WHO DO YOU BELIEVE?

The opening verses of John 14 are among the most familiar, precious and comforting verses in the Bible. I hesitate to disturb our familiarity with questions about the text, yet significant questions are raised by the text.  One of those questions pertains to the translation of "believe" or "trust" in verse one.

Jesus uses the word "believe" (πιστευετε) twice.  Jesus says, "Believe in God, believe also in Me" (NASB). Or does He say, "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me" (KJV)? Or perhaps Jesus says, "Believe in God, you are believing in Me"? Or is it, "You are believing in God, you are believing in Me" (Luther)? All 4 translations are grammatically possible (Meyer, John, pp. 406-407). Which translation accurately expresses the thought of Jesus?

The form of the verb "believe" (πιστευετε) is ambiguous. There are 4 ways these verbs could be translated. 1) Both verbs are imperatives (commands). 2) The first verb is an indicative (statement of fact) and the second is a command. 3) The first verb is a command and the second is a statement. 4) Both verbs are indicatives making factual statements. It is a matter of interpretation since all four translations are grammatically correct. The question boils down to the precise point that Jesus is making in this verse.

Many argue that Jesus was commanding both faith in God and faith in Him. The two verbs should be translated the same way according to many. However, I think that Jesus recognized they had faith in God already, but they needed to trust Him. I think that Jesus said, "You trust (statement of fact) in God, trust (command) in Me also" (Helen Barrett Montgomery). He has just predicted that He is leaving the disciples and that Peter would deny Him three times before the cock crowed. These are troubling predictions that raise doubts about what Jesus is doing. Jesus was not commanding them to believe God. They were pious Israelites. He knew they believed God. Jesus was commanding them to trust Him. After all, He was the one troubling them with these predictions.

For the Christian, trusting Jesus personally is inseparable from trusting God.  Yet trusting Jesus personally is essential to being a Christian - a unique mark of a Christian.  Many believe God. Many are religious. Many populate our churches. Many claim to be Christian. Yet no one is a Christian who fails to trust Christ for no one comes the Father but through the Son (14:6)!