“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you make My word your home, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”
John 8:31-32 NJB
This passage does not get much attention to the commentaries, especially in the quoted translation. The reason being, one needs to understand the meaning of certain phrases before interpretation can occur,
The first phrase in question is “to those Jews who believed Him.” This phrase indicates that before one can fully understand the subsequent teaching there needs to be a belief in the teacher’s authority.
The second phrase in question is “make my Word your home.” By making His word our home indicates that we will live out of the teaching. In other words, we need to trust in and apply the teaching to our everyday lives.
Phrase three, “you shall know the truth,” indicates a level of understanding that will change your life. That truth is the fact that we are one in Christ. Potentially with all His gifts and knowledge.
By knowing this fact, “the truth shall make you free.” As the fourth phrase indicates. By freedom we are referring to our ability to impact the universe through our God given powers. A fact we should not take lightly.
The “Truth” as I believe is that we are created in the image of God which means by connecting with the Holy Spirit we can do that Jesus did and, in His words, even greater things. Just because we are human doesn’t mean we are less than divine, in fact, by being human we are the greatest of God’s creation.
There are many believers that have exhibited great gifts, and some have even been canonized by the church. It is a shame that the average believer doesn’t realize their potential. Even greater dilemma is that most organized religions work very hard at keeping this information from the masses.
Please open your hearts and minds and start exploring the possibilities.
Robert A. Charlois III