“Before Abraham Comes to be, I AM.” Did Jesus Claim to be God?
Trinitarians and deity of Christ believers think that Jesus claimed to be God when Jesus said in John 8:58, “I am”. John 8:58 is probably among the top 5 of verses put forth as evidence for the deity of Christ. [1] This article gives reasons why Jesus’s “I am” statement in John 8:58 is not a claim to exist before Abraham in the past but is better understood in the context of Jesus’s presence, and who Jesus is, before Abraham comes to be in the future. To hear this article on a podcast, click here . YouTube video, click here . Outline: 1. Tongue-in-cheek deity of Christ translations of John 8:58 and Exodus 3:14-15 Analysis of Trinitarian, Deity of Christ Interpretation of John 8:58 2. Creating Confusion and Contradiction as to who the God of Israel is. 3. Different Trinitarian translations in John 8:58 a sign of uncertainty: “before Abraham was , was born , came into existence, coming ”? Is the infinitive verb “ comes to be ” better understood in the