16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 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.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

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16 And therefore the Jews did persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day.

17 [a]But Jesus answered them, My father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 (A)Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him: not only because he had broken the Sabbath: but said also that God was [b]his Father, and made himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jesus, and said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, The Son can do nothing [c]of himself, save that he [d]seeth the Father do: for whatsoever things he doeth, the same things doeth the Son [e]in like manner.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things, whatsoever he himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these, that ye should marvel.

21 [f]For likewise as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father [g]judgeth [h]no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son,

23 Because that all men should honor the Son, as they honor the Father: he that honoreth not the Son, the same honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 [i]Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but hath passed from death to life.

25 [j]Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour shall come, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear it shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself, so likewise hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.

27 And hath given him [k]power also to execute judgment, in that he is the [l]Son of man.

28 [m]Marvel not at this: for the hour shall come, in the which all that are in the graves, shall hear his voice.

29 [n]And they shall come [o]forth, (B)that have done good, unto the [p]resurrection of life: but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of condemnation.

30 [q]I can [r]do nothing of mine own self: [s]as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me.

31 If I (C)should bear witness of myself, my witness were not [t]true.

32 (D)There is another that beareth witness of me, and I know that the witness, which he beareth of me, is true.

33 (E)[u]Ye sent unto John, and he bore witness unto the truth.

34 But I receive not the record of man: nevertheless these things I say, that ye might be saved.

35 He was a burning and a shining candle: and ye would for [v]a season have rejoiced in his light.

36 But I have greater witness than the witness of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father sent me.

37 And the (F)Father himself, which hath sent me, beareth witness of me. Ye have not heard his voice at any time, (G)neither have ye seen his shape.

38 And his word have you not abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believed not.

39 (H)Search the Scriptures: for in them ye think to have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.

40 But ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not the praise of men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the [w]love of God in you.

43 I am come in my Father’s Name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive (I)honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh of God alone?

45 [x]Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he (J)wrote of me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words.

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Footnotes

  1. John 5:17 The work of God was never the breach of the Sabbath: but the works of Christ are the works of the Father, both because they are one God, and also because the Father doth not work but in the Son.
  2. John 5:18 That is, his only and no man’s else, which they gather by that, that he saith, (And I work) applying this word (work) to himself, which is proper to God, and therefore maketh himself equal to God.
  3. John 5:19 Not only without his Father’s authority, but also without his mighty working and power.
  4. John 5:19 This must be understood of Christ’s person, which consisteth of two natures, and not simply of his Godhead: so then he saith that his Father moveth and governeth him in all things, but yet notwithstanding, when he saith he worketh with his Father, he voucheth his Godhead.
  5. John 5:19 In like sort, jointly and together. Not for that the Father doeth some things, and then the son worketh after him, and doeth the like, but because the might and power of the Father and the Son do work equally and jointly together.
  6. John 5:21 The Father maketh no man partaker of everlasting life, but in Christ, in whom only also he is truly worshipped.
  7. John 5:22 This word (judgeth) is taken by the figure Synecdoche, for all government.
  8. John 5:22 These words are not so to be taken, as though they simply denied that God governeth the world, but as the Jews imagined it, which separate the Father from the Son, whereas indeed, the Father doth not govern the world but only in the person of his Son, being made manifest in the flesh: so saith he afterward, verse 30, that he came not to do his own will: that his doctrine is not his own, John 7:16, that the blind man and his parents sinned not, etc., John 9:3.
  9. John 5:24 The Father is not worshipped but by his Son’s word apprehended by faith, which is the only way that leadeth to eternal life.
  10. John 5:25 We are all dead in sin and cannot be quickened by any other means, than by the word of Christ apprehended by faith.
  11. John 5:27 That is, high and sovereign power to rule and govern all things, insomuch that he hath power of life and death.
  12. John 5:27 That is, he shall not only judge the world as he is God, but also as he is man, he received this of his Father to be judge of the world.
  13. John 5:28 All shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ at length to be judged.
  14. John 5:29 Faith and infidelity shall be judged by their fruits.
  15. John 5:29 Of their graves.
  16. John 5:29 To that resurrection which had life everlasting following it: against which is set the resurrection of condemnation: that is, which condemnation followeth.
  17. John 5:30 The father is the author and approver of all things which Christ doeth.
  18. John 5:30 See verse 22.
  19. John 5:30 As my father directeth me, who dwelleth in me.
  20. John 5:31 Faithful, that is, worthy to be credited, see John 8:14.
  21. John 5:33 Christ is declared to be the only Savior by John’s voice, and infinite miracles, and by the testimonies of all the Prophets. But the world notwithstanding being addicted to false prophets, and desirous to seem religious, seeth none of all these things.
  22. John 5:35 A little while.
  23. John 5:42 Love toward God.
  24. John 5:45 This denial doth not put away that which is here said, but correcteth it, as if Christ said, the Jews shall have no sorer an accuser than Moses.

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father(A) is always at his work(B) to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;(C) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.(D)

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself;(E) he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son(F) and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these,(G) so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,(H) even so the Son gives life(I) to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,(J) 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.(K)

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me(L) has eternal life(M) and will not be judged(N) but has crossed over from death to life.(O) 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come(P) when the dead will hear(Q) the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life(R) in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge(S) because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming(T) when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.(U) 30 By myself I can do nothing;(V) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,(W) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(X)

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(Y) 32 There is another who testifies in my favor,(Z) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified(AA) to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony;(AB) but I mention it that you may be saved.(AC) 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,(AD) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John.(AE) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing(AF)—testify that the Father has sent me.(AG) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.(AH) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(AI) 38 nor does his word dwell in you,(AJ) for you do not believe(AK) the one he sent.(AL) 39 You study[a] the Scriptures(AM) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.(AN) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,(AO) 40 yet you refuse to come to me(AP) to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,(AQ) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[b]?(AR)

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(AS) on whom your hopes are set.(AT) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(AU) 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”(AV)

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Footnotes

  1. John 5:39 Or 39 Study
  2. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One