Jesus quotes with approval the words "you are gods" from Deuteronomy 1:17. His argument may not seem very convincing to us, but it was an acceptable form of Rabbinic logic.

Apart from this technical question about Jesus' method, his use of the words of Deuteronomy demands our prayerful attention. By asserting that "scripture cannot be rejected" he affirms the value of Deuteronomy's insight: those to whom the word of God is addressed may correctly be called "gods", or children of God.

Adapting Jesus' teaching to our own situation, we can affirm the formative value of Scripture. We are already children of God by creation and renewed children of God by baptism. We are in need of continuous on-going formation: we must keep on growing spiritually, becoming always better Christians and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whether through scripture study, or through prayer based on scripture, constant contact with the word of God will deepen our familiarity with revelation and with God's salvific truth, thus nourishing our faith and our spiritual life.