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Read the Bible

Updated Bible Version

John 16:1

These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be caused to stumble.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Persecution;   Temptation;   The Topic Concordance - Holy Spirit;   Persecution;   Resurrection;   Sending and Those Sent;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Offence;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Comforter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Children (Sons) of God;   God;   Holy Spirit;   John, Theology of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Foresight;   Propitiation (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Fruit;   Pentecost;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 22;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.
King James Version (1611)
These things haue I spoken vnto you, that yee should not be offended.
King James Version
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
English Standard Version
"I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
New American Standard Bible
"These things I have spoken to you so that you will not be led into sin.
New Century Version
"I have told you these things to keep you from giving up.
Amplified Bible
"I have told you these things so that you will not stumble or be caught off guard and fall away.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.
Legacy Standard Bible
"These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.
Berean Standard Bible
I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.
Contemporary English Version
I am telling you this to keep you from being afraid.
Complete Jewish Bible
"I have told you these things so that you won't be caught by surprise.
Darby Translation
These things I have spoken unto you that ye may not be offended.
Easy-to-Read Version
"I have told you all this so that you won't lose your faith when you face troubles.
Geneva Bible (1587)
These thinges haue I saide vnto you, that ye should not be offended.
George Lamsa Translation
I HAVE spoken these things to you, so that you may not stumble.
Good News Translation
"I have told you this, so that you will not give up your faith.
Lexham English Bible
"I have said these things to you so that you will not fall away.
Literal Translation
I have spoken these things to you so that you may not be offended.
American Standard Version
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be caused to stumble.
Bible in Basic English
I have said these things to you so that you may not be in doubt.
Hebrew Names Version
"These things have I spoken to you, so that you wouldn't be caused to stumble.
International Standard Version
"I have told you this to keep you from falling away.from stumbling
">[fn]Matthew 11:6; 24:10; 26:31;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
These have I spoken with you, that you may not be offended.
Murdock Translation
These things have I said to you, that ye may not be stumbled.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
These thynges haue I sayde vnto you, because ye shoulde not be offended.
English Revised Version
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be made to stumble.
World English Bible
"These things have I spoken to you, so that you wouldn't be caused to stumble.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
I have told you these things, that ye may not be offended. They will put you out of the synagogues;
Weymouth's New Testament
"These things I have spoken to you in order to clear stumbling-blocks out of your path.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
These thingis Y haue spokun to you, that ye be not sclaundrid.
Webster's Bible Translation
These things have I spoken to you, that ye should not be offended.
New English Translation
"I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.
New King James Version
"These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
New Living Translation
"I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith.
New Life Bible
"I have told you these things so you will not be ashamed of Me and leave Me.
New Revised Standard
"I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
These things, have I spoken unto you, that ye may not be caused to stumble:
Douay-Rheims Bible
These things have I spoken to you things have I spoken to you that you may not be scandalized.
Revised Standard Version
"I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
These thinges have I sayde vnto you because ye shuld not be offended.
Young's Literal Translation
`These things I have spoken to you, that ye may not be stumbled,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
These thinges haue I sayde vnto you, that ye shulde not be offended.
Mace New Testament (1729)
I have told you these things that ye may not be discouraged.
THE MESSAGE
"I've told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he's doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I've told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you'll be well-warned and ready for them. "I didn't tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?' Instead, the longer I've talked, the sadder you've become. So let me say it again, this truth: It's better for you that I leave. If I don't leave, the Friend won't come. But if I go, I'll send him to you. "When he comes, he'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He'll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted. "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.' "In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me." That stirred up a hornet's nest of questions among the disciples: "What's he talking about: ‘In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? And, ‘Because I'm on my way to the Father'? What is this ‘day or so'? We don't know what he's talking about." Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, "Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? Then fix this firmly in your minds: You're going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness. "When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you'll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You'll no longer be so full of questions. "This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! "I've used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I'll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I've revealed to you. I won't continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won't need to. Because you've gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father." His disciples said, "Finally! You're giving it to us straight, in plain talk—no more figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything—it all comes together in you. You won't have to put up with our questions anymore. We're convinced you came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you finally believe? In fact, you're about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I'm not abandoned. The Father is with me. I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world."
Simplified Cowboy Version
"I'm telling you these things so you don't get pitched off into the cactus and lose your faith.

