John 9:25
ESV
He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."
NIV
He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
NASB
He then answered, 'Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.'
CSB
He answered, "Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!"
NLT
I don’t know whether he is a sinner,' the man replied. 'But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!'
KJV
He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
NKJV
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
What does John 9:25 mean?
When Jesus first approached him, this man had been blind from birth (John 9:1). After applying mud to his eyes, Jesus' instructions were for the man to go elsewhere to wash off (John 9:6–7). As a result, this verse occurs at a time when the formerly blind man has still not physically seen the One who healed him. There is no indication the man sought Jesus out or knew anything about Him prior to this incident, though apparently he did know Jesus' name (John 9:11). Local religious leaders cannot accept that Jesus has performed a miracle, so they have been interrogating the man and his parents, insisting that Jesus must be a sinner.The man's response here is an excellent summary of how saving faith operates. Scripture often uses sight—or light—as a metaphor for faith. This man is not a trained scholar, or wealthy, or well-read. He evidently knows nothing about Jesus' prior ministry or the details of Jesus' ministry. But what he does know, he knows for sure: he had been blind, and now he can see! The profound, inexplicable change brought by an encounter with Christ was beyond debate. For Christians, this is the cornerstone of our testimony: the influence of Christ in our own lives. This is what opens our conversation with others about the reality of the gospel (Mark 5:19) and leads into all other evidence and arguments (1 Peter 3:15–16).
This statement also adds weight to the idea that a person doesn't need perfect theological knowledge to be a true believer. John's inclusions and exclusions in this gospel are deliberate. Including this remark has meaning. That Jesus was sinless—that He was not a "sinner"—is crucial to Christian doctrine (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5). In that sense, this man is ignorant on an important point. But that doesn't stop Him from reacting correctly to Christ's call: open-minded acceptance based on what he does know (Matthew 18:3; John 9:38). Of course, resisting truth is not the same as sincere error (John 5:39–40).
John 9:13–34 describes the Pharisees' reaction to Jesus' healing of a man born blind. Rather than being swayed by an obvious sign of divine power, they look for excuses and criticisms to discredit the miracle. They interrogate the man's parents, who timidly defer back to their son. The healed man knows nothing more than this: ''though I was blind, now I see.'' His matter-of-fact responses to the Pharisees highlights their obvious prejudice. As a result, they excommunicate the healed man from the synagogue. Jesus will meet with the man in the next passage to give more context for the miracle.
Jesus encounters a man who has been blind his entire life. Consistent with notions of that era, the disciples assume the disability is due to some specific sin: either the man's or his parents'. Jesus challenges this idea and heals the man. His restoration leads to interrogation. The Pharisees try to discredit Jesus' miraculous work. The healed man's simple, straightforward perspective embarrasses the religious leaders, who excommunicate him in frustration. Jesus meets with the healed man, explaining more about His identity and the purpose of His ministry. Jesus also reminds the Pharisees that those who ought to know better, spiritually, will be held more accountable as a result.
