John 8:45 kjv
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
John 8:45 nkjv
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.
John 8:45 niv
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
John 8:45 esv
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
John 8:45 nlt
So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don't believe me!
John 8 45 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 8:45 | but because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. | John 8:45 (direct fulfillment) |
| John 14:6 | "I am the way, the truth, and the life. | John 14:6 (Jesus as Truth) |
| John 8:44 | You belong to your father, the devil... He was a murderer from the beginning... | John 8:44 (opposition to the Truth) |
| 1 John 1:8 | If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves... | 1 John 1:8 (self-deception) |
| Rom 1:25 | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie... | Rom 1:25 (exchanging truth for lies) |
| 2 Thess 2:10 | ...they refused to love the truth and so be saved. | 2 Thess 2:10 (rejection of truth) |
| Ps 119:142 | Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth. | Ps 119:142 (God's law as truth) |
| Prov 12:22 | The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. | Prov 12:22 (value of truth) |
| Isa 43:10 | "You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen... | Isa 43:10 (God's people as witnesses) |
| John 3:19 | This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness... | John 3:19 (preference for darkness) |
| Acts 28:24 | Some persuaded by what they said, while others rejected what Paul said. | Acts 28:24 (varied responses to truth) |
| John 10:27 | My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. | John 10:27 (believers hearing Jesus) |
| John 5:38 | ...and you have not accepted his word. | John 5:38 (rejecting God's word) |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God... | 1 Cor 2:14 (natural man rejecting Spirit) |
| 2 Cor 4:3 | And if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. | 2 Cor 4:3 (veiling of the gospel) |
| Eph 4:18 | They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance... | Eph 4:18 (darkened understanding) |
| 1 John 5:6 | ...and it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is truth. | 1 John 5:6 (Spirit as truth) |
| Jer 4:22 | "My people are fools, they do not know me... | Jer 4:22 (ignorance of God) |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword... | Heb 4:12 (power of God's word) |
| Matt 7:24 | "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder... | Matt 7:24 (acting on Jesus' words) |
John 8 verses
John 8 45 Meaning
Because the truth does not dwell in you, you cannot believe me.
John 8 45 Context
In John chapter 8, Jesus is engaging in a theological debate with Jewish leaders. He has claimed Abraham as his spiritual father, but they retort that they are Abraham's physical descendants and have never been enslaved. Jesus then speaks about true freedom, which comes from obeying his word and abiding in it. He directly confronts their unbelief, stating that their lineage does not guarantee them understanding or acceptance of his divine nature. The opposition Jesus faces highlights the spiritual blindness and hardened hearts of many in his audience, demonstrating their allegiance to a different spiritual father—the devil—as stated in the preceding verse.
John 8 45 Word analysis
οὕτως (houtōs): "thus," "so," "in this way." It emphasizes the consequence or reason for their unbelief.
ὅτι (hoti): "because," "that." Here it functions causally.
τὴν (tēn): Definite article, feminine accusative singular, "the." Refers to a specific truth.
ἀλήθειαν (alētheian): Accusative of ἀλήθεια (alētheia), "truth." This refers to Jesus himself (John 14:6) and the divine reality he embodies and speaks.
λέγω (legō): Present active indicative of λέγω (legō), "I say," "I speak." The ongoing action of speaking truth.
ὑμῖν (hymin): Dative of σύ (sy), "you," plural. Addresses the Jewish leaders directly.
οὐ (ou): Adverb of negation, "not."
πιστεύετέ (pisteuete): Present active indicative of πιστεύω (pisteuō), "to believe," "to trust," "to have faith in." The persistent refusal to believe.
μοι (moi): Dative of ἐγώ (egō), "me." The object of their disbelief.
Because I speak the truth: This group of words links Jesus' discourse directly to their reason for disbelief. The truth (Jesus himself and His message) is the very stumbling block for them.
You do not believe me: This phrase denotes a volitional and ongoing refusal, not an inability, stemming from an inner state.
John 8 45 Bonus section
The contrast here is between believing what Jesus says (the message) and believing in Jesus himself (the messenger, who is the Truth). Their refusal stems from a deeper issue: the absence of the truth within their own disposition or "nature," as hinted at by their proclaimed parentage. This mirrors the struggle depicted throughout scripture where individuals must choose between God's revealed truth and their own ingrained deception or adherence to falsehood. Jesus, as the embodiment of truth, acts as a discerner, separating those who belong to God from those who belong to the adversarial spiritual realm.
John 8 45 Commentary
Jesus directly addresses the source of the Jewish leaders' resistance. It's not due to an external factor, but an internal one: the truth itself repels them because it exposes their spiritual condition. Their claim of lineage is invalidated by their lack of spiritual sight and receptivity. Because God's truth (Jesus) is present among them, and they actively reject it, they are revealing their true spiritual parentage and lack of authentic understanding. Their failure to believe is a consequence of the truth convicting them, and their continued disbelief solidifies their separation from God.