John 16:9 kjv
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:9 nkjv
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
John 16:9 niv
about sin, because people do not believe in me;
John 16:9 esv
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
John 16:9 nlt
The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me.
John 16 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 16:8 | "...convict the world concerning sin..." | John 3:19 (condemnation for unbelief) |
| John 16:10 | "...concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father..." | Acts 1:9 (Jesus ascending to the Father) |
| John 16:11 | "...concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." | Col 2:15 (Christ's victory over powers) |
| Romans 3:23 | "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." | Romans 3:10 (no one is righteous) |
| Romans 7:7 | "What then shall we say? Is the law sin? By no means! Yet I would not have known sin but for the law..." | Romans 7:13 (law reveals sin's true nature) |
| 1 John 2:2 | "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." | 1 John 1:7-9 (confession and cleansing) |
| Acts 2:37 | "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?'" | Acts 2:41 (baptism after conviction) |
| Zechariah 12:10 | "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child..." | Gal 1:4 (Christ gave Himself for sins) |
| Matthew 12:31-32 | "Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." | Mark 3:29 (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) |
| John 15:26 | "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." | John 14:16 (the Spirit as Advocate) |
| Isaiah 42:1-4 | "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations..." | Matthew 3:16-17 (Holy Spirit at Jesus' baptism) |
| John 3:20-21 | "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works are wrought in God." | Proverbs 16:6 (fear of the Lord) |
| Acts 24:25 | "And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and future judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, 'Go away for the present. When I find an opportune time I will send for you.'" | Heb 10:26-27 (certainty of judgment for sin) |
| John 14:26 | "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." | 1 Cor 2:10-14 (Spirit reveals spiritual truths) |
| Acts 5:30-33 | "The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as a prince and a savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit..." | Deut 30:19 (choice between life and death) |
| Genesis 6:5-7 | "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and grieved to his heart." | Genesis 18:21 (God's knowledge of sin) |
| Psalm 51:3-4 | "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight..." | Psalm 32:1-5 (confession brings forgiveness) |
| Matthew 25:31-46 | "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will gather all the nations..." | Rev 20:11-15 (final judgment) |
| 1 Corinthians 1:30 | "He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption." | Jeremiah 23:6 (Christ as our righteousness) |
| Titus 2:11-14 | "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, pure lives..." | 2 Cor 5:17-19 (reconciliation through Christ) |
| Acts 13:38-39 | "Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." | Heb 7:19 (law making nothing perfect) |
John 16 verses
John 16 9 Meaning
Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit, when He comes, will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This conviction is not a new concept but an unfolding of God's truth to those who reject it, demonstrating the reality of their own sin, the righteousness of Christ, and the certainty of divine judgment.
John 16 9 Context
In John 16, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His imminent departure. He reassures them about the coming of the Holy Spirit, who will continue His work and guide them into all truth. This specific verse (v. 9) introduces the Spirit's primary role in His ministry to the world: conviction. Jesus has been teaching and demonstrating the truth, but the world, in its fallen state, largely rejects Him. The Holy Spirit’s work is essential to break through this resistance, revealing the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment to unbelievers. The historical context is the final days of Jesus' earthly ministry, emphasizing the transition of leadership from Christ directly to the empowerment of the church by the Holy Spirit. The polemic is subtle but present against any view that might diminish Jesus' identity or sufficiency; the Spirit’s work is directly tied to witnessing about Jesus and confirming His divine mission and righteousness.
John 16 9 Word Analysis
When (otan): A temporal conjunction, indicating the moment or time when something happens. Here, it signals the specific occasion of the Spirit’s coming to do this work.
He (ekeinos): Refers to the Holy Spirit previously mentioned.
has come (elthē): The aorist subjunctive of erchomai (to come). The subjunctive mood is used here in a future indicative sense, referring to a future event that is certain to occur.
convicts (elenxei): The future indicative of elenchō (to convince, convict, rebuke, refute, prove wrong). This verb implies bringing a charge, exposing falsehood, and demonstrating guilt or error. It's a forceful bringing of truth that leads to conviction.
the world (ton kosmon): Refers to humanity in its fallen, unreconciled state, particularly those who are opposed to or ignorant of God’s truth as revealed in Christ. It can refer to the organized system of humanity alienated from God.
of (peri): A preposition that can mean "concerning," "about," or "regarding." It introduces the subject matter of the Spirit's conviction.
sin (hamartias): The accusative plural of hamartia, meaning "missing the mark," "error," "failure," "offense." The conviction is not just about a single act but the general state of sinfulness and specific sinful acts of unbelief in Jesus.
of (peri): Again, indicating the subject matter of conviction.
righteousness (dikaiosunēs): The genitive of dikaiosunē, meaning "justice," "uprightness," "virtue," "righteousness." This refers primarily to the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, both His own personal righteousness and the righteousness imputed to believers through faith in Him. It's also the righteousness God establishes and upholds.
of (peri): Again, introducing the subject of conviction.
judgment (krisios): The genitive of krisis, meaning "judgment," "decision," "condemnation," "sentence." This refers to the divine judgment that is certain upon those who reject God's provision in Christ, and also the judgment that Christ Himself has passed upon the powers of darkness.
Group Analysis: "convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment": This phrase encapsulates the Spirit’s essential apologetic and evangelistic function. The Spirit confronts humanity's unawareness of its sinfulness, demonstrates Christ’s absolute righteousness (and the consequent inadequacy of human attempts at self-righteousness), and affirms God’s righteous judgment against sin and the world's opposition to God. The interconnectedness is key: conviction of sin naturally leads to seeking righteousness, and the understanding of sin and rejection of righteousness leads to facing judgment.
John 16 9 Bonus Section
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit’s conviction is crucial in understanding effective evangelism. It’s not merely about presenting facts but about the Spirit’s divine enablement to open spiritual eyes and ears to receive the truth. Early Christian preachers, empowered by the Spirit, often saw widespread conviction of sin following their messages, leading to mass conversions (e.g., Acts 2:37, 41; Acts 13:43-52). This verse sets the stage for the Spirit's ongoing work in the Church, continuing Jesus' mission by convicting hearts and drawing people to the Father. The world's inability to grasp spiritual truth (1 Cor 2:14) is overcome by this divine initiative of the Spirit.
John 16 9 Commentary
The Holy Spirit is the great convictor, but His conviction is not for condemnation leading to despair, but for correction leading to salvation. He illuminates the reality of sin in human life, often manifesting as disbelief in Jesus. He bears witness to Christ's perfect righteousness, thereby exposing human inability to achieve righteousness apart from Him. Furthermore, the Spirit makes known the coming judgment upon the world's systems and individuals who reject God's offered salvation through Christ. This process is designed to draw people to repentance and faith in Jesus. The Spirit does this by: highlighting God's Word, exposing deception, revealing God's character, and demonstrating the outcome of life apart from Christ.
- The Spirit’s conviction makes clear that humanity’s greatest sin is unbelief in Jesus Christ (John 3:18).
- Christ's ascension signifies His perfect righteousness being acknowledged by the Father, making His imputed righteousness available to all who believe.
- The judgment mentioned is twofold: the definitive judgment on Satan and the spiritual powers (Col 2:15) and the future, final judgment of all humanity based on their response to Christ.