Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”
- KJV He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
- NKJV He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
- NASB The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
- NLT Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”
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
Those who belong to God hear God's words; their failure to hear shows they are not of God. Receptivity to Christ's word reveals one's spiritual origin.
Overview
Jesus draws a sharp conclusion: hearing and heeding God's word evidences belonging to God. Their deafness to his teaching proves they are not his. This verse, consistent with the Reformed emphasis on God's initiative, teaches that responsiveness to the gospel is itself a mark of God's gracious work in a person.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- John 10:26–27But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.
- 2 Jn 1:9Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.
- John 18:37“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
- 1 Jn 3:10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
- John 6:45–46It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—
- John 8:37I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
- John 8:45But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!
- 1 Jn 4:1–6Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- John 8:43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
- John 1:12–13But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- John 17:6–8I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
- John 6:65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
- 1 Jn 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.
- 3 Jn 1:11Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
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 8:47 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.