Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G088 The Lord Jesus Testifies about Himself – Part 2
John 8:37-59

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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 8:37-59

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word finds no place in you.

38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has spoken to you the truth which I heard from *God. Abraham did not do this.

41 You do the works of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—*God.”

42 Therefore Jesus said to them, “If *God were your Father, you would have loved Me, for I came forth and have come from *God; nor have I come from Myself, but He sent Me.

43 Why do you not understand what I say? Because you are unable to hear My word.

44 You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

47 He who is of *God hears *God’s words; therefore you do not hear them, because you are not of *God.”

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say well that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?”

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks it and who judges.

51 Most assuredly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall by no means experience death.”

52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall by no means experience death.’

53 “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? Also the prophets died. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say that He is our God.

55 And yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I would say that I do not know Him, I would be like you, a liar; but I do know Him, and I keep His word.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see My day, and he saw it and he was glad.”

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, having gone through their midst, and so passed by.

In this lesson, we will continue to study the words of the Lord Jesus, in which He testifies about Himself and His rebukes of the Israelites who lack obedience to the God.

John 8:37-38

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word finds no place in you.

38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

The Lord Jesus acknowledged that the Pharisees were descendants of Abraham, but He also affirmed that He knew they were seeking to kill Him because they did not accept His teachings. They lived in darkness yet refused to receive the light. They were those who would never repent and would die in their sins.

The verb “seen” in verse 38 has a literal meaning of seeing with physical eyes and a figurative meaning of perceiving in the mind. All the teachings of the Lord Jesus stem from His perception of the God, whom He referred to as “Father” because the God gave birth to His physical body.

Spiritually, the Pharisees speaking with the Lord Jesus belonged to the lineage of the Devil, as they acted according to what they perceived from the Devil. The noun “Devil” is capitalized because in the original Greek language, it is preceded by a definite article and is used in the singular form to refer to Satan.

John 8:39

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

The Pharisees continued to speak of the fact that they were descendants of Abraham in terms of lineage. They did not understand that the Lord Jesus was referring to a spiritual relationship. Abraham was the one of whom the God Himself testified: “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Genesis 26:5). Therefore, the true descendants of Abraham must also be those who obey the commandments and laws of the God. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, affirmed:

“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

“Do the works of Abraham” means having faith in the God, just as Abraham had, and manifesting that faith through actions in life. Each deed aligns with the commandments and laws of the God. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, summarized it as follows:

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

“Do all things for the glory of God” means that every thought, every word, and every action reflect the love, holiness, and righteousness of the Triune God. In practice, when a person obeys the Ten Commandments of the God, the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus, and the Commandment of Holiness from the Holy Spirit, they live a life that manifests the glory of God.

Such a person does not obey God’s commandments to be saved, but because they have been saved from the punishment reserved for those who do not obey the God’s commandments. Therefore, they do not return to transgression. Clearly, a person who has been saved from the penalty for violating the God’s commandments cannot say, “Because I have been saved, the commandments no longer apply to me.” On the contrary, a saved individual will be exceedingly careful not to violate any commandment. They understand and cherish God’s commandments and laws, for “the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12).

The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle John, affirmed:

“By this we know that we love the children of *God, whenever we love *God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of *God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,” (1 John 5:2-3)

We ask for permission to briefly step outside the lesson. Many religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord today teach: “God’s people in the Church of the New Testament era do not need to obey the Ten Commandments of the God because they are not under the law but under grace.” This is heretical teaching. It is the doctrine of Satan.

“Not under the law” means not being punished by the law for violations of the God’s commandments, thanks to faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Not under the law” does not mean having the freedom to violate the Ten Commandments of the God. The Holy Spirit has clearly taught:

Hebrews 6:4-8

4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and became partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powerful deeds of the age to come,

6 and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of *God, and hold Him up to contempt.

7 For the earth which drinks the rain often coming upon it, and bears suitable vegetation for those on account of whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from *God;

8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, of which the end is for burning.

