John 10:35
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
John 10:35 (KJV)
Context
Jesus speaks these words in direct response to the charge of blasphemy brought by religious leaders after He declared, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). They understood His claim as making Himself God, and they prepared to stone Him. To answer them, Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6, where God addresses human judges and rulers with the title “gods.”
In Israel’s history, magistrates and judges were sometimes called “gods” because they acted as God’s representatives, exercising delegated authority and administering His justice. The “word of God” that came to them refers to the divine commission and the law they were entrusted to uphold. Jesus uses an argument from the lesser to the greater: if Scripture itself applies such a title to mortal men who merely received a divine commission, then it cannot be blasphemy for Him—whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world—to call Himself the Son of God.
Meaning
Jesus’ twofold declaration combines a specific interpretive argument with a foundational doctrine about Scripture. The phrase “the scripture cannot be broken” is an absolute, axiomatic statement of biblical authority. The Greek word translated “broken” implies that the sacred text cannot be loosened, untied, dissolved, or invalidated. Its authority cannot be evaded, its declarations cannot be emptied of force, and its truths cannot be set aside.
By appealing to a single word in a single psalm and then declaring the permanent validity of the text, Jesus demonstrates His supreme view of verbal inspiration and absolute trustworthiness. He stakes His defense on precise wording, affirming that not even a minor detail of the written revelation can be dismissed. The argument is not that human judges are divine, but that the term “gods” is used in a subordinate sense for those in authority, making the application to Christ all the more compelling.
Biblical connections
The immediate context of John 10:34-36 shows Jesus using a rabbinic-style argument to demonstrate that His claim to divine sonship is consistent with Scripture. The cross-reference to Psalm 82:6 is essential, as it is the direct quotation Jesus cites.
Application
This verse provides a bedrock understanding of how the written word is to be received. Jesus treated the biblical text as the final court of appeal, possessing binding authority. If the Lord held the sacred writings in such high esteem, viewing them as completely reliable, believers must adopt the same posture. The text cannot be dissected to accept some parts and reject others, nor can its teachings be subordinated to human tradition or modern sensibilities.
The indissoluble nature of the written revelation secures faith, ensuring that every promise of God will be fulfilled and every truth stands forever. Believers can trust Scripture completely because Jesus Himself did, and He affirmed its permanence even while defending His own identity.
Reflection
Jesus’ defense reveals that the written Word and the living Word are inseparable. The same Scripture that cannot be broken points to the One who is the Word made flesh. As believers read the Bible, they encounter the authority that Jesus honored and the truth that cannot fail.
