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Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Cole - Caught in the Act (John 7:53–8:11) February 23, 2014 Our text is a difficult portion of John, not because it is hard to understand, but because it is hard to know whether this incident should be included in John’s Gospel as an authentic part of inspired Scripture. Many versions put these verses in brackets, with a note explaining that it is not included in the earliest manuscripts of John. So I must give you a mini-lecture on textual criticism. As you probably know, we do not possess any of the original copies of the New Testament books. Our New Testament is based on the translation of thousands of Greek manuscripts that are, for the most part, remarkably close in their readings. When there are variations between the manuscripts, they are usually only of minor significance. For example, in our text last week in 7:40, some manuscripts read, “when they heard these words.” Others read, “these words of His” or “His word,” or, “the word,” or, “this word.” Obviously, it doesn’t make much difference which reading is adopted. Textual criticism is the discipline where scholars evaluate both external and internal evidence to try to determine which reading is most likely the original. External evidence refers to weighing the various manuscripts in light of their age, how widespread is their distribution, and what text type they represent. Internal evidence refers to evaluating the probabilities of what a scribe might have done, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to result in the various readings. Both internal and external evidence have to be compared and evaluated. There are two longer texts where the manuscript evidence is so varied and late that many scholars question their authenticity: Mark 16:9–20 and here, in John 7:53–8:11. Let me add that there are no major doctrines at stake in these or in any other textual variants. With rare exceptions, we can be sure that what we read is what the original authors wrote. The problem is that John 7:53–8:11 is not found in any of the earliest manuscripts or versions (translations into other languages). The earliest manuscript to contain it is from the fifth century A.D. All the early church Fathers omit this narrative in their commentaries on John, moving from Jn 7:52 to Jn 8:12. No Eastern Father before the tenth century cites the text. Many later manuscripts that include the passage mark it off to show that it’s of doubtful authority. Among those that include it, there are many textual variants. And some manuscripts put it at other places in John (after Jn 7:44; 7:36; 21:25) or after Luke 21:38. Also, although it should not be regarded with as much weight as the external evidence, most scholars argue that the style, Greek constructions, and vocabulary of the story differ significantly from the rest of the Gospel of John. And, they assert that the story interrupts the flow of the narrative from John Jn 7:52 to Jn 8:12. (This paragraph taken from D. A. Carson, Borrow The Gospel according to John, p. 333; and Andreas Kostenberger, John [Baker], pp. 245–247.) These reasons cause many reputable evangelical scholars to conclude that this story is not a part of John’s original Gospel. Among these are: Leon Morris, Merrill Tenney, D. A. Carson, Ed Blum, Andreas Kostenberger, Colin Kruse, John Piper, R. C. Lenski, R. V. G. Tasker, B. F. Westcott, Alfred Edersheim, Frederic Godet, G. Campbell Morgan, and A. T. Robertson. However, these scholars generally hold that it reports an authentic historical event that is true to the character of Jesus. Some scholars, however, argue that in spite of the weak textual support, this story should be included in John’s Gospel and treated as inspired Scripture, based largely on internal evidence: R. C. Sproul, John MacArthur, James Boice, William Hendriksen, A. W. Pink, J. C. Ryle, David Brown (in Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown) and John Calvin. They argue that the story fits the flow of John’s Gospel at this point and the pattern that John follows of a story setting the stage for the theme to follow. They also point out that both Augustine and Ambrose in the late fourth and early fifth centuries believed that the story may have been omitted because it seems to suggest that Jesus condoned adultery. So, there are solid men on both sides of this issue. So, how should we view this story? I can’t dodge the weight of the textual evidence. Bruce Metzger, who edited A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament ([United Bible Societies], 2nd ed., p. 187), wrote, “The evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming.” Leon Morris agrees (The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans, 1971], p. 882): “The textual evidence makes it impossible to hold that this section is an authentic part of the Gospel.” But
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Cole points out "All of us, like this woman, have been caught in the act of sin and stand condemned by God’s holy law. To catch someone in the act of adultery so that it would hold up in a Jewish trial for execution was no small feat. The witnesses actually had to have seen the couple going through physical movements that could be capable of no other explanation (Leon Morris, p. 885, note 12 - BORROW The Gospel according to John). Compromising circumstances, such as seeing a couple coming from a room where they had been alone, or even seeing them lying on the same bed, were not sufficient. The witnesses had to have seen the same acts at the same time in the presence of each other for their testimony to hold up in a Jewish court. So it’s very likely that the scribes and Pharisees had set a trap to catch this woman so they could trap Jesus on the horns of a dilemma and accuse Him (Jn 8:6). THOUGHT - Why does the evangelical church tend to overlook the sins of hypocrisy, legalism, gossip, and pride, but judge sins like drunkenness, immorality, homosexuality, etc.? (Steven Cole) Teacher (1320) didaskalos from didasko = teach to shape will of one being taught by content of what is taught <> cp didaskalía) is one who provides instruction or systematically imparts truth. The teacher teaches in such a way as to shape will of one being taught by content of what is taught. Someone has said that "The great teacher is the one who turns our ears into eyes so that we can see the truth." Henry Brooks added that "A (Bible) teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." Didaskalos refers to Jesus (the Master Teacher in 41 of 58 NT uses. Twice Jesus calls Himself Teacher (Mt 26:18, Jn 13:13-14+). He is referred to as Teacher by His disciples (Mk 4:38+; Mk 9:38+; Mk 13:1+; Lk 7:40+; Lk 21:7+), by the Pharisees (Mt 8:19, 12:38), by Pharisees and Herodians (Mt 22:16); Sadducees (Mk 12:19+), a teacher of the law (Mk 12:32+), Jewish deceivers (Lk 20:21+); the rich young ruler (Lk 18:18+), tax collectors (Lk 3:12+) and His friend Martha (Jn 11:28+). As an aside someone has said our great Teacher writes many of His best lessons on the blackboard of affliction. Richards writes that "Jesus’ teaching focused on shaping the hearers’ perception of God and God’s kingdom, and thus it dealt with the implications of a personal relationship with God. In John’s Gospel, much of Jesus’ public instruction focused on himself and his own place as Son of God." Didaskalos in John - Jn. 1:38; Jn. 3:2; Jn. 3:10; Jn. 8:4; Jn. 11:28; Jn. 13:13; Jn. 13:14; Jn. 20:16 John 8:5 "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" Moses: Lev 20:10 De 22:21-24 Eze 16:38-40 23:47 what: Mt 5:17 19:6-8 22:16-18 John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Leviticus 20:10 ‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Deuteronomy 22:22-24 “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. 23 “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. A "POP TEST" FOR JESUS I say "pop test," but I doubt if any test surprised Him or caught Him off guard. Oh, to be more like our Savior and Lord! Amen Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say - The religious serpents first remind Jesus of the Law of Moses and make no allusion to allowing for a trial for this woman. The religious leaders present Jesus with a "Gotcha now" test - stone her and keep the law but break the Roman law (against capital punishment) or don't stone her and break the Law of Moses! What then do You say was their attempt to catch Jesus, not to punish the woman. NET Note - The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women. D A Carson - Was the woman married, or single and betrothed? Stoning is the biblically prescribed punishment for a betrothed virgin who is sexually unfaithful to her fiancé, a punishment to be meted out to both sexual partners (Dt. 22:23–24). Elsewhere (Lv. 20:10; Dt. 22:22) death is prescribed for all unfaithful wives and their lovers, but no mode (such as stoning) is laid down....Although capital punishment by stoning is still meted out today in some Muslim countries for the offence of adultery, there is little evidence that it was carried out very often in first-century Palestine, especially in urban areas. (Borrow The Gospel according to John) Jamieson on what then do You say? - hoping, whatever He might answer, to put Him in the wrong:—if He said, Stone her, that would seem a stepping out of His province; if He forbade it, that would hold Him up as a relaxer of the public morals. But these cunning hypocrites were overmatched. Steven Cole -We tend to look on the woman in this story as the great sinner, while overlooking the fact that the scribes and Pharisees were just as evil, if not more so, in God’s sight. They were callously sinning against this woman. We can’t say for certain, but probably she was a young girl. In the Law of Moses, the penalty for adultery was death for both partners, without stipulating the means of death. But if the girl was engaged to be married, the penalty was specifically stoning to death (Deut. 22:22–24). Since Jewish girls were often engaged as young as 13 or 14, this girl may have been a frightened teenager. Clearly, they didn’t care about her at all. If they had cared about her, they could have held her in private custody until they brought formal charges against her. But they didn’t care about her feelings or about humiliating her in public. She was just a pawn for them to use and discard in their attempt to trap Jesus. But, even more seriously than sinning against this woman, these religious leaders were also sinning against the sinless Son of God. Their aim was to destroy Jesus and they were using both this woman and the Scriptures to do it! They weren’t concerned about God’s honor or about holiness among God’s people. It just so happened that the Law gave them ammunition to use against this woman and against Jesus. They were using Scripture to judge others, but not to judge themselves. THOUGHT - That’s very common in Christian circles. People use the Bible for their own selfish ends, to judge others or to bring down their enemies. But they never apply it to themselves. And so it is often religious people—those professing to know Christ—who are just as guilty of sin as openly immoral people are...."For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Ro 3:23) So whether we fit more with the immoral woman or with the self-righteous, unloving Pharisees, who used the Bible for their own sinful purposes, we need to see ourselves in this story. It convicts us all of our sin and guilt before God. (Steven Cole) Henry
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Cole - “What did He write?” Here’s the answer: Nobody knows! Some have said that He was stalling for time so that He could think of what to say, but that demeans our all-wise Lord. Some say that He was writing the Pharisees’ sins in the dust, like people today write, “Wash me” in the dust of a dirty car. Others say that He was writing the Ten Commandments, which God wrote with His finger on the tablets of stone. Calvin suggested that He was shaming His enemies by ignoring them, showing that they were unworthy to be heard. But, the bottom line is, the text doesn’t tell us and so everyone is just guessing. Henry
