Discovery BoxJohn 14:1--17:26
Context14:1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. 1 You believe in God; 2 believe also in me. 14:2 There are many dwelling places 3 in my Father’s house. 4 Otherwise, I would have told you, because 5 I am going away to make ready 6 a place for you. 7 14:3 And if I go and make ready 8 a place for you, I will come again and take you 9 to be with me, 10 so that where I am you may be too. 14:4 And you know the way where I am going.” 11
14:5 Thomas said, 12 “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 14:6 Jesus replied, 13 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 14 No one comes to the Father except through me. 14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. 15 And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”
14:8 Philip said, 16 “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” 17 14:9 Jesus replied, 18 “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known 19 me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? 20 The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, 21 but the Father residing in me performs 22 his miraculous deeds. 23 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, 24 believe because of the miraculous deeds 25 themselves. 14:12 I tell you the solemn truth, 26 the person who believes in me will perform 27 the miraculous deeds 28 that I am doing, 29 and will perform 30 greater deeds 31 than these, because I am going to the Father. 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, 32 so that the Father may be glorified 33 in the Son. 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
14:15 “If you love me, you will obey 34 my commandments. 35 14:16 Then 36 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate 37 to be with you forever – 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, 38 because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides 39 with you and will be 40 in you.
14:18 “I will not abandon 41 you as orphans, 42 I will come to you. 43 14:19 In a little while 44 the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. 14:20 You will know at that time 45 that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 14:21 The person who has my commandments and obeys 46 them is the one who loves me. 47 The one 48 who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal 49 myself to him.”
14:22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) 50 said, 51 “what has happened that you are going to reveal 52 yourself to us and not to the world?” 14:23 Jesus replied, 53 “If anyone loves me, he will obey 54 my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. 55 14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey 56 my words. And the word 57 you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
14:25 “I have spoken these things while staying 58 with you. 14:26 But the Advocate, 59 the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you 60 everything, 61 and will cause you to remember everything 62 I said to you.
14:27 “Peace I leave with you; 63 my peace I give to you; I do not give it 64 to you as the world does. 65 Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 66 14:28 You heard me say to you, 67 ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad 68 that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 69 14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. 70 14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, 71 for the ruler of this world is coming. 72 He has no power over me, 73 14:31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know 74 that I love the Father. 75 Get up, let us go from here.” 76
15:1 “I am the true vine 77 and my Father is the gardener. 78 15:2 He takes away 79 every branch that does not bear 80 fruit in me. He 81 prunes 82 every branch that bears 83 fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 15:3 You are clean already 84 because of the word that I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain 85 in me, and I will remain in you. 86 Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, 87 unless it remains 88 in 89 the vine, so neither can you unless you remain 90 in me.
15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains 91 in me – and I in him – bears 92 much fruit, 93 because apart from me you can accomplish 94 nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain 95 in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, 96 and are burned up. 97 15:7 If you remain 98 in me and my words remain 99 in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 100 15:8 My Father is honored 101 by this, that 102 you bear 103 much fruit and show that you are 104 my disciples.
15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain 105 in my love. 15:10 If you obey 106 my commandments, you will remain 107 in my love, just as I have obeyed 108 my Father’s commandments and remain 109 in his love. 15:11 I have told you these things 110 so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 15:12 My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. 111 15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life 112 for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends 113 if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, 114 because the slave does not understand 115 what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything 116 I heard 117 from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you 118 and appointed you to go and bear 119 fruit, fruit that remains, 120 so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 15:17 This 121 I command you – to love one another.
15:18 “If the world hates you, be aware 122 that it hated me first. 123 15:19 If you belonged to the world, 124 the world would love you as its own. 125 However, because you do not belong to the world, 126 but I chose you out of the world, for this reason 127 the world hates you. 128 15:20 Remember what 129 I told you, ‘A slave 130 is not greater than his master.’ 131 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed 132 my word, they will obey 133 yours too. 15:21 But they will do all these things to you on account of 134 my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 135 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. 136 But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 15:23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 15:24 If I had not performed 137 among them the miraculous deeds 138 that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. 139 But now they have seen the deeds 140 and have hated both me and my Father. 141 15:25 Now this happened 142 to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ 143 15:26 When the Advocate 144 comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he 145 will testify about me, 15:27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
16:1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. 146 16:2 They will put you out of 147 the synagogue, 148 yet a time 149 is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 150 16:3 They 151 will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 152 16:4 But I have told you these things 153 so that when their time 154 comes, you will remember that I told you about them. 155
“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. 156 16:5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, 157 and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ 158 16:6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness 159 because I have said these things to you. 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate 160 will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 16:8 And when he 161 comes, he will prove the world wrong 162 concerning sin and 163 righteousness and 164 judgment – 16:9 concerning sin, because 165 they do not believe in me; 166 16:10 concerning righteousness, 167 because 168 I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 16:11 and concerning judgment, 169 because 170 the ruler of this world 171 has been condemned. 172
16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, 173 but you cannot bear 174 them now. 16:13 But when he, 175 the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide 176 you into all truth. 177 For he will not speak on his own authority, 178 but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you 179 what is to come. 180 16:14 He 181 will glorify me, 182 because he will receive 183 from me what is mine 184 and will tell it to you. 185 16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit 186 will receive from me what is mine 187 and will tell it to you. 188 16:16 In a little while you 189 will see me no longer; again after a little while, you 190 will see me.” 191
16:17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying, 192 ‘In a little while you 193 will not see me; again after a little while, you 194 will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 195 16:18 So they kept on repeating, 196 “What is the meaning of what he says, 197 ‘In a little while’? 198 We do not understand 199 what he is talking about.” 200
16:19 Jesus could see 201 that they wanted to ask him about these things, 202 so 203 he said to them, “Are you asking 204 each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you 205 will not see me; again after a little while, you 206 will see me’? 16:20 I tell you the solemn truth, 207 you will weep 208 and wail, 209 but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, 210 but your sadness will turn into 211 joy. 16:21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress 212 because her time 213 has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being 214 has been born into the world. 215 16:22 So also you have sorrow 216 now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 217 16:23 At that time 218 you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, 219 whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 220 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, 221 so that your joy may be complete.
16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; 222 a time 223 is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you 224 plainly 225 about the Father. 16:26 At that time 226 you will ask in my name, and I do not say 227 that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 16:27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 228 16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, 229 I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” 230
16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly 231 and not in obscure figures of speech! 232 16:30 Now we know that you know everything 233 and do not need anyone 234 to ask you anything. 235 Because of this 236 we believe that you have come from God.”
