John Calvin Commentary John 8:46

"Which of you convicteth me of sin? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me?" — John 8:46 (ASV)

Which of you? This question proceeds from perfect confidence. For, knowing that they could not justly bring any reproach against him, he exults over his enemies as having obtained a victory. Yet he does not say that he is free from their slanders. Although they had no reason for reproaching him, they still did not cease to pour out slanders on Christ. He means, however, that no crime dwells in him.

And this is the meaning of the Greek word ἐλέγχειν, as the Latins use coarguere (to convict), when a person is held convicted of the fact. Which of you convicteth me of sin? Yet those who think that Christ here asserts his complete innocence because he alone surpassed all humans, insofar as he was the Son of God, are mistaken.

For this defense must be restricted to what pertains to the passage, as if he had asserted that nothing could be brought forward to show that he was not a faithful servant of God. Likewise, Paul also asserts that he is not conscious of any wrongdoing (1 Corinthians 4:4), for that assertion does not extend to his whole life but is only a defense of his doctrine and apostleship.

It is beside the point, therefore, to speculate, as some do, about the perfection of righteousness that belongs to the Son of God alone, since his only aim is to give authority to his ministry. This appears more clearly from what follows, for he immediately adds, If I speak truth, why do you not believe me? From this, we infer that Christ is rather defending his doctrine than his person.