John 5:40 · Bible study
John 5:40 Commentary: The Will That Refuses Life
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do those who search Scripture refuse Christ? Greek analysis of 'you will not come' reveals the heart of unbelief and the tragedy of missed life.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Despite searching Scripture for eternal life, the Jews refuse to come to Jesus, the very source of that life.
- Key words: “Will not” (thelete, present active indicative, ongoing stubborn refusal); “come” (elthein, aorist infinitive of decisive action); “life” (zōēn, eternal life in Christ).
- Main debate: Is the refusal based on inability or unwillingness? The text emphasizes willful moral resistance, but traditions differ on how human depravity and divine grace relate to this act of the will.
- Theological theme: Human responsibility in the face of clear divine revelation; the tragedy of rejected grace.
- Best use: Evangelistic preaching; self-examination for Bible readers; pastoral calls to examine the heart’s response to Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.
KJV King James Version 1769
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and ye do not will to come unto me, that ye may have life;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and ye will not come to me that ye might have life.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And you will not come to me that you may have life.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y no queréis venir á mí, para que tengáis vida.
E não quereis vir a mim, para que tenhais vida.
Et vous ne voulez pas venir à moi pour avoir la vie!
und ihr wollt nicht zu mir kommen, daß ihr das Leben haben möchtet.
En gij wilt tot Mij niet komen, opdat gij het leven moogt hebben.
eppure non volete venire a me per aver la vita!
A wżdy do mnie przyjść nie chcecie, abyście żywot mieli.
Но вы не хотите придти ко Мне, чтобы иметь жизнь.
然而，你們不 肯 到 我 這裡來 得 生命。
And still you have no desire to come to me so that you may have life.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 5:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that this verse exposes the deliberate and culpable refusal of Jewish leaders to come to Jesus for eternal life. Vincent's Word Studies notes that the Greek phrase combines the conjunction kai with adversative force, “and yet”, and the present active verb thelete (you are willing) with the absolute negative ou, indicating “stubborn determination.” Matthew Henry and Matthew Poole observe that the Jews diligently searched the Scriptures (v. 39) yet refused the very Person to whom the Scriptures pointed. Barnes underscores that the only reason sinners are not saved is that “they will not come to Christ for life and happiness: it is not because they ‘cannot,’ but because they ‘will not.’” Calvin attributes their ignorance and blindness to “wickedness and obstinacy,” while Gill stresses that “such was the depravity, perverseness, and stubbornness of their wills, that they had no inclination, desire, and will to come to Christ.” The consensus is clear: the barrier is not a lack of evidence but a settled refusal of the heart.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The point of the verse is that the Jews' failure to come to Christ is not due to a lack of evidence or opportunity, but because they are actively unwilling to do so, and this unwillingness is morally culpable.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of unbelief | The Jews actively and culpably refuse to come to Christ despite ample evidence. Their refusal is morally blameworthy. | Some traditions (Reformed) emphasize that the will is bound by sin and unable to choose Christ without divine grace, while others (Arminian) stress that the will is free to respond and that refusal is purely voluntary. |
| Relationship between Scripture and Christ | Scripture bears witness to Christ and is not an end in itself. Eternal life is found in the person of Christ, not in the text alone. | Christians debate the degree to which saving knowledge of Christ is available through the Old Testament without explicit faith in Jesus as Messiah (e.g., the righteous of the Old Covenant). |
| Meaning of 'eternal life' | Eternal life is a gift from God, possessed through union with Christ, and includes both present quality and future destiny. | Some traditions emphasize eternal life as a present possession received at conversion; others emphasize it as fully realized in the age to come, with an emphasis on future resurrection. |
| Human will and divine sovereignty | Both traditions affirm that salvation is ultimately God's work and that human beings are responsible for their response to the gospel. | Reformed theology sees the human will as in bondage to sin such that it cannot choose Christ unless regenerated; Wesleyan/Arminian theology sees grace as enabling the will to cooperate or resist. |
Historical & Cultural Context
John 5:40 appears near the end of a long discourse triggered by controversy. Earlier, Jesus healed a paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath (5:1, 9). When Jewish leaders confront him, Jesus responds by claiming a unique relationship with the Father, calling God “my Father” and asserting authority to judge and give life (5:17, 30). The conflict escalates, and Jesus calls three witnesses to support his claim: John the Baptist (vv. 33, 35), his own works (v. 36), and the Father himself (v. 37). Then, in verses 39, 40, he adds the testimony of the Scriptures.
For first-century Jews, the Scriptures were the preeminent source of divine truth. They “searched” them (v. 39 uses the verb eraunate, which can be indicative or imperative) because they believed that in them they possessed eternal life. Yet Jesus overturns that assumption. The Scriptures are not life itself; they are a witness to the Life-giver. The tragedy Jesus exposes is that these diligent students of the Word refuse to come to the Word made flesh. The word “come” (elthein) here implies a personal, trust-oriented approach, not merely physical proximity but a turning of the whole person to Christ in faith.
The surrounding verses reinforce the diagnosis: they “do not have the love of God” in themselves (v. 42), they seek glory from one another rather than from God (v. 44), and they trust in Moses while rejecting Moses’ ultimate subject, Jesus (vv. 45, 47). The cross-references echo Israel’s long history of resistance. Psalm 81:11 says, “But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me.” Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, “you would not!” (Matthew 23:37), mirrors the same pattern. John 5:40 is not a new problem; it is the oldest one: God calls, and his people refuse.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for John 5:40. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts, and no alternative readings affect its meaning or interpretation. Translations differ slightly in conveying the adversative force of the opening conjunction (e.g., “yet” in WEB, BSB; “and” in KJV, ASV), but these reflect interpretive choices rather than textual uncertainty.
