John 8:51

51 Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man keep My saying, he shall never see death."

John 8:51 Meaning and Commentary

John 8:51

Verily, verily, I say unto you
This is truth, and may be depended upon, as coming from the "Amen", and faithful witness:

if a man keep my saying;
or doctrine, receives the Gospel in the love of it, obeys it from his heart, and cordially embraces and firmly believes it; and retains and holds it fast, having a spiritual and comfortable experience of the doctrines of Christ, and yielding a cheerful and ready obedience to his commands and ordinances, in faith and love:

he shall never see death;
the second death, eternal death, which is an everlasting separation of a man, body and soul, from God: this death shall have no power on such a person, he shall never be hurt by it; and though he dies a corporeal death, that shall not be a curse, a penal evil to him; nor shall he always lie under the power of it, but shall rise again, and live in soul and body, for ever with the Lord: seeing and tasting death, as in ( John 8:52 ) , are Hebraisms expressive of dying.

John 8:51 In-Context

49 Jesus answered, "I have not a devil, but I honor My Father, and ye do dishonor Me.

50 And I seek not Mine own glory; there is One that seeketh and judgeth.

51 Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man keep My saying, he shall never see death."

52 Then said the Jews unto Him, "Now we know that thou hast a devil! Abraham is dead and the prophets; and thou sayest, `If a man keep my saying he shall never taste of death.'

53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom makest thou thyself?"