John 8:32 kjv
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32 nkjv
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32 niv
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32 esv
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:32 nlt
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Jesus embodies grace and truth. |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life..." | Jesus explicitly identifies Himself as the truth. |
| Jn 17:17 | Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. | God's word is truth; it sanctifies. |
| Jn 8:31 | So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples..." | Prerequisite for knowing the truth. |
| Rom 6:18 | and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. | Freedom from sin, servitude to God. |
| Rom 8:2 | For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. | The Spirit liberates from sin and death. |
| Gal 5:1 | For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore... | Christ's work brings liberation. |
| 2 Cor 3:17 | Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | Freedom enabled by the Holy Spirit. |
| Ps 119:45 | I will walk in a wide place, for I have sought Your precepts. | God's precepts bring freedom and space. |
| Ps 119:104 | Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. | Truth brings understanding, aversion to error. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom...but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me... | True boast is knowing God (truth). |
| Hos 6:3 | Let us know; let us pursue to know the LORD; His going out is certain as the dawn... | Experiential knowledge of the LORD. |
| Jn 17:3 | And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. | Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus. |
| 1 Jn 2:3-4 | And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments... | Obedience confirms experiential knowledge of God. |
| Isa 61:1 | He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives... | Jesus' mission includes setting captives free. |
| Lk 4:18 | He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. | Echoes Isaiah, Jesus fulfills liberation. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. | Deliverance from fear and slavery by Christ. |
| Col 2:3 | in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | Wisdom and knowledge are in Christ. |
| Eph 4:21 | assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as truth is in Jesus. | Truth's essence found in Jesus. |
| 1 Jn 5:20 | And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true... | Understanding comes to know the true God. |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind... | Knowing truth transforms the mind. |
| Tit 3:3 | For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various passions and pleasures... | Prior state of human bondage to sin. |
John 8 verses
John 8 32 Meaning
John 8:32 states, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." This verse conveys that an experiential knowledge of divine truth, which is personified in Jesus Christ, is the pathway to true liberation. It points to a profound spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin, spiritual darkness, and false doctrines, rather than merely political or social liberty. This freedom is contingent upon abiding in Jesus' word (as mentioned in verse 31), leading to an ever-deepening understanding and living out of that truth.
John 8 32 Context
John 8:32 is part of a larger discourse Jesus has with a group of Jews, some of whom had just "believed in Him" (Jn 8:30-31) after He declared Himself the light of the world. However, their belief seems superficial, as their understanding of truth and freedom is rooted in physical lineage to Abraham and earthly liberty, rather than spiritual reality. Jesus challenges them to move beyond mere intellectual assent to His words ("If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples") towards an experiential and transformative knowledge of the truth He embodies. This immediately sparks a contention (Jn 8:33), as they assert their inherent freedom as Abraham's descendants, revealing their spiritual blindness to the true slavery of sin that Jesus seeks to address. The broader context of John's Gospel repeatedly presents Jesus as the full revelation of God's truth, contrasting it with human assumptions and darkness.
John 8 32 Word analysis
- and you: (καὶ ὑμεῖς - kai hymeis) The conjunction "and" connects this statement directly to the previous verse (Jn 8:31), implying a consequence of abiding in Jesus' word. "You" is plural, addressing the group of Jews who had initially shown belief. This implies a personal journey for each individual.
- will know: (γνώσεσθε - gnōses the) From the Greek verb ginoskō. This is not merely intellectual recognition or factual acquisition (which would be oida in Greek) but implies a deep, personal, experiential, and intimate knowledge that results from relationship and encounter. It is a process of learning and growing in understanding.
- the truth: (τὴν ἀλήθειαν - tēn alētheian) The definite article "the" indicates a specific and absolute truth, not just "a" truth. In John's Gospel, "truth" is deeply theological and is ultimately personified in Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life"). It encompasses the reality of God, His nature, His revealed will, and the Gospel message itself. This "truth" is divine and unchanging.
- and the truth: (καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια - kai hē alētheia) The repetition of "the truth" emphasizes its active role and inherent power. It's not just a passive object of knowledge but an active agent.
- will make you free: (ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς - eleutherōsei hymas) From the verb eleutheroō, meaning to liberate or set at liberty. This "freedom" is not primarily political or physical, which was the Jews' misunderstanding (Jn 8:33), but spiritual. It signifies liberation from the dominion of sin (Jn 8:34), the curse of the Law (Rom 7:6), spiritual death, false doctrines, and the power of Satan (Heb 2:14-15). It leads to a life of true worship and service to God (Rom 6:18, 22).
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "and you will know the truth": This phrase highlights the personal discovery of ultimate reality found in Christ. The act of "knowing" is not an instantaneous event but an ongoing process of spiritual growth that follows "abiding in His word." It is a transformative knowing, reshaping one's life.
- "and the truth will make you free": This connects knowledge directly to freedom. The power resides in "the truth" itself, which actively sets one free. This is the promised outcome for those who authentically engage with and embrace the truth revealed by Jesus. The sequence implies: Abide in Christ's word -> Know the truth experientially -> Be set free.
John 8 32 Bonus section
The concept of "truth" in John's Gospel is not abstract philosophy but concrete reality found in the person of Jesus. He is not merely a revealer of truth but is Truth (Jn 14:6). This means that to "know the truth" is to intimately know Jesus Christ. The freedom offered is not license to do as one pleases, but rather freedom from the compulsion of sin to live righteously and obediently to God. This truth challenges legalistic frameworks and humanistic self-sufficiency, redirecting discipleship towards a transformative relationship with the Son. This ongoing process of knowing the truth implies progressive sanctification, where individuals become increasingly aligned with God's will and experience deeper freedom throughout their spiritual journey.
John 8 32 Commentary
John 8:32 reveals the profound link between spiritual understanding and liberation. It presents "the truth"—ultimately embodied by Jesus Christ—as the agent of freedom. This freedom transcends earthly constraints, primarily referring to emancipation from sin's power and dominion. Merely acknowledging facts about God is insufficient; true freedom springs from an intimate, experiential knowledge of Christ and His teachings, nurtured by "abiding in His word." When one truly knows and lives in God's revealed truth, the chains of spiritual bondage break, enabling a life of purpose and righteousness in Christ.
Examples of practical usage:
- A person grappling with addiction finds true liberation when they embrace the truth of Christ's power to deliver and renew.
- Someone burdened by guilt finds freedom from self-condemnation by knowing the truth of God's forgiveness through Christ.
- Individuals seeking purpose in life discover authentic direction by aligning their lives with the divine truth revealed in scripture.