Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: JOHN #21 - 8:31-59)
2. 8:31-59 JESUS FREE FROM SIN WITH THE FATHER
a. 8:31-32 THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSTANT ABIDING
Elegen oun ho IeSOUS pros tous pe-pi-steuKOtas [4100]auTO IouDAIous,
:Jesus therefore said to the Jews that had believed him,
E-AN huMEIS MEIne-te [3306]en to LOgoto eMO, a-leTHOS ma-theTAI mou esTE;
If YOU abide in my :word, you are truly my disciples;
kai GNOses-the [1097]ten aLEthei-an, kai he aLEthei-a e-leu-theROsei [1659]huMAS.
32and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
b. 8:33 OBJECTIONS
a-peKRIthe-san pros auTON, SPERma A-braAM es-men, kai ou-deNI de-douLEUka-men [1398]POpo-te:
They answered unto him, We are Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any one:
pos su LEgeis [HOti] E-LEUthe-roi [1658]geNEses-the.
how do YOU say [that] You shall become free.
c. 8:34 JESUS CONFRONTS THE ABOVE ANSWER
a-peKRItheauTOIS ho IeSOUS, A-MEN, aMEN, LEgo huMIN [HOti],
:Jesus answered them, Amen, Amen, I say unto you [that],
pas ho poiON ten ha-marTIan DOU-LOS [1401]es-tin tes ha-marTIas.
Every one that does :sin is bondman of :sin.
d. 8:35 And the bondman abides not in the house for ever: the son abides for ever.
ho de DOUlos ou MEnei en teoiKIa eis ton aiOna: ho huiOS MEnei eis ton aiOna.
e. 8:36 If therefore the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.
eAN oun ho huiOS huMAS e-leu-theROse[1659], ONtos eLEUthe-roi Eses-the.
f. 8:37 A CLARIFYING CONFRONTATION
OIda HOti SPERma A-braAM es-te;
I know that you are Abraham's seed;
alLA zeTEI-TE me a-pokTEInai [615], HOti ho LOgos ho eMOS ou choREI [5562] en huMIN.
But you seek to kill me, because :my :word has no place in you.
g. 8:38 A CONTRAST BETWEEN JESUS AND HIS ADVERSARIES
ha eGO eOra-ka paRA to paTRI laLO:
What thingsI have seen with the Father I speak:
kai huMEIS oun ha eKOUsa-te paRA tou paTROS poEIte.
you also then do what thingsyou heard from the father.
h. 8:39a They answered andsaid to him, Our :father is Abraham.
a-peKRIthe-san kai EIpan auTO, Ho paTER heMON A-braAM es-tin.
i. 8:39b :Jesus said to them, If you are :Abraham's children, do the works of :Abraham.
LEgei auTOIS ho 'IeSOUS, Ei TEKna [5043] tou A-braAM es-te, ta ERga tou A-braAM poiEIte.
j. 8:40 JESUS' HEARERS VERSUS ABRAHAM
nun de zeTEI-TE [2212] me a-pokTEInai [615], ANthro-pon hos ten aLEthei-an huMIN leLAle-ka,
But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth,
hen Ekou-sa paRA tou TheOU: TOUto A-braAM ouk ePOIe-sen.
which I heard from :God: this Abraham did not.
k. 8:41a YOU do the works of your :father.
huMEIS poiEIte ta ERga tou paTROS huMON.
l. 8:41b They said to him, WE were not born of fornication; we have one Father, :God.
EIpan auTO, HeMEIS ek porNEIas [4202] ouk e-genNEthe-men; HEna paTEra Echo-men, ton TheON.
m. 8:42 LOVE TO CHRIST: A TEST OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
EIpen auTOIS ho IeSOUS, Ei ho TheOS paTER huMON, egaPAte [25] an eME:
:Jesus said to them, If :God were your Father, you would love me:
eGO gar ek tou TheOU eXELthon [1831] kai Eko [2240],
for I came forth and am come from :God,
ouDE gar ap' e-mauTOU eLElu-tha, all' eKEI-NOS me aPEstei-len.
for neither have I come of myself, but HE sent me.
n. 8:43a Why do you not understand :my :speech?
diA ti ten la-liAN [2981]ten eMEN ou giNOske-te?
o. 8:43b Because you cannot hear :my :word.
HOti ou DUnas-the aKOUein ton LOgon ton eMON.
p. 8:44a YOU are of the father, the devil, and the lusts of your :father you will to do.
huMEIS ek tou paTROS, tou di-aBOlou, esTE, kai tas e-pi-thuMIas tou paTROS huMON THEle-te poiEIN.
q. 8:44b THE NATURE OF SATAN
eKEInos an-thro-pokTOnos [443] en ap' arCHES [746],
HE was a man-slayer from thebeginning,
kai en te a-leTHEIa ouk ESte-ken [2476], HOti ouk EStin aLEthei-a en auTO.
and stands not in the truth, because no truth is in him.
r. 8:44c When he speaks the lie, he speaks of his :own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
HOtan laLE to PSEUdos [5579], ek ton iDIon laLEI: HOti PSEUstes [5583] esTIN, kai ho paTER auTOU.
s. 8:45 But I, because I say the truth, you believe me not.
eGOde, HOti ten aLEthei-an LEgo, ou piSTEUeTE moi.
t. 8:46a Which of you convicts me of sin?
tis ex huMON eLEGchei [1651]me peRI ha-marTIas?
u. 8:46b If I speak truth, why doYOU not believe me?
ei aLEthei-an LEgo, diA ti huMEIS ou piSTEUeTE moi?
v. 8:47 JESUS ACCUSES HIS ACCUSERS
ho on ek tou TheOU ta 'REma-ta [4487] tou TheOU aKOUei:
Who is of :God hears the words of :God:
diA TOUto huMEIS ouk aKOUe-te, HOti ek tou TheOU ouk esTE.
for this causeYOU hear not, because you are not of :God.
w. 8:48 A LOW LEVEL RESPONSE
a-peKRIthe-san hoi IouDAIoi kai EIpan auTO,
The Jews answered and said to him,
Ou kaLOS LEgomen heMEIS HOti Sa-maREItes [4541] ei su, kai daiMOni-on [1140] Echeis?
Say WE not well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?
x. 8:49 Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honor my :Father, and YOU dishonor me.
a-peKRIthe IeSOUS, E-GO daiMOni-on ouk Echo; alLA tiMO ton paTEra mou, kai huMEIS a-tiMAzeTE me.
y. 8:50 But I seek not my :glory: thereis one that seeks and judges.
eGOde ou zeTOten DOxan mou: EStin ho zeTON kai KRInon.
z. 8:51 Amen, Amen, I say unto you, If any keep my :word, he shall never see death.
aMEN, aMEN, LEgohuMIN, eAN tis ton LOgon ton eMON teREse, THAna-ton ou methe-oREseeis tonaiOna.
aa. 8:52a The Jews said to him, Now we know that you have a demon.
EIpan auTOhoi 'IouDAIoi, Nun egNOka-men HOti daiMOni-on Echeis.
bb. 8:52b THE WORDS OF JESUS SCANDALIZE HIS HEARERS
A-braAM aPEtha-nen, kai hoi proPHEtai; kai su LEgeis,
Abraham died, and the prophets; and YOU say,
E-AN tis ton LOgon mou teREse, ou me GEUse-tai [1089] thaNAtou eis ton aiOna.
If one keep my :word, he shall never taste of death.
cc. 8:53 THEY CHALLENGE HIM FOR MAKING HIMSELF SO GREAT
me su MEIzon [3187] ei tou paTROS heMON A-braAM, HOstis aPEtha-nen?
Are YOU greater than our :father Abraham, who died?
kai hoi proPHEtai aPEtha-nen: TIna se-auTON poiEIS?
and the prophets died: who do you make yourself?
dd. 8:54-55 JESUS CONTINUES HIS UNVEILING OF THEIR IGNORANCE
a-peKRIthe IeSOUS, E-AN eGO doXAzo [1392] e-mauTON, he DOxa mou ouDEN es-tin:
Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my :glory is nothing:
EStin ho paTER mou ho doXAzon me; hon huMEIS LEge-te,
itis my :Father that glorifies me; of whom YOU say,
HOti TheOS huMON es-tin; kai ouk egNOka-te [1097] auTON:
that he is your God; 55and you are not acquainted with him:
eGO de OIda auTON; ka' 'n EIpo, HOti ouk OIda auTON,
but I know him; and if I should say, that I do not know him,
Eso-mai HOmoi-os huMON, PSEUstes [5583]: alLA OIda auTON, kai ton LOgon auTOU teRO [5083].
I shall be like you, a liar: but I know him, and keep his :word.
ee. 8:56 Your :father Abraham rejoiced to see :my :day; and he saw and was glad.
A-braAM ho paTER huMON e-gal-liAsa-to [21] HIna Ide ten heMEran ten eMEN; kai EIden kai eCHAre.
ff. 8:57 The Jews therefore said unto him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have seen Abraham?
EIpan oun hoi IouDAIoi pros auTON, PenTEkon-ta Ete OUpo Echeis, kai A-braAM heOra-kas [3708]?
gg. 8:58 Jesus said to them, Amen, Amen, I say unto you, before Abraham became, I am.
EIpen auTOIS IeSOUS, A-MEN, aMEN, LEgo huMIN, prin AbraAM geNESthai, eGO ei-mi.
hh. 8:59 They took up stones therefore to cast at him: but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple.
Eran oun LIthous HIna BAlo-sin ep' auTON: IeSOUS de eKRUbe [2928], kai eXELthen [1831]ek tou hi-eROU.
NOTE: 8:31-32 - Abidingin Jesus by keeping His Word - is a key condition to knowing the freeingtruth. And - Jesus isthe way, and the truth, and the life! These are two verses often memorized by believers - and well they ought to be.
But from now unto the end of this passage, there is a steady and increasing controversy between Jesus and His opposers. Perhaps nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus come forth more clearly against the blind Jewish leaders. Think of this - Jesus is not only Son of man, but He is Son of God - the only-begotten of the Father. And - as part of the Triunity of the God-head, we must marvel at His patiencewith the absolute rudeness of His opposers.
Many Christians wonder how atheists who challenge God - are not wiped out by a lightning bolt. Here we have an answer! However - there isa day when the long-suffering patience of God comes to an end. The cup of iniquity doesreach its fullness. The Son of man willreturn, not as the suffering Savior this time - but as the omnipotent King of kings and Lord of lords. The Father puts all authority on Him at this time as Eternal Judge. Then He will deftly separate the sheep from the goats - and we know the rest.
So - ponder this section sentence by sentence. Milk it as it were for all insights of truth. The Spirit will be sure to illumine all earnest seekers with revelation that will enable us to righteously and wisely endureunto the end. And, they that endure to the end, the sameshall be saved. J.A.W.