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Cole - Jesus wasn’t saying that human judges in a court of law have to be sinlessly perfect before they can judge others, because then no law could ever be upheld. Rather, Jesus was applying what He taught in Matthew 7:1–5. In other words, these hypocrites had a huge log in their own eyes: They were sinfully using this woman and using Scripture to try to trap Jesus. They came to condemn her and accuse Jesus; but they ended up being accused and condemned. The Law is like a boomerang: You aim it at others and it comes back and conks you on the head. The starting place for receiving God’s mercy is to be convicted by God’s holy law that you are the chief of sinners. (Caught in the Act ) THOUGHT - From this passage we learn that we do not accuse others unless we first thoroughly search our own hearts and minds to make certain that we are pure in every possible aspect (Matthew 7:3). Also, if we must admonish someone, we should do so as instructed in Scripture; we always look to God’s glory and never cause unnecessary division or harm (Matthew 18:15), but we do work to keep the church pure. Moreover, Jesus was the only sinless person in the temple scene, and, instead of condemning the woman, He looked ahead to His work on the cross and offered her life. Likewise, we should use every possible opportunity to forgive and to reach out with the gospel and the love of Christ, always remembering that we, too, are sinners in need of the Savior (Romans 3:23). (GotQuestions) Bruce Barton - How are we to apply Jesus’ statement about only sinless persons rendering judgment? Jesus was not saying that only perfect, sinless people can make accurate accusations, pass judgment, or exact a death penalty. Nor was he excusing adultery or any other sin by saying that everyone sins. This event illustrates that wise judgment flows out of honest motives. Jesus resolved an injustice about to be committed by exposing the hypocrisy of the witnesses against the woman. By making the accusers examine themselves, he exposed their real motives. Jesus did confront the woman’s sin, but he exercised compassion alongside confrontation. As with the woman at the well (chapter 4), Jesus demonstrated to this woman that she was of greater importance than what she had done wrong. (BORROW John - Life Application Commentary) QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “He who is without sin can cast the first stone”? ANSWER - Jesus’ statement “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” is found in John 8. Jesus was teaching in the temple when the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, and they asked Him if she should be stoned as required by the Law of Moses. However, they cared nothing about this woman; they were using her to trap Jesus. In their minds, if He told them to set the woman free, they could claim He did not hold to the Law of Moses. If He told them to stone her, they could claim He was not the Savior; and, if He said nothing, they could claim He lacked wisdom. Jesus did not answer immediately but stooped and wrote something on the ground, and they kept pressing Him. Finally, the Lord said, in essence, “Go ahead and stone her because that is what the Law requires. But the Law also requires that the first stone be thrown by a person who is sinless in connection with this charge” (John 8:6–7). There is no doubt that this woman was guilty of a capital offense and that the Law required that she be stoned, but the Law also required that the guilty man be stoned as well (Deuteronomy 22:22), that witnesses be produced, and that a witness begin the execution. But the Jewish leaders came with venom against Jesus and were thwarted by their own single-minded hate. They did not produce the guilty man, and they were unwilling or unable to produce the required witnesses. We do not know what Jesus wrote, but, after He wrote a second time, the Jews left one by one, from the oldest to the youngest, without saying another word. Jesus then set the woman free with a warning to her to sin no more. From this passage we learn that we do not accuse others unless we first thoroughly search our own hearts and minds to make certain that we are pure in every possible aspect (Matthew 7:3). Also, if we must admonish someone, we should do so as instructed in Scripture; we always look to God’s glory and never cause unnecessary division or harm (Matthew 18:15), but we do work to keep the church pure. Moreover, Jesus was the only sinless person in the temple scene, and, instead of condemning the woman, He looked ahead to His work on the cross and offered her life. Likewise, we should use every possible opportunity to forgive and to reach out with the gospel and the love of Christ, always remembering that we, too, are sinners in need of the Savior (Romans 3:23). GotQuestions.org (used by permission) John 8:8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SAVIOR'S SECOND STOOPING Again He stooped down and wrote (grapho) on the ground - Again it is pointless to speculate what He wrote. We simply do not know. Jamieson - The design of this second stooping and writing on the ground was evidently to give her accusers an opportunity to slink away unobserved by Him, and so avoid an exposure to His eye which they could ill have stood. Accordingly it is added. John 8:9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. being convicted (KJV): Ge 42:21,22 1Ki 2:44 17:18 Ps 50:21 Ec 7:22 Mk 6:14-16 Lu 12:1-3 Ro 2:15,22 1Jn 3:20 to go out one by on: Job 5:12,13 20:5,27 Ps 9:15,16 40:14 71:13 Lu 13:17 He was left alone: Jn 8:2,10,12 John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Romans 2:15+ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, JESUS TURNS THE TABLES AGAIN! Turn the table means to change or reverse something dramatically, to cause a reversal of someone's plans, to make one's plans turn back on one. Reverse a situation and gain the upper hand. If you turn the tables, youi gain an advantage over someone or cause them problems, after a time when they have had (or thought they had) an advantage over you. Jesus was an Expert at turning tables (see Mt 21:12, Mk 11:15)! The KJV (Textus Receptus) adds "being convicted by their own conscience." (Jn 8:9KJV). While the context (and the actions of the accusers) certainly imply their consciences were smitten, this text is not accepted as authentic by most of the modern translations. When they heard it - The verb heard indicates that it was not what they saw written on the ground that had the greatest impact on them, but it was from what they heard Him speak in John 8:7. They began to go out one by one - NET = "they began to drift away one at a time." NLT = "they slipped away one by one." To go out is in the imperfect tense which depict them beginning to slither away one after another, after another, giving us the picture of something like a procession. Jesus had told them to look at themselves in the mirror (so to speak) before they picked up a stone to throw! That's a good principle for all of us, beloved! While the consciences of these men was undoubtedly blunted or weak, they clearly were not seared, for their consciences accused them one by one (cf Ro 2:15). “Those who had come to shame Jesus now leave in shame" -- D A Carson Beginning (archo) with the older ones (presbuteros), and He was left (kataleipo) alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court - What about the crowd that had come to hear His teaching? Had they also left? The text does not say. The "exodus" began with the elders, those who had the most sins to remember! The accusers of the woman now stand accused and convicted by Jesus' words and also presumably by what He wrote on the ground. He was left alone means that every one of the accusers departed. Barton on the older ones leaving first - Evidently the older men were more aware of their sins than the younger. Age and experience often temper youthful self-righteousness. We all have a sinful nature and are desperately in need of forgiveness and transformation. None of us would have been able to throw the first stone; none of us can claim sinlessness. We, too, would have had to walk away. (BORROW John - Life Application Commentary) John
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Cole - rather than falling at Jesus’ feet and asking for mercy, they left Him and went out. Perhaps the oldest left first because they had the most sins of which to feel guilty. But none of them repented, because as a group they kept pressing for Jesus’ death until they finally succeeded. (Caught in the Act ) Leon
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Cole - in this story there is no direct statement that the woman was repentant, but I think we can infer that by Jesus’ gracious words to her. He knew what was in every heart and He was always quick to offer grace to the broken. By not stating that she was repentant, the story illustrates the truth that God first revealed to Moses (Exod. 33:19b, cited in Rom. 9:15), “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” It is God’s privilege and His delight to show grace to undeserving sinners.....The only sinless person in the temple that day who legitimately could have thrown a stone at the adulteress showed her mercy. And if you are heavy with your load of sin and guilt, come to Jesus and cry out for mercy and He will not condemn you. Like the publican in Jesus’ parable (Luke 18:14), you will go to your house justified, declared righteous before God! Jamieson - What inimitable tenderness and grace! Conscious of her own guilt, and till now in the hands of men who had talked of stoning her, wondering at the skill with which her accusers had been dispersed, and the grace of the few words addressed to herself, she would be disposed to listen, with a reverence and teachableness before unknown, to our Lord’s admonition. “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.” He pronounces no pardon upon the woman (such as, “Thy sins are forgiven thee” [compare Lu 5:28; 7:48]—“Go in peace” [compare Mk 5:34; Lu 7:50; 8:48]), much less does He say that she had done nothing condemnable; He simply leaves the matter where it was. He meddles not with the magistrate’s office, nor acts the Judge in any sense (Jn 12:47). But in saying, “Go and sin no more,” which had been before said to one who undoubtedly believed (Jn 5:14), more is probably implied than expressed. If brought suddenly to conviction of sin, admiration of her Deliverer, and a willingness to be admonished and guided by Him, this call to begin a new life may have carried with it what would ensure and naturally bring about a permanent change. (This whole narrative is wanting in some of the earliest and most valuable manuscripts, and those which have it vary to some extent. The internal evidence in its favor is almost overpowering. It is easy to account for its omission, though genuine; but if not so, it is next to impossible to account for its insertion). Condemn (2632) katakrino from kata = down, against + krino = to assess, then to separate or distinguish, then to give an opinion upon, judge, then to decide or determine and finally to judge (to judge one down [kata = down]), pronounce judgment or to condemn) means to give judgment against, pass sentence upon, pass judgment against and hence to condemn, this latter action implying there has been a crime. It means to pronounce sentence against or to adjudge guilty and always denotes an adverse sentence (to sentence to punishment). Katakrino in secular Greek was a legal technical term for pronouncing a sentence after reaching a verdict or decision against someone. To declare an evildoer guilty. In our modern parlance, the word condemn is often used with a "lighter" meaning such as to censure, to express strong disapproval, to denounce, etc. Most Biblical uses of katakrino are not "light" as evidenced by repeated use of this verb to describe Jesus being condemned to death. Similarly all who disbelieve will be condemned, which is not simply censured, etc, but sentenced to eternal separation from God. Katakrino - 18v - Matt. 12:41; Matt. 12:42; Matt. 20:18; Matt. 27:3; Mk. 10:33; Mk. 14:64; Mk. 16:16; Lk. 11:31; Lk. 11:32; Jn. 8:10; Jn. 8:11; Rom. 2:1; Rom. 8:3; Rom. 8:34; Rom. 14:23; 1 Co. 11:32; Heb. 11:7; 2 Pet. 2:6 John 8:11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." I do not condemn you: Jn 8:15 3:17 18:36 De 16:18 17:9 Lu 9:56 12:13,14 Ro 13:3,4 1Co 5:12 Go: Jn 5:14 Job 34:31 Pr 28:13 Isa 1:16-18 55:6 Eze 18:30-32 Mt 21:28-31 Lu 5:32 13:3,5 15:7,10,32 Ro 2:4 5:20,21 1Ti 1:15,16 2Pe 3:15 Rev 2:21,22 John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: John 5:14+ Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin (present imperative with a negative) anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” NO CONDEMNATION COMMANDS A NEW DIRECTION She said, "No one (oudeis - not one single one), Lord (kurios)." - No one Lord does not mean she is acknowledging Jesus as "The Lord," for kurios in this context could simply mean "sir." It is however notable that she does not attempt to excuse her sin. Perhaps she does begin to recognize Jesus as Lord. And Jesus said, "I do (oude - absolutely do) not condemn (katakrino) you, either - Jesus is the One to Whom the Father has given all judgment and here he clearly states to this adulteress, "no condemnation!" Not guilty! While He does not say "Your sins are forgiven," that surely seems implied or He could not have said she was not condemned. This non-judgmental declaration by Jesus reminds us of John 3:17+ "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." A T
