This is an important question that many people have wondered about. Jesus’ statement in Mark 10:18 (“No one is good but God alone”) seems to conflict with the Christian belief that Jesus is God. Let’s take a deep dive into what the Bible says about this topic.
The deity of Jesus affirmed throughout Scripture
First, it’s important to establish what the rest of the Bible says about Jesus being God. There are many verses that affirm the deity of Christ. For example:
- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This verse identifies Jesus (the Word) as God.
- “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). This says that God’s entire nature dwells in bodily form in Jesus.
- “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). This affirms that Jesus shares in God’s glory and power.
- “Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28). The apostle Thomas called Jesus “God.”
- “To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 9:5). Christ is “God over all.”
These are just a few of the verses that teach that Jesus is fully God, sharing the same divine nature and essence as God the Father. This has been the orthodox teaching about Christ’s identity since the earliest days of Christianity.
Examining Jesus’ statement in context
With Jesus’ deity established, let’s look more closely at His statement that “No one is good but God alone.” This occurs in Mark 10 during Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler:
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:17-18)
A surface reading of this passage may seem to imply that Jesus is denying His own divine goodness. But when we dig deeper, we see a few key things:
- Jesus first wanted to correct the young man’s casual use of the term “good.” The man applied it to Jesus simply as a flattering title, without realizing the divine implications of calling someone “good.” Only God is intrinsically good.
- Jesus was challenging the young man to consider who Jesus truly claimed to be. By telling him “no one is good but God alone,” Jesus led the man to confront the logical implication – that if Jesus truly is “good,” then Jesus must be God.
- Mark gives us no clues that Jesus was actually denying His deity. The young man went away sad, but not because Jesus had denied being good/God. Rather, he realized the cost of following Jesus was higher than he wanted to pay.
So in summary, Jesus was not disavowing His divine nature, but rather prompting deeper reflection in both the young man and His disciples about His identity as God.
Jesus demonstrated His goodness and deity
Not only did Jesus claim to be God, He demonstrated it through a sinlessly perfect life. What kind of goodness did Jesus display? Consider these examples:
- Moral purity: He challenged His enemies, “Which one of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46) and none could find fault in Him.
- Perfect wisdom: The crowds said “He has done all things well,” marveling at the gracious words He spoke (Mark 7:37).
- Deep compassion: He was continually moved by human needs, even for those who opposed Him, like weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
- Miraculous power: He commanded the wind and waves, cast out demons, healed the sick, and raised the dead – demonstrating power only God possesses.
- Profound humility: The Son of God washed His disciples feet and submitted to betrayal and death for sinners. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:4-5).
In all these examples, we see the perfect goodness of Jesus on display. His life matched His teaching that “No one is good but God alone.” He demonstrated the same holy, gracious, and loving character as God the Father. He proved His goodness and deity in action.
Where did Jesus’ goodness come from?
An important theological question is raised by Jesus’ perfect goodness – where did it originate? As the Son of God, His goodness flowed directly from His divine nature which He shared equally with the Father and Spirit. Several biblical passages confirm this:
- “He has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus’ sinlessness was rooted in His holy character, not just His human effort.
- “In him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5) and “he had no sin” (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus had no inner impulse or desire to sin because God was His Father.
- “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil….The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). Jesus came to destroy sin because He was the holy Son.
Jesus rejected sin because it was contrary to His inward nature as God in the flesh. His moral perfection was far more than just willpower – it flowed from His divine goodness.
How do Jesus’ goodness and deity fit together logically?
Putting this all together, here is one way to logically reconcile Jesus’ claim to be God with His statement about only God being good:
- Only God is intrinsically and perfectly good.
- Jesus claimed to be God.
- Therefore, Jesus was good.
- But how could Jesus be good unless He actually was God?
- Jesus proved His goodness by a sinless life.
- Therefore, Jesus demonstrated both His goodness and His claim to be God.
In other words, Jesus’ goodness provides confirming evidence that He really is God. His life matches His words. This logical sequence makes coherent sense of Jesus’ statement by putting it together with the rest of His identity claims and moral character.
How this teaching was understood in the early church
Church history confirms this as the early Christian understanding of Jesus’ words. Respected theologians such as Augustine, Aquinas, and Calvin all affirmed the deity of Christ while acknowledging Jesus’ statement that only God is good. Here are a few examples:
- Augustine: “He did not say, ‘I am not good;’ but ‘Why callest thou me good, none being good, but one, that is, God?’ This means that one is good, the Father; but His Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, is also good.”
- Aquinas: “When Christ said, ‘None is good but one, that is, God,’ this should not be understood as implying that Christ is not God, nor does it follow that He is not good: but it refers to His human nature.”
- Calvin: “[Jesus] does not reject the name good as applied to himself, when it is considered by itself; but because the young man regarded him as a mere man.”
Early interpreters recognized that Jesus’ divine identity is coherent with His statement – properly understood in its wider context.
Conclusion and summary
In summary, here are some key points about this topic:
- The Bible clearly teaches Jesus is fully God, sharing the divine nature.
- When Jesus said “No one is good but God alone,” He was not denying His deity, but challenging superficial flattery and prompting deeper reflection.
- Jesus demonstrated His goodness through a perfectly righteous life flowing from His divine nature.
- Logically, Jesus proves both His claim to be God and God’s unique goodness through His sinless character.
- Respected theologians through history have affirmed this understanding – Jesus’ deity and God’s exclusive goodness do not contradict.
In the person of Jesus Christ, we truly meet “Good Teacher” – He is good because He is God. His words and His life form a coherent picture of the Son of God who came to redeem sinners through the cross. I hope this exploration of what the Bible teaches about this topic has been helpful!