Composed for Rotagation Sunday, which fell on May 14, 1724, Bach's Cantata No. 86 "Wahrlich wahrlich, ich sage euch" (Truly, truly I say to you) (BWV 86) sets an anonymous text based on the Gospel According to John 16:23, which furnishes the text for its opening movement. The cantata's third-movement chorale is taken from Georg Grunwald from 1530 and the closing chorale is taken from Paul Speratus' 1524 hymn. The cantata is scored for bass, alto, soprano, and tenor soloists; chorus; a pair of oboe d'amore; strings; and basso continuo. "Wahrlich wahrlich, ich sage euch" is in E major, with its first, fifth, and sixth movements in the tonic. Its second movement is in the subdominant of A major, its third in F sharp minor (the relative minor of the subdominant), and its fourth starts in the dominant minor and ends on the tonic. Essentially, the first movement is a five-part piece of flowing polyphony in the form of an aria for bass soloist with the oboes doubling the violins with the violas above an independent basso continuo. The second movement is a triple-time da capo aria in the form of a trio sonata for alto soloist, extremely virtuosic solo violin, and continuo. The third movement is a woodwind-based piece that sets Grunwald's chorale melody in the soprano against agile oboe d'amore and bassoon-led continuo. The fourth is a brief but expressive secco recitative for tenor soloist and continuo. The fifth is a string-based aria for tenor soloist, elegantly intertwining strings and continuo. "Wahrlich wahrlich, ich sage euch" concludes with a simple harmonization of Speratus' chorale for chorus and full orchestra colla parte.

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