John 7:17 kjv
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
John 7:17 nkjv
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
John 7:17 niv
Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
John 7:17 esv
If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
John 7:17 nlt
Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.
John 7 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 7:16 | Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not my own, but comes from him who sent me." | Authority of Teaching |
| John 8:31 | So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, | Abiding in Jesus' Word |
| John 8:32 | and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." | Knowing the Truth |
| John 14:21 | Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. | Loving and Obeying |
| 1 John 2:3 | And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. | Knowing God through Commandments |
| 1 John 2:5 | but whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God is truly perfected. By this we know that we are in him. | Perfection in Keeping Word |
| Galatians 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. | Manifestation of God's Will (Fruits of Spirit) |
| Romans 2:13 | For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. | Doers of the Law |
| Proverbs 3:13-14 | Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for her gain from it is better than gain from silver and her profit more than fine gold. | Value of Wisdom/Understanding |
| Psalm 25:9 | He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble his way. | Guidance for the Humble |
| Matthew 11:25 | At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; | Revelation to the Humble |
| Matthew 13:11 | He answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given." | Given to Know Kingdom Secrets |
| Mark 4:11-12 | And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that 'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.'" | Parables and Understanding |
| Isaiah 55:8-9 | For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. | God's Ways vs. Human Ways |
| Jeremiah 31:33 | But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my God. | God's Law Written on Hearts |
| 1 Corinthians 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. | Spiritual Discernment |
| Hebrews 5:14 | But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their training by constant use to distinguish good from evil. | Mature Discernment |
| John 7:52 | Nicodemus said to them, "Does our law judge a man without first hearing him and knowing what he does?" | Seeking to Understand Before Judging |
| Psalm 40:8 | I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is written within my heart.” | Delight in Doing God's Will |
| John 3:21 | but whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works were wrought in God. | Works Wrought in God |
John 7 verses
John 7 17 Meaning
Anyone who is willing to obey God's will will understand if this teaching comes from God or if I am speaking on my own. This verse highlights the conditionality of understanding divine truth: genuine obedience to God's moral commands is presented as the pathway to discerning the origin and authority of Jesus' teachings. It's not about intellectual capacity alone, but a heart disposition toward God's revealed will.
John 7 17 Context
This verse is spoken by Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Many people were divided in their opinions about him; some believed him to be the Messiah, while others accused him of being a Samaritan and having a demon. Jesus' presence and teachings at the temple caused a stir. The religious authorities were actively seeking to arrest him. In this specific instance, they sent officers to arrest him, but the officers returned empty-handed, impressed by Jesus' teaching. The leaders expressed their frustration, saying, "Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?" Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees, had previously approached Jesus at night, and likely referencing that, the other Pharisees present rebuked him, revealing a defensive and dismissive attitude toward anyone who showed interest in Jesus. John 7:17 follows this interaction, where Jesus addresses the unbelieving crowd and leaders directly regarding the basis of discerning His message.
John 7 17 Word Analysis
- ἐὰν (ean) - a conditional particle, introducing a hypothetical or contingent clause; "if". It sets up the premise for the subsequent clause.
- τίς (tis) - an indefinite pronoun, meaning "anyone" or "someone"; "whoever". It is indiscriminate, applying to any person.
- θέλῃ (thelē) - the present active subjunctive of the verb "thelō" (θέλω), meaning "to wish," "to will," or "to desire." The subjunctive mood indicates a potential action or a desire, fitting the conditional nature. It implies an active engagement of one's will towards God's will.
- ποιεῖν (poiein) - the present active infinitive of the verb "poieō" (ποιέω), meaning "to do," "to make," or "to perform." It refers to the continuous action of carrying out or acting upon something.
- τὸ (to) - the definite article, neuter singular nominative; "the". Used here to refer to the abstract concept of "will."
- αὐτοῦ (autou) - the genitive personal pronoun, third person, masculine singular, meaning "his." Refers back to "God."
- Θεοῦ (Theou) - the genitive noun, meaning "of God." Indicates possession or origin.
- τῆς (tēs) - the definite article, feminine singular genitive; "the."
- διδαχῆς (didachēs) - the genitive noun from "didachē" (διδαχή), meaning "teaching," "instruction," or "doctrine." Refers to the content and substance of Jesus' message.
- οὐκ (ouk) - a negative particle, meaning "not."
- ἐστίν (estin) - the third person singular present indicative of the verb "eimi" (εἰμί), meaning "is" or "to be."
- ἐν (en) - a preposition meaning "in," "on," or "among."
- ἐμοὶ (emoi) - the dative personal pronoun, first person singular, meaning "in me."
- ἂν (an) - an indefinite particle, used with the subjunctive mood to express uncertainty or potentiality; "whether."
- ἐμοὶ (emoi) - dative personal pronoun, first person singular; "me."
- λαλεῖ. (lalei) - the third person singular present active indicative of the verb "laleō" (λαλέω), meaning "to speak" or "to talk."
Word-by-word group analysis:
- "If anyone is willing to do His will" (ἐὰν θέλῃ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ): This phrase emphasizes a conditional obedience. "Thelō" (θέλω) is not just a passive desire but an active willing or intending. The willingness to do (poiein) God's will is paramount, not just to agree with it mentally. This implies a predisposition to align one's actions with God's revealed purposes.
- "he will know whether the teaching is from God" (γνώσεται ἂν ἡ διδαχὴ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν): This is the consequence of the willing obedience. "Gnōsetai" (γνώσεται) is the future tense of "ginōskō" (γινώσκω), suggesting a deep, experiential knowledge or understanding that develops over time, not merely intellectual assent. The presence of "an" (ἂν) combined with the subjunctive suggests a conditional knowing; if the condition (willing to do God's will) is met, then this understanding is possible. It's about discerning the divine origin (ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ - from God) of the teaching.
- "or whether I am speaking from myself" ( ἢ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ λαλῶ): This contrasts the divine source with a purely human one. Jesus distinguishes His message from His own uninspired opinions or assertions. He presents His identity and message as entirely dependent on God, His sender.
John 7 17 Bonus Section
The contrast between knowing the origin of the teaching and the "wisdom and understanding" the religious leaders possessed is stark. Jesus often challenged the spiritual blindness of those who, despite their knowledge of the Law, failed to recognize God's work in Him. His statement aligns with a recurring theme in the Gospels where divine truth is revealed to the humble and rejected by the proud or intellectually self-sufficient. The disciples' willingness to leave their professions and follow Jesus, an act of obedience, led them to understand His deeper teachings.
John 7 17 Commentary
Jesus' statement here is a profound invitation to genuine discernment. He is not asking people to blindly believe, but rather to engage in a process rooted in obedience. The acid test for the truth of His teaching isn't logical debate alone, but the willingness to align one's life with God's established will. This is a principle echoed throughout Scripture: those who are committed to obeying God's existing revelation will be better equipped to recognize and embrace new revelation from Him. This means practical application of the commands found in the Old Testament and a receptive heart to the truth Jesus presented, which ultimately came from the Father. It’s a timeless principle for discerning truth, emphasizing the heart's disposition over mere intellectual assent.