41. We be not born of fornication . . . we have one Father, God—meaning, as is generally allowed, that they were not an illegitimate race in point of religion, pretending only to be God's people, but were descended from His own chosen Abraham. read more
5. The light of the world discourse 8:12-59Following Jesus’ claim to be the water of life (John 7:37-38), official opposition against Him intensified considerably. The following sections of this Gospel trace this rising opposition. While some believed on Jesus, most of His own people rejected Him (cf. John 1:11-12). This section of the text deals with Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the World and the controversy it generated. read more
The challenge to professing believers 8:31-47Jesus next addressed those in His audience who had expressed some faith in Him (John 8:30). read more
Jesus assumed that His hearers were slaves, but they emphatically denied being such. They could not have meant that they had never been physical slaves since the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Syrians, and most recently the Romans had all enslaved them. Probably they meant that they had never been spiritual slaves. They viewed themselves as spiritually right with God because of their descent from Abraham with whom God had made a special covenant (cf. Matthew 8:12; Mark 2:17; John... read more
Jesus proceeded to clarify what He meant. He prefaced His declaration with a strong affirmation of its truth (cf. John 8:51; John 8:58). Everyone who commits acts of sin becomes sin’s slave. The Greek present participle poion ("who commits sin" or "who sins") implies continual sinning rather than an occasional lapse. This is a general truth that applies to both believers and unbelievers. People who continually commit sin become the slaves of sin. Sin tends to become habit-forming and addictive.... read more
These Jews thought of themselves as occupying a privileged and secure position as sons within God’s household because they were Abraham’s descendants. Jesus now informed them that they were not sons but slaves. The implication was that they did not enjoy a secure position but could lose it. This is really what happened because the Jews refused to receive Jesus (cf. Romans 9-11). They lost their privileged position in the world temporarily. Jesus was not speaking in this context about the loss... read more
The Son of God also has the authority to liberate spiritual slaves from their bondage to sin and its consequences. Real freedom consists of liberty from sin’s enslavement to do what we should do. It does not mean that we may do just anything we please. We are now free to do what pleases God, which we could not do formerly. When we do what pleases God, we discover that it also pleases us. Hope for real freedom, therefore, does not rest on Abrahamic ancestry but Jesus’ action. read more
Jesus acknowledged that the Jews listening to Him were Abraham’s descendants but only on the physical level (cf. Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:6; Romans 9:8; Galatians 3:29). Their desire to kill Him because they rejected His teaching did not reveal true spiritual kinship with Abraham. Abraham had welcomed God’s representatives who visited him with revelations from above (Genesis 18:1-22). Jesus’ hearers had not done that. read more
Jesus claimed to be God’s Son as the Jews claimed to be Abraham’s children. As their conduct showed, they were not Abraham’s true children, so Jesus’ words proved that He was God’s true Son. Jesus’ point was that conduct reveals paternity. He was hinting that their father was not God since they opposed Him. read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - John 8:40
40. this did not Abraham—In so doing ye act in direct opposition to him. read more