Hebrews 10:26-29

26 For if we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery zeal being about to devour the adversaries.

28 Anyone disregarding the law of Moses dies without compassions on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29 By how much worse punishment, do you think, will he be deemed worthy who has trampled the Son of *God underfoot, and has regarded as common the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

“Under grace” means being in a state of forgiveness for all sins through repentance and faith in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first condition for being under grace is having a repentant heart, confessing, and turning away from violations of the Ten Commandments of the God. The proclamation of the Gospel by the Lord Jesus began with the call, “Repent!” Being under grace does not mean having the freedom to violate the Ten Commandments of the God without facing punishment.

It is important to note that nowhere in the New Testament does it teach that God’s people in the Church are exempt from obeying the Ten Commandments of the God. Likewise, there is no place in the New Testament that teaches God’s people are not required to observe the Sabbath of God. And certainly, there is no place in the New Testament that teaches the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday.

The teaching that the Lord Jesus died on a Friday and rose on Sunday morning is also heretical. According to Scripture and historical data, the Lord Jesus died on Wednesday afternoon and rose on Saturday afternoon. We encourage brothers and sisters to read the article “The Day of the Lord’s Death and the Day of the Lord’s Resurrection” [1].

John 8:40-42

40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has spoken to you the truth which I heard from *God. Abraham did not do this.

41 You do the works of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—*God.”

42 Therefore Jesus said to them, “If *God were your Father, you would have loved Me, for I came forth and have come from *God; nor have I come from Myself, but He sent Me.

The Lord Jesus spoke directly to the Pharisees about what He knew concerning them—that they were conspiring to kill Him. Since He was the One proclaiming the truth of the God to them, yet they sought to kill Him, they were not Abraham’s descendants in a spiritual sense.

Once again, the Lord Jesus affirmed that the truth He preached was what He had heard from the God. We believe that during the 40 days and 40 nights when the Lord Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness, right after being baptized into the ministry of the Christ, the God taught Him all truth.

We understand that because God the Word willingly relinquished His divine form to take on human form, in His human body He did not possess the omnipotence and omniscience of God. He was entirely human, yet without sin. Every miracle He performed was enabled by the God, through God the Spirit, bestowing the holy spirit upon Him.

“Abraham did not do this” means that Abraham did not have a deceitful, evil heart desiring to kill, as the Pharisees speaking with the Lord Jesus did. Because “Abraham did not do this,” the actions of the Pharisees were not like those of Abraham. Thus, these Pharisees were not true descendants of Abraham but were instead descendants of one who was deceitful and wicked, like themselves.

The Pharisees understood that the Lord Jesus did not recognize them as spiritual descendants of Abraham. Therefore, they responded and argued with Him. The first argument they presented was, “We were not born of fornication.” The second was, “We have one Father—*God.”

“Not born of fornication” means that they were born to parents in a lawful marital relationship among the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, who were worshippers of the God. They were not born of illicit sexual relationships, nor were they born of idolaters or worshippers of false gods.

“We have one Father—*God” means they claimed to have only one spiritual Father—the God—because they worshipped only Him and no one else.

However, if they truly had the God as their Father, they would have recognized the Lord Jesus, for the Lord Jesus is the Son of the God, sent by the God into the world as the Christ. At that time, many in the crowd believed in the Lord Jesus. These individuals genuinely revered the God and were thus helped by God the Spirit to understand and believe in the Lord Jesus.

Today, around the world, there are approximately 2.4 billion people who profess to be disciples of the Christ and call the God “Father.” But in reality, how many are truly sons and daughters of the God, wholeheartedly loving and revering Him, and keeping His commandments?

John 8:43-44

43 Why do you not understand what I say? Because you are unable to hear My Word.

44 You are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

The question that the Lord Jesus posed to the Pharisees at that time is the same question for all who profess to be disciples of the Christ today. How can you call yourself a disciple of the Christ and not understand His teachings? There is only one reason: “you are unable to hear” His Word. This is due to a hard heart, a love for sin, and following false teachings. It is also due to pride, wanting to be exalted within religious organizations.

