God said i am the word

Jesus (Peace be upon him) never said the word “I am God” nor “I am the second person in Trinity”, nor “I am human and divine”, but as mentioned before, Jesus clearly said that the Father is the only God, and that He is his God, and that he doesn’t know the hour,…..etc.  Christians usually cite some verses to prove that he is God, but actually when going through these verses, we find that he didn’t say it clearly, rather these are all conclusions made, and by examining them, we find that they don’t really mean what Christians wanted them to mean. This shall be shown in this article.

Comparison between Jesus and God showing that Jesus is NOT God

“Before Abraham was born, I am!”

Christians consider this as a proof that Jesus is God because he is eternal. However this language was common in the Bible and it only means that he was in God’s foreknowledge, same as what was told about Jeremiah and Paul:

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you , and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified you ; I have appointed you  a prophet unto the nations.

Ephesian 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:

The context also proves this when he said before:

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. 57 The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.

Jesus (Peace be upon him) meant here is that Abraham (Peace be upon him) rejoiced when he knew that Jesus will be from his descendants, and this is clear through the word “when he saw my day”, he didn’t say: ”when he saw me”, this clearly means that he just meant that Abraham knew that he will be raised one day, so he was rejoiced for that day.

The word “I AM” doesn’t claim divinity, anyone can say I am. The word “ego eimi” if it really meant Jehovah, it wouldn’t have been translated but it would have been written as Jehovah, especially when we see that the same word “ego eimi” used by others as the beggar for example:

John 9:9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”

Is the beggar God? Of course not, but it actually means “I am the Messiah”, and this is very clear in his conversation with Samaritan woman:

John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto you am he.

Another translation writes it that way:

(MKJV) Jesus said to her, I AM, the One speaking to you.

This is a very clear proof that Jesus didn’t mean to Jehovah by this word, and the context can show that as explained above.

“I and the Father are one”:

Actually this word in itself is not a proof that he claims divinity, as the unity can be unity in aim, for example Jesus said concerning the disciples:

Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

Of course this verse doesn’t mean that they are one by body, rather by aim and faith, it is the same also concerning John 10:30. Dr. Thomas Constable, a Christian commentator acknowledges this on his notes on John 10:30:

“Jesus did not mean that He and the Father were the same person of the Godhead. If He had meant that, He would have used the masculine form of the word translated “one” (Gr. heis). Instead He used the neuter form of the word (Gr. hen). He meant that He and the Father were one in their action. This explanation also harmonized with the context since Jesus had said that He would keep His sheep safe (v. 28) and His Father would keep them safe (v. 29)……..First, Jesus’ claim to oneness does not in itself prove the Son’s unity in essence with the Father. In 17:22, Jesus prayed that His disciples might be one as He and the Father were one, namely, in their purpose and beliefs…….In short, this verse does not say that Jesus was claiming to be of the same essence as God. Here He claimed to function in union with the Father. However the context and other statements in this Gospel show that His unity with the Father extended beyond a functional unity and did involve essential metaphysical unity.” (Source here)

So Dr. Constable is saying here that this verse in itself doesn’t mean real unity in essence but figurative one in purpose and beliefs, but the context proves that he was claiming to be God, but actually the context disproves his deity, let’s look at what the context says:

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone you not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. 39 They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand. (John 10:32-39)

When we look at the context, we find that Jesus is actually disproving the claim that he is God not proving it. The Jews misunderstood what he said, and thought that he was saying that he was God. Actually what the Jews said means that they understood from the scriptures that the Messiah is not God, so anyone who is saying that he is God is blaspheming. If they really misunderstood the scriptures, it should have been that Jesus corrects their misconception by quoting a verse from the OT telling that the Messiah will be God as Isaiah 9:6 (This highlighted link shows that Isaiah 9:6 doesn’t really say that Jesus is God ) for example, but the verse he quoted proves that they just misunderstood him, Jesus referred to Psalms 82:6:

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?”

Jesus here is quoting people who were called gods when they are not really God; just a metaphorical godhead. Jesus says that as these judges in Psalm 82:6 are called gods metaphorically; I am called son of God metaphorically. If the verse in Psalms wasn’t blasphemed when it called the judges gods, why do you consider me blaspheming when I am called son of God?

Finally coming to the last point where Christians say that Jesus said that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. This is not also a proof, as it only means that he has a good relationship with God since he is a prophet, and this language is very common in the Bible and used between Jesus and the disciples:

John 14:20 In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

1John 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.