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Cole - He did not say, “Go your way and sin no more and then I will not condemn you.” Her pardon was not dependent on her behavior. Rather, her pardon was the motivation to change her behavior. If forgiveness depends on having a perfect track record, no one could obtain it, because we all sin. So God grants forgiveness as a free gift to all who put their trust in what Christ did in dying on the cross for their sins. His free grace then becomes the motive to live in holiness to please the one who gave Himself for us. As Paul says (Rom. 6:1–2), “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” Or (Titus 2:11–12), “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age ….” God’s amazing grace is the motivation to life a holy life. John MacArthur agrees with Pastor Cole that Jesus did forgive the woman (and I also agree with this interpretation) - With her accusers gone, there was no one left to condemn her. Exercising His divine prerogative to forgive sin (Matt. 9:6; cf. John 3:17; 12:47), Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” Forgiveness does not imply license to sin. Jesus did not condemn her, but He did command her to abandon her sinful lifestyle....This story is far more than a battleground for textual critics. It paints a marvelous picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose gracious humility, infinite wisdom, convicting speech, and tender forgiveness are its central themes. All Christians should be grateful to God for sovereignly preserving it. (See John Commentary) Gerald L. Borchert adds "Jesus’ verdict, “neither do I condemn,” however, was not rendered as a simple acquittal or a non-condemnation. The verdict was in fact a strict charge for her to live from this point on (apo tou nun) very differently—to sin no more (mēketi hamartane). The liberating work of Jesus did not mean the excusing of sin. Encountering Jesus always has demanded the transformation of life, the turning away from sin.… Sin was not treated lightly by Jesus, but sinners were offered the opportunity to start life anew. (See John 1-11: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) John Phillips probably takes it a bit far in his interpretation but does agree Jesus must have forgiven her - No one could have invented this story. No one but Jesus could have emptied the temple courts like that. Then he forgave her (Jn 8:11). He set before her a new Lord (8:11a). "Hath no man condemned thee?" he asked. "No man, Lord," she said-and in that simple statement she made Jesus the Savior and sovereign of her life. Years later Paul put it like this: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus... thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9). "Lord." She put him on the throne of her heart. She put herself under his authority. The law could only condemn her to death. This man offered her hope when hope was dead. He had not come into the world to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved (Jn12:47). He would not dismiss her sin; he would die for her sin. (BORROW Exploring the Gospels. John) Believer's Study Bible - The fact that Jesus did not condemn her to be stoned is not a sign of laxity. Since He forgave her, He attests that she is a sinner, but He also affirms that she stands forgiven. Only the sinless One can forgive because He is the Lamb who bore away the totality of the world's sin (cf. Jn 1:29). Rodney Whitacre - Jesus grants pardon, not acquittal, since the call to leave off sinning shows he knew she was indeed guilty of the adultery. His noncondemnation is quite different from theirs. They wanted to condemn but lacked the opportunity; he could have done so, but he did not. Here is mercy and righteousness. He condemned the sin and not the sinner (Augustine In John 33.6). But more than that, he called her to a new life. The gospel is not only the forgiveness of sins, but a new quality of life that overcomes the power of sin (cf. 8:32–36; 1 Jn 3:4–6).....Jesus does not say explicitly that he forgives the woman, but such is the implication of his saying he does not condemn her and then telling her to not sin again. So here we seem to have another occasion when Jesus mediates the forgiveness of God (cf. Mt 9:1–8; Mk 2:3–12; Lk 5:18–26; Lk 7:36–50). (Scroll about halfway down the page of the following link for Rodney Whitacre's discussion that begins "This story raises very significant pastoral issues....") (Jesus Forgives a Woman Taken in Adultery John 7:53-8:11) Merrill Tenney - Meeting a man who was interested in saving rather than exploiting and in forgiving rather than condemning must have been a new experience for her. Jesus’ attitude provided both the motivation and the assurance she needed. Forgiveness demands a clean break with sin. That Jesus refrained from condemning her was a guarantee that he would support her. Tony Evans - Notice that Jesus demonstrated grace and mercy to the woman (removing her condemnation) before he told her to start living right. A true understanding of grace and mercy does not endorse or promote sin; rather, it’s designed to produce gratitude and holiness (see Rom 6:1–7). We do not obey God in order to earn forgiveness. Rather, grace and mercy are to motivate our obedience. When we truly understand God’s amazing grace, we do not go out and merely sin less—we go out and seek to sin no more. (See Tony Evans Study Bible) Leon Morris does not think that Jesus offered the woman forgiveness - Jesus’ answer brings the incident to a fitting conclusion. He, too, will not condemn her. But that does not mean that he condones her sin; he tells her to sin no more. The form of the command implies a ceasing to continue an action already started: “Stop your sinful habit.” And “no more” (NIV paraphrases with “leave your life of sin”) points to the thought of no return. She is to make a clean break with sin. Jesus does not refer specifically to adultery (though there cannot be any doubt but that is primarily in mind). His words are perfectly general. He is calling the woman to amendment of life, the whole of life. It should not be overlooked that he says nothing about forgiveness. The guilty woman had as yet given no sign of repentance or of faith. What Jesus does is to show mercy and to call her to righteousness (Borrow The Gospel according to John) Embarrassing Moments Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” —John 8:11 Today's Scripture: John 8:1-11 The flashing lights of the police car drew my attention to a motorist who had been pulled over for a traffic violation. As the officer, ticket book in hand, walked back to his car, I could clearly see the embarrassed driver sitting helplessly behind the wheel of her car. With her hands, she attempted to block her face from the view of passersby—hoping to hide her identity. Her actions were a reminder to me of how embarrassing it can be when we are exposed by our choices and their consequences. When a guilty woman was brought before Jesus and her immorality was exposed, the crowd did more than just watch. They called for her condemnation, but Jesus showed mercy. The only One with the right to judge sin responded to her failure with compassion. After dispatching her accusers, “Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’” (John 8:11). His compassion reminds us of His forgiving grace, and His command to her points to His great desire that we live in the joy of that grace. Both elements show the depth of Christ’s concern for us when we stumble and fall. Even in our most embarrassing moments of failure, we can cry out to Him and find that His grace is truly amazing. By: Bill Crowder Amazing grace—how sweet the sound— That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. —Newton Jesus alone can supply the grace we need for each trial we face. The Slowness Of Wisdom Whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak. — John 12:50 Today's Scripture: John 8:1-11 When the Pharisees came to Jesus with the woman caught in adultery and asked Him what should be done with her, He knelt for a moment and scribbled in the sand (John 8:6-11). We have no idea what He wrote. But when they continued asking Him, Jesus responded in one short sentence: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (v.7). His few words accomplished much in confronting the Pharisees with their own sin, for they walked away one by one. Even today those words resound around the world. Jesus had such a closeness to and dependence on His Father that He said of Himself, “Whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (12:50). Oh, that we had such a relationship with our Father that we knew how to respond with His wisdom! Perhaps it begins with obeying James’ challenge to be “swift to hear, slow to speak” (1:19). This is not the slowness of ignorance, emptiness, timidity, guilt, or shame. But the slowness of wisdom born of dwelling quietly on the Lord and His thoughts. We’re often told to stop and think before we speak. But I think we should take it much further and live a life where we’re always listening for God’s wisdom. By: David H. Roper Lord, grant that we may hear You speak; For truth within our hearts we seek; For unto Christ we would be true And know what He Himself would do. —D. De Haan Listen to God before you speak for God. Look Back Or Ahead? Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal. —Philippians 3:13-14 Today's Scripture: Philippians 3:12-21 The great American baseball player Satchel Paige once said in jest, “Don’t look back—something may be gaining on you.” In contrast, George Santayana, a Spanish thinker and writer, noted in 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So which is it? Do we move on, never looking back, or do we dwell on our past errors to avoid making them again? Scripture seems to indicate that we should do a little of both. We do need to think back on our lives and learn from our mistakes. That’s part of the process when we confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness. We need to think about our disobedience long enough to seek God’s mercy and then choose to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Forgiveness is God’s way of clearing the slate, but it’s our responsibility to depend on the strength of the Holy Spirit who lives within us to avoid repeating the errors of the past. The apostle Paul, for example, acknowledged his past mistakes, drew upon God’s mercy, and then focused on becoming more like Christ (Philippians 3:13-14). So, is it best for us to look back or to look ahead? We would be wise to do a little of both: We need to look back for forgiveness, then look ahead to make progress. By: Dave Branon More like the Master I would live and grow, More of His love to others I would show; More self-denial like His in Galilee, More like the Master I long to ever be. —Gabriel To grow spiritually, face up to your failures, then focus on Christ for the future. QUESTION - Why did Jesus tell people to “go and sin no more” if sinlessness is impossible? WATCH ACCOMPANYING VIDEO ANSWER - There are two instances in the New Testament when Jesus told someone to “sin no more,” and they were each under very different circumstances. The first is when Jesus healed an invalid by the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–15). Afterward, Jesus found the man and told him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (verse 14). It is clear that Jesus knew what had caused the man’s condition. We are not told the specifics of the man’s physical impairment, but the context implies that it was caused by sinful choices. Jesus warned the man that he had been given a second chance and that he should make better choices. If the man returned to his sinful behavior, he would have wasted the opportunity Jesus gave him to live whole and forgiven. The second instance is in the account of the woman taken in the act of adultery (John 8:3–11). When the woman’s accusers brought her before Jesus, expecting Him to pronounce judgment, He told them that the one who was without sin should throw the first stone. One by one, the condemning crowd left. Then Jesus told the woman, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more” (verse 11). She had been caught. She was guilty. She did deserve stoning according to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). But the religious leaders who had dragged her there had no concern for holiness. They were trying to trap Jesus into saying that the Law did not matter (verse 6). Jesus often reminded those religious leaders that He had not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He, as God, was the Author of the Law (2 Timothy 3:16). The Pharisees focused on the letter of the Law but missed the true spirit of it, which is given in Galatians 5:14: “The whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” When Jesus refused to condemn the woman, He was not minimizing the importance of holiness. He was offering her the same kind of forgiveness He offers every one of us (Acts 3:19). In saying, “Go and sin no more,” Jesus was not speaking of sinless perfection. He was warning against a return to sinful lifestyle choices. His words both extended mercy and demanded holiness. Jesus was always the perfect balance of “grace and truth” (John 1:14). With forgiveness comes the expectation that we will not continue in the same path of rebelliousness. Those who know God’s love will naturally want to obey Him (John 14:15). When we turn to Christ and receive His forgiveness, we experience a heart change (Luke 9:23; Acts 1:8). Forgiveness is not cheap, and it does not excuse the sin that separated us from God. It cost God everything to offer us the cleansing that pronounces us righteous before Him (John 3:16; 15:13). Rather than continue in the self-centered path that led us astray from Him to begin with, the forgiven can walk in God’s path (Luke 14:27). A move toward God is a move toward righteousness, purity, and holy living (1 Peter 1:16; Romans 8:29). We cannot experience the transforming power of forgiveness without being forever changed. It goes without saying that the woman caught in adultery did not return to her infidelity. She had met Jesus. She would not be perfect. No one is. But she was forever changed. Her eyes had been opened to the depravity of what she was doing. Sin no longer held the appeal it once did. When we meet Jesus, sin no longer holds its fatal attraction. Grace changes things. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1–2).When we are born again (John 3:3), the power of the Holy Spirit breaks the power that sin once had over us (Romans 6:6). Once we lived only to please ourselves, but when we have been forgiven, our motivation changes. We now live to please God (Galatians 2:20). It should be the goal of every Christian to “sin no more,” although we recognize that, while we are in the flesh, we will still stumble (1 John 1:8). God’s desire for each of us is to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). We still sin, but sin is no longer a lifestyle choice (1 John 3:9–10). When we fail, we can come to God and ask forgiveness (1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 4:1–2). And if we are truly God’s children, He will correct us, disciplining us when we need it (Hebrews 12:6–11). His work is to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).GotQuestions.org (used by permission) John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." I am the Light: Jn 1:4-9 Jn 3:19 Jn 9:5 Jn 12:35 Isa 9:2 42:6,7 49:6 60:1-3 Ho 6:3 Mal 4:2 Mt 4:14-16 Lu 1:78,79 2:32 Ac 13:47 26:23 will not walk in the darkness: Jn 12:35,46 Ps 18:28 97:11 Isa 50:10 2Pe 2:4,17 Jude 1:6,13 will have the Light of life: Jn 7:17 14:6 Job 33:28 Ps 49:19 Rev 21:24 John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Click John 8:12 Commentary for more in debt notes, including multiple devotionals See Note Below on Johannine Dualism - Darkness and Light - from George Alan Ladd. Related Passages: John 1:4-9 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (or overpower) it. 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. John 3:19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. John 9:5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. John 12:46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. Isaiah 9:1-2 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. Isaiah 42:6 “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. 3 “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:19 “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. Malachi 4:2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. Luke 2:32 A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.” Psalm 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 2 Peter 1:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Psalm 19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Note 4 tall (75') lighted "candelabras" in center of the Court of the Women (See Note Below) "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD" Then (oun) in this case marks progress in the narrative. The question is progress from what? Some commentators would say this then marks progression from the events of John 7, especially the famous invitation to come to Him to drink on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7:37-39) which was followed by a division among the Jews and an aborted attempt to arrest Him. The "then" would follow those events and skip the famous story of the woman caught in adultery in John 7:53-8:11. Bob Deffinbaugh in his introduction to Jn 8:12-30 says "In this passage, we are in the middle of a great debate between Jesus and His adversaries. Ten times they interrupt Him in this chapter alone. Also, the Jews do not have a clue about what our Lord is saying, and so they misinterpret virtually everything He says. By the end of the chapter, the Jews attempt to stone Jesus. We do not come away from this text with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Instead, it troubles us." Steven Cole gives some excellent background on the timing of Jesus' enlightening (pun) declaration in John 8:12 - Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles. During that feast, as we’ve seen, the Jews performed a ceremony where a priest went to the Pool of Siloam, drew water in a golden pitcher, and returned in procession to the temple, where he poured it out at the base of the altar. It commemorated God’s provision of water from the rock that sustained Israel in the wilderness (cf. Nu 20:8-11+). It was in connection with that ceremony that Jesus proclaimed whoever drank of Him would have rivers of living water flowing from his innermost being. At that same feast, the Jews performed another ceremony where they lit four huge candelabras or torches in the Court of the Women in the temple (ED: SEE DEPICTION ABOVE - "Every evening during the Feast of Tabernacles, just after the evening sacrifice and before sunset, priests entered the Court of Women to light...giant chandelier-like lampstands." Insights on John), commemorating the fact that the Lord had been a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night to protect and guide Israel in that desolate desert for 40 years (cf. Ex 13:21-22+; Nu 9:15-23+). That cloud appeared on the day when Israel left Egypt, standing as a barrier between them and Pharaoh’s armies on the night before they crossed the Red Sea. Then as it went with them in that wilderness, it was a graphic symbol of the fact that the Lord God was with His people. If, as we saw last week, the story of the woman caught in adultery (Jn 7:53–8:11) was not a part of John’s original Gospel, then the incident before us, where Jesus claims to be the Light of the world, took place either during or just after the Feast of Tabernacles, when the spectacle of these huge torches being lit in the temple would still be fresh in people’s minds. John 8:20 tells us that Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as He taught in the temple. The treasury was the place, in the Court of the Women, where people could put their offerings into some trumpet-like receptacles. So, in the same courtyard where the torches were lit, Jesus boldly proclaimed, “I am the Light of the world.” How would you have reacted if you had been a Jew listening there? How should you respond to this astounding claim today? (Jesus: Light of the World ) Jesus again spoke to them, saying - Who is them to whom Jesus again speaks? The answer depends on how you interpret the then in the preceding paragraph. The last words He had spoken to the crowd in John 7 were the famous invitation is John 7:37-39. If we take John 8:1-11 as in the correct order in the Gospel (which is doubtful as discussed above), Jesus spoke only to the scribes and Pharisees and then to the woman after the former group had departed (Jn 8:9). Them therefore would refer to the Jewish crowd that had heard Him in Jn 7:37-39 or had heard His interaction with the legalists and the woman in Jn 8:1-11. Personally I would favor the audience here (that hears about Jesus as the Light) to be the same audience that had heard from His lips about the Living Water, but you be the judge. Either way, Jesus is in the Treasury in the Court of the Women, the most public part of the temple (Jn 8:20), either on the same day (as the "great day of the feast" Jn 7:37) or the following day. R Kent
