God’s Word Translation
John 16:8
8He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it.
John 16:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
- New International Version (NIV)When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Context of John 16:8
6But because I’ve told you this, you’re filled with sadness. 7However, I am telling you the truth: It’s good for you that I’m going away. If I don’t go away, the helper won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it. 9He will convict the world of sin, because people don’t believe in me. 10He will show the world what has God’s approval, because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore.
Read all of John 16John 16:8 word by word
καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- whenἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- he will reproveἐλέγχωelegchō · to rebukeG1651
- the worldὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
- sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
- judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920
Cross-references for John 16:8
- Zechariah 12:10“I will pour out the Spirit of blessing and mercy on David’s family and on those who live in Jerusalem. They will look at me, whom they have stabbed. Then they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they will cry bitterly for him as one cries for a firstborn son.
- Acts 2:37When the people heard this, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
- Acts 16:29The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas.
- John 8:9One by one, beginning with the older men, the experts in Moses’ Teachings and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman.
- 1 Corinthians 14:24Now suppose you speak what God has revealed. When unbelievers or outsiders come in you will show them where they are wrong and convince them that they are sinners.
- Jude 1:15He has come to judge all these people. He has come to convict all these ungodly sinners for all the ungodly things they have done and all the harsh things they have said about him.”
Commentaries on John 16:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8He will reprove - , He will demonstrate these matters so clearly as to leave no doubt on the minds of those who are simple of heart; and so fully as to confound and shut the mouths of those who are gainsayers. See Acts 2:1, etc. The world - The Jewish nation first, and afterwards the Gentile world; for his influences shall not be confined to one people, place, or time.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8He will reprove - The word translated “reprove” means commonly to demonstrate by argument, to prove, to persuade anyone to do a thing by presenting reasons. It hence means also to convince of anything, and particularly to convince of crime. This is its meaning here. He will convince or convict the world of sin. That is, he will so apply the truths of God to men‘s own minds as to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners, and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The Holy Spirit unveils to the world: the real nature of its sin, the truth about righteousness found only in God, and the coming judgment. In one sense, this judgment has already begun. When God’s light shines into the darkness, it exposes what is wrong and calls people to respond.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. And when he is come, he will, &c.--This is one of the passages most pregnant with thought in the profound discourses of Christ; with a few great strokes depicting all and every part of the ministry of the Holy Ghost in the world--His operation with reference to individuals as well as the mass, on believers and unbelievers alike [Olshausen]. he will reprove--This is too weak a word to express what is meant. Reproof is indeed implied in the term…Read the comment
Topics related to John 16:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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