FROM THE FOURTH GOSPEL
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Words Spoken to Nicodemus
John 3
19 And this is the
judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one
who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his
deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does
what is true
comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been
wrought in God. |
A Discussion with the Woman of Samaria
John 4
7 There came a woman of Samar'ia to draw
water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
8 For his disciples had gone away into
the city to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How
is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samar'ia?" For Jews
have no dealings with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered her, "If
you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me
a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living
water."
11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have
nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living
water?
12 Are you greater than our father Jacob,
who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his
cattle?"
13 Jesus said to her, "Every
one who drinks of this water will thirst again,
14
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst;
the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling
up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me
this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go,
call your husband, and come here."
17 The woman answered him, "I have no
husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying,
'I have no husband';
18
for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband;
this you said truly."
19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive
that you are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain;
and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman,
believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem
will you worship the Father.
22
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation
is from the Jews.
23
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth,
for such the Father seeks to worship him.
24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
25 The woman said to him, "I know that
Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show
us all things."
26 Jesus said to her,
"I who speak to you am he."
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Words Spoken to His Disciples
John 4
34 Jesus said to them,
"My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.
35
Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I
tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for
harvest.
36
He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that
sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37
For here the saying holds true,
'One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to
reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have
entered into their labor." |
A Discourse to the Jews
John 5
31 If I bear witness
to myself, my testimony is not true;
32 there is another
who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to
me is true.
33 You sent to John,
and he has borne witness to the truth.
34 Not that the
testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved.
35 He was a burning
and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
36 But the testimony
which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father
has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me
witness that the Father has sent me. |
Answering the People's Questions
John 6
30 So they said to him, "Then what sign
do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness;
as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven;
my Father gives you the true
bread from heaven.
33 For the bread
of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world."
34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this
bread always."
35 Jesus said to them, "I
am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes
in me shall never thirst. |
Responding to the Jews
John 7
15 The Jews marveled at it, saying, "How
is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?"
16 So Jesus answered them, "My
teaching is not mine, but his who sent me;
17 if any man's
will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God
or whether I am speakingon my own authority.
18 He who speaks
on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of
him who sent him is
true,
and in him there is no falsehood.
19 Did not Moses
give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill
me?"
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore
said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?
26 And here he is, speaking openly, and
they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that
this is the Christ?
27 Yet we know where this man comes from;
and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from."
28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in
the temple,
"You know me, and you know where I come
from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true,
and him you do not know.
29 I know him, for
I come from him, and he sent me."
30 So they sought to arrest him; but no
one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. |
Responding to the Jews
John 8
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I
am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."
13 The Pharisees then said to him, "You
are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true."
14 Jesus answered, "Even
if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true,
for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know
whence I come or whither I am going.
15 You judge according
to the flesh, I judge no one.
16 Yet even if I
do judge, my judgment is true,
for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he who sent me.
17 In your law it
is written that the testimony of two men is true;
18 I bear witness
to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me."
19 They said to him therefore, "Where
is your Father?"
Jesus answered,"You
know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father
also."
22 Then said the
Jews, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot
come'?"
23 He said to them,
"You
are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this
world.
24
I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins
unless you believe that I am he."
25 They said to
him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Even
what I have told you from the beginning.
26
I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true,
and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."
27
They did not understand that he spoke to them
of the Father.
28 So Jesus said,
"When
you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and
that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught
me.
29
And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do
what is pleasing to him."
30
As he spoke thus, many believed in him.
31 Jesus then said
to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you
continue in my word, you are truly
my disciples,
32
and you will know the truth,
and the truth
will make you free."
33 They answered
him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to
any one. How is it that you say, 'You will be made free'?"
34 Jesus answered
them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one
who commits sin is a slave to sin.
35
The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for
ever.
36
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
37
I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because
my word finds no place in you.
38
I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard
from your father."
39 They answered
him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus
said to them, "If you were Abraham's children,
you would do what Abraham did,
40
but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the
truth which I heard from God; this is not
what Abraham did.
