John 21:25
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This is the closing verse of John's Gospel. Having recorded a selection of Jesus' words and works, the author confesses that the full account of all Jesus did exceeds anything that could be written.
What Does John 21:25 Mean?
John is closing his Gospel by acknowledging that Jesus did far more than any book could record -- so much that the world itself could not hold all the volumes that might be written. With this sweeping final sentence, the author lays down his pen, having recorded only a selection of the Lord's works. He wants the reader to understand that what is written, rich as it is, is only a small portion of all that Jesus said and did.
The hyperbole is deliberate and reverent: "even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." It is a way of confessing that the life and works of Jesus are beyond full telling. No collection of words could capture the whole. Earlier John explained why he wrote what he did -- that readers might believe and have life (John 20:31). Here he reminds us that the Gospel we hold is not exhaustive but sufficient, a faithful witness pointing to a Lord whose greatness overflows every page. The closing "Amen" sets a tone of worship, as if to say: this is true, and it is enough. For the reader, the verse stirs both gratitude and longing -- gratitude for what has been preserved, and longing to know more of the One whose fullness no book could contain.
In the Original Language
The Greek "chorein" (χωρεῖν), from "choreo," means to contain, hold, or make room for, and "oimai" (οἶμαι) means I suppose or I think -- a humble, reverent estimate of the boundless works of Christ.
Cross References
“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:”
- John 20:30
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
- John 20:31
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
- Colossians 2:9
Application
Receive the Gospel as a sufficient and trustworthy witness, while letting its closing words awaken in you a deeper longing to know the Lord whose fullness no book can hold.