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BSN: Jesus Spoke

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The references here are primarily, if not exclusively, those of Jesus speaking during His earthly life. The point of this is to demonstrate that when looking at Jesus from a strictly human point of view, the New Testament writers repeatedly claim that Jesus spoke.

  • For 1st person references to Jesus speaking, see under “WORD” in the BSN Red Letter Concordance.
  • For 2nd and 3rd person references to Jesus speaking, see below:
    • HE BEGAN TO SPEAK – 2x (Mk 12:1; Lk 7:24)
    • HE COMMANDED – 2x (Mk 6:39; Acts 1:4)
    • HE EXPLAINED – 1x (Lk 24:27)
    • HE HAD BEEN SAYING – 2x (Mk 5:8; Jn 10:6) e
    • HE HAD BEEN SPEAKING – 2x (Jn 4:27; 8:27) e
    • HE OPENED HIS MOUTH AND BEGAN TO TEACH THEM SAYING – 1x (Mt 5:2)
    • HE SPOKE – 12x (Mt 2x, Mk 2x, Lk 3x, Jn 5x)
    • HE TOLD – 6x (Mk 3:9; 16:7; Lk 12:16; 15:3; 21:29; Jn 4:39)
    • HE WAS EXPLAINING – 2x (Mk 4:34; Lk 24:32)
    • HE WAS SAYING – 19x, all in the Gospels (Mt 1x, Mk 10x, Lk 7x, Jn 4x)
    • HE WAS SPEAKING – 7x, all in the Gospels (Mt 1x, Mk 2x, Lk 1x, Jn 3x)
    • HE WAS TEACHING – 12x, all in the synoptic Gospels (Mt 2x, Mk 4x, Lk 6x)
    • HE WAS TELLING – 1x (Lk 18:1)
    • HIS VOICE – 2x (Mt 12:19; Rev 1:15)
    • HIS WORD(S) – Mk 10:24; Lk 10:39; 24:8; Jn 4:41
    • JESUS AGAIN SPOKE – 1x (Jn 8:12)
    • JESUS ANSWERED – 62x, all in the Gospels (Mt 8x, Mk 3x, Lk 11x, Jn 40x) e
    • JESUS BEGAN TO SPEAK – 1x (Mt 11:7)
    • JESUS COMMANDED – 1x (Mt 17:9)
    • JESUS HAD SAID – 2x (Mt 1x, Jn 1x) e
    • JESUS HAD SPOKEN – 4x (Mk 16:19; Jn 2:22; 11:13; 18:1)
    • JESUS HAD TOLD – 1x (Mk 11:6)
    • JESUS SAID – 141x, all in the Gospels (Mt 43x; Mk 27x, Lk 17x, Jn 54x) e
    • JESUS SPOKE – 9x, all in Matthew and John (Mt 5x, Jn 4x) e
    • JESUS WAS SAYING – 5x, all in the Gospels (Mk 9:1; Lk 11:27; 23:34; Jn 8:31; 13:29) e
    • SPOKEN THROUGH THE LORD – 1x (Heb 2:3)
    • THE STATEMENT WHICH HE HAD MADE TO THEM – 1x (Lk 2:50)
    • THE WORD OF JESUS – 1x (Jn 18:32)
    • THE WORD OF THE LORD – Lk 22:61; Acts 11:16 – When this statement occurs in the New Testament, it is not always clear whether it is referring to something in the OT or something in the NT. And even in the latter case, it is not always clear whether it is referring to something Jesus said or something said about Jesus. For example, does 1 Th 4:15 refer to something in the OT, something in the NT, or both?
    • THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS, THAT HE HIMSELF SAID – 1x (Acts 20:35)
    • WORDS WHICH WERE FALLING FROM HIS LIPS – 1x (Lk 4:22)
    • YOU SAY – 7x (Mk 5:31; Lk 5:5; 11:45; Jn 8:5, 33, 52; 12:34)
    • YOU SPEAK – 3x (Mt 13:10; Lk 20:21; Jn 4:27)
  • More oblique references to Jesus having spoken:
    • Every word presented in red letters is an implicit declaration that Jesus spoke and that the writer knows what He said, whether by hearing himself or by reporting what some other hearer told him.
    • Any reference to Jesus as a “teacher” or “prophet” – and there are over 40 of them in the Gospels – is an implicit declaration that he spoke. Same goes for any mention of Jesus “teaching” or having “taught.” Same for Jesus “instructed,” gave “instructions,” or was “instructing.”
    • Any reference to Jesus’ “disciples” – and there are over 200 of them in the Gospels – is an implicit declaration that he spoke.
    • Any reference to any person or group “hearing” or “listening” to Jesus – and there are many – is an implicit declaration that he spoke.
    • Miscellaneous: 1 Tim 6:3, 13; 2 Tim 1:8; Heb 2:3
  • References to Jesus speaking from heaven after His ascension:
    • General: Heb 12:25
    • Specific:
      • HE HAS SAID TO ME – 1x (2 Cor 12:9)

Back to BSN Glossary: Jesus Christ
Related: Jesus Was a Man