16:31 Jesus replied, 237 “Do you now believe? 16:32 Look, a time 238 is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, 239 and I will be left alone. 240 Yet 241 I am not alone, because my Father 242 is with me. 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, 243 but take courage 244 – I have conquered the world.” 245
17:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward 246 to heaven 247 and said, “Father, the time 248 has come. Glorify your Son, so that your 249 Son may glorify you – 17:2 just as you have given him authority over all humanity, 250 so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 251 17:3 Now this 252 is eternal life 253 – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 254 whom you sent. 17:4 I glorified you on earth by completing 255 the work you gave me to do. 256 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side 257 with the glory I had with you before the world was created. 258
17:6 “I have revealed 259 your name to the men 260 you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, 261 and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed 262 your word. 17:7 Now they understand 263 that everything 264 you have given me comes from you, 17:8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They 265 accepted 266 them 267 and really 268 understand 269 that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 17:9 I am praying 270 on behalf of them. I am not praying 271 on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. 272 17:10 Everything 273 I have belongs to you, 274 and everything you have belongs to me, 275 and I have been glorified by them. 276 17:11 I 277 am no longer in the world, but 278 they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe 279 in your name 280 that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. 281 17:12 When I was with them I kept them safe 282 and watched over them 283 in your name 284 that you have given me. Not one 285 of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, 286 so that the scripture could be fulfilled. 287 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience 288 my joy completed 289 in themselves. 17:14 I have given them your word, 290 and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, 291 just as I do not belong to the world. 292 17:15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe 293 from the evil one. 294 17:16 They do not belong to the world 295 just as I do not belong to the world. 296 17:17 Set them apart 297 in the truth; your word is truth. 17:18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 298 17:19 And I set myself apart 299 on their behalf, 300 so that they too may be truly set apart. 301
17:20 “I am not praying 302 only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe 303 in me through their testimony, 304 17:21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray 305 that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 17:22 The glory 306 you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – 17:23 I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, 307 so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.
17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, 308 so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world 309 . 17:25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men 310 know that you sent me. 17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, 311 so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”
[14:1] 1 sn The same verb is used to describe Jesus’ own state in John 11:33, 12:27, and 13:21. Jesus is looking ahead to the events of the evening and the next day, his arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death, which will cause his disciples extreme emotional distress.
[14:1] 2 tn Or “Believe in God.” The translation of the two uses of πιστεύετε (pisteuete) is difficult. Both may be either indicative or imperative, and as L. Morris points out (John [NICNT], 637), this results in a bewildering variety of possibilities. To complicate matters further, the first may be understood as a question: “Do you believe in God? Believe also in me.” Morris argues against the KJV translation which renders the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative on the grounds that for the writer of the Fourth Gospel, faith in Jesus is inseparable from faith in God. But this is precisely the point that Jesus is addressing in context. He is about to undergo rejection by his own people as their Messiah. The disciples’ faith in him as Messiah and Lord would be cast into extreme doubt by these events, which the author makes clear were not at this time foreseen by the disciples. After the resurrection it is this identification between Jesus and the Father which needs to be reaffirmed (cf. John 20:24-29). Thus it seems best to take the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative, producing the translation “You believe in God; believe also in me.”
[14:2] 3 tn Many interpreters have associated μοναί (monai) with an Aramaic word that can refer to a stopping place or resting place for a traveler on a journey. This is similar to one of the meanings the word can have in secular Greek (Pausanius 10.31.7). Origen understood the use here to refer to stations on the road to God. This may well have been the understanding of the Latin translators who translated μονή (monh) by mansio, a stopping place. The English translation “mansions” can be traced back to Tyndale, but in Middle English the word simply meant “a dwelling place” (not necessarily large or imposing) with no connotation of being temporary. The interpretation put forward by Origen would have been well suited to Gnosticism, where the soul in its ascent passes through stages during which it is gradually purified of all that is material and therefore evil. It is much more likely that the word μονή should be related to its cognate verb μένω (menw), which is frequently used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the permanence of relationship between Jesus and the Father and/or Jesus and the believer. Thus the idea of a permanent dwelling place, rather than a temporary stopping place, would be in view. Luther’s translation of μοναί by Wohnungen is very accurate here, as it has the connotation of a permanent residence.
[14:2] 4 sn Most interpreters have understood the reference to my Father’s house as a reference to heaven, and the dwelling places (μονή, monh) as the permanent residences of believers there. This seems consistent with the vocabulary and the context, where in v. 3 Jesus speaks of coming again to take the disciples to himself. However, the phrase in my Father’s house was used previously in the Fourth Gospel in 2:16 to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. The author in 2:19-22 then reinterpreted the temple as Jesus’ body, which was to be destroyed in death and then rebuilt in resurrection after three days. Even more suggestive is the statement by Jesus in 8:35, “Now the slave does not remain (μένω, menw) in the household forever, but the son remains (μένω) forever.” If in the imagery of the Fourth Gospel the phrase in my Father’s house is ultimately a reference to Jesus’ body, the relationship of μονή to μένω suggests the permanent relationship of the believer to Jesus and the Father as an adopted son who remains in the household forever. In this case the “dwelling place” is “in” Jesus himself, where he is, whether in heaven or on earth. The statement in v. 3, “I will come again and receive you to myself,” then refers not just to the parousia, but also to Jesus’ postresurrection return to the disciples in his glorified state, when by virtue of his death on their behalf they may enter into union with him and with the Father as adopted sons. Needless to say, this bears numerous similarities to Pauline theology, especially the concepts of adoption as sons and being “in Christ” which are prominent in passages like Eph 1. It is also important to note, however, the emphasis in the Fourth Gospel itself on the present reality of eternal life (John 5:24, 7:38-39, etc.) and the possibility of worshiping the Father “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24) in the present age. There is a sense in which it is possible to say that the future reality is present now. See further J. McCaffrey, The House With Many Rooms (AnBib 114).
[14:2] 5 tc A number of important
[14:2] 7 tn Or “If not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” What is the meaning of the last clause with or without the ὅτι? One of the questions that must be answered here is whether or not τόπος (topos) is to be equated with μονή (monh). In Rev 12:8 τόπος is used to refer to a place in heaven, which would suggest that the two are essentially equal here. Jesus is going ahead of believers to prepare a place for them, a permanent dwelling place in the Father’s house (see the note on this phrase in v. 2).
[14:4] 11 tc Most
[14:5] 12 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:6] 13 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[14:6] 14 tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”
[14:7] 15 tc There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnwkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnwsesqe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnwkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnwkeite an or an hdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The
[14:8] 16 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:8] 17 tn Or “and that is enough for us.”
