[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":314},["ShallowReactive",2],{"footer-links":3,"content-\u002Fdivine\u002Fclaims\u002Fgood":12},[4,9],{"path":5,"title":6,"type":7,"isExternal":8},"\u002Fabout","About","link",false,{"path":10,"title":11,"type":7,"isExternal":8},"\u002Fdisclaimer","Disclaimer",{"id":13,"title":14,"body":15,"description":305,"extension":306,"meta":307,"navigation":309,"path":310,"seo":311,"stem":312,"__hash__":313},"content\u002Fdivine\u002Fclaims\u002Fgood.md","Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19 (Is Good)",{"type":16,"value":17,"toc":295},"minimark",[18,38,42,58,61,71,74,83,92,95,100,138,150,154,157,174,177,188,191,195,198,207,210,219,222,225,229,232,241,250,259,263,274,278],[19,20,22,28,29,28,33,37],"h1",{"id":21},"matthew-1917-mark-1018-luke-1819-is-good",[23,24,27],"span",{"className":25,"dataReference":27},[26],"bible-ref","Matthew 19:17","; ",[23,30,32],{"className":31,"dataReference":32},[26],"Mark 10:18",[23,34,36],{"className":35,"dataReference":36},[26],"Luke 18:19"," (Is Good)",[39,40,41],"p",{},"The question of whether Jesus is God often centers on his own words and how he described himself. In a famous encounter with a rich young ruler, Jesus asked why he was being called good, stating that only God is good. Does this mean Jesus was denying his own goodness, or was he making a deeper point about his nature? By examining the original Greek terms and the role of Rabbis in the first century, we can uncover a more nuanced perspective on this classic theological debate.",[43,44,45],"blockquote",{},[39,46,47,48,28,51,28,54],{},"And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. — ",[23,49,32],{"className":50,"dataReference":32},[26],[23,52,36],{"className":53,"dataReference":36},[26],[23,55,57],{"className":56,"dataReference":57},[26],"Matthew 19:17 (KJV)",[39,59,60],{},"However, Jesus also described himself as \"good\" in other contexts:",[43,62,63],{},[39,64,65,66,70],{},"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ... I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. — ",[23,67,69],{"className":68,"dataReference":69},[26],"John 10:11",",14 (KJV)",[39,72,73],{},"Taken out of context, these statements might seem to suggest that since only God is good and Jesus is good, then Jesus must be God. However, this interpretation does not align with Jesus' actual claims. Other scriptures indicate that the term \"good\" can also apply to human beings.",[43,75,76],{},[39,77,78,79],{},"A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. — ",[23,80,82],{"className":81,"dataReference":82},[26],"Matthew 12:35 (KJV)",[43,84,85],{},[39,86,87,88],{},"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. — ",[23,89,91],{"className":90,"dataReference":91},[26],"Matthew 5:45 (KJV)",[39,93,94],{},"These verses suggest that goodness is not exclusive to God in every sense. This raises the question of whether there is a distinction in how the term is used.",[96,97,99],"h2",{"id":98},"the-distinction-between-agathos-and-kalos","The Distinction Between Agathos and Kalos",[43,101,102,105,117,120,123],{},[39,103,104],{},"The word translated as good in the 3 Gospels, used in both the statement of the young man to Jesus and in the reply question of Jesus to the man is the Greek Ἀγαθός, agathos. It means a good nature or to be intrinsically good.",[39,106,107,108,111,112,116],{},"This is NOT the word that Jesus used for himself when he called himself the good shepherd in ",[23,109,69],{"className":110,"dataReference":69},[26]," and ",[23,113,115],{"className":114,"dataReference":115},[26],"John 10:14",".",[39,118,119],{},"The Greek word translated as good in these verses is Καλός Kalos and means noble, of good character, worthy.",[39,121,122],{},"It does not refer to the intrinsic nature of a person.",[39,124,125,126,130,131],{},"When Jesus called himself the good shepherd he was referring to ",[127,128,129],"strong",{},"him being obedient to God",". He did not do his own will but the fathers. — ",[132,133,137],"a",{"href":134,"rel":135},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.followintruth.com\u002Fis-jesus-god-because-he-is-good",[136],"nofollow","LJ Thriepland",[39,139,140,141,145,146,149],{},"By using ",[142,143,144],"em",{},"Kalos",", Jesus identified himself as a noble and worthy shepherd through his obedience to God, rather than claiming the intrinsic, divine goodness (",[142,147,148],{},"Agathos",") that belongs to the Father alone.",[96,151,153],{"id":152},"cultural-context-of-the-rabbi","Cultural Context of the Rabbi",[39,155,156],{},"The context of the encounter with the rich young ruler is also significant.",[43,158,159],{},[39,160,161,162,28,166,28,170],{},"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? — ",[23,163,165],{"className":164,"dataReference":165},[26],"Mark 10:17",[23,167,169],{"className":168,"dataReference":169},[26],"Luke 18:18",[23,171,173],{"className":172,"dataReference":173},[26],"Matthew 19:16 (KJV)",[39,175,176],{},"Bible translators use terms like \"Good Master\" or \"Good Teacher.\" In either case, Jesus was being addressed as a Jewish Rabbi.",[43,178,179,182],{},[39,180,181],{},"Rabbis were some of the most respected men in Judaism. They followed the word of God and taught the word of God.",[39,183,184,185],{},"The man had not referred to Jesus as a good person by character rather he called Jesus Good (by nature) teacher. The man had linked being a teacher or rabbi and being by nature good, together.  