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Upgrade25
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“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
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fred_conty
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Jesus is affirming he is God and not the other way around.“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
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Kjnw4831
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I have always looked at it as a test he was giving to them. He asked them on multiple occasions who he was and what they thought of him. I don’t know if this is correct or not, but that is what I always thought.“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
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Vic_Taltrees_UK
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He was testing whether the rich young man was willing to give building up God’s people in their various ministries in the Church highest priority, as the following paragraphs indicate.
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kkollwitz
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“Jesus is affirming he is God and not the other way around.” Yes- that’s how I approach it in catechism class. The kids figure out that Jesus is indirectly implying he is God.
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jonathan_hili
Guest
Also notice the context in which Jesus’ answer occurs. Immediately following his comment in Luke 18:19, the rich man gives an account of the commandments related to relationships between humans but doesn’t mention those that relate to God (e.g. keeping the Sabbath holy). He has fulfilled his duty with his neighbour. However, then Jesus tells the rich man to sell his possessions and follow him, and here we see how this connects both passages.
Only God is good. The rich man has not fulfilled his duty to God as stated in the commandments and Jesus calls him to follow him, that is, as a fulfillment of this duty. Jesus is identified as good, and now he is usurping the commandments due to God as applied to him. We can see then that when Jesus says that only God is good, he is saying something like, “If you call me good and only God is good, you should know who I am…So, come and follow me.:”
Only God is good. The rich man has not fulfilled his duty to God as stated in the commandments and Jesus calls him to follow him, that is, as a fulfillment of this duty. Jesus is identified as good, and now he is usurping the commandments due to God as applied to him. We can see then that when Jesus says that only God is good, he is saying something like, “If you call me good and only God is good, you should know who I am…So, come and follow me.:”
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fisherman_carl
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What’s kind of interesting to me about that whole scenario starting off is that if someone called me good teacher would I respond the way Jesus did? Would anyone respond that way? Would they say the only one good is God. I would think most people would just say thanks if someone called them a good teacher. Or, perhaps if they were a holy person they might point to God as the source of their teaching. Jesus did say he only does what the Father is doing. But, still would someone respond why do you call me good, the only one good is God? It seems like that would be an unexpected response even if Jesus wasn’t God. If someone called you good at your job would you respond to them like Jesus did?
What does that mean to me, except that Jesus is trying to make a point beyond just feigning humility or pointing to God as the source of his teaching. In addition, we know from other Scriptures that Jesus was in fact sinless. So if any man had the right to call themselves good it would be Jesus. But notice Jesus does not ask the question to himself, but to the rich man asking. He is asking him ‘why do you call me good?’ He is trying to teach him something. He is not trying to find something out. He already knows the riich man better than he knows himself. He is trying to teach him something. The only one good is God. And, if the rich man recognized who Jesus is then he would recognize that Jesus is good.
By associating goodness with God Jesus associates himself with God. It is important for the rich man to recognize the kingdom of God is at hand here if he is to follow Jesus. Jesus is not just another good teacher among many. He is bringing the Kingdom of God. And he is separating light from darkness, good from evil.
What does that mean to me, except that Jesus is trying to make a point beyond just feigning humility or pointing to God as the source of his teaching. In addition, we know from other Scriptures that Jesus was in fact sinless. So if any man had the right to call themselves good it would be Jesus. But notice Jesus does not ask the question to himself, but to the rich man asking. He is asking him ‘why do you call me good?’ He is trying to teach him something. He is not trying to find something out. He already knows the riich man better than he knows himself. He is trying to teach him something. The only one good is God. And, if the rich man recognized who Jesus is then he would recognize that Jesus is good.
By associating goodness with God Jesus associates himself with God. It is important for the rich man to recognize the kingdom of God is at hand here if he is to follow Jesus. Jesus is not just another good teacher among many. He is bringing the Kingdom of God. And he is separating light from darkness, good from evil.
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fhansen
Guest
There are many verses in Scripture that can be used to support both sides- conflicting and contradictory views on this as well as other matters. This is why Scripture alone isn’t always at all reliable as a source for determining the truths of the faith; interpretation can be just plain difficult, and this is why God established the Church to provide the (name removed by moderator)ut and guidance necessary for our understanding. The Church, herself guided by the Holy Spirit, produced the New Testament writings, having lived the faith from the beginning, since the time of Christ’s advent here IOW. Scripture contains the truth; it just cannot interpret or explain itself to us where questions arise. It was simply never intended to be a catechism or systematic theological treatise. So we go to the Church to teach us about the nature and will of God, to understand Scripture in its full context.“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
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sirach2v4
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No, I think it is one of the instances where Jesus points to himself as divine. The official refers to him as “good Teacher” who alone is God – God is the good teacher. The term the Jews used for the first five books of the Bible is torah * which is so often interpreted as “law” but modern Jews point out that it more generally refers to instructions*, God’s instructions. The torah is not only law but includes a lot of examples of people who lived Godly lives. So, God is the good Teacher.“And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
And, Jesus underscores this by immediately mentioning some of those instructions, in particular, some of the commandments which were given by God at Sinai. v. 20 You know the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.’"
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