Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Christ » Touched by others » Unknown by men
"I baptize in water only," John answered, "but in your midst stands One whom you do not know--
"Have I been so long among you," Jesus answered, "and yet you, Philip, do not know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can *you* ask me, 'Cause us to see the Father'?
He was in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, and the world did not recognize Him.
"If you had known God's free gift," replied Jesus, "and who it is that said to you, 'Give me some water,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
"Where is your Father?" they asked. "You know my Father as little as you know me." He replied; "if you knew me, you would know my Father also."
"Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes!
And they will do these things because they have failed to recognize the Father and to discover who I am.
For the people of Jerusalem and their rulers, by the judgement they pronounced on Jesus, have actually fulfilled the predictions of the Prophets which are read Sabbath after Sabbath, through ignorance of those predictions and of Him.
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.
Confession » Of Christ
"And I tell you that every man who shall have acknowledged me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.
I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
For this reason I would have you understand that no one speaking under the influence of The Spirit of God ever says, "Jesus is accursed," and that no one is able to say, "Jesus is Lord," except under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God--God continues in union with him, and he continues in union with God.
The test by which you may recognize the Spirit of God is that every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come as man is from God, and that no spirit is from God which does not acknowledge this about Jesus. Such is the spirit of the anti-Christ; of whose coming you have heard, and it is already in the world.
Nevertheless even from among the Rulers many believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not avow their belief, for fear they should be shut out from the synagogue. For they loved the glory that comes from men rather than the glory that comes from God.
"Not every one who says to me, 'Master, Master,' will enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "'Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name expelled demons, and in Thy name performed many mighty works?' "And then I will tell them plainly, "'I never knew you: begone from me, you doers of wickedness.'
"Every man who acknowledges me before men I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in Heaven. But whoever disowns me before men I also will disown before my Father who is in Heaven.
John gave testimony concerning Him and cried aloud, saying, "This is He of whom I said, 'He who is coming after me has been put before me,' for He was before me." For He it is from whose fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. read more.
No human eye has ever seen God: the only Son, who is in the Father's bosom--He has made Him known.
No human eye has ever seen God: the only Son, who is in the Father's bosom--He has made Him known.
Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself." A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner." read more.
"Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see." "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?" "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?" Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you." "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
"Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see." "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?" "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?" Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you." "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
Then Philip began to speak, and, commencing with that same portion of Scripture, told him the Good News about Jesus. So they proceeded on their way till they came to some water; and the eunuch exclaimed, "See, here is water; what is there to prevent my being baptized?" No translation
Now at the time when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was preaching fervently and was solemnly telling the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
"John," he said, "administered a baptism of repentance, bidding the people believe on One who was to come after him; namely, on Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus;
that if with your mouth you confess Jesus as Lord and in your heart believe that God brought Him back to life, you shall be saved. For with the heart men believe and obtain righteousness, and with the mouth they make confession and obtain salvation. The Scripture says, "No one who believes in Him shall have reason to feel ashamed."
If, while we are living in darkness, we profess to have fellowship with Him, we speak falsely and are not adhering to the truth.
He who professes to know Him, and yet does not obey His commands, is a liar, and the truth has no place in his heart.
Converts » Zealous » The blind men
His neighbours, therefore, and the other people to whom he had been a familiar object because he was a beggar, began asking, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" "Yes it is," replied some of them. "No it is not," said others, "but he is like him." His own statement was, "I am the man." "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked. read more.
"He whose name is Jesus," he answered, "made clay and smeared my eyes with it, and then told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and obtained sight." "Where is he?" they inquired, but the man did not know. They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened the man's eyes was the Sabbath. So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see." This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others. And there was a division among them. So again they asked the once blind man, "What is your account of him? --for he opened your eyes." "He is a Prophet," he replied. The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him--that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it then that he can now see?" "We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind; but how it is that he can now see or who has opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him himself; he is of full age; he himself will give his own account of it." Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself." A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner." "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see." "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?" "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?" Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you." "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
"He whose name is Jesus," he answered, "made clay and smeared my eyes with it, and then told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and obtained sight." "Where is he?" they inquired, but the man did not know. They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened the man's eyes was the Sabbath. So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see." This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others. And there was a division among them. So again they asked the once blind man, "What is your account of him? --for he opened your eyes." "He is a Prophet," he replied. The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him--that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it then that he can now see?" "We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind; but how it is that he can now see or who has opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him himself; he is of full age; he himself will give his own account of it." Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself." A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner." "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see." "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?" "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?" Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you." "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
Faith » Instances of faith in Christ » The blind man whom jesus healed on the sabbath
They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened the man's eyes was the Sabbath. So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see." read more.
