John 16:31 kjv
Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
John 16:31 nkjv
Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
John 16:31 niv
"Do you now believe?" Jesus replied.
John 16:31 esv
Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
John 16:31 nlt
Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe?
John 16 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jno 16:30 | "Now we know that you know all things..." | Disciples' declared confidence just prior. |
| Jno 2:24-25 | "...Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people..." | Jesus' perfect knowledge of human hearts. |
| Jno 13:1 | "Jesus, knowing that his hour had come..." | Jesus' awareness of His own destiny. |
| Matt 26:31 | "Then Jesus said to them, 'You will all fall away because of me this night...'" | Prophecy of disciples' abandonment. |
| Mark 14:27 | "And Jesus said to them, 'You will all fall away...'" | Mark's account of the same prophecy. |
| Zec 13:7 | "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered..." | Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by the scattering. |
| Luke 22:31-32 | "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat..." | Jesus' awareness of Peter's impending denial and prayer for him. |
| Jno 6:64 | "But there are some of you who do not believe. (For Jesus knew from the beginning...)" | Jesus knows unbelief from the outset. |
| Jno 14:1 | "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." | Call to believe despite coming trials. |
| Jas 2:19 | "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" | Belief beyond mere intellectual assent. |
| Luke 8:13 | "And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root..." | Superficial belief that withers in trial. |
| Heb 11:6 | "And without faith it is impossible to please him..." | Necessity of genuine, enduring faith. |
| 1 Cor 10:12 | "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." | Warning against overconfidence. |
| Matt 7:21 | "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven..." | Importance of true obedience over profession. |
| Rom 10:9-10 | "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart..." | The dual nature of saving faith (heart and confession). |
| 1 Jn 5:4-5 | "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith." | Faith as the means to overcome the world. |
| Jno 20:29 | "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." | Blessing on faith that does not depend on sight. |
| Psa 139:2-4 | "You know my down-sitting and my rising up; you understand my thoughts afar off." | God's absolute knowledge. |
| Matt 16:13-17 | Peter's confession: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," and Jesus' blessing. | A deeper revelation of belief in Jesus. |
| Heb 4:12-13 | "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..." | God's word penetrates to the heart, revealing true thoughts. |
| Prov 27:1-2 | "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." | Against presumptuous self-confidence. |
| Jno 1:12 | "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." | Result of truly believing in Jesus. |
John 16 verses
John 16 31 Meaning
John 16:31 presents Jesus' probing question to His disciples, "Do you now believe?" This question immediately follows their assertion that they understood Him and believed He came from God. It serves as an ironic and prophetic challenge to their newfound confidence, highlighting the shallowness of their current faith when confronted with the reality of His impending suffering and their subsequent scattering. Jesus, with His perfect foresight, acknowledges their present intellectual assent while subtly revealing its limitations in the face of coming trials.
John 16 31 Context
John chapter 16 unfolds Jesus' final, intimate discourse with His disciples before His arrest. He warns them of impending persecution (v. 1-4), promises the Holy Spirit as their Helper (v. 5-15), speaks enigmatically of His departure and return (v. 16-24), and finally promises to speak plainly (v. 25-28). The disciples, perceiving this shift to plain speech, express their understanding and a seemingly robust belief in Jesus' divine origin and omniscience (v. 29-30). Verse 31 directly responds to this declaration. Immediately following, Jesus prophesies their scattering and abandonment of Him (v. 32), setting the stage for His victory over the world (v. 33). The historical context is the eve of Jesus' Passion, with His crucifixion imminent. The disciples, while believing Jesus is the Messiah, do not yet grasp the necessity or nature of His suffering and death, nor their own weakness and flight under duress. Jesus' question challenges their confidence and prepares them for the sobering reality that will soon test their faith. It highlights the vast chasm between their superficial understanding and His comprehensive divine knowledge of their future failure.
