John 8:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

NIV: You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.

NASB: You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.

CSB: You judge by human standards. I judge no one.

NLT: You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone.

KJV: Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

NKJV: You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

Contrary to popular belief, Jesus never gave a blanket command that Christians ought not to judge at all. Rather, all Jesus' remarks about judgment were in the context of judging appropriately (John 7:24). Here, Jesus points out that the Pharisees are using flawed, unspiritual judgment. On the other hand, Jesus is not yet executing judgment, though He has the right and the authority to do so! At this point in His ministry, Jesus' role is not to bring judgment for sin (John 3:17)—that judgment will come later, on those who reject Him and His message (John 3:18, 36).

Jesus is responding to Pharisees who challenged His claim to be "the light of the world" (John 8:12). While issues such as miracles and Scripture are subject to human testimony (John 5:36–41), Jesus is now speaking of heavenly matters. On those, only He has true knowledge. Only He can speak truthfully about them. Even so, Jesus can point to two separate "persons" to support His claim: Himself and God the Father (John 5:18). The Pharisees' earlier claim that Jesus' "I am" statement cannot be accepted, then, is missing the mark. Jesus' unflattering remarks about these religious leaders are part of an escalating pattern in this dialogue, which will end with the Pharisees in a murderous rage.

John 8:12–30 includes the second of Jesus' seven ''I am'' statements, as recorded in the gospel of John. Jesus' reference to light built on a ritual performed during the Feast of Booths, where lamps would be lit using wicks made from the robes of priests. This continues the dialogue of chapter 7, picking up where John 7:52 left off. The exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees will escalate, in part showing that Jesus was not afraid to directly castigate those who misled the people.

This begins with the story of the adulterous woman, a well-known but controversial passage. Most scholars believe this story is authentic, but not originally found in this exact spot in Scripture. The rest of chapter 8 continues Jesus' preaching during the Feast of Booths, where He once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. Here, Christ will make His second ''I am" statement, using the analogy of light, which is a common theme in Hebrew theology. This conversation will become more and more heated. Jesus' opponents become so enraged that they attempt to kill Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. There He once again conflicts with local religious authorities. Previously, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water (John 7:37–38). That built on the festival's ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will do something similar with the imagery of lights also related to festival traditions. This demonstrates Jesus' willingness to be direct, even aggressive, with His critics. The next few chapters will complete Jesus' public ministry, as He prepares for His impending death.

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.