John 2:18

2:18 So then the Jewish leaders¹ responded,² “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?”³

John 5:39

5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly⁴ because you think in them you possess eternal life,⁵ and it is these same scriptures⁶ that testify about me,

John 5:44

5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise⁷ from one another and don’t seek the praise⁸ that comes from the only God?⁹

John 8:23

8:23 Jesus replied,¹⁰ “You people¹¹ are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world.

John 8:37

8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants.¹² But you want¹³ to kill me, because my teaching¹⁴ makes no progress among you.¹⁵

John 8:43

8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept¹⁶ my teaching.¹⁷

John 9:3

9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man¹⁸ nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that¹⁹ the acts²⁰ of God may be revealed²¹ through what happens to him.²²

John 11:42

11:42 I knew that you always listen to me,²³ but I said this²⁴ for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

John 14:19

14:19 In a little while²⁵ the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too.

John 21:22

21:22 Jesus replied,²⁶ “If I want him to live²⁷ until I come back,²⁸ what concern is that of yours? You follow me!”

¹tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.)

²tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

³sn The request “What sign can you show us” by Jesus’ adversaries was a request for a defense of his actions – a mark of divine authentication. Whether this was a request for a miracle is not entirely clear. Jesus never obliged such a request. Yet, ironically, the only sign the Jewish leadership will get is that predicted by Jesus in 2:19 – his crucifixion and resurrection. Cf. the “sign of Jonah” in the synoptics (Matt 12:39, 40; Luke 11:29-32).

⁴tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.

⁵sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

⁶tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

⁷tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

⁸tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

⁹tc Several early and important witnesses (Ì^66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some important mss, has the name ({א A D L Θ Ψ 33 Ï}). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (Jo mono") used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In uncial script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.

¹⁰tn Grk “And he said to them.”

¹¹tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

¹²tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).

¹³tn Grk “you are seeking.”

¹⁴tn Grk “my word.”

¹⁵tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.

¹⁶tn Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.

¹⁷tn Grk “my word.”

¹⁸tn Grk “this one.”

¹⁹tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”

²⁰tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”

²¹tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”

²²tn Grk “in him.”

²³tn Grk “that you always hear me.”

²⁴tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

²⁵tn Grk “Yet a little while, and.”

²⁶tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

²⁷tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.

²⁸tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.