September 6, 2015         John 8:28 – 47

Download discussion questions:  John 8_28-47 Freedom

Perhaps the most important key to good inductive Bible study is the question.  Often the first time someone is introduced to the idea of seriously studying the Bible on their own, they read a passage and then don’t know where to start.  Start with questions – when you read the passage, don’t focus on the knowledge you already have.  Instead, start with what questions the passage raises in your mind.  Then begin the process of seeing what kind of answers you are able to find in the passage.

That was the starting point of our discussion this week.  After spending ten minutes or so quietly looking at the text individually, we began responding to, “What question from your reading would you most like answered?”  The whiteboard quickly filled up:

• Was Jesus being too harsh when He said to them, “Your father the devil” (v. 44)? Wasn’t He being overly blunt when He said, “My Word has no place in you” v. 37)?
• What was the “this” that Abraham did not do (v. 41)?
• If the Jews had already believed, what did He mean about “If you continue” (v. 31)? Isn’t belief enough?  Is “continuing” some sort of work we must do in addition to believing?
• Is there a difference between being a believer and being a disciple (v. 31)?
• Who was He talking to? Were they all the ones who had believed (v. 30-31)?  Were there different groups He was addressing?
• Why was there so much discussion about heritage (v. 33, 37) and fatherhood (v. 38-39, etc.) and even illegitimate birth and fornication (v. 41)?
• Why did He say, “The truth will make you free” (v. 32) instead of “I will make you free” or “Faith will make you free”?
• Is there a difference between “believing in Him” (v. 30) and “believing Him” (v. 31)?

Then the challenge becomes the limited time for our discussion.  Many of these (and other) questions prompted by the passage could take the whole hour.  Our group tended to focus on the questions about belief and continuing and being a disciple.

Inductive Bible study begins with good observation (followed by interpretation and then application).  One member of the group noted a subtle nuance in John’s language.  Verse 30 says that “many came to believe in Him” and verse 31 continues saying that Jesus was speaking to the Jews “who had believed Him.”  That difference (with and without the preposition “in”) is in the Greek text as well.  In fact, the literal language in verse 30 is “many came to believe into (eis, εἰς) Him.”  One comment was that this suggests more of an investment or a participation in what Jesus was doing and saying.  Perhaps John was making an intentional distinction.  The growing critical responses in this passage (and even more to the end of the chapter) were from those who “believed” – that is, they heard what He was saying but were not committed to Him or invested in what He was teaching.  Another person in our discussion even suggested that there might have been an interval between verses 30 and 31.  Verse 30 certainly has the sound of a conclusion (“As He spoke these things many came to believe in Him”).  Verse 31 could have been beginning a new scene John is describing.  In any event, there is a difference between superficial, academic acceptance of information and true, involved commitment (one of our group pointed out James 2:19 about demons believing).

The Jews who had “believed” Him were the ones Jesus challenged to “continue in My word.”  One person commented that there might be a “progression to true faith” as an initial interest (even of a skeptic) is continued and allowed to grow.  The key is in what Jesus said – “continue in My word.”  Reading, studying, discussion Scripture will enable an honest questioner, a genuine seeker of truth to see more and more clearly who Jesus is and what His Father sent Him to do.  Perhaps that is why Jesus put so much emphasis on “truth” in this short passage (mentioned at least eight times).  The Jews who had “believed” Him seemed to have agendas other than seeking truth – defending their proud heritage and following their own desires, the desires of their diabolical father of lies (v. 44).  Because they ultimately were not seeking truth, they could not even hear what Jesus was telling them (v. 43).  There was no “continuing in My word” because they had no interest in truth, only in their own comfortable religious system.  Their “believing Him” was not moving toward “believing into Him.”  There was no “progression to true faith.”

That still leaves the question unanswered for us:  what does it mean for us to “continue” and how is being a believer related to being a disciple?  And how does that relate to our freedom?

A King James user pointed out that another translation for “continue” in verse 31 is “abide.”  That sense of continually remaining, even residing or dwelling in His word seems to be what Jesus was communicating.  As Peter and the other disciples had recently told Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).  Continuing means seeing His word and our growing relationship with Him as life itself, as the source of the well of water springing up to eternal life (John 4:14).

So is this “continuing” a task or set of duties for us?  Once we believe (or even “believe into”) do we then start on some arduous path to move into the category of disciples?  A bit more careful reading of the text (always a good idea!) is helpful.  Unfortunately none of us made this observation during our discussion.  But looking at the passage again, notice what Jesus does not say:  “If you continue in My word you will ‘become’ my disciples.”  He said nothing in this statement about a transition from believer to disciple.  Instead, Jesus is providing the evidence for true belief.  Sometimes an interlinear New Testament is helpful to see the literal translation and word order of a passage, “If you remain in the word of me truly disciples of me you are.”[1]  The climax of His statement is “you are.”  He is affirming the proof of genuine belief.  Jesus is not describing an artificial duty we must carefully keep maintaining to advance in our spiritual standing and gain the title of “disciple.”  Continuing in His word is the spontaneous and authentic response of a person who has “believed into” Him, who has found true life in Him.  Continuing in His word is the irrefutable evidence that we genuinely are His disciples, that we continually find our deepest joy and satisfaction and fulfilment in Him.

We didn’t answer all the questions from the whiteboard (if you answer all the questions at the end of the study, you probably didn’t ask enough questions).  But we did explore the questions that most spoke to our group from this passage on this particular Sunday morning.  Lord, plant in our hearts a continually growing desire for You so that we may eagerly continue in Your word, truly being Your disciples.

[1] The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament, Robert K Brown and Philip W. Comfort, translators (Wheaton, Illinois:  Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1993)