John 15:22 kjv
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
John 15:22 nkjv
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
John 15:22 niv
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
John 15:22 esv
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
John 15:22 nlt
They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
John 15 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 12:47-48 | "That servant who knew his master’s will... but did not do it will be beaten with many blows..." | Greater accountability for greater knowledge. |
| Jn 3:19 | "This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light..." | Rejection of light brings condemnation. |
| Jn 9:41 | "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains." | Claiming to see brings greater responsibility. |
| Acts 17:30 | "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." | Increased divine expectation after revelation. |
| Rom 1:20 | "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities... have been clearly seen..." | General revelation makes all without excuse. |
| Rom 2:12 | "For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law." | Judgment according to the knowledge received. |
| Heb 10:26-29 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins..." | Grave consequences for deliberate rejection of truth. |
| Matt 11:20-24 | Jesus reproaches cities where most of His mighty works had been done, for they did not repent. | Greater judgment for places given greater light. |
| Matt 12:41-42 | The people of Nineveh and the Queen of the South will condemn "this generation" because they repented at less evidence. | Unbelief despite compelling evidence leads to condemnation. |
| Jn 12:48 | "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him..." | Jesus' words are the basis of judgment. |
| Is 5:4 | "What more could have been done for my vineyard that I have not done in it?" | God's comprehensive provision, Israel's unresponsiveness. |
| Ez 2:5 | "And whether they hear or refuse to hear... they will know that a prophet has been among them." | Prophets deliver God's message, establishing accountability. |
| Zech 7:11-12 | "They refused to pay attention... making their hearts as hard as diamond, so that they might not hear the law..." | Deliberate hardening against God's word. |
| Ps 19:1-4 | "The heavens declare the glory of God..." | Creation as general revelation, removing excuse. |
| Jn 1:9 | "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." | Jesus as the universal light and truth. |
| Jn 14:6 | "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." | Unique, ultimate revelation through Jesus. |
| Jn 16:9 | "Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me..." | Defines the central sin as unbelief in Jesus. |
| Jn 15:24 | "If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have had sin..." | Jesus' works, like His words, bring heightened culpability. |
| 1 Jn 4:10 | "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son..." | God's initiative in revealing Himself for salvation. |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." | Israel's unique knowledge led to unique judgment. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers... but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son..." | Jesus as the ultimate, final divine revelation. |
| Prov 29:1 | "He who is often rebuked, yet hardens his neck, will suddenly be broken, and that without remedy." | Resistance to correction leads to destruction. |
John 15 verses
John 15 22 Meaning
John 15:22 states that had Jesus not come and spoken, the people who rejected Him would not bear the same culpability for their "sin." However, because He did come and reveal the truth through His person and words, they now stand without any legitimate excuse for their specific sin of unbelief and rejection. His presence and teaching removed any ignorance as a valid defense, rendering their refusal to believe a deliberate act of spiritual rebellion.
John 15 22 Context
This verse is part of Jesus' farewell discourse to His disciples, found in John chapters 13-17. Specifically, it falls within the segment (Jn 15:18-16:4a) where Jesus prepares His followers for the world's hatred and persecution. He has just told them, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first" (Jn 15:18). John 15:22 explains why the world's hatred and rejection of Jesus and His message is so damnable. The central theme throughout John's Gospel is Jesus as the Light of the World (Jn 1:4-9, 8:12, 9:5, 12:46), exposing darkness and confronting unbelief. Jesus' physical presence (His "coming") and His explicit teachings (His "spoken" words) constituted God's definitive revelation. This context highlights the heightened spiritual accountability of those who personally witnessed Jesus and heard His message, yet chose to reject Him. Their choice was not out of ignorance but defiance against the manifest truth.
John 15 22 Word analysis
- If (εἰ, ei): A conditional particle, introducing a real, but not necessarily fulfilled, condition. Here it introduces a condition contrary to fact ("If I had not come..."), indicating the hypothetical nature of their lower culpability had Jesus truly not appeared.
- I had not come (μὴ ἦλθον, mē elthon):
- μὴ (mē): Negative particle, used with the aorist indicative to express a conditional clause with a negative implication.
- ἦλθον (elthon): Aorist active indicative of ἔρχομαι (erchomai), "to come." Refers to Jesus' incarnation, His physical manifestation in the world as God in the flesh. This is more than a visit; it is a saving presence.
- and spoken (καὶ ἐλάλησα, kai elalēsa):
- καὶ (kai): "and."
- ἐλάλησα (elalēsa): Aorist active indicative of λαλέω (laleō), "to speak" or "to preach." This refers to Jesus' verbal revelation, His teachings, claims, commands, and explanation of God's will. Both His person (coming) and His proclamation (speaking) constitute the complete divine revelation.
