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John 5:30
ESV “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
NIV By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
NASB I can do nothing on My own. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.
CSB "I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
NLT I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
KJV I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

What does John 5:30 mean?

In John 5:16–29, Jesus begins to respond to His critics. These men are persecuting Him, even attempting to kill Him, for breaking Sabbath traditions and claiming to be equal to God (John 5:18). Verse 30 summarizes the point Jesus made in the prior passage: He is in perfect unity with God the Father. In those verses, Jesus claimed to have many of the attributes of God. In particular, Jesus stated that His works (John 5:19), love (John 5:20), power over life and death (John 5:21), judgment (John 5:22), and honor (John 5:23) were identical to those of God.

This verse provides a bridge from Jesus' claims about His unity with God into the evidence which supports these claims. Jesus is justifying His teaching, and His ministry, by connecting it to the will of God.

There are some things which only Jesus can speak of, because only He could possibly know them (John 8:14). However, in this context, He is discussing truths which other people can verify. So, they fall under the normal view of Jewish law, where a person could not testify on their own behalf. Rather, two or three witnesses were needed to consider something reliable (Deuteronomy 17:6; Numbers 35:30). As the upcoming verses will show, Jesus does not appeal to "blind faith," or naked trust, when He is challenged. On the contrary, Jesus will acknowledge the need for evidence (John 5:31, 34), and then provide examples which prove His claims.
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