耶稣在毕士大池边治病

这事以后,犹太人的一个节期到了,耶稣便上耶路撒冷。 耶路撒冷靠近羊门的地方有一个水池,希伯来话叫毕士大,池边有五条走廊, 里面躺着瞎眼的、瘸腿的、瘫痪的等许多病人。 他们都在等候天使来搅动池水。水动时,第一个下去的,无论患什么病都会痊愈。[a]

那里有一个人病了三十八年。 耶稣看他躺着,知道他病了很久,就问他:“你想痊愈吗?”

那人回答说:“先生,水动的时候,没有人把我放进池子里,我要下去的时候,别人总是先我一步。”

耶稣对他说:“起来,拿起你的垫子走吧!”

那人立刻痊愈了,拿起垫子开始行走。那天正好是安息日, 10 犹太人便对那人说:“今天是安息日,你不可拿着垫子走路。”

11 他说:“那位医好我的叫我拿起垫子走。”

12 他们问他:“叫你拿起垫子走的人是谁?”

13 那人不知道是谁,因为那里人多,耶稣已经躲开了。

14 后来,耶稣在圣殿里遇见他,对他说:“现在你已经完全好了,别再犯罪了,免得你遭遇更不幸的事。”

15 那人便去告诉犹太人医好他的是耶稣。 16 因为耶稣在安息日给人治病,犹太人开始迫害祂。 17 耶稣对他们说:“我父一直在工作,我也一直在工作。”

18 犹太人听了,更想杀祂,因祂不但违犯了安息日的规矩,还称上帝为父,把自己看作与上帝平等。

圣子的权柄

19 耶稣说:“我实实在在地告诉你们,子凭自己什么都不能做,唯有看见父做什么,子才做什么。无论父做什么,子也照样做。 20 父因为爱子,便把自己的一切作为给祂看,而且还要把比这些更大的作为给祂看,叫你们惊奇。 21 父如何使死人复活、赐生命给他们,子也照样想赐生命给谁,就赐给谁。 22 父不审判人,祂将审判的事全交给子, 23 叫人尊敬子如同尊敬父。不尊敬子的,就是不尊敬差子来的父。

24 “我实实在在地告诉你们,谁听从我的话,又信差我来的那位,谁就有永生,不被定罪,已经出死入生了。 25 我实实在在地告诉你们,时候快到了,现在就是,死人将听见上帝儿子的声音,听见的将存活。 26 因为正如父自己是生命的源头,祂也同样让子作生命的源头, 27 又把审判的权柄交给祂,因为祂是人子。 28 你们不要因此而惊奇,时候一到,一切在坟墓里的死人都要听见上帝儿子的声音, 29 他们都要从坟墓里出来。行善的人复活后得永生,作恶的人复活后被定罪。”

见证耶稣

30 耶稣继续说:“我凭自己不能做什么,我按父上帝的旨意审判,我的审判是公平的;因为我不是按自己的旨意行,而是按差我来者的旨意行。

31 “如果我为自己做见证,我的见证是无效的。 32 然而,有别的人给我做见证,我知道他为我做的见证是真实的。 33 你们曾派人到约翰那里,他为真理做过见证。 34 其实我并不需要人的见证,我之所以提起这些事是为了使你们得救。 35 约翰是一盏点亮的明灯,你们情愿暂时享受他的光。 36 但是我有比约翰更大的见证,因为父交待我去完成的工作,就是我现在所做的工作,证明我是父差来的。 37 差我来的父曾亲自为我做过见证。你们从未听过祂的声音,从未见过祂, 38 心里也没有祂的道,因为你们不信祂所差来的那位。 39 你们研读圣经,以为从圣经中可以得到永生。其实为我做见证的正是这圣经, 40 但你们却不肯到我这里来得生命。

41 “我不接受人所给予的荣耀, 42 我知道你们没有爱上帝的心。 43 我奉我父的名来,你们不接受我;若有人奉自己的名来,你们却接受他。 44 你们喜欢互相恭维,却不追求从独一上帝来的荣耀,怎能信我呢? 45 不要以为我会在父面前控告你们,其实控告你们的是你们一直信赖的摩西。 46 你们若信摩西,就应该信我,因为他的书里也提到我。 47 如果你们连他写的都不信,又怎能信我的话呢?”

