What do Christians make of this?

Question

Mark, 10 17-18

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must i do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call ME GOOD? NO ONE is good but God alone.

and it goes on with Jesus saying sell your possessions etc.

But the reason why i made those letters big, is, clearly stating that Jesus wasn't God. The man wasn't asking about Jesus's divinity, it was how to inherit eternal life, so why would Jesus reply "why do you call me good when no one is good but God alone"

Clearly Christianity and the Trinity are flawed concepts, what are you opinions on this, Christians (and others)?

fruitcake, clearly Jesus objected when the man called him good and told him out, he didn't need to confirm it because the man beleived it already

Answer 1

Mark was the first Gospel written and was not yet aware of the doctrine of the Trinity, that would arise later, even after Paul's ministry was finished.

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Answer 2

What was Jesus' exact words? Jesus didn't say "don't call me good since no one is good but God." but He asked "Why". As if Jesus is telling him something. Also Jesus stated elsewhere in the Bible John 10:14 that he is good. If you put one and one (Mark 10:17-18 and John 10:14) together - you got it Jesus is God.

People often make this mistake by looking at only one verse and assuming they got the whole picture. Just think of it this way. We don't even understand a fraction of this universe that God gave us to live in, which we can see and touch, but to expect we can fully understand God who made everything is little foolish I think. Can we completely understand the artist when we can't even fully understand his art?

Answer 3

Only God is perfect. The Trinity, as I understand it, is a pale explanation for the relationship between God, His only begotten Son Jesus (through Him all things were created) and the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that you are looking for information to support your belief rather than reading to understand. Focus instead on those things that are pure and just and right. Did Christ, in your opinion, lead a good life?

Answer 4

The bible says that Jesus was without blemish, without sin so He was good because He was the Son of God but He said this because the man was trying to attain heaven through works, by being a good person and Jesus was correcting his wrong thinking to the fact that no man is good and we shouldn't be trying to prove to God that we are good people.

Answer 5

think about it. that's what jesus was trying to get this man to do. this man clearly didn't believe jesus was god, or he would have obeyed him immediately. jesus saw the irony in a man calling him good who really had no spiritual conviction that he was talking to the son of god.
obviously, jesus did not want an answer necessarily. he wanted the ruler to think.
so, think about it. try john 8:58, where jesus claims the ancient title of the jewish god, "i am". try reading Jn 1. it talks about jesus as "the word" and "the word" as being god and then becoming flesh--jesus. all over in the gospels you'll find jesus making radical statements about his relationship with the father.

Answer 6

You are reading this passage from a 21st Century perspective. As will all texts written long ago, in order to understand Scripture you need to understand how the first speaker / listener / reader understood what was being said. Since you are a faithful Atheist, I know you have made up your mind on this subject and will not do the work necessary to understand what is being said here; but if you wish to learn rather than be difficult you now have a homework assignment.....happy learning

Answer 7

When Jesus said No ONE is good but God alone so why do you call me good?, He was indicating to the man that he was talking to God. If no one but God is good, then why would the man call HIM good? Because Jesus was God. Jesus was trying to make the man see that he was actually talking to God.
I hope my answers conveys what I am trying to say clearly.

Answer 8

Here is an long explantion of Mark 10:18

I found it in a conemtary of the Bible by John Gill, who had preached in the same church that Charles Spergon did.

Mark 10:18

And Jesus said unto him…
The same as in Mt. 19:17, (See Gill on 19:17).

Why callest thou me good?
This is said, not as denying that he was good, or as being angry with him for calling him so, but in order to lead this young man to a true knowledge of him, and his goodness, and even of his proper deity:

there is none good, but one, [that is], God;
some render it, "but one God", as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions; and so the words are a proof of the unity of the divine being, and agree with (Deuteronomy 6:4) , but are not to be understood to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit, who, with the Father, are the one God: nor do these words at all militate against the deity of Christ, or prove that he is not God, as the Jew objects F1; seeing this is not to be understood of the person of the Father, in opposition to the Son and Spirit, who are equally good: nor does Christ, in these words, deny himself to be God, but rather tacitly suggests it; since he is good in the same sense in which God is good: in Matthew it is added, "but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments", (Matthew 19:17) : this Christ said not as his sense, that the way to eternal life lies in keeping the commandments of the law; but he speaks in the language of the Pharisees, and of this man; and his view is, to bring him to a sense of the impossibility of obtaining eternal life by these things, as the sequel shows: wherefore the above Jew F2 has no reason to confront the followers of Jesus with this passage, as if it was a concession of his, that it is impossible any should be saved without keeping the commands of the law of Moses.

So this verse does not deny the Trinty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. Or that Jesus wasn't the Son of God.

Answer 9

At least you are admitting faith, can you get the others to admit it too? ( Faithful Atheist)

If someone asked me, "Are you going to play guitar for us?" And I said, " The only people who ought to play guitar for other people ought to know how to play it." It wouldn't mean that I didn't know how to play guitar. It would mean that I was asking them who they were talking to.

Admittedly, it might not be the best analogy, but I think that it gets to my point well enough. Jesus was telling that guy,
" Recognize who it is that you are talking to."

As He had been saying that He is the Messiah. The "Deliverer" ( The Lord is our Deliverer), The Rock ( The Rock of our Salvation), and the Lamb of God.

And then, since you quoted the Bible, I will too; God calls Jesus God in Hebrews 1 and it was a reference to the Old Testament in Psalm 45:
8 But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy."

So Jesus wasn't saying that he wasn't God, he was telling that man to consider who he called 'good'. For there are none good but God.

Answer 10

Jesus never actually claimed to be god. It would appear that the majority of the people would rather follow tradition than truth.

Answer 11

Kayne is perfectly correct.

It was because the man was only looking upon Jesus as a good teacher, that is as a good man, but merely a man, that Christ corrected him.

Contrary to your erroneous interpretation Christ was in fact affirming that He is God by His answer to the man.

If the man missed this he has done just as you have and you have done just as he did.

There is nothing new under the sun.

If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.


But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


You need the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to show you these things.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.


But how can you receive Him, for the world cannot receive Him, neither knows Him.
Then you are left to your own foolishness, and to men's opinions and clever, clever arguments, all such as you will find in the world.

Why do you seek after men's opinions, or even the opinions of Christians. What do they matter? What good will they do you? They will only be but teachers to you and cannot impart eternal life.

This man was seeking for eternal life. You have completely missed the point. He was seeking the wrong way, albeit from good intentions. Christ corrected him in the manner suitable to him. By showing him that he could never gain heaven by good works.

The man thought he was good too and affirmed his keeping of the Law, at least as far as he thought. So Christ showed him there was something he could not do.

You really have missed the point.

You cannot see the wood for the trees.

It is written for us to show that none of us can obtain heaven by good works.

Perhaps it doesn't apply to you if you are a faithful Atheist, for then you will have no good works anyway. Good works refers to good by God's standards - the glory of God - not by foolish, blind and degenerate man's standards.

The Scriptures clearly teach that Christ is eternal life. Have you missed that too?


It is Christ Whom you need. Unless He reveals to you, unless He brings you to life, then you remain dead.

Dead in your sins and trespasses, whether you know it or not.

What did Christ say?

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

You have to go to Him.