William Barclay on “The Father and I are one.”

[DavidB]

“Now we come to the supreme claim [of John 10:30]. ‘I and the Father are one,’ said Jesus. What did he mean? Is it absolute mystery, or can we understand at least a little of it? Are we driven to interpret it in terms of essence and hypostasis and all the rest of the metaphysical and philosophic notions about which the makers of creeds fought and argued? Has one to be a theologian and a philosopher to grasp even a fragment of the meaning of this tremendous statement?

“If we go to the Bible itself for the interpretation,” continues Barclay, “we find that it is in fact so simple that the simplest mind can grasp it. Let us turn to the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel, which tells of the prayer of Jesus for his followers before he went to his death: ‘Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one’ (John 17:11). Jesus conceived of the unity of Christian with Christian as the same as his unity with God.”

“Here is the essence of the matter”, says Barclay. “The bond of unity is love; the proof of love is obedience. Christians are one with each other when they are bound by love, and obey the words of Christ. Jesus is one with God, because as no other ever did, he obeyed and loved him. His unity with God is a unity of perfect love, issuing in perfect obedience.

"When Jesus said: ‘I and the father are one,’ he was not moving in the world of philosophy and metaphysics and abstractions; he was moving in the world of personal relationships. No one can really understand what a phrase like ‘a unity of essence’ means; but any one can understand what a unity of heart means. Jesus’s unity with God came from the twin facts of perfect love and perfect obedience. He was one with God because he loved and obeyed him perfectly....”

William Barclay
Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of John, Vol. 2, The Westminster Press, 1975, pp. 74, 75, 76

 

[Taken]

William Barclay on “The Father and I are one.”
OP ^

I do not know William Barclay.
I am familiar with John 10:30, of Jesus saying, “I and my father are one”.

I have no question to Jesus’ meaning, no require an interpretation.

Following in the verses after John 10:30, are verses of Jews response to Jesus’ comment.
They heard what Jews said.
They knew what Jesus meant.
They spoke what Jesus meant.
Jesus did not deny what the Jews claimed Jesus meant.

Not a mystery.
Jesus was claiming to BE God.

 

[DavidB]

“‘One’ also expresses the unity between Christ and the Father (Jn 10:30), the union between believers and the Godhead, and the unity which exists among Christians (Jn 17:21; Gal. 3:28). ‘One’ further expresses singleness of purpose”
p. 844, New Bible Dictionary, (2nd ed.), 1982, Tyndale House Publ.

 

[DavidB]

Commenting on John 10:30, J. H. Bernard, D.D. says in A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to St. John:

“A unity of fellowship, of will, and of purpose between the Father and the Son is a frequent theme in the Fourth Gospel..., and it is tersely and powerfully expressed here; but to press the words so as to make them indicate identity of ousia [Greek for ‘substance,’ ‘essence’], is to introduce thoughts that were not present to the theologians of the first century."

 

[DavidB]

Notice that W.E. Vine uses John 10:30 and John 17 to make his point about the use of “one” as union and concord.
“(b) metaphorically [figuratively], union and concord, e.g., John 10:30; 11:52; 17:11, 21, 22....” - An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 809.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

Wasnt barclay a universalist? Denied the virgin birth? Believed in evolution? That barclay?

William is just another lump of clay that God fashioned for the purpose of adversity. He even named him William the "bar of clay".

 

[APAK]

A more modern interpretation of Jesus' words in verse John 10:30 would be that he and his Father work as one - together as one person, in like minds, common purpose and of common will. They are in lockstep.

As (John 14:11)..I am in the Father and the Father is in me. The Son shares in the Father's Spirit, mind, words and will (his word) as the Son yields his own natural human derived spirit and mind and will over to his Father out of love - still of the role of the humble servant. Thus, they are ‘one’ as a figure of speech, these two independent spirits bonded as one, and biased towards the Father of course.

The context of verse John 10: 30

How did we get to this point of life and death? It started off with a simple walk in the temple during the Festival of Dedication. Jesus was making His way through Solomon’s Colonnade. Other worshipers gathered around Jesus and began asking Him questions. They wanted Him to tell them outright if He was the Messiah.

Jesus says, “I did tell you, but you do not believe” (John 10:25). He follows this up with more talk about sheep. In the first half of John 10, we find Jesus explaining that He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. His sheep know His voice and He knows His sheep. He talks about willingly laying down His life for them, something that would happen when He died on the Cross. His sheep are the people who will believe in Him and follow Him. The Pharisees did not understand this, and they called Him a mad man.

