John 8:34 (YLT)

Passage

Jesus answered them, `Verily, verily, I say to you--Every one who is committing sin, is a servant of the sin,

Nearby Context

John 8:32 and the truth shall make you free.'

John 8:33 They answered him, `Seed of Abraham we are; and to no one have we been servants at any time; how dost thou say--Ye shall become free?'

John 8:34 Jesus answered them, `Verily, verily, I say to you--Every one who is committing sin, is a servant of the sin,

John 8:35 and the servant doth not remain in the house--to the age, the son doth remain--to the age;

John 8:36 if then the son may make you free, in reality ye shall be free.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "jesus", "answered", "verily", "you--every", "committing", and "servant". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "jesus" and "answered", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "They answered him Seed of Abraham we..." into verse 35's "and the servant doth not remain in...", so "jesus" and "answered" 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 "answered" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.