John 8:23 kjv
And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:23 nkjv
And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:23 niv
But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:23 esv
He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 8:23 nlt
Jesus continued, "You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not.
John 8 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 8:21 | "So he said again, 'I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.'" | John 7:34, John 13:33 |
| John 8:22 | "The Jews then said, 'Will he kill himself, since he says, "Where I am going, you cannot come"?'" | |
| John 8:24 | "'So I told you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am he, you will certainly die.'" | John 3:18, Mark 16:16 |
| John 3:31 | "He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all." | 1 Cor 15:47 |
| 1 John 4:5 | "They are of the world; therefore they are of the world, and the world listens to them." | 1 John 4:6 |
| Ps 93:2 | "Your throne has been established of old; You are from everlasting." | Ps 45:6, Ps 90:2 |
| Phil 2:6 | "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped," | Col 1:15-17 |
| Heb 1:3 | "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped," | Heb 1:3, Rev 5:12 |
| 1 Pet 2:4 | "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to God," | Eph 2:20, Acts 4:11 |
| Rev 1:8 | "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" | Rev 1:4, Rev 1:11 |
| 1 Cor 15:47 | "The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven." | Gen 3:19 |
| 1 John 2:15 | "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." | Gal 1:4, 2 Tim 4:10 |
| Rom 8:5 | "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." | Gal 5:16, Gal 5:25 |
| Eph 2:2 | "and in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience—" | Eph 2:1-3 |
| 1 John 3:8 | "Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." | 1 John 3:8-10 |
| John 14:6 | "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" | John 14:6 |
| John 1:9 | "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." | John 1:9 |
| John 18:36 | "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought, that I might not be delivered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.'" | John 18:36 |
John 8 verses
John 8 23 Meaning
Jesus explains to the Jews that He is from above, while they are from below. This difference in origin signifies a fundamental disparity in their spiritual nature and allegiance. Because He speaks the truth, they do not believe Him. He is not of this world in the same way they are, making their rejection understandable from His perspective, but rooted in their earthly, not heavenly, mindset.
John 8 23 Context
This exchange occurs during Jesus' teaching in the temple courts during the Feast of Tabernacles. The crowds are divided in their opinion of Him. In the preceding verses, Jesus has declared He is leaving and that the Jews will die in their sins because they do not believe in Him. This has led to confusion and questioning among them. Jesus’ statement in verse 23 is a response to their inability to comprehend His origin and His identity, highlighting their fundamental disconnect due to their earthly perspective versus His heavenly origin.
John 8 23 Word analysis
- "You are from below": Refers to their earthly origin and natural human state, bound by sin and earthly concerns. It contrasts with Jesus' divine, heavenly origin.
- "I am from above": Signifies Jesus' divine nature, His origin from God the Father. It underscores His unique relationship and authority.
- "You are of this world": Emphasizes their allegiance and perspective being tied to the present, temporal world system, characterized by sin and opposition to God.
- "I am not of this world": Declares Jesus' distinctiveness. His mission, identity, and authority transcend earthly limitations and the prevailing corrupt systems.
John 8 23 Bonus section
This declaration aligns with numerous other scriptural passages that emphasize Jesus' pre-existence and divine origin. It anticipates His later prayer in John 17:14-16 where He states, "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." The phrase "I am he" (often translated as "I AM" or implied) carries profound significance, echoing God's self-revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14, signifying Jesus' divine identity and eternal nature. This verse, therefore, is a foundational statement of Jesus' divinity in His Gospel.
John 8 23 Commentary
Jesus' statement establishes a crucial theological distinction. He is not merely a man; He is divine, with a heritage from heaven, not from the earth. The Jewish listeners, despite their physical lineage, were spiritually aligned with the earth and its fallen condition, thus failing to grasp His divine truth. Their "below" and "of this world" status is linked to their rejection of His message, a rejection stemming from their inability to perceive His heavenly origin and authority. This dichotomy is central to understanding salvation: recognizing Jesus as "from above" is essential for belief and spiritual life.