Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
What does John 5:24 mean?
Our Lord declared his authority and character, as the Messiah. The time was come when the dead should hear his voice, as the Son of God, and live.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside John 5:22-24 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on John 5:24
He that heareth my word - To "hear," in this place, evidently denotes not the outward act of hearing, but to receive in a proper manner; to suffer it to make its proper impression on the mind; to obey. The word "hear" is often used in this sense, Matthew 11:15 ; John 8:47 ; Acts 3:23 . Many persons outwardly hear the gospel who neither understand nor obey it. My word - My doctrine, my teaching. All that Jesus taught about Himself, as well as about the Father. On him that sent me - On the Father, who, in the plan of redemption, is represented as "sending" his Son to save men. See John 3:17 .
Key words
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Verily verily, I say unto you,.
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Verily verily, I say unto you,.
Context in John 5
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John 5 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as prologue and book of signs. John presents Jesus in contemplative, symbolic, and theological richness as the Word, Lamb, Light, Bread, Shepherd, Resurrection, Way, Vine, and Son. Read this chapter with the wider themes of incarnation, life, and light in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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