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Cole points out the fascinating parallels of Jesus' claims with the nation of Israel wandering in the wilderness - Note that in John 6, Jesus is the manna in the wilderness who provides for His people’s hunger. In John 7, Jesus is the water from the rock in the wilderness, providing for their thirst. In John 8, Jesus is the pillar of fire in the wilderness, providing protection and guidance by His presence with them. Thus Jesus is the all-sufficient Savior, providing for His people’s every need, even when they are traveling through a barren wilderness on their way to the Promised Land....As I said, in the Old Testament, the Jews recognized the pillar and the cloud as the Lord (Exod. 13:21; 14:19–25). Furthermore, light is often used as a metaphor for God. Psalm 27:1 proclaims, “The Lord is my light and my salvation ….” In a prophecy about Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:16), Isaiah 9:2 predicts, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” In Isaiah 42:6 & 49:6, the Lord tells His Servant, the Messiah, that He has appointed Him to be “a light to the nations” (or, “world,” in John 8:12). In Isaiah 60:19–20, God says to His people, “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. Your sun will no longer set, nor will your moon wane; for you will have the Lord for an everlasting light.” This is fulfilled in Revelation 21:23–24, where instead of the sun and moon, the nations have the Lamb as their lamp, and that Lamb is identified as “the Lord God” (22:5). Also, 1 John 1:5 tells us, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” This reveals that God is absolutely pure and holy. Since Jesus is the light, He is without any sin (John 8:46; Heb. 7:26). Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world is a claim to be the Lord God in human flesh. (Jesus: Light of the World ) Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the exact radiance of His nature (Heb 1:3, Col 1:15). Jesus comes from God, Who is light (1Jn1:5). “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn 1:4). The Word was among men as light before the incarnation (Jn 1:9; Jn 9:5), and light came with the incarnation (Jn 3:19-21; 8:12; 12:46). Christ is light through the illuminating energy of the Spirit (Jn 14:21, 26; 16:13; 1Jn 2:20, 27), which is received through love (Jn 14:22, 23). The object of Christ’s work is to make men sons of light (Jn 12:36, 46), and to endow them with the light of life (Jn 8:12). Light in the Bible is a symbol of God and His holiness (Acts 9:3; 1Jn 1:5). In John “light” is closely linked with distinguishing between the true and the false, between reality and illusion. As the Light of the world Jesus becomes the one and ONLY source of illumination of spiritual reality. Believe in Him and we see all as it really is (Acts 26:18). Refuse to believe in Jesus and you are left with only “human standards” and spiritual darkness (Jn 3:19, 20). According to tradition, Light was one of the names of the Messiah. Jesus' description as the Light may have recalled to the Jewish audience Moses' description of the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night sert (Ex 13:21,22, Ne 9:12). The pillar of fire represented God’s presence, protection, and guidance. Jesus brings God’s presence, protection, and guidance. Jesus' exclusive claim (cf Jn 9:5) as the Light of the world (Gentiles and Jews) would have startled the Pharisees and further inflamed their hatred for him. John
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Cole explains that "The Pharisees are going back to Jesus’ statement in John 5:31, “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” The translators have added alone; Jesus actually said “If I testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” In the context, He meant that if He acted independently of the Father, His witness would be invalid. But in that same context, He showed that the Father testified of Him through the witness of John the Baptist, Jesus’ works (miracles), and God’s Word. But here, the Pharisees are not raising honest questions. Rejecting the witness that they had been given, they were desperately looking for any excuse they could find to reject Jesus’ claims. (Jesus: Light of the World)
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Cole - They sneered, “Where is Your Father?” which was probably a slur about the rumor that Jesus’ mother conceived Him before she was married. MacArthur on where is Your Father? - Were they asking to see Joseph, who likely had died by this time, to prove Jesus had an earthly father? In light of verse 41, were they intending to insult Him as illegitimate? In any case, they rejected Him. Jesus answered, "You know (eido) neither Me nor My Father; if you knew (eido) Me, you would know (eido) My Father also - Here Jesus bluntly tells religious leaders that they did not know God! This was their root problem! Neither and nor express absolute negation. Jesus uses the verb eido ("know...knew...know") three times saying that these religious frauds are totally ignorant of God and have absolutely have no sure (beyond a shadow of a doubt type knowledge of either Him or His Father. He emphasizes that if one truly knows Jesus, then they truly know His Father, because He and the Father are One (Jn 10:30). In Jn 8:14 Jesus has already declared the Pharisees "do not know where I come from or where I am going." In the reply in Jn 8:19 Jesus is saying in essence that they do not know the true God. The irony is that these men who were supposed to be able to lead others to God and His ways, did not even know God themselves!
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Cole applies Jesus' words below and above to every soul's predicament - There is a humanly unbridgeable chasm between the holy God in heaven and all of us who were born in sin on this earth. We can try to compile good deeds to bridge the chasm, but that’s doomed to fail. All our good deeds are like filthy rags in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6). And all the good deeds in the world cannot pay for all the sins that we’ve committed. Just a single sin would be enough to condemn us to hell, but we’ve all piled up thousands of sins. To go to heaven, we first have to recognize our true condition before the holy God as rebellious sinners. Hendriksen suggests that Jesus' reply was calculated to point out to them "that the thoughts and motives of these Jews were hell-inspired; His own, were heaven-inspired." (BORROW Exposition of the Gospel according to John - Chapters 7-21)
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Cole adds "Jesus’ reply (Jn 8:25) is difficult to translate, but the sense is probably either a statement (ESV), “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” or a rhetorical question (NASB), “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?” Their problem was not that they had not heard what Jesus was saying from day one of His public ministry, but that they didn’t believe Him." Colin Kruse notes that "The wording of Jesus’ response is notoriously difficult to translate. The NRSV translates it as, ‘Why do I speak to you at all?’ (similarly NEB). If we adopt this translation, then Jesus refused to answer their question, asking why he should bother speaking to them at all. Such a response seems appropriate, given the offensive way in which his opponents addressed him (‘Who do you think you are?’). This interpretation makes Jn 8:25b a suitable transition to Jn 8:26 with its warnings about judgment. However, there is a difficulty with this approach, because Jesus did speak to them further. It is better, then, to adopt a modified version of the NIV translation, so Jesus’ response becomes something like ‘What I told you at the beginning.’ He had publicly declared who he was: the Son of Man (Jn 5:27), the one sent by God (Jn 5:23–30, 36–38; 7:16, 28–29, 33), and the Son of God (Jn 5:25–26), but his opponents rejected these claims. (Borrow The Gospel According to John) J C
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Cole - The mark of genuine faith is not just mental or verbal profession that you believe in Christ. The mark of true faith is to continue (or, “abide”) in Jesus’ word. This is not the condition for getting saved; rather, it’s an evidence that you are truly saved. It’s the evidence that your faith in Christ is genuine......To continue in Christ’s word implies that you first started in His word. The starting point for saving faith is when you recognize from God’s Word that you’re a sinner and that Christ died to pay the penalty for your sin. God saves you when you stop trusting in your own good works and instead rely totally on what Jesus did for you on the cross and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Christ’s word is the same as God’s Word. The central message of God’s Word is how we can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection....“Continue” translates the Greek word that the NASB translates as “abide” (15:4, 6, 7, 10). It means to dwell or be at home in God’s Word. You don’t just visit the Word as an occasional guest. You move in and live there. You wake up there and you return there every night. The Word shapes your worldview. It governs and guides your thinking, your attitudes, your speech, and your behavior. There isn’t any area of your life that is not subject to God’s Word or influenced by it. Continuing or abiding obviously implies time spent in the Word over the long haul. Are you abiding in God’s Word? Do you “live” there? Are you comfortable there? Do you know its rooms? Do you enjoy its many amenities that are for your blessing? Do you seek to obey it? Let me suggest a radical idea that could transform your life: Turn off your TV, computer, and phone for between one half to one hour each day and spend the time reading, meditating on, and memorizing God’s Word with the prayer that you might know Christ better. God’s promise in Joshua 1:8 applies to us: “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (See full sermon True Freedom - John 8:30-36) (Bolding added) John
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Cole - Abiding in Christ’s word sets us free from spiritual ignorance. Jesus emphasizes truth in this dialogue (8:32 [2x], 40, 44 [2x], 45, 46), which refers especially to saving truth. Those who do not know God are in spiritual darkness (Eph. 4:18). They cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:14). They do not know why they’re on earth or what will happen after they die. But when we come to know the truth through knowing Christ, all the riches of God’s grace are opened to us (1 Cor. 2:9–10; Col. 2:2–3). This is illustrated even in the natural realm: truth liberates, but ignorance keeps people in bondage. A person who can read is much freer than an illiterate person. He is free to study medicine or law or finance or whatever field interests him. But the illiterate person is severely restricted in what he can do. In the same way, spiritual ignorance keeps a person from knowing the living and true God and from being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Ignorance cuts a person off from enjoying the many blessings that are ours in Him. Abiding in Christ’s word opens the treasure chest and frees us to enjoy Him. (See full sermon True Freedom - John 8:30-36) (Bolding added) June Hunt - The Truth, Jesus, tells you — Be free from being controlled by the opinion of others. — You are free to be the healthy size God created you to be. — The world’s super models and movie stars are generally underweight and unhealthy. Truth (225) aletheia from a = indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without + lanthano = to be hidden or concealed, to escape notice, cp our English "latent" from Latin = to lie hidden) has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden. Aletheia is that which is not concealed. Aletheia is that which that is seen or expressed as it really is (this idea is discussed more below). The basic understanding of aletheia is that it is the manifestation of a hidden reality (eg, click discussion of Jesus as "the Truth"). For example, when you are a witness in a trial, the court attendant says "Raise your right hand. Do you swear that you will tell the truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" And you say, "I do" and you sit down. The question the court attendant is asking is "Are you willing to come into this courtroom and manifest something that is hidden to us that only you know so that you will bear evidence to that?" Therefore when you speak the truth, you are manifesting a "hidden reality". Does that make sense? An parallel example in Scripture is the case of the woman in the crowd who had touched Jesus (Read context = Mk 5:24-25, 26-27, 28-29, 30, 31-32), but when she became "aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth " (Mk 5:33) and nothing but the truth. She did not lie. She spoke no falsehoods. Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to set forth or describe the reality. To say it another way, words spoken or written are true when they correspond with objective reality. Persons and things are true when they correspond with their profession (which we describe with words like integrity, sincerity, non-hypocritical, etc). In other words, "what you see is what you get". Hence a truth is a declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth of Creation (Natural Revelation) and the Truth of Scripture (Special Revelation). Thus it is not surprising that rebellious, sinful men actively hold down or suppress the Truth of Creation (and the glorious Creator) (Ro 1:18+) and even exchange the truth, the clearly manifested (and objective) reality (Creation) for the lie (Ro 1:25+). Bob