[14:9] 18 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[14:10] 20 tn The mutual interrelationship of the Father and the Son (ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν, egw en tw patri kai Jo pathr en emoi estin) is something that Jesus expected even his opponents to recognize (cf. John 10:38). The question Jesus asks of Philip (οὐ πιστεύεις, ou pisteuei") expects the answer “yes.” Note that the following statement is addressed to all the disciples, however, because the plural pronoun (ὑμῖν, Jumin) is used. Jesus says that his teaching (the words he spoke to them all) did not originate from himself, but the Father, who permanently remains (μένων, menwn) in relationship with Jesus, performs his works. One would have expected “speaks his words” here rather than “performs his works”; many of the church fathers (e.g., Augustine and Chrysostom) identified the two by saying that Jesus’ words were works. But there is an implicit contrast in the next verse between words and works, and v. 12 seems to demand that the works are real works, not just words. It is probably best to see the two terms as related but not identical; there is a progression in the idea here. Both Jesus’ words (recall the Samaritans’ response in John 4:42) and Jesus’ works are revelatory of who he is, but as the next verse indicates, works have greater confirmatory power than words.
[14:10] 21 tn Grk “I do not speak from myself.”
[14:10] 23 tn Or “his mighty acts”; Grk “his works.”
[14:11] 24 tn The phrase “but if you do not believe me” contains an ellipsis; the Greek text reads Grk “but if not.” The ellipsis has been filled out (“but if [you do] not [believe me]…”) for the benefit of the modern English reader.
[14:11] 25 tn Grk “because of the works.”
[14:12] 26 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[14:12] 28 tn Grk “the works.”
[14:12] 31 tn Grk “greater works.”
[14:13] 32 tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”
[14:13] 33 tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”
[14:15] 35 sn Jesus’ statement If you love me, you will obey my commandments provides the transition between the promises of answered prayer which Jesus makes to his disciples in vv. 13-14 and the promise of the Holy Spirit which is introduced in v. 16. Obedience is the proof of genuine love.
[14:16] 36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.
[14:16] 37 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). Finding an appropriate English translation for παράκλητος is a very difficult task. No single English word has exactly the same range of meaning as the Greek word. “Comforter,” used by some of the older English versions, appears to be as old as Wycliffe. But today it suggests a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral. “Counselor” is adequate, but too broad, in contexts like “marriage counselor” or “camp counselor.” “Helper” or “Assistant” could also be used, but could suggest a subordinate rank. “Advocate,” the word chosen for this translation, has more forensic overtones than the Greek word does, although in John 16:5-11 a forensic context is certainly present. Because an “advocate” is someone who “advocates” or supports a position or viewpoint and since this is what the Paraclete will do for the preaching of the disciples, it was selected in spite of the drawbacks.
[14:17] 38 tn Or “cannot receive.”
[14:17] 39 tn Or “he remains.”
[14:17] 40 tc Some early and important witnesses (Ì66* B D* W 1 565 it) have ἐστιν (estin, “he is”) instead of ἔσται (estai, “he will be”) here, while other weighty witnesses ({Ì66c,75vid א A D1 L Θ Ψ Ë13 33vid Ï as well as several versions and fathers}), read the future tense. When one considers transcriptional evidence, ἐστιν is the more difficult reading and better explains the rise of the future tense reading, but it must be noted that both Ì66 and D were corrected from the present tense to the future. If ἐστιν were the original reading, one would expect a few manuscripts to be corrected to read the present when they originally read the future, but that is not the case. When one considers what the author would have written, the future is on much stronger ground. The immediate context (both in 14:16 and in the chapter as a whole) points to the future, and the theology of the book regards the advent of the Spirit as a decidedly future event (see, e.g., 7:39 and 16:7). The present tense could have arisen from an error of sight on the part of some scribes or more likely from an error of thought as scribes reflected upon the present role of the Spirit. Although a decision is difficult, the future tense is most likely authentic. For further discussion on this textual problem, see James M. Hamilton, Jr., “He Is with You and He Will Be in You” (Ph.D. diss., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003), 213-20.
[14:18] 42 tn The entire phrase “abandon you as orphans” could be understood as an idiom meaning, “leave you helpless.”
[14:18] 43 sn I will come to you. Jesus had spoken in 14:3 of going away and coming again to his disciples. There the reference was both to the parousia (the second coming of Christ) and to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. Here the postresurrection appearances are primarily in view, since Jesus speaks of the disciples “seeing” him after the world can “see” him no longer in the following verse. But many commentators have taken v. 18 as a reference to the coming of the Spirit, since this has been the topic of the preceding verses. Still, vv. 19-20 appear to contain references to Jesus’ appearances to the disciples after his resurrection. It may well be that another Johannine double meaning is found here, so that Jesus ‘returns’ to his disciples in one sense in his appearances to them after his resurrection, but in another sense he ‘returns’ in the person of the Holy Spirit to indwell them.
[14:19] 44 tn Grk “Yet a little while, and.”
[14:20] 45 tn Grk “will know in that day.”
[14:21] 47 tn Grk “obeys them, that one is the one who loves me.”
[14:21] 48 tn Grk “And the one.” Here the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated to improve the English style.
[14:21] 49 tn Or “will disclose.”
[14:22] 50 tn Grk “(not Iscariot).” The proper noun (Judas) has been repeated for clarity and smoothness in English style.
[14:22] 51 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:23] 53 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[14:23] 55 tn Grk “we will come to him and will make our dwelling place with him.” The context here is individual rather than corporate indwelling, so the masculine singular pronoun has been retained throughout v. 23. It is important to note, however, that the pronoun is used generically here and refers equally to men, women, and children.
[14:24] 56 tn Or “does not keep.”
[14:24] 57 tn Or “the message.”
[14:25] 58 tn Or “while remaining” or “while residing.”
[14:26] 59 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in v. 16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
[14:26] 60 tn Grk “that one will teach you.” The words “that one” have been omitted from the translation since they are redundant in English.
[14:26] 61 tn Grk “all things.”
[14:26] 62 tn Grk “all things.”
[14:27] 63 sn Peace I leave with you. In spite of appearances, this verse does not introduce a new subject (peace). Jesus will use the phrase as a greeting to his disciples after his resurrection (20:19, 21, 26). It is here a reflection of the Hebrew shalom as a farewell. But Jesus says he leaves peace with his disciples. This should probably be understood ultimately in terms of the indwelling of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who has been the topic of the preceding verses. It is his presence, after Jesus has left the disciples and finally returned to the Father, which will remain with them and comfort them.
[14:27] 64 tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[14:27] 65 tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”
[14:27] 66 tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”
[14:28] 67 tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”
[14:28] 68 tn Or “you would rejoice.”
[14:28] 69 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).
