← All entriesdiscourse

Before Abraham Was, I AM

John 8:48–59 · Journey to Jerusalem

Scripture

John 8:48–59

hen answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

King James Version · public domain

Joani 8:48–59

udhenjtë pra upërgjeqnë e i thanë, Nukë themi mirë ne, se ti je Samarit, edhe djall ke? 49Jisuj upërgjeq, Unë djall s’kam, po nderonj t’im Atë, edhe ju më çnderoni. 50Edhe unë s’kërkonj lavdinë t’ime; është ay që kërkon e që gjykon. 51Me të-vërtetë, me të-vërtetë po u them juve, Ndë ruajtë ndonjë fjalënë t’ime, nukë dotë shohë vdekje për gjithë jetënë. 52Judhenjtë pra i thanë, Ndashti e muarmë vesh, se ke djall. Avraami vdiq edhe profitëritë, edhe ti thua, Ndë ruajtë ndonjë fjalënë t’ime, nukë dotë ngjëronetë vdekje për gjithë jetënë. 53Mos je ti më i-math se ati ynë Avraam, i-cili vdiq? edhe profitëritë vdiqnë; ti cilinë e bën vetëhenë t’ënde? 54Jisuj upërgjeq, Unë ndë lavduronj vetëhenë t’ime, lavdia ime s’ësht’ asgjë; im Atë ësht’ ay që më lavduron, për të-cilinë ju thoni se është Perëndia juaj; 55Edhe s’e keni njohurë, po un’ e njoh; edhe ndë thënça se nuk’ e njoh, dotë jem posi ju, gënjeshtar; po e njoh, edhe ruanj fjalën’ e ati. 56Avraami ati juaj gëzonej të shohë ditënë t’ime; edhe e pa, e ugëzua. 57Judhenjtë pra i thanë, Pesë-dhjetë vjet edhe s’i ke, edhe Avraaminë e ke parë? 58Jisuj u tha atyre, Me të-vërtetë, me të-vërtetë, po u them juve, Para se të lintnjë Avraami, unë jam. 59Ngritnë pra gurë që t’i hithninë kundr’ ati; po Jisuj ufsheh, edhe dolli nga hieroreja, edhe shkoj ndëpër mest t’atyreve; edhe kështu iku.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

As the Father useth this expression, "I Am," so also doth Christ; for it signifieth continuous Being, irrespective of all time.

St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 55 (on John 8:58)

Before Abraham Was, I AM (John 8:48–59)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 55 (on John 8:48–59) Source: trans. G. T. Stupart, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.lvii.html

On why He denies the charge yet answers so gently, "I honor My Father":

Where there was need to instruct them, to pull down their excessive insolence, to teach them not to be proud because of Abraham, He was vehement; but when it was needful that He being insulted should bear it, He used much gentleness. When they said, "We have God and Abraham for our Father," He touched them sharply; but when they called Him a demoniac, He spake submissively, thus teaching us to avenge insults offered to God, but to overlook such as are offered to ourselves.

On "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day":

Again, He showeth that they were aliens from the race of Abraham, if they grieved at what he rejoiced in. "My day," seems to me to mean the day of the Crucifixion, which Abraham foreshowed typically by the offering of the ram and of Isaac.

On why He said "I Am" and not "I was":

But wherefore said He not, "Before Abraham was, I was," instead of "I Am"? As the Father useth this expression, "I Am," so also doth Christ; for it signifieth continuous Being, irrespective of all time. On which account the expression seemed to them to be blasphemous.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book VI (on John 8:58) Source: trans. P. E. Pusey, Library of Fathers, 1874. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_06_book6.htm

On the gentle but pointed answer, "I have not a devil":

Gentle is the word, but nevertheless very pointed. For most emphatically does He say, I have not a devil, and putting Himself in contradistinction to them, He shews that He is free from their railing and that it is true of them.

On the "was" of Abraham set against the "I am" of the Word:

And exceeding rightly and well does He of Abraham put, Was, of Himself, I am, shewing that to him that was made of things which are not, will full surely follow the necessity of decaying, to Him That ever is will never befall the passing into not being. Greater therefore is He and Superior to Abraham: greater as Eternal, Superior for that He decays not as he does.

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On how He honoured the Father by defending Him:

He honoured the Father, by revenging Him, and not suffering murderers or liars to call themselves the true sons of God.

On "Abraham rejoiced to see My day":

As if to say, He regarded My day, as a day to be desired, and full of joy; not as if I was an unimportant or common person.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–254)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On the words that Jesus alone could truthfully speak:

I have not a devil, is what Jesus alone can say; as He alone can say, The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. None of us are quite free from having a devil.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 43 (on John 8:48–59) Source: trans. John Gibb and James Innes, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.xliv.html

On "But I honor my Father, and ye dishonor me":

I honor not myself, that ye may not think me arrogant. I have One to honor; and did ye recognize me, just as I honor the Father, so would ye also honor me. I do what I ought; ye do not what ye ought.

On the difference between "was made" and "am":

Weigh the words, and get a knowledge of the mystery. "Before Abraham was made." Understand, that "was made" refers to human formation; but "am" to the Divine essence. "He was made," because Abraham was a creature. He did not say, Before Abraham was, I was; but, "Before Abraham was made," who was not made save by me, "I am." ... "Before Abraham was made, I am." Recognize the Creator—distinguish the creature. He who spake was made the seed of Abraham; and that Abraham might be made, He Himself was before Abraham.

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On His patience under reproach, a lesson to us:

See; when God suffers a wrong, He does not reply reproachfully: Jesus answered, I have not a devil. An intimation this to us, that when reproached by our neighbours falsely, we should not retort upon them by bringing forward their evil deeds, however true such charges might be; lest the vehicle of a just rebuke turn into a weapon of rage.

On the timeless present of the divine "I am":

Before is a particle of past time, am, of present. Divinity has no past or future, but always the present; and therefore He does not say, Before Abraham was, I was: but, Before Abraham was, I am: as it is in Exodus, I am that I am. Before and after might be said of Abraham with reference to different periods of his life; to be, in the present, is said of the truth only.

Patristic sources

Read the sources: Chrysostom, Homilies on John, Homily 55 (CCEL) · Cyril of Alexandria on John, Book VI (tertullian.org) · Augustine, Tractate 43 on John (CCEL) · Catena Aurea on John (isidore.co)