I am (biblical term)
Encyclopedia
The Greek
term Ego eimi ' onMouseout='HidePop("80222")' href="/topics/Latin">Latin
Ego sum), which translates to I am, is used by Jesus
in the Gospel of John
on several occasions to refer to himself, seven times with specific titles. These usages have been the subject of significant Christological
analysis.
It is used in the Gospel of John both with or without a predicate. The seven uses with a predicate that have resulted in titles for Jesus
are:
It is also used without a predicate, which is very unusual in Greek and Christologists usually interpret it as God’s own self-declaration. In John 8:24 Jesus states: “Unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins”, and in John 8:59 the crowd attempts to stone Jesus in response to his statement: “Before Abraham was, I am”.
The use of “I am” without a predicate was considered a name for Jesus by St. Thomas Aquinas
who considered it the most proper of all divine names, for Aquinas believed it to refer to the “being of all things”.
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
term Ego eimi ' onMouseout='HidePop("80222")' href="/topics/Latin">Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Ego sum), which translates to I am, is used by Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
on several occasions to refer to himself, seven times with specific titles. These usages have been the subject of significant Christological
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
analysis.
It is used in the Gospel of John both with or without a predicate. The seven uses with a predicate that have resulted in titles for Jesus
Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament
Two names and a variety of titles are used to refer to Jesus in the New Testament.In Christianity, the two names Jesus and Emmanuel that refer to Jesus in the New Testament have salvific attributes...
are:
- I am the Bread of LifeBread of Life DiscourseThe Bread of Life Discourse is an episode in the life of Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John 6:22-59.The title Bread of Life for Jesus is based on this Biblical episode which takes place in the Gospel of John shortly after the Feeding the multitude episode after which the crowds follow...
(John 6:35) - I am the Light of the WorldLight of the WorldLight Of The World were originally a forerunner of the late 1970s/early 1980s British jazz-funk movement. The band's name is taken from the 1974 Kool and the Gang album, Light of Worlds...
(John 8:12) - I am the Door (John 10:9)
- I am the Good ShepherdGood ShepherdGood Shepherd may refer to:In Christianity:* The Good Shepherd , pericope found in John 10:1-21, and a popular image in which the Good Shepherd represents Jesus...
(John 10:11,14) - I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)
- I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)
- I am the Vine (John 15:1,5)
It is also used without a predicate, which is very unusual in Greek and Christologists usually interpret it as God’s own self-declaration. In John 8:24 Jesus states: “Unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins”, and in John 8:59 the crowd attempts to stone Jesus in response to his statement: “Before Abraham was, I am”.
The use of “I am” without a predicate was considered a name for Jesus by St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
who considered it the most proper of all divine names, for Aquinas believed it to refer to the “being of all things”.
See also
- I AM (book)I AM (book)"I Am": Eucharistic Meditations on the Gospel is a book of Roman Catholic meditations written in 1912 by the Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida , a Mexican mystic who is in the process of beatification....
- I Am that I AmI Am that I AmI Am that I Am is a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name . It is one of the most famous verses in the Torah...
- Holy Name of JesusHoly Name of JesusIn Christianity, the Holy Name of Jesus refers to the theological and devotional use of the name of Jesus. The reverence and affection with which Christians have regarded the Holy Name of Jesus goes back to the earliest days of Christianity....
- Names and titles of Jesus in the New TestamentNames and titles of Jesus in the New TestamentTwo names and a variety of titles are used to refer to Jesus in the New Testament.In Christianity, the two names Jesus and Emmanuel that refer to Jesus in the New Testament have salvific attributes...