[14:29] 70 sn Jesus tells the disciples that he has told them all these things before they happen, so that when they do happen the disciples may believe. This does not mean they had not believed prior to this time; over and over the author has affirmed that they have (cf. 2:11). But when they see these things happen, their level of trust in Jesus will increase and their concept of who he is will expand. The confession of Thomas in 20:28 is representative of this increased understanding of who Jesus is. Cf. John 13:19.
[14:30] 71 tn Grk “I will no longer speak many things with you.”
[14:30] 72 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[14:30] 73 tn Grk “in me he has nothing.”
[14:31] 75 tn Grk “But so that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father commanded me, thus I do.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to conform to contemporary English style.
[14:31] 76 sn Some have understood Jesus’ statement Get up, let us go from here to mean that at this point Jesus and the disciples got up and left the room where the meal was served and began the journey to the garden of Gethsemane. If so, the rest of the Farewell Discourse took place en route. Others have pointed to this statement as one of the “seams” in the discourse, indicating that the author used preexisting sources. Both explanations are possible, but not really necessary. Jesus could simply have stood up at this point (the disciples may or may not have stood with him) to finish the discourse before finally departing (in 18:1). In any case it may be argued that Jesus refers not to a literal departure at this point, but to preparing to meet the enemy who is on the way already in the person of Judas and the soldiers with him.
[15:1] 77 sn I am the true vine. There are numerous OT passages which refer to Israel as a vine: Ps 80:8-16, Isa 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ezek 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, and Hos 10:1. The vine became symbolic of Israel, and even appeared on some coins issued by the Maccabees. The OT passages which use this symbol appear to regard Israel as faithless to Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT) and/or the object of severe punishment. Ezek 15:1-8 in particular talks about the worthlessness of wood from a vine (in relation to disobedient Judah). A branch cut from a vine is worthless except to be burned as fuel. This fits more with the statements about the disciples (John 15:6) than with Jesus’ description of himself as the vine. Ezek 17:5-10 contains vine imagery which refers to a king of the house of David, Zedekiah, who was set up as king in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah allied himself to Egypt and broke his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (and therefore also with God), which would ultimately result in his downfall (17:20-21). Ezek 17:22-24 then describes the planting of a cedar sprig which grows into a lofty tree, a figurative description of Messiah. But it is significant that Messiah himself is not described in Ezek 17 as a vine, but as a cedar tree. The vine imagery here applies to Zedekiah’s disobedience. Jesus’ description of himself as the true vine in John 15:1 ff. is to be seen against this background, but it differs significantly from the imagery surveyed above. It represents new imagery which differs significantly from OT concepts; it appears to be original with Jesus. The imagery of the vine underscores the importance of fruitfulness in the Christian life and the truth that this results not from human achievement, but from one’s position in Christ. Jesus is not just giving some comforting advice, but portraying to the disciples the difficult path of faithful service. To some degree the figure is similar to the head-body metaphor used by Paul, with Christ as head and believers as members of the body. Both metaphors bring out the vital and necessary connection which exists between Christ and believers.
[15:2] 79 tn Or “He cuts off.”
[15:2] 80 tn Or “does not yield.”
[15:2] 81 tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[15:2] 82 tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.
[15:2] 83 tn Or “that yields.”
[15:3] 84 sn The phrase you are clean already occurs elsewhere in the Gospel of John only at the washing of the disciples’ feet in 13:10, where Jesus had used it of the disciples being cleansed from sin. This further confirms the proposed understanding of John 15:2 and 15:6 since Judas was specifically excluded from this statement (but not all of you).
[15:4] 86 tn Grk “and I in you.” The verb has been repeated for clarity and to conform to contemporary English style, which typically allows fewer ellipses (omitted or understood words) than Greek.
[15:4] 87 sn The branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains connected to the vine, from which its life and sustenance flows. As far as the disciples were concerned, they would produce no fruit from themselves if they did not remain in their relationship to Jesus, because the eternal life which a disciple must possess in order to bear fruit originates with Jesus; he is the source of all life and productivity for the disciple.
[15:4] 89 tn While it would be more natural to say “on the vine” (so NAB), the English preposition “in” has been retained here to emphasize the parallelism with the following clause “unless you remain in me.” To speak of remaining “in” a person is not natural English either, but is nevertheless a biblical concept (cf. “in Christ” in Eph 1:3, 4, 6, 7, 11).
[15:5] 93 tn Grk “in him, this one bears much fruit.” The pronoun “this one” has been omitted from the translation because it is redundant according to contemporary English style.
[15:6] 96 sn Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire. The author does not tell who it is who does the gathering and throwing into the fire. Although some claim that realized eschatology is so prevalent in the Fourth Gospel that no references to final eschatology appear at all, the fate of these branches seems to point to the opposite. The imagery is almost certainly that of eschatological judgment, and recalls some of the OT vine imagery which involves divine rejection and judgment of disobedient Israel (Ezek 15:4-6, 19:12).
[15:6] 97 tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
[15:7] 100 sn Once again Jesus promises the disciples ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This recalls 14:13-14, where the disciples were promised that if they asked anything in Jesus’ name it would be done for them. The two thoughts are really quite similar, since here it is conditioned on the disciples’ remaining in Jesus and his words remaining in them. The first phrase relates to the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus. The second phrase relates to their obedience. When both of these qualifications are met, the disciples would in fact be asking in Jesus’ name and therefore according to his will.
[15:8] 101 tn Grk “glorified.”
[15:8] 102 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause is best taken as substantival in apposition to ἐν τούτῳ (en toutw) at the beginning of the verse. The Father is glorified when the disciples bring forth abundant fruit. Just as Jesus has done the works which he has seen his Father doing (5:19-29) so also will his disciples.
[15:8] 104 tc Most
[15:11] 110 tn Grk “These things I have spoken to you.”
[15:12] 111 sn Now the reference to the commandments (plural) in 15:10 have been reduced to a singular commandment: The disciples are to love one another, just as Jesus has loved them. This is the ‘new commandment’ of John 13:34, and it is repeated in 15:17. The disciples’ love for one another is compared to Jesus’ love for them. How has Jesus shown his love for the disciples? This was illustrated in 13:1-20 in the washing of the disciples’ feet, introduced by the statement in 13:1 that Jesus loved them “to the end.” In context this constitutes a reference to Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross on their behalf; the love they are to have for one another is so great that it must include a self-sacrificial willingness to die for one another if necessary. This is exactly what Jesus is discussing here, because he introduces the theme of his sacrificial death in the following verse. In John 10:18 and 14:31 Jesus spoke of his death on the cross as a commandment he had received from his Father, which also links the idea of commandment and love as they are linked here. One final note: It is not just the degree or intensity of the disciples’ love for one another that Jesus is referring to when he introduces by comparison his own death on the cross (that they must love one another enough to die for one another) but the very means of expressing that love: It is to express itself in self-sacrifice for one another, sacrifice up to the point of death, which is what Jesus himself did on the cross (cf. 1 John 3:16).