Forgiving sins:

Christians usually says that Jesus forgave sins which means that he is God because only God forgives sins. Jesus (Peace be upon him) said “your sins are forgiven” NOT” I forgive your sins”, he referred forgiving sins to unknown which is inevitably God, he didn’t refer it to himself. And it’s clear through the context:

Matthew 9:8 when the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Also in another verse, Jesus asks the Father to forgive those who harmed him, if Jesus really forgives sins; he would have forgiven them immediately without praying to God.

Luke 23:34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Also in some Christian denominations, people go and confess to the priest who says at the end “your sins are forgiven”; no one said that the priest is God. Christians may say that Jesus said he had an authority to forgive sins, but Jesus clearly says that the Father gave him everything and that he can do nothing by himself, so this authority here doesn’t mean that he is God who had it by himself but rather Jesus is under the will of God who shall forgive the ones whom Jesus tells them this statement.

The word was God:

First of all, these are the words of Gospel John’s writer not the words of Jesus. Actually there is a doubt in the identity of the writer of Gospel John being John the apostle or an anonymous writer. What is more important is that this verse is mistranslated. We can see how the word “God” is written in Greek in the John 1:1:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (τόν θεόν), and the Word was God (θεός).

We can see here that when the verse talked about God Himself, it used the definite article (τόν θεόν), while when talking about the word itself, it used it without the definite article (θεός) although this word when talking about God in the Gospels it always uses the definite article that way (ό θεός) as we can see in this link. This is a proof that what was meant here wasn’t that Jesus is God Himself, but god with small g which means master as told about Moses (Peace be upon him):

Exodus 7:1″ And Jehovah said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh. And Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.”

We see here in the Septuagint that it doesn’t use the word (τόν θεόν) or (ό θεός) as it uses for God, but Exodus uses the word θεόν only without a definite article when talking about Moses (Peace be upon him) same as John 1:1 talks about Jesus (Peace be upon him).

This was also clear in Psalms 82:6 which was quoted by Jesus himself when he answered the Jews who accused him of saying that he is God as explained above when answering Christian citation of John 10:30-36:

 Psalms 82:6 I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.

As for what John 1:3 says:

John 1:3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.

These things doesn’t necessarily mean creation as Jesus was always confirming that he can do nothing by himself and it was the Father who gave him everything. This was rather talking about the message that God sent him with, which is saving the people by faith in God and in Jesus as a prophet.

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father:

Calling Jesus Lord

First of all, the word “Lord means Master or Sir, it is a famous title for the Peers, for example “Lord Chancellor, Lord justice Bingham. In Britain, you adress a judge or Peer as my Lord” ( Cambridge International Dictionary of English). This was what meant by Paul calling him lord:

1Coritheans 8:6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him.

So Paul separated between the two words God and Lord because he meant that Father is the only God to be worshiped other than false gods, and Jesus (Peace be upon him) the only master to be followed other than false prophets. This was also meant by saying “through whom are all things, and we through him as Jesus is the prophet whom they get their religion through him. Even there are some English translations which sometimes use the word Master instead of Lord. For example in John 5:7, CEV and LITV uses the word lord instead of Sir or Master, in John 13:36 YLT and WNT use the words Master or Sir instead of Lord.

 Thomas calling Jesus “My Lord and my God”

Calling him “my Lord” doesn’t mean that he is God as mentioned before, and calling him “my God” can’t mean that he is God since it clearly contradicts with what Jesus (Peace be upon him) said to the Father:

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

So either the word God mentioned in this verse like the one meant for Moses (Peace be upon him):

Exodus 7:1And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

Or that Thomas said this here as an exclamation as when one says “O my God”, or that this verse was interpolated so that it can be a proof for the divinity of Jesus (Peace be upon him), but actually it clearly contradicts with other Bible verses as we have shown in the previous article that Jesus actually tells that the Father is the only true God.

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me:

This is the case with all prophets, so what? Christians believe in the Old Testament, and believe that Moses, David, Isaiah and others were prophets from God. If someone came and said that he believes in Jesus but believes that Moses or other OT prophets are liars and false prophets, could they come to the Father that way? Surely not, because disbelieving in any of the prophets is disbelieving in OT which was confirmed by Jesus and which you believe it’s the word of God, so saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” doesn’t apply on Jesus only but on all prophets.

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The Lord Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). I think everyone is familiar with these words but perhaps there are not many who truly understand their real meaning. What does “I am the way, the truth, and the life” mean? What does the Lord want us to understand by saying these words? Please read on and you will get the answers.

