Editorial April 5, 1941 Issue

"Ye are gods"

George Shaw Cook

It is recorded in the Gospel of John that at one time the Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy because, as they averred, "Thou, being a man, makest thyself God." The reply of the Master to this accusation was: "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, . . . say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?"

Doubtless many readers of this Scriptural passage have wondered why Christ Jesus quoted with apparent approbation the words, "Ye are gods," in justification of his statement, "I am the Son of God." For it is not conceivable that he believed men to be gods. Therefore, it is of interest to note in this connection that in the original Greek the word translated "gods" has, as one of its meanings, "godly." And it is quite possible, though of course not certain, that it was this meaning that Jesus had in thought when he quoted from the eighty-second Psalm the statement, "Ye are gods."

It seems quite natural to assume that Jesus would have reasoned that, since man in his true nature is godly, it was not strange that he should call himself "the Son of God." Be that as it may, it is certain that Jesus did not believe that men are gods. He knew and taught that spiritual man is the son of God; and even though he said, "I and my Father are one," he also said, "My Father is greater than I." He knew that God is one and indivisible.

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