John 16 31 Word analysis
Jesus (Ἰησοῦς - Iesous): The Greek name for Jesus. Signifies His divine authority and role as the Son of God, asking this profoundly penetrating question. It is His divine person discerning the depth of their human faith.
answered (ἀπεκρίθη - apekrithe): From apokrinomai, meaning "to reply, respond." The aorist tense indicates a complete, decisive answer. Jesus' response isn't a mere acknowledgement but a profound, interrogative counter-statement. This "answering" often means "taking up" a preceding statement to clarify, correct, or further develop it.
them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Refers to the disciples present with Jesus during this intimate discourse, specifically those who had just asserted their belief. This indicates a direct, personal address to their collective understanding.
Do you now (ἄρτι - arti): This adverb is critical. It means "now," "just now," "at this very moment." It injects an ironic tone into the question. "Do you really now, in light of everything, and specifically after this plain speech, now grasp the true nature and implication of your belief?" It sets up a temporal contrast with the immediately subsequent verse about their future scattering. It's about the immediacy and current validity of their asserted faith, right before the test. It implies a newfound understanding, but one which will quickly be revealed as superficial.
believe (πιστεύετε - pisteuete): From pisteuo, meaning "to trust, to have faith, to be convinced." It's in the present tense, indicative mood, implying a state or ongoing action of believing. As a question, it's a profound probe: "Are you presently exhibiting this full, mature, unwavering belief you just declared?" It challenges their intellectual assent to become a resilient trust that withstands adversity. It hints at the deeper, transformative faith Jesus desires, beyond simple agreement to His divine origin.
"Jesus answered them": This phrase marks a pivotal moment where Jesus takes control of the dialogue. It signifies that His next statement is not merely reactive but an intentional, divinely insightful response to their proclamation. It sets up the following question as a test, not an affirmation.
"Do you now believe?": This complete rhetorical question embodies both irony and prophecy. The "now" (arti) contrasts sharply with their impending scattering (Jn 16:32), immediately casting doubt on the stability and depth of their proclaimed "belief." Jesus knew their faith was nascent and would soon be severely tested, so He challenged their immediate, seemingly strong conviction. It serves to expose their self-assurance and prepare them for future trials and greater understanding. It is less about whether they intellectually assented, and more about whether that assent had become true, transformative trust.
John 16 31 Bonus section
The rhetorical question "Do you now believe?" can be seen as a pedagogical strategy by Jesus. He allowed His disciples to articulate their perception of faith, then immediately underscored its superficiality in the face of what was to come. This serves a double purpose:
- Divine Foreknowledge: It powerfully showcases Jesus' omniscience – He knew their exact words and the immediate future of their abandonment, which authenticates His divine authority.
- Growth in Discipleship: It was an object lesson designed to sink in later. When they indeed scattered, they would remember this specific question and the following prophecy, helping them to understand their weakness and the profound depth of Jesus' knowledge and their need for His strengthening. This painful realization was necessary for their subsequent spiritual maturation, transforming their intellectual belief into resilient, Spirit-empowered conviction. It implies a distinction between initial belief and mature, enduring faith tested by fire.
John 16 31 Commentary
John 16:31 reveals Jesus' profound knowledge of human nature and the true state of His disciples' hearts. Their confident declaration of "now we know" (Jn 16:30) is met not with a word of affirmation, but with a question that holds both subtle irony and impending doom. The critical adverb "now" (arti) points to the fragile, immediate nature of their belief, contrasted sharply with the "hour is coming" (Jn 16:32) when their faith would completely collapse. This is not a question seeking information for Jesus already knows all things, but a question meant to prompt self-reflection in the disciples (albeit retrospectively, as their failure would soon make His point clear). It highlights that genuine faith is proven in the crucible of tribulation, not merely in moments of intellectual clarity or emotional elation. Jesus prepares them not by denying their present faith, but by forecasting its imminent test and subsequent failure, leading ultimately to a deeper, more robust faith after His resurrection and the coming of the Spirit. It underscores that understanding His nature is only the first step; trusting Him through trial is the measure of true belief.