The Lord Jesus directly called the Pharisees who were speaking with Him children of the Devil. The term “Devil” is capitalized because in the original Greek of the Bible, it includes a definite article and is used in the singular form to refer specifically to Satan.

Every action that goes against the commandments and laws of the God is an action driven by the desires of Satan. Since Satan is the leader of all that opposes the God, every act of opposition to the God is in line with the desires of Satan. Satan deceived Adam and Eve, the first humans, causing them to sin and bear the punishment of sin, which is death. Therefore, Satan is the first liar and murderer. He is called the father of lies because he lied to lead many angels and humans into sin and rebellion against the God.

In Satan, there is no truth, and therefore, Satan does not live according to the truth. Satan was originally a good archangel created by the God, but perhaps his excessive pride led him to become deceitful in order to lure many angels to side with him, in an attempt to overthrow the authority of the God. The fall of Satan is a mystery, and perhaps we will only fully understand it when we enter heaven.

Because Satan is the father of lies, when a person lies, they place themselves in the position of being a child of Satan. The sin of lying is very serious, because the punishment for those who lie is eternal suffering in the lake of fire.

“But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and sinners, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and drug users, and idolaters, and all who are false shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8).

God’s people who lie are opening the way for Satan to take hold of them and pull them away from the God’s salvation. God’s people must cultivate the habit of fearing lies as they fear the fire of hell and pray to the God to keep them from the sin of lying. If God’s people accidentally commit any sin, they must immediately confess their sin to the God and ask Him to forgive them, cleanse them, and help them not to sin again. God’s people need to memorize 1 John 1:9 to counter the accusations of Satan when they have sinned.

John 8:45-47

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

47 He who is of *God hears *God’s words; therefore you do not hear them, because you are not of *God.”

The truth that the Lord Jesus spoke to the Pharisees was that He is the light of the world, the light of life for those who follow Him (John 8:12). This means He is the Christ, the Messiah promised in the Scriptures. But the Pharisees did not believe in Him. Perhaps because, to them, He was only the son of an ordinary carpenter from Nazareth who had never studied under any Jewish teacher.

The question of the Lord Jesus, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” was also a declaration of His complete innocence. Therefore, every word He spoke was the truth. However, only those who truly fear the God can recognize that every teaching of the Lord Jesus comes from the God. It is God the Holy Spirit who gives them this understanding.

“He who is of *God” is someone who truly fears the God and is granted understanding by God the Holy Spirit to comprehend the preaching of the Word of the God. God the Holy Spirit also gives that person wisdom to know how to apply the truth of God’s Word in life.

People “who are not of *God” may claim to fear the God, but their acknowledgment is merely on their lips, while their heart is far from Him. Such a person obeys the commandments of men rather than the commandments of the God, which are clearly written in the Scriptures.

“‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and they honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'” (Matthew 15:8-9)

Most people belonging to religious organizations that bear the name of the Lord are those “who are not of *God.” Their way of life does not honor God because they do not obey the Ten Commandments of the God, and they do not reflect God’s love, holiness, and righteousness.

John 8:48

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say well that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?”

Once again, the Apostle John uses the term “the Jews” to refer to the Pharisees, emphasizing the fact that they originally belonged to the God’s chosen people. Yet they failed to remain in the position of being chosen by the God. They turned their faith in the God into a religious system with many doctrines of their own making, abandoning the commandments of the God. This religious system became Judaism, which formed over about 400 years when the God remained silent toward Israel. The reason the God was silent with Israel was because, after they completed their time of captivity in Babylon and returned to Jerusalem, they continued to live in sin. The Prophet Malachi clearly recorded their sinful living.

The Pharisees had often claimed that the Lord Jesus had a demon or used the power of demons to heal and cast out unclean spirits. But this was the first and only time it is recorded in Scripture that they called Him a Samaritan. When they called Him a Samaritan, they intended to insult Him, falsely accuse His teachings of being untrue, and deny His ministry as the Christ.

