Luke 3:8 kjv
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Luke 3:8 nkjv
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Luke 3:8 niv
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
Luke 3:8 esv
Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Luke 3:8 nlt
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
Luke 3 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 1:16-17 | "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil... Cease to do evil, learn to do good..." | Call for active removal of sin and righteous living. |
| Eze 18:21 | "But if a wicked person turns from all his sins... he shall surely live..." | Turning from sin is necessary for life. |
| Mt 3:7 | "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming... he said... You brood of vipers!" | John addressing the self-righteous with harsh words. |
| Mt 3:9 | "And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’..." | Direct parallel to Lk 3:8 regarding Abrahamic lineage. |
| Acts 26:20 | "...they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." | Apostolic preaching of repentance linked to deeds. |
| Jas 2:17-18 | "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works’..." | Faith without works is dead; true faith is shown by actions. |
| Jas 2:20 | "Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?" | Emphasizes the uselessness of faith without action. |
| Jas 2:26 | "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." | Reinforces that true faith must be living and active. |
| Heb 6:7-8 | "For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing... But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless..." | Illustration of productive life vs. fruitless existence. |
| Jer 7:4 | "Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’" | Warning against misplaced confidence in external identifiers. |
| Jn 8:39 | "They answered him, 'Abraham is our father.' Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did.'" | Jesus confronts those relying on lineage, demanding corresponding actions. |
| Rom 2:28-29 | "For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly... But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit..." | Redefinition of true Israelite/Jew not by external rite but by internal change. |
| Gal 3:7 | "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham." | Spiritual children of Abraham are those who have faith, not just physical descent. |
| Gal 3:29 | "And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise." | Membership in God's covenant family through Christ, fulfilling the Abrahamic promise. |
| Rom 9:6-8 | "But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel... but 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.'" | God's choice is based on promise, not physical descent alone, introducing spiritual Israel. |
| Phil 3:3 | "For we are the circumcision, who worship God Spirit, and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh." | True "circumcision" is spiritual worship and lack of reliance on human achievement or lineage. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | "But to all who did receive him... who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." | Birth into God's family is by divine regeneration, not human lineage. |
| Gen 18:14 | "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" | Affirmation of God's omnipotence and ability to do the seemingly impossible. |
| Mt 7:19-20 | "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." | Direct teaching by Jesus that true nature is revealed by fruits/actions. |
| Rev 2:5 | "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first." | Call for repentance with corresponding actions in Revelation. |
| 1 Cor 1:27-29 | "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." | God often chooses the humble and unexpected, removing grounds for human boasting. |
Luke 3 verses
Luke 3 8 Meaning
Luke 3:8 is a powerful call from John the Baptist for genuine repentance, urging listeners to demonstrate a true change of heart through their actions. It directly challenges the prevailing assumption that physical descent from Abraham guaranteed favor with God, declaring that God is able to create His people from unexpected sources, thereby emphasizing His sovereignty and the necessity of spiritual transformation over mere lineage.
Luke 3 8 Context
Luke 3:8 is part of John the Baptist's confrontational preaching as he prepares the way for Jesus. Immediately preceding this verse, John is addressing crowds, including tax collectors, soldiers, and specifically mentioning Pharisees and Sadducees (though only in Matthew's parallel, their presence is implied by the "Abraham" retort in Luke). John's message in Luke 3:1-7 emphasizes a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins," fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of making straight the way of the Lord.
The historical and cultural context is crucial. First-century Judaism placed immense importance on physical descent from Abraham, believing it secured their covenant standing and salvation. This led to a sense of nationalistic privilege and often, spiritual complacency. John directly challenges this polemic, dismantling the notion that ethnic identity guaranteed a right standing with God. His words anticipate Jesus' teachings on the new covenant, where true spiritual lineage supersedes physical ancestry. John demands not merely a ceremonial wash, but a profound internal change manifesting in tangible, righteous actions. The imagery of the "stones" is a direct contrast to their "father Abraham," highlighting God's independence from human means.
Luke 3 8 Word Analysis
bear (Gk. poieō): To make, to do, to produce. This signifies an active generation or production of something, not just a passive possession or belief. It emphasizes visible actions resulting from inner change.
fruits (Gk. karpos): Literally, the produce of a tree or plant. Metaphorically, it refers to deeds, actions, or conduct that are the natural outcome of one's character or inner disposition. Here, it demands demonstrable evidence of repentance.
worthy (Gk. axios): Weighing as much as, of like value, fit, deserving, corresponding. The fruit must match the quality or nature of genuine repentance, implying actions consistent with a truly changed heart.
of repentance (Gk. metanoia): A profound change of mind and purpose, a turning around. It signifies a complete redirection from sin to God, leading to transformed behavior, more than just sorrow or regret.
