Discovery BoxJohn 8:19 
Context8:19 Then they began asking 1 him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” 2
John 8:45-50
Context8:45 But because I am telling you 3 the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty 4 of any sin? 5 If I am telling you 6 the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to 7 God listens and responds 8 to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, 9 because you don’t belong to God.” 10
8:48 The Judeans 11 replied, 12 “Aren’t we correct in saying 13 that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 14 8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, 15 but I honor my Father – and yet 16 you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get 17 praise for myself. 18 There is one who demands 19 it, and he also judges. 20
1 tn Grk “Then they were saying to him.” The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force here because of the introduction of a new line of questioning by the Pharisees. Jesus had just claimed his Father as a second witness; now his opponents want to know who his father is.
2 sn If you knew me you would know my Father too. Jesus’ reply is based on his identity with the Father (see also John 1:18; 14:9).
3 tn Or “because I tell you.”
4 tn Or “can convict me.”
5 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
6 tn Or “if I tell you.”
7 tn Grk “who is of.”
8 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
9 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
10 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
11 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.
12 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
13 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
14 tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei"). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.
15 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
16 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
17 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
18 tn Grk “my glory.”
19 tn Grk “who seeks.”
20 tn Or “will be the judge.”
