World English Bible · Under Rome
John 8
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but went to . Now very early in the morning, he came again into , and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them. 3The and the brought a woman taken in . Having set her in the middle, 4they told him, "Teacher, we found this woman in , in the very act. Now in our law, commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?" They said this him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, "He who is without among you, let him throw the first stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. They, when they heard it, being convicted by their , went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. , standing up, saw her and said, "Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, ." said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, no more." Again, therefore, spoke to them, saying, "I am of the world. He who follows me will not walk in , but will have of life." The therefore said to him, "You testify about yourself. Your is not valid." answered them, "Even if I testify about myself, my is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don't know where I came from, or where I am going. You judge according to . I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my is true, for I am not alone, but I am with who sent me. It's also written in that the of two people is valid. I am one who testifies about myself, and who sent me testifies about me." They said therefore to him, "Where is your ?" answered, "You know neither me nor . If you knew me, you would know also." spoke these words in the , as he taught in . Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. said therefore again to them, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will in your . Where I go, you can't come." The therefore said, "Will he kill himself, because he says, 'Where I am going, you can't come'?" He said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I said therefore to you that you will in your ; for unless you that I am he, you will in your ." They said therefore to him, "Who are you?" said to them, " what I have been saying to you . I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However, he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world." They didn't understand that he spoke to them about . therefore said to them, "When you have lifted up , then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as taught me, I say these things. He who sent me is with me. hasn't left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." As he spoke these things, many in him. therefore said to those who had him, "If you in my word, then you are truly my . You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered him, "We are , and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will be '?" answered them, "Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits is the of . A doesn't live in the house . A son . If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are , yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. I say the things which I have seen with ; and you also do the things which you have seen with your ." They answered him, " is ." said to them, "If you were children, you would do the works of . But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from . didn't do this. You do the works of your ." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one , ." Therefore said to them, "If were your , you would love me, for I came out and have come from . For I haven't come of myself, but he sent me. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you can't hear my word. You are of your the devil, and you want to do the of your . He was a , and doesn't stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and of lies. But because I tell the truth, you don't me. Which of you convicts me of ? If I tell the truth, why do you not me? He who is of hears the words of . For this cause you don't hear, because you are not of ." Then the answered him, "Don't we say well that you are a , and have a ?" answered, "I don't have a , but I and you dishonor me. But I don't seek my own . There is one who seeks and judges. Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see ." Then the said to him, "Now we know that you have a . , as did ; and you say, 'If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of .' Are you greater than , who ? . Who do you make yourself out to be?" answered, "If I myself, my is nothing. It is who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our . You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, 'I don't know him,' I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word. Your rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad." 57The therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen ?" said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before came into existence, I AM." Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but hid himself and went out of , having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.