Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G087 The Lord Jesus Testifies about Himself – Part 1
John 8:12-36

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All New Testament verses quoted in this article are from the English Majority Text Version, and Old Testament verses are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

John 8:12-36

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He that follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13 Therefore the Pharisees said to Him, “You testify about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I should testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.

15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; because I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is valid.

18 I am the One testifying about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”

19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.”

20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, while teaching in the temple; and no one seized Him, for His time had not yet come.

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

22 So the Jews said, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”

23 And He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world.

24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”

25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these things I say to the world.”

27 They did not know that He was speaking to them about the Father.

28 Therefore Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM, and from Myself I do nothing; but just as My Father taught Me, these things I speak.

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, because I always do the things pleasing to Him.”

30 While He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, truly you are My disciples.

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly I say to you, that everyone that practices sin is a slave of sin.

35 And a slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever.

36 Therefore if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.

In this lesson, we will study the first part of the Lord Jesus’ words testifying about Himself and His rebukes to the Pharisees for their disobedience to God.

John 8:12-13

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He that follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13 Therefore the Pharisees said to Him, “You testify about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”

The Bible passage we are studying in this lesson recounts an event that occurred after the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to test the Lord Jesus. At that time, He was teaching the people in the Temple Courts. The group, including the scribes and Pharisees who sought to test the Lord, eventually left one by one, as recorded in verse 9. However, among the crowd gathered to hear the Lord Jesus teach, there were also some Pharisees present.

The Lord Jesus’ statement in verse 7, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her,” was not directed solely at those openly accusing the woman before Him, but was a general declaration for all the Pharisees present. These were individuals who assumed the authority to interpret and enforce the law. Thus, when verse 12 states, “Then Jesus spoke to them again,” it refers to His addressing the Pharisees within the crowd. At that moment, they were likely at the front, standing closest to the Lord Jesus.

If we pay attention, we notice that whenever the Lord Jesus spoke to a large crowd, the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees—if present—were always at the forefront, closest to Him. This may have been because the people, out of respect, yielded their places to them.

The Lord Jesus declaring Himself as “the light of the world” means:

1. He is the presence of God among humanity in the world: “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The Lord Jesus is the presence of God because He manifests God’s love, holiness, and righteousness to humanity.

2. He helps humanity understand the glory of God: “Because it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

3. He is humanity’s salvation: “The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and to those who sat in the land and the shadow of death, light sprang up on them.” (Matthew 4:16)

4. He is the life of humanity: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4)

5. He is God the Word, the guide and leader of humanity: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

6. He is the One who exposes all evil and all good deeds of humanity: “For everyone that does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:20-21)

7. He is the one who proclaims the Word of God and lives according to the Word of God, serving as an example for everyone. For this reason, He calls His true disciples “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Anyone who professes to be a disciple of Christ must live according to God’s Word and proclaim His Word.

In summary, His being “the light of the world” means that He is the Messiah, the Christ, promised in the Old Testament.

“Walk in darkness” means living in sin and under the consequences of sin, devoid of God’s love, holiness, and righteousness. It signifies the absence of peace, joy, and happiness.

“Have the light of life” means having the Lord Jesus Himself, which brings peace, joy, and happiness. All those born during the Church Age who genuinely repent of their sins and fully believe in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus having Him and are united with Him in a mysterious way.

The Church Age spans from the establishment of the Church on the Day of Pentecost in year 27 to the time when Christ takes the Church out of the world. Only God’s people in the Church Age who remain faithful to the Lord until death will receive the grace of being united with the Lord Jesus in a mysterious way, as prophesied in Revelation 19:7-9. Faithfulness means holding firm to faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus and keeping the commandments of God, including the Ten Commandments of the God, the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Commandment of Holiness given by the Holy Spirit (Exodus 20:1-17; John 13:34; Acts 15:29).

The Pharisees, upon hearing the Lord Jesus declare Himself as the light of the world, immediately understood that He was proclaiming Himself to be the Christ. As a result, they objected, claiming that His testimony was not valid because it was the testimony of only one person. According to the law recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures, at least two witnesses were required for a matter to be established as true:

“At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” (Deuteronomy 19:15b)

The Lord Jesus Himself affirmed the necessity of at least two witnesses:

“But if he does not hear, take along with you one or two more, so that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'” (Matthew 18:16)

The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, also confirmed this:

“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” (2 Corinthians 13:1b)

And perhaps these Pharisees had also previously heard the Lord teach when He said:

“If I testify of Myself, My testimony is not valid.” (John 5:31)

Immediately after that, the Lord Jesus also said:

“There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony which He testifies concerning Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.” (John 5:32-33)

The “another” is the God. There are two witnesses who testify to the Lord Jesus’ role as “the light of the world.” These are the God and John the Baptist. In heaven and on earth, both God and humanity bear witness to the Lord Jesus. The testimony of the Lord Jesus is simply a reiteration of the truth of those testimonies.