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Cole - Abiding in Christ’s word sets us free from slavery to sin. This is the primary focus of Jesus’ words (Jn 8:34), “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” Jesus does not mean that committing a single act of sin enslaves a person (although one sin is the first step to slavery), but rather that a person who continues in sin is under its domination (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 458). But as we abide in Christ’s word, we can experience consistent victory over sin, beginning on the thought level (where all sin begins). Note that religion can’t free a person from slavery to sin. These Jews were as religious as they could be and yet Jesus asserts that they were slaves to sin. They were trying to kill the sinless Son of God, but they thought that they were spiritually free! The first step to being free from sin is to recognize your slavery to it. True spiritual freedom is not the freedom to sin, but the freedom not to sin. Let me illustrate how abiding in Christ’s word sets you free from slavery to sin. Say that a young man from a pagan, immoral background becomes a Christian, but he doesn’t know what the Bible says about how to resist temptation. He still feeds his mind on gross TV shows and movies where couples quickly jump into bed. So he has professed faith in Christ, but he hasn’t learned to abide in Christ’s word. Meanwhile, a cute girl where he works flirts with him every day. She invites him over to her apartment where he yields to her advances. Soon, he’s living the same way he used to live, in slavery to sin. But take the same young man and say that after he trusts in Christ he begins to abide daily in God’s Word. He reads the Word often and begins to memorize key verses. He listens to sound preaching of the Word. In the process, he reads the story of Joseph and how he resisted the advances of Potiphar’s wife, even though he could have found many excuses for yielding. He learns from Joseph’s Godward focus when he says (Gen. 39:9), “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” He also reads the Book of Proverbs, with its many plain warnings about the dangers of sexual sins. He reads Jesus’ warnings about lust beginning in the heart (Matt. 5:27–30). He memorizes Paul’s warning (1 Cor. 6:18), “Flee immorality,” and the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” So when the young woman at work acts seductively toward him, he is able to resist and remain pure. Abiding in the Word set him free from his former slavery to sin. You can apply this to any sin: anger, jealousy, bitterness, drunkenness, selfishness, or whatever. If you abide in God’s Word, you will be freed from bondage to those sins. If you do not abide in the Word, you will be enslaved to various sins. Abiding in Christ’s word sets us free to serve others in love. Paul wrote (Gal. 5:13), “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Before we were saved, we lived to serve ourselves. We indulged the flesh, thinking that it would satisfy. But Christ saved us and set us free from selfishness so that we can serve others in love. As Jesus said (Mark 10:44–45), “Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Let’s come back to John Piper’s description of true freedom: “You are fully free when you have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will leave you with no regrets forever.” When you truly believe in Christ, He gives you the desire to please Him who lavished His grace upon you. He gives you the ability to obey Him as you walk in the Spirit who lives in you. He gives you opportunities daily to say no to sin and selfishness and to serve others in love. And you will dwell with Jesus in heaven forever, with no regrets that you left your life of sin to follow Him. That’s the true freedom that comes from knowing Christ through genuine faith and abiding in His word! If you’re still a slave of sin, Jesus offers you true freedom: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (8:36).(See full sermon True Freedom - John 8:30-36) (Bolding added) Slave (servant) (1401) doulos from deo = to bind) (Click additional notes on doulos) was an individual bound to another in servitude and conveys the idea of the slave's close, binding ties with his master, belonging to him, obligated to and desiring to do his will and in a permanent relation of servitude. In sum, the will of the doulos is consumed in the will of the master. A bondservant is one who surrendered wholly to another’s will and thus devoted to another to the disregard of his own interest. WAYNE GRUDEM ON SIN FROM SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY For full discussion click Systematic Theology and go to Chapter 4. We may define sin as follows: Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Sin is here defined in relation to God and his moral law. Sin includes not only individual acts such as stealing or lying or committing murder, but also attitudes that are contrary to the attitudes God requires of us....Therefore a life that is pleasing to God is one that has moral purity not only in its actions, but also in its desires of heart.....The definition of sin given above specifies that sin is a failure to conform to God’s moral law not only in action and in attitude but also in our moral nature. Our very nature, the internal character that is the essence of who we are as persons, can also be sinful. Before we were redeemed by Christ, not only did we do sinful acts and have sinful attitudes, we were also sinners by nature..... 5. What Happens When a Christian Sins? a. Our Legal Standing Before God Is Unchanged: Though this subject could be treated later in relation to adoption or sanctification within the Christian life, it is quite appropriate to treat it at this point. When a Christian sins, his or her legal standing before God is unchanged. He or she is still forgiven, for “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Salvation is not based on our merits but is a free gift of God (Rom. 6:23), and Christ’s death certainly paid for all our sins—past, present, and future—Christ died “for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3), without distinction. In theological terms, we still keep our “justification.” (See chapter 36, on justification Systematic Theology) Moreover, we are still children of God and we still retain our membership in God’s family. In the same epistle in which John says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth in not in us” (1 John 1:8), he also reminds his readers, “Beloved, we are God’s children now” (1 John 3:2). The fact that we have sin remaining in our lives does not mean that we lose our status as God’s children. In theological terms, we keep our “adoption.” (See chapter 37, on adoption. Systematic Theology) b. Our Fellowship With God Is Disrupted and Our Christian Life Is Damaged: When we sin, even though God does not cease to love us, he is displeased with us. (Even among human beings, it is possible to love someone and be displeased with that person at the same time, as any parent will attest, or any wife, or any husband.) Paul tells us that it is possible for Christians to “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30); when we sin, we cause him sorrow and he is displeased with us. The author of Hebrews reminds us that “the Lord disciplines him whom he loves” (Heb. 12:6, quoting Prov. 3:11–12), and that “the Father of spirits … disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb. 12:9–10). When we disobey, God the Father is grieved, much as an earthly father is grieved with his children’s disobedience, and he disciplines us. A similar theme is found in Revelation 3, where the risen Christ speaks from heaven to the church of Laodicea, saying, “Those whom I love I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19). Here again love and reproof of sin are connected in the same statement. Thus, the New Testament attests to the displeasure of all three members of the Trinity when Christians sin. (See also Isa. 59:1–2; 1 John 3:21.) The Westminster Confession of Faith wisely says, concerning Christians, Although they never can fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. (chap. 11, sec. 5) Hebrews 12, together with many historical examples in Scripture, shows that God’s fatherly displeasure often leads to discipline in our Christian lives: “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Heb. 12:10). Regarding the need for regular confession and repentance of sin, Jesus reminds us that we are to pray each day, “Forgive us our sins, as we also have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matt. 6:12, author’s translation; cf. 1 John 1:9). When we sin as Christians, it is not only our personal relationship with God that is disrupted. Our Christian life and fruitfulness in ministry are also damaged. Jesus warns us, “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). When we stray from fellowship with Christ because of sin in our lives, we diminish the degree to which we are abiding in Christ. The New Testament writers frequently speak of the destructive consequences of sin in the lives of believers. In fact, many sections of the epistles are taken up with rebuking and discouraging Christians from sin that they are committing. Paul says that if Christians yield themselves to sin, they increasingly become “slaves” of sin (Rom. 6:16), whereas God wants Christians to progress upward on a path of ever-increasing righteousness in life. If our goal is to grow in increasing fullness of life until the day we die and pass into the presence of God in heaven, to sin is to do an about-face and begin to walk downhill away from the goal of likeness to God; it is to go in a direction that “leads to death” (Rom. 6:16) and eternal separation from God, the direction from which we were rescued when we became Christians. (Paul is not saying in Romans 6:16 that true Christians will ever actually regress to a point at which they fall under eternal condemnation, but he does seem to be saying that when we yield to sin we are in a spiritual/moral sense traveling in that direction.) Peter says that sinful desires that remain in our hearts “wage war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11)—the military language correctly translates Peter’s expression and conveys the imagery that sinful desires within us are like soldiers in a battle and their target is our spiritual well-being. To give in to such sinful desires, to nurture and cherish them in our hearts, is to give food, shelter, and welcome to the enemy’s troops. If we yield to the desires that “wage war” against our souls, we will inevitably feel some loss of spiritual strength, some diminution of spiritual power, some loss of effectiveness in the work of God’s kingdom. Moreover, when we sin as Christians we suffer a loss of heavenly reward. A person who has built on the work of the church not with gold, silver, and precious stones, but with “wood, hay, stubble” (1 Cor. 3:12) will have his work “burned up” on the day of judgment and “he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15). Paul realizes that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body” (2 Cor. 5:10). Paul implies that there are degrees of reward in heaven, (See Systematic Theology chapter 56, on degrees of reward in heaven.) and that sin has negative consequences in terms of loss of heavenly reward. c. The Danger of “Unconverted Evangelicals”: While a genuine Christian who sins does not lose his or her justification or adoption before God (see above), there needs to be a clear warning that mere association with an evangelical church and outward