John 5:23-45

²³so that everyone may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father. The person who does not honour the Son fails to honour the Father who sent him.

²⁴In truth I tell you that the person who listens to my message and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life.

²⁵In truth I tell you that a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and when those who listen will live.

²⁶For, just as the Father has inherent life within him, so also he has granted to the Son to have inherent life within him;

²⁷and, because he is Son of Man, he has also given him authority to act as judge.

²⁸Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice,

²⁹and will come out — those who have done good rising to life, and those who have lived evil lives rising for condemnation.

³⁰I can do nothing of myself; I judge as I am taught; and the judgement that I give is just, because my aim is not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

³¹“If I bear testimony to myself, my testimony is not trustworthy;

³²it is another who bears testimony to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is trustworthy.

³³You have yourselves sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

³⁴But the testimony which I receive is not from people; I am saying this for your salvation.

³⁵He was the Lamp that was burning and shining, and you were ready to rejoice, for a time, in his light.

³⁶But the testimony which I have is of greater weight than John's; for the work that the Father has given me to carry out — the work that I am doing — is in itself proof that the Father has sent me as his messenger.

³⁷The Father who has sent me has himself borne testimony to me. You have neither listened to his voice, not seen his form;

³⁸and you have not taken his message home to your hearts, because you do not believe him whom he sent as his messenger.

³⁹You search the scriptures, because you think that you find in them immortal life; and, though it is those scriptures that bear testimony to me,

⁴⁰you refuse to come to me to have life.

⁴¹“I do not receive honour from people,

⁴²but I know this of you, that you have not the love of God in your hearts.

⁴³I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

⁴⁴How can you believe in me, when you receive honour from one another and do not desire the honour which comes from the only God?

⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes.