However, ‘ISA1 went to the Mount of Olives. 2Now very early in the morning, he came again into the Temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. Having set her in the midst, 4they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act. 5Now in our Taurat2, Musa commanded us to stone such a person. What then do you say about her?” 6They said this to test him, that they might have something to accuse him of.
But ‘ISA stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” 8Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
9When they heard this they were convicted by their conscience, and went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. ‘ISA was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle. 10‘ISA stood up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”
11She said, “No one, Lord.”
‘ISA said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”
12Once again, ‘ISA spoke saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13The Pharisees therefore replied, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
14‘ISA answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you do not know where I came from, or where I am going. 15You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. 16Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. 17It is also written in your Taurat that the testimony of two people is valid. 18I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
19They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?”
‘ISA answered, “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20‘ISA spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the Temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21‘ISA said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you cannot come.”
22The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, that he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come?'”
23He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
25They said therefore to him, “Who are you?”
‘ISA said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26I have many things to say and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
27They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father. 28‘ISA therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the SON OF MAN3, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things. 29He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
30As he spoke these things, many believed in him. 31‘ISA therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. 32You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
33They answered him, “We are Ibrahim’s seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free?'”
34‘ISA answered them, “Most assuredly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35A slave does not live in the house forever. A son remains forever. 36If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are Ibrahim’s seed, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”
39They answered him, “Our father is Ibrahim.”
‘ISA said to them, “If you were Ibrahim’s children, you would do the works of Ibrahim. 40But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God4. Ibrahim didn’t do this. 41You do the works of your father.”
They said to him, “We weren’t born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”
42Therefore ‘ISA said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me. 43Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you cannot hear my word. 44You are of your father, Iblis, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47He who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
48Then the Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right to say that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”
49‘ISA answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honour my Father, and you dishonour me. 50But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. 51Most assuredly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
52Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Ibrahim died, and the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’ 53Are you greater than our father, Ibrahim, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”
54‘ISA answered, “If I honour myself, my honour is nothing. It is my Father who honours me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I do not know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and keep his word. 56Your father Ibrahim rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.”
57The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Ibrahim?”
58‘ISA said to them, “Most assuredly, I tell you, before Ibrahim was born, I AM5.”
59Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but ‘ISA was hidden, and went out of the Temple, having gone through the midst of them, and so passed by.
- 8:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 8:5 Taurat, this Arabic word is derived from Torah (Hebrew) which literally means “instruction” or “teaching.” Depending on context, Taurat can refer to,
1. The whole Hebrew Bible contained here under the title Taurat, equivalent to what Jews today call Tanakh, and what Christians call the Old Testament.
2. The book of Prophet Musa, which is also called the Law (of Moses), or the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is a Greek word meaning “five books” and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
3. Taurat can refer to divine instruction and teaching in general without reference to a particular book. ↩︎ - 8:28 SON OF MAN, a title for the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, derived from the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like a SON OF MAN coming with the clouds of the sky, and he came to the ANCIENT OF DAYS, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” The title SON OF MAN was Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam’s most common way of referring to himself. ↩︎
- 8:40 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 8:58 before Ibrahim was born, I AM – Prophet Ibrahim was born about 2,000 years before the birth of Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam. Nonetheless, Prophet ‘ISA claimed to already exist before Ibrahim, speaking the same way God spoke to Prophet Musa from the burning bush. The Taurat, Exodus 3:13-14 says: Musa said to God, “Behold, when I come to Bani-Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?” God said to Musa, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” ↩︎