New Testament 245

Victoria College entrance — Understandably, more than a few schools have adopted a portion of this passage as their motto.
(Click to enlarge.)

I’ll note two ideas in this passage:

First is the concept that knowing the truth makes one free — and that, by implication, ignorance of the truth is a kind of bondage. That’s remarkable, actually.

And the more important the truth in question, the richer the freedom (or the deeper and more oppressive the bondage).

Second is the apparent confidence among the Jews to whom Jesus was speaking that there was particular merit in their lineage — merit that would save them, or that would redeem them from their personal faults and follies. They felt that they couldn’t be slaves because they came from good stock. But virtues aren’t automatically inherited, and having fabulous parents, while it can obviously be an asset, can also, if we fail to take advantage of that asset, merely emphasize the contrast between their goodness and achievements and our own failures.

Ultimately, we make ourselves. Or break ourselves.