Category: New Testament Studies
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Children of God – Part 2:“Your Father the Devil” in John 8 and the Language of Spiritual Allegiance
Jesus’ statement in John 8:44—“You are of your father the devil”—is frequently interpreted as a declaration that certain people are ontologically (the essence or the nature of being) descended from Satan rather than from God. This reading, however, misunderstands the biblical use of “fatherhood” language. In Scripture, “father” often denotes moral resemblance, allegiance, and behavioral…