[15:13] 112 tn Or “one dies willingly.”
[15:14] 113 sn This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisers to the Roman Emperor who were called “Friends of the Emperor.” Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of “inner circle” of Christians who are more privileged than mere “believers” or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus’ words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).
[15:15] 114 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[15:15] 115 tn Or “does not know.”
[15:15] 116 tn Grk “all things.”
[15:16] 118 sn You did not choose me, but I chose you. If the disciples are now elevated in status from slaves to friends, they are friends who have been chosen by Jesus, rather than the opposite way round. Again this is true of all Christians, not just the twelve, and the theme that Christians are “chosen” by God appears frequently in other NT texts (e.g., Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4ff.; Col 3:12; and 1 Pet 2:4). Putting this together with the comments on 15:14 one may ask whether the author sees any special significance at all for the twelve. Jesus said in John 6:70 and 13:18 that he chose them, and 15:27 makes clear that Jesus in the immediate context is addressing those who have been with him from the beginning. In the Fourth Gospel the twelve, as the most intimate and most committed followers of Jesus, are presented as the models for all Christians, both in terms of their election and in terms of their mission.
[15:16] 119 tn Or “and yield.”
[15:16] 120 sn The purpose for which the disciples were appointed (“commissioned”) is to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains. The introduction of the idea of “going” at this point suggests that the fruit is something more than just character qualities in the disciples’ own lives, but rather involves fruit in the lives of others, i.e., Christian converts. There is a mission involved (cf. John 4:36). The idea that their fruit is permanent, however, relates back to vv. 7-8, as does the reference to asking the Father in Jesus’ name. It appears that as the imagery of the vine and the branches develops, the “fruit” which the branches produce shifts in emphasis from qualities in the disciples’ own lives in John 15:2, 4, 5 to the idea of a mission which affects the lives of others in John 15:16. The point of transition would be the reference to fruit in 15:8.
[15:17] 121 tn Grk “These things.”
[15:18] 123 tn Grk “it hated me before you.”
[15:19] 124 tn Grk “if you were of the world.”
[15:19] 125 tn The words “you as” are not in the original but are supplied for clarity.
[15:19] 126 tn Grk “because you are not of the world.”
[15:19] 127 tn Or “world, therefore.”
[15:19] 128 sn I chose you out of the world…the world hates you. Two themes are brought together here. In 8:23 Jesus had distinguished himself from the world in addressing his Jewish opponents: “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.” In 15:16 Jesus told the disciples “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you.” Now Jesus has united these two ideas as he informs the disciples that he has chosen them out of the world. While the disciples will still be “in” the world after Jesus has departed, they will not belong to it, and Jesus prays later in John 17:15-16 to the Father, “I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” The same theme also occurs in 1 John 4:5-6: “They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us.” Thus the basic reason why the world hates the disciples (as it hated Jesus before them) is because they are not of the world. They are born from above, and are not of the world. For this reason the world hates them.
[15:20] 129 tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”
[15:20] 130 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[15:20] 131 sn A slave is not greater than his master. Jesus now recalled a statement he had made to the disciples before, in John 13:16. As the master has been treated, so will the slaves be treated also. If the world had persecuted Jesus, then it would also persecute the disciples. If the world had kept Jesus’ word, it would likewise keep the word of the disciples. In this statement there is the implication that the disciples would carry on the ministry of Jesus after his departure; they would in their preaching and teaching continue to spread the message which Jesus himself had taught while he was with them. And they would meet with the same response, by and large, that he encountered.
[15:20] 132 tn Or “if they kept.”
[15:20] 133 tn Or “they will keep.”
[15:21] 134 tn Or “because of.”
[15:21] 135 tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”
[15:22] 136 tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).
[15:24] 137 tn Or “If I had not done.”
[15:24] 138 tn Grk “the works.”
[15:24] 139 tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).
[15:24] 140 tn The words “the deeds” are supplied to clarify from context what was seen. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[15:24] 141 tn Or “But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.” It is possible to understand both the “seeing” and the “hating” to refer to both Jesus and the Father, but this has the world “seeing” the Father, which seems alien to the Johannine Jesus. (Some point out John 14:9 as an example, but this is addressed to the disciples, not to the world.) It is more likely that the “seeing” refers to the miraculous deeds mentioned in the first half of the verse. Such an understanding of the first “both – and” construction is apparently supported by BDF §444.3.
[15:25] 142 tn The words “this happened” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to complete an ellipsis.
[15:25] 143 sn A quotation from Ps 35:19 and Ps 69:4. As a technical term law (νόμος, nomos) is usually restricted to the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT), but here it must have a broader reference, since the quotation is from Ps 35:19 or Ps 69:4. The latter is the more likely source for the quoted words, since it is cited elsewhere in John’s Gospel (2:17 and 19:29, in both instances in contexts associated with Jesus’ suffering and death).
[15:26] 144 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 discussion of how this word is translated.
[15:26] 145 tn Grk “that one.”
[16:1] 146 tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.”
[16:2] 147 tn Or “expel you from.”
[16:2] 148 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[16:2] 150 sn Jesus now refers not to the time of his return to the Father, as he has frequently done up to this point, but to the disciples’ time of persecution. They will be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues. There will even be a time when those who kill Jesus’ disciples will think that they are offering service to God by putting the disciples to death. Because of the reference to service offered to God, it is almost certain that Jewish opposition is intended here in both cases rather than Jewish opposition in the first instance (putting the disciples out of synagogues) and Roman opposition in the second (putting the disciples to death). Such opposition materializes later and is recorded in Acts: The stoning of Stephen in 7:58-60 and the slaying of James the brother of John by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:2-3 are notable examples.
[16:3] 151 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[16:3] 152 sn Ignorance of Jesus and ignorance of the Father are also linked in 8:19; to know Jesus would be to know the Father also, but since the world does not know Jesus, neither does it know his Father. The world’s ignorance of the Father is also mentioned in 8:55, 15:21, and 17:25.
[16:4] 153 tn The first half of v. 4 resumes the statement of 16:1, ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν (tauta lelalhka Jumin), in a somewhat more positive fashion, omitting the reference to the disciples being caused to stumble.
[16:4] 154 tn Grk “their hour.”
