John 10:37 (YLT)

Passage

if I do not the works of my Father, do not believe me;

Nearby Context

John 10:35 if them he did call gods unto whom the word of God came, (and the Writing is not able to be broken,)

John 10:36 of him whom the Father did sanctify, and send to the world, do ye say--Thou speakest evil, because I said, Son of God I am?

John 10:37 if I do not the works of my Father, do not believe me;

John 10:38 and if I do, even if me ye may not believe, the works believe, that ye may know and may believe that in me <FI>is<Fi> the Father, and I in Him.'

John 10:39 Therefore were they seeking again to seize him, and he went forth out of their hand,

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "of him whom the Father did sanctify..." into verse 38's "and if I do even if me...", so "works" and "father" 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 "works" and "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.