John 8:14-16

14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I should testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.

15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; because I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

The statement of the Lord Jesus in John 5:31 implies that if He bears witness of Himself, His testimony would not be considered true according to the law.

The statement of the Lord Jesus in John 8:14 implies that, although His testimony of Himself may not be considered true from a legal perspective, in reality, His testimony is the truth.

The Lord Jesus knew clearly that He came from heaven to the world to accomplish the redemption of humanity and that He would return to heaven after completing the work of salvation. The entire world did not know that He came from heaven and would return to heaven. To them, He was merely the son of a humble carpenter from a small, obscure town with no reputation. In fact, He had not studied or been a disciple of the Jewish scholars.

Humanity always judges everything based on the perceptions and thoughts of the flesh, meaning they do not judge according to the understanding and reasoning of the spirit. This is because they are spiritually dead; their spirits no longer communicate with God, and thus, they lack the understanding of the truth in the spirit. Except for a few godly people whom God has chosen and sent.

The first time God the Word came into the world in the flesh of humanity, it was not to judge the world, but to redeem the world: “For I did not come that I might judge the world, but that I might save the world” (John 12:47b). But if He were to carry out judgment, His judgment would be in accordance with the truth. For He is the light of the world, exposing the evil deeds and the good deeds of each person in the world. His judgment is in full agreement with the God. In other words, He and the God are the two witnesses for each person’s actions in the world. Therefore, His judgment upon anyone is not only true in reality according to their deeds but also true according to the legal requirement of having two witnesses.

John 8:17-19

17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is valid.

18 I am the One testifying about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”

19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.”

The Lord Jesus began to explain to the Pharisees who were conversing with Him that His Father and He are two witnesses who testify about Him. In fact, the law given by Moses does not prohibit a person from testifying on their own behalf but only requires that every matter must have two or three witnesses.

The Pharisees probably knew that the earthly father of the Lord Jesus, according to the law, was Joseph, who had likely already passed away, so they asked Him a difficult question: “Where is Your Father?”

The Lord Jesus affirmed that they neither knew Him nor His Father. At the same time, He spoke a truth: whoever knows Him knows His Father.

To know the Lord Jesus is to know that He is God incarnate, coming into the world to bring salvation to humanity. This salvation is accomplished through His death to redeem the lives of all people who have died because of sin against the God. When one knows that the Lord Jesus is the Savior, the Christ, they also know that the God is His Father and that He was sent into the world after being born in the womb of the virgin Mary.

We need to understand that it is not the God who sent God the Word into the world. Rather, God the Word voluntarily became flesh. The Word of God clearly states:

“Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming to be in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)

Only after the God brought Him into the world in the flesh, in the womb of the virgin Mary, did the God send Him into the world as a servant of the God to accomplish the plan and will of the God. The God is the Father of the earthly man Jesus, but the God is not the Father of God the Word. For God the Word is co-eternal and has existed with the God and the Holy Spirit from eternity.

The knowledge and belief in the Lord Jesus, the knowledge and belief in the God, come from the Holy Spirit, who inspires those who sincerely repent of their sins and believe in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus. It is also at this time that their spirits are reborn and their relationship with God is restored, continuing to receive understanding of God and the Word of God.

John 8:20-22

20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, while teaching in the temple; and no one seized Him, for His time had not yet come.

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

22 So the Jews said, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”

The term “treasury” is used to refer to the area where the offering boxes were placed. This area was located along the outer corridor of the Temple, near its gates, to allow people easy access for making their offerings. At that time, the Lord Jesus was teaching under the Portico of Solomon near the Beautiful Gate, so the “treasury” mentioned in verse 20 likely refers to the location of the offering boxes near the Beautiful Gate.

Although the Pharisees were very displeased with the teachings of the Lord Jesus and wanted to kill Him, at that time, no one arrested Him. The simple reason was that the moment for the Lord Jesus to be arrested and killed had not yet come, according to the predetermined plan of the God, so no one could harm the Lord Jesus.

In verse 21, the Lord Jesus speaks of His ascension to heaven after He rises from the dead. The Pharisees who sought to arrest and kill Him would die in their wickedness. The words of the Lord Jesus demonstrate that He knew they would not repent. Although many Pharisees did believe in the Lord Jesus, those who were confronting Him at that time were the ones who would not repent, who would not believe in His atoning death. They would never be able to enter heaven.