The Samaritans were Israelites who intermarried with people from foreign nations. They were looked down upon and avoided by pure-blooded Israelites. In those times, when Israelites referred to someone as a Samaritan, it was meant to insult that person. The Samaritans also worshiped the God, but not at the Temple in Jerusalem; they worshiped on Mount Gerizim. They had a religious system that was different from Judaism. Therefore, the Israelites considered the teachings and worship of the God by the Samaritans to be false. Calling the Lord Jesus a Samaritan was an accusation that His teachings were based on Samaritanism, a religion that worshiped the God but only accepted the Pentateuch—the first five books—while rejecting the remaining books of the Old Testament. Thus, by calling the Lord Jesus a Samaritan, they simultaneously denied Him as the Christ, because the Christ was supposed to come from the line of David, a pure-blooded Israelite, and His coming had been prophesied in the prophetic books.

John 8:49-51

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks it and who judges.

51 Most assuredly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall by no means experience death.”

The Lord Jesus directly told the Pharisees that they were falsely accusing Him of having a demon, and He understood that they were dishonoring Him. He also told them that He was not seeking glory for Himself. This statement meant that everything He said and did was fulfilling the duty entrusted to Him by the God. That duty was to reveal the God’s will to humanity and complete the salvation of mankind through the people of Israel. However, it is the God who seeks glory for the Lord Jesus and also judges those who insult Him.

Since the Lord Jesus is the light of the world, the light of life, anyone who believes in Him and obeys His teachings will “by no means experience death.” This means that all their sins are forgiven by the God. Their sinful nature is cleansed by the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit grants them the divine life and power of God so that they may live a holy life, free from sin.

The “death” mentioned here refers to the eternal suffering in hell, the punishment for breaking the God’s commandments, distinct from the temporary physical death of the body. In the book of Revelation, this is referred to as the “second death.”

“By no means experience death” means never experiencing the second death and thus not enduring the suffering in hell caused by the second death.

John 8:52-53

52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall by no means experience death.’

53 “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? Also the prophets died. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?”

Once again, the Apostle John uses the term “the Jews” to refer to the Pharisees. They prided themselves on being the God’s chosen people, having been given His Word, the Scriptures, yet they failed to understand the profound meaning of the words of the Lord Jesus. They only understood them in a literal sense. They thought that the Lord Jesus was speaking about the first death, that is, the temporary death of the physical body. Therefore, they referenced the physical death of Abraham and the prophets to challenge Him. In their minds, Abraham and the prophets were great servants of the God who had also died, so who was the Lord Jesus to claim that anyone who keeps His teachings will never die? Perhaps the Pharisees conversing with the Lord Jesus had forgotten that the Scriptures clearly record that Enoch and the Prophet Elijah did not experience physical death.

Later, the Lord Jesus taught Martha, the sister of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)?

“He may die” refers to both physical death and spiritual death, the consequences of breaking the God’s Ten Commandments. Physical death is when the soul and spirit separate from the physical body; the body returns to the dust, the spirit returns to the God, and the soul is temporarily confined in hell. Spiritual death is when the soul, spirit, and body are separated from God while the physical body is still alive. After the final judgment, the soul and the resurrected body will be eternally separated from God.

“He shall live” refers to the resurrection of the physical body in glory, and the soul, spirit, and resurrected body will never be separated from God.

“Everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die” speaks of people who have been born again through faith in the God’s salvation. If they continue to hold fast to their faith in Christ, they will never be separated from God.

John 8:54-56

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say that He is our God.

55 And yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I would say that I do not know Him, I would be like you, a liar; but I do know Him, and I keep His word.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see My day, and he saw it and he was glad.”

Self-exaltation is always meaningless because all glory belongs to God. Only when a person is made glorious by the God does their glory become real and valuable.