41
You do what your father did." They said to
him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God."
42 Jesus said to
them, "If God were your Father, you would
love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own
accord, but he sent me.
43
Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to
hear my word.
44
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's
desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with
the truth, because
there is no truth
in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is
a liar and the father of lies.
45
But, because I tell the truth,
you do not believe me.
46
Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth,
why do you not believe me?
47
He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear
them is that you are not of God." |
Responding to the Disciples' Questions
John 14
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not
know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I
am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
7
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you
know him and have seen him."
8 Philip said to
him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied."
9 Jesus said to
him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet
you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how
can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words
that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who
dwells in me does his works.
11 Believe me that
I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake
of the works themselves.
12 "Truly, truly,
I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and
greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
13
Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified
in the Son;
14
if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
15
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16
And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to
be with you for ever,
17 even the Spirit
of truth, whom
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you
know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you.
18
"I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.
19
Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see
me; because I live, you will live also.
20
In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I
in you.
21
He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he
who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest
myself to him." |
The Parable of the Vine
John 15
1 "I am the
true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2
Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch
that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3
You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you.
4
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless
it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him,
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6
If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers;
and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.
7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and
it shall be done for you.
8
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove
to be my disciples.
9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love.
10
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have
kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
11
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that
your joy may be full.
12
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends.
14
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his
master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard
from my Father I have made known to you.
16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should
go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you
ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17
This I command you, to love one another.
18
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19
If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you
are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world
hates you.
20
Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his
master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my
word, they will keep yours also.
21
But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know
him who sent me.
22
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now
they have no excuse for their sin.
23
He who hates me hates my Father also.
24
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would
not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
25
It is to fulfil the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without
a cause.'
26
But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth,
who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me;
27
and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. |
Some Final Words to the Disciples
John 16
1 "I have said all
this to you to keep you from falling away.
2 They will put
you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills
you will think he is offering service to God.
3 And they will
do this because they have not known the Father, nor me.
4 But I have said
these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I
told you of them. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning,
because I was with you.
5 But now I am going
to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
6 But because I
have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.
7 Nevertheless I
tell you the
truth:
it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
8 And when he comes,
he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 concerning sin,
because they do not believe in me;
10 concerning righteousness,
because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more;
11 concerning judgment,
because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 "I have yet many
things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 When the Spirit
of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth;
for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will
speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. |
Jesus Prays to the Father
John 17
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he
lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the
hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee,
2 since thou hast
given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast
given him.
3 And this is eternal
life, that they know thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
4 I glorified thee
on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do;
5 and now, Father,
glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee
before the world was made.
6 "I have manifested
thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were,
and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they know
that everything that thou hast given me is from thee;
8 for I have given
them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know
in truth that
I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I am praying for
them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given
me, for they are thine;
10 all mine are
thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am
no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee.
Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they
may be one, even as we are one.
12 While I was with
them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me; I have guarded
them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture
might be fulfilled.
13 But now I am
coming to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have
my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given
them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I do not pray
that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep
them from the evil one.
16 They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them
in the truth;
thy word is truth.
18 As thou didst
send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
19 And for their
sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.
20 "I do not pray
for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,
21 that they may
all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also
may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 The glory which
thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we
are one,
23 I in them and
thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know
that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I desire
that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to
behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the
foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father,
the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that
thou hast sent me.
26 I made known
to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." |
Pilate Questions Jesus
John 18
3 Pilate entered the praetorium again and
called Jesus, and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
34 Jesus answered, "Do
you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"
35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your
own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have
you done?"
36 Jesus answered, "My
kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants
would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship
is not from the world."
37 Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?"
Jesus answered,
"You say that I am a king. For this
I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to
the truth. Every
one who is of the truth
hears my voice."
38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again, and told them, "I
find no crime in him.
39 But you have a custom that I should
release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you
the King of the Jews?"
40 They cried out again, "Not this man,
but Barab'bas!" Now Barab'bas was a robber. |