John 8 23

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 verses

John 8 23 Meaning

John 8:23 reveals a fundamental distinction Jesus draws between Himself and His interlocutors, primarily the Jewish leaders. He declares a radical ontological and spiritual difference: their origin, nature, and understanding are bound to the earthly, fallen realm ("from below," "of this world"), while His are intrinsically heavenly and divine ("from above," "not of this world"). This declaration explains the deep chasm in their perception and comprehension of His identity, mission, and message. It asserts His unique pre-existence and heavenly origin as the Son of God, sharply contrasting with humanity's earthly, sin-affected existence.

John 8 23 Context

John chapter 8 finds Jesus at the Temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles. This period was characterized by vivid ceremonies and intense spiritual discussions. Jesus's public teachings were consistently met with a mixture of awe, misunderstanding, and strong opposition from the Jewish religious authorities, particularly the Pharisees. Just prior to verse 23, Jesus had already declared in Jn 8:12, "I am the Light of the World," initiating controversy about His self-identification. The immediate preceding verses (Jn 8:21-22) highlight His impending departure to a place they could not follow, and their puzzled response regarding His potential suicide. John 8:23 serves as Jesus's clarification of why they fail to understand Him and why they cannot follow where He goes: a fundamental difference in origin and nature. It functions as a direct polemic against their earthly, limited perspective which prevented them from recognizing the divine truth embodied in Jesus.

John 8 23 Word analysis

• And He said (Καὶ ἔλεγεν / Kai elegen): The imperfect tense (ἔλεγεν) suggests a continuing dialogue or a pronouncement made in the course of the discussion, emphasizing His authoritative teaching.

• to them (αὐτοῖς / autois): Refers to the Jewish leaders and crowds who were questioning Jesus's identity and authority in the Temple.

• You (ὑμεῖς / hymeis): An emphatic plural pronoun, setting up a strong direct contrast with "I." It denotes their collective identity and shared earthly nature.

• are (ἐστὲ / este): A present tense verb indicating a permanent, ongoing state of being or origin.

• from below (ἐκ τῶν κάτω / ek tōn katō): Literally "from the lower things." Ek signifies origin, source. "Below" refers to the earthly realm, human generation, mortality, and implicitly, the fallen, sin-affected nature of humanity. It contrasts sharply with the heavenly.

• I (ἐγώ / egō): An emphatic singular pronoun, highlighting Jesus's unique individual identity and standing in stark opposition to His audience.

• am (εἰμι / eimi): The "I AM" form of the verb "to be," used by Jesus to subtly or explicitly invoke His divine self-existence (cf. Jn 8:58). Here, it reinforces His divine identity.

• from above (ἐκ τῶν ἄνω / ek tōn anō): Literally "from the upper things" or "from heaven." This refers to a divine, celestial, and pre-existent origin, signifying His heavenly Father as His ultimate source and identifying Him as divine.

• You are of this world (ὑμεῖς ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἐστὲ / hymeis ek toutou tou kosmou este): This phrase elaborates and reinforces the previous "from below."

  • τούτου τοῦ κόσμου (toutou tou kosmou): "This world." Kosmos (world) here carries the Johannine connotation of the fallen, corrupt human system hostile to God, rather than simply the physical creation. Their nature and allegiances are tied to this transient, earthly sphere.

• I am not of this world (ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου / egō ouk eimi ek tou kosmou toutou): This is a powerful, absolute negation.

  • οὐκ (ouk): A strong, objective negative, emphasizing an absolute distinction. Jesus asserts that His nature, values, purposes, and very being are entirely separate from, and superior to, the world's fallen state and rebellious system.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "You are from below; I am from above.": This presents a primary theological antithesis concerning origin and nature. It implies two distinct realms of existence – the temporal, earthly (tainted by sin and death) and the eternal, heavenly (divine and life-giving). Jesus identifies His unique and divine pre-existence as His defining characteristic.
  • "You are of this world; I am not of this world.": This second pair of statements deepens the distinction. "From below" finds its corollary in being "of this world," signifying a complete alignment with its values, limitations, and spiritual alienation. Conversely, "from above" is fully elaborated by "not of this world," asserting Jesus's utter otherness and spiritual independence from humanity's fallen system. This explains His unparalleled wisdom, power, and authority, and their inability to truly grasp His identity or purpose from their limited, worldly perspective.

John 8 23 Bonus section

• The terms "below" and "above" transcend simple spatial location to represent different planes of existence and origin: human versus divine.
• The use of kosmos (world) by John in a negative theological sense (the fallen human system hostile to God) is critical to understanding Jesus's radical distinction here. It's not the physical creation that is condemned, but its sinful rejection of God.
• Jesus's assertion here underpins His later statements about the inability of His audience to understand or follow Him (Jn 8:21-22), and their subsequent condemnation (Jn 8:24). Their "below" nature prevents them from comprehending His "above" reality.
• This verse prefigures and justifies the call to believers to be "in the world, but not of the world" (Jn 17:14-16), and to seek things "above" (Col 3:1-2), mirroring Christ's own radical otherness.
• This passage demonstrates Jesus's persistent revelation of His divine Sonship despite opposition, even using their own human origin as a stark contrast to His own.

John 8 23 Commentary

In John 8:23, Jesus masterfully crystallizes the essential conflict between Himself and His Jewish adversaries. He directly attributes their spiritual blindness and inability to comprehend Him to their origin and nature – they are "from below," inherently connected to the fallen earthly realm and steeped in "this world's" understanding and values. By sharp contrast, Jesus emphatically declares His own divine and heavenly origin: "from above," unequivocally "not of this world." This isn't merely a geographical statement but an ontological one; His very being and wisdom descend from God Himself, operating on an entirely different plane. The repeated "you... I..." construction underscores this radical dichotomy. This verse lays the theological foundation for understanding why unregenerate humanity struggles to perceive spiritual truths (1 Cor 2:14) and underscores the necessity of a spiritual transformation or new birth (Jn 3:3-7) to enter God's kingdom, as our natural, worldly origin is insufficient for comprehending or entering the divine.