They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
The promise that the truth would make them free was spoken to those who believed, and the Pharisees were offended by those words and answered with the counter-claim that as Abraham's seed they had never been in bondage and had no need to be made free. That denial was historically false, for the nation had long been subject to a foreign yoke and was then under Rome, and it was made knowingly to oppose Christ. The bondage in question was not outward captivity but slavery to sin, unbelief, malice and worldly principles, and those making the boast were in the worst bondage, ruled by the spirit of evil with thoughts bent on revenge. The freedom offered is given by the Son through the truth, making men free from sin, free indeed. True descent from Abraham is shown by doing his works in obedience to God, not by mere birth, so their proud trust in Abraham as security and standing had replaced trust in God and divorced them from Him.
Words and Historical Setting
The declaration about freedom belongs to the discourse in which Jesus declared Himself the light of the world, spoken in the court of the temple specially connected with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. There the lighting of the great lamps after the evening sacrifice commemorated the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert. That illumination also expressed the hope of the Messiah coming to shed His light upon Israel.
The promise that the truth would make people free was spoken to those who believed. The Pharisees took up those words and answered them with their own counter-claim. They were offended by the promise and met it with anger.
Their answer claimed that being Abraham's seed meant they had never been in bondage to any man. They appealed to descent from Abraham as security and religious standing, treating that descent as proof that they were God's favored people. The highest men put their dependence in being children of Abraham and in effect worshipped Abraham rather than God. When the crisis came this showed they had divorced themselves from God and placed their trust in Abraham as if he were God, while failing to serve God and share His blessings with those in need. On that ground they denied ever having been enslaved and challenged the promise by asking how they could need to be made free.
That denial of ever having been in bondage was historically false. It disregarded the nation's long subjection to a foreign yoke. They were at that time under the Roman yoke. It was a falsehood knowingly uttered in order to oppose Christ.
Bondage and True Freedom
The bondage in question was not outward captivity but slavery to sin, to unbelief and malice, and to bondage to worldly principles. The promise of freedom was therefore answered by a claim that missed its meaning, for those who appealed to descent from Abraham and denied ever having been enslaved were themselves practicing sin and ruled by evil. They were in the worst kind of bondage, ruled by the spirit of evil as slaves of unbelief and bitter malice with thoughts bent on revenge.
Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is not his own but is under the control of another power in abject slavery. The mind is then under Satan's control, unable to see the beauty of truth, obeying the prince of darkness while flattering himself that he follows his own judgment. Such persons boast that they are free and in bondage to no one while they are bound to the most cruel of all tyrants, having placed themselves under Satan's training.
The freedom promised is given by the Son through the truth, making people free from sin, free indeed. True descent from Abraham is shown by doing Abraham's works and living in obedience to God, not merely by claiming him as father. Those who sought to kill one speaking God's truth, the truth given Him of God, were not following Abraham's example.
Heritage Confidence and Application
The claim to be Abraham's seed revealed a proud dependence on physical descent that replaced trust in God, treating lineage as security and proof of favor. The highest men worshipped Abraham rather than God, placing their dependence in being his children, and when the crisis came this showed they had divorced themselves from God and trusted in Abraham as if he were God. Although confident in that standing, they failed to serve God and to share His blessings with those in need. The rich man in the parable represents the Jewish nation in this same attitude, for even in distress he had not abandoned the idea that he was a child of Abraham and called upon Abraham for aid. Being Abraham's descendants and possessing God's oracles did not make them righteous and did not keep them from selfishness, greed, malice, and hypocrisy. The same pride in physical descent appeared among the Sadducees, whose birthright and strict outward observance of the law did not keep their beliefs consistent, for they rejected the resurrection of the dead.
Many who make this boast of freedom place themselves under Satan's training and treat God's people as he directs. They hear the word of truth yet hate the message and the messenger because the truth disturbs them in their deceptive practices, while boasting that they are free and in bondage to no one when bound to the most cruel of tyrants. People and churches still claim freedom while failing to recognize bondage to sin, remaining under sin's power when human ideas replace the Bible and set aside God's law.
The truth makes the church free indeed from backsliding, evil, and earthly entanglements. Unless the church leavened with backsliding repents and is converted she will eat the fruit of her own doings until she abhors herself, but when she refuses evil and chooses good, seeks God with humility, reaches her high calling in Christ, stands on eternal truth, and by faith lays hold on what is prepared for her, she is healed and made free indeed. Then she appears in God-given simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements, her members being God's chosen, His pleasant portion, His representatives, precious in His sight. Individuals become free in Christ Jesus as they accept and obey the light God gives, for the truth meets the soul's need and turns the heart from love of the world and worship of earthly treasure toward Jesus, whose grace and character satisfy the soul. Those who do not humble themselves over their wrongs remain bound in darkness and unbelief, as seen when some at Nora returned home unblessed, while others who received the truth and confessed their wrongs could be made free indeed. This freedom is not permission to sin, for Christ's truth is not a yoke of bondage but brings liberty from sin, and forgiveness and refuge in Jesus restore the soul and bring peace.
