John 17:20-26

Jesus Prays for Believers Everywhere

17:20 “I am not praying ¹  only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe ²  in me through their testimony, ³  17:21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray ⁴  that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 17:22 The glory ⁵  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, ⁶  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, ⁷  so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world ⁸ . 17:25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men ⁹  know that you sent me. 17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, ¹⁰  so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”

[17:20]  ¹ tn Or “I do not pray.”

[17:20]  ² 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]  ³ tn Grk “their word.”

[17:21]  ⁴ tn The words “I pray” are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.

[17:22]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Or “completely unified.”

[17:24]  ⁷ tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”

[17:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”

[17:25]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).