John 16 2

John 16:2 kjv

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

John 16:2 nkjv

They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.

John 16:2 niv

They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.

John 16:2 esv

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.

John 16:2 nlt

For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.

John 16 verses

John 16 2 Meaning

Jesus forewarns His disciples of intense persecution to come. This persecution would manifest in two main ways: first, they would be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues, leading to social and religious ostracization. Second, this hostility would escalate to lethal violence, where those who kill the disciples would do so under the misguided belief that they are performing an act of devout service and worship to God Himself.

John 16 2 Context

John 16:2 is nestled within Jesus' Farewell Discourse (John 13-17), delivered to His disciples shortly before His crucifixion. Chapter 16 specifically deals with preparing them for His physical absence and the coming of the Holy Spirit, while simultaneously warning them about the severe persecution they will face in the world. Verse 1 immediately precedes it, stating Jesus has told them these things "that you should not be made to stumble." This means the prediction of persecution serves to steel their resolve and prevent their faith from failing when these trials arrive.

Historically, synagogues were the focal point of Jewish community life, serving as places of worship, legal dispute resolution, education, and social gathering. Expulsion (ἀποσυνάγωγος) from the synagogue meant not just religious excommunication but profound social ostracization, effectively severing ties with one's community, family, and economic support network. This had already begun to be enforced against those who openly confessed Jesus (John 9:22, 12:42). The shocking escalation to lethal violence "offering a service to God" reflects the intense religious fervor and misguided zeal prevalent among some Jewish groups, particularly the Pharisees, who perceived Jesus' followers as a blasphemous cult that threatened Jewish law and identity, making their elimination seem a pious act to cleanse their community in God's eyes.

John 16 2 Word analysis

• They will put you out: The Greek, ἀποσυναγώγους ποιήσουσιν ὑμᾶς (aposynagōgous poiēsousin hymas), literally means "they will make you without synagogues."
  • ἀποσυναγώγους (aposynagōgous): From apo (away from) and synagōgē (synagogue, assembly). Signifies expulsion, excommunication, or ostracization from the Jewish community and its institutions.
  • Significance: This was a severe social and religious punishment, leading to isolation and marginalization within Jewish society. It often meant exclusion from family, livelihood, and communal worship, equating to spiritual death in a tightly knit religious culture.
• of the synagogues: Refers to the local Jewish assembly places where worship, study, and community life converged.
  • Significance: Losing access to this central institution was a profound loss of identity and belonging for first-century Jews, akin to being declared a heretic and alien by one's own people.
• in fact, the hour is coming: Greek: ἀλλ᾽ ἔρχεται ὥρα (all' erchetai hōra).
  • ἀλλ᾽ (all'): "But" or "in fact," introducing an intensified or more shocking development.
  • ἔρχεται ὥρα (erchetai hōra): "The hour is coming." The "hour" in John's Gospel frequently denotes a divinely appointed, decisive time or period, often one of significant trial, revelation, or judgment (e.g., Jesus' "hour" for glorification/crucifixion, John 12:23).
  • Significance: This emphasizes the certainty and imminent, divinely ordained nature of this future suffering.
• when everyone who kills you: Greek: πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνων ὑμᾶς (pas ho apokteinōn hymas).
  • πᾶς ὁ (pas ho): "Every one who," highlighting the widespread and universal nature of the impending violence.
  • ἀποκτείνων (apokteinōn): Present active participle, "the one killing" or "the one who kills." Refers to causing physical death, leading to martyrdom.
  • Significance: This predicts lethal persecution, contrasting with the previous threat of excommunication. It signifies martyrdom as a direct result of their faith.
• will think he is offering a service to God: Greek: δοκήσει λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ θεῷ (dokēsei latreian prospherein tō theō).
  • δοκήσει (dokēsei): "He will think/suppose/imagine." This verb denotes a subjective judgment or a mistaken belief, indicating their actions are based on delusion or ignorance, not on objective truth or God's actual will.
  • λατρείαν (latreian): "Service, worship, act of devotion, cultic service." This word is used for formal religious service, often with sacrificial connotations, and frequently in reference to Temple worship.
  • προσφέρειν (prospherein): "To offer, to bring near, to present." Often used for offering sacrifices or gifts to God (e.g., Matt 8:4; Heb 5:1).
  • τῷ θεῷ (tō theō): "To God." The dative case directly indicating the recipient of the "service."
  • Significance of the phrase: This is the chilling heart of the verse. It unveils the twisted mindset of the persecutors: their violence is not wanton but religiously motivated, sincerely believed by them to be a righteous and holy act pleasing to God. This deluded piety makes the persecution particularly potent and morally complex, rooted in profound spiritual blindness rather than mere hatred or political gain. They confuse acts of murder with acts of sacred worship.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "They will put you out of the synagogues": This phrase describes the initial stage of official religious rejection and social expulsion. It speaks to a communal action of exclusion by the prevailing religious authorities. This aligns with a policy enforced by Jewish leaders against followers of Jesus (Jn 9:22).
• "the hour is coming when everyone who kills you": This marks a dramatic escalation from social ostracization to physical violence and martyrdom. The Johannine "hour" signifies an appointed time, stressing the certainty of this severe future. The generality ("everyone who kills you") implies widespread and relentless persecution.
• "will think he is offering a service to God": This critical clause reveals the ultimate perversion of religious zeal. The Greek terms latreian prospherein tō theō directly point to the act of religious worship or offering, traditionally considered sacred. For the persecutors to equate killing with serving God indicates a profound spiritual blindness and moral inversion. It suggests a belief that by eliminating perceived enemies of God (like the followers of Jesus), they are actively participating in divine will, even performing a meritorious act. This sheds light on the zeal of figures like Saul (later Paul) who "persecuted the church beyond measure" (Gal 1:13) while thinking he was doing God's work.

John 16 2 Bonus section

• The severity of this warning serves a pastoral purpose: to inoculate the disciples against spiritual stumbling when persecution eventually arises, by providing advanced knowledge of its nature and its misguided religious motives (John 16:1).
• The verse indirectly points to the deep division within Judaism concerning Jesus as the Messiah, showing how this conflict would turn violently against those who believed in Him.
• It anticipates the eventual split between Judaism and early Christianity, where Christian identity would lead to total alienation from mainstream Jewish life.
• The prophecy found its clear fulfillment in the early church, as documented in the Book of Acts (e.g., the stoning of Stephen, the persecutions by Saul/Paul, the beheading of James), confirming Jesus' foreknowledge.

John 16 2 Commentary

John 16:2 serves as a profound and sober warning, preparing Jesus' disciples for the ultimate cost of their allegiance to Him. It illuminates the paradox of religiously-motivated violence: that those who inflict the most grievous harm might sincerely believe they are fulfilling a divine mandate. The prediction of "putting out of the synagogues" speaks to the initial pain of social and religious excommunication, severing the deep-seated identity and community ties of Jewish believers. This was already occurring and would intensify. The escalation to lethal action, however, unveils an even darker reality: a perverted understanding of worship where murder is recast as "service to God" (λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ θεῷ). This distorted piety makes the persecution uniquely dangerous and relentless, as it stems not from mere hatred but from a mistaken, fervent conviction of doing God's will. It provides insight into the intense zeal that motivated individuals like Saul of Tarsus before his conversion (Acts 26:9-11). This verse is a timeless caution against religious fervor untethered from genuine divine knowledge, highlighting how spiritual blindness can lead to heinous acts camouflaged in piety, while also steeling believers for the trials that come from faithfully following Christ.