Footnotes

  1. 5:4 有些经卷无“他们都在等候天使来搅动池水。水动时,第一个下去的,无论患了什么病都会痊愈。”

治好病了三十八年的人

这些事以后,到了犹太人的一个节期,耶稣就上耶路撒冷去。 在耶路撒冷靠近羊门有一个水池,希伯来话叫作毕士大,池边有五条走廊。 在那里躺着许多病人,有瞎眼的、瘸腿的和瘫痪的。(有些抄本有以下一段:“他们等候水动,4因为有主的使者按时下去搅动池水,水动之后,谁先下去,无论甚么病,必得痊愈。”) 那里有一个人,病了三十八年。 耶稣看见他躺着,知道他病了很久,就问他:“你要痊愈吗?” 病人回答:“先生,水动的时候,没有人把我放在池里;自己想去的时候,总是给别人抢先。” 耶稣对他说:“起来,拿着你的褥子走吧。” 那人立刻痊愈,就拿起褥子走了。

那天正是安息日。 10 因此犹太人对那医好了的人说:“今天是安息日,你拿着褥子是不可以的。” 11 他却回答:“那使我痊愈的对我说:‘拿起你的褥子走吧’。” 12 他们就问:“那对你说‘拿起来走吧’的是谁?” 13 那医好了的人不知道他是谁,因为那里人很多,耶稣已经避开了。 14 后来,耶稣在殿里遇见那人,对他说:“你已经痊愈了,不可再犯罪,免得招来更大的祸患。” 15 那人就去告诉犹太人,使他痊愈的就是耶稣。 16 从此犹太人就迫害耶稣,因为他常常在安息日作这些事。 17 耶稣却对他们说:“我父作工直到现在,我也作工。” 18 因此犹太人就更想杀耶稣,因为他不但破坏安息日,而且称 神为自己的父,把自己与 神当作平等。

人子的权柄

19 耶稣又对他们说:“我实实在在告诉你们,子靠着自己不能作甚么,只能作他看见父所作的;因为父所作的事,子也照样作。 20 父爱子,把自己所作的一切指示给他看,还要把比这些更大的事指示给他看,使你们惊奇。 21 父怎样叫死人复活,使他们得生命,子也照样随自己的意思使人得生命。 22 父不审判人,却已经把审判的权柄完全交给子, 23 使所有的人尊敬子好象尊敬父一样。不尊敬子的,就是不尊敬那差他来的父。 24 我实实在在告诉你们,那听见我的话又信那差我来的,就有永生,不被定罪,而是已经出死入生了。 25 我实实在在告诉你们,时候将到,现在就是了,死人要听见 神儿子的声音,听见的人就要活了。 26 就如父是生命的源头,照样他也使子成为生命的源头, 27 并且把执行审判的权柄赐给他,因为他是人子。 28 你们不要把这事看作希奇,因为时候将到,那时所有在坟墓里的都要听见他的声音, 29 并且都要出来;行善的复活得生命,作恶的复活被定罪。

给耶稣作见证的

30 “我靠着自己不能作甚么,我怎样听见,就怎样审判。我的审判是公义的,因为我不寻求自己的意思,只求那差我来者的旨意。 31 我若为自己作证,我的见证就不真。 32 然而另有一位为我作证的,我知道他为我作的见证是真的。 33 你们曾经派人到约翰那里,他为真理作过见证。 34 我不接受从人而来的见证,但我说这些事,是要你们得救。 35 约翰是一盏点亮的灯,你们情愿暂时在他的光中欢乐。 36 但我有比约翰更大的见证,因为父赐给我要我完成的工作,就是我所要作的,证明我是父所差来的。 37 差我来的父亲自为我作了见证。他的声音,你们从没有听过;他的容貌,你们从没有见过; 38 他的道,你们也不放在心里,因为你们不信他所差来的那一位。 39 你们研究圣经,因为你们认为圣经中有永生,其实为我作证的就是这圣经, 40 然而你们却不肯到我这里来得生命。

41 “我不接受从人而来的称赞; 42 我知道你们心里没有 神的爱。 43 我奉我父的名而来,你们不接待我;如果有别人以自己的名义而来,你们倒接待他。 44 你们彼此接受称赞,却不寻求从独一的 神而来的称赞,怎么能信呢? 45 不要以为我要向父控告你们,有一位控告你们的,就是你们所仰赖的摩西。 46 你们若信摩西,也必信我,因为他所写的书曾论及我。 47 你们若不信他所写的,怎能信我的话呢?”

