John 8
8
1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2#[Luke 21:38] Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and #Matt. 5:1; Luke 4:20he sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now #Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22 in the Law, Moses commanded us #Deut. 22:24; Ezek. 16:38, 40to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6This they said #Matt. 16:1; 19:3; 22:18, 35; Mark 8:11; 10:2; 12:15; Luke 10:25; 11:16 to test him, #See Luke 11:54that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, #Rom. 2:1, 22 “Let him who is without sin among you #Deut. 17:7be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, #ver. 15; [ch. 3:17; Luke 12:14] “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on #ch. 5:14sin no more.”]]
I Am the Light of the World
12 # ch. 7:37, 38 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, #[Ps. 36:9; Isa. 42:6; 49:6; Mal. 4:2]; See ch. 1:4, 9 “I am the light of the world. Whoever #ch. 12:26; 21:19 follows me will not #See ch. 12:35walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13So the Pharisees said to him, #ch. 5:31“You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, #[Rev. 3:14] my testimony is true, for I know #ch. 13:3; 16:28 where I came from and #ver. 21; ch. 7:33 where I am going, but #[ch. 7:28; 9:29]you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15#ch. 7:24; 1 Sam. 16:7; [Job 10:4] You judge according to the flesh; #ch. 12:47; [ver. 11]I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do judge, #ch. 5:30 my judgment is true, for #ver. 29; ch. 16:32it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father#8:16 Some manuscripts he who sent me. 17#See Num. 35:30In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18I am the one who bears witness about myself, and #ch. 5:37the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, #ver. 55; ch. 16:3 “You know neither me nor my Father. #ch. 14:7If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20These words he spoke in #See Matt. 27:6 the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but #ch. 7:30 no one arrested him, because #ch. 7:8his hour had not yet come.
21So he said to them again, #ch. 14:28; [ch. 14:2, 3; 16:7] “I am going away, and #See ch. 7:34 you will seek me, and #ver. 24; Ezek. 3:18; 33:8you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22So the Jews said, #[ch. 7:35]“Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23He said to them, #[ver. 44; ch. 3:31] “You are from below; I am from above. #1 John 4:5 You are of this world; #ch. 17:14, 16I am not of this world. 24I told you that you #ver. 21 would die in your sins, for #ch. 16:9 unless you believe that #Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8I am he you will die in your sins.” 25So they said to him, #[ch. 1:19]“Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26I have much to say about you and much to judge, but #ch. 3:33; 7:28; Rom. 3:4 he who sent me is true, and I declare #[ch. 18:20] to the world #ver. 40; ch. 15:15; [ch. 3:32; Rev. 1:1]what I have heard from him.” 27They did not understand that #ver. 18, 26he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said to them, “When you have #ch. 3:14; 12:32, 34 lifted up the Son of Man, #[ch. 16:8-11] then you will know that #See ver. 24 I am he, and that #See ch. 5:30 I do nothing on my own authority, but #See ch. 7:16speak just as the Father taught me. 29And #ver. 16; ch. 16:32; Acts 10:38; See ch. 10:38 he who sent me is with me. #ver. 16; ch. 16:32; Acts 10:38; See ch. 10:38 He has not left me alone, for #ch. 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; [1 John 3:22]I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30As he was saying these things, #See ch. 7:31many believed in him.
The Truth Will Set You Free
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, #ch. 15:7, 8; 2 John 9“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will #2 John 1 know the truth, and the truth #ver. 36; Rom. 6:18, 22; 8:2; 1 Cor. 7:22; 2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 5:1, 13; James 1:25; 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:16will set you free.” 33They answered him, #ver. 37, 39; Matt. 3:9; [Luke 19:9; Rom. 9:7]“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, #Rom. 6:16-20; Titus 3:3; 2 Pet. 2:19everyone who practices sin is a slave#8:34 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 35 to sin. 35#Gen. 21:10; Gal. 4:30 The slave does not remain in the house forever; #Luke 15:31the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet #ver. 40; See ch. 7:1you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38#ch. 3:32; 5:19; 6:46 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard #ver. 41, 44from your father.”
You Are of Your Father the Devil
39They answered him, #ver. 33, 56 “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, #[Gal. 3:7, 9]“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40but now #ver. 37 you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth #ver. 26that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, #[Hos. 2:4] “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have #Deut. 32:6; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; [ver. 47]one Father—even God.” 42Jesus said to them, #[1 John 5:1] “If God were your Father, you would love me, for #1 John 5:20; [Heb. 10:9] I came from God and #ch. 16:28; 17:8 I am here. #ch. 7:28 I came not of my own accord, but #See ch. 3:17he sent me. 43#ch. 7:17 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot #Jer. 6:10; [1 Cor. 2:14]bear to hear my word. 44#1 John 3:8, 12; [ver. 23]; See Matt. 13:38 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. #Gen. 4:8, 9; 1 John 3:12, 15; [Rom. 5:12] He was a murderer from the beginning, and #[1 John 2:4] does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. #Gen. 3:4; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47#[ch. 18:37; 1 John 4:6] Whoever is of God hears the words of God. #[ch. 10:26] The reason why you do not hear them is that #[ver. 41]you are not of God.”
