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The Witness of Scripture
…46If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.47Butsinceyou do not believewhathewrote,howwill you believewhatIsay?”

Treasury of Scripture

But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?

Luke 16:29,31
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them…

BeliefBelieveDisbelieveSayingsWordsWritingsWroteBeliefBelieveDisbelieveSayingsWordsWritingsWrote1.Jesus on the Sabbath day cures him who was diseased thirty-eight years.
10.The Jews therefore object, and persecute him for it.
17.He answers for himself, and reproves them, showing by the testimony of his Father,
31.of John,
36.of his works,
39.and of the Scriptures, who he is.

But since you do not believe what he wrote
This phrase refers to the writings of Moses, which are foundational to the Jewish faith and include the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah. Moses is a central figure in Judaism, and his writings are considered authoritative. Jesus is addressing the Jewish leaders who prided themselves on their adherence to the Law of Moses. The implication is that their disbelief in Moses' writings, which testify about the coming Messiah, indicates a deeper spiritual blindness. This connects to other scriptures where Jesus emphasizes the importance of the Law and the Prophets as pointing to Him (Luke 24:27,John 1:45).

how will you believe what I say?
Here, Jesus challenges the Jewish leaders' ability to accept His teachings if they cannot accept the foundational truths of their own scriptures. This highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, with Jesus fulfilling the prophecies and promises found in the Old Testament. The inability to believe Moses' writings suggests a hardened heart, which is a recurring theme in the Bible (Isaiah 6:9-10,Matthew 13:14-15). Jesus' words also underscore His authority and identity as the Messiah, as He places His teachings on par with the revered writings of Moses. This statement serves as a call to examine the scriptures with an open heart to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

1.Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing the Jewish leaders who are questioning His authority and teachings.

2.Moses
Although not directly mentioned in this verse, Moses is implied as the one whose writings the Jewish leaders claim to follow. Jesus refers to Moses' writings as a foundation for belief in Him.

3.Jewish Leaders
The audience to whom Jesus is speaking. They are skeptical of Jesus' claims and authority, despite their professed adherence to the Law of Moses.

4.The Law of Moses
The writings of Moses, which include the first five books of the Old Testament, are foundational to Jewish belief and practice.

5.Jerusalem
The likely setting for this discourse, as Jesus often engaged with Jewish leaders in and around the city.The Importance of Belief in Scripture
Jesus emphasizes the necessity of believing in the writings of Moses to understand and accept His teachings. This underscores the continuity and fulfillment of the Old Testament in the New Testament.

Scripture as a Unified Testimony
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, presents a unified testimony about Jesus Christ. Believers are encouraged to study the whole counsel of God to fully grasp His redemptive plan.

The Role of Faith in Understanding
Faith is essential for understanding and accepting the truths of Scripture. Intellectual knowledge alone is insufficient without a heart of belief.

The Danger of Selective Belief
The Jewish leaders' failure to believe Moses' writings led to their inability to accept Jesus. This warns against the danger of selective belief in Scripture, where one accepts parts while rejecting others.

The Call to Examine Our Beliefs
Believers are called to examine their own beliefs and ensure they align with the entirety of Scripture, allowing it to challenge and shape their understanding.1.What is the meaning of John 5:47?

2.How does John 5:47 challenge us to trust the entirety of Scripture?

3.What does disbelief in Moses' writings reveal about our faith in Christ's words?

4.How can we strengthen our belief in both Moses and Jesus today?

5.Why is accepting Moses' writings crucial for understanding Jesus' teachings in John 5:47?

6.How can John 5:47 guide our approach to studying the Old Testament?

7.How does John 5:47 challenge the authority of Moses' writings in understanding Jesus' message?

8.Why is belief in Moses' writings crucial for understanding Jesus according to John 5:47?

9.What does John 5:47 imply about the relationship between Old Testament and New Testament teachings?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 5?

11.If Moses wrote the Torah, why does it describe his own death in Deuteronomy 34?

12.How should we respond to persecution for our faith?

13.How can your joy be made complete?

14.What does 'put away childish things' mean?But since you do not believe

John 5:47 begins with Jesus exposing the heart-level refusal of His listeners to trust God’s prior revelation. The Lord is speaking to leaders who publicly uphold Scripture yet internally reject its testimony (John 5:38-40, 44).

• Unbelief is not a lack of information—it is willful resistance to truth already given (Romans 1:21-22).

• Faith is the God-ordained doorway to understanding; without it, even the clearest evidence remains clouded (Hebrews 3:12-13).

• Earlier Jesus said, “You pore over the Scriptures…yet you refuse to come to Me to have life” (John 5:39-40). The contrast is stark: diligent study without personal trust.

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what he wrote

“He” points back to Moses, author of the Pentateuch. Jesus treats Moses’ writings as historically reliable and divinely inspired.

• Moses consistently foreshadowed Christ—Passover (Exodus 12), the bronze serpent (Numbers 21;John 3:14-15), the Prophet to come (Deuteronomy 18:15-18;Acts 3:22-23).

• “If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46). Rejecting Moses therefore equals rejecting the Messiah he predicted.

• Scripture’s unity rests on this link: the Old Testament lays the groundwork; the New Testament reveals the fulfillment (Luke 24:27).

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how will you believe

Jesus uses a logical progression: failure at the foundational level (Moses) makes further belief impossible.

• Faith grows cumulatively—“faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Ignoring step one stops the journey.

• “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12). The principle repeats: unbelief in lesser light blocks the greater.

•Luke 16:31 echoes the warning: if people dismiss Moses and the Prophets, even a resurrection will not persuade them.

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what I say?

The climax centers on Jesus’ own words. He speaks with divine authority surpassing Moses (Hebrews 1:1-2).

• Rejecting Jesus’ message carries eternal weight—“The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48).

• At the Transfiguration the Father commands, “This is My beloved Son…listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5). Heaven itself validates Christ’s supremacy.

• Belief in Jesus is not optional add-on; it is the decisive response God requires (John 8:24).

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summary

John 5:47 confronts us with a chain of accountability: God spoke through Moses, Moses pointed to Christ, and Christ now speaks directly to us. Disbelief at any link disrupts the whole. Trusting the written Word leads naturally to trusting the living Word, and both stand or fall together.

(47) The emphasis of the contrast here is not between "writings" and "words," but between "his" and "My." It is a repetition of the thought of the previous verse, with an advance in time. They had not believed Moses, and therefore had not believed Him. They do not believe, for they do not read the spiritual meaning of the writings of Moses even now. What ground of hope is left? His words, revealing the deeper truths of the kingdom of God, will fall upon their ears as so many unmeaning sounds. (Comp. Note onJohn 3:12.)

Parallel Commentaries ...

But
δὲ(de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.

since
εἰ(ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487:If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

you do not believe
πιστεύετε(pisteuete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

what
τοῖς(tois)
Article - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

he
ἐκείνου(ekeinou)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1565:That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

wrote,
γράμμασιν(grammasin)
Noun - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1121:From grapho; a writing, i.e. A letter, note, epistle, book, etc. plural learning.

how
πῶς(pōs)
Adverb
Strong's 4459:Adverb from the base of pou; an interrogative particle of manner; in what way?; also as exclamation, how much!

will you believe
πιστεύσετε(pisteusete)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

what
τοῖς(tois)
Article - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

I
ἐμοῖς(emois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Neuter 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1699:My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.

say?”
ῥήμασιν(rhēmasin)
Noun - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4487:From rheo; an utterance, ; by implication, a matter or topic; with a negative naught whatever.


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NT Gospels: John 5:47 But if you don't believe his writings (Jhn Jo Jn)