‏ John 8:24

 For except ye believe ( εαν γαρ μη πιστευσητε ). Negative condition of third class with  εαν μη and ingressive aorist active subjunctive of  πιστευω, "For unless ye come to believe."

 That I am he ( οτ εγω ειμ ). Indirect discourse, but with no word in the predicate after the copula  ειμ. Jesus can mean either "that I am from above" (verse 23), "that I am the one sent from the Father or the Messiah" (7:18, 28), "that I am the Light of the World" (8:12), "that I am the Deliverer from the bondage of sin" (8:28, 31f.,36), "that I am" without supplying a predicate in the absolute sense as the Jews (De 32:39) used the language of Jehovah (cf. Isa 43:10 where the very words occur  ινα πιστευσητε--οτ εγω ειμ ). The phrase  εγω ειμ occurs three times here (8:24, 28, 58) and also in 13:19. Jesus seems to claim absolute divine being as in 8:58.

Copyright information for RWP