Christ Is the Truth, the Way, and the Life

In order to understand what “I am the way, the truth, and the life” means, which was said by the Lord Jesus, we must first be clear that only God can express the truth, grant people life, and show people the way. Before the Lord Jesus said He Himself was the truth, no person had said he himself was the truth, and no person could express the truth. Only the incarnate Lord Jesus said that He was the truth and moreover He could express the truth. Just as it is recorded in the Scriptures, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us … full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

The Lord Jesus was God incarnate, that is, God’s Spirit clothed Himself in the flesh as the Son of man to work in the human world. He appeared to be an ordinary, normal human from the outside, but He was Christ incarnate and God Himself and He possessed a divine essence. This is how the Lord Jesus could express God’s disposition and what God has and is, and could express the truth and perform the work of saving mankind based on their needs. It is something which nothing else in all of creation is capable of.

For example, in the later stage of the Age of Law when people could not keep the laws, they were sinning more and more, and were faced with the danger of being executed by the laws, God Himself became flesh and came among man to do His work in order to save man. The Lord Jesus brought an end to the Age of Law and opened up the Age of Grace. He provided mankind with the way of repentance and pointed out the paths of practice for the new era. He taught people to be humble and patient, love others as themselves, love their enemies, be honest people, use their hearts to truthfully worship God, love God, and more. The Lord Jesus also cured the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, made the blind see and cripples walk…. Finally, the Lord Jesus was crucified as an eternal sin offering for mankind, redeeming them from sin. Thereafter, as long as people accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and confessed and repented to the Lord, they were absolved of their sins, were no longer subject to the condemnation and punishments of the laws for violating the laws, and could enjoy the abundant grace bestowed by the Lord.

This shows that only Christ can give man the truth, the way and the life, and that the Lord Jesus is God Himself who can bestow upon people the truth, the way and the life. However, many people of that time just saw the Lord Jesus’ ordinary and normal appearance, but did not know that the Lord Jesus was the incarnate Christ, and that He was God Himself. So, the Lord Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The Lord Jesus was testifying His own identity to the people of that time, so that they could know that He was Christ, was God Himself, and could bestow upon them the truth, the way, and the life.

What’s more, if we do not understand Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, we will surely not gain God’s approval. Just like the Jewish Pharisees of that time, not only did they not acknowledge that the incarnate Lord Jesus was Christ and accept the truth expressed by the Lord Jesus, but even judged, condemned, and blasphemed Him. They just believed in Jehovah God in heaven but did not acknowledge Christ who expressed the truth and provided sustenance for people’s lives on earth. In the end, they crucified the Lord because of the Lord Jesus not obeying the laws of the Old Testament. They believed in God but had no knowledge that Christ is the truth, the way and the life. Thus, they became the classic examples of people who condemned and rejected Christ, and ultimately they were punished and cursed by God because of their resistance to Christ.

Therefore, by saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me,” the Lord Jesus wanted people to know that the essence of Christ is the truth, the way, and the life, and that other than Christ, no one can express the truth. That is to say, He who can express the truth and bestow upon man the way and the life surely is Christ, and is God Himself. We believers in God must understand that Christ is the truth, the way and the life, for only in this way can we closely follow God’s footsteps and receive God’s promises and blessings.

Christ of the Last Days Has Appeared and Brought the Truth, the Way, and the Life

Understanding the meaning of the Lord Jesus’ words “I am the way, the truth, and the life” is very crucial for us to welcome the Lord. Many people in welcoming the Lord’s return are afraid of being deceived by false Christs and so don’t dare to seek and investigate the true way. Actually, we need not fear being misled by a false Christ and unable to welcome the Lord as long as we recognize that Christ is the truth, the way, and the life, that is to say, as long as we recognize that He who can express the truth, provide for people’s lives, and point out the path for people is Christ, and that all those who cannot express the truth are false Christs without a doubt. Because false Christs aren’t God incarnate and lack the essence of divinity, they cannot express the truth, and much less can they save people. Only the incarnate Christ can express the truth and do the work of saving man.

