John 5:47 kjv
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
John 5:47 nkjv
But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
John 5:47 niv
But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
John 5:47 esv
But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
John 5:47 nlt
But since you don't believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?"
John 5 47 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 5:46 | For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. | Fulfills Moses' prophetic writings |
| Deuteronomy 18:15 | The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst... | Moses prophesied about a coming prophet |
| Deuteronomy 18:18 | I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brothers... | Direct prophecy concerning Christ |
| Isaiah 8:20 | To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word... | Calls to test teachings against scripture |
| Isaiah 53:1-12 | Describes the suffering servant. | Old Testament prophecy of Christ's suffering |
| Psalm 22:1-31 | Details the suffering and vindication of the righteous one. | Psalm about Messiah's crucifixion |
| John 1:45 | Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and also the prophets..." | Connects Moses and prophets to Jesus |
| John 5:39 | You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me. | Scriptures testify about Jesus |
| Luke 16:29-31 | If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. | Those rejecting scripture reject supernatural |
| Acts 3:22 | For Moses said, ‘The Lord God shall raise up for you a Prophet from your brethren like me. You shall hear Him in whatever He says to you. | Peter quotes Moses about Jesus |
| Acts 7:37 | This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophet from your own people as he raised me. Listen to him. | Stephen echoes the prophecy |
| Hebrews 10:7 | Then I said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book. | Christ fulfills God's will in scripture |
| Acts 1:16 | Men, brothers, should have been fulfilled... Scriptural prediction. | Prophetic fulfillment in context |
| John 12:48 | The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. | Rejection of Jesus brings judgment |
| 1 Peter 4:11 | Whoever speaks, as one giving an oracle of God; whoever serves, as one by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. | Glorifying God through Christ's words |
| Romans 2:12 | For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. | Law and sin as basis for judgment |
| John 3:18 | Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. | Belief as determining condemnation |
| 1 John 5:10-12 | Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son. | Belief in Jesus is belief in God's testimony |
| Matthew 24:35 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. | Permanence of Jesus' words |
| Galatians 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” as referring to many, but as referring to one, “And to your offspring,” that is, Christ. | Christ as the fulfillment of Abrahamic promise |
John 5 verses
John 5 47 Meaning
This verse emphasizes that those who do not believe Moses' writings will not believe Jesus' words. It highlights a direct connection between believing in Moses and believing in Jesus, establishing Jesus' authority and validating His claims through the Old Testament.
John 5 47 Context
In John chapter 5, Jesus has just healed a man on the Sabbath and is defending His actions. He asserts His divine authority, stating that the Father has given Him life and the authority to execute judgment. He then presents multiple testimonies to His identity: John the Baptist, His own works, the Father's voice, and the Scriptures. This verse directly follows Jesus' statement that the Scriptures (written by Moses) testify about Him. The religious leaders at the time highly revered Moses and the Law, yet they rejected Jesus, demonstrating their misunderstanding of both.
John 5 47 Word Analysis
and if you do not believe His writings,
- "and": Connects this conditional statement to the previous one.
- "if": Introduces a condition.
- "you": Refers to the Jewish leaders or the crowd listening.
- "do not believe": Implies a rejection or lack of trust.
- "His": Refers to Moses.
- "writings": Refers to the Torah or the Pentateuch, traditionally attributed to Moses.
how will you believe My words?
- "how will you believe": Questions their capacity to believe Jesus.
- "My words": Refers to Jesus' teachings and claims about His identity and authority.
Group Analysis:
- The structure highlights a cause-and-effect relationship: unbelief in Moses' divinely inspired writings logically leads to unbelief in Jesus' words, who is the subject of those writings. It implies that genuine belief in the Old Testament should lead to recognizing Jesus.
John 5 47 Bonus Section
The concept of "writings" here can encompass not just the Torah but potentially all Old Testament Scripture known at that time, which the Jews considered authoritative and a testimony to God's covenant and future plans. Jesus is not creating a new path to God but fulfilling the ancient one illuminated by Scripture. The religious leaders' focus was often on the letter of the Law, missing its spiritual intent and its ultimate revelation in Jesus Christ. This verse remains a challenge to any who claim faith in biblical revelation but reject Jesus as its culmination.
John 5 47 Commentary
Jesus presents a critical logical consequence: if one dismisses the authoritative testimony found in the Scriptures concerning Himself, it's improbable they will accept His direct claims. Moses' writings, particularly the Pentateuch, contained prophecies and typologies pointing to the Messiah. Those who claim to honor Moses yet disregard the Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus reveal a fundamental disconnect. Their adherence to the Law was superficial, lacking the deeper understanding that leads to faith in Christ. It points to a spiritual blindness rooted in rejection of revealed truth, making genuine faith in Jesus impossible without first accepting the foundation laid by Moses.