- to them (αὐτοῖς, autois): Dative plural pronoun, referring to those who ultimately rejected Him – primarily the Jewish religious leaders and many within the nation who witnessed Him but remained in unbelief.
- they would not have had sin (οὐκ εἴχοσαν ἁμαρτίαν, ouk eichosan hamartian):
- οὐκ (ouk): Absolute negative, "not."
- εἴχοσαν (eichosan): Imperfect active indicative of ἔχω (echō), "to have." This translates as "they would not have been held guilty for (this specific) sin."
- ἁμαρτίαν (hamartian): Accusative singular of ἁμαρτία (hamartia), "sin." Crucially, this does not mean they would have been generally sinless or morally perfect. Rather, it refers to the specific, ultimate, and damnable sin of rejecting God's Son and His definitive truth. Without Jesus' unique revelation, their prior sins would not include this particular ultimate unbelief with its attendant, heightened culpability. They would still be accountable for sin against the Law and natural revelation (Rom 1:18-20, 2:12-16), but not for the deliberate, informed rejection of the Messiah.
- But now (νῦν δὲ, nyn de): A strong adversative conjunction, signifying a dramatic shift in reality and responsibility. "As things now stand," or "but in the present circumstances."
- they have no excuse (πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, profasin ouk echousin):
- πρόφασιν (profasin): Accusative singular of πρόφασις (profasis), "a pretext, an excuse, a plea, a justification." It means there is no legitimate or valid defense for their actions. Their rejection is intentional.
- οὐκ ἔχουσιν (ouk echousin): "they do not have." The direct absence of any legitimate reason.
- for their sin (περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν, peri tēs hamartias autōn):
- περὶ (peri): Preposition, "concerning" or "regarding."
- τῆς ἁμαρτίας (tēs hamartias): Genitive singular of ἁμαρτία (hamartia), "the sin." This again refers to their specific, damning sin of rejecting Christ, amplified by the light He shed.
- αὐτῶν (autōn): Genitive plural pronoun, "their." It is their own personal, willful sin.
Words-group analysis:
- "If I had not come and spoken to them...": This phrase highlights that the act of revelation was twofold: Jesus' physical presence (His coming) and His verbal teaching (His speaking). Both elements provided undeniable proof of His identity and message, making ignorance impossible.
- "...they would not have had sin.": This critical phrase signifies that the specific sin of deliberate unbelief in Christ would not exist for them had He not come. Their existing sins would be against the Law or natural knowledge, but not against the ultimate, personal revelation of God's Son. This does not absolve humanity of general sinfulness, but rather heightens the culpability of rejecting the Son.
- "But now they have no excuse for their sin.": The emphatic declaration of complete and utter lack of justification. Having received the full truth from God incarnate, their decision to reject Him is without merit or defense. This is not about the Father's willingness to forgive prior sins, but about the willful choice to deny the greatest offer of salvation.
John 15 22 Bonus section
The verse implies that divine judgment is commensurate with the degree of divine revelation. Those who reject general revelation (creation) are without excuse. Those who reject special revelation (Law and prophets) are without excuse. But those who reject the ultimate revelation in Jesus Christ face the gravest condemnation. Their "sin" now specifically includes rejecting the very One sent to take away sin. This is the pivot point in salvation history and judgment. While all people are sinners, this specific sin of active unbelief in Christ after being exposed to Him carries unique and severe consequences, underscoring the necessity and urgency of believing in Jesus for salvation.
John 15 22 Commentary
John 15:22 marks a crucial theological point about heightened accountability. Jesus declares that His incarnation (coming) and teaching (speaking) have irrevocably altered humanity's moral landscape. Prior to Jesus, individuals were judged according to the light they had, whether through natural revelation (Rom 1:20), conscience (Rom 2:14-15), or the Mosaic Law. However, with the advent of Jesus, the very Son of God, and His authoritative declaration of truth, the stakes became infinitely higher.
The "sin" referred to here is not merely any transgression, but specifically the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the only path to the Father. Had He not come and unequivocally shown them the Father (Jn 14:9), their unbelief would not carry the same gravity; it might have been attributed to ignorance or misunderstanding. But Jesus, through His miracles (Jn 15:24), character, and profound teachings, removed all basis for such claims. He unveiled God's truth directly. Therefore, those who witnessed Him and heard His message, yet turned away, did so not from ignorance but from willful spiritual rebellion, hardening their hearts against the clearest manifestation of God. Their refusal to believe Him is now truly "without excuse" (Rom 1:20 echoes this for general revelation; Jesus extends it to specific, ultimate revelation). This truth underpins the severity of judgment for those who have been exposed to the gospel but have rejected it.