Nowadays, the great disasters have come, the prophecies of the Lord’s return have basically been fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus has returned already as Almighty God, the Christ of the last days. On the foundation of the Lord Jesus’ work of redemption, Almighty God is doing the work of the Age of Kingdom, that is, the work of judgment beginning with God’s house. He has expressed all the truth to save and cleanse mankind; He has not only unveiled the mystery of God’s six-thousand-year management plan, the mystery of God’s incarnation, and the mystery of God’s name, but has also revealed the root of people’s sin, the true fact of mankind’s corruption by Satan, people’s satanic nature and essence that rebel against and resist God, and more. He also has expressed God’s disposition and what God has and is, such as God’s almightiness and wisdom, God’s righteousness and holiness, God’s authority and power, God’s uniqueness, and more. This makes people know God’s intolerance for man’s offenses and God’s essence of goodness. Almighty God has now uttered millions of words, most of which are included in the book The Word Appears in the Flesh, the Age of Kingdom Bible. This precisely fulfills the prophecies in the Bible, “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12–13). “He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). And it says in 1 Peter 4:17, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.”

Almighty God says, “Though Jesus did much work among man, He only completed the redemption of all mankind and became man’s sin offering; He did not rid man of all his corrupt disposition. Fully saving man from the influence of Satan not only required Jesus to become the sin offering and bear the sins of man, but it also required God to do even greater work to rid man completely of his satanically corrupted disposition. And so, now that man has been forgiven of his sins, God has returned to the flesh to lead man into the new age, and begun the work of chastisement and judgment. This work has brought man into a higher realm. All those who submit under His dominion shall enjoy higher truth and receive greater blessings. They shall truly live in the light, and they shall gain the truth, the way, and the life.”

“By means of this work of judgment and chastisement, man will fully come to know the filthy and corrupt essence within his own self, and he will be able to change completely and become clean. Only in this way can man become worthy to return before the throne of God.”

From God’s words we can see that this stage of Almighty God’s work of judgment in the last days is based on the needs of people today. Although we have been forgiven through our belief in the Lord, our sinful nature is still rooted within us, and we are therefore still capable of involuntarily sinning and resisting God. For example, we are still able to tell lies and deceive others; we can still follow evil worldly trends, covet vanity and pleasures, and thus our hearts often grow apart from the Lord; we can still be arrogant and conceited and arbitrarily judge others; when encountering natural or man-made disasters we can still complain about God and blame Him. There are many such examples. It can be seen that we have only been redeemed, but our sinful nature is still deeply rooted within us, and therefore we are frequently unable to stop ourselves from sinning and resisting God. We want to cast off the bonds and fetters of sin but have nowhere to turn, and no one can point out a path for us to escape the bondage of sin.

Almighty God, Christ of the last days, has performed the work of judgment in accordance with people’s needs, has expressed all the truth to cleanse and save mankind, and has directed people onto the path of purifying their sins. As long as we are able to accept the truth expressed by Christ of the last days and experience His work of judgment, we will gradually attain purification in our corrupt dispositions and become people who conform with God’s will. If this weren’t God Himself, who else could reveal mysteries? Who else could judge and expose the root of our sins? Who could express the truth to purify and save people and could show us the way to cleanse our sins? Who could express God’s righteous disposition and what God has and is? Besides Christ, no man could achieve this. Thus, it is evident that Almighty God is the truth, the way, and the life, and that He is the Lord Jesus returned—He is Christ of the last days.

Almighty God’s words say, “Christ of the last days brings life, and brings the enduring and everlasting way of truth. This truth is the path by which man gains life, and it is the only path by which man shall know God and be approved by God. If you do not seek the way of life provided by Christ of the last days, then you shall never gain the approval of Jesus, and shall never be qualified to enter the gate of the kingdom of heaven, for you are both a puppet and prisoner of history.” Therefore, in order not to miss out on welcoming the Lord’s return, we must humbly seek and investigate the work of Christ of the last days, Almighty God. Only by doing so can we have the chance to greet the Lord, be raptured before the throne of God, and gain the truth, the way, and the life bestowed by Christ of the last days.

Editor’s Note: Through the fellowship above, I believe you’ve understood the true meaning of the Lord’s words “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” If there is still anything you do not understand, please contact us via online chat.

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What Is Incarnation? How Can We Know God’s Incarnate Flesh?

Who is God? This question drives much of human history, and is a driving force across the meta-narrative of the Bible. After the fall of man in Genesis, mankind no longer had direct access to God, and even the people of Israel only knew certain aspects of their Creator. In Exodus, God states His own name for the first time: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). 

The name of I AM is how God chose to introduce himself, becoming so sacred that in Judaism, the name is not to be spoken. The significance of God’s self-given name encompasses all that He is, and how we are to relate to Him.

What Is the Context and Significance of the Name I AM?

