John 8:31-59

The Truth Will Make You Free

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "¹If you continue in My word, then you are truly ²disciples of Mine;

32 and ³you will know the truth, and ⁴the truth will make you free."

33 They answered Him, "⁵We are Abraham's descendants and have never * yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free '?"

34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, ⁶everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

35 "⁷The slave does not remain in the house forever; ⁸the son does remain forever.

36 "So if the Son ⁹makes you free, you will be free indeed.

37 "I know that you are ¹⁰Abraham's descendants; yet ¹¹you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

38 "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from ¹²your father."

39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is ¹³our father." Jesus said to them, "¹⁴If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.

40 "But as it is, ¹⁵you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has ¹⁶told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.

41 "You are doing the deeds of ¹⁷your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; ¹⁸we have one Father: God."

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, ¹⁹you would love Me, ²⁰for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have ²¹not even come on My own initiative, but ²²He sent Me.

43 "Why * do you not understand ²³what I am saying? It is because you cannot * ²⁴hear My word.

44 "²⁵You are of ²⁶your father the devil, and ²⁷you want to do the desires of your father. ²⁸He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because ²⁹there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he ³⁰speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45 "But because ³¹I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

46 "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If ³²I speak truth, why * do you not believe Me?

47 "³³He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God."

48 ³⁴The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a ³⁵Samaritan and ³⁶have a demon?"

49 Jesus answered, "I do not ³⁷have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

50 "But ³⁸I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges.

51 "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone ³⁹keeps My word he will never * ⁴⁰see death."

52 ⁴¹The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You ⁴²have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone ⁴³keeps My word, he will never * ⁴⁴taste of death.'

53 "Surely You ⁴⁵are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?"

54 Jesus answered, "⁴⁶If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; ⁴⁷it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God ';

55 and ⁴⁸you have not come to know Him, ⁴⁹but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be ⁵⁰a liar like you, ⁵¹but I do know Him and ⁵²keep His word.

56 "⁵³Your father Abraham ⁵⁴rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."

57 ⁵⁵So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"

58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, ⁵⁶I am."

59 Therefore they ⁵⁷picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus ⁵⁸hid Himself and went out of the temple.

Cross References

• 1. John 15:7; 2 John 9
• 2. John 2:2
• 3. John 1:14, 17
• 4. John 8:36; Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1, 13; James 2:12; 1 Peter 2:16
• 5. Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8; John 8:37, 39
• 6. Romans 6:16; 2 Peter 2:19
• 7. Genesis 21:10; Galatians 4:30
• 8. Luke 15:31
• 9. John 8:32
• 10. Matthew 3:9; John 8:39
• 11. John 7:1; John 8:40
• 12. John 8:41, 44
• 13. Matthew 3:9; John 8:37
• 14. Romans 9:7; Galatians 3:7
• 15. John 7:1; John 8:37
• 16. John 8:26
• 17. John 8:38, 44
• 18. Deuteronomy 32:6; Isaiah 63:16; Isaiah 64:8
• 19. 1 John 5:1
• 20. John 13:3; John 16:28, 30; John 17:8
• 21. John 7:28
• 22. John 3:17
• 23. John 8:33, 39, 41
• 24. John 5:25
• 25. 1 John 3:8
• 26. John 8:38, 41
• 27. John 7:17
• 28. Genesis 3:4; 1 John 3:8, 15
• 29. 1 John 2:4
• 30. Matthew 12:34
• 31. John 18:37
• 32. John 18:37
• 33. 1 John 4:6
• 34. John 1:19
• 35. Matthew 10:5; John 4:9
• 36. John 7:20
• 37. John 7:20
• 38. John 5:41; John 8:54
• 39. John 8:55; John 14:23; John 15:20; John 17:6
• 40. Matthew 16:28; Luke 2:26; John 8:52; Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 11:5
• 41. John 1:19
• 42. John 7:20
• 43. John 8:55; John 14:23; John 15:20; John 17:6
• 44. John 8:51
• 45. John 4:12
• 46. John 8:50
• 47. John 7:39
• 48. John 8:19; John 15:21
• 49. John 7:29
• 50. John 8:44
• 51. John 7:29
• 52. John 8:51; John 15:10
• 53. John 8:37, 39
• 54. Matthew 13:17; Hebrews 11:13
• 55. John 1:19
• 56. Exodus 3:14; John 1:1; John 17:5, 24
• 57. Matthew 12:14; John 10:31; John 11:8
• 58. John 12:36

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "makes no progress"
• [b]. Or "in the presence of"
• [c]. Lit "that One"
• [d]. Or "My way of speaking"
• [e]. Lit "the lie"
• [f]. Lit "it"
• [g]. Lit "in order that he might see"
• [h]. Lit "came into being"
• [i]. Lit "was hidden"