Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 8:45
And because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not.
45. And because I tell you, &c.] Better, But because I speak the truth, ye do not believe me. ‘Ye will listen to the devil ( Joh 8:38); ye will believe a lie: but the Messiah speaking the truth ye will not believe.’ The tragic tone once more: comp. Joh 1:5; Joh 1:10-11, Joh 2:24, Joh 3:10; Joh 3:19, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Such is your hatred to the truth, that you hate me for no other reason but because I reveal my Fathers will (which is the truth) to you; than which nothing can evidence a greater hatred to truth, nor conformity and likeness to the devil. There cannot be a greater evidence of any ones hatred of the truth, than the hatred of those who tell them the truth, and for this very reason, because they do so.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
45-47. And because I tell you thetruth, ye believe me notnot although, but just becauseHe did so, for the reason given in the former verse. Had He been lesstrue they would have hailed Him more readily.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And because I tell you the truth,…. And no lie, the whole truth of the Gospel, and particularly the truth of his divine sonship:
ye believe me not; to such an infatuation and judicial blindness were they give up, to disbelieve him, because he told the truth, and to believe a lie, that they might be damned; which showed them to be the children of the devil, and under his power and influence.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Because I speak the truth ( ). Proleptic emphatic position of . “Truth is uncongenial to them” (Bernard). See 3:19 for their picture.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
And because I [ ] . Render but, instead of and. You would believe falsehood if I should speak it, but because I tell you the truth, you do not believe. The I is emphatic. I, because I tell you, etc.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And because I tell you the truth,” (ego de hoti ten aletheian lego) “Yet because I tell you the truth, Joh 8:38; Joh 8:40. I who am the voice, incarnation, and essence of truth, Joh 8:32; Joh 8:36; Joh 14:6; 2Th 2:11-12.
2) “Ye believe me not.” (ou pisteuete moi) “You all trust or believe me not,” you all reject me, deliberately choosing to believe falsehood instead of the truth, Joh 8:24, as Adam and Eve chose to do, to bring sin and death into the world, Rom 5:12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
45. But because I speak the truth. He confirms the preceding statement; for, since they have no other reason for opposing, but because truth is hateful and intolerable to them, they show plainly that they are the children of Satan.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(45) And because I tell you the truth.The pronoun is full of emphatic meaning. And I, as contrary to him, because 1 tell you the truth, as contrary to the lie which is his characteristic.
Ye believe me noti.e., ye believe not what I say. It does not mean, Ye believe not on Me, but Ye accept not the truth which I speak. There is something startling in this sharp opposition of truth and unbelief. To speak the truth is commonly to command belief. The mind of man is so constituted that truth is the first object of its search. Here was perfect truth presented to men, and they refused to accept it, because it was the truth, and they were themselves children of him who was a liar.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
45. Ye believe me not Jesus brings the principle home upon these Jews. Like their satanic father, they were normally so full of untruth that they disbelieved truth because it was truth. Right nature is exactly reversed. Falsehood is the thing to be believed. Such is man’s perversion by sin!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘But because I tell you the truth you do not believe me’.
Jesus then scathingly points out that they are willing to receive anything but the truth. How could they believe when they were so dishonest that they behaved like the Devil, He is saying. Had He brought them lies they would have believed, (as later they would believe other false Messiahs who pandered to them). What they could not stand was the truth. They were determined to hold on to their prejudices rather than admit that there were things in their teachings and attitudes that needed putting right.
Facing up to the fact that we might be wrong is a problem we all have. We too become so set in our ways and our ideas that we do not step back to look. No one person or church is fully right. We must learn that there is truth that we have yet to find, and that what we consider the truth may only be partially so. There is only One Who is ‘the Truth’.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 8:45. And because I tell you the truth, “True children of your Father, Joh 8:44 you disbelieve me, because, instead of soothing you in your sins, and flattering you with lies, I tell you the truth; to which, like your father, you are utterly averse.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 8:45 . Because I, on the contrary, speak the truth, ye believe me not
] for the sake of strong emphasis, in opposition to the devil, placed at the beginning; and the causative , a thoroughly tragical because , has its ground in the alien character of the relation between that which Jesus speaks and their devilish nature, to which latter a lie alone corresponds. Euth. Zigabenus aptly remarks: , , . To take the sentence as a question (Ewald) would weaken its tragical force.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Ver. 45. And because I tell you the truth ] See Trapp on “ Joh 8:40 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
45. ] ‘And the very reason why ye do not believe Me (as contrasted with him ) is, because I speak the truth ; you not being of the truth , but of him who is falsehood itself.’ This implies a charge of wilful striving against known and recognized truth. Euthymius fills up the context , , : see ch. Joh 5:43 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 8:45 . . “But I” in contrast to the devil “because I speak the truth you do not believe me.” Had I spoken falsehood you would have believed me, because it is your nature to live in what is false ( cf. Euthymius).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
And = But
tell you = speak.