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible. The first five books of both the Jewish and Christian Bibles, called the Pentateuch, are historically attributed to Moses. In context, the introduction of the name I AM comes early in Exodus. The Israelites had been in bondage in Egypt for four centuries. Near the end of this time, Moses fled Egypt and lived in Midian for forty years when God came to him and spoke through a burning bush. Moses asks God for His name, so he will have an answer when the people of Israel ask. In English, God’s answer is translated as “I AM WHO I AM … tell them I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). This name is known as the Tetragrammaton. 

To understand the power and weight of this name, compare this answer to the Egyptian pantheon. The Israelite nation lived surrounded by temples dedicated to deities with faces, bodies, birth stories, and death stories. Most significantly, they had names and dominion over certain aspects of life. For example, the goddess Isis had dominion over women, children, and medicine. Her name identified her with specific characteristics, and she held sway only over a few elements of life. Not so for the God of Israel.

Prior to this moment with Moses, the Israelites called their god Elohim or El –  is a title, not a personal name – or “El Shaddai”, often translated as God Almighty. When God gives a name for His people to call Him it conveys His dominion over all things, the source of His power, and His eternal nature: I AM. He is the self-sufficient, self-sustaining God who was, who is, and who will be.

This eternal nature is conveyed better in the Hebrew than in the English. The first time God says I AM (“I AM WHO I AM”), the Hebrew says, “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh”,  which translates as “I will be what I will be.” When God then tells Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent you” (Exodus 3:14), it is “Yahweh.” Yahweh is the third person version of Ehyeh, which is first person. Yahweh could also be translated as He will be. 

This video from the Bible project explains this topic more. 

Where Else Is the Name I AM in the Bible?

The Tetragrammaton appears over six-thousand times in the Bible, even in modern English translations. The Hebrew scribes were very careful to neither say aloud, nor fully spell out the holy and sacred name of God, Yahweh. Instead they would put it in all capital letters, and say Adonai. They put the vowels of Adonai into the consonants of Yaweh to get YAHOWAH, which English Christians translated into Jehovah. Today, any time a translator wants to acknowledge where YHWH is in the original Hebrew text, they use the word LORD in all capital letters. 

Some examples include:

Isaiah 8:1 “Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters…”

Psalm 149:1 “Praise the LORD! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!”

Proverbs 21:3 “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

Perhaps the most significant use of the name I AM in the Bible comes from Jesus Christ. The religious leaders would often try to catch Jesus in heresy, in a lie, or blaspheming so they could be rid of him. In John 8, the Jewish people challenged his authority, and they brought up Abraham. Jesus tells them how glad Abraham is to see the day of the Lord. When asked by the crowd how He speaks as if He knows Abraham, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am’” (John 8:58). 

While the original statement in the Book of John comes to us in Greek, the context does indicate that Jesus is invoking the Divine Name of God. First, He is claiming to pre-exist Abraham, a feat rather difficult for an ordinary man. Second, the Jewish people reacted to this statement by trying to stone Jesus, as prescribed in Leviticus 24:15-16, “And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” The Jewish people took this law seriously, and reacted to Christ invoking I AM by trying to carry out the punishment of the Levitical law. To them it was blasphemy, as Christ took the Divine name for Himself.

Issues with Translating “I AM”

When translating the Hebrew name of God into the English language, most translators translate Yahweh as I am. Where there is some differentiation is in the word that goes between the two “I AM” statements — ăšer or asher. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, ăšer is, “a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as adverbially and conjunctionally) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc…it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun…used to show the connection.” There is a degree of choice that translations have when it comes to this word. 

Here are some choices popular Bible translations have:

• English Standard Version: “I AM WHO I AM.”
• King James Version: “I AM THAT I AM.”
• New International Version: “I AM WHO I AM.”
• Wycliffe Bible: “I am that I am.”

Many English versions translate asher either as who or that in this context. Older translations tend towards “that”, where newer translations lean toward “who”.

Why Understanding Exodus 3:14 Is Important Today

Understanding the weight and power of the name in Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM” is important for today’s Christian to understand the complexity of who God is. He is all-encompassing and self-sufficient. It is a name above names, one that reminds the believer that God is in control, and that He sees His children. It also affirms the identity of the Savior as the Son of God. It can be easy in the struggles of everyday life to lose sight of the majesty and holiness of God, but meditating on the name He gave Himself, and all that it represents, can help put our time on earth into perspective. God is infinite, and He is sovereign over our lives, He Is Who He Is — אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה.

