JOHN 8:34

 

John 8:34

When Christ spoke to the Jews who had believed in Him, He told them them how they could become free, but they angrily responded that as Abraham's children they had never been slaves. At that point he reminded them that as long as they were in bondage to sin they remained slaves. Here is what a number of scholarly sources say regarding Christ's reply.

But first to deal with is a textual issue since a number of early manuscripts do not contain the phrase 'of sin' (hamartia). Metzger and others feel this was a move to stylistically improve the original text by either (a) eliminating it in view of the fact that the same word had just been used a few words earlier or (b) to strengthen the connection with the following expression.

Raymond Brown agrees with this assessment, saying “The evidence for omitting this phrase is found in a strong combination of witnesses [i.e. manuscripts] from the Western family and Clement of Alexandria...there are parallels of thought between these Johannine verses and Paul's argumentation in Galatians and Romans, and so it is possible that a scribe may have added the phrase 'of sin' from Rom vi 17, 'You were once slaves of sin.' Outside of John and Romans the picture of men being slaves of sin is found in the NT only in II Pet ii 19.”

Despite these arguments, most English translations retain the phrase 'of sin.' Moving on to the actual meaning of v. 34, let me start by quoting from several anonymous essays found in The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery:

“Entry into slavery was accomplished by birth to a slave mother, by surrender as a captive in war or by self-sale. These last two modes provide substance to such texts as John 8:34, 1 Corinthians 7:23, Galatians 5:1 and especially Romans 6:16-22.”

“While the literal versions of bondage and freedom in the OT often shade off into the metaphoric and spiritual meanings, with Jesus the primary frame of reference is spiritual.” Quoted in this context are Luke 4:18; John 8:31-32 and John 8:34, 36.

“As Peter points out, 'A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him (2 Pet 2:19; also see Jn 8:34). Judgment awaits those who falsely assume that redemption is self-mastery rather than the freedom to chose God as master (Ps 12:4).”

“The reason Cain is warned not to let sin have mastery (Gen 4:7) is that sin is a slave driver. The psalmist took the hint and prayed that sin would not rule over him (Ps 119:133). Jesus warned that 'everyone who sins is a slave to sin' (Jn 8:34). Paul could vouch for the bondage of sin from his own experience as a man 'sold as a slave to sin...a prisoner of the law of sin' (Rom 7:14, 23; cf. Rom 6).”

“One of the first places in Scripture the word groan is encountered is Exodus 2:23: 'The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up up to God' (NIV)...Yet the Bible repeatedly makes the case for a deeper, more fundamental form of slavery that affects each human person regardless of the form of government or current social institution that happens to be in force during their lifetime...Sin is the great slave master, and we are born under its tyranny. When this fact becomes clear to us.., we respond with deep, soul-wrenching groans.”

Additional comments from scholars are given below:

Dennis notes that “sin, the world and the devil are closely connected in this Gospel (Jn 1:10; 8:34, 41, 44; 12:31; 14:30; 16:8-11).”

Culpepper says that “those who did not accept Jesus misunderstood him.” He cites Vouga's listing of such misunderstandings to include the following passages involving the Jews (2:19-22; 3:3-5; 7:33-36; 8:21-22; 8:31-36; and 8:56-58).

“In John's Gospel 'amen' always appears in doublets, often in the midst of important teachings of Jesus where the term is used twice or three times within a singular topic...Other instances of the term occur in sayings that respond to challenge (Jn 8:34, 51, 58)...” (Carey)

Blum: “Three times in this chapter (vv. 34, 51, 58) Jesus said, I tell you the truth. The very act of committing sin reveals that the one doing the act is under the power and authority of sin. Sin is personified as a cruel master. Paul used the same illustration (Rom. 6:15-23).”

Guthrie says, “The appeal to Abraham is considered sufficient to justify their claim to freedom. But this showed that their concept of freedom was deficient in moral content. In answer, Jesus makes a comment to which He attaches great importance, as the introduction formula ['verily, verily'] shows. He proceeds to show the true nature of moral slavery, in order to bring out the true nature of freedom.”

“First, he attacked their confidence in escaping the bonds of Gehenna by issuing another double amen ('I tell you the truth') announcement that called into question the fundamental rabbinic concept of freedom. He judged that they were slaves because they were sinners. Their confidence in their sense of internal liberty had been misplaced because being Jews and not Gentiles was no guarantee that they could avoid condemnation by God for their sinfulness. Yom Kipppur (the Day of Atonement), which had just passed, should have reminded them that they too were sinners.” (Borchert)

Morris adds, “Jesus is not saying that every individual act of sin represents slavery (though in a sense that, too, is true). What he is saying is that very man who continues in sin, who is a sinner, is thereby a slave.”