John 16:8 (WEB)

Passage

When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

Nearby Context

John 16:6 But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

John 16:9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me;

John 16:10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more;

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Nevertheless I tell you the truth It..." into verse 9's "about sin because they don t believe...", so "world" and "come" 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 "world" and "come" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.