Thessalonian Faith

Continue in Jesus or Sin will Continue in You (John 8:30-36)

(43-28a)

For this week’s study:

  1. Any time you read or study the Bible, always start with prayer, asking God to guide you, so you understand God’s message and learn His methods for living.
  2. Read John 8:30-36 several times using your Bible, and the two translations provided below, to understand the boundaries, content and flow of the study passage. (Reading the passage once a day from any of those translations is recommended.)
  3. Read and respond to the “Study Guide” and use the “Study Resources” provided below to learn more from this study passage.

Read the Passage

Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

The Truth Will Set You Free

(2 John 1:4–6)

<30>As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him. <31>So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. <32>Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

<33>“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”

<34>Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. <35>A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. <36>So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

<30>As Jesus spoke all these words, many people believed in him.

Having God as Father

<31>Jesus told the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue to follow my message through thick and thin, you’ll show you’re serious about being my true followers. <32>As you learn from me, you will know the truth clearly about me, who I am, why I came and how I want you to live. That truth will affect your whole life and will set you free.’

<33>They answered him, ‘We’re Abraham’s descendants and heirs of God’s promises. We’ve never been anyone’s slaves. What do you mean by saying we will be set free?’

<34>Jesus went on, ‘I am telling you the truth, everyone who’s ever been born continues to sin. The human heart leans towards sin. People want to live their lives independently of God; they fall short of perfection and disobey God’s law. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin; they’re controlled by it. You cannot break that slavery yourself: only the Son can set you free. <35>A slave is not a member of a family for ever, but a son is. A son enjoys the full privileges of belonging to a family for ever. <36>So I promise you, if the Son—that’s me—sets you free, you will really be free, released from the burden and guilt of sin. Your sins will be forgiven. You’ll no longer be controlled by the power of sin but you’ll be free to become the people my Father originally intended you to be.

* Words in italics are not translated from the original Greek text.  They have been added to explain and at times apply the text, much as a preacher does on a Sunday or notes do at the foot of the page in a study Bible. These additions are integrated with the text itself, and are in italics, so readers can see what has been explained, changed or added.

Study the Passage

Study Guide

(NOTE: The Word Come Alive Extended Translation above can help you answer these questions.)

How does Jesus describe true discipleship?

What can we do to continue in Christ’s word?

Did Jesus use the phrase “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” the same way we do today? If not, what is the difference?

What is this truth supposed to free us from?

What did Jesus mean when He said “everyone who sins is a slave to sin”?

What does the word “sin” mean?

What characteristic of sin mentioned in Hebrews 11:25 might cause a person to be a slave to sin?

What does being a true disciple of Jesus have to do with being a slave to sin?

Study Resources

To learn more about this study passage, go to
https://www.bibleref.com/John/8/John-8-30.html. Read the commentary of each verse in the study passage.  (Also read the Context Summary and the Chapter Summary.)

If you have any questions about this passage, type the verse reference or your question in the search box at the top of
https://www.gotquestions.org/ and explore the results.

If you have a study Bible, read the footnotes and study notes to see how they help you understand this passage. Also check out any maps, charts and articles related to the study passage.