in God the FATHER who is the giver of eternal life after our death on earth.
v. 25: The introductory statement (cf. vv. 19a, 24a) also introduces a new soteriological/“presentical-eschatological”428 promise: “(/An/ hour429) comes ( )” (note the present tense in vv. 25a, 28b), “and now is” (cf. 4:23) here,
“when the dead will hear the voice430 of ‘the Son of God’” – note the messianic title in Greek “ho huɩòs toũ theoũ” in v. 25c and in John 1:34, 49; 3:18; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31; 1 John 3:8; 4:15; 5:5, 10, 12–13, 20 –
“and those who hear will live431”.
v. 26: “(For) as ( ) the FATHER” (vv. 21a, 26a) “has life in Himself” (v. 26a, c)
“so [ ] { } He has given” (vv. 22b, 26b, 27a, 36b) “the SON} [also]
/to have/ life / / in Himself” (cf. John 1:4–5; 14:6; 1 John 1:2).
v. 27: “And (He has given Him) authority432 ( )
(to do)”/execute “judgement ( )” (vv. 22b, 24c2, 27b, 29c, 30c – cf., for example, Matthew 25:31–46; Acts 10:42)
“because [/He/ is] /the/ ‘Son of Man’ [ ]” – note the messianic title in Greek “ho huɩòs (toũ) ánthropoũ” in John 1:51; 3:13–14; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28; 9:35; 12:23, 34; 13:31 and Daniel 7:13–14.
v. 28: Do “not be amazed/marvel” (vv. 20d, 28a) “/at/ this,
that ( ) /the/ hour (comes)” (vv. 25a, 28b, 35b and John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 7:30; 8:20; 13:1; 16:[2, 4,] 21, 25, 32; 17:1)
“when all who /are/ in the tombs/graves433” (cf. Isaiah 26:19 [LXX]; Ezekiel 37:12) “will hear” (in Greek “akoúo” in vv. 24b, 25c, d, 28c, 30b, 37b and John 11:41–42)” (His) voice ( )” (vv. 25c, 28c, 37b and 11:43)
v. 29: “and come out”434 – note Lazarus’ raising in 11:38, 40–44 as a “proto-type” of His soteriological/eschatological statement here.
Jesus continues with the help of a contrast/alternative435 of “good”436 – “evil”437 as either (in Latin “aut”) the “raising of life” or (“aut”) the “raising of judgement” (cf., for example, Daniel 12:2; Matthew 7:21; 25:46; Acts 24:15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:13): The result of the faithful – “those /who … ( ) have/ done” (in Greek “poɩéo” in vv. 11b, 15d, 16b, 18b, 19c–f, 20c, 27b, 29b, 30a, 36d) what is “(good)” – will be in a positive way as a “raising” (in Greek “anástasɩs” in v. 29b, c and in John 11:24–25) “of” their (eternal) “life” (vv. 24d, e, 26a, b, 29a, 39c, 40b) at the “Last Day” (cf. 6:39–40, 44, 54; 12:48).
However, “those /who/ … ( ) have practiced/realized” (in Greek “prásso” in v. 29c and 3:20) what is “(evil)” (cf. v. 29c and John 3:20; Romans 9:11; 2 Corinthians 5:10) will be “in /the/ raising of judgement” (vv. 22b, 24c2, 27b, 29c, 30c).
v. 30: Jesus sums up with the help of an inclusion438/parallelism (cf. vv. 19a, 30a) and a correction439 (“not … but” in v. 30d, e as in vv. 22a, b, 24c2, d, 31b, 32a, 34a, b, 41, 42a) in the sense of a “synthesis” of His “thesis” in verses 17b–c, 19b–20d:
“( ) [I] can [ ] do (nothing) of His own”
only “as I hear” (vv. 24b, 25c, d, 28c, 30b, 37b) – “I judge” (vv. 22a, 30b2)
“and (my) judgement” (vv. 22b, 24c2, 27b, 29c, 30c) “( ) [is] just440 [ ]
because { } I seek {not} /My/ will / /
but the will of sending Me” (vv. 23d2, 24b, 30e, 37a).
“God is Jesus’ Father, and the Father has given to the Son power over life and death. […] The Lord our God is one. The answer in 5:19–30 is subtle: the Son does nothing of himself, but the Father has given all things to him.”441
- Some Arguments as Testimony for Jesus (vv. 31–47)
Jesus justifies His view (vv. 17b–c, 19b–20/30) with the help of same arguments – God the FATHER (cf. vv. 32, 36b/37–38), John the Baptist (cf. vv. 33–36a), Jesus’ works (cf. v. 36b–e), the Scriptures (cf. v. 39) – Moses/Torah (cf. vv. 45c–47b442) – as follows:
He concludes the topic of testimony for Him (cf. vv. 31–47) with an antithetic parallelism (cf. vv. 31b, 32c as in John 8:13–14) as a contrast/correction443 (“n o t … b u t”) (cf. vv. 31–32) – first, in a negative way:
+ God the FATHER ([v]v. [31–]32)
v. 31: “If I /alone/ testify about Myself” (in Greek “marturéo perì emautoũ/emoũ” in vv. 31a, 32a, d, 36e, 37a2, 39c2 and in John 1:7–8, 15; 7:7; 8:14, 18; 10:25; 15:26; 18:23; 21:24; 1 John 5:9–10)
My testimony444 is n o t true” (vv. 31b, 32c and John 8:13).
v. 32: “b u t /there/ is /another/ who testifies about Me” (vv. 31a, 32a, d, 36e, 37a2, 39c2)
“and I know that
( ) the testimony which testifies about Me) [is] (true)” (vv. 31b, 32c and John 1:7; 3:11, 32; 8:14; 19:35; 21:24; 1 John 5:9–10; 3 John 12)”.
+ John the Baptist (vv. 33–36a)
v. 33: As the FATHER (cf. vv. 33a–36a – note the inclusion) “John” (vv. 33a, 36a and John 1:7, 19–34) the Baptist has also “testified to the truth445” (cf. vv. 31b, 32c and John 18:37; 3 John 3).
v. 34: Jesus emphasizes that He does “not” accept “human” (in Greek “anthrópou/anthrópon in vv. 34a, 41) “testimony”,
“but”446 He “( ) says (these) /things/ that you /may/ be saved447” (cf. John 3:17; 10:9; 12:47).
v. 35: According to Jesus’ metaphor, John the Baptist is like a “lamp” (in Greek “lúchnos” in v. 35a and in Mark 4:21; Matthew 5:15; 6:22; Luke 8:16; 11:33–34, 36; 12:35; 15:8) which was “burning” (in Greek “kaío” in v. 35b1 and in John 15:6) “and shining” (in Greek “phaíno” in v. 35b2 and in John 1:5; 1 John 2:8). Especially Jesus’ Jewish opponents were “willing” (vv. 35b, 40a) “to enjoy for /a/ while in” John the Baptist’s “light”448 (in Greek “phõs” in v. 35c and in John 1:7–8).
v. 36: Jesus emphasizes with the help of a comparative that His “testimony /is/ greater” (vv. 20c, 36a) “/than that/ of John” (vv. 33a, 36a).
+ Jesus’ Works (v. 36b–e)
Jesus’