QUESTION: An explanation of John 8:37?
ANSWER: This is of course a sad translation in the King James Version. This just said: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” I was at this time when the Jews stood up and said: ‘How saith thee that the truth shall make us free; we have never been in bondage at anytime?’ This of course proved that they were not Israelites. Because if they had been Israelites, they would have been in bondage as the ten tribes were to Sannacherib or to Nebuchadnezzar. If they were those last in the Judah Kingdom, they would of course, have been in bondage earlier in Egypt.
But in getting around to this 37th verse, they were saying: ‘How can you make us free for we have not been in bondage at any time, but we are Abraham’s seed?’ Now, in the King James Version, it has Jesus saying: ‘I know that ye are Abraham’s seed. But ye seek to kill me.’ This is not the proper translation. It should be: ‘I know ye claim to be Abraham’s seed.’ And then Jesus went on to prove this: ‘If ye were Abraham’s seed, you would do the work of Abraham. Yet I speak the truth which is of God (Spirit) and ye seek to kill me.
This Abraham would not do. Instead ye do the work of your father.’ And they cried out to HIM: ‘We be not born of fornication. We have one father even God.’ But Jesus said: ‘If God were your father, ye would love me. For I proceed forth and came out of God (Spirit). Neither came I of the flesh alone, but of the Spirit.’