The Word Am I

The Gospel According to St. John

Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 8 -

1
But Jesus continued on to the Mount of Olives.
2
And early in the morning, he went again to the temple; and all the people came to him. And sitting down, he taught them.
3
Now the scribes and Pharisees brought forward a woman caught in adultery, and they stood her in front of them.
4
And they said to him: “Teacher, this woman was just now caught in adultery.
5
And in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such a one. Therefore, what do you say?”
6
But they were saying this to test him, so that they might be able to accuse him. Then Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the earth.
7
And then, when they persevered in questioning him, he stood upright and said to them, “Let whoever is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.”
8
And bending down again, he wrote on the earth.(a)
9
But upon hearing this, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest. And Jesus alone remained, with the woman standing in front of him.
10
Then Jesus, raising himself up, said to her: “Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one condemned you?”
11
And she said, “No one, Lord.” Then Jesus said: “Neither will I condemn you. Go, and now do not choose to sin anymore.”

Jesus the Light of the World

(1 John 1:5–10)
12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me does not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
13
And so the Pharisees said to him, “You offer testimony about yourself; your testimony is not true.”
14
Jesus responded and said to them: “Even though I offer testimony about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going.
15
You judge according to the flesh. I do not judge anyone.
16
And when I do judge, my judgment is true. For I am not alone, but it is I and he who sent me: the Father.
17
And it is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
18
I am one who offers testimony about myself, and the Father who sent me offers testimony about me.”
19
Therefore, they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered: “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you did know me, perhaps you would know my Father also.”
20
Jesus spoke these words at the treasury, while teaching in the temple. And no one apprehended him, because his hour had not yet come.
21
Therefore, Jesus again spoke to them: “I am going, and you shall seek me. And you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you are not able to go.”
22
And so the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself, for he said: ‘Where I am going, you are not able to go?’ ”
23
And he said to them: “You are from below. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.
24
Therefore, I said to you, that you will die in your sins. For if you will not believe that I am, you will die in your sin.”
25
And so they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them: “The Beginning, who is also speaking to you.
26
I have much to say about you and to judge. But he who sent me is true. And what I have heard from him, this I speak within the world.”
27
And they did not realize that he was calling God his Father.
28
And so Jesus said to them: “When you will have lifted up the Son of man, then you shall realize that I am, and that I do nothing of myself, but just as the Father has taught me, so do I speak.
29
And he who sent me is with me, and he has not abandoned me alone. For I always do what is pleasing to him.”

The Truth Will Set You Free

(2 John 1:4–6)
30
As he was speaking these things, many believed in him.
31
Therefore, Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him: “If you will abide in my word, you will truly be my disciples.
32
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”
33
They answered him: “We are the offspring of Abraham, and we have never been a slave to anyone. How can you say, ‘You shall be set free?’ ”
34
Jesus answered them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
35
Now the slave does not abide in the house for eternity. Yet the Son does abide in eternity.
36
Therefore, if the Son has set you free, then you will truly be free.
37
I know that you are sons of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word has not taken hold in you.
38
I speak what I have seen with my Father. And you do what you have seen with your father.”
39
They responded and said to him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them: “If you are the sons of Abraham, then do the works of Abraham.
40
But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you, which I have heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
41
You do the works of your father.” Therefore, they said to him: “We were not born out of fornication. We have one father: God.”
42
Then Jesus said to them: “If God were your father, certainly you would love me. For I proceeded and came from God. For I did not come from myself, but he sent me.
43
Why do you not recognize my speech? It is because you are not able to hear my word.
44
You are of your father, the devil. And you will carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning. And he did not stand in the truth, because the truth is not in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks it from his own self. For he is a liar, and the father of lies.
45
But if I speak the truth, you do not believe me.
46
Which of you can convict me of sin? If I speak the truth to you, why do you not believe me?
47
Whoever is of God, hears the words of God. For this reason, you do not hear them: because you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

48
Therefore, the Jews responded and said to him, “Are we not correct in saying that you are a Samaritan, and that you have a demon?”
49
Jesus responded: “I do not have a demon. But I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me.
50
But I am not seeking my own glory. There is One who seeks and judges.
51
Amen, amen, I say to you, if anyone will have kept my word, he will not see death for eternity.”
52
Therefore, the Jews said: “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and the Prophets; and yet you say, ‘If anyone will have kept my word, he shall not taste death for eternity.’
53
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. So who do you make yourself to be?”
54
Jesus responded: “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me. And you say about him that he is your God.
55
And yet you have not known him. But I know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, then I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and I keep his word.
56
Abraham, your father, rejoiced that he might see my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57
And so the Jews said to him, “You have not yet reached fifty years, and you have seen Abraham?”
58
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am.”
59
Therefore, they took up stones to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and he departed from the temple.

Footnotes

(a)8:8 Jesus wrote on the earth with his finger because the ten commandments were written on tablets of stone from the earth with the finger of God. This woman broke one of the ten commandments. Jesus wrote twice on the ground symbolizing the two new commandments, to love God and love neighbor.(Conte)
1
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2
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.
3
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle,
4
they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.
5
Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.(a) What then do you say about her?”
6
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.
7
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.”
8
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
9
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.
10
Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”
11
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)
12
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.”
13
The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
14
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.
15
You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.
16
Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.
17
It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. (d)
18
I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
19
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.”
20
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.
21
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.”
22
The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”
23
He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.
24
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.”
25
They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26
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.”
27
They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.
28
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.
29
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)
30
As he spoke these things, many believed in him.
31
Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
32
You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (f)
33
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’?”
34
Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
35
A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.
36
If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
37
I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.
38
I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”
39
They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40
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.
41
You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”
42
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.
43
Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.
44
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.
45
But because I tell the truth, you don’t 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. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was Born, I Am

48
Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”
49
Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.
50
But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.
51
Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
52
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.’
53
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”
54
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.
55
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.
56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad.”
57
The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”
58
Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM. (g)
59
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 7:53John 8:11 but puts brackets around it to indicate that the textual critics had less confidence that this was original.
(c)8:12 ℘ Isaiah 60:1
(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