[16:4] 155 tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[16:4] 156 sn This verse serves as a transition between the preceding discussion of the persecutions the disciples will face in the world after the departure of Jesus, and the following discussion concerning the departure of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit-Paraclete. Jesus had not told the disciples these things from the beginning because he was with them.
[16:5] 157 sn Now the theme of Jesus’ impending departure is resumed (I am going to the one who sent me). It will also be mentioned in 16:10, 17, and 28. Jesus had said to his opponents in 7:33 that he was going to the one who sent him; in 13:33 he had spoken of going where the disciples could not come. At that point Peter had inquired where he was going, but it appears that Peter did not understand Jesus’ reply at that time and did not persist in further questioning. In 14:5 Thomas had asked Jesus where he was going.
[16:5] 158 sn Now none of the disciples asks Jesus where he is going, and the reason is given in the following verse: They have been overcome with sadness as a result of the predictions of coming persecution that Jesus has just spoken to them in 15:18-25 and 16:1-4a. Their shock at Jesus’ revelation of coming persecution is so great that none of them thinks to ask him where it is that he is going.
[16:6] 159 tn Or “distress” or “grief.”
[16:7] 160 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.
[16:8] 161 tn Grk “when that one.”
[16:8] 162 tn Or “will convict the world,” or “will expose the world.” The conjunction περί (peri) is used in 16:8-11 in the sense of “concerning” or “with respect to.” But what about the verb ἐλέγχω (elencw)? The basic meanings possible for this word are (1) “to convict or convince someone of something”; (2) “to bring to light or expose something; and (3) “to correct or punish someone.” The third possibility may be ruled out in these verses on contextual grounds since punishment is not implied. The meaning is often understood to be that the Paraclete will “convince” the world of its error, so that some at least will repent. But S. Mowinckel (“Die Vorstellungen des Spätjudentums vom heiligen Geist als Fürsprecher und der johanneische Paraklet,” ZNW 32 [1933]: 97-130) demonstrated that the verb ἐλέγχω did not necessarily imply the conversion or reform of the guilty party. This means it is far more likely that conviction in something of a legal sense is intended here (as in a trial). The only certainty is that the accused party is indeed proven guilty (not that they will acknowledge their guilt). Further confirmation of this interpretation is seen in John 14:17 where the world cannot receive the Paraclete and in John 3:20, where the evildoer deliberately refuses to come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed for what they really are (significantly, the verb in John 3:20 is also ἐλέγχω). However, if one wishes to adopt the meaning “prove guilty” for the use of ἐλέγχω in John 16:8 a difficulty still remains: While this meaning fits the first statement in 16:9 – the world is ‘proven guilty’ concerning its sin of refusing to believe in Jesus – it does not fit so well the second and third assertions in vv. 10-11. Thus R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:705) suggests the more general meaning “prove wrong” which would fit in all three cases. This may be so, but there may also be a developmental aspect to the meaning, which would then shift from v. 9 to v. 10 to v. 11.
[16:8] 163 tn Grk “and concerning.”
[16:8] 164 tn Grk “and concerning.”
[16:9] 165 tn Or “that.” It is very difficult to determine whether ὅτι (Joti; 3 times in 16:9, 10, 11) should be understood as causal or appositional/explanatory: Brown and Bultmann favor appositional or explanatory, while Barrett and Morris prefer a causal sense. A causal idea is preferable here, since it also fits the parallel statements in vv. 10-11 better than an appositional or explanatory use would. In this case Jesus is stating in each instance the reason why the world is proven guilty or wrong by the Spirit-Paraclete.
[16:9] 166 sn Here (v. 9) the world is proven guilty concerning sin, and the reason given is their refusal to believe in Jesus. In 3:19 the effect of Jesus coming into the world as the Light of the world was to provoke judgment, by forcing people to choose up sides for or against him, and they chose darkness rather than light. In 12:37, at the very end of Jesus’ public ministry in John’s Gospel, people were still refusing to believe in him.
[16:10] 167 tn There are two questions that need to be answered: (1) what is the meaning of δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosunh) in this context, and (2) to whom does it pertain – to the world, or to someone else? (1) The word δικαιοσύνη occurs in the Gospel of John only here and in v. 8. It is often assumed that it refers to forensic justification, as it does so often in Paul’s writings. Thus the answer to question (2) would be that it refers to the world. L. Morris states, “The Spirit shows men (and no-one else can do this) that their righteousness before God depends not on their own efforts but on Christ’s atoning work for them” (John [NICNT], 699). Since the word occurs so infrequently in the Fourth Gospel, however, the context must be examined very carefully. The ὅτι (Joti) clause which follows provides an important clue: The righteousness in view here has to do with Jesus’ return to the Father and his absence from the disciples. It is true that in the Fourth Gospel part of what is involved in Jesus’ return to the Father is the cross, and it is through his substitutionary death that people are justified, so that Morris’ understanding of righteousness here is possible. But more basic than this is the idea that Jesus’ return to the Father constitutes his own δικαιοσύνη in the sense of vindication rather than forensic justification. Jesus had repeatedly claimed oneness with the Father, and his opponents had repeatedly rejected this and labeled him a deceiver, a sinner, and a blasphemer (John 5:18, 7:12, 9:24, 10:33, etc.). But Jesus, by his glorification through his return to the Father, is vindicated in his claims in spite of his opponents. In his vindication his followers are also vindicated as well, but their vindication derives from his. Thus one would answer question (1) by saying that in context δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunh") refers not to forensic justification but vindication, and question (2) by referring this justification/vindication not to the world or even to Christians directly, but to Jesus himself. Finally, how does Jesus’ last statement in v. 10, that the disciples will see him no more, contribute to this? It is probably best taken as a reference to the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, who cannot come until Jesus has departed (16:7). The meaning of v. 10 is thus: When the Spirit-Paraclete comes he will prove the world wrong concerning the subject of righteousness, namely, Jesus’ righteousness which is demonstrated when he is glorified in his return to the Father and the disciples see him no more (but they will have instead the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, whom the world is not able to receive).
[16:11] 169 sn The world is proven wrong concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus’ righteousness before the Father, as proven by his return to the Father, his glorification, constitutes a judgment against Satan. This is parallel to the judgment of the world which Jesus provokes in 3:19-21: Jesus’ presence in the world as the Light of the world provokes the judgment of those in the world, because as they respond to the light (either coming to Jesus or rejecting him) so are they judged. That judgment is in a sense already realized. So it is here, where the judgment of Satan is already realized in Jesus’ glorification. This does not mean that Satan does not continue to be active in the world, and to exercise some power over it, just as in 3:19-21 the people in the world who have rejected Jesus and thus incurred judgment continue on in their opposition to Jesus for a time. In both cases the judgment is not immediately executed. But it is certain.
