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I AM 

‘Say this to the people of Israel, “I am has sent me to you.”’

(Exodus 3:14)

In the Septuagint (the translation of the Torah and the other Hebrew scriptures into Greek) ‘I am’ is ὁ ὤν (ho on) which can be read (the one) ‘who is’; but probably would have been better understood in terms arising from Greek philosophy as more like ‘the Being’, the ‘Existing One’.  Translation inevitably risks misperception, especially when reduced to a cypher of concept.  Without the syntax of a sentence, let alone a broader context, it behoves all to not treat this translation entirely literally. 

When Moses asks God to identify himself the first response is translated: ‘I am who I am’ translating ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (ego eimi ho on) literally ‘I am “who is”’.

God’s name then is ‘who is’, conveying the sense of a being independent of all others, pre-existent, transcendent and eternal.

While it of course true that Moses is given a name ‘I AM’, it is important when relating this to all ‘I am’ statements of Jesus being powerful statements of his divinity.  That said, there are three that are good candidates, not least because of the reaction they cause.  

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MIND (set)

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  (Romans 8:5)

Having expounded on the doctrines of justification, sanctification and glorification, the apostle Paul now reaches a wonderful conclusion: for all who submit themselves to the authority of Jesus, there is no punishment, having been freed from prison of sin and death, which is the inevitable and inescapable fate of all humanity without divine intervention.

This means a new mindset, one that seeks to please Jesus as opposed to one set on self-gratification.  Paul’s Greek employs one noun, φρόνημα (phronéma) to cover the composite ‘mind-set’ of the translation (ESV) and it literally means being governed from within, impelled by personal insight, or more colloquially ‘going with your gut’. 

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SIGNS (for pagans)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  (John 20:30-31)

John concludes the reason for presenting a new account of Jesus, it is to provide signs that might convince that he was divine.  A sign, the Greek is σημεῖον (semeion) points the way, and is an indicator but in the New Testament, sign synonymous with the performance of a miracle, a reversal of or prevalence over natural laws. John provides seven signs to authenticate Jesus: turning water into wine (2:1-11); healing a nobleman’s son (4:46-54) and a paralytic man (5:1-15); feeding a multitude (6:1-15); walking on water (6:16-21); healing a man born blind (9:1-7) and lastly, the raising Lazarus from the tomb (11:1-44).  It could be argued that the greatest sign of all was Jesus own resurrection, but that was a work of the Father, while the previous were those performed by the Son.

But why these, and why only seven?  As John says, and the synoptic gospels attest, Jesus did many, many others.  There must be an underlying reason for their selection.   

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SCOFFER

In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. 

Jude 18

With the letters of Peter, John and Jude, plus John’s Revelation, the New Testament concludes with prophecy; and as in the Old Testament, prophecy is concerned with dire warnings.  God would have his people know that they are dangerously close to turning aside from him.

Jude, a brother of Jesus, is horrified by what he is witnessing and writes with urgency:

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

(Ibid 4)

This, he would remind the Church, was already predicted by the apostles, who spoke of false teachers.  The word he repeats is empaiktai, the plural of empaiktés (ἐμπαίκτης), meaning one who makes a mockery of (in this case) the Gospel of Christ.

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ENEMY (of God and other people)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.  

(Romans 5:10)

The Apostle Paul summarises the first four chapters of the epistle to the Romans that demonstrated the adversarial relationship between humanity and God.  The doctrine of justification, the decision of God to restore the relationship on an individual basis unilaterally by faith, necessarily requires God to deal with each person as he finds them and the word Paul uses is echthros (ἐχθρός) meaning ‘enemy’.  From the verb echtho ‘to hate’, Paul is using the strongest term possible to describe the enmity that exists between creator and the blessed creature God made in his own image.  

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FUTILITY (of mortality)

Creation (is) subjected to futility…


(Romans 8:20)

Paul provides essential revelation in his great doctrinal letter that he hopes will revolutionise the reader’s relationship with his life, but none strikes so hard as the spiritual reality that anything gained and achieved is meaningless and worthless within this creation. The world of men and women, indeed, the earth upon which they tread along with every cosmic body will be destroyed by God. Thus, mortal life is futile, because God subjected his creation to futility.

The Greek word Paul employs mataiotés (ματαιότης) means inutility, i.e. good for nothing; figuratively speaking that which is transient or debased. It derives from mataios, an adjective meaning ‘worthless.’

Of course this is not a fresh revelation, a similar one was given to the Kohelet, the Preacher whom some consider to be Solomon. He opens his thought experiment by immediately giving his conclusion, ‘all is in vain’ (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The Hebrew word hebel, literally a vapour or mist conveys all the same understanding of mataiotés [for more on this see post 1/6/23 entitled Pointless].

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HATE (one’s family)

Hate (one’s family)

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
(Luke 14:26)

The chronology and sequence of events is not always obvious in Luke’s account of Jesus’ ministry; however, the gospel provides the context as here. Jesus is being followed by ‘great’ crowds – and John’s gospel (e.g. 6:26) records that the crowds often wanted Jesus to perform, whether it was producing food or a healing miracle. This was in danger of becoming a circus, and Jesus would have none of it.

Jesus words can be understood to rebuke those who trailed after him, and it was a deliberately shocking statement, intended to arrest people in their tracks – not least, because he seemed to contradict the fifth commandment, to honour your father and mother that Moses declared to Israel, and many would dwell upon the qualification, given the reality of Roman servitude.

‘Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.’ (Exodus 20:12)

Surely Jesus is not making a new commandment, not merely enhancing but challenging Moses’ authority? Perhaps he does not really mean ‘hate’?

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(ETERNAL) DESTRUCTION

When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.
(2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

The Bible asserts that when Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, returns he will come to judge the nations. Jesus himself describes the scene speaking of himself as the Son of Man:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:31-32)

Jesus then affirms those he judges to be unrighteous ‘will go away into eternal punishment’ while ‘the righteous (go) into eternal life.’

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DELUSION

God sends (them) a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
(2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

Greek word translated delusion is plané (πλάνη), in context, this represents a deception or deceit. It derives from the verb planaó, to go astray, to wander, or cause to wander or be misled. In English, this comes to us in the word ‘planet’ as these satellites of the sun are observed to ‘wander’ across the firmament, the ‘firm’ back-cloth of the fixed stars.

So, the sense is deviation, and specifically in the spiritual context, deviation from the truth that there is one God; and of course, the planets are even named after pagan gods, mere inventions from the human mind under powerful delusion.

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OVERCOME

‘Take heart; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b)

Following the Passover Meal, Jesus prepares his disciples telling them he is about to leave them, but he will send the Paraclete in his place.  

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation… (ibid 16:33a)

He knows they will suffer the loss, not least, initially in their faith that the broken man on the cross was not the Messiah they hoped he was.  With the exception of John, performing the family duty of supporting his aunt, Mary, the disciples would scatter and return to Galilee.

But it easy to pass over his summary statement, that he has ‘overcome the world’, noting this is a completed action, in other words, he can surrender to death knowing he is sinless, and that is a victory. 

The Greek verb νικάω nikaó means to vanquish, conquer, prevail over and it derives from the Niké, the pagan goddess of victory.  So, Jesus saying that he has already won a victory even before passing test of obedience in Gethsemane, and rendering up his life and spirit to his Father.

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