John 5:38 kjv
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
John 5:38 nkjv
But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
John 5:38 niv
nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.
John 5:38 esv
and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.
John 5:38 nlt
and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me ? the one he sent to you.
John 5 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 5:38 (partially) | "you do not have his word remaining in you" | John 15:7 (if you abide in me, and my words abide in you) |
| John 1:1 | "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." | Points to Jesus as the divine Word. |
| Deuteronomy 11:18 | "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul" | Emphasis on internalizing God's Word. |
| Jeremiah 31:33 | "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts" | The New Covenant promise of inner transformation. |
| Matthew 7:24-27 | "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man" | Hearing and obeying God's Word leads to stability. |
| Romans 10:17 | "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." | The Word is the basis for faith. |
| 1 John 2:14 | "I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one." | The Word's abiding nature leads to spiritual victory. |
| Galatians 3:2 | "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" | Faith is linked to hearing and believing the Word. |
| Psalm 119:11 | "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!" | Personal commitment to God's Word. |
| John 8:47 | "He who is of God hears God's words; you therefore do not hear, because you are not of God." | Directly links hearing God's words to belonging to God. |
| Isaiah 55:11 | "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." | The inherent power and effectiveness of God's Word. |
| Hebrews 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" | The dynamic nature of God's Word. |
| Luke 11:28 | "But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'" | The superior blessing of both hearing and doing. |
| Romans 2:13 | "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in the presence of God, but the doers of the law will be justified." | Emphasizes action based on the Word. |
| Colossians 3:16 | "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" | Encourages the Word to inhabit believers. |
| John 14:23 | "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him." | Obedience to the Word is a sign of love for God. |
| Acts 4:31 | "Now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness" | Prayer for boldness in proclaiming God's Word. |
| Psalm 19:7 | "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul" | The Word's transformative power. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 | "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preach to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved—if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." | The importance of holding to the preached Word. |
| Joshua 1:8 | "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night" | The imperative of constant engagement with the Word. |
| Romans 10:14-15 | "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" | The chain of hearing and belief. |
| 1 Thessalonians 2:13 | "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." | The authentic reception of God's Word. |
John 5 verses
John 5 38 Meaning
Jesus states that His Father's Word has not remained in the people He is addressing. This means they do not believe or obey what the Father has commanded or revealed through Scripture, indicating a lack of true faith and adherence to God's will.
John 5 38 Context
In John chapter 5, Jesus has just performed a miraculous healing on the Sabbath day, which elicits opposition from the Jewish leaders. They question His authority and accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath law. Jesus then engages in a discourse where He reveals His divine authority and intimate relationship with the Father, stating that whatever the Father does, the Son also does. He further explains that the Father has given Him authority to judge and to give life. He then contrasts the signs and testimonies He has given—the testimony of John the Baptist, His own works, the testimony of the Father, and the testimony of the Scriptures—with the disbelief and accusations of the Jewish leaders.
Verse 38, occurring within this defense of His identity and mission, highlights the underlying issue: their inability to accept His testimony because His message, which is the Father's word, does not reside within them. Historically and culturally, the Jewish leaders held a high regard for the Law and the Scriptures, claiming to be adherents of Moses. However, Jesus is pointing out a fundamental disconnect between their outward observance and their inner disposition towards God's truth.
John 5 38 Word Analysis
You (ὑμεῖς - humeis): Second person plural pronoun. Refers to the audience Jesus is directly addressing, the Jewish leaders and those who followed them.
do not have (οὐκ ἔχετε - ouk ekhete): "ou" is a strong negation, and "ekhete" is from the verb "echo," meaning to possess, hold, or retain. It signifies a lack of possession or adherence.
His (αὐτοῦ - autou): Possessive pronoun referring to the Father.
word (τὸν λόγον - ton logon): Refers to the Word of God, encompassing both spoken and written revelation. It carries significant weight in Johannine theology, linking directly to Jesus Himself (John 1:1). In this context, it refers to the divine message and truth communicated by the Father, which Jesus is also proclaiming.
remaining (μένετε - menete): From the verb "meno," meaning to remain, abide, stay, continue. It implies an internal dwelling or presence, a continuous abiding. The fact that they do not have His Word "remaining" suggests it is not lodged deeply within their hearts, nor is it the active principle guiding their lives.
Words Group Analysis: The phrase "his word remaining in you" signifies a deep, internal assimilation and adherence to God's revealed truth. It’s not merely intellectual assent or knowledge of Scripture, but a disposition of the heart that welcomes, believes, and obeys what God has spoken through the Father and, by extension, through Jesus Himself.
John 5 38 Bonus Section
The concept of "God's Word abiding in someone" is crucial in John’s Gospel and New Testament theology. It speaks to a genuine, dynamic relationship with God where His truth is not external but an integral part of one's spiritual identity and motivation. Jesus Himself is the living Word of God, and for His Word to remain in us is to have an intimate connection with Him, resulting in obedience, love for God, and spiritual fruitfulness (John 15:7). The Jewish leaders’ failure was not a lack of access to divine revelation, but a lack of the disposition of faith that would allow that revelation to take hold of their hearts and minds. They were clinging to the Law of Moses but failing to recognize the fulfillment of that Law in Jesus, indicating a fundamental misunderstanding and misapplication of God’s Word due to an unresponsive heart.
John 5 38 Commentary
Jesus’ declaration in John 5:38 is a profound assessment of the spiritual condition of His listeners. They are familiar with the Scriptures but lack a true internal disposition to God’s truth. They have external knowledge but not the Word dwelling internally, which would lead to belief and obedience. This is why they fail to recognize Jesus as sent by the Father and to accept His works and testimonies. Their resistance stems from a spiritual deficit where God's word is not truly established within them. This isn't about possessing biblical knowledge; it’s about allowing God's revealed truth to take root in the heart and influence one’s core being, leading to faith in Jesus.
- Practical Implication: For believers, this verse calls for more than just reading the Bible. It emphasizes the need to internalize Scripture, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and entire life. It is about letting God's Word abide within us, transforming us from the inside out.