John 16:8 KJV Commentary and Cross-References

the gospel according to john

John the Apostle · c. 85–90 AD

Chapter the Sixteenth

These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

John 16:8

The persecution ahead is framed before it arrives so that when it comes the disciples will not be destabilized. Jesus tells them now so they will remember when it happens. The preparation is an act of pastoral care. It is expedient (sumpherō, profitable, advantageous) that Jesus goes. The statement is startling: His physical departure is not loss but gain, because without it the Paraklētos cannot come. The Spirit's full-coming is conditional on Jesus's going. Thread 6 is the dispensational sequence: the era of the Son's physical presence gives way to the era of the Spirit's indwelling presence. The Spirit does not merely replace Jesus: He applies what Jesus accomplished. The Spirit will convict (elengxei, expose with evidence) the kosmos concerning three realities. Sin: because they do not believe on me. The primary sin the Spirit exposes is not moral failure in general but the specific failure of unbelief. Righteousness: because Jesus goes to the Father and they see Him no more. The resurrection and ascension are the Spirit's proof of righteousness. Judgment: because the ruler of this world is judged. The cross is the judgment of the world's ruler, and the Spirit makes that verdict known. Thread 1 is in the convicting: the God who cannot stop reaching reaches through the Spirit's global work of exposure and persuasion. Thread 4 is in the conviction itself: the world is convicted, exposed, shown the evidence, and must still respond. Conviction is not regeneration. The Spirit provides the evidence; the person responds.

He will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Spirit's work of conviction is Thread 1's reaching through the Third Person; and the sin He convicts of is not moral failure in general but the specific failure to believe.

ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως (elengxei ton kosmon peri hamartias kai peri dikaiosunēs kai peri kriseōs): he will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment: elengxei (will convict, expose, prove guilty, from elenxō; not merely make feel bad but expose and demonstrate with evidence); ton kosmon (the world, the same kosmos; the Spirit's conviction reaches the whole world, not only the elect); peri hamartias (concerning sin, the specific sin is named in verse 9: because they do not believe on me; unbelief is the sin

threads t1 · t4 · t6 · see John 3:19-21 · Acts 2:37 · Romans 8:16

John 16:8, King James Version

John 16:8

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John 16:8

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