1 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
2 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
3 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
4 tn Grk “from myself.”
5 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
7 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
8 tn Grk “I keep.”
9 tn Grk “his word.”
11 tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
12 tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”
13 sn Cf. John 3:17.
16 tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”
17 tn Or “you would rejoice.”
18 sn Jesus’ statement the Father is greater than I am has caused much christological and trinitarian debate. Although the Arians appealed to this text to justify their subordinationist Christology, it seems evident that by the fact Jesus compares himself to the Father, his divine nature is taken for granted. There have been two orthodox interpretations: (1) The Son is eternally generated while the Father is not: Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, Hilary, etc. (2) As man the incarnate Son was less than the Father: Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose, Augustine. In the context of the Fourth Gospel the second explanation seems more plausible. But why should the disciples have rejoiced? Because Jesus was on the way to the Father who would glorify him (cf. 17:4-5); his departure now signifies that the work the Father has given him is completed (cf. 19:30). Now Jesus will be glorified with that glory that he had with the Father before the world was (cf. 17:5). This should be a cause of rejoicing to the disciples because when Jesus is glorified he will glorify his disciples as well (17:22).
21 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.