The question behind this study
In John 17:3 Jesus calls the Father the only true God. That means Jesus himself cannot be God.
Editorial summary of a question or objection; not an attributed quotation or a view held by every critic.
Raw answer
The direct Christian answer
Christians affirm that the Father is the only true God, and that Jesus is not the Father. Their disagreement with the objection concerns whether the Son is excluded from the one divine identity. In the same prayer Jesus speaks of glory with the Father before the world existed; elsewhere John calls the Word God and records Thomas addressing Jesus as Lord and God. The Trinitarian reading holds those statements together rather than using John 17:3 to cancel the rest of John.
Core conclusions
- The Father is truly God; Jesus is not the Father.
- John 17:5 places the discussion before creation.
- John's prologue and conclusion belong in the interpretation.
- This is a cumulative reading, not an isolated proof-text.
In John's presentation, eternal life is knowing the Father through the Son he has sent.
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Primary sources & further study
References identify the text, edition or translation where practical. Open full contexts and compare translations; brief notes here are editorial summaries, not quotations.
John 17:1–5, 20–26
The complete prayer keeps both distinctions and precreation glory visible.
Edition: World English Bible Classic (public domain)
John 1:1–18
The Word's identity and incarnation.
Edition: World English Bible Classic (public domain)
John 20:24–31
Thomas's confession and the Gospel's stated purpose.
Edition: World English Bible Classic (public domain)
Attribution
Who wrote this answer?
Standing on Scripture wrote this editorial explanation with AI assistance, using the sources above. It is not a quotation from an apologist. No apologist's authorship, review, or endorsement is implied.