Paragraph 8:25–30

Jesus continued to say that he was from God. He told the religious leaders that if they really believed what he taught, they would know what was true. If they were God’s children, they would love him. They could not believe him because they did not belong to God.

Jesus, however, honored his Father God. He did not seek glory for himself but God sought it for him and glorified him. Finally Jesus said that he existed before Abraham, and he used the divine “I am” title for himself. Then the Jews picked up stones to kill him but he escaped.

8:25a

“Who are You?” they asked: In the Greek text these words, the quote introducer, occur at the beginning of 8:25. They introduce a question. Place the words they asked where it is natural in your language. For example:

They said to him, “Who are you?” (New Revised Standard Version)

Who are You?: This question asks about the meaning of Jesus’ words in 8:24b: “unless you believe that I am he.” The speakers wondered who Jesus said that he was.

they: Jesus had spoken to the Jewish leaders mentioned in 8:22a. The pronoun they here refers to these people. It may be natural to make this explicit:

The Jewish leaders asked him

8:25b

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied: Place the phrase Jesus replied where it is natural in your language. For example:

Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? (New Revised Standard Version)

Just what I have been telling you from the beginning: The Greek sentence that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Just what I have been telling you from the beginning is the most difficult to understand in John. There is a small textual problem here also. There are two main ways to interpret this sentence:

(1) Nearly all English translations, including the Berean Standard Bible, and most scholars understand it to say, “What I told you from/at the beginning.” In this interpretation, Jesus answered the question in 8:25a.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) The New Revised Standard Version and some scholars understand it to say, “Why do I speak to you at all?” For example:

Why do I speak to you at all? (New Revised Standard Version)

(New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with almost all English translations. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:

I am exactly who I told you at the beginning. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The one I have always claimed to be. (New Living Translation (2004))

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