The Good Teacher Dilemma
Jesus denied being God by saying only God is good. He was distinguishing
himself from God and showing humility before his Father.
Read together in the NWT. Ask: 'Is Jesus good?' They'll hesitate. If they say yes, point out that Jesus just defined 'good' as something only God is — so by his own words, if Jesus is good, he's God. If they say no, ask why they follow someone who isn't good. Jesus isn't denying his goodness — he's forcing the man to recognise WHO he's talking to. This is a Socratic question, not a denial.
Jesus isn't denying he's good — he's asking the man whether he understands the implications of calling him good. It's a claim to deity disguised as a question.
Jesus was being humble and redirecting glory to his Father.
But Jesus doesn't say 'I'm not good.' He asks 'Why do you call me good?' and then defines goodness as belonging to God alone. If he really wasn't good, wouldn't he just say so? Instead, he's inviting the man to connect the dots.
Good is just an adjective, not a title. It doesn't mean he's God.
But Jesus is the one who made the connection — he said 'No one is good except God alone.' He defined the standard. So either Jesus meets his own standard or he doesn't. Which is it?
Don't get drawn into a debate about whether 'good' is an adjective or a noun. Keep it simple: 'Is Jesus good? Yes or no?'
Read in full. Ask yourself: does Jesus deny being good, or does he ask a question that reveals who he is?