ It is well for us, thank God, that He said except ye believe, and not except ye understand.”
- Augustine speaking of John 8:24
and knew that it is something wonderful, a great mystery defying human understanding.- Augustine speaking of John 8:24
what now though, with so many false teachers denying Him?