For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Parallel translations
- WEB For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
- BSB I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.
- NKJV For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
- NASB For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.
- NLT I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus says He spoke nothing on His own but only what the Father commanded Him to say. It underscores His perfect obedience and the divine authority of His words.
Overview
As the Father's sent one, Jesus speaks with complete fidelity to the Father's commission. His teaching is therefore not human opinion but the very word of God (cf. 7:16; 8:28). This grounds the authority of His message and models perfect submission to the Father's will.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- John 14:10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
- John 8:26I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
- John 5:30I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
- John 17:8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
- Deut 18:18I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
- John 14:31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
- John 15:15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
- John 8:42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
- John 3:11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
- John 3:32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
- John 6:38–40For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
- Rev 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 12:49 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.