There are people in the different communities out there, like the Bible and legal communities, that say ye are gods. One of the terms used is “peace to the gods”. Which stem from the phrase “Ye are gods”.
Well, i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are pronouncing curses on yourself by misapplying Jesus’ words in John 10:34. There are people, that I will not name, because this is not for the point of pointing any one person out. This is for correcting a bad understanding. This verse is being completely taken out of context. It can be deemed “cherry picking” to try to make something mean something it does not mean.
Let’s look at it in context so we can start to understand what is meant;
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
John 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
John 10:36 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 Jews had a certain understanding of what was being said. They understood that he was calling himself, at the bear minimum a god and to the fullest extent the one true God. But, that is for you to decide who he is.
So when the Jews went to stone him that had this understanding and because of this it was in there mind blasphemy. Now at the time of this event there was not a New Testament. So we have to understand it from and Old Testament theology. What was meant by these terms that Jesus was using, and what was the context.
Let’s start with the book of Genesis and the Garden.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
When you are looking at this verse you need to practice exegesis not eisegesis.
Eisegesis literally means “to lead into”, as in “leading our own ideas into the text”. The opposite is “exegesis”, which means “to draw out”. So eisegesis is when we “read something into” a biblical text that may not actually be there. And exegesis is when we try to “draw out” of the text what is actually there.
Most people use eisegesis when studying different things, like the Bible, law, science, etc.. If you want to get a proper understanding you have to practice exegesis. So now, lets look at that section from the proper view by looking at the original language.
In Gen 3:5 it states, “and ye shall be as gods” what do these words mean?
and ye shall be as is the following:
hâyâh
haw-yaw’
A primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, that is, be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
So the serpent is say that Eve or Mankind would become something, now that did not make it true, but that didn’t stop him from telling the lie. So what was he saying that man would become? Let’s look at the next word in the phrase gods.
This word id the following:
‘ĕlôhı̂ym
el-o-heem’
Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God
So the serpent promised man that they would be a god. And, ever since then man has always battled this desire to be there own god. Now Let’s go to the next section in Genesis.
Gen 6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Gen 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Gen 6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
In verse 2 and 4 these terms “sons of” and “god”. “Sons of” is a specific term and is follows:
bên
bane
From H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc.,
And, god is the same as above, ‘ĕlôhı̂ym. This would mean the creator made the “sons of god”
So this can be translated condition or made into this condition.
In verse 3 and 5 we see Lord and God. These are not the same in KJV translation so you may miss it. But, in the Hebrew they are the same.
yehôvâh
yeh-ho-vaw’
From H1961; (the) self Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:
Now we can start to get a glimpse of of the Old Testament context of what is being discussed and this applies to what Jesus was saying in John 10:34. Jesus stated the following, “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;”
You have to ask, “who is the them that Jesus is talking about?”
The word for gods in the phrase “ye are gods” and “if he called them gods” and “ word of God” are the same and is follows:
theos
theh’-os
Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively a magistrate; by Hebraism very
So we can see here he is talking about a deity of some kind. So now lets go to Psalms 82 to get the context of what is being quoted by Jesus.
Psa 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Psa 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
Psa 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
Let’s start with verse 1. God and gods are the same word, ‘ĕlôhı̂ym. Is the creator talking to himself? No! He is talking to the other gods. We see the evidence of this everywhere. Look at other cultures and gods they profess. This will become clearer as you go through Psalms 82. Let’s look at another word in verse 1. The word mighty. It is the Hebrew version of the Greek word from above theos. This word in the Hebrew is as follows;
‘êl
ale
Shortened from H352; strength; as adjective mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):
So this word is used for all deities. Wouldn’t that imply there are more than one? Yes it would. Let me give you an example. Let’s go to the book of Acts. The Greek mythology had there gods. Zeus was next to the highest god in there belief system. But, there was one attribute that was never attributed to Zeus. He was never taught to be the creator. We see this in the record of the Book of Acts. Pauls went to Mars Hill in Athens Greece and said the following;
Act 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
Act 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
So even the Greeks believe there was a higher God than their pantheon. Now lets go back to Psalms 82. So verse 1 could and does state the following; “God standeth in the congregation of the deities; he judgeth among the (sons of) god(s).”
Now before we go into verse 2 of Psalms 82 you have to put this in context with what happened in Genesis 11.
Gen 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
Gen 11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
Gen 11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
Gen 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Gen 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Gen 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Gen 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Every instance of the LORD here is the Creator or yehôvâh. God separated the people and created the nations of the world at this point in history. Some people take this as an unloving act of the Creator. What they are not realizing is that this goes right back to the same age old battle that man has on wanting to be their own god. In Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. But, mankind was disobedient. So God said, I will separate you so you will do what I asked you to do. Just a side note here. Subdue and dominion means rulership, not ownership.
Now back to Genesis 11 and lets look at verse 4. “Let us make us a name,” shows the people were in disobedience to the Creator. Is this not the same problem we see today revolving around the argument of “the name”. The word name in verse 4 means;
shêm
shame
A primitive word (perhaps rather from H7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare H8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character:
Now when this division happened the Creator appointed over each of the nations by their position and numbers a “son of god” or one of the Angels. The commons phrase is “the fallen ones”, Anunnaki, Watchers, etc.. With this in mine now you will understand better when God said that Israel was his chosen people. In other words, those are yours and these are mine. Now lets go back to Psalms 82
So the Creator asks them how long will they do that which is evil in verses 2-5. How long will they continue to allow these things or injustices.
Now with this context in mind, now lets look at verse 6 and 7. This is where the Creator pronounces judgement on these “sons of god”, I have 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.
Now you can see I pray that when Jesus said in John 10:34 “yes are gods” he was not talking about mankind. He was talking about himself, and the Angels. The angels, whether they have fallen or are still standing by the Creator. So, when you say “Peace to the gods” just remember, if you believe you are one of “those gods” that are in disobedience you are pronouncing judgment on yourself. Not only by misapplying scripture, but also by trying to be your own god.