John 5:47 · Bible study
John 5:47 Commentary: The Inseparable Witness of Moses and Christ
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jesus contrast believing Moses' writings with believing His own words? Explore the unity of Scripture and the heart of unbelief.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus argues that unbelief in the Old Testament writings logically leads to unbelief in His own words.
- Key words: γράμμασιν (writings of the OT), ῥήμασιν (declarations of Christ), πιστεύω (believe as trust).
- Main debate: Whether the contrast is primarily between persons (Moses and Christ) or between mediums (written vs spoken).
- Theological theme: The unity of divine revelation; Christ as the fulfillment and goal of the Old Testament.
- Best use: A call to read the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, seeing its consistent testimony to Jesus.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
KJV King James Version 1769
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
but if his writings ye believe not, how shall ye believe my sayings?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But if ye do not believe his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y si á sus escritos no creéis, ¿ cómo creeréis á mis palabras?
Mas se não credes em seus escritos, como crereis em minhas palavras?
Mais si vous ne croyez pas à ses écrits, comment croirez-vous à mes paroles?
So ihr aber seinen Schriften nicht glaubt, wie werdet ihr meinen Worten glauben?
Maar zo gij zijn Schriften niet gelooft, hoe zult gij Mijn woorden geloven?
Ma se non credete agli scritti di lui, come crederete alle mie parole?
Ale ponieważ pismom jego nie wierzycie, i jakoż słowom moim uwierzycie?
Если же его писаниям не верите, как поверите Моим словам?
你們若 不 信 他的 書，怎能 信 我的 話呢？」
If you have no belief in his writings, how will you have belief in my words?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 5:47
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jesus is not diminishing His own authority compared to Moses. Rather, He uses the Jews' deep reverence for Moses to expose the inconsistency of their unbelief. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the emphatic words are 'his' and 'My', the comparison is between Moses and Christ, not between writings and words. Calvin adds that the contrast between 'writings' and 'words' makes their unbelief more aggravated: the truth of God recorded in authentic form has no authority with them. Gill explains that the Jews believed the writings to be God's word yet did not see that they pointed to Jesus. Lange calls it a twofold antithesis, but the primary one is between Moses and Christ. Jesus is not questioning the authority of Moses but insisting that the same God who spoke through Moses now speaks in the Son. The question is both a devastating indictment and a tender appeal, as Lange observes, echoing the love that would gather Jerusalem like a hen her chicks.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus insists that believing Moses' writings naturally leads to believing His words, showing the unity and consistency of God's revelation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Role of the Old Testament | All Christians affirm that the Old Testament points to Christ and is God's inspired word. | Christians differ on how explicitly the Old Testament speaks of Christ, some see direct predictive prophecy, others see types and patterns that find fulfillment in Jesus. |
| Nature of unbelief | All traditions agree that unbelief is a heart issue, not merely a lack of evidence. | Some emphasize intellectual rejection (not understanding the Scriptures), while others stress moral rebellion (loving human glory over God's). |
| Relationship between Moses and Christ | Christ is superior to Moses; Moses is a servant, Christ is the Son. | Some interpret this verse as showing a temporary contrast between the old and new covenants, while others see a permanent distinction in authority and clarity. |
| Purpose of Jesus' question | The question is rhetorical and intended to expose unbelief. | Some commentators (like Meyer) see it as an expression of hopelessness, while others (like Lange) find in it a tender appeal and an invitation to repentance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jesus speaks these words at the climax of a lengthy defense in John 5. He has just healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders seek to kill Him, both for breaking the Sabbath and for calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. In response, Jesus calls several witnesses: John the Baptist, His own works, the Father, and the Scriptures. He then turns to the accusation that Moses, in whom the Jews place their hope, will actually accuse them.
The Jews of Jesus' day held Moses in the highest esteem as the giver of the Law. They believed that studying the Torah granted eternal life (John 5:39). But Jesus exposes a fatal disconnect: they search the Scriptures but refuse to come to Him for life. The term 'writings' (γράμμασιν) in this verse refers to the sacred writings of the Old Testament, the very documents the Jews revered. Yet these same writings testify of Christ. Jesus' question is devastating: if you do not believe the Scriptures you claim to honor, how can you believe My words? The contrast is not between two unequal revelations but between the same God speaking through Moses and now speaking directly in the Son. The Jews' unbelief is not a failure of evidence but a failure of the heart. They love glory from one another more than the glory that comes from God (John 5:44). This verse thus serves as a solemn warning: to reject the Old Testament is to reject the Christ it proclaims, and to reject Christ is to show that one never truly believed the Old Testament.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for John 5:47. The Greek text is well-attested across manuscripts, with no disputes affecting the meaning.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus cited this verse to argue that the Old Testament is Christian Scripture, not a separate revelation. Augustine used it to show that the Law and the Gospel are not opposed but are one divine message. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin emphasized that the Old Testament bears witness to Christ and that faith in Christ is the proper goal of reading the Law. In modern scholarship, this verse is frequently cited in discussions about biblical theology and the unity of the canon. It reminds readers that the two Testaments are not two different religions but one unfolding story of redemption.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Witness of Moses, Jesus asserts that Moses wrote about Him (v.46). The Old Testament is not a separate revelation but a preparation and prophecy of Christ.