So when Jesus starts talking about sheep again, it’s not out of the blue. He’s picking up where He left off and further making His point. He says that He gives His sheep eternal life and that no one can take them from Him. He ends with a clear and bold statement. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Christ was one with the God his Father: As the Father brought people to Christ then Christ shepherded them for the Father and his keeping. ..they were one indeed.

 

[DavidB]

As (John 14:11)..I am in the Father and the Father is in me. The Son shares in the Father's Spirit, mind, words and will (his word) as the Son yields his own natural human derived spirit and mind and will over to his Father out of love - still of the role of the humble servant. Thus, they are ‘one’ as a figure of speech, these two independent spirits bonded as one, and biased towards the Father of course.

Notice this translation of John 14:11:
“You must believe that I am in union with the Father and that the Father is in union with me, or else you must believe because of the things themselves.”
Smith & Goodspeed New Testament.

John 15:4 in Goodspeed
“Remain in union with me, and I will remain in union with you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in union with me.”

John 14:11 NWT
“Believe me that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me; otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.

John 15:4 NWT
“Remain in union with me, and I will remain in union with you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you unless you remain in union with me.”

 

[DavidB]

are you a unitarian?

I’m not sure what all comes under the definition of Unitarian, but I do believe what Jesus said at John 17:3 when praying to his Father and said that he was the only true God and Jesus was the one he sent.

 

[Matthias]

sounds to me that you are indeed a unitarian. Thats bad.

“… traditional Judaism … (Yahweh is viewed in unitarian terms as one God, one person.)”

What Is the Relationship between Judaism and Christianity?

Jesus of Nazareth is a Jew.

Who and how many persons is Jesus of Nazareth’s God?

Who? The Father.

How many persons? One.

By definition, Jesus of Nazareth is himself a unitarian.

Who is that bad for?

 

[Matthias]

from the WCF chpt 2;
“In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.”

unitarianism denies the deity of Jesus.

Jesus himself is a unitarian and unitarianism denies the deity of Jesus.

Conclusion?

 

[DavidB]

sounds to me that you are indeed a unitarian. Thats bad.

Let’s get back to the OP. After reading these comments by Barclay, Vine, Bernard and the New Bible Dictionary showing that “one” at John 10:30 and in John 17 both refer to unity, do you think John 10:30 should be used to establish the trinity?

 

[Enoch111]

William Barclay Daily Study Bible Series, The Gospel of John, Vol. 2,

Barclay was not exactly a reliable commentator, more of a Modernist theological liberal. "He denied the infallibility of the Scripture, the virgin birth, deity, and substitutionary atonement of Christ, the eternality of Hell, and other cardinal Bible doctrines, and promoted the critical modernistic views of the Old Testament. He interpreted the miracles of Christ in a naturalistic fashion, claiming, for example, that Jesus did not actually walk on the water but that he was probably walking in shallow water near the beach and it only appeared to the disciples that he was walking on the water."
Beware of William Barclay (wayoflife.org)

 

[ChristisGod]

Wasnt barclay a universalist? Denied the virgin birth? Believed in evolution? That barclay?

Yes a false teacher

 

[ChristisGod]

Let’s get back to the OP. After reading these comments by Barclay, Vine, Bernard and the New Bible Dictionary showing that “one” at John 10:30 and in John 17 both refer to unity, do you think John 10:30 should be used to establish the trinity?

Of course it should if the verse is not isolated and removed from its context . The Jews knew He was claiming to be God which is why they tried stoning Him for blasphemy.

John 10
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

hope this helps !!!

 

[Matthias]

Of course it should if the verse is not isolated and removed from its context . The Jews knew He was claiming to be God which is why they tried stoning Him for blasphemy.

John 10
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

hope this helps !!!

His enemies - fellow Jews - were wrong.

 

[ChristisGod]

His enemies - fellow Jews - were wrong.

No they knew what He meant by those words it’s rather obvious as He was saying and doing only things that God can say and do . The entire gospel of John is filled with such examples of His Deity and claims .

hope this helps !!!

 

[Matthias]

No they knew what He meant by those words it’s rather obvious as He was saying and doing only things that God can say and do .

hope this helps !!!

They constantly misunderstood what he said.

The Messiah does say and do what his God says and does.

 

[ChristisGod]

They constantly misunderstood what he said.

Like you .

 

[Matthias]

Like you .

You’re the one who is saying they’re right, not me.