by Giuseppe Monno
John 8:58
“Jesus said to them: ‘In all truth I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I Am.’”
Some translations render the Greek egō eimì with the imperfect “I was.” However, this does not fully reflect the original text. The expression egō eimì in fact means “I am,” while Greek has other forms to indicate the past, such as egō ēn.
In the Gospel of John, the expression egō eimì appears several times and is normally translated as “I am” (cf. John 6:48; 8:12; 10:7; 14:6). In John 8:58, however, it takes on an even deeper meaning: it does not simply indicate existence prior to Abraham, but a mode of existence that transcends time.
The words of Jesus directly recall the divine revelation of the Old Testament. In Exodus 3:14, God reveals himself to Moses with the name: “I am he who is,” and adds: “This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” In the Greek translation of the Septuagint, this revelation is expressed in a way that emphasizes the absolute being of God.
In this context, Jesus’ use of egō eimì in John 8:58 carries profound theological meaning: he is not merely affirming that he existed before Abraham, but is using an expression which, in biblical language, belongs to God himself.
The reaction of his listeners confirms this: “At this they picked up stones to throw at him” (John 8:59). Such a reaction would be hard to explain in the face of a simple claim of temporal priority. In the Jewish perspective, stoning was prescribed for blasphemy (cf. Leviticus 24:16), that is, for anyone who usurped divine prerogatives.
This is further confirmed in another passage: “You are only a man and you claim to be God” (John 10:33), spoken in response to Jesus’ statement: “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30).
Therefore, the translation “I am” in John 8:58 is not only linguistically correct, but theologically necessary in order to grasp the full meaning of Christ’s words. It expresses his deepest identity and his unique relationship with the Father.
Numerous biblical translations, ancient and modern, consistently render egō eimì as “I am,” confirming this interpretation.
In the light of all this, the words of Jesus resound with particular force: “If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).
In Christianity, the concept of Eternal Now represents the belief that divinity transcends time, and that past, present, and future exist as one in heaven. This idea, rooted in Early Christianity, emphasizes that the kingdom of heaven is accessible in the present moment, suggesting a continuous availability of divine experience. Essentially, Eternal Now reflects a unified existence beyond temporal constraints, inviting believers to engage with the divine in their current reality.