The Pharisees called the God their God, but they did not truly know Him. The verb “know” in the culture of Israel carries a deep meaning. It is not just external recognition but also an understanding of both emotions and spirituality. For this reason, the verb “know” is used in Israel to refer to the sexual relationship between husband and wife. To “know” the God is to have an understanding of Him, His will, and His works, which leads to a transformation in one’s own life—from thoughts and words to actions, aligning with Him. The “knowledge” of the God can only occur when a person truly reveres the God and is willing to obey His Word.

Perhaps Abraham was granted a vision by the God about the coming of the Lord Jesus into the world to make a sin offering for humanity. It is very likely that he received this vision when he obeyed the God by taking Isaac to the mountain to offer him as a burnt offering. And perhaps, from Paradise in the realm of the dead, Abraham rejoiced when he saw the Lord Jesus enter the world to accomplish the salvation of mankind. It is also likely that Abraham was granted a vision by the God regarding the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom, under the reign of the Lord Jesus. The phrase “My day” could be understood as referring to all three periods: the period when the Lord Jesus came into the world to accomplish the redemption of humanity, the period when He establishes and rules the Millennial Kingdom, and the period when He establishes and rules the Eternal Kingdom. We can believe that the God did not hide from Abraham the great and wondrous works He would do, as He said, as recorded in Genesis 18:17, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?”

John 8:57-59

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, having gone through their midst, and so passed by.

The Apostle John continues to use the term “the Jews” to refer to the Pharisees. Perhaps the Holy Spirit inspired him to repeatedly use this term to emphasize the common mindset of most of the people of Israel. It was a mindset of arrogance, unbelief, a willingness to blaspheme what they did not understand, and a tendency to turn the worship of the God into a religious ritual rather than a true expression of reverence.

In the minds of the Pharisees, they relied on the words of Jesus that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, to understand that Jesus implied He knew Abraham and had seen him. Therefore, they mocked Him saying, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” At that time, Jesus was about 33 years old, and Abraham had died approximately 1967 years earlier. The Pharisees probably confidently assumed that Jesus was demon-possessed and was speaking nonsense. Jesus’ response to their mockery angered them, and they immediately picked up stones to throw at Him. For in His words, Jesus indirectly confessed that He was God.

The meaning of Jesus’ words is as follows:

“Truly! Truly! I say to you, before Abraham was born, I existed and have always existed.”

“I AM” is the name of God, meaning “I exist and have always existed,” which He used to refer to Himself when speaking to Moses, as recorded in Exodus 3:14. The title “I AM” can be translated into English as “the Eternal Self-Existing One.” Only God is the One who exists by Himself and has always existed. Therefore, when the Lord Jesus says, “I AM,” it means He is declaring Himself to be God. Throughout His testimony about Himself to the Pharisees, He uses the phrase “I AM” three times (John 8:24, 28, 58). The Pharisees understood the meaning of the title “I AM,” especially when Jesus made it clear that He existed before Abraham. To them, this was blasphemy spoken by someone who claimed to be God. Therefore, they picked up stones to throw at Him to kill Him.

But while they were picking up stones, the Lord Jesus “hid Himself.” The phrase “hid Himself” means to conceal Himself. It is possible that Jesus stepped into the crowd of people to leave the Temple. The phrase “their midst” in “went out of the temple, having gone through their midst” does not refer to the Pharisees but to the crowd of people.

Although the Lord Jesus, being inspired by God the Holy Spirit, knew in advance that the Pharisees would never repent and would die in their sins, He still preached the truth to them, and these were important truths. He confessed that He is the light of the world, and whoever follows Him will have the light of life, implying that He is the Christ, and those who follow Him will have salvation. Three times He confessed that He is the Eternal Self-Existing One. He is the Eternal Self-Existing One present among mankind, in the human flesh, born of humans. This is different from His presence among mankind in the form of humans, as when the Trinity of God appeared to Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 18:1-3. Therefore, His fleshly body bears the name Jesus, meaning: The Eternal Self-Existing One is the Savior.

We will conclude this lesson here.

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
11/30/2024

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/the-day-of-the-lords-death-and-the-day-of-the-lords-resurrection/

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use 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.