Question on John 8:32

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Tue Oct 26 08:27:07 EDT 1999


To: Robert W Meyers,

RWM: << Dr. Morris comments: This [Jn 8:32] could be read, literally, "come 
to know." True freedom results from continued study of the Scriptures and 
obedience to them. >>

I don't see anything in chapter 8 of John which suggests anything about 
studying scriptures or obedience to them. As for the verb GNWSESQE, it is 
simply a future tense. BDF (sec. 348) suggests:

<< ... the future is the only tense which expresses only a level of time 
and not an 'Aktionsart' so that completed and durative action are not 
distinguished. >>

And Buist M. Fanning [1990:123] writes:

<< ... the future must be taken as a non-aspectual 'tense'-category, 
indicating occurrence 'subsequent' to some reference-point. >>

Also, the translation "come to know" doesn't seem to me to suggest anything 
different from the simple "know" in this circumstance.

RWM: << Thus, the Lord is not saying that one continuing in His Word 
already is free from sin; but rather this continuance in His Word will 
result in a continuing process of becoming more and more free from sin? >>

I don't see that the Johannine Jesus is saying that at all. According to 
John, the Johannine Jesus was asked what he meant by saying "you will be 
made free." The Johannine Jesus answers:

"Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The 
slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place 
there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 
8:34b-36 NRSV).

There is no suggestion by the Johannine Jesus that emancipation is only 
partial and that one becomes part-slave yet part-free. The point seems to 
be very clear, if the "Son" makes you free, then you will no longer be a 
slave. The notion of a partial emancipation would seem to be foreign to the 
text.

And as for the (supposed) parallels you listed (i.e., 1 Peter 2:2; Rom 
6:2,7), it is not clear to me that the author of John had ever read either 
1 Peter or Romans, or that either of these works were a direct influence 
upon the gospel of John.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com

"There are no ultimate sources of knowledge. Every source, every suggestion 
is welcome; and every source, every suggestion, is open to critical 
examination" (Karl Popper, "Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of 
Scientific Knowledge," 1963:27).




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