Chizuk Emunah (Pt 2) Under the Microscope: Chapter 51

John 10:33-36, "The Jews answered him [Jesus], For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy, and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

"Jesus answered them. Is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods? If he called them gods unto whom the Word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken: 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"?

The equivocal reply of Jesus for styling himself God, argues more against than in favour of his claim. In quoting in his above defence the words of Psalm 82:6, "I have said, Ye are gods, and sons of the Most High altogether," he has not borne in mind that the psalmist spoke with the very purpose of showing that those who call themselves sons of God, betray by their own nature that they delude themselves and others; for he goes on to say, "But surely ye die like other men, and fall like any one of the princes." The occurrence of the word Elohim (gods), does not even show that the Divine Being is really alluded to. We have instances that both angels and judges are designated by that term, and that it is equal to the expression of higher powers or authorities. See Judges 13:22, "We must die, for we have seen an 'Elohim'" (a superior being). In Exodus 22:9, we read, "The cause of both men shall come before the Elohim" (the judicial authorities), and whom those Elohim find guilty, "he shall pay a double portion to his neighbour." Similar use is made of the word Elohim in various places of our Scriptures. In Psalm 82:1, the word gods [Elohim] has the same signification as angels and messengers of the Almighty.

When God said to Moses, "Behold I have made thee a god unto Pharaoh," He spoke merely of him as of a messenger who came in the name of the Most High. The misquoted passages abounding in the New Testament betray the scanty and superficial knowledge its authors possessed of the language and purport of our Holy Scripture.

Then why did this crowd accuse him of blasphemy? Psalm 82 does describe mere humans as gods. It is a short psalm that goes as follows:

Rescue the Weak and Needy
A Psalm of Asaph.

God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;
 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.”
Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!
 (Psalm 82)

The Mormons have difficulty with this passage, since these so-called gods are mortal. It also fits with the context that God shall judge all of the land, indicating that the inhabitants to be judged are earthly, rather than heavenly creatures.

Remember also the distinction that I have made:
(LORD or Lord or Yahweh = κυριος = יהוה)
(God = ο θεος = אלהים)

Elohim, is the word translated as theos, or as God. As Troki demonstrates, that word does not necessarily mean the all-powerful creator of the world, but can mean powerful beings, spirits, angels, and even human judges. This is why the New Testament writers used the term κυριος which translates as Lord.

And even Korach never accused Moses of making himself God.