---
title: John 7:37
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/john-7-37/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/john-7-37.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: John 7:37
testament: NT
section: Gospels
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# John 7:37

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

## JW Usage

The Watchtower acknowledges Jesus' invitation here but typically routes the response through the organisation: the way to "come to Jesus and drink" is to study with the Witnesses, accept baptism into Jehovah's organisation, and remain loyal to the faithful slave. The invitation is universal in the abstract but is brokered in practice.

## Protestant Usage

Jesus stands up on the great day of the Festival and shouts the invitation publicly: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." Note who issues the invitation (Jesus, not an organisation), who is invited (anyone), and what is required (to come to him and drink — not to come to a Kingdom Hall and study). Pair with Revelation 22:17 — the Bible's last invitation matches this one word for word: anyone, free, no organisational intermediary. Jesus does not say "come to my faithful slave and drink"; he says "come to me." That is the invitation a Witness has been hearing all along, often without recognising that they could obey it directly.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Revelation 22:17 — "Let Anyone Who Wishes Take Life's Water Free"](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/revelation-22-17-come.md) — Revelation 22:17 / John 7:37–38 [Salvation]