conformity to accepted “Christian” patterns of behavior does not guarantee salvation. Particularly in societies and cultures where it is easy (or even expected) for people to profess to be Christians, there is a real possibility that some will associate with the church who are not genuinely born again. If such people then become more and more disobedient to Christ in their pattern of life, they should not be lulled into complacency by assurances that they still have justification or adoption in God’s family. A consistent pattern of disobedience to Christ coupled with a lack of the elements of the fruit of the Holy Spirit such as love, joy, peace, and so forth (see Gal. 5:22–23) is a warning signal that the person is probably not a true Christian inwardly, that there probably has been no genuine heart-faith from the beginning and no regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus warns that he will say to some who have prophesied, cast out demons, and done many mighty works in his name, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers” (Mt. 7:23). And John tells us that “he who says “I know him’ but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4; here John speaks of a persistent pattern of life). A long-term pattern of increasing disobedience to Christ should be taken as evidence to doubt that the person in question is really a Christian at all. (For full discussion on SIN click Systematic Theology) Related Resources: The Study of Sin — Article Index | GotQuestions.org A Tale Of Two Slaves Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle. — Romans 1:1 Today's Scripture: Acts 9:1-9,17-18 Spartacus is not just a film legend but a historical figure. Historians say that he was likely a Roman soldier who deserted, was recaptured, and then sold into slavery as a gladiator. While at the gladiatorial school at Capua, Spartacus led a rebellion. This act of defiance attracted massive numbers of slaves, growing to an estimated 70,000. Initially, Spartacus’ slave army enjoyed spectacular victories. But they were eventually defeated, and the captured rebels were crucified along the road to Rome. What a contrast to Spartacus is the apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus (as Paul was also known) was born a free man and yet was destined to become a slave. Acts 9 records the fateful day when Saul came face to face with the Savior he sought to oppose. From that time on, he served Jesus wholeheartedly. Spartacus was forced to serve a Roman taskmaster. But Paul, in response to God’s grace, voluntarily became a slave to Jesus Christ. In the believer’s heart rages a spiritual war between sin and righteousness. We can obey the slave-master of sin, or we can say yes to the God of grace who has made us free (Romans 6:16; John 8:34). Our greatest liberty lies in serving the One who created and redeemed us. By: Dennis Fisher Christ broke the bonds of sin, that I Might know His strong eternal tie; This blood-bought liberty I bring To be Your bond-slave, Master-King. -F. Hess True freedom is found in serving Christ. Juneteenth Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. — Romans 6:18 Today's Scripture: Romans 6:15-23 On June 19, 1865, over 2 years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and read General Order Number 3: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” For the first time, slaves in Texas learned that they were already free. Some were shocked; many others celebrated. June 19 soon became known as “Juneteenth.” Nearly 25 years after the “Emancipation Proclamation” of the cross of Jesus, Paul wrote to the Roman believers. Some of them still did not understand what it meant to be free from sin’s bondage. They thought they could go on sinning because they were under grace (Rom. 6:15). So Paul reminded them of their status in Jesus by appealing to a familiar fact: Whatever we submit to becomes our master (John 8:34). To commit sin puts us in bondage to sin. The other option is to be a slave of righteousness. Salvation actually means a change of bondage. As we once served sin, we are now committed to lives of righteousness because of the freedom Jesus provides. My brothers and sisters, let us become in practice what we already are in status—free! By: Marvin Williams The Savior can break sin’s dominion, The victory He won long ago; In Him there is freedom from bondage, He’s able to conquer the foe. —Smith True freedom is found in bondage to Christ. On the Edge Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. John 8:34 Today's Scripture & Insight: Romans 6:16-23 There’s an underground lava tube south of Kuna, Idaho, that has gained a certain amount of local notoriety. The only entrance, as far as I know, is a yawning shaft that plunges straight down into darkness. Some years ago I stood at the edge of that shaft and looked down. I was drawn to venture closer and almost lost my balance. I felt a moment of heart-pounding terror and stepped away from the opening. Sin is like that: Curiosity can draw us toward the darkness. How often have men and women gotten too close to the edge, lost their balance, and fallen into the darkness? They’ve destroyed their families, reputations, and careers through adulterous affairs that began with a “mere” flirtation but then progressed to thoughts and actions. Looking back they almost always say, “I never thought it would come to this.” We think we can flirt with temptation, get very close to the edge, and walk away, but that’s a fool’s dream. We know an action is wrong and yet we toy with it. Then, inescapably, we are drawn into deeper and darker perversions. Jesus put it simply: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). And so, seeing our own need for God’s help, we pray as David did in Psalm 19:13, “Keep back Your servant also from [deliberate] sins; let them not have dominion over me.” By: David H. Roper Heavenly Father, whether we are being tempted now, or have fallen, we thank You that You are always there, and You love us with relentless love. We have nowhere to turn but to You. A big fall begins with a little stumble. John 8:35 "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. BGT John 8:35 ὁ δὲ δοῦλος οὐ μένει ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὁ υἱὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. KJV John 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. NET John 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever. CSB John 8:35 A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. ESV John 8:35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. NIV John 8:35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. NLT John 8:35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. NRS John 8:35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. NJB John 8:35 Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it for ever. NAB John 8:35 A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. YLT John 8:35 and the servant doth not remain in the house -- to the age, the son doth remain -- to the age; GWN John 8:35 A slave doesn't live in the home forever, but a son does. BBE John 8:35 Now the servant does not go on living in the house for ever, but the son does. RSV John 8:35 The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. NKJ John 8:35 "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ASV John 8:35 And the bondservant abideth not in the house for ever: the son abideth for ever. MIT John 8:35 A slave does not remain permanently in a household; the son remains always. the slave: Ge 21:10 Eze 46:17 Mt 21:41-43 Ga 4:30-31 the son does remain forever: Jn 14:19,20 Ro 8:15-17,29,30 Ga 4:4-7 Col 3:3 Heb 3:5,6 1Pe 1:2-5 John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Galatians 4:30-31 But what does the Scripture say? “CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman. Galatians 4:4-7 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Romans 8:15-17 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. TRANSIENT VERSUS PERMANENT RESIDENCE Carson notes that "From the notion of slavery (v. 34) the thought progresses to the status of slaves." The context is the Jewish belief that they were sons of Abraham and free men, but the fact is that they were slaves to sin. So now Jesus illustrates their predicament by describing the status of slaves as transient and not permanent. (Borrow The Gospel according to John) The slave (doulos) does not remain (meno) in the house forever (aion); the son does remain (meno) forever (aion) - TLB = "And slaves don’t have rights, but the Son has every right there is!" Amplified = "Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever." A slave has no permanent place in the household for he may be sold, exchanged, or cast out (Ge 21:10, Gal 4:30). The KJV capitalizes Son and commentators like Morris seem to agree that John is alluding to the Son of God (fits with Jn 8:35 "So if the Son makes you free") When we are saved, God's Spirit transfers us from the family of the devil into the family of God.
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Cole - Abraham was noted both for believing God so that he was justified by faith (Ge 15:6; Ro 4:3); and obeying God, which demonstrated that his faith was genuine (Ge 26:5; Jas 2:21–23). As John says (1Jn 2:3), “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” Is your life marked by obedience to God’s Word? (True and False Children of God)
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Cole - There could be a couple of things behind that comment. It could be a subtle slur against Jesus’ birth, alluding to the fact that His mother conceived Him out of wedlock. Rumors about Mary’s pregnancy with Jesus had circulated for decades. So the Jews may be putting Jesus down by saying, “You’re illegitimate because Your mother was immoral, but we’re not!” Or, it could be an assertion that they were not like Gentile idolaters. Often idolatry in the Old Testament is described as spiritual adultery. So the Jews’ retort here could mean, “We were not born like idolatrous Gentiles; rather, as Jews, God is our Father.” (True and False Children of God) NET Note - We were not born as a result of immorality! is ironic, because Jesus’ opponents implied that it was not themselves but Jesus who had been born as a result of immoral behavior. This shows they did not know Jesus’ true origin and were not aware of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. The author does not even bother to refute the opponents’ suggestion but lets it stand, assuming his readers will know the true story. Bob
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Cole - Love is a commitment to seek the highest good of the one loved. Love for Christ is a commitment to seek His glory through all that I do. It certainly involves my feelings, in that I am most happy when I see my Lord most glorified. But the basis of biblical love isn’t feelings, but the commitment to seek His highest good. Have you made that commitment? Do you love Jesus enough to forsake your sin? (True and False Children of God) For (gar). What does Jesus explain? He explains why love of Himself identifies a person as having a right relationship with His Father. I proceeded forth (exerchomai) and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent (apostello) Me - I proceeded forth from the Father is an expression of His pre-existence and also implies His miraculous incarnation (cf Jn 1:14+ "begotten from the Father"). Since Jesus came forth from the Father, having been sent by the Father, if God was their Father, they would in effect be Jesus' brethren. If they loved the Father they would recognize their Brother, the One the Father had sent. Their rejection and hatred of God's Redeemer clearly proved they rejected His Father! You cannot love God and hate His Son! Trench points out that "So long as the Jews thought there was but One Person in the Godhead, it was impossible for them to believe aright in our Lord: hence His insistence to their theologians that He has a Father; that He is not The Father, but is The Son; that The Son, though He is not The Father, is for all that God.”
