---
title: John 10:30
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/john-10-30/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/john-10-30.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: John 10:30
testament: NT
section: Gospels
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# John 10:30

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> I and the Father are one.”

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "I and the Father are one."

## JW Usage

Read as unity of purpose, not unity of essence — Jesus and the Father are "one" in agreement, mission, and intention, the same way Jesus prayed his disciples would be "one" in John 17:21-22. The Watchtower reads the Greek hen ("one thing," neuter) as flatly equivalent to the unity of believers.

## Protestant Usage

The hostile-witness response is decisive: the Jews immediately reach for stones and explain themselves at v.33 — "because you, being a man, make yourself God." If Jesus had only meant "we agree on things," that would not be blasphemous. Many prophets agreed perfectly with God in purpose; none of them were nearly stoned for saying so. Jesus does not retract the claim. The neuter hen does cut against modalism — Jesus is not saying he IS the Father, which is a different person — but it is exactly the right shape for the Trinitarian point: same essence, distinct persons. Pair John 10:30 with John 5:18 and John 8:58-59 for three independent stoning attempts triggered by claims to divine status.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Ego Eimi — 'I AM'](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/ego-eimi.md) — John 8:58 [Deity of Christ]
- [Peter's Confession — 'The Son of the Living God'](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/peter-confession-son-of-god.md) — Matthew 16:16-17 / John 5:18 / John 10:33-36 [Deity of Christ]
- [Gods Who Die and God to Pharaoh Don't Parallel Jesus](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/psalm82-exodus71-gods-parallel.md) — Psalm 82:6-7 / Exodus 7:1 / John 10:34-36 [Deity of Christ]
- [Liar, Lunatic, or Lord — There Is No Fourth Option](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/liar-lunatic-lord.md) — John 8:58 / John 10:30 / Mark 14:62 [Deity of Christ]
- [Three "I"s in One Divine Mind — Why the Trinity Isn't a Body-Count Problem](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/trinity-three-centres-of-consciousness.md) — Person and being are different categories — and God is spirit [Deity of Christ]