John 15:22

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

If {G1508} I had {G2064} not {G1508} come {G2064} and {G2532} spoken {G2980} unto them {G846}, they had {G2192} not {G3756} had {G2192} sin {G266}: but {G1161} now {G3568} they have {G2192} no {G3756} cloke {G4392} for {G4012} their {G846} sin {G266}.

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t be guilty of sin; but now, they have no excuse for their sin.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin.

This verse is spoken by Jesus to His disciples during His farewell discourse, shortly before His crucifixion. He is preparing them for His departure and the opposition they will face from the world. This section of John 15 discusses the relationship between Jesus, the Father, the disciples, and the hostile world. The world's hatred for the disciples is rooted in their hatred for Jesus Himself, and this verse explains why that hatred and the world's sin are now without excuse.

Key Themes

  • Increased Accountability: Jesus' coming and teaching brought divine truth into the world. Those who heard and saw Him were given a direct revelation of God, raising the stakes for their response.
  • Removal of Excuse: The presence and words of Jesus removed any possible justification or "cloke" (`prophasis` in Greek, meaning pretext or excuse) for unbelief and sin. Before Jesus, people had a certain level of accountability based on conscience and the Law, but rejecting the incarnate Son of God left them utterly without defense.
  • The Nature of Unbelief: Unbelief in the face of clear revelation is not merely ignorance but a willful rejection of truth, making it a greater sin.

Linguistic Insights

The key term here is "cloke," which translates the Greek word prophasis (προφασις). It means an excuse, a pretext, a pretense, or a plausible reason given to conceal the real motive. Jesus is saying that because He came, taught, and demonstrated who He was, people could no longer claim ignorance or misunderstanding as a valid excuse for their sin and rejection of Him. Their sin is now exposed for what it is – a deliberate choice against the light.

Reflection and Application

Jesus' statement highlights the seriousness of rejecting the truth once it has been revealed. Just as those in Jesus' time had no excuse after witnessing His life and hearing His words, people today who have access to the gospel message are held accountable for their response. The greater the light received, the greater the responsibility to walk in it. This verse serves as a somber reminder that encountering Jesus leaves no one neutral; it leads either to salvation through belief or to judgment for unbelief, which is now without excuse.

The principle of increased responsibility based on revelation is also seen elsewhere in scripture, reminding us that to whom much is given, much is required.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • John 9:41

    Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

  • James 4:17

    Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.

  • Acts 17:30

    And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

  • Romans 1:20

    For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

  • Ezekiel 33:31

    And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness.

  • Ezekiel 33:33

    And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

  • John 12:48

    He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

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