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Cole adds "Again, keep in mind that we’re not talking here about atheists or agnostics. We’re talking about outwardly religious people. In modern terms, they were active church members, some of whom served on the governing board. Some were even ministers. So you have to ask, “How do professing Christians today try to eliminate Christ and His Word from their lives?” Some liberal “Christians” do it by undermining the authority and inerrancy of Scripture. It often starts by rejecting the early chapters of Genesis as history so that they can accommodate evolution. It moves on to eliminating the miracles in the Bible as mythical stories. Then they distance themselves from the parts of the Bible that don’t align with our modern “enlightened” understanding of things. For example, they argue that the biblical roles for men and women are culturally antiquated and not binding on us today. They argue that the Bible’s view of homosexuality is “homophobic.” The overarching virtue in the Bible is love and tolerance for everyone, so we can’t condemn as wrong any behavior or belief, no matter how unbiblical it may be. But, it’s easy to throw stones at the liberals and ignore how we as evangelicals may be eliminating Christ and His Word from our lives because we don’t want to hear the truth about our sin. One way we do it is simply by neglecting the Word. We don’t read it and seek to obey it. We’re ignorant of what it says because we haven’t taken the time to read and meditate on it. Another way that we eliminate or at least dilute Christ and His Word from our lives is by mixing it with worldly ideas, such as modern psychotherapy. The widespread self-esteem teaching flooded into the church, not because it was discovered in the Bible, but because it came in through worldly psychologists, such as Carl Rogers (ED: SEE What is person-centered therapy, and is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org). It flies in the face of biblical teaching on humility and it serves to build our pride, which is the root of all sins. Another way that we eliminate or dilute Christ’s Word so that we can do what we want, rather than what God commands, is by putting other “revelations” alongside the Word, which in effect supersede the Word. I’ve heard Christians say that God told them that it was okay for them to marry an unbeliever. A Christian man once told me that God had told him that he could divorce his wife. A charismatic pastor was separated from his wife, but the elders of his church had not asked him to step down. When I asked why they had not done this, one of the elders replied, “The Lord hasn’t told us to do that.” I persisted, “But the Lord has told you to do it. He told you in 1 Timothy 3.” But he kept saying, “No, the Lord hasn’t told us to do that.” So unbiblical “revelations” take precedence over God’s Word, allowing us to do what we want when it isn’t convenient or easy to do what God commands. (True and False Children of God) John 8:46 "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? BGT John 8:46 τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐλέγχει με περὶ ἁμαρτίας; εἰ ἀλήθειαν λέγω, διὰ τί ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετέ μοι; KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? NET John 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty of any sin? If I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me? CSB John 8:46 Who among you can convict Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why don't you believe Me? ESV John 8:46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? NIV John 8:46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? NLT John 8:46 Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me? NRS John 8:46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? NJB John 8:46 Can any of you convict me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me? NAB John 8:46 Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? YLT John 8:46 Who of you doth convict me of sin? and if I speak truth, wherefore do ye not believe me? GWN John 8:46 Can any of you convict me of committing a sin? If I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me? BBE John 8:46 Which of you is able truly to say that I am a sinner? If I say what is true, why have you no belief in me? RSV John 8:46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? NKJ John 8:46 "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? ASV John 8:46 Which of you convicteth me of sin? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me? MIT John 8:46 Who among you convicts me of sin? If I declare the truth, why do you not believe in me? convicts Me of sin: Jn 8:7 14:30 15:10 16:8 2Co 5:21 Heb 4:15 Heb 7:26 1Pe 2:22 why: Mt 21:25 Mk 11:31 John 8 - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 1 Peter 2:22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; JESUS ISSUES A CHALLENGE Which one of you convicts (elegcho) Me of sin (hamartia)? - NO ONE!!! This is rhetorical and receives no answer because they could not convict Him of sin, because He had no sin (see related passages above).
João 8
Cole - Jesus left the temple, where these Jews purported to worship God. This reminds us of Ezekiel’s vision, when the glory of the Lord left the temple (Ezek 10:18, 11:22–23) (ED: SEE Departure of the Glory of Jehovah from Solomon's Temple) The Jews had their religion, but they didn’t have God’s glory. To have religion without the Lord of glory is to have nothing. Whether you challenge Jesus boldly as a blasphemer or subtly by ignoring Him, the final result will be that He will leave you to die in your sins and face judgment. When you challenge Jesus, you lose! (Challenging Jesus)
João 8
Cole - For a Jew to call someone a Samaritan was a degrading put-down. It was both a racial and a religious slur. The Jews despised the Samaritans, whom they considered half-breeds and heretics. They would often walk miles out of their way if they were traveling from Jerusalem to Galilee just to avoid contaminating their feet with Samaritan dust. Jesus chose not to respond to that charge, perhaps because He did not want to implicitly support their racism by insisting that He was not a Samaritan. (Challenging Jesus)
João 8:12
Cole points out the fascinating parallels of Jesus' claims with the nation of Israel wandering in the wilderness - Note that in John 6, Jesus is the manna in the wilderness who provides for His people’s hunger. In John 7, Jesus is the water from the rock in the wilderness, providing for their thirst. In John 8, Jesus is the pillar of fire in the wilderness, providing protection and guidance by His presence with them. Thus Jesus is the all-sufficient Savior, providing for His people’s every need, even when they are traveling through a barren wilderness on their way to the Promised Land....As I said, in the Old Testament, the Jews recognized the pillar and the cloud as the Lord (Exod. 13:21; 14:19–25). Furthermore, light is often used as a metaphor for God. Psalm 27:1 proclaims, “The Lord is my light and my salvation ….” In a prophecy about Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:16), Isaiah 9:2 predicts, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” In Isaiah 42:6 & 49:6, the Lord tells His Servant, the Messiah, that He has appointed Him to be “a light to the nations” (or, “world,” in John 8:12). In Isaiah 60:19–20, God says to His people, “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory. Your sun will no longer set, nor will your moon wane; for you will have the Lord for an everlasting light.” This is fulfilled in Revelation 21:23–24, where instead of the sun and moon, the nations have the Lamb as their lamp, and that Lamb is identified as “the Lord God” (22:5). Also, 1 John 1:5 tells us, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” This reveals that God is absolutely pure and holy. Since Jesus is the light, He is without any sin (John 8:46; Heb. 7:26). Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world is a claim to be the Lord God in human flesh. (Jesus: Light of the World ) Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the exact radiance of His nature (Heb 1:3, Col 1:15). Jesus comes from God, Who is light (1Jn1:5). “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn 1:4). The Word was among men as light before the incarnation (Jn 1:9; Jn 9:5), and light came with the incarnation (Jn 3:19-21; 8:12; 12:46). Christ is light through the illuminating energy of the Spirit (Jn 14:21, 26; 16:13; 1Jn 2:20, 27), which is received through love (Jn 14:22, 23). The object of Christ’s work is to make men sons of light (Jn 12:36, 46), and to endow them with the light of life (Jn 8:12). Light in the Bible is a symbol of God and His holiness (Acts 9:3; 1Jn 1:5). In John “light” is closely linked with distinguishing between the true and the false, between reality and illusion. As the Light of the world Jesus becomes the one and ONLY source of illumination of spiritual reality. Believe in Him and we see all as it really is (Acts 26:18). Refuse to believe in Jesus and you are left with only “human standards” and spiritual darkness (Jn 3:19, 20). According to tradition, Light was one of the names of the Messiah. Jesus' description as the Light may have recalled to the Jewish audience Moses' description of the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night sert (Ex 13:21,22, Ne 9:12). The pillar of fire represented God’s presence, protection, and guidance. Jesus brings God’s presence, protection, and guidance. Jesus' exclusive claim (cf Jn 9:5) as the Light of the world (Gentiles and Jews) would have startled the Pharisees and further inflamed their hatred for him. Bruce Barton - In the Bible, "light" symbolizes the holiness of God (see also Psalm 27:1; 36:9; Acts 9:3; 1 John 1:5). Jesus is not merely a light or another light, he is the one and only true Light. As the Light, Jesus illumines the truth, gives people spiritual understanding, and reveals to us God himself and what he has done for us. (BORROW John - Life Application Commentary) In Jn 8:20 we are told that Jesus spoke these words in the Treasury in the Court of the Women, the most public part of the temple. The center of the Court was surrounded by large sections of stadium-like seats. In the open space of the Court sat four huge candelabra, each with four golden bowls, each one filled from a pitcher of oil by a youth of priestly descent. These were lit on the 1st night of the Feast of Tabernacles at the first ceremony called “The Illumination of the Temple”. When darkness fell the candelabra were lit, and the elders danced and led the people in singing psalms before the Lord all night. The brilliance and glow from the burning flames of the huge candelabra were said to be so bright that the light could be seen throughout the whole city. It may have been against this background that Jesus cried out, “I am the Light of the world.” The CANDLESTICK was to be extinguished after the feast, but His light would remain. John