[16:11] 171 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[16:12] 173 sn In what sense does Jesus have many more things to say to the disciples? Does this imply the continuation of revelation after his departure? This is probably the case, especially in light of v. 13 and following, which describe the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the disciples into all truth. Thus Jesus was saying that he would continue to speak (to the twelve, at least) after his return to the Father. He would do this through the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. It is possible that an audience broader than the twelve is addressed, and in the Johannine tradition there is evidence that later other Christians (or perhaps, professed Christians) claimed to be recipients of revelation through the Spirit-Paraclete (1 John 4:1-6).
[16:12] 174 tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”
[16:13] 175 tn Grk “that one.”
[16:13] 176 tn Or “will lead.”
[16:13] 177 sn Three important points must be noted here. (1) When the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide the disciples into all truth. What Jesus had said in 8:31-32, “If you continue to follow my teaching you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” will ultimately be realized in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after Jesus’ departure. (2) The things the Holy Spirit speaks to them will not be things which originate from himself (he will not speak on his own authority), but things he has heard. This could be taken to mean that no new revelation is involved, as R. E. Brown does (John [AB], 2:714-15). This is a possible but not a necessary inference. The point here concerns the source of the things the Spirit will say to the disciples and does not specifically exclude originality of content. (3) Part at least of what the Holy Spirit will reveal to the disciples will concern what is to come, not just fuller implications of previous sayings of Jesus and the like. This does seem to indicate that at least some new revelation is involved. But the Spirit is not the source or originator of these things – Jesus is the source, and he will continue to speak to his disciples through the Spirit who has come to indwell them. This does not answer the question, however, whether these words are addressed to all followers of Jesus, or only to his apostles. Different modern commentators will answer this question differently. Since in the context of the Farewell Discourse Jesus is preparing the twelve to carry on his ministry after his departure, it is probably best to take these statements as specifically related only to the twelve. Some of this the Holy Spirit does directly for all believers today; other parts of this statement are fulfilled through the apostles (e.g., in giving the Book of Revelation the Spirit speaks through the apostles to the church today of things to come). One of the implications of this is that a doctrine does not have to be traced back to an explicit teaching of Jesus to be authentic; all that is required is apostolic authority.
[16:13] 178 tn Grk “speak from himself.”
[16:13] 179 tn Or will announce to you.”
[16:13] 180 tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”
[16:14] 181 tn Grk “That one.”
[16:14] 182 tn Or “will honor me.”
[16:14] 183 tn Or “he will take.”
[16:14] 184 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:14] 185 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
[16:15] 186 tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:15] 187 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:15] 188 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
[16:16] 189 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:16] 190 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:16] 191 sn The phrase after a little while, you will see me is sometimes taken to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus departs, but (as at 14:19) it is much more probable that it refers to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. There is no indication in the context that the disciples will see Jesus only with “spiritual” sight, as would be the case if the coming of the Spirit is in view.
[16:17] 192 tn Grk “What is this that he is saying to us.”
[16:17] 193 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:17] 194 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:17] 195 sn These fragmentary quotations of Jesus’ statements are from 16:16 and 16:10, and indicate that the disciples heard only part of what Jesus had to say to them on this occasion.
[16:18] 196 tn Grk “they kept on saying.”
[16:18] 197 tn Grk “What is this that he says.”
[16:18] 198 tn Grk “A little while.” Although the phrase τὸ μικρόν (to mikron) in John 16:18 could be translated simply “a little while,” it was translated “in a little while” to maintain the connection to John 16:16, where it has the latter meaning in context.
[16:18] 199 tn Or “we do not know.”
[16:18] 200 tn Grk “what he is speaking.”
[16:19] 202 tn The words “about these things” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:19] 203 tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.
[16:19] 204 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
[16:19] 205 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:19] 206 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:20] 207 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[16:20] 208 tn Or “wail,” “cry.”
[16:20] 210 tn Or “sorrowful.”
[16:20] 211 tn Grk “will become.”
[16:21] 212 sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).
[16:21] 213 tn Grk “her hour.”
[16:21] 214 tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
[16:21] 215 sn Jesus now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Jesus. But once the child has been born, the mother’s anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Jesus’ resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.
[16:22] 217 sn An allusion to Isa 66:14 LXX, which reads: “Then you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like the new grass; and the hand of the
[16:23] 218 tn Grk “And in that day.”
[16:23] 219 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[16:23] 220 sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.
[16:24] 221 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:25] 222 tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiai") precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. lofty ideas are concealed.” In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.
[16:25] 224 tn Or “inform you.”
[16:26] 226 tn Grk “In that day.”
[16:26] 227 tn Grk “I do not say to you.”
[16:27] 228 tc A number of early
[16:28] 229 tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
[16:28] 230 sn The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.
[16:29] 232 tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”
[16:30] 233 tn Grk “all things.”
[16:30] 234 tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”
[16:30] 235 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[16:31] 237 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[16:32] 239 tn Grk “each one to his own”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase “each one to his own” may be completed in a number of different ways: “each one to his own property”; “each one to his own family”; or “each one to his own home.” The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.
[16:32] 240 sn The proof of Jesus’ negative evaluation of the disciples’ faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.
[16:32] 241 tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).
[16:32] 242 tn Grk “the Father.”
[16:33] 243 tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (qliyis) has been translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) “trouble and suffering.” For modern English readers “tribulation” is no longer clearly understandable.
[16:33] 244 tn Or “but be courageous.”
[16:33] 245 tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”
[17:1] 246 tn Grk “he raised his eyes” (an idiom).
[17:1] 247 tn Or “to the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
[17:1] 249 tc The better witnesses (א B C* W 0109 0301) have “the Son” (ὁ υἱός, Jo Juios) here, while the majority (C3 L Ψ Ë13 33 Ï) read “your Son also” (καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σου, kai Jo Juio" sou), or “your Son” (ὁ υἱὸς σου; A D Θ 0250 1 579 pc lat sy); the second corrector of C has καὶ ὁ υἱός (“the Son also”). The longer readings appear to be predictable scribal expansions and as such should be considered secondary.
[17:2] 250 tn Or “all people”; Grk “all flesh.”
[17:2] 251 tn Grk “so that to everyone whom you have given to him, he may give to them eternal life.”
[17:3] 252 tn Using αὕτη δέ (Jauth de) to introduce an explanation is typical Johannine style; it was used before in John 1:19, 3:19, and 15:12.
