Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
- KJV Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
- BSB Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
- NKJV Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
- NASB Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
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 declares that everyone who sins is a slave of sin. The deepest bondage is moral and spiritual, not political.
Overview
With a solemn "most certainly," Jesus exposes the universal condition of humanity: practicing sin reveals enslavement to it. This corrects their boast and points to a bondage no ancestry can break. The verse underscores the gospel's diagnosis that all need the liberating work of Christ, since none can free themselves from sin's grip.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rom 6:16Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
- 2 Pet 2:19promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.
- Prov 5:22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
- 1 Jn 3:8–10He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- Rom 6:12Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
- Rom 6:6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
- Titus 3:3For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
- Rom 6:19–20I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.
- Eph 2:2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;
- Rom 7:25I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, the sin’s law.
- 1 Kgs 21:25But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
- Acts 8:23For I see that you are in the poison of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
- Rom 7:14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
- Rom 8:21that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
- Matt 5:18For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.
- John 3:3Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 8:34 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.