Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
What does John 8:31 mean?
Such power attended our Lord's words, that many were convinced, and professed to believe in him.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside John 8:30-32 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on John 8:31
Then are ye ... - This is the true test of Christian character. John 14:21 ; "he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." See John 2:4 ; John 3:24 ; 2 John 1:6 . In this place Jesus cautions them against too much confidence from their present feelings. They were just converted - converted by a single sermon. They had had no time to test their faith. Jesus assures them that if their faith should abide the test, if it should produce obedience to his commandments and a truly life, it would be proof that their faith was genuine, for the tree is known by its fruit.
Context in John 8
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John 8 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as conflict and witness. 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.
Related topics
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A guided collection of passages on God’s love, neighbor-love, steadfast covenant love, and the shape of love in Christian life.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.