Dating the year of Jesus’ birth and the year of his crucifixion and the length of His earthly ministry is a challenge. The Gospel of John is the only Gospel that gives us information that will allow us to discover that Jesus’ earthly ministry lasted for more than one year. This is accomplished by noting the Jewish Passovers and Festivals that John mentions. This week we read in John 6:4 of the Jewish Passover being near. John will also mention the Jewish Passover being near in 2:13 and 11:55. In John 5:1 we will read of a Jewish Festival that Jesus went up to Jerusalem to attend. So we know from John’s Gospel that there are for certain three Passovers but this would only indicate a ministry of a little over 2 years. A. T. Robertson in his Harmony of the Gospels stated that the Festival in John 5:1 was probably a Passover. Other scholars believe the Festival in John 5:1 refers to the Feast of Tabernacles. In any case most scholars believe there was an additional Passover between John 2:13 and John 6:4 which gives the length of Jesus’ earthly ministry something a little over three and a half years.
Our reading in John this week begins in chapter 5 and ends in chapter 8. In Blog 15 and 17 we discussed Guthrie’s advice to use more than one translation which can give more insight as to the meaning of a passage and make us aware of any translation difficulties. Let’s compare two translations of verse 31 in chapter 5.
“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.” CSB
“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” NASB95
Some translations add the word ‘alone’ and other translations do not. Several translations that use italics to indicate an English word that has been added in translation where there is no corresponding word in the Greek text have added the word ‘alone.’ Other translations that follow this procedure have not added the word ‘alone’ such as the NKJV and KJV. What can we learn from this? You’ll also notice by doing this translation compare of several versions that some have ‘testify’ and others have ‘bear witness.’ Does that change our understanding of the passage?
We will also read this week in chapter 8:13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” NASB95
Jesus then responds in 8:14 “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true.” NASB95
To summarize in John 5:31 Jesus can say, “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true” and in John 8:14 He can say, “if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true.” How is this ‘seeming’ contradiction to be resolved?
The answer is once again context. Jesus is not the only one testifying about Himself in 5:31. He mentions several in the following verses. First in verse 32 He makes reference to the Father, He has already said in 5:19 that He only does what the Father does and later in 12:49-50 He will tell us He only speaks what the Father has commanded Him to speak. In 5:35 He adds the testimony of John the Baptist, and then in verse 36 He states the works He has been doing are an even greater testimony than that of John the Baptist. In verses 37 and 38 He mentions the Father testifying to who He is. Finally in verse 39 He mentions that the Old Testament Scriptures testify to Him. Truly He is not testifying about Himself alone!
Note carefully verse 46 where Jesus says that Moses “wrote about me.” When you read the books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy) do you see Jesus? What about the rest of the Old Testament?
Our reading in John this week begins in chapter 5 and ends in chapter 8. In Blog 15 and 17 we discussed Guthrie’s advice to use more than one translation which can give more insight as to the meaning of a passage and make us aware of any translation difficulties. Let’s compare two translations of verse 31 in chapter 5.
“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.” CSB
“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.” NASB95
Some translations add the word ‘alone’ and other translations do not. Several translations that use italics to indicate an English word that has been added in translation where there is no corresponding word in the Greek text have added the word ‘alone.’ Other translations that follow this procedure have not added the word ‘alone’ such as the NKJV and KJV. What can we learn from this? You’ll also notice by doing this translation compare of several versions that some have ‘testify’ and others have ‘bear witness.’ Does that change our understanding of the passage?
We will also read this week in chapter 8:13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” NASB95
Jesus then responds in 8:14 “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true.” NASB95
To summarize in John 5:31 Jesus can say, “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true” and in John 8:14 He can say, “if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true.” How is this ‘seeming’ contradiction to be resolved?
The answer is once again context. Jesus is not the only one testifying about Himself in 5:31. He mentions several in the following verses. First in verse 32 He makes reference to the Father, He has already said in 5:19 that He only does what the Father does and later in 12:49-50 He will tell us He only speaks what the Father has commanded Him to speak. In 5:35 He adds the testimony of John the Baptist, and then in verse 36 He states the works He has been doing are an even greater testimony than that of John the Baptist. In verses 37 and 38 He mentions the Father testifying to who He is. Finally in verse 39 He mentions that the Old Testament Scriptures testify to Him. Truly He is not testifying about Himself alone!
Note carefully verse 46 where Jesus says that Moses “wrote about me.” When you read the books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy) do you see Jesus? What about the rest of the Old Testament?
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