Sources:

Hamilton, Victor. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2011.

Mettinger, Trygge. In Search of God: The Meaning and  Message  of the Everlasting Name. Translated by Frederick H. Cryer. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Frank Busch

The Meaning of ‘I Am Who I Am’

Those who are Christians probably remember Exodus 3:14 when God told Moses what to tell the children of Israel about who sent him. “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

In the book of John chapter 8:58, Jesus said unto them “Before Abraham was, I am.”

I am sure most Christians have sometimes wondered where God came from. I too asked myself the same question as a child. But I came to realize that God just is or in His words I AM. So I would not spend a lot of time trying to figure out the origin of God. Just know that He is who He says He is. He will do what He said He will do. “He is not a man that He should lie nor a son of man that He should change His mind. Will He speak and not act? Will He promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

How Does ‘I Am’ Show God’s Infinite Power?

Being the Great I AM shows infinite power because God is the last and the first. He is the beginning and end. He is Alpha and Omega. He is the name before every name. He is the one true living God and will have no other god before Him. He is the source of spiritual power. He is a part of the Trinity which includes the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. He is the Ancient of Days as described in Daniel 7:9-10. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool, His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”

Has God Always Existed?

God has always existed. As Christians, the history of God begins with the record of God. Our record of God is the Bible. We start with the book of Genesis as our record of God. Genesis 1:1 states: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Throughout the book of Genesis, you see the hand of God. The book of Genesis includes a greater time than any other book of the Bible. It starts at the beginning which is the creation of heaven and earth. In Genesis 1:26, we see that there are others with God. He says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” It is safe to assume that He is speaking to Jesus and the Holy Ghost. I would also assume that the heavenly host of angels started participating at some point. God spoke everything into existence. Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, we must be very careful about what we say. We truly can declare a thing and it be established. We have creative power and abilities because of the creator. We all have the power to create something.

16 Verses that Show the Power behind the Other Names of God

Since God is, we need to know the attributes of God. What does it mean when God says I AM?

1.I Am the Almighty God.

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1).

2. The Everlasting God

“And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33).

3. The Living God

“And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites” (Joshua 3:10).

4. A Faithful God

“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

5. Jehovah Adonahy: God the Lord of the Lord God

“He that is our God is the God of Salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death” (Psalms 68:20).

6. Jehovah Elohim: The Lord God

“And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9).

7. Jehovah Elyon: The Lord Most High

“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high” (Psalm 8:17).

8. Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Will Provide

“And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together” (Genesis 22:8).

9. Jehovah-Mekaddishkem: The Lord Our Sanctifier

“And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 20:8).

10. Jehovah Nissi: The Lord My Banner

“And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi” (Exodus 17:15).

11. Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord My Shepherd

“The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalms 23:1-6).

12. Jehovah Rophi: The Lord Who Heals You

“And if thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26).

13. Jehovah Sabaoth: The Lord of Hosts

“And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh” (1 Samuel 1:3).

14. Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord of Our Peace

“And Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 6:24).

15. Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord is There

“It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

16. Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord Our Righteousness

“In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6).

There are many more attributes to the name of God. God is and He is whoever you need Him to be. There is a great blessing in studying the names of God. God starts to reveal Himself to you as you recognize who He is and what He is for you. Your faith is the beginning of all that God can be for you. Whatever you need, God is. He is often called The Great Physician because He is a healer. We know that God will sanctify us. We know that we serve a holy and righteous God. Before the beginning of time, God was and still is.

For further reading:

What Are All of the ‘I AM’ Statements of Jesus?

What Does it Mean That Jesus Is the Alpha and Omega?

Why Did Moses Remove His Shoes in Front of the Burning Bush?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Ig0rZh

Dr. Sandra Hamer Smith is a Christian and wife to Sylvester Smith. She has one stepson, Greg. Smith lives and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. The University of Memphis alumnae has been in education for about 20 years after receiving the call to teach. Dr. Smith primarily teaches language arts. Prior to education, she worked in local and national television news for 13 years including positions as an overnight news anchor, reporter, and assignments editor at two local network affiliate stations. Smith was also a freelance correspondent for BET news. Dr. Smith has freelanced for the Tri-State Defender newspaper and Contempora magazine.  She is the author of the self-published novel GLORY…THE HAIR.  Smith is also a playwright and poet. The Tennessee native is a member of Temple of Deliverance COGIC, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, Omicron Delta Kappa, The Golden Key International Honour Society, and Kappa Delta Pi.