The Gospel According to John (American Standard Version, 1901) · 7 of 37 · tr. American Standard Version (1901)
4:42-5:13
[4:42] and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
[4:43] And after the two days he went forth from thence into Galilee.
[4:44] For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.
[4:45] So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
[4:46] He came therefore again unto Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
[4:47] When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.
[4:48] Jesus therefore said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe.
[4:49] The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
[4:50] Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way.
[4:51] And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived.
[4:52] So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
[4:53] So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
[4:54] This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judaea into Galilee.
[5:1] After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
[5:2] Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches.
[5:3] In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered.
[5:5] And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity.
[5:6] When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wouldest thou be made whole?
[5:7] The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
[5:8] Jesus saith unto him, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.
[5:9] And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked. Now it was the sabbath on that day.
[5:10] So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed.
[5:11] But he answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
[5:12] They asked him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
[5:13] But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place.
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
The Samaritans declare 'we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world' (4:42), grounding their belief in direct personal experience rather than secondhand testimony.
The divine reason, word, or ordering principle through which the universe was created; mediates between the transcendent God and the material world.
Jesus's spoken word ('Thy son liveth') functions as a mediating creative principle that bridges the transcendent and the material, bringing about healing at a distance.
The phenomenon where spiritual messengers or healers are rejected by their own community due to familiarity or lack of awe.
Jesus explicitly states 'a prophet hath no honor in his own country' (4:44), directly naming the phenomenon of a spiritual figure being rejected by his own community.
The doctrine and practice that spoken or sung word carries causal-magical force — that uttering names, formulas, songs, or incantations alters reality directly rather than merely communicating about it. Vainamoinen's runo-songs that move mountains and command iron, Norse galdr, Vedic mantra, Shinto kotodama, the magician's barbarous names in the Greek Magical Papyri, Iamblichean arcane signatures and inexplicable symbols, biblical creation-by-word. Distinct from sacred_names (the ontological power of names themselves) and prayer (address to the divine); word_power_incantation is the magical-causal efficacy of the spoken word as such.
Jesus's utterance 'Go thy way; thy son liveth' directly and causally alters reality—healing the son at a distance at the precise moment spoken—demonstrating the magical-causal efficacy of the spoken word.