John 8:31 (ASV)

Passage

Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, [then] are ye truly my disciples;

Nearby Context

John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me; he hath not left me alone; for I do always the things that are pleasing to him.

John 8:30 As he spake these things, many believed on him.

John 8:31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, [then] are ye truly my disciples;

John 8:32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:33 They answered unto him, We are Abraham`s seed, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "therefore", "said", "jews", "believed", "abide", "word", and "truly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "As he spake these things many believed..." into verse 32's "and ye shall know the truth and...", so "jesus" and "therefore" 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 "jesus" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.