John 8:31-42
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him,[a] “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(A) 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.[b] How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”(B) 34 Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.(C) 35 A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son[c] always remains.(D) 36 So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. 38 [d]I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence; then do what you have heard from the Father.”
39 [e]They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them,(E) “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. 41 You are doing the works of your father!” [So] they said to him, “We are not illegitimate. We have one Father, God.”(F) 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.(G)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 8:31 Those Jews who believed in him: a rough editorial suture, since in Jn 8:37 they are described as trying to kill Jesus.
- 8:33 Have never been enslaved to anyone: since, historically, the Jews were enslaved almost continuously, this verse is probably Johannine irony, about slavery to sin.
- 8:35 A slave…a son: an allusion to Ishmael and Isaac (Gn 16; 21), or to the release of a slave after six years (Ex 21:2; Dt 15:12).
- 8:38 The Father: i.e., God. It is also possible, however, to understand the second part of the verse as a sarcastic reference to descent of the Jews from the devil (Jn 8:44), “You do what you have heard from [your] father.”
- 8:39 The works of Abraham: Abraham believed; cf. Rom 4:11–17; Jas 2:21–23.
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