A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.
Parallel translations
- KJV And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
- BSB A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
- NKJV And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
- NASB Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
- NLT A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.
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
A slave has no permanent place in the household, but a son belongs forever. Jesus contrasts the insecure standing of a slave with the secure standing of a son.
Overview
Using a household image, Jesus distinguishes between slaves of sin and sons who abide permanently. The point anticipates that only through the Son can one gain the lasting status of belonging to God's family. It hints at the gospel privilege of adoption, whereby believers are made sons and daughters who remain forever.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Gal 4:4–7But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
- Luke 15:31“He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.
- Gen 21:10Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my son, Isaac.”
- Rom 8:15–17For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
- Gal 4:30–31However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
- Ezek 46:17But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons.
- Heb 3:5–6Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,
- 1 Pet 1:2–5according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
- John 14:19–20Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.
- Matt 21:41–43They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season.”
- Rom 8:29–30For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
- Col 3:3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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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 8:35 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
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