John 16:9
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Original Language Analysis
περὶ
Of
G4012
περὶ
Of
Strong's:
G4012
Word #:
1 of 8
properly, through (all over), i.e., around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive cas
μέν
G3303
μέν
Strong's:
G3303
Word #:
3 of 8
properly, indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with g1161 (this one, the former, etc.)
ὅτι
because
G3754
ὅτι
because
Strong's:
G3754
Word #:
4 of 8
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
πιστεύουσιν
they believe
G4100
πιστεύουσιν
they believe
Strong's:
G4100
Word #:
6 of 8
to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e., credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to ch
Historical Context
In Jesus's day, religious Jews prided themselves on law-keeping while rejecting Messiah. The Spirit's coming at Pentecost shattered this delusion: despite their religious credentials, their unbelief in Jesus constituted the sin that damned them. This pattern continues—religious activity, even Christian in appearance, without genuine faith in Christ remains the sin the Spirit must expose.
Questions for Reflection
- How does viewing unbelief as the fundamental sin change your understanding of evangelism?
- In what areas of life might you be trusting your own goodness rather than believing 'into' Christ alone?
- How should the church present the sin of unbelief without minimizing other sins Scripture condemns?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Of sin, because they believe not on me (περὶ ἁμαρτίας μέν, ὅτι οὐ πιστεύουσιν εἰς ἐμέ, peri hamartias men, hoti ou pisteuousin eis eme)—Jesus identifies unbelief in Him as the fundamental sin underlying all others. The present tense pisteuousin (they are believing) describes continuous rejection. The preposition eis (into) suggests faith as personal commitment and union with Christ, not mere intellectual assent.
All specific sins (murder, adultery, theft) stem from the root sin: rejecting God's Son. The Spirit doesn't merely convict of behavioral sins but exposes the core rebellion—refusing to believe into Christ. This explains why the 'good moral person' still stands condemned: morality without faith in Christ is refined rebellion. The Spirit's conviction penetrates beneath symptomatic sins to the disease itself: Christ-rejection. Every sin is ultimately a failure to trust and honor God's appointed Savior.