John 8:31

John 8:31. Jesus said therefore to the Jews which had believed him. The word ‘therefore' closely joins this section with the last. Are we then to regard the Jews of this verse as included in the ‘many' of the last? Certainly not, because of the essential difference between the expressions used in the two verses, ‘believed in him' and ‘believed him.' The former denotes a true faith in Jesus, such an acceptance of Him as includes a surrender of the heart, the ‘self,' to Him; the latter, an acceptance of His words as true. Those who ‘believed Him' were in the way towards the higher faith, but yet might be very far from the attainment of that goal. The impression produced by the last words spoken by Jesus appears to have been very great, bringing many to the position of full discipleship, and even convincing some of the hostile Jews themselves that they had been opposing one whose words were true, and whose claims on their obedience were just and right. These men stand between the two companies, the Jews with whom they had been associated, and the believers who had joined themselves to the Lord. Will they draw nearer to Him and ‘ believe in him, ' or will they return to His enemies? The words which Jesus now speaks, to instruct and to encourage, prove to be the test of their faith.

If ye shall abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples. They believed His word; if they abide in this word of His, clinging to it, continuing under its influence, the word will be to them a revelation of Jesus, and will assert its power. Note the significance ever attached in this Gospel to the word of Jesus. As He, the Word, reveals the Father, and leads to the Father, so His own word reveals Himself, and draws men to Himself through (so teaches the fuller revelation) the power of the Spirit of Truth.