John 5:46-47

5:46 If ¹  you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses ²  wrote, how will you believe my words?”

John 6:62

6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ³ 

John 8:36

8:36 So if the son ⁴  sets you free, you will be really free.

John 8:51

8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁵  if anyone obeys ⁶  my teaching, ⁷  he will never see death.” ⁸ 

John 9:33

9:33 If this man ⁹  were not from God, he could do nothing.”

John 10:37

10:37 If I do not perform ¹⁰  the deeds ¹¹  of my Father, do not believe me.

John 11:10

11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, ¹²  he stumbles, ¹³  because the light is not in him.”

John 11:12

11:12 Then the disciples replied, ¹⁴  “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

John 11:21

11:21 Martha ¹⁵  said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 14:14

14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:14

15:14 You are my friends ¹⁶  if you do what I command you.

John 15:18

The World’s Hatred

15:18 “If the world hates you, be aware ¹⁷  that it hated me first. ¹⁸ 

---

¹ tn Grk “For if.”

² tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Or “he was formerly?”

⁴ tn Or “Son.” The question is whether “son” is to be understood as a direct reference to Jesus himself, or as an indirect reference (a continuation of the generic illustration begun in the previous verse).

⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

⁶ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

⁷ tn Grk “my word.”

⁸ tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.

⁹ tn Grk “this one.”

¹⁰ tn Or “do.”

¹¹ tn Or “works.”

¹² tn Grk “in the night.”

¹³ tn Or “he trips.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”

¹⁵ tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

¹⁶ sn This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisers to the Roman Emperor who were called “Friends of the Emperor.” Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of “inner circle” of Christians who are more privileged than mere “believers” or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus’ words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).

¹⁷ tn Grk “know.”

¹⁸ tn Grk “it hated me before you.”