believe Me. App-150. See note on Joh 1:7.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
45.] And the very reason why ye do not believe Me (as contrasted with him) is, because I speak the truth;-you not being of the truth, but of him who is falsehood itself. This implies a charge of wilful striving against known and recognized truth. Euthymius fills up the context- , , : see ch. Joh 5:43.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 8:45. , I) This pronoun is put with emphasis at the beginning of a sentence.-, because) inasmuch as. It is a characteristic of truth, not to believed by the evil.- , the truth) to which the , lie, is opposed.-, I tell) In antithesis to, he speaketh in the preceding verse.-, not) Ye give not ear to me: ye give ear to the devil.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 8:45
Joh 8:45
But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.-They being children of the devil, after the spirit like him, refuse to hear Jesus because he was of the truth and spoke the truth.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth Gods words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 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. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
We have noticed that all these conversations took place in the temple following the wonderful words to that poor, sinful woman who was brought to Jesus by her accusers. Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more (8:11). Phase after phase of truth has been set forth for the enlightenment of the Jewish leaders. Many and various claims had been put before the people, and one by one they had been questioned by the majority who had listened to Him.
Now in the closing part of this chapter there are really two outstanding themes. First, the sinlessness of Jesus, and then, second, His preexistence. Both of these testify to His Deity. He is God. On earth He was God manifest in the flesh, and because He was God in flesh, He was an absolutely sinless Man. He was the One who had existed from all eternity. He was the Son of the Father before He came into this world through the gates of birth. He says, Because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not (v. 45). The truth was so utterly beyond anything that they had known that they would not accept it. It was a reminder that the natural man understands not the things of God. This explains why men have so much difficulty with the teaching of the Word of God. They are bereft of spiritual discernment. What men need is a second birth.
You remember the story of the man who was denying that God answers prayer. He said, There is no such thing as God-answered prayer in this world. An old Quaker was standing there and asked, Does thee not believe that God answers prayer? No, said the man, I dont. Did thee ever pray to God? No, I never did. Well then, friend, what does thee know about it? Had thee not better be silent till thee has tested it? We need to test it for ourselves. We need the reality of the second birth, for except a man be born again he cannot see (that is, he cannot understand) the things of the kingdom of God.
Here was Truth incarnate moving among men. They listened and turned away incredulous. They could not believe because their minds were blinded on account of their sins. And so the Lord Jesus says, I tell you the truth, [but] ye believe me not. Then He puts this question, Which of you convinceth me of sin? (v. 46). They would not believe what He was telling them. Had they ever known Him to commit a sin or any kind? That question comes as a challenge to all the world still, Which of you convinceth me of sin? Men have searched these records and have tried to find some fault or flaw in His character or something wrong in His behavior, but they have not been able to find one. He stands before us as the only sinless character in all history and in all literature, and that in itself declares that He is more than man. Of all men it is written, they have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But here was One who came to earth as man, and He never sinned but glorified God in everything He did.
Consider the prayer life of our Lord Jesus and see how that demonstrates His sinlessness. Our Lord Jesus taught His disciples to pray, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us (see Mat 6:12; Luk 11:4), but He never prayed that prayer Himself. We never read of Him joining with anyone in prayer. He prayed for people but not with them. Why? Because He prayed from an altogether different standpoint than others. He prayed as the Eternal Son of the Father whose communion had never been disturbed for an instant. When we come to God, we pray as forgiven sinners, or we pray for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus could not join in that. Some of our most blessed experiences have been when we have knelt with others and prayed with them. We pray with confidence and faith, believing that God is ready to forgive, for He says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1Jn 1:9). Jesus never joined with any body to pray like that.
And then, again, consider the question of His piety. If you are a Christian, may I ask you this? How did your life of piety begin? You were not always a Christian. You were not born a Christian, though you may have been born into a Christian family. How did your life of godliness begin? Did it not begin with the recognition of your own lost estate, and did not that lead you to see your need of salvation and bring you to God for pardon? Jesus knew nothing of this. In His life we see piety without one thought or mention of repentance. No tears of contrition ever fell from His eyes. If He wept, He wept for others sins, as when He looked over Jerusalem and said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Mat 23:37). His tears were for others sins and sorrow. He had none for His own, for He was the sinless One, and in this we recognize His Divinity and His Deity.
And so He speaks the truth. He challenges everyone by saying, If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth Gods words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God (Joh 8:46-47). If we reject the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, our very rejection declares that we are not subject to the will of God. But our Lords hearers, on this occasion, were very indignant with Him. They resisted His testimony and answered, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? (v. 48). And for an orthodox Jew to call anyone a Samaritan was to use the most contemptuous expression possible, for if there was anyone the Jew detested, it was the Samaritan. So they said, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? (It is really a demon. There is only one Devil.)
Is it not a striking thing that in that parable of the man on the Jericho road, which we all love, He uses that name for Himself He pictures Himself as a Samaritan. It is as such our blessed Lord has come from the heights of glory into this dark world, seeking those that are lost. How wondrous His grace!
