John 16:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

NIV: When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

NASB: And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment:

CSB: When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:

NLT: And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

KJV: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

NKJV: And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

The coming of the Holy Spirit has been predicted several times in this discourse (John 14:16–17, 26; 15:26–27; 16:7). In earlier statements, Jesus referred to this "Helper" who assists believers in various ways. Here, He explains another purpose of that Spirit. Christians often speak of conviction in a purely spiritual sense: the conscience-driven sensation of making a moral error. Conviction of the Holy Spirit, in that sense, is only associated with those who are saved (1 Corinthians 2:14–16).

However, the literal Greek term elenxei also means to "rebuke, convince, or accuse." So far as the unbelieving world is concerned, the Holy Spirit will bring accusation and exposure regarding their sin. The example of Christ, and the influence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, will point out the truths of sin and righteousness to the entire world (John 13:35; Matthew 5:11–16; 1 Peter 3:15, 4:3–4). This will go beyond the obvious aspects of creation (Romans 1:18–20) and leave those who refuse to seek God with even less excuse (Matthew 7:7–8).

Here, Jesus refers to three specific facets of this conviction: sin, righteousness, and judgment. The following verses will add detail to each.

John 16:5–15 resumes an explanation of the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus began to discuss this topic in John 15:26–27, before returning to the subject of persecution (John 16:1–4). Christ must leave the world, so His followers will learn to depend on the influence of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit will guide, judge, and speak in order to bring glory to God.

Throughout His teaching in the Last Supper (John 13:1–5), Jesus has often brought up the fact that He's giving His followers advance warnings (John 13:19; 14:25). His intent is to provide encouragement—persecution as a result of their faith is inevitable. In keeping with that reassurance, Jesus again promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. He explains that after a time of deep sorrow, His followers will experience great joy and clarity. This concludes with a beloved promise that Christ has "overcome the world."

This completes the teaching portion of Jesus' words during the Last Supper, begun in chapter 13. Christ echoes many of the themes of His earthly ministry. His focus is especially on encouragement: reminding the disciples that the hard times they will experience will end in victory. While they don't clearly understand, the Holy Spirit will lead them in the right direction. This ends with Christ's beloved declaration that He has "overcome the world." That introduces the record of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in chapter 17, immediately before His arrest early in chapter 18.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.