Verily, verily I Say Unto You This phrase is used with two "verily's" only in John's Gospel. And with just one "verily" in the Synoptics.

It is important to note that congregations and rabbis are in the custom to saying amen at the "end" of a prayer, lecture, or pertinent statement. This acknowledges agreement with the statement of someone else.

However Jesus used this phrase at the beginning of His statements to underscore the fact that He was speaking with authority. He was not relying on anyone else. Such that all the people noted a difference between His teaching and that of the learned rabbis!

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowd were amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Law. (Matthew 7:29, Mark 1:22)

This phrase was not just a colloquial expression, common by all. It was a phrase that set Jesus apart as, not just another teacher of morality, but the teacher sent by God (John 3:2, Nicodemus got it wrong!)

A word of caution was given by the writer of Hebrews, that must be taken seriously by all:We must pay more careful attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Spirit distributed according to His will! (Hebrews 2:1-4)

Verily, verily I Say Unto You This phrase is used with two "verily's" only in John's Gospel. And with just one "verily" in the Synoptics.

It is important to note that congregations and rabbis are in the custom to saying amen at the "end" of a prayer, lecture, or pertinent statement. This acknowledges agreement with the statement of someone else.

However Jesus used this phrase at the beginning of His statements to underscore the fact that He was speaking with authority. He was not relying on anyone else. Such that all the people noted a difference between His teaching and that of the learned rabbis!

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowd were amazed at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the Law. (Matthew 7:29, Mark 1:22)

This phrase was not just a colloquial expression, common by all. It was a phrase that set Jesus apart as, not just another teacher of morality, but the teacher sent by God (John 3:2, Nicodemus got it wrong!)

A word of caution was given by the writer of Hebrews, that must be taken seriously by all:

We must pay more careful attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Spirit distributed according to His will! (Hebrews 2:1-4)

Even though Jesus spoke "authoritatively" and should have been listened to, Jesus warned that a person must "have ears to hear." That was another way of saying, a person must be open-minded to the things of God, and humble enough to receive them into his heart. Verily, this is true!