- The Unbelief of the Hearers, The Jews claim to honor Moses but do not believe his writings when they speak of Jesus. Their reverence is selective.
- The Consequence of Unbelief, If they reject the foundation, they cannot accept the superstructure. Unbelief in the Old Testament leads logically to unbelief in Christ's own words.
Five-point outline
- Hope misplaced, The Jews trust in Moses as their advocate, but he becomes their accuser.
- The accuser from the Law, The very Scriptures they rely on testify against them.
- The unity of divine revelation, Moses and Christ speak with one voice; to reject one is to reject both.
- The tragic question, “How will you believe my words?” exposes the impossibility of faith apart from embracing the whole witness of God.
- The invitation beneath the judgment, The question is meant to drive hearers to see the consistency of God's plan and to repent.
Illustration hooks
- A person who claims to trust a medical textbook but refuses to take the medication it prescribes. Their trust is theoretical, not real.
- A man who admires the blueprints of a house but never enters the house itself. He misses the reality to which the plans point.
- A student who memorizes a teacher's earlier lectures but rejects the teacher's final, most important lesson. The earlier lectures were meant to prepare for that final word.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do we still read the Old Testament if we have the New? Isn't it outdated?
- How can I read the Old Testament in a way that points me to Jesus and not just to moral lessons?
- What if I struggle to believe some parts of the Old Testament? Does that mean I cannot fully trust Jesus?
Leading a Discussion
This verse comes at the end of a powerful discourse where Jesus defends His identity and mission. It challenges us to consider how we read the whole Bible. Do we see the Old Testament as Christian Scripture that always points to Christ? Or do we treat it as a separate book with a different message? This question is not just for first-century Jews; it is for every person who opens the Bible today.
Discussion questions
- Read John 5:39-47. What does Jesus say about the relationship between the Scriptures and Himself?
- Why does Jesus call Moses as a witness against the Jewish leaders? What does He mean that Moses will accuse them?
- What does the word “believe” mean in this context? Is it intellectual agreement or something deeper?
- How does the contrast between “his writings” and “my words” help us understand the unity of the Old and New Testaments?
- In what ways do we sometimes honor the Bible without coming to the Christ it reveals?
- How can we read the Old Testament more intentionally as a testimony to Jesus?
- What would change in your faith if you truly believed that every part of Scripture points to Christ?
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)
| Luke 16:29 | “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ |
| Luke 16:31 | “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’” |
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
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the Jews' unbelief in Moses' writings made it impossible for them to believe Christ. Yet their stubborn incredulity itself testifies to Scripture's divine authority, since only the strongest proofs could have convinced such a resistant people to preserve it.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a tight link between believing Moses' writings and believing Jesus' words. He argues that rejecting the Old Testament logically leads to rejecting Christ, who built his religion on it. Jesus' masterful silencing of his enemies here provides a distinct declaration of his equality with God.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that Jesus accommodates His words to the Jews by appearing to place Moses above Himself, because they held the Law's authority as sacred. The contrast between writings and words underscores their aggravated unbelief: they revere God's truth in writing but reject it when spoken by Christ.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Jesus ties belief in His own words directly to belief in Moses' writings. Rejecting the Scriptures makes it logically impossible to receive what Christ says, since both come from the same divine source.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes the irony that the Jews revered Moses yet refused to see that his writings spoke of Jesus. Since they would not believe Moses, it was unlikely they would believe Christ himself. Moses was a servant, not greater than Christ, but their esteem for Moses made their unbelief even more culpable.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees Jesus making a purposeful contrast, not to elevate the Old Testament above his own words, but to show how Moses' writings prepared the way for him. The excerpt also notes the necessity of documentary testimony in revealed religion and a relation between the Old Testament's "letter" and the New Testament's "spirit and life."
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent argues that when Jesus speaks of Moses' writings, the Greek word points to the written letter that the Jews minutely searched and revered. The real contrast is not simply Moses versus Jesus, but the dead letter of Scripture set against Christ's living, spoken words.