And do not begin to say to yourselves: This phrase directly confronts internal thoughts and self-justifications. John challenges their complacent mindset and reliance on external factors rather than inner reality.
We have Abraham as our father: This reflects the prevalent Jewish belief that being a physical descendant of Abraham guaranteed divine favor and salvation, an idea prominent among groups like the Pharisees. This was a deep-seated identity and perceived safeguard against divine judgment.
for (Gk. gar): A conjunction introducing the reason or justification for John's preceding warning. It connects his argument about God's power to their misplaced confidence.
I tell you: An authoritative prophetic declaration, much like "Amen, I say to you" (Jesus). It carries the weight of divine pronouncement.
from these stones: John points to the literal stones littering the wilderness, emphasizing their inert, lifeless nature. This underscores God's ability to act entirely independently of existing, human-conceived means.
God is able: Highlights God's omnipotence and creative power (dynamai - possessing the power to do something). God's capabilities are not limited by human lineage or expectations.
to raise up: To bring forth, produce, call into existence. It suggests a miraculous act of creation.
children to Abraham: John uses the very term they boasted in, but contrasts their physical lineage with a divinely created spiritual lineage, signifying that God can establish a people for Himself even from non-Abrahamic (Gentile or spiritually reborn) origins.
"bear fruits worthy of repentance": This is the core imperative. It's a demand for action, demonstrating that a mere verbal profession of repentance or a ritualistic baptism is insufficient. The outward manifestation (fruit) must align with the inward spiritual reality (repentance). It calls for a life transformed by the power of God.
"And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’": This phrase directly attacks the spiritual complacency and false security derived from ancestry. John cuts through their ethnic pride, exposing it as a barrier to true spiritual life. It highlights a common human tendency to trust in externals or heritage instead of a living relationship with God.
"for I tell you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham": This powerful statement reveals God's ultimate sovereignty and freedom. It's a shocking metaphor: if God wants children for Abraham, He can make them from inert objects, implying that He doesn't need to rely on the current generation of Abraham's descendants if they refuse to repent. It prophesies God's work among the Gentiles and the spiritual redefinition of Abraham's children.
Luke 3 8 Bonus Section
John the Baptist's reference to God raising children from stones carries a multi-layered significance. On one hand, it highlights God's omnipotence, an important theological point. On the other, it contains a subtle prophetic hint towards the inclusion of Gentiles (non-Jews) into the Abrahamic covenant through faith in Jesus. The "stones" can symbolize the Gentile nations or the hardened hearts of those outside the Jewish covenant. John's preaching sets the stage for the Gospel, which will go to "all nations" (Lk 24:47), inviting all who repent and believe to become "children of Abraham" not by birth, but by faith (Gal 3:7, 29). This passage also strongly anticipates Jesus' own emphasis on inner purity over external ritual and lineage, linking genuine discipleship to righteous behavior. Furthermore, John's immediate warning foreshadows the judgment (axe at the root, separation of wheat from chaff) that will fall upon those who bear no good fruit.
Luke 3 8 Commentary
Luke 3:8 encapsulates the essence of John the Baptist's message: a radical call to real transformation, challenging the religious establishment's spiritual arrogance. True repentance, John declares, is not a ritual or a claim to lineage, but a living reality evidenced by a changed life producing visible good deeds ("fruits"). The Jews of his day were confident in their identity as Abraham's physical descendants, believing this guaranteed them a privileged position with God. John shatters this illusion, revealing God's absolute freedom and power to choose and create His people, even "from these stones," signifying that divine favor is not earned by birthright but bestowed upon those who genuinely turn to God. This verse lays crucial groundwork for the New Covenant understanding of God's family, built on faith and spiritual rebirth, not bloodline. It serves as a timeless reminder that external identity or tradition holds no sway without a corresponding inner transformation and outward demonstration of righteousness.
Examples of practical usage:
- Examining our lives for actions that truly reflect our stated faith.
- Avoiding spiritual pride based on church attendance, baptism, or family heritage.
- Recognizing that God can use anyone, regardless of background, to further His kingdom.