This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others. And there was a division among them. So again they asked the once blind man, "What is your account of him? --for he opened your eyes." "He is a Prophet," he replied. The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him--that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it then that he can now see?" "We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind; but how it is that he can now see or who has opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him himself; he is of full age; he himself will give his own account of it." Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself." A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner." "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see." "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?" "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?" Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you." "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others. And there was a division among them. So again they asked the once blind man, "What is your account of him? --for he opened your eyes." "He is a Prophet," he replied. The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him--that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it then that he can now see?" "We know," replied the parents, "that this is our son and that he was born blind; but how it is that he can now see or who has opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him himself; he is of full age; he himself will give his own account of it." Such was their answer, because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already settled among themselves that if any one should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, he should be excluded from the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of full age: ask him himself." A second time therefore they called the man who had been blind, and said, "Give God the praise: we know that that man is a sinner." "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know," he replied; "one thing I know--that I was once blind and that now I can see." "What did he do to you?" they asked; "how did he open your eyes?" "I have told you already," he replied, "and you did not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also mean to be disciples of his?" Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard that they had done this. So having found him, He asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" "Who is He, Sir?" replied the man. "Tell me, so that I may believe in Him." "You have seen Him," said Jesus; "and not only so: He is now speaking to you." "I believe, Sir," he said. And he threw himself at His feet.
Ignorance » Man's » Concerning Christ
"I baptize in water only," John answered, "but in your midst stands One whom you do not know--
"Have I been so long among you," Jesus answered, "and yet you, Philip, do not know me? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can *you* ask me, 'Cause us to see the Father'?
He was in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, and the world did not recognize Him.
"If you had known God's free gift," replied Jesus, "and who it is that said to you, 'Give me some water,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
"Where is your Father?" they asked. "You know my Father as little as you know me." He replied; "if you knew me, you would know my Father also."
"Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes!
And they will do these things because they have failed to recognize the Father and to discover who I am.
For the people of Jerusalem and their rulers, by the judgement they pronounced on Jesus, have actually fulfilled the predictions of the Prophets which are read Sabbath after Sabbath, through ignorance of those predictions and of Him.
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.
Self-righteousness » Instances of » Pharisees
"When any one lights a lamp, he never puts it in the cellar or under the bushel, but on the lampstand, that people who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. When your eyesight is good, your whole body also is lighted up; but when it is defective, your body is darkened. Consider therefore whether the light that is in you is anything but mere darkness. read more.
If, however, your whole body is penetrated with light, and has no part dark, it will be so lighted, all of it, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light." When He had thus spoken, a Pharisee invited Him to breakfast at his house; so He entered and took His place at table. Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting. The Master however said to him, "Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate, while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness. Foolish men! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But as to what is within, give alms, and instantly all is clean in you. "But alas for you Pharisees! for you pay tithes on your mint and rue and every kind of garden vegetable, and are indifferent to justice and the love of God. These are the things you ought to have attended to, while not neglecting the others. Alas for you Pharisees! for you love the best seats in the synagogues, and you like to be bowed to in places of public resort. Alas for you! for you are like the tombs which lie hidden, and the people who walk over them are not aware of their existence." Hereupon one of the expounders of the Law exclaimed, "Rabbi, in saying such things you reproach us also." "Alas too for you expounders of the Law!" replied Jesus, "for you load men with cumbrous burdens which you yourselves will not touch with one of your fingers. Alas for you! for you repair the tombs of the Prophets, whom your forefathers killed. It follows that you bear testimony to the actions of your forefathers and that you fully approve thereof. They slew, you build. "For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,' so that the blood of all the Prophets, that is being shed from the creation of the world onwards, may be required from the present generation. Yes, I tell you that, from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the House, it shall all be required from the present generation. "Alas for you expounders of the Law! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered, and those who wanted to enter you have hindered." After He had left the house, the Scribes and Pharisees commenced a vehement attempt to entangle Him and make Him give off-hand answers on numerous points, lying in wait to catch some unguarded expression from His lips.
If, however, your whole body is penetrated with light, and has no part dark, it will be so lighted, all of it, as when the lamp with its bright shining gives you light." When He had thus spoken, a Pharisee invited Him to breakfast at his house; so He entered and took His place at table. Now the Pharisee saw to his surprise that He did not wash His hands before breakfasting. The Master however said to him, "Here we see how you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup or plate, while your secret hearts are full of greed and selfishness. Foolish men! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But as to what is within, give alms, and instantly all is clean in you. "But alas for you Pharisees! for you pay tithes on your mint and rue and every kind of garden vegetable, and are indifferent to justice and the love of God. These are the things you ought to have attended to, while not neglecting the others. Alas for you Pharisees! for you love the best seats in the synagogues, and you like to be bowed to in places of public resort. Alas for you! for you are like the tombs which lie hidden, and the people who walk over them are not aware of their existence." Hereupon one of the expounders of the Law exclaimed, "Rabbi, in saying such things you reproach us also." "Alas too for you expounders of the Law!" replied Jesus, "for you load men with cumbrous burdens which you yourselves will not touch with one of your fingers. Alas for you! for you repair the tombs of the Prophets, whom your forefathers killed. It follows that you bear testimony to the actions of your forefathers and that you fully approve thereof. They slew, you build. "For this reason also the Wisdom of God has said, 'I will send Prophets and Apostles to them, of whom they will kill some and persecute others,' so that the blood of all the Prophets, that is being shed from the creation of the world onwards, may be required from the present generation. Yes, I tell you that, from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the House, it shall all be required from the present generation. "Alas for you expounders of the Law! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered, and those who wanted to enter you have hindered." After He had left the house, the Scribes and Pharisees commenced a vehement attempt to entangle Him and make Him give off-hand answers on numerous points, lying in wait to catch some unguarded expression from His lips.
