A frequent misinterpretation isolates the phrase 'the only true God' to deny Jesus' divinity, suggesting the Father alone is God while excluding Christ, despite the verse's context in Jesus' prayer affirming His divine mission and unity with the Father as corroborated by other Scriptures like John 1:1 and 10:30; another error reduces 'know' to superficial knowledge rather than the profound, relational knowing that transforms the believer, akin to marital intimacy in biblical imagery.
John 17:3
King James Version (1769)
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jesus defines eternal life in His high priestly prayer as knowing the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent, emphasizing that true salvation consists not in rituals, moral achievements, or intellectual assent but in an intimate, personal relationship with God through faith in Christ, who reveals the Father and accomplishes redemption.