Reception History
John 5:40 has been a key text in evangelistic preaching across many traditions, particularly where the preacher wants to underscore human responsibility in responding to Christ. Augustine, in his anti-Pelagian writings, used the verse to show that the will must be moved by grace, since the natural will refuses to come, while also insisting that the refusal is blameworthy. The verse appears in the sermons of John Wesley, who saw it as evidence that God offers life to all and that the only obstacle is an unwilling heart. In the Reformed tradition, it has been cited alongside John 6:44 to show the necessity of divine drawing, yet without excusing human guilt. The verse has also been set to music in hymns that call the hearer to “come to Jesus” while acknowledging the stubbornness of the human heart, such as “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy” (Joseph Hart) and “Just As I Am” (Charlotte Elliott). In modern preaching, it often serves as a mirror for those who trust in religious activity rather than in Christ himself.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Scriptures Direct Us to Christ. The Old Testament writings that the Jews treasured all point to Jesus (v. 39; Luke 24:27). True Bible study leads us to the living Word.
- Life Is Found Only in Him. The life the Scriptures promise is not a set of teachings or moral rules; it is a person. Jesus is the Life (John 14:6).
- The Sole Barrier Is the Human Will. Christ stands at the door and calls, but the will holds the door shut. The verb thelete insists that the refusal is active, ongoing, and blameworthy.
Five-Point Outline
- The Search for Life: Human beings are wired to seek ultimate meaning and security. These Jews were doing it in the right place, the Scriptures.
- The Witness of Scripture: Every page of the Old Testament testifies to Christ. The Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings all whisper or shout his name.
- The Offer of Life: Jesus does not merely point to life; he gives it. The language of “coming” implies movement from death to life, from distance to intimacy.
- The Refusal of the Will: The tragedy is not ignorance but rebellion. They will not. The present tense suggests a settled posture, not a momentary hesitation.
- The Cost of Refusal: They remain without life. The very life they sought through study is held out to them, and they turn away.
Illustration Hooks
- A woman reads the menu of a gourmet restaurant in detail, memorizes the prices and descriptions, but refuses to enter the dining room and eat. She has knowledge of the food but no nourishment.
- A patient studies the prescription label carefully, checks the dosage, and then sets the bottle on the counter without ever swallowing the medicine. He knows what the cure is but will not take it.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why do I sometimes feel bored or distant from Jesus even when I read my Bible regularly?
- How can I tell if my Bible study is drawing me closer to Christ or just feeding my pride?
- What does it mean to “come” to Jesus in a practical, daily sense?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shocks us. It shows that a person can be devoted to Scripture, know the right answers, and still miss the point entirely. The Jews were not careless about the Word; they were meticulous. Yet Jesus says their refusal to come to him makes all their study hollow. As we work through the passage together, let us let the question turn back on us: are we coming to Christ himself through the Scriptures, or are we settling for information about him?
Discussion Questions
- Read John 5:39, 40. What do the Jews believe about the Scriptures and eternal life? How does Jesus challenge that belief?
- The Greek word for “will not” (thelete) suggests a sustained, deliberate unwillingness. Why do you think Jesus describes their reluctance this way?
- How does verse 38 (“you don’t have his word living in you”) connect to their refusal to come to Christ?
- In what ways can a person today rely on Bible knowledge as a substitute for genuine faith in Jesus?
- Jesus says they “search” the Scriptures. The verb can be read as indicative (“you do search”) or imperative (“search!”). How does each reading change the tone of the passage?
- Verse 42 says they “do not have the love of God in themselves.” How does a lack of love for God explain the unwillingness to come to Christ?
- What practical steps can we take to ensure that our time in Scripture always leads us toward Christ rather than away from him?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 81:11 | But my people didn’t listen to my voice. Israel desired none of me. |
| Isaiah 49:7 | Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up, princes, and they shall worship, because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” |
| Isaiah 50:2 | Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness. Their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst. |
| Isaiah 53:1 | Who has believed our message? To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed? |
| Isaiah 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him. |
| Matthew 22:3 | and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. |
| Matthew 23:37 | “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! |
| John 1:11 | He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the sharp irony that the Jewish leaders pore over the Scriptures to find eternal life and the Messiah, yet they refuse to come to Jesus, the very person the Scriptures point to. Their study becomes futile because they will not accept the life that only He can give.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the reason people remain lost is not that they cannot come to Christ for eternal life, but that they will not. He insists that the will itself resists submitting to Jesus, with sinners preferring any other path until all other options fail.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary stresses that the Jews' real failure is not intellectual but a matter of the will. They are unwilling to come to Christ, and without that willingness, no amount of searching the Scriptures will give them life. Jesus rebukes them for never truly hearing or seeing God in Scripture because their hearts are estranged.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the people's stubborn refusal: the problem is not that Jesus hides life from them, but that they will not come to him. Their unbelief is a deliberate choice, a willful rejection of the very source of life standing before them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the Jews' refusal to come to Christ was not a physical inability but a stubborn perversity of will. They saw no need for a Saviour and clung to their own notions of life elsewhere. This willful rejection made them blameworthy, especially since Scripture pointed to Christ as the only source of eternal life.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the conjunction here carries more weight than a simple connector; it implies a contrast, meaning "and yet." He also observes that the phrase "ye will not" expresses stubborn determination rather than a simple lack of willingness.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads Jesus' complaint about people refusing to come to him as a charge against their leaders. The phrase "as they direct you" shows him that the religious authorities are actively steering the people away from Christ, so the refusal is not simply the people's own stubborn choice.