John 16:9 (LSB)

Passage

concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;

Nearby Context

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

John 16:8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

John 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;

John 16:10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;

John 16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And He when He comes will convict..." into verse 10's "and concerning righteousness because I go to...", so "concerning" and "believe" 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 "concerning" and "believe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.