The promise that the truth would make them free was spoken to those who believed, and the Pharisees were offended by those words and answered with the counter-claim that as Abraham's seed they had never been in bondage and had no need to be made free. That denial was historically false, for the nation had long been subject to a foreign yoke and was then under Rome, and it was made knowingly to oppose Christ. The bondage in question was not outward captivity but slavery to sin, unbelief, malice and worldly principles, and those making the boast were in the worst bondage, ruled by the spirit of evil with thoughts bent on revenge. The freedom offered is given by the Son through the truth, making men free from sin, free indeed. True descent from Abraham is shown by doing his works in obedience to God, not by mere birth, so their proud trust in Abraham as security and standing had replaced trust in God and divorced them from Him.
Words and Historical Setting
The declaration about freedom belongs to the discourse in which Jesus declared Himself the light of the world, spoken in the court of the temple specially connected with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. There the lighting of the great lamps after the evening sacrifice commemorated the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert. That illumination also expressed the hope of the Messiah coming to shed His light upon Israel.
The promise that the truth would make people free was spoken to those who believed. The Pharisees took up those words and answered them with their own counter-claim. They were offended by the promise and met it with anger.
Their answer claimed that being Abraham's seed meant they had never been in bondage to any man. They appealed to descent from Abraham as security and religious standing, treating that descent as proof that they were God's favored people. The highest men put their dependence in being children of Abraham and in effect worshipped Abraham rather than God. When the crisis came this showed they had divorced themselves from God and placed their trust in Abraham as if he were God, while failing to serve God and share His blessings with those in need. On that ground they denied ever having been enslaved and challenged the promise by asking how they could need to be made free.
That denial of ever having been in bondage was historically false. It disregarded the nation's long subjection to a foreign yoke. They were at that time under the Roman yoke. It was a falsehood knowingly uttered in order to oppose Christ.
Bondage and True Freedom
The bondage in question was not outward captivity but slavery to sin, to unbelief and malice, and to bondage to worldly principles. The promise of freedom was therefore answered by a claim that missed its meaning, for those who appealed to descent from Abraham and denied ever having been enslaved were themselves practicing sin and ruled by evil. They were in the worst kind of bondage, ruled by the spirit of evil as slaves of unbelief and bitter malice with thoughts bent on revenge.
Every soul that refuses to give himself to God is not his own but is under the control of another power in abject slavery. The mind is then under Satan's control, unable to see the beauty of truth, obeying the prince of darkness while flattering himself that he follows his own judgment. Such persons boast that they are free and in bondage to no one while they are bound to the most cruel of all tyrants, having placed themselves under Satan's training.
The freedom promised is given by the Son through the truth, making people free from sin, free indeed. True descent from Abraham is shown by doing Abraham's works and living in obedience to God, not merely by claiming him as father. Those who sought to kill one speaking God's truth, the truth given Him of God, were not following Abraham's example.
Heritage Confidence and Application
The claim to be Abraham's seed revealed a proud dependence on physical descent that replaced trust in God, treating lineage as security and proof of favor. The highest men worshipped Abraham rather than God, placing their dependence in being his children, and when the crisis came this showed they had divorced themselves from God and trusted in Abraham as if he were God. Although confident in that standing, they failed to serve God and to share His blessings with those in need. The rich man in the parable represents the Jewish nation in this same attitude, for even in distress he had not abandoned the idea that he was a child of Abraham and called upon Abraham for aid. Being Abraham's descendants and possessing God's oracles did not make them righteous and did not keep them from selfishness, greed, malice, and hypocrisy. The same pride in physical descent appeared among the Sadducees, whose birthright and strict outward observance of the law did not keep their beliefs consistent, for they rejected the resurrection of the dead.
Many who make this boast of freedom place themselves under Satan's training and treat God's people as he directs. They hear the word of truth yet hate the message and the messenger because the truth disturbs them in their deceptive practices, while boasting that they are free and in bondage to no one when bound to the most cruel of tyrants. People and churches still claim freedom while failing to recognize bondage to sin, remaining under sin's power when human ideas replace the Bible and set aside God's law.
The truth makes the church free indeed from backsliding, evil, and earthly entanglements. Unless the church leavened with backsliding repents and is converted she will eat the fruit of her own doings until she abhors herself, but when she refuses evil and chooses good, seeks God with humility, reaches her high calling in Christ, stands on eternal truth, and by faith lays hold on what is prepared for her, she is healed and made free indeed. Then she appears in God-given simplicity and purity, separate from earthly entanglements, her members being God's chosen, His pleasant portion, His representatives, precious in His sight. Individuals become free in Christ Jesus as they accept and obey the light God gives, for the truth meets the soul's need and turns the heart from love of the world and worship of earthly treasure toward Jesus, whose grace and character satisfy the soul. Those who do not humble themselves over their wrongs remain bound in darkness and unbelief, as seen when some at Nora returned home unblessed, while others who received the truth and confessed their wrongs could be made free indeed. This freedom is not permission to sin, for Christ's truth is not a yoke of bondage but brings liberty from sin, and forgiveness and refuge in Jesus restore the soul and bring peace.