John 8:31–47

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,^b you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^c

³³They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^d and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^{e 35}Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^{f 36}So if the Son sets you free,^g you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^h because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,ⁱ and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^b”^j

³⁹“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^k said Jesus, “then you would^c do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^l a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^m Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹You are doing the works of your own father.”ⁿ

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^o

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^p for I have come here from God.^q I have not come on my own;^r God sent me.^{s 43}Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴You belong to your father, the devil,^t and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^u He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^{v 45}Yet because I tell the truth,^w you do not believe me! ⁴⁶Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^x The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”