The term “the Jews” is used to refer to the Pharisees. Perhaps this is to emphasize the fact that they belonged to God’s chosen people but were hard-hearted, unbelieving, and unrepentant for their wickedness. They continued to judge according to the flesh, thinking, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He?” For them, only when the Lord Jesus died could they not die in the same way to come to Him. However, no matter where He went on earth, they believed they could go to Him.

John 8:23-24

23 And He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world.

24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”

“From below” refers to the world, the physical realm. “From above” refers to heaven, the spiritual realm. Although the Lord Jesus was born as a man, He came from heaven. He does not belong to the world, but the world belongs to Him, for He created it. All of humanity belongs to the world, as humanity was created by God in the world and is multiplied and grows within it.

The term “I AM” in verse 24 is very special. When used without a complement, it typically affirms something previously stated or gives a definite answer to a question. But when used by God, as in Exodus 3:14, and by the Lord Jesus here, it expresses the essential nature of God. That is: I am self-existent and will always be. The statement of the Lord Jesus means: “For unless you believe that I am God, the self-existent One who will always be, you will die in your sins.”

Today, many people profess to believe in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they do not acknowledge Him as God. They will die in their sins. They do not have salvation because they have believed in a Jesus other than the Lord Jesus of the Scriptures, God in the Person of the Word. It is for this reason that they remain in their sins.

John 8:25-27

25 Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these things I say to the world.”

27 They did not know that He was speaking to them about the Father.

The Pharisees were very knowledgeable about the Scriptures. They knew, and perhaps had memorized, Exodus 3:14, a verse that is extremely important to the faith of Judaism. For it speaks of the mysterious, essential nature of God:

“And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, You shall say this to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.”

In the 2012 Revised Vietnamese Bible, we have noted the following:

The verb “AM,” meaning “to be” or “existent,” is used in God’s statement with the following meaning: “I Have Always Been, I Am Still, and I Will Forever Be.” Therefore, the phrase “I AM WHO I AM” means, “I am the One who has always existed! I am the One who continues to exist as I am! And I am the One who will always exist, as I will forever exist!” In other words, God declares that His name is “The Eternal Self-Existing One.”

This is why when the Pharisees heard the Lord Jesus declare “I AM,” they were stunned and asked, “Who are You?” Perhaps they thought they had misunderstood or that the Lord Jesus had misspoken. But the Lord Jesus did not correct what He said; instead, He continued to speak to them.

“Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning” means: as I told you, I am the light of the world; I am the Christ.

In addition to claiming to be the light of the world and the Christ, the Lord Jesus had many other things to teach. Besides fulfilling the salvation of humanity, the Lord Jesus came to the world to reveal God, specifically to reveal the Trinity, as written in John 1:18. The Lord Jesus revealed God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and Himself. Furthermore, His teachings exposed both the evil and the good actions of humanity. All of His teachings came from the God.

However, the Pharisees could not understand that the Lord Jesus was speaking to them about the God, whom He referred to as the Father. In reality, His human flesh was born of the God, in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

John 8:28-29

28 Therefore Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM, and from Myself I do nothing; but just as My Father taught Me, these things I speak.

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, because I always do the things pleasing to Him.”

The Lord Jesus prophesied that after the Pharisees caused Him to be crucified and die on the cross, the miracles that would occur would make them know that He is the “I Am.” The signs included the darkness that covered the earth for three hours (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44), the great earthquake in the Jerusalem area, the tearing of the veil of the Temple from top to bottom, separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, and the sign of many saints who had died being raised to life (Matthew 27:51-53). Even the words that the Lord Jesus was speaking to them were the words that the God had revealed to Him.

The Lord Jesus affirmed that the God is always with Him because He always obeys the God and lives according to the God’s will. It was only during the time when the Lord Jesus was hung on the cross, bearing the punishment for humanity’s sins, that the God temporarily separated from Him. This was when the Lord Jesus cried out in anguish: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” The punishment that the Lord Jesus bore for humanity was not only the death of the physical body but also spiritual death, being separated from the God. When the Lord Jesus breathed His last, He completed the atoning death for humanity. The separation from the God was also ended. The God restored the Spirit to the Lord Jesus so that He could descend to the realm of the dead, proclaim salvation to the saints in Paradise, and declare the victory of the Gospel to the fallen angels imprisoned in the bottomless pit.

“For Christ also suffered once to atone for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly disobeyed, when the longsuffering of God was waiting in the days of Noah, when the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;” (1 Peter 3:18-20)

The disciples of Christ must also follow the example of the Lord Jesus, always living to please the God by keeping His Ten Commandments. Sadly, today there are many people who claim to be disciples of Christ, but they follow the teachings of religious organizations that do not keep the fourth commandment of the God’s Ten Commandments. These religious organizations present many specious arguments that are not found in the Scriptures to reject the sanctification of the seventh day as God’s Sabbath. These arguments are “the commandments of men,” teaching people to disregard the God’s commandments.

