The Gospel According to St. John

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 8 -

Jesus went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, and they stayed near there that night.

Early the next morning, Jesus returned to the temple courtyard. Many people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.

Then men who taught the Jewish laws and some who were Pharisees brought a woman to him. She had been caught in the act of adultery, she had been sleeping with a man who was not her husband. They made her stand up in front of this group so they could question her.

They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught committing adultery with a man, someone not her husband.

Now Moses commanded us in the law that we must execute such a woman with stones. Nevertheless, what do you say we should do?”

They asked this question as a trap so that they could accuse him of saying something wrong. If he said that they should not kill her, they could say that he dishonored the law of Moses. However, if he said that they should kill her, he would be breaking the Roman law that reserved for the governor the power to execute people. However, Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger.

While they continued to question him, he stood up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has never sinned, you are the one who should lead the rest to punish her. You throw the first stone!”

Then Jesus stooped down and wrote some more on the ground.

After they heard what he said, those who were questioning him started walking away, one by one, the older ones first and then the younger ones. They knew they were all sinners. Finally only Jesus was there with the woman.

Jesus stood up and asked her, “Woman, where are those who accuse you? Has no one brought a charge against you that you must be punished?”

She said, “No, sir, no one.” Then Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go home now, and from now on, do not sin like this anymore!”

Jesus the Light of the World

(1 John 1:5–10)

Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will have the light that gives life, and he will never walk in darkness again.

So the Pharisees said to him, “It sounds as though you are trying to convince us to trust you by talking about yourself more and more! What you say about yourself does not prove anything!”

Jesus replied, “Even if I were the only one to say these things about myself, what I say is true because I know where I came from and I know where I am going. Nevertheless, you do not know where I came from and you do not know where I am going.

You judge people according to human standards and the laws of men. I have not come at this time to judge anyone.

When I do judge, it will be right and just because I am not the only one who will bring justice. I and the Father who sent me, we will execute justice together.

It is written in your law that a matter can be settled only when there are at least two witnesses to give evidence in the case.

I am bringing evidence to you about myself, and my Father who sent me also brings evidence about me. So you should believe that what we tell you is true.”

Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” Jesus replied, “You do not know me, and you do not know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”

He said these things when he was near the treasury within the temple courtyard, the place where the people brought in their offerings. Yet no one arrested him because it was not yet time for him to die.

Jesus also said to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, but it is certain that you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

His Jewish opponents said among themselves, “Perhaps he is thinking that he will kill himself, and that is what he means when he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’”

Jesus continued saying to them, “You are from this earth below, but I am from heaven above. You belong to this world. I do not belong to this world.

I told you that you will die and that God will condemn you for your sins. This will certainly happen unless you trust that I am God, as I say I am.”

“Who are you?” they asked him. Jesus said to them, “Ever since the very beginning, I have been telling you!

I could judge you and say that you are guilty of many things. Instead, I will say only this: The one who sent me tells the truth, and I tell the people in the world only what I have heard from him.”

They did not understand that he was talking about the Father.

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted me up on a cross to kill me, me, the Son of Man, you will know that I am God, and you will know that I do not do anything on my own authority. Instead, I only say what my Father has taught me to say.

He who sent me is with me, and he has not left me alone because I do only the things that delight him.”

The Truth Will Set You Free

(2 John 1:4–6)

As Jesus was saying these things, many more people trusted in him.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who now were saying that they trusted in him, “If you listen to all I teach you and live by it in everything you do, you are truly my disciples.

You will know the truth, and the truth will lead you to be free from everything that made you its slaves.”

They answered him, “We are the descendants of Abraham, and we have never been anyone’s slaves. Why do you say we need to be free?

Jesus replied, “I am telling you the truth: All who sin obey their sinful desires just as a slave is forced to obey his master.

Slaves will not remain as permanent members of a family but may be set free to return home or sold. However, a son is a member of the family forever.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.

I know that you are in Abraham’s family; you are his descendants. Yet, your people are trying to put me to death. You will not trust anything I say.

I tell you all about the wonders and wisdom my Father has shown me, but you are only doing what your father told you to do.”

They replied to him, “Abraham is our ancestor.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s descendants, you would be doing the things he did.

I have been telling you the truth that I heard from God, but you are trying to put me to death. Abraham did not do things like that.

No! You are doing the things that your real father did.” They said to him, “We do not know about you, but we are not illegitimate children. We have only one Father, and that is God.”

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me because I came from God and now I have come here to this world. I did not come because I myself decided to come but because he sent me.

I will tell you why you do not understand what I say. It is because you do not accept my message or my teachings.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you desire to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the time people first sinned. He has abandoned God’s truth; it is not in him. Whenever he lies, he is speaking according to his character because he is a liar; everyone who lies does what the devil wants him to do.

Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me!

Which one of you finds me guilty of sin? Since I tell you the truth, what reason do you give for not trusting me?

Those who belong to God hear and obey what he tells them. The reason that you do not hear and obey his message is that you do not belong to God.”

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

His Jewish enemies replied to him, “We are certainly right in stating that you are a Samaritan, you are not really a true Jew at all!, and that a demon lives in you!”

Jesus replied, “A demon does not live in me! I honor my Father, and you dishonor me!

I do not try to persuade people to praise me. There is someone else who desires to give me what I deserve, and he is the one who will judge everything that I say and do.

I am telling you the truth: If anyone holds firm to my word and trusts in it as I gave it, that person will never die!”

Then his Jewish enemies said to him, “Now we are sure that a demon lives within you! Abraham and the prophets died long ago! Yet you say that anyone who holds firm to what you teach will not die!

You are not greater than our father Abraham. He died and all the prophets died with him. So who do you think you are?”

Jesus replied, “If I tried to get people to praise me, that would be worthless. It is my Father who praises me, my character and goodness, and yet he is the one of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’

Although you do not know him, I do know him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. I know him and I always obey what he says.

Your father Abraham was happy when, as a prophet, he looked forward and saw what I could do.”

Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “You are not fifty years old yet! You have seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth, before Abraham was, I AM.”

So they picked up stones to put him to death. However, Jesus hid himself, left the temple, and went somewhere else.

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle,

they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.

Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.(a) What then do you say about her?”

They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”

Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.

Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.” (b)

Jesus the Light of the World

(1 John 1:5–10)

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. (c) He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going.

You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.

It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. (d)

I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”

The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”

He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am (e) he, you will die in your sins.”

They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However, he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”

They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.

Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.

He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

The Truth Will Set You Free

(2 John 1:4–6)

As he spoke these things, many believed in him.

Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (f)

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.

A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.

If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.

You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”

Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.

Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.

Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”

Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.

But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.

Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”

Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’

Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God.

You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word.

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”

Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM. (g) ”

Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.

Footnotes

(a)8:5 ℘ Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22

(b)8:11 NU includes John 7:53 –John 8:11 but puts brackets around it to indicate that the textual critics had less confidence that this was original.

(d)8:17 ℘ Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15

(e)8:24 or, I AM

(f)8:32 ℘ Psalms 119:45

(g)8:58 ℘ Exodus 3:14