Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
Proof the Trinity Error
In this passage, Jesus denies he is God by indicating he should not be called good since "no one is good but God alone."
The Trinitarian Reponse
Trinitarians resort to a nullification of Jesus' words. Their response usually goes something like, "Are you saying Jesus is not good?" suggesting that the issue is about moral goodness. Trinitarians like to pretend that Jesus is coyly suggesting that he himself is that good God.
But the passage is not about whether WE say Jesus is good nor not. The passage is about what JESUS said. He is the one who said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." No one would say such a thing to someone else unless they wanted to correct them and point out that their words were misdirected.
The Evidence
1. The Significance of of Jesus' words
Carefully regard what Jesus actually said:
"Why do you call ME good? No one is good but GOD ALONE."
Honestly regard the obvious contrast between "me" and "God alone." To try and avoid the plain implication of these words, Trinitarians like to pretend Jesus is being enigmatically coy as if he is suggestively implying he himself is the one God without coming right out and saying it. But this is to imagine an extraneous notion into the text for which there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever.
The implications of Jesus' words are obvious. "Why do you call ME good?" Why would you do such a thing? Why would you say such a thing when only God is good?
ME
VS.
GOD
Why do you call ME good?
No one is good but GOD alone.
2. Jesus Christ's God
When Jesus said, "No one is good but God alone," was he necessarily referring to his God? Of course he was. There is only one God and that one God was/is his God. Therefore, he was necessarily referring to that one God, his God. Of course he was referring to his God. There is no way around it. To answer "NO" is to implicitly admit to polytheism. There is only one God and Jesus Christ's God is that one God. This is an inescapable fact of Scripture.
3. The Source of all Good: The Father
Only God Himself is intrinsically good. Everything which is good comes from God. He is the source of all good.
I say to Yahweh, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 16:2
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17.
A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. John 3:27
4. Was Jesus confused?
Trinitarians claim that if only God is good then Jesus must be God because Jesus is good. However, Jesus is actually indicating the opposite to be true and is giving the glory for all good to his God and Father. Jesus is not here indicating that everone else is not good. Indeed, if Jesus had made such a statement, he would be contradicting the Scriptures as well as himself. There were many people called "good" (agathos) in the Scriptures. Here are some examples.
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. Luke 1:6.
The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good. (Matthew 12:35).
Well done, good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25:21, 23).
And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man.... (Luke 23:50).
For [Barnabas] was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. (Acts 11:24).
Let the reader fully understand that the Trinitarian interpretation of Mark 10:18 contradicts Scripture. They are interpreting Jesus at Mark 10:18 to mean that no man can ever be called morally "good." However, these passages do indeed call men "good" in reference to moral goodness demonstrating that their interpretation of Mark 10:18 cannot be correct.
5. "Good TEACHER" not Moral Goodness
The account begins with Jesus responding to a man who called him "Good Teacher." These are the words Jesus is responding to when he asks why he had been called good. And then he further clarifies by saying, "No one is good but God alone." Since he was called "Good Teacher," Jesus is responding specifically to being called "Good TEACHER." The following illustrates why Jesus responded the way he did.
Rabbi, we know that You are a Teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. (John 3:2; cf. 1:6).
My Teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. If any man's will is to do His will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. (John 7:16-18).
Jesus said many times that his teaching and his words were not his own but the Father's who sent him. Jesus responds to being called "Good Teacher" by asking the man why he called him "Good" when he called him "Good Teacher." As Jesus himself declared, "My teaching is not mine." In other words, the context is not about being intrinsically good versus bad with respect to morality, but about why Jesus is a "Good Teacher." Jesus was a good teacher because the things he taught were not his own but God's. His teaching was not his own teaching but his Father's. This good thing came from God. In other words, Jesus is not taking credit for his teaching since it is the Father's teaching. No one is good but God alone. But because he says that only God is the source of such good things, he IS effectively indicating he is not God by making this statement.
Conclusion
Jesus clearly denies he is God here in this verse by insisting only God is good. Since there is only one God, his God, Jesus was necessarily referring to HIS God. Being addressed as "GOOD Teacher," Jesus responds that no one is GOOD but God alone. He is responding to being called "Good TEACHER." Hence, the subject matter is not moral goodness but his good teaching. Jesus tells us many times his words and his teaching were not his own but the Father's who sent him. By contrasting himself with God, and by saying no one is good but God alone with respect to his teachings, Jesus was denying that he is God.
It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be taught by God." Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to me. John 6:45