“He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God on account of your tradition?” (Matthew 15:3)

“And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9)

Mark 7:6-9

6 And answering He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

7 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 “For having left the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men–the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other similar things you do.”

9 And He said to them, “Well do you set aside the commandment of God, so that you may keep your tradition.

Please remember that nowhere in the Bible does it teach that God’s people do not need to keep the God’s Ten Commandments, or that God’s people do not need to observe the Seventh-Day Sabbath, or that the Seventh-Day Sabbath has been changed to Sunday.

The question that you should ask is: “If I fully keep the God’s Ten Commandments, will that please the God?” And please memorize the following verses:

“Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” (Isaiah 56:6-7)

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,” (1 John 5:3)

We know it may seem like we are getting off-topic, but we want to take this opportunity to remind you, brothers and sisters, about “do the things pleasing to” the God, as the Lord Jesus did. We are living in the final moments before Christ comes to take us into heaven. We must keep ourselves without spot, without blemish, and above reproach. What pleases the God is keeping His commandments and having faith in Christ. This is what the saints in the End Times will do (Revelation 12:17; 14:12).

John 8:30-32

30 While He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My Word, truly you are My disciples.

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

“Many believed in Him” refers to those in the crowd, not the Pharisees. As for the Pharisees, the Lord Jesus had already affirmed that they would die in their sins.

It is not just believing in the Lord Jesus that makes one His disciple, but that person must continue in His Word. The term “Word” in the original Greek of the Bible is preceded by the definite article and refers to the teachings of the Lord Jesus, that is, all His words of instruction.

“Abide in My Word” means to keep believing and living according to all the teachings of the Lord Jesus.

When a person continues to believe and live according to all the teachings of the Lord Jesus, they will know the truth, which is to understand what the God wants to teach humanity. A person who knows the truth from the God will naturally be freed from the slavery of sin by trusting in the God’s salvation. They will also be freed from the bondage of sin because they can overcome all temptations by the omnipotent power of God. The one who knows the truth will also be freed from the slavery of superstition and false teachings proclaimed by false teachers and prophets. In short, knowing the truth frees a person from the slavery of all falsehoods.

John 8:33-34

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly I say to you, that everyone that practices sin is a slave of sin.

Perhaps the Pharisees, standing before the crowd, questioned the Lord Jesus about His statement. They did not understand His words about knowing the truth and slavery. However, their declaration, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone,” was not true. First, the descendants of Abraham were slaves for 400 years to the Egyptians. Later, during the time of the Judges, the people of Israel were repeatedly enslaved by various nations: the Philistines, Moabites, and Ammonites. After that, they were successively enslaved by the empires of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. At the very time they were making this claim, the people of Israel were under Roman rule.

The Lord Jesus made it clear to them that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. For after sinning, a person continues to sin and cannot resist the urge of sin.

John 8:35-36

35 And a slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever.

36 Therefore if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.

The term “slave” in verse 35 does not refer to slavery to sin but to being a servant in the house of a master. In this statement of the Lord Jesus, the term “slave” refers to those whom God uses for His work, but they do not have the privilege of being His children. Examples of this are King Nebuchadnezzar, King Cyrus (Jeremiah 27:6; Isaiah 45:1), and the majority of the people of Israel.

The term “house” in verse 35 implies the Kingdom of God.

Verse 35 in the Biblical Greek uses the term “the son,” not “a son.” This term refers specifically to the Lord Jesus, but it also implies anyone whom God grants the privilege of becoming His child.

The term “the Son” in verse 36 specifically refers to the Lord Jesus, the only one with the authority to deliver humanity from slavery to sin through His atoning death.

All those who are made “slaves,” or servants, of the God must choose to completely trust in Him and obey Him to be granted the right to be called His children. In the New Testament period, complete trust and obedience to the God are expressed through sincere repentance of sin and acceptance of the atoning death of Christ. Those who genuinely repent of their sins will distance themselves from all impurity and sin and fully obey the Ten Commandments of the God. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers them with the omnipotence of God to overcome every temptation, live according to the Word of God, and keep all of the God’s commandments. The God calls them “sons and daughters” of His.

“Therefore “Come out from the midst of them and be separated,” says the Lord. “Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters,” says the LORD Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

Only those who are sons and daughters of the God will dwell forever in His kingdom.

We will conclude here and continue in the next article.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
11/23/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible uses a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.