John 8 38

John 8:38 kjv

I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

John 8:38 nkjv

I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."

John 8:38 niv

I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father."

John 8:38 esv

I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

John 8:38 nlt

I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father."

John 8 verses

John 8 38 Meaning

Jesus states that He speaks what He has seen with His Father, and His Father does what He has seen Jesus do. This highlights the perfect unity and divine relationship between the Son and the Father, where Jesus' words and actions are not His own independent initiatives but direct outpourings of the Father's will and being, apprehended by Him through direct spiritual sight and divine connection.

John 8 38 Context

This verse is part of Jesus' discourse with the Jewish leaders in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. They are questioning His authority and origin. In the preceding verses, Jesus has claimed to be the light of the world and promised freedom through His truth. His opponents are characterized by their unbelief and resistance to His claims, rooted in their misunderstanding of His divine nature and mission. The immediate context highlights a dispute where Jesus is contrasting His divine perspective and actions, directly linked to the Father, with the limited, earthly understanding of His accusers.

John 8 38 Word Analysis

• Ἐγὼ (Ego): I. Emphasizes the personal agency and declaration of Jesus.
• οὖν (oun): Therefore; consequently. Connects this statement to the preceding dialogue and His claims.
• λαλῶ (lalō): I speak. A present continuous action, indicating ongoing communication from the Father.
• ὃ (ho): What. Refers to the content of His speech.
• ἑώρακα (heōraka): I have seen. Perfect tense, indicating a past action with a continuing result; He has perceived directly and permanently.
• ἐν (en): In. Signifies the source or sphere of His seeing.
• τῷ (tō): The. Definite article.
• πατρί (patri): Father. The divine parent; emphasizes Jesus' unique relationship with God the Father.
• καὶ (kai): And. Connects the two clauses.
• ἃ (ha): What. Similar to ὃ (ho).
• ἑώρακα (heōraka): I have seen. Same as above, highlighting repeated, direct perception.
• ἐγὼ (ego): I.
• ποιῶ (poiō): I do. Present tense, indicating ongoing action, mirroring the Father's actions.
• ταῦτα (tauta): These things. The specific actions He is performing or has performed.
• ποιεῖτε (poieite): You do. Used contrastingly to show the Father's active role in Jesus' deeds, not something humans (specifically the listeners) do.
• ὑμεῖς (hymeis): You (plural). The audience Jesus is addressing.
• Πατρός (Patros): Father's. Genitive case, indicating origin and possession.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "what I have seen with the Father" (ὃ ἑώρακα ἐν τῷ πατρὶ): This phrase denotes a direct, intimate, and continuous spiritual vision or apprehension of the Father's mind and will. It's not about mere observation but a deep, revelatory knowledge originating from the Father.
• "what I do, you do" (ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, ταῦτα ποιεῖτε): This construction highlights the perfect correspondence between Jesus' actions and the Father's. The use of "you do" here refers to the Father's doing, not the audience's, indicating that the actions of Jesus are precisely what the Father does. It implies a divine blueprint or active influence guiding Jesus' every deed.

John 8 38 Bonus Section

This verse reflects the concept of divine immanence and transcendence. Jesus' immanence is shown by His direct interaction with His audience, while His transcendence is evident in His statement of deriving His knowledge and actions from the Father. It also ties into the Christological debate about Jesus' divine and human nature, presenting Him as fully divine, acting in complete accordance with the Father. His obedience is not forced but an outflow of His intimate relationship and shared being with the Father, a principle echoed in Hebrews 5:8 where obedience was learned through suffering. This shared divine experience is key to understanding His authority and the validity of His testimony.

John 8 38 Commentary

Jesus' statement emphasizes His perfect unity and submission to the Father. His words and actions are not self-originated but are the exact revelation of what He perceives from the Father. This indicates a perfect knowledge of the Father's will and purpose, shared intimately between Son and Father. The perfect tense "have seen" implies a completed understanding and reception that continues to inform His present actions. His deeds are therefore a direct manifestation of the Father's ongoing activity. This contrasts sharply with the superficiality and earthly motivations of those who oppose Him. It speaks to divine unity, where the Son perfectly reflects and enacts the Father's will and work.

• Jesus acts not as an independent agent but as a divine messenger, whose message is God's.
• His sight of the Father transcends human sensory perception, being a spiritual, eternal knowledge.
• The Father's work is His work, revealing their absolute unity of purpose and being.