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No one is good but God.

egyboyegyboy
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone." Luke 18:19

This verse confuses me a lot!! Since Jesus is God, why does He say that He is not good and that only God is good?
I can't help but think about this and it has confused me quite a bit.

Please help me and pray for me and my weakness!!

Comments

  • Unknown
    Good question!

    Let's go back a few versus, "Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

    This man does not consider that this is Jesus, the son of God.. he only sees him as a "Good teacher". So Jesus does not deny himself to be God, but he clarifies to this man not to just go up to any teacher and call him Good. He is teaching him a lesson. Ok, for example, the Lord does not want to us to go up to any mo3alm, or teacher and expect that they are Good (perfect). He is leading us to think that only ONE is good, which is Jesus Christ... so he's not denying it, but simply teaching him a lesson, because really the man did not see him as any more than just a "teacher". Does that make sense?
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    In this specific person, our Lord is proving that He is God. When the young man calls him "good," our Lord responds by saying that no one is good except for God alone, thus proving that He is God.
  • egyboyegyboy
    wow thanks  ;D
    i never really thought about it like that, thanks for all your help!!
  • Theophilus 1Theophilus 1
    Excellent post Tεκcoνι μέσα Πεχριcτoc & Christ4Life. Since you guys already answered the question thoroughly allow me to add a few.
    Egyboy to answer your question with a question, why did Jesus said “I am the GOOD shepherd”? (John 10:11) See he did not deny He is good, since he refers to Himself as the good shepherd in this verse.
    He did not also deny that he is a teacher as some might claim for he said “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am” John 13:13
    Therefore Jesus is “the Good Teacher”. 
    In Christ
    Theophilus
  • Boricua_OrthodoxBoricua_Orthodox
    Ur on the money, guys!
    "Our Lord rejects the worldly view that He is merely "a good man", at the same time teaching that goodness is in God alone. Then He exercises the duties of goodness by opening the treasures of heaven to the young man, offering Himself as the guide to them. In doing this the Lord reveals Himself as God." 

              -From "The Orthodox Study Bible", Commentary note on Matthew 19:16-22.
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