Afterwards Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish religious holidays. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was Bethesda Pool, with five covered platforms or porches surrounding it. Crowds of sick folks—lame, blind, or with paralyzed limbs—lay on the platforms (waiting for a certain movement of the water, for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and disturbed the water, and the first person to step down into it afterwards was healed).[a]

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew how long he had been ill, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to help me into the pool at the movement of the water. While I am trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, roll up your sleeping mat and go on home!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking!

But it was on the Sabbath when this miracle was done. 10 So the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! It’s illegal to carry that sleeping mat!”

11 “The man who healed me told me to,” was his reply.

12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

13 The man didn’t know, and Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterwards Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; don’t sin as you did before,[b] or something even worse may happen to you.”

15 Then the man went to find the Jewish leaders and told them it was Jesus who had healed him.

16 So they began harassing Jesus as a Sabbath breaker.

17 But Jesus replied, “My Father constantly does good, and I’m following his example.”[c]

18 Then the Jewish leaders were all the more eager to kill him because in addition to disobeying their Sabbath laws, he had spoken of God as his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus replied, “The Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing, and in the same way. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and tells him everything he is doing; and the Son will do far more awesome miracles than this man’s healing. 21 He will even raise from the dead anyone he wants to, just as the Father does. 22 And the Father leaves all judgment of sin to his Son, 23 so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. But if you refuse to honor God’s Son, whom he sent to you, then you are certainly not honoring the Father.

24 “I say emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me has eternal life, and will never be damned for his sins, but has already passed out of death into life.

25 “And I solemnly declare that the time is coming, in fact, it is here, when the dead shall hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God—and those who listen shall live. 26 The Father has life in himself, and has granted his Son to have life in himself, 27 and to judge the sins of all mankind because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed the time is coming when all the dead in their graves shall hear the voice of God’s Son, 29 and shall rise again—those who have done good, to eternal life; and those who have continued in evil, to judgment.

30 “But I pass no judgment without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely fair and just, for it is according to the will of God who sent me and is not merely my own.

31 “When I make claims about myself they aren’t believed, 32-33 but someone else, yes, John the Baptist,[d] is making these claims for me too. You have gone out to listen to his preaching, and I can assure you that all he says about me is true! 34 But the truest witness I have is not from a man, though I have reminded you about John’s witness so that you will believe in me and be saved. 35 John shone brightly for a while, and you benefited and rejoiced, 36 but I have a greater witness than John. I refer to the miracles I do; these have been assigned me by the Father, and they prove that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father himself has also testified about me, though not appearing to you personally, or speaking to you directly. 38 But you are not listening to him, for you refuse to believe me—the one sent to you with God’s message.

39 “You search the Scriptures, for you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you won’t come to me so that I can give you this life eternal!

41-42 “Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me, for as I know so well, you don’t have God’s love within you. 43 I know, because I have come to you representing my Father and you refuse to welcome me, though you readily enough receive those who aren’t sent from him, but represent only themselves! 44 No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the only God!

45 “Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this to the Father—Moses will! Moses, on whose laws you set your hopes of heaven. 46 For you have refused to believe Moses. He wrote about me, but you refuse to believe him, so you refuse to believe in me. 47 And since you don’t believe what he wrote, no wonder you don’t believe me either.”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:4 Many of the ancient manuscripts omit the material within the parentheses.
  2. John 5:14 don’t sin as you did before, implied; literally, “sin no more.”
  3. John 5:17 My Father constantly does good, and I’m following his example, implied; literally, “My Father works even until now, and I work.”
  4. John 5:32 John the Baptist, implied. However, most commentators believe the reference is to the witness of his Father. See v. 37.