But when they said, Thou hast a demon, He replied, I have not a [demon] ; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me (v. 49). And whenever we refuse His testimony we are dishonoring Him. In the next verse He explains that He was here to seek the glory of God, and He could commit this into the hands of Him who judgeth righteously (1Pe 2:23). Then He adds something that astonished them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death (Joh 8:51). Now outwardly, of course, believers die as others die. And yet the wonderful thing is that the words of Jesus are absolutely true: the believer does not see death. What does he see? He sees the entrance into the Fathers house. Death, we are told, is our servant. How does death serve us? By ushering us into the presence of God.
I was with an evangelist in the South, and we went to visit a friend who lived in a nice house where we were met at the door by a kindly colored servant. Oh, she said, the mistress is waiting for you, and took us inside. The evangelist turned and said, You know, that kindly colored servant reminds me of the Scripture that says, Death is ours. Death stands by, death is just a servant who ushers us into the presence of the Lord. He that believeth in me shall never see death.
When Mrs. General Booth of The Salvation Army was dying, she looked up and said, Is this death? Why, this is glorious. Somebody said, But you are suffering. She said, Oh, yes, the waters are rising, but so am I.
Yes, death is only the means of entrance into eternal blessing-with Christ. But oh, what a sad thing if one does not know Christ! That will mean eternal banishment from God.
But the Lords hearers did not understand, for they said, Now we know You have a demon. Why, Abraham is dead, and he was the father of our nation, and the prophets are dead, and Thou sayest. If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? (vv. 52-53). They could not conceive anyone greater than Abraham. Abraham was called the friend of God, and here was God standing among them in human guise. Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God (v. 54). He added, If I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad (vv. 55-56). When did Abraham see His day? When God gave him the promise, In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed (Gen 22:18; Gen 26:4).
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. But the Jews could not understand this. They said, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (Joh 8:57). He did not say, I have seen Abraham, but He said, Abraham saw my day.
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am (v. 58). Again, He uses the incommunicable name of God. Who shall I say has sent me? said Moses. Say I AM has sent thee. And Jesus says here, Before Abraham was, I am. He speaks as the God of Abraham. Notice how He insists on His preexistence. He is the ever-living Christ who came into this world as our Redeemer.
When He spoke like this, they counted it blasphemy. You remember how some of them came to the temple earlier, intending to stone that poor woman, but when Jesus thus declared His Deity they took up stones to cast at Him. But Jesus hid himself, going through the midst of them, and so passed by (v. 59), and they lost their opportunity. They refused to credit His testimony and He left them, and so passed by.
Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets
Joh 3:19, Joh 3:20, Joh 7:7, Gal 4:16, 2Th 2:10, 2Ti 4:3, 2Ti 4:4
Reciprocal: Job 21:14 – for we Psa 119:30 – chosen Pro 8:7 – my mouth Isa 30:10 – speak Amo 5:10 – abhor Joh 5:40 – ye will not Joh 8:37 – because Joh 8:47 – General Joh 16:7 – I tell 2Th 2:13 – belief Heb 3:10 – err 1Jo 1:6 – we lie 1Jo 4:6 – he that knoweth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5
This short verse is a logical deduction from the description of the devil as given in the preceding verse. The reason the Jews would not believe what Jesus told them was because it was the truth, for the devil does not want the truth, neither do his children who are following after his principles.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 8:45. But because I say the truth, ye believe me not. They loved the lie, because their father was a liar, and his desires it was their will to do. Such was their love for falsehood (even as their father stood not in the truth), that, because Jesus said the truth, they believed Him not. The word I is emphatic, marking again the contrast between them and Him.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Here observe, 1. The free reproof which Christ gave the Jews for their obstinate unbelief; because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Observe, 2. The challenge which he gives the worst of his adversaries: Which of you convinceth me of sin? So perfectly pure, innocent, and spotless, was the doctrine and life of Christ, that although his enemies loaded him with slander and false accusation, yet none of them could justly convict of, much less condemn him for, the least known sin.
Observe, 3. The Jews being enraged at this free reproof, fell a railing at his person, charging him with being a Samaritan, possessed with an evil spirit. Our Saviour meekly replies, That he did not deal with the devil; but was honouring his Father in what he did, and said; and therefore his Father would take care of his honour, and judge between him and them.
Here note, That though Christ used some sharpness in reproving the Jews and representing them to themselves; yet he answers with wonderful mildness and meekness, when he discovers his resentments of his own reproaches: how cool was Christ in his own cause; but warm enough in God’s!
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Vv. 45-47. And because I say the truth to you, you believe me not. 46. Which of you can convict me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? 47. He that is of God hears the words of God; for this cause you hear them not, because you are not of God.
What, ordinarily, causes a man to be believed is the fact that he speaks the truth. Jesus has with the Jews the opposite experience. They are so swayed by falsehood, by which their father has blinded their hearts, that precisely because he speaks the truth, he does not find credence with them. , at the beginning: I, the organ of the truth, in opposition to Satan, the organ of falsehood.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Liars not only speak untruth, but they also reject the truth. These Jews rejected Jesus partially because He spoke the truth. The only way children of the devil can believe and welcome the truth is if God draws them and teaches them the truth (Joh 6:44-45).