John 8:17 (ASV)

Passage

Yea and in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true.

Nearby Context

John 8:15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

John 8:16 Yea and if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

John 8:17 Yea and in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true.

John 8:18 I am he that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

John 8:19 They said therefore unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me, nor my Father: if ye knew me, ye would know my Father also.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "written", "witness", and "true". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "written" and "witness", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Yea and if I judge my judgment..." into verse 18's "I am he that beareth witness of...", so "written" and "witness" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "written" and "witness" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.