Contextual Overview

1 These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be caused to stumble. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yes, the hour comes, that whoever kills you shall think that he offers service to God. 3 And these things they will do, because they haven't known the Father, nor me. 4 But these things I have spoken to you, that when their hour has come, you may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I didn't say to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go to him that sent me; and none of you asks me, Where do you go? 6 But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

John 16:4, John 15:11, Matthew 11:6, Matthew 13:21, Matthew 13:57, Matthew 24:10, Matthew 26:31-33, Romans 14:21, Philippians 1:10, 1 Peter 2:8

Reciprocal: Matthew 10:27 - I tell Matthew 24:25 - General Mark 13:23 - behold Mark 14:27 - All Luke 18:34 - General John 14:25 - have John 16:17 - said Acts 9:16 - I will Acts 14:22 - we 1 Thessalonians 3:4 - we told

Cross-References

Genesis 11:30
And Sarai was barren; She had no child.
Genesis 12:16
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-donkeys, and male slaves, and female slaves, and she-donkeys, and camels.
Genesis 16:2
And Sarai said to Abram, Now seeing that Yahweh has restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray you, to my slave; it may be that I shall obtain [children] by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Genesis 16:3
And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
Genesis 16:9
And the angel of Yahweh said to her, Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.
Genesis 16:10
And the angel of Yahweh said to her, I will greatly multiply your seed, it shall be too many to count.
Genesis 21:12
And God said to Abraham, Don't let it be grievous in your sight because of the lad, and because of your slave. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For in Isaac shall your seed be called.
Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 25:21
And Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. And Yahweh was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife became pregnant.
Judges 13:2
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and had not given birth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

These things have I spoken unto you,.... Concerning the world's hatred and persecution of them, and the little regard they would show to their doctrine: these things Christ thought, proper to give them notice of before hand, that expecting them, they might be prepared for them, and be fortified against them;

that, says he,

ye should not be offended: his view in speaking of them, was not to discourage them, but to prevent their stumbling at them, and falling by them. Hardships coming upon persons at unawares, bear the harder upon their spirits, and they are more apt to take offence at them and be impatient under them, which is prevented by previous intimation: had Christ said nothing of these things that should befall his disciples, they might have surprised them, and have been a stumbling to them; and might have tempted them to have relinquished their profession of him, and dropped their ministerial work; whereas being apprized of them before hand, they were not so shocking to them. This shows the tender concern of Christ for his disciples, how careful he was to remove, every occasion of stumbling, or what might be matter of offence to them; and may teach us to act in such like manner towards one another, in this, or any other case.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

These things - The things spoken in the two previous chapters, promising them divine aid and directing them in the path of duty.

Be offended - For the meaning of the word offend, see the notes at Matthew 5:29. It means here the same as to stumble or fall - that is, to apostatize. He proceeds immediately to tell them, what he had often apprised them of, that they would be subject to great persecutions and trials. He was also himself about to be removed by death. They were to go into an unfriendly world. All these things were in themselves greatly fitted to shake their faith, and to expose them to the danger of apostasy. Compare Luke 24:21. If they had not been apprised of this, if they had not known why Jesus was about to die, and if they had not been encouraged with the promised aid of the Holy Spirit, they would have sunk under these trials, and forsaken him and his cause. And we may learn hence:

1.That if Christians were left to themselves they would fall away and perish.

2.That God affords means and helps beforehand to keep them in the path of duty.

3.That the instructions of the Bible and the help of the Holy Spirit are all granted to keep them from apostasy.

4.That Jesus beforehand secured the fidelity and made certain the continuance in faith of his apostles, seeing all their dangers and knowing all their enemies. And, in like manner, we should be persuaded that “he is able to keep that which we commit to him against that day,” 2 Timothy 1:12.



Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XVI.

Christ warns his disciples, and foretells the persecutions

they should receive from the Jews, 1-4.

Foretells his death, and promises them the Comforter, 5-7.

Points out his operations among the Jews, and in the world,

8-11.

His peculiar influences on the souls of the disciples, 12-15.

Speaks figuratively of his death and resurrection, at which his

disciples are puzzled, 16-18.

He explains and illustrates the whole by a similitude, 19-22.

Shows himself to be the Mediator between God and man, and that

all prayers must be put up in his name, 23-28.

The disciples clearly comprehend his meaning and express their

strong faith in him, 29, 30.

He again foretells their persecution, and promises them his

peace and support, 31-33.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVI.

Verse John 16:1. These things have I spoken — Particularly what is mentioned in the two last chapters.

Be offended. — Ἱνα μη σκανδαλισθητε, That ye should not be stumbled. May not fall away from the faith, nor receive any injury to your souls, as that man does to his body who stumbles, or falls over a stone, or block, in the way which he has not discovered.


 
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