"We are descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and have never at any time been in slavery to any one. What do those words of yours mean, 'You shall become free'?" "In most solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that every one who commits sin is the slave of sin. Now a slave does not remain permanently in his master's house, but a son does. read more.
If then the Son shall make you free, you will be free indeed. You are descendants of Abraham, I know; but you want to kill me, because my teaching gains no ground within you. The words I speak are those I have learnt in the presence of the Father. Therefore you also should do what you have heard from your father." "Our father is Abraham," they said. "If you were Abraham's children," replied Jesus, "it is Abraham's deeds that you would be doing. But, in fact, you are longing to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth which I have heard from God. Abraham did not do that. You are doing the deeds of your father." "We," they replied, "are not illegitimate children. We have one Father, namely God." "If God were your Father," said Jesus, "you would love me; for it is from God that I came and I am now here. I have not come of myself, but *He* sent me. How is it you do not understand me when I speak? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my words. The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. *He* was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. Which of *you* convicts me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is a child of God listens to God's words. You do not listen to them: and why? It is because you are not God's children." "Are we not right," answered the Jews, "in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?" "I am not possessed by a demon," replied Jesus. "On the contrary I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. I, however, am not aiming at glory for myself: there is One who aims at glory for me--and who judges. In most solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall have obeyed my teaching he shall in no case ever see death." "Now," exclaimed the Jews, "we know that you are possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the Prophets, and yet *you* say, 'If any one shall have obeyed my teaching, he shall in no case ever taste death.' Are you really greater than our forefather Abraham? For he died. And the prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?" "Were I to glorify myself," answered Jesus, "I should have no real glory. There is One who glorifies me--namely my Father, who you say is your God. You do not know Him, but I know Him perfectly; and were I to deny my knowledge of Him, I should resemble you, and be a liar. On the contrary I do know Him, and I obey His commands. Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad." "You are not yet fifty years old," cried the Jews, "and have you seen Abraham?" "In most solemn truth," answered Jesus, "I tell you that before Abraham came into existence, I am." Thereupon they took up stones with which to stone Him, but He hid Himself and went away out of the Temple.
If then the Son shall make you free, you will be free indeed. You are descendants of Abraham, I know; but you want to kill me, because my teaching gains no ground within you. The words I speak are those I have learnt in the presence of the Father. Therefore you also should do what you have heard from your father." "Our father is Abraham," they said. "If you were Abraham's children," replied Jesus, "it is Abraham's deeds that you would be doing. But, in fact, you are longing to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth which I have heard from God. Abraham did not do that. You are doing the deeds of your father." "We," they replied, "are not illegitimate children. We have one Father, namely God." "If God were your Father," said Jesus, "you would love me; for it is from God that I came and I am now here. I have not come of myself, but *He* sent me. How is it you do not understand me when I speak? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my words. The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. *He* was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. Which of *you* convicts me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is a child of God listens to God's words. You do not listen to them: and why? It is because you are not God's children." "Are we not right," answered the Jews, "in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?" "I am not possessed by a demon," replied Jesus. "On the contrary I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. I, however, am not aiming at glory for myself: there is One who aims at glory for me--and who judges. In most solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall have obeyed my teaching he shall in no case ever see death." "Now," exclaimed the Jews, "we know that you are possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the Prophets, and yet *you* say, 'If any one shall have obeyed my teaching, he shall in no case ever taste death.' Are you really greater than our forefather Abraham? For he died. And the prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?" "Were I to glorify myself," answered Jesus, "I should have no real glory. There is One who glorifies me--namely my Father, who you say is your God. You do not know Him, but I know Him perfectly; and were I to deny my knowledge of Him, I should resemble you, and be a liar. On the contrary I do know Him, and I obey His commands. Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad." "You are not yet fifty years old," cried the Jews, "and have you seen Abraham?" "In most solemn truth," answered Jesus, "I tell you that before Abraham came into existence, I am." Thereupon they took up stones with which to stone Him, but He hid Himself and went away out of the Temple.
Then they railed at him, and said, "You are that man's disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow we do not know where he comes from." "Why, this is marvellous!" the man replied; "you do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes! read more.
We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue.
We know that God does not listen to bad people, but that if any one is a God-fearing man and obeys Him, to him He listens. From the beginning of the world such a thing was never heard of as that any one should open the eyes of a man blind from his birth. Had that man not come from God, he could have done nothing." "You," they replied, "were wholly begotten and born in sin, and do *you* teach *us*?" And they put him out of the synagogue.