This commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John appears to be painting with a broad brush when he says that“his disciples believed on him.”Later in the Gospel, he indicates that this was not true of every individual disciple:
Here, Judas is explicitly included among “disciples” who did not truly believe.
“But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” John 6:64
Thomas had been a disciple for years. His unbelief shows that earlier statements about “the disciples believing” cannot mean full salvific faith in every case.
”Except I shall...I will not believe.” John 20:25
Jesus indicates the disciples’ faith was incomplete and developing. Jesus repeatedly speaks of belief that would come later, after future events:
“...that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” John 13:19
“...that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” John 14:29
“Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?...ye shall be scattered ” John 16:31-32
In John,“believed on him” does not always mean salvific faith. John uses the verb believe (πιστεύω) flexibly. A clear example is in John 8:31-44
Some are said to have “believed on him” (v. 31)
Yet Jesus tells them:
they are not free
they do not know the truth
their father is the devil
Therefore, belief here cannot be salvific. He exhorts them to continue learning from him, why? So they might understand His words and be saved. As Jesus tells us in John 6:45 one must not only hear but understand to come to Him. In the parable of the sower only the one, good soil does this Matthew 13:23.
In conclusion, John 2:11 should not be read as full salvific faith for all. When John says “his disciples believed on him” in John 2:11, one of two things must be true:
John is using broad, representative language, much like Peter’s “we believe” in John 6:69, without implying identical faith in every disciple; or
“Believed on him” here refers to initial, observational belief, recognizing something true about Jesus, rather than full confession of Him as the crucified and risen Son of God.
Either way, the text cannot mean that all disciples present possessed full saving faith at this point.
12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21But he spake of the temple of his body.
22When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
People believed in his name, yet Jesus does not entrust Himself to them. John explicitly records a category of belief that Jesus Himself rejects. Some translations word this “Jesus didn’t trust them”, these are not saved individuals.
In John 8:31-44 some believe, yet Jesus says they are not saved.
They are said to believe:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him” John 8:31
But freedom and truth are presented as future outcomes, not present realities, indicating they are not yet saved.
”And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
Later Jesus clearly identifies to us their true spiritual state, unsaved, as their Father is the devil.
“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:” verse 42
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” verse 44 F
Finally, Jesus directly says they do not believe:
“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not...why do ye not believe me?” John 8:45-46
Thus, Scripture can say they “believed,” while Jesus Himself says they do not believe in the saving sense.
The type of belief matters. So from the above examples, scripture clearly shows that people can:
2
John 2 — Forever Word commentary
King James VersionThis commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John appears to be painting with a broad brush when he says that “his disciples believed on him.” Later in the Gospel, he indicates that this was not true of every individual disciple:
Here, Judas is explicitly included among “disciples” who did not truly believe.
“But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.” John 6:64
Thomas had been a disciple for years. His unbelief shows that earlier statements about “the disciples believing” cannot mean full salvific faith in every case.
”Except I shall...I will not believe.” John 20:25
Jesus indicates the disciples’ faith was incomplete and developing. Jesus repeatedly speaks of belief that would come later, after future events:
“...that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” John 13:19
“...that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” John 14:29
“Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?...ye shall be scattered ” John 16:31-32
In John, “believed on him” does not always mean salvific faith. John uses the verb believe (πιστεύω) flexibly. A clear example is in John 8:31-44
Some are said to have “believed on him” (v. 31)
Yet Jesus tells them:
they are not free
they do not know the truth
their father is the devil
Therefore, belief here cannot be salvific. He exhorts them to continue learning from him, why? So they might understand His words and be saved. As Jesus tells us in John 6:45 one must not only hear but understand to come to Him. In the parable of the sower only the one, good soil does this Matthew 13:23.
In conclusion, John 2:11 should not be read as full salvific faith for all. When John says “his disciples believed on him” in John 2:11, one of two things must be true:
John is using broad, representative language, much like Peter’s “we believe” in John 6:69, without implying identical faith in every disciple; or
“Believed on him” here refers to initial, observational belief, recognizing something true about Jesus, rather than full confession of Him as the crucified and risen Son of God.
Either way, the text cannot mean that all disciples present possessed full saving faith at this point.
12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21But he spake of the temple of his body.
22When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
People believed in his name, yet Jesus does not entrust Himself to them. John explicitly records a category of belief that Jesus Himself rejects. Some translations word this “Jesus didn’t trust them”, these are not saved individuals.
In John 8:31-44 some believe, yet Jesus says they are not saved.
They are said to believe:
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him” John 8:31
But freedom and truth are presented as future outcomes, not present realities, indicating they are not yet saved.
”And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
Later Jesus clearly identifies to us their true spiritual state, unsaved, as their Father is the devil.
“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:” verse 42
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” verse 44 F
Finally, Jesus directly says they do not believe:
“And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not...why do ye not believe me?” John 8:45-46
Thus, Scripture can say they “believed,” while Jesus Himself says they do not believe in the saving sense.
The type of belief matters. So from the above examples, scripture clearly shows that people can:
believe facts about Jesus
believe His words
believe because of signs
believe for a time
and yet not believe unto salvation.