Does Mark 10 Refute the Deity of Christ?

Jesus and the rich young man.

Islamic apologist Paul Williams likes to go after the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Recently in a brief response to a twitter comment by James White, Williams said that the “Reformation” needs to go all the way and essentially become Islamic.

On his page, he states:

But the Reformation agenda needs to be even more radical. Christians must go back to the historical Jesus: a Torah-observant Prophet who submitted to his Lord. He was so humble he even denied that he was “good” – an attribute properly belonging to God alone. Mark 10:

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

This quote from Williams can be found here:

For once I agree with James White: the reformation must continue..

First of all, I find it odd for Williams to quote this text.  After all, this is Mark 10:17-18.  In Mark 10, we find many statements from Christ that Williams does not accept.  In Mark 10:2-12, Jesus Christ gives His teaching on marriage and divorce which is far different from the teachings of Islam and Muhammad.  He also authoritatively quotes the Torah which Muslims believe to be corrupted.

In Mark 10:32-34, Jesus Christ predicts his death and resurrection.  This is denied by the Quran and Islam.  Why doesn’t Williams accept the clear teaching of Jesus in these verses?  Mark 10 seems to be getting worse and worse for the Islamic position.

In Mark 10:45 we hear Jesus utter these beautiful words:

For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Does Paul Williams accept that Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many?  No, he doesn’t.  According to the Quran, Jesus did not die and therefore could not give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10 appears to be one of the most anti-Islamic chapters in the Bible.  Many Islamic beliefs are refuted by a man who Muslims claim as their own prophet.  This type of selective quoting is a hallmark of Islamic apologetics since their later text known as the Quran forces them to try to find Islam in the four Gospels.  Christianity is not faced with this burden since we don’t have an ahistorical and anachronistic text that says men who lived over half a millennia before it was written followed a religion that wasn’t yet invented.

Regardless, does Mark 10, deny the deity of Christ?  Paul Williams quotes Mark 10:17-18 which reads:

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

Williams writes the following:

He was so humble he even denied that he was “good” – an attribute properly belonging to God alone.

When we read the passage, Jesus never denies being good.  He didn’t say: “Don’t call me good.  No one is good but God alone.”  Using a very Jewish debating technique, Jesus asks a question to draw an answer out of the man.  He wants to know if this man knows who he’s dealing with.

Jesus uses this technique in other places.  In Luke 10:25-26 we read:

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read?”

This man is a highly educated lawyer and obviously knows the answer.  Jesus asks the question to draw knowledge out of him so he can make his point.  While this man is a lawyer and is highly educated, the man in Mark 10 is not said to be educated and is simply referred to as a man.

The man in Mark 10 misunderstood Christ.  Christ wanted to know if he knew who He was.  Instead he readdresses Christ as “Teacher”.  Like Williams, this man thought that Jesus was denying his divinity when He was clearly asking the man if he knew who He was.

After He said: No one is good but God Alone, Jesus lists several commandments that this man must follow to gain eternal life.

This hypocrite claims that he has always kept the commandments.  The dialogue continues and Jesus exposes him for making his own possessions into idols.  He told him to sell his stuff and follow Him.  The man was rich and didn’t want to do that and left.  Here is the entire passage to be read in context:

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

The same man who thought that Christ was denying His deity also refused to obey a direct command from Christ.  This shows that he is a very untrustworthy person and cannot be considered a reliable source.   Regardless, this is the source that Paul Williams relies on for believing that Christ was denying his divinity.  Christ, on the other hand, contrary to the direct statement of Williams, never denied being good.  He never denied being good and since He said that no one is good but God alone, this verse proves the divinity of Christ.  He had every opportunity to deny that He was good and didn’t.  Rather than deny the deity of Christ, this verse boldly affirms it.