Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning — they ask directly, 'Who art thou?' (Tis ei?), a fundamental question. Jesus responds enigmatically: 'Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning' (Tēn archēn ho ti kai lalō hymīn). The statement is obscure: Jesus claims to be exactly what he has been saying all along. Perhaps it means 'I am who I have said I am from the start,' or 'I am the principle (archē) that I speak to you about.' The opacity seems intentional—those unwilling to believe cannot be argued into belief.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

Publish a note on this verse