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25 I tell you the solemn truth,[a] a time[b] is coming—and is now here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself, 27 and he has granted the Son[c] authority to execute judgment,[d] because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, because a time[e] is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation.[f] 30 I can do nothing on my own initiative.[g] Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just,[h] because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.[i]

More Testimony About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another[j] who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true. 33 You have sent to John,[k] and he has testified to the truth. 34 (I do not accept[l] human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining,[m] and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time[n] in his light.

36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds[o] that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds[p] I am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people[q] have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time,[r] 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 39 You study the scriptures thoroughly[s] because you think in them you possess eternal life,[t] and it is these same scriptures[u] that testify about me, 40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

41 “I do not accept[v] praise[w] from people,[x] 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God[y] within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept[z] me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept[aa] him. 44 How can you believe, if you accept praise[ab] from one another and don’t seek the praise[ac] that comes from the only God?[ad]

45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.[ae] 46 If[af] you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what Moses[ag] wrote, how will you believe my words?”

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Footnotes

  1. John 5:25 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  2. John 5:25 tn Grk “an hour.”
  3. John 5:27 tn Grk “him.”
  4. John 5:27 tn Grk “authority to judge.”
  5. John 5:28 tn Grk “an hour.”
  6. John 5:29 tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”
  7. John 5:30 tn Grk “nothing from myself.”
  8. John 5:30 tn Or “righteous,” or “proper.”
  9. John 5:30 tn That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”
  10. John 5:32 sn To whom does another refer? To John the Baptist or to the Father? In the nearer context, v. 33, it would seem to be John the Baptist. But v. 34 seems to indicate that Jesus does not receive testimony from men. Probably it is better to view v. 32 as identical to v. 37, with the comments about the Baptist as a parenthetical digression.
  11. John 5:33 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  12. John 5:34 tn Or “I do not receive.”
  13. John 5:35 sn He was a lamp that was burning and shining. Sir 48:1 states that the word of Elijah “burned like a torch.” Because of the connection of John the Baptist with Elijah (see John 1:21 and the note on John’s reply, “I am not”), it was natural for Jesus to apply this description to John.
  14. John 5:35 tn Grk “for an hour.”
  15. John 5:36 tn Or “works.”
  16. John 5:36 tn Grk “complete, which I am now doing”; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating “deeds” from the previous clause.
  17. John 5:37 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.
  18. John 5:37 sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Cf. Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer—their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.
  19. John 5:39 tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.
  20. John 5:39 sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”
  21. John 5:39 tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).
  22. John 5:41 tn Or “I do not receive.”
  23. John 5:41 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
  24. John 5:41 tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.
  25. John 5:42 tn The genitive in the phrase τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ (tēn agapēn tou theou, “the love of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“God’s love”) or an objective genitive (“love for God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, the emphasis would be on the love God gives which in turn produces love for him, but Jesus’ opponents are lacking any such love inside them.
  26. John 5:43 tn Or “you do not receive.”
  27. John 5:43 tn Or “you will receive.”
  28. John 5:44 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
  29. John 5:44 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
  30. John 5:44 tc Several early and significant witnesses (P66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (theou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some very significant mss, has the name (א A D L Θ Ψ 33 M). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (ho monos) used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In majuscule script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.
  31. John 5:45 sn The final condemnation will come from Moses himself—again ironic, since Moses is the very one the Jewish authorities have trusted in (placed your hope). This is again ironic if it is occurring at Pentecost, which at this time was being celebrated as the occasion of the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. There is evidence that some Jews of the 1st century looked on Moses as their intercessor at the final judgment (see W. A. Meeks, The Prophet King [NovTSup], 161). This would mean the statement Moses, in whom you have placed your hope should be taken literally and relates directly to Jesus’ statements about the final judgment in John 5:28-29.
  32. John 5:46 tn Grk “For if.”
  33. John 5:47 tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come(A) when the dead will hear(B) the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life(C) in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge(D) because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming(E) when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.(F) 30 By myself I can do nothing;(G) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,(H) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(I)

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(J) 32 There is another who testifies in my favor,(K) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified(L) to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony;(M) but I mention it that you may be saved.(N) 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,(O) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John.(P) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing(Q)—testify that the Father has sent me.(R) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.(S) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(T) 38 nor does his word dwell in you,(U) for you do not believe(V) the one he sent.(W) 39 You study[a] the Scriptures(X) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.(Y) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,(Z) 40 yet you refuse to come to me(AA) to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,(AB) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[b]?(AC)

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(AD) on whom your hopes are set.(AE) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(AF) 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”(AG)

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Footnotes

  1. John 5:39 Or 39 Study
  2. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

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