Ego eimi?
Written about four years ago on 2017.10.29 in whatsapp after Sunday morning service in Wesley Methodist Church, Kampar.
Does the Greek "ego eimi" (I am) refer to God himself?
In Exodus 3:14 it is written,
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν, ego eimi ho on)” And He said “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM (ὁ ὢν, ho on) has sent me to you.”” (Exodus 3:14)
In the NT, our Lord told the Jews in John 8:58,
"most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am (ego eimi)"
Similarly, in John 10:7, the Lord Jesus told the Pharisees,
"Most assuredly I say to you, I am (ego eimi) the door of the sheep"
If the use of "ego eimi" implies "I am God", then the apostle Paul must have also claimed to be God in Acts 26:29
And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I AM (ego eimi) except for these chains” (Acts 26:29)
Likewise, the centurion who pleaded with our Lord in John 8:5-13 must also have claimed to be God because he said,
For I AM (ego eimi) a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. (Matthew 8: 9 KJV)
It is obvious that the Greek expression ego eimi by itself does not imply divinity. Instead it is another expression that was used alongside ego eimi in Exodus 3:14 that carries the meaning "I AM" for God himself
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (ego eimi ho on).” And He said “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM (ho on) has sent me to you.”” (Exodus 3:14)
It can be clearly seen from Ex3:14 above that it is the expression "ho on" that refers to God's Name rather than "ego eimi".
This is consistent with the Greek in the NT in Rev 16:5
And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is (ho on) and who was (kai ho en) and who is to be (kai ho osious) Because You have judged these things. Revelation 16:5
καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῶν ὑδάτων λέγοντος Δίκαιος Κύριε, εἶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὅσιος ὅτι ταῦτα ἔκρινας
Conclusion:
The expression that Moses recorded in Exodus 3:14 for God, I AM that I AM (ego eimi ho on) uses "ho on" and not just "ego eimi" for the Name of God Almighty.
Further reading about Exodus 3:14
http://exodus-314.com/part-i/exodus-314-in-early-translations.html
