John 4

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

And he must needs go through Samaria.

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

And many more believed because of his own word;

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

What does John 4:38 mean?

Explanation

John 4:38 contains words attributed to Jesus speaking to His disciples.

The verse emphasizes the communal nature of spiritual work and the importance of acknowledging the efforts of predecessors.

Literally, it refers to the disciples reaping where they did not sow – benefiting from the labor of others in terms of spreading the Gospel and leading people to faith.

Figuratively, the verse speaks to the idea that the efforts in God's work are cumulative and interconnected, with different roles and timings for each participant.

Some sow the seeds of faith, while others harvest the souls ready to embrace the teachings.

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, agricultural metaphors were common and easily understood by the general populace, many of whom were engaged in farming or related trades.

John 4 deals with the events after Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, which leads to many Samaritans believing in Him.

The disciples, upon returning and seeing Jesus speaking with her, were surprised as Jewish people typically avoided interactions with Samaritans due to deep cultural and religious differences.

The broader context implies a breaking of traditional boundaries for a more inclusive spread of religious truth.

Theological Insights

Theologically, John 4:38 is rich with significance.

From an evangelical perspective, this verse stresses the sovereign arrangement of God in salvation history, the preparation of hearts and the timing of conversion.

Catholic and Orthodox interpretations may see this as affirmation of the communal harmony in God's plan, highlighting the Church's collective mission.

In Reformed theology, it might be seen as an example of divine providence, where God orchestrates past and present actions to fulfill His purposes.

The verse also implies a graciousness in acknowledging and building upon the legacies of faith.

Practical Applications

Practically speaking, John 4:38 encourages believers to respect and appreciate the work of those who have preceded them in any godly endeavor.

It invites humility, as one may not always have the opportunity to see the full cycle of spiritual growth from beginning to end.

It invites collaboration among believers, recognizing that varying roles are necessary for the progress of God's kingdom.

This verse also encourages patience and trust in the fact that one's efforts may be part of a larger plan that unfolds over time.

Cross-References

1 Corinthians 3:6-7: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

Matthew 9:37-38: "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, two key phrases are of interest:

"ye bestowed no labour" (οὐκ κοπιάσατε): This negation of the verb κοπιάω (kopiao) means not toiled or worked hard.

The implication is that the disciples had not been involved in the preliminary work.

"entered into" (εἰσεληλύθατε): This verb comes from εἰσέρχομαι (eiserchomai) which means to go into or enter.

It carries the idea of stepping into a process or situation that is already in motion.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This verse's themes resonate with many religious traditions that value the collaborative and successive nature of spiritual work.

For example, in Buddhism, there is an understanding of benefiting from the spiritual strivings and insights of past teachers.

Similarly, Indic religions uphold the notion of standing on the accomplishments of previous generations.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, there isn't a direct correlation to the verse, as it relates more to social cooperation and cumulative culture which are elements studied by social sciences like anthropology and sociology.

However, one might consider the parallels in evolutionary biology, where the progress of a species is built on the genetic and behavioral inheritance of previous generations.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians offer various interpretations of John 4:38:

Many agree on the missional implication, that Jesus is highlighting the disciples' role in a sequence that involves predecessors and will involve successors in the Kingdom work.
Some commentaries discuss the Jewish and Samaritan historical conflict and see Jesus' words as a revolutionary call to transcend ancient hostilities for a greater divine purpose.
Others focus on the eschatological (relating to the end times) message in the imagery of harvest, interpreting the ready fields as a sign for the urgency of evangelistic works.

John 4

John 4

What does John 4:38 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 4:38 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?