John 9:31

My Notes

What Does John 9:31 Mean?

The man born blind, now healed, argues theology with the Pharisees from his own experience: "We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." The formerly blind man uses the Pharisees' own theological principles to defeat their argument.

The logic is simple: God doesn't empower sinners to do miracles. Jesus performed an unprecedented miracle (verse 32: "since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind"). Therefore, Jesus isn't a sinner. The man born blind is doing better theology than the trained theologians because his theology is grounded in experience, not just theory.

The phrase "a worshipper of God, and doeth his will" describes the kind of person God responds to: someone who both worships (internal devotion) and obeys (external action). The man born blind is arguing that Jesus meets both criteria — and the miracle is the evidence.

Reflection Questions

• 1.When has your personal experience of Jesus contradicted what 'experts' told you about him?
• 2.How does the man born blind model using simple logic from genuine experience to answer complex objections?
• 3.Why do the Pharisees attack the person when they can't defeat the argument?
• 4.What's your 'I was blind, now I see' testimony — and is it more powerful than the objections against it?

Devotional

A man who was blind from birth is out-theologizing the Pharisees. Using their own principles. From his own experience. And they can't answer him.

The argument is elegantly simple: God doesn't hear sinners. Jesus did something only God's power could do (opened blind-from-birth eyes). Therefore, Jesus is heard by God. Therefore, Jesus is not a sinner. The Pharisees' own theology leads to a conclusion they refuse to accept, so they resort to insult: "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?" (verse 34). When you can't defeat the argument, attack the arguer.

The man born blind has something the Pharisees don't: experience. He was blind. Now he sees. No amount of theological sophistication can override the testimony of someone whose life has been tangibly changed. The Pharisees have theories about who Jesus is. The man born blind has eyes that work. Theory loses to testimony every time.

The principle he cites — God hears worshippers who do his will — is uncontroversial theology that everyone in the room would agree with. The application is what's controversial: it leads to Jesus being legitimate. The Pharisees accept the principle but reject its obvious application because the application threatens their position.

When your experience of Jesus contradicts the religious establishment's verdict about Jesus, trust your experience. The man born blind couldn't argue textual criticism or cite precedents. He could only say: I was blind, now I see. And that was enough to defeat every argument they threw at him.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture