John 8:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

NIV: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

NASB: So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples;

CSB: Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples.

NLT: Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.

KJV: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

NKJV: Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

As with verse 30, it is tempting to think that those who "believed" in Jesus were expressing saving faith. However, the Bible distinguishes between those who believe in a shallow, superficial sense from those who express legitimate faith in Christ. This verse explains one of the ways to know the difference: those who truly submit to Christ "abide in [His] word" (John 8:12; John 5:38; 1 John 2:14). Some of Jesus' earlier teachings caused some who claimed to believe in Him to walk away (John 6:65–66). Many of the crowd who find Jesus' words compelling at this moment, will reject Him later.

The terminology used here needs to be understood. "The Jews," as used in the gospel of John, typically refers to the religious leaders of Jerusalem and their followers. This would include the temple Scribes, the Pharisees, and the local residents who agreed with their approach. The conversation Jesus is having now, is still mostly aimed at the Pharisees, but it actually includes all of the hostile crowd which has now gathered.

John 8:31–59 is a passage which dovetails with John 2:13–22, where Jesus drives corrupt businessmen from the temple. These Scriptures disprove any myths that Jesus was weak, timid, passive, or soft. In this exchange with the Pharisees, Jesus pulls no punches. Jerusalem's religious leaders, and their followers, continue to resist Jesus' preaching. They rely on arrogance and insults, to which Jesus responds with blunt, unfiltered condemnation. This culminates in Jesus making an overt statement of His own divinity, punctuating the debate by declaring ''before Abraham was, I am!''

John chapter 8 includes 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. This chapter 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. Eventually, Jesus' opponents are enraged enough to attempt killing Him right then and there.

Jesus is attending the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem, and has once again come into conflict with the local religious authorities. In the previous chapter, Jesus referred to Himself as a source of living water, playing off of the festivals' ritual pouring of water in the temple. In this chapter, Jesus will use the imagery of lights, also related to festival traditions. This chapter 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 4/29/2024 10:52:11 AM