In John 10:34, Jesus does not teach that people are gods by nature.
He quotes Psalm 82 to expose the false accusation of blasphemy and to show the difference between people who only represented God’s authority and Himself as the Son of God.
When the Jews heard Christ’s words about His unity with the Father, they took them as a claim upon God’s glory. It was in this tense conversation that Jesus said, “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” To understand this text correctly, we must look not at an isolated phrase but at the whole context of John 10 and at the source of the quotation—Psalm 82.
“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; do you say of Him, whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” John 10:34–36
Where did Jesus get the words “you are gods”
Jesus directly quotes Psalm 82. In this psalm, God addresses earthly judges or rulers who were supposed to carry out just judgment in His name, but had sided with wickedness. They are called “gods” not in the sense of true divinity, but in the sense of responsible representation.
“I said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.” Ps. 82:6–7
The text itself immediately explains that these “gods” are not immortal or equal with God, because it says, “you shall die like men.” Therefore, it refers to people who were entrusted with authority and judgment, but who remained mortal and accountable before the Lord.
Why people could be called that
In biblical language, high officials, judges, or leaders were sometimes called by elevated terms because of their function, not because of their nature. Judgment belongs to God, but people could carry it out as His servants. That is why such a figurative designation could be applied to them.
However, the Bible very clearly rejects the idea that a person is a god in himself. There is only one true God.
“Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me!” Isa. 43:10
“I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me!” Isa 45:5
Therefore, John 10:34 cannot be used to support the idea that all people have a divine essence or can become gods. That would contradict the clear teaching of Holy Scripture.
What Jesus proves in the dispute with the Jews
Before these words, Christ said something extraordinarily important:
"I and the Father are one!" John 10:30
The Jews understood that this was not merely about agreement in thoughts or purposes. They saw in it a claim to a special unity with God.
"The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a man, make Yourself God!" John 10:33
In response, Jesus uses an argument "from the lesser to the greater." If in Scripture the word "gods" could be used of people who had only received the word of God and had a certain ministry, how much more is it not blasphemy when the One whom the Father "sanctified and sent into the world" says, "I am the Son of God."
In other words, Christ does not retreat from His testimony. He does not say, "I am not the Son of God." On the contrary, He shows that the accusation of His opponents is illogical even on the basis of their own Scripture.
How Jesus differs from those who were called "gods"
Those judges in Psalm 82 were only human beings. They received the word of God, but often betrayed their calling. Jesus, however, is not merely a bearer of God's word, but the incarnate Word.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father." John 1:14
This is why the Adventist understanding of this passage agrees with the whole Gospel of John: Jesus does not diminish His person, but wisely defends Himself against a false accusation, while remaining faithful to the truth about His divine origin and mission.
Ellen White repeatedly emphasized that Christ is the eternal Son of God who came into the world for our salvation. In this text He does not deny His divinity, but reveals the spiritual blindness of those who knew the Scriptures yet did not recognize the One to whom they pointed.
What this text does not mean
John 10:34 does not teach:
that all people are part of the Godhead;
that one can become a god in the literal sense;
that Jesus was only one of many "gods";
that His words about Himself should be understood symbolically and not taken seriously.
On the contrary, the passage teaches us to respect the precision of Scripture, to see the context of quotations, and to recognize in Christ the One who was sanctified and sent by the Father for the salvation of the world.
A practical lesson for us
This text warns us not to build doctrine on a single expression taken out of context. We need to compare text with text and allow the Bible to explain itself. It also reminds us that religious people may know the letter well, yet reject the living Christ.
For daily life, this means: study the Scriptures carefully, humbly, and prayerfully; do not accept popular mystical ideas about the "divinity of man"; acknowledge that there is only one God, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior. A practical step today is to reread John 10:22–39 and Psalm 82, asking the Lord to give you understanding of who Christ truly is and how to faithfully testify of Him to others.
