John 5:32
ESV
There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.
NIV
There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
NASB
There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.
CSB
There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true.
NLT
But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.
KJV
There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
NKJV
There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.
What does John 5:32 mean?
Local religious authorities have challenged Jesus. These men are offended by Jesus' breaking Sabbath traditions and claiming to be equal to God (John 5:18). Rather than appealing to blind faith, Jesus acknowledges that some claims need to be supported by evidence (John 5:31, 34). In accordance with Jewish law, Jesus provides the three witnesses necessary to establish something as fact (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6). Two of these are observations, in the form of Jesus' miracles (John 5:36), and the evidence of Scripture (John 5:39).In this verse, Jesus begins to explain the evidence of human testimony. Early in the gospel of John, the Pharisees had sent investigators to John the Baptist (John 1:19–24). John, true to his calling, had pointed those men away from himself and towards the Promised One (John 1:25–28). That Promised One, as John would later make clear, was Jesus (John 1:29–31). In the next verse, Jesus will specifically refer to this message from John the Baptist and endorse it as the truth.
John 5:30–47 continues Jesus' response to His critics in Jerusalem. After healing a crippled man on the Sabbath and claiming to be equal with God, Jesus now speaks about evidence. Rather than simply saying, "have faith,'' or ''believe Me because I said so,'' He offers reasons why He should be believed. These include human testimony, the miracles He is performing, and the words of Scripture. Jesus also makes the point that those who reject the prior words of God—the Old Testament Scriptures—aren't going to believe in Christ, no matter what.
Jesus again returns to Jerusalem, as required for the various feast days. While there, He heals a man who had been crippled for nearly forty years. Since this occurred on the Sabbath, local religious leaders are angry. In fact, they are more upset with Jesus for working on the Sabbath than amazed at His miracle. In response, Jesus offers an important perspective on evidence. Jesus refers to human testimony, scriptural testimony, and miracles as reasons to believe His declarations. Christ also lays claim to many of the attributes of God, making a clear claim to divinity.