Before Abraham Was, I Am
48The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and #See ch. 7:20have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but #ch. 5:23; [ch. 7:18]I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50Yet #ver. 54; ch. 5:41I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51Truly, truly, #ch. 5:24; 11:26 I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never #See Luke 2:26see death.” 52The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! #[Zech. 1:5] Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet #ver. 51 you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never #Matt. 16:28; Heb. 2:9taste death.’ 53#[ch. 4:12]Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54Jesus answered, #ver. 50 “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. #ch. 13:32; 17:1; Acts 3:13; Heb. 5:5; 2 Pet. 1:17 It is my Father who glorifies me, #ver. 41of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’#8:54 Some manuscripts your God 55But #ver. 19; ch. 7:28 you have not known him. #ch. 7:29; See Matt. 11:27 I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be #1 John 1:6 a liar #ver. 44like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56#ver. 39 Your father Abraham #See Matt. 13:17 rejoiced #Luke 17:22 that he would see my day. #[Heb. 11:13]He saw it and was glad.” 57So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”#8:57 Some manuscripts has Abraham seen you? 58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, #See Ex. 3:14I am.” 59So #ch. 10:31they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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John 8
8
1but Jesus walked out to the Mount of Olives. 2Then early the next morning he went to the temple. The people came to him, and he sat down#8.2 sat down: See the note at 6.3,4. and started teaching them.
3The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn't her husband. They made her stand in the middle of the crowd. 4Then they said, “Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn't her husband. 5#Lv 20.10; Dt 22.22-24. The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death! What do you say?”
6They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him and bring some charge against him. But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.
7 #
Su 34. They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, “If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her!” 8Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground. 9The people left one by one, beginning with the oldest. Finally, Jesus and the woman were there alone.
10Jesus stood up and asked her, “Where is everyone? Isn't there anyone left to accuse you?”
11“No sir,” the woman answered.
Then Jesus told her, “I am not going to accuse you either. You may go now, but don't sin anymore.”#8.11 don't sin anymore: Verses 1-11 are not in some manuscripts. In other manuscripts these verses are placed after 7.36 or after 21.25 or after Luke 21.38, with some differences in the text.
Jesus Is the Light for the World
12 #
Ws 7.26; Mt 5.14; Jn 9.5. Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”
13 #
Jn 5.31. The Pharisees objected, “You are the only one speaking for yourself, and what you say isn't true!”
14Jesus replied:
Even if I do speak for myself, what I say is true! I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don't know where I am from or where I am going. 15You judge in the same way that everyone else does, but I don't judge anyone. 16If I did judge, I would judge fairly, because I would not be doing it alone. The Father who sent me is here with me. 17#Dt 19.15. Your Law requires two witnesses to prove that something is true. 18I am one of my witnesses, and the Father who sent me is the other one.
19“Where is your Father?” they asked.
“You don't know me or my Father!” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father.”
20Jesus said this while he was still teaching in the place where the temple treasures were stored. But no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.#8.20 his time had not yet come: See the note at 2.4.
You Cannot Go Where I Am Going
21Jesus also told them, “I am going away, and you will look for me. But you cannot go where I am going, and you will die with your sins unforgiven.”
22The people asked, “Does he intend to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying we cannot go where he is going?”
23Jesus answered, “You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't. 24This is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am,#8.24 I am: For the Jewish people the most holy name of God is “Yahweh,” which may be translated “I am.” In the Gospel of John “I am” is sometimes used by Jesus to show that he is that one. you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven.”
25“Who are you?” they asked Jesus.
Jesus answered, “I am exactly who I told you at the beginning. 26There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him.”
27No one understood that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.
28Jesus went on to say, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man,#8.28 lifted up the Son of Man: See the note at 7.39. you will know who I am. You will also know that I don't do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me.”
30After Jesus said this, many of the people put their faith in him.
The Truth Will Set You Free
31Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. 32#1 Esd 4.38. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 #
Mt 3.9; Lk 3.8. They answered, “We are Abraham's children! We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?”
34Jesus replied:
I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! 35And slaves don't stay in the family forever, though the Son will always remain in the family. 36If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! 37I know that you are from Abraham's family. Yet you want to kill me, because my message isn't really in your hearts. 38I am telling you what my Father has shown me, just as you are doing what your father has taught you.
Your Father Is the Devil
39The people said to Jesus, “Abraham is our father!”
Jesus replied, “If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did. 40Instead, you want to kill me for telling you the truth that God gave me. Abraham never did anything like that. 41But you are doing exactly what your father does.”
“Don't accuse us of having someone else as our father!” they said. “We just have one father, and he is God.”
42Jesus answered:
If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. He sent me. I did not come on my own. 43Why can't you understand what I am talking about? Can't you stand to hear what I am saying? 44#Ws 1.13; 2.24. Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.
45Everything I have told you is true, and you still refuse to have faith in me. 46Can any of you accuse me of sin? If you cannot, why won't you have faith in me? After all, I am telling you the truth. 47Anyone who belongs to God will listen to his message. But you refuse to listen, because you don't belong to God.
Jesus and Abraham
48The people told Jesus, “We were right to say that you are a Samaritan#8.48 Samaritan: See 4.9 and the note there. and that you have a demon in you!”
49Jesus answered, “I don't have a demon in me. I honor my Father, and you refuse to honor me. 50I don't want honor for myself. But there is one who wants me to be honored, and he is also the one who judges. 51I tell you for certain that if you obey my words, you will never die.”
52Then the people said, “Now we are sure that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and so are the prophets. How can you say that no one who obeys your words will ever die? 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54Jesus replied, “If I honored myself, it would mean nothing. My Father is the one who honors me. You claim that he is your God, 55even though you don't really know him. If I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar, just like all of you. But I know him, and I do what he says. 56Your father Abraham was really glad to see me.”
57“You are not even 50 years old!” they said. “How could you have seen Abraham?”
58Jesus answered, “I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am.”#8.58 I am: See the note at 8.24. 59The people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but he hid and left the temple.
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