How does John 10:35 support the authority of Scripture as unbreakable? Text and Immediate Context John 10:35 : “If he called them ‘gods’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—” Jesus is responding to charges of blasphemy (vv. 31–33) after asserting, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30). He cites Psalm 82:6 (“I have said, ‘You are gods’”) to demonstrate that even the Law itself employs divine language for human judges; therefore His own claim to divine Sonship is wholly compatible with revelation. The parenthetical clause “—and Scripture cannot be broken—” is not peripheral rhetoric; it is Christ’s axiomatic premise that undergirds His entire argument. Christ’s Doctrine of Inerrancy and Authority 1. Jesus appeals to a single word of Psalm 82 as decisive. This evidences a high view of verbal plenary inspiration—every term is God-breathed (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16). 2. He bases His defense of deity, a central Christological claim, on the reliability of that single passage. If the text were fallible, His argument collapses. 3. The clause presumes infallibility across genres; Psalm 82 is poetry, yet carries legal force in Christ’s reasoning. Thus genre does not dilute authority. Canonical Scope Implied by “Scripture” In Second-Temple Judaism “Scripture” (γραφὴ) referred to the recognized Hebrew canon. Jesus’ appeal assumes that entire body as a unified, self-consistent revelation. The same term is applied to New Testament writings already during the apostolic period (2 Peter 3:16), showing continuity of authority across both covenants. Intertextual Confirmation • Isaiah 40:8 : “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” • Psalm 119:89 : “Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.” • Matthew 5:18 : “Not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” • 1 Peter 1:23–25 reaffirms Isaiah, applying it to the gospel word preached. These passages form a scriptural chorus that echoes Christ’s pronouncement in John 10:35, illustrating a self-attesting, unbreakable doctrine running through both Testaments. Historical Reception • Tertullian: “Scriptura… integritatis suae patrocinio tuetur; nec potest dissolvi quod Deus inspiravit.” • Augustine: “I have learned to hold those Scriptures alone to be inerrant whose authors were prophets and apostles.” • The Westminster Confession (I.9) echoes John 10:35: “The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is Scripture itself.” Across patristic, medieval, Reformation, and modern conservative scholarship, John 10:35 is a touchstone for inerrancy. Hermeneutical Implications 1. Self-Consistency: Because Scripture cannot be broken, apparent contradictions must be harmonized by sound exegesis, not excised. 2. Authoritative Intertext: New Testament writers apply Old Testament texts definitively; believers must do likewise, respecting biblical theology’s progressive yet unified storyline. 3. Limits of Private Interpretation: If Scripture itself stands indivisible, no interpreter may set text against text to advance a personal agenda. Relation to Creation and Intelligent Design An unbreakable Scripture establishes the factual ground for a recent, purposeful creation (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11). Empirical data such as the discovery of soft tissue in dinosaur fossils, carbon-14 in ostensibly ancient coal seams, and the information-rich digital code of DNA corroborate design and youthfulness—findings that harmonize with, rather than correct, the biblical record. Because the text is unbreakable, scientific models must ultimately align with it, not vice versa. Answering Common Objections • “Scripture has errors.” – The autographic text is inspired; apparent discrepancies often dissolve under context, genre awareness, or advances in archaeology (e.g., confirmation of Belshazzar, the Hittites, and the pool of Bethesda). • “Jesus quoted a poetic Psalm; that doesn’t prove inerrancy.” – Jesus treats the Psalm as legally binding and intellectually rigorous, showing poetic genre does not negate propositional truth. • “Copyist variants break Scripture.” – Variants are 1% of NT text; none affect core doctrine. The original wording is preserved across the manuscript tradition with over 99% certainty, a figure unmatched by any ancient literature. Practical and Pastoral Takeaways 1. Confidence: Believers may rely on every promise, command, and historical assertion without reservation. 2. Obedience: An unbreakable word demands submission; selective trust is inconsistent with Jesus’ model. 3. Proclamation: Evangelism gains credibility when grounded in an infallible message that God Himself guarantees. Summary John 10:35 encapsulates Jesus’ uncompromising view of Scripture: incapable of being annulled, eternally binding, and wholly trustworthy. The verse stands at the intersection of textual criticism, theology, apologetics, and daily discipleship, affirming that the written word of God possesses the same steadfast reliability as the God who breathed it. |
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