It was to this reference to being called good that Jesus had asked him why he called him good (by nature). Why do you call me good by nature? With the implied question is it because I am a Rabbi? To which Jesus responded that only God was good by nature. In other words don’t think I am good by nature simply because I am a Rabbi. That doesn’t make a person good by nature. — ",[132,186,137],{"href":134,"rel":187},[136],[39,189,190],{},"The question Jesus posed was a common technique used by Rabbis to test potential disciples. It was tradition for a student to choose a Rabbi carefully, and the Rabbi would likewise be selective. This particular young man sought out Jesus as his Rabbi, seeking the way to eternal life.",[96,192,194],{"id":193},"keeping-the-commandments","Keeping the Commandments",[39,196,197],{},"Jesus intended to demonstrate that keeping the commandments or being a Rabbi did not make a person \"good\" by nature in the way the man implied. Jesus questioned the man regarding his knowledge of the law.",[43,199,200],{},[39,201,202,203],{},"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. — ",[23,204,206],{"className":205,"dataReference":206},[26],"Mark 10:19 (KJV)",[39,208,209],{},"The man stated that he had kept these commandments since his youth.",[43,211,212],{},[39,213,214,215],{},"And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. — ",[23,216,218],{"className":217,"dataReference":218},[26],"Mark 10:20 (KJV)",[39,220,221],{},"In that cultural context, many believed that adherence to the law made a person good. The man likely expected Jesus to confirm that his obedience was the key to inheriting eternal life. However, Jesus highlighted that while the man followed the commandments, his true nature remained worldly. By asking the man to sell his possessions, Jesus showed that the man's heart was still tied to his wealth rather than to God.",[39,223,224],{},"The point Jesus made was that his own role as a Rabbi did not make him \"good\" by nature. He demonstrated that he was not good simply because of his title or his outward obedience to the commandments. The man also followed these same laws, but this did not change his intrinsic nature. Jesus did not state that no one else could ever be good, but rather that no one but God is good by nature.",[96,226,228],{"id":227},"good-by-nature","Good by Nature",[39,230,231],{},"Jesus showed that to be \"good by nature,\" a person must undergo a total transformation, taking on the nature of God. This transformation is not achieved merely by following laws or holding a religious title. Other scriptures emphasize this need for a renewed nature:",[43,233,234],{},[39,235,236,237],{},"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. — ",[23,238,240],{"className":239,"dataReference":240},[26],"Matthew 5:48 (KJV)",[43,242,243],{},[39,244,245,246],{},"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. — ",[23,247,249],{"className":248,"dataReference":249},[26],"Ephesians 4:24 (KJV)",[43,251,252],{},[39,253,254,255],{},"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. — ",[23,256,258],{"className":257,"dataReference":258},[26],"Colossians 3:10 (KJV)",[96,260,262],{"id":261},"addressing-counter-arguments","Addressing Counter-Arguments",[39,264,265,266,269,270,116],{},"A common interpretation of ",[23,267,32],{"className":268,"dataReference":32},[26]," is that Jesus was implicitly claiming to be God. The reasoning suggests that if Jesus is good and only God is good, then Jesus must be God. However, this logic doesn't work because it ignores the way people actually use language and their specific traditions. As previously discussed, Jesus used different Greek words to distinguish between ",[132,271,273],{"href":272},"#the-distinction-between-agathos-and-kalos","intrinsic goodness and noble character",[96,275,277],{"id":276},"conclusion","Conclusion",[39,279,280,281,284,285,289,290,294],{},"Jesus' statements about goodness clarify the distinction between his role and the Father's unique nature. He distinguished between ",[132,282,283],{"href":272},"intrinsic divine goodness and noble character"," through his choice of language. His interaction with the rich young ruler was a ",[132,286,288],{"href":287},"#cultural-context-of-the-rabbi","Rabbinic test"," that questioned the man's assumptions about goodness and religious titles. Furthermore, Jesus demonstrated that ",[132,291,293],{"href":292},"#keeping-the-commandments","outward obedience"," does not equate to intrinsic goodness.",{"title":296,"searchDepth":297,"depth":297,"links":298},"",2,[299,300,301,302,303,304],{"id":98,"depth":297,"text":99},{"id":152,"depth":297,"text":153},{"id":193,"depth":297,"text":194},{"id":227,"depth":297,"text":228},{"id":261,"depth":297,"text":262},{"id":276,"depth":297,"text":277},"Explore whether Jesus' claim to be the good shepherd implies he is God. This article examines the biblical distinction between intrinsic and noble goodness.","md",{"keywords":308},"Jesus good shepherd, \u003Cspan class=\"bible-ref\" data-reference=\"Mark 10:18\">Mark 10:18\u003C\u002Fspan>, Agathos, Kalos, divine nature, Jesus identity, biblical Greek goodness, \u003Cspan class=\"bible-ref\" data-reference=\"Luke 18:19\">Luke 18:19\u003C\u002Fspan>, \u003Cspan class=\"bible-ref\" data-reference=\"Matthew 19:17\">Matthew 19:17\u003C\u002Fspan>",true,"\u002Fdivine\u002Fclaims\u002Fgood",{"title":14,"description":305},"divine\u002Fclaims\u002Fgood","1Sv1jma7vF11WeIoT9dT2EFD5-MkgLXefjPMrnE5k-8",1794459727242]