John 8:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me."

NIV: I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

NASB: I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.'

CSB: I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me."

NLT: I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.'

KJV: I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

NKJV: I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

When speaking on earthly issues, Jesus accepted the need to provide evidence (John 5:30–47). In that context, He pointed to His own miracles, the evidence of Scripture, and the testimony of other people to prove His claims. Here, however, Jesus is defending an inherently spiritual claim. Earlier, Jesus said He was "the light of the world" (John 8:12). This is knowledge which no other person could have—so for Jesus to testify about Himself is legitimate.

Further, opponents are using improper judgment to dismiss Him. Not only is it valid for Jesus to testify about something He alone has seen, but He also has the support of an additional witness: God the Father. In this case, Jesus is once again pointing to the miracles He has performed as evidence that God supports His ministry (John 20:30–31). This is a key part of the gospel of John's proof that Jesus is not only Messiah, but God incarnate. Even by the Pharisees' own law and logic, miracles as proof of God's approval should be an acceptable argument (John 3:1–2).

Of course, logic and law are not the Pharisees' primary goal in this moment. Rather than wrangle this point, they will attempt to shift the conversation, challenging Jesus' references to God as His Father.

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.