John 8:31-59

Expanded Bible

Freedom from Sin

³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you ·continue to obey my teaching [^Lremain/abide in my word], you are truly my ·followers [disciples]. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will ·make [set] you free.”

³³ They answered, “We are Abraham’s ·children [descendants; ^Lseed; Gen. 12:1–3], and we have never been anyone’s slaves. So why do you say we will be free?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly I say to you], everyone who ·lives in sin [commits/practices sin] is a slave to sin. ³⁵ A slave does not ·stay with a family [live in the household] forever, but a son ·belongs to the family [lives in the household] forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, you will be ·truly free [^Tfree indeed]. ³⁷ I know you are Abraham’s ·children [descendants; ^Lseed], but you ·want [are trying; seek] to kill me because ·you don’t accept my teaching [^Lmy word has no place in you; ^Cthus showing they were Abraham’s children only physically, not spiritually; Jer. 9:25–26; Rom. 9:7; Gal. 4:21–31]. ³⁸ I am telling you ·what my Father has shown me [^Lwhat I have seen in the Father’s presence], but you do what ·your father [or the Father] has told you.”

³⁹ They answered, “Our father is Abraham.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were really Abraham’s children, you would do^[a] the things Abraham did. ⁴⁰ I am a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like that. ⁴¹ So you are doing the things your own father did.”

But [or Therefore] they said to him, “We are not ·like children who never knew who their father was [illegitimate children; ^Lborn from/of fornication]. God is our Father; he is the only Father we have.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were really your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. [^LFor] I did not come ·by my own authority [on my own]; God sent me. ⁴³ You don’t understand [^LWhy don’t you understand…?] what I say, because you cannot ·accept my teaching [^Lhear my word/message]. ⁴⁴ You ·belong to [are from] your father the devil, and you want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning [Gen. 3; Rom. 5:12] and ·was against the truth [does not uphold the truth], because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, ·he shows what he is really like [he reveals his own nature; or he speaks his own language; ^Lhe speaks from his own], because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ But because I speak the truth, you don’t believe me. ⁴⁶ ·Can any of you [^LWho among you can…?] ·prove that I am guilty [convict me] of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ The person who belongs to God ·accepts what God says [^Lhears/obeys the words of God]. But you don’t ·accept what God says [hear; obey], because you don’t belong to God.”

Jesus Is Greater than Abraham

⁴⁸ ·They [The Jewish leaders; ^LThe Jews] answered, “We say you are a Samaritan [^Ca people disliked by the Jews; 4:4, 9] and ·have a demon in you [are demon-possessed]. Are we not right?”

⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I ·have no demon in me [am not demon-possessed]. I give honor to my Father, but you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not trying to get ·honor [glory] for myself. There is One who wants this ·honor [glory] for me, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ ·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly I say to you], whoever ·obeys my teaching will never die [^Lkeeps my word will never see death].”

⁵² [^LTherefore] ·They [The Jewish leaders; ^LThe Jews] said to Jesus, “Now we know that you ·have a demon in you [are demon-possessed]! Even Abraham and the prophets died. But you say, ‘Whoever ·obeys my teaching will never die [^Lkeeps my word will never taste death].’ ⁵³ Do you think you are greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died, too. ·Who do you think you are [or Who are you claiming/pretending to be]?”

⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I give ·honor [glory] to myself, that ·honor [glory] is worth nothing. The One who gives me ·honor [glory] is my Father, and you say he is your God. ⁵⁵ You don’t really know him, but I know him. If I said I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I ·obey what he says [^Lkeep his word]. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham ·was very happy [rejoiced] that he would see my day [^Cthe day of the Messiah’s arrival]. He saw that day and was glad.”

⁵⁷ [^LTherefore] ·They [The Jewish leaders; ^LThe Jews] said to him, “You have never seen Abraham! You are not even fifty years old [^CAbraham had been dead for almost 2,000 years].”

⁵⁸ Jesus answered, “·I tell you the truth [^LTruly, truly I say to you], before Abraham was even born, ·I am!” [^CA claim to deity; see comments at 8:24; 10:28.] ⁵⁹ When Jesus said this, the people picked up stones to throw at him [^Cbelieving he had committed blasphemy worthy of death]. But Jesus hid himself, and then he left the Temple.