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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:14 | The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... | Jesus is the embodiment of God's Word. |
| Jn 1:18 | No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son... has declared Him. | Jesus reveals the Father. |
| Jn 3:18 | He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe... | Belief in Jesus is central to salvation. |
| Jn 3:34 | For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God... | Jesus' words are divine. |
| Jn 5:19 | The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do... | Jesus acts in perfect alignment with the Father. |
| Jn 5:42 | But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. | Lack of belief linked to lack of God's love. |
| Jn 6:63 | The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. | Jesus' words give spiritual life. |
| Jn 8:43-47 | Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are unable to hear My word. | Inability to receive truth due to spiritual state. |
| Jn 12:44 | Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me." | Belief in Jesus is belief in the Father. |
| Jn 12:48 | He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him. | Rejection of Jesus' words brings judgment. |
| Jn 14:10 | Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you... | Jesus speaks the Father's words. |
| Jn 15:23 | He who hates Me hates My Father also. | Rejection of Jesus is rejection of the Father. |
| Deut 6:6-7 | These words which I command you today shall be in your heart... | God's Word meant to indwell His people. |
| Isa 55:10-11 | My word... shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish... | God's Word has power and purpose. |
| Ps 119:11 | Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. | Internalization of God's Word. |
| Jer 31:33 | I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts... | New Covenant promise of inner word. |
| Lk 10:16 | He who hears you hears Me; he who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. | Rejecting God's messengers is rejecting God. |
| Acts 7:51-53 | You stiff-necked... you always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. | Resistance to God's revelation. |
| Heb 4:2 | The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith... | Word must be received with faith to benefit. |
| Jas 1:21 | Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | Saving power of internalized word. |
| 1 Pet 1:23 | Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God... | God's word brings spiritual birth. |
John 5 verses
John 5 38 Meaning
John 5:38 reveals a core issue Jesus addresses with the Jewish leaders: they lack an internal, life-transforming reception of God the Father's message because they refuse to believe in Jesus, whom the Father sent as His ultimate revelation. Their claim of having God's word and knowing Him is invalidated by their rejection of His Son.
John 5 38 Context
This verse is part of Jesus' discourse with Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, likely following the healing of a paralytic on the Sabbath (Jn 5:1-18). The controversy arose because Jesus healed on the Sabbath and claimed God as His own Father, making Himself equal with God. In this discourse, Jesus presents a multi-faceted defense of His authority and claims, calling on various "witnesses" – John the Baptist, His own works, the Father Himself, and the Scriptures. In John 5:38, Jesus directly confronts their self-perception, arguing that despite their zeal for the Law, they lack the Father's true word because they refuse to acknowledge Him, the one the Father sent. He exposes their spiritual blindness and highlights their hypocrisy, revealing that their external religious observance does not equate to a genuine relationship with God.
John 5 38 Word analysis
- And you (Καὶ ὑμεῖς - Kai hymeis): The emphatic "you" directly addresses the specific audience—the Jewish leaders—highlighting their personal culpability.
- do not have (οὐκ ἔχετε - ouk echete): Denotes an absolute absence, a spiritual lack of possession or internalization, not merely intellectual awareness.
- His word (τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ - ton logon autou): "His" refers to God the Father. Logos here means God's message, revelation, or communication, especially as embodied and spoken by Jesus. It implies the totality of divine truth and teaching.
- abiding (μένοντα - menonta): From menō, meaning to remain, dwell, stay. It signifies a permanent indwelling, a deep, transformative presence and rootedness within their hearts and minds, influencing their lives. It's more than a transient hearing.
- in you (ἐν ὑμῖν - en hymin): Refers to their inner being, hearts, and spirits.
- because (ὅτι - hoti): Establishes a direct causal link. The absence of the abiding Word is a consequence of their specific action/attitude.
- you do not believe (οὐ πιστεύετε - ou pisteuete): Pisteuō means to trust, to have faith in, to rely upon. Their lack of belief is not merely intellectual disagreement but a spiritual rejection of Jesus' person and claims.
- Him whom He sent (ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος - hon apesteilen ekeinos): "Him" refers to Jesus Christ. Apestellen (sent) underscores Jesus' divine commission and role as God's authorized representative, prophet, and Messiah. The definite "He" (ekeinos) refers unambiguously to God the Father.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And you do not have His word abiding in you": This phrase asserts that despite their adherence to the Law and claim to know God, they fundamentally lack an internalized, living, transforming understanding of God's revelation. Their relationship with God is superficial and external.
- "because you do not believe Him whom He sent": This clause provides the singular, fundamental reason for their spiritual poverty. Their failure to accept Jesus, the divine messenger and embodiment of God's Word, prevents God's own Word from finding a home within them. Unbelief in Jesus equates to rejecting God's entire message.
John 5 38 Bonus section
The inability of the Jewish leaders to have the Father's word abide in them despite their deep knowledge of the Old Testament highlights a crucial theological principle: a head-knowledge of Scripture is insufficient without a heart-transformation initiated by faith in Christ. Their failure reveals that hearing God's word requires spiritual receptivity (faith) more than intellectual capacity. This passage sets the stage for Jesus' later statements about His words being spirit and life, and the necessity of "abiding" in Him and His words. Their lack of belief shows a rejection of God's present, active revelation in Jesus, even while they claimed to honor God's past revelations.
John 5 38 Commentary
John 5:38 concisely captures the profound spiritual disconnect between the Jewish leaders and God. Jesus argues that true possession of God's word is not mere intellectual assent to the Scriptures, nor is it external religious observance. It requires a transformative indwelling of God's truth, which is accessible only through faith in Jesus Christ. Their unbelief in Jesus, the one explicitly sent by the Father to reveal Him, is the primary barrier to having the Father's word truly reside within them. They possess the written Law but miss its living fulfillment, effectively rendering their claimed adherence void of spiritual life and meaning. Their rejection of the Son's message means a rejection of the Father Himself, as Jesus embodies and speaks for the Father.