[17:3] 253 sn This is eternal life. The author here defines eternal life for the readers, although it is worked into the prayer in such a way that many interpreters do not regard it as another of the author’s parenthetical comments. It is not just unending life in the sense of prolonged duration. Rather it is a quality of life, with its quality derived from a relationship with God. Having eternal life is here defined as being in relationship with the Father, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent. Christ (Χριστός, Cristos) is not characteristically attached to Jesus’ name in John’s Gospel; it occurs elsewhere primarily as a title and is used with Jesus’ name only in 1:17. But that is connected to its use here: The statement here in 17:3 enables us to correlate the statement made in 1:18 of the prologue, that Jesus has fully revealed what God is like, with Jesus’ statement in 10:10 that he has come that people might have life, and have it abundantly. These two purposes are really one, according to 17:3, because (abundant) eternal life is defined as knowing (being in relationship with) the Father and the Son. The only way to gain this eternal life, that is, to obtain this knowledge of the Father, is through the Son (cf. 14:6). Although some have pointed to the use of know (γινώσκω, ginwskw) here as evidence of Gnostic influence in the Fourth Gospel, there is a crucial difference: For John this knowledge is not intellectual, but relational. It involves being in relationship.
[17:3] 254 tn Or “and Jesus the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[17:4] 255 tn Or “by finishing” or “by accomplishing.” Jesus now states that he has glorified the Father on earth by finishing (τελειώσας [teleiwsas] is best understood as an adverbial participle of means) the work which the Father had given him to do.
[17:4] 256 tn Grk “the work that you gave to me so that I may do it.”
[17:5] 257 tn Or “in your presence”; Grk “with yourself.” The use of παρά (para) twice in this verse looks back to the assertion in John 1:1 that the Word (the Λόγος [Logos], who became Jesus of Nazareth in 1:14) was with God (πρὸς τὸν θεόν, pro" ton qeon). Whatever else may be said, the statement in 17:5 strongly asserts the preexistence of Jesus Christ.
[17:5] 258 tn Grk “before the world was.” The word “created” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[17:6] 259 tn Or “made known,” “disclosed.”
[17:6] 260 tn Here “men” is retained as a translation for ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") rather than the more generic “people” because in context it specifically refers to the eleven men Jesus had chosen as apostles (Judas had already departed, John 13:30). If one understands the referent here to be the broader group of Jesus’ followers that included both men and women, a translation like “to the people” should be used here instead.
[17:6] 261 tn Grk “Yours they were.”
[17:7] 263 tn Or “they have come to know,” or “they have learned.”
[17:7] 264 tn Grk “all things.”
[17:8] 265 tn Grk And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:8] 267 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[17:8] 269 tn Or have come to know.”
[17:9] 270 tn Grk “I am asking.”
[17:9] 271 tn Grk “I am not asking.”
[17:9] 272 tn Or “because they are yours.”
[17:10] 273 tn Grk And all things.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:10] 274 tn Or “Everything I have is yours.”
[17:10] 275 tn Or “everything you have is mine.”
[17:10] 276 tn Or “I have been honored among them.”
[17:11] 277 tn Grk And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:11] 278 tn The context indicates that this should be translated as an adversative or contrastive conjunction.
[17:11] 279 tn Or “protect them”; Grk “keep them.”
[17:11] 280 tn Or “by your name.”
[17:11] 281 tn The second repetition of “one” is implied, and is supplied here for clarity.
[17:12] 282 tn Or “I protected them”; Grk “I kept them.”
[17:12] 283 tn Grk “and guarded them.”
[17:12] 284 tn Or “by your name.”
[17:12] 285 tn Grk And not one.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:12] 286 tn Grk “the son of destruction” (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).
[17:12] 287 sn A possible allusion to Ps 41:9 or Prov 24:22 LXX. The exact passage is not specified here, but in John 13:18, Ps 41:9 is explicitly quoted by Jesus with reference to the traitor, suggesting that this is the passage to which Jesus refers here. The previous mention of Ps 41:9 in John 13:18 probably explains why the author felt no need for an explanatory parenthetical note here. It is also possible that the passage referred to here is Prov 24:22 LXX, where in the Greek text the phrase “son of destruction” appears.
[17:13] 288 tn Grk “they may have.”
[17:13] 289 tn Or “fulfilled.”
[17:14] 290 tn Or “your message.”
[17:14] 291 tn Grk “because they are not of the world.”
[17:14] 292 tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”
[17:15] 293 tn Or “that you protect them”; Grk “that you keep them.”
[17:15] 294 tn The phrase “the evil one” is a reference to Satan. The genitive noun τοῦ πονηροῦ (tou ponhrou) is ambiguous with regard to gender: It may represent the neuter τὸ πονηρόν (to ponhron), “that which is evil,” or the masculine ὁ πονηρός (Jo ponhro"), “the evil one,” i.e., Satan. In view of the frequent use of the masculine in 1 John 2:13-14, 3:12, and 5:18-19 it seems much more probable that the masculine is to be understood here, and that Jesus is praying for his disciples to be protected from Satan. Cf. BDAG 851 s.v. πονηρός 1.b.β and 1.b.γ.
[17:16] 295 tn Grk “they are not of the world.” This is a repetition of the second half of v. 14. The only difference is in word order: Verse 14 has οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου (ouk eisin ek tou kosmou), while here the prepositional phrase is stated first: ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσίν (ek tou kosmou ouk eisin). This gives additional emphasis to the idea of the prepositional phrase, i.e., origin, source, or affiliation.
[17:16] 296 tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”
[17:17] 297 tn Or “Consecrate them” or “Sanctify them.”
[17:18] 298 sn Jesus now compared the mission on which he was sending the disciples to his own mission into the world, on which he was sent by the Father. As the Father sent Jesus into the world (cf. 3:17), so Jesus now sends the disciples into the world to continue his mission after his departure. The nature of this prayer for the disciples as a consecratory prayer is now emerging: Jesus was setting them apart for the work he had called them to do. They were, in a sense, being commissioned.
[17:19] 299 tn Or “I sanctify.”
[17:19] 300 tn Or “for their sake.”
[17:19] 301 tn Or “they may be truly consecrated,” or “they may be truly sanctified.”
[17:20] 302 tn Or “I do not pray.”
[17:20] 303 tn Although πιστευόντων (pisteuontwn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10-22).
[17:20] 304 tn Grk “their word.”
[17:21] 305 tn The words “I pray” are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.
[17:22] 306 tn Grk And the glory.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
[17:23] 307 tn Or “completely unified.”
[17:24] 308 tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”
[17:24] 309 tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”
[17:25] 310 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more general term like “people” because the use of the aorist verb ἔγνωσαν (egnwsan) implies that Jesus is referring to the disciples present with him as he spoke these words (presumably all of them men in the historical context), rather than to those who are yet to believe because of their testimony (see John 17:20).
[17:26] 311 tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).
