John 7:15-19

Context
7:15 Then the Jewish leaders¹ were astonished² and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”³ 7:16 So Jesus replied,⁴ “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me.⁵ 7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will,⁶ he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.⁷ 7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority⁸ desires⁹ to receive honor¹⁰ for himself; the one who desires¹¹ the honor¹² of the one who sent him is a man of integrity,¹³ and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps¹⁴ the law! Why do you want¹⁵ to kill me?”

[7:15] ¹tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:15] ²tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.

[7:15] ³tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).

[7:16] ⁴tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16] ⁵tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:17] ⁷tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17] ⁸tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[7:18] ¹⁰tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18] ¹¹tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18] ¹²tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18] ¹³tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18] ¹⁴tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18] ¹⁵tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[7:19] ¹³tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”

[7:19] ¹⁴tn Grk “seek.”