Yohanes 13:1--17:26
Konteks13:1 Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time 1 had come to depart 2 from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. 3 13:2 The evening meal 4 was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart 5 of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray 6 Jesus. 7 13:3 Because Jesus 8 knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, 9 and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 13:4 he got up from the meal, removed 10 his outer clothes, 11 took a towel and tied it around himself. 12 13:5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. 13
13:6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter 14 said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash 15 my feet?” 13:7 Jesus replied, 16 “You do not understand 17 what I am doing now, but you will understand 18 after these things.” 13:8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” 19 Jesus replied, 20 “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 21 13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash 22 not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 13:10 Jesus replied, 23 “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, 24 but is completely 25 clean. 26 And you disciples 27 are clean, but not every one of you.” 13:11 (For Jesus 28 knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is 29 clean.”) 30
13:12 So when Jesus 31 had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table 32 again and said to them, “Do you understand 33 what I have done for you? 13:13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, 34 for that is what I am. 35 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 13:15 For I have given you an example 36 – you should do just as I have done for you. 13:16 I tell you the solemn truth, 37 the slave 38 is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger 39 greater than the one who sent him. 13:17 If you understand 40 these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, 41 ‘The one who eats my bread 42 has turned against me.’ 43 13:19 I am telling you this now, 44 before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe 45 that I am he. 46 13:20 I tell you the solemn truth, 47 whoever accepts 48 the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 49
13:21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed 50 in spirit, and testified, 51 “I tell you the solemn truth, 52 one of you will betray me.” 53 13:22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed 54 to know which of them he was talking about. 13:23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, 55 was at the table 56 to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. 57 13:24 So Simon Peter 58 gestured to this disciple 59 to ask Jesus 60 who it was he was referring to. 61 13:25 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved 62 leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 13:26 Jesus replied, 63 “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread 64 after I have dipped it in the dish.” 65 Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish 66 and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. 13:27 And after Judas 67 took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. 68 Jesus said to him, 69 “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 13:28 (Now none of those present at the table 70 understood 71 why Jesus 72 said this to Judas. 73 13:29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, 74 or to give something to the poor.) 75 13:30 Judas 76 took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.) 77
13:31 When 78 Judas 79 had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 13:32 If God is glorified in him, 80 God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. 81 13:33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, 82 and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, 83 ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ 84 now I tell you the same. 85
13:34 “I give you a new commandment – to love 86 one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 87 13:35 Everyone 88 will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”
13:36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, 89 “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 13:37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 90 13:38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? 91 I tell you the solemn truth, 92 the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!
14:1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. 93 You believe in God; 94 believe also in me. 14:2 There are many dwelling places 95 in my Father’s house. 96 Otherwise, I would have told you, because 97 I am going away to make ready 98 a place for you. 99 14:3 And if I go and make ready 100 a place for you, I will come again and take you 101 to be with me, 102 so that where I am you may be too. 14:4 And you know the way where I am going.” 103
14:5 Thomas said, 104 “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 14:6 Jesus replied, 105 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 106 No one comes to the Father except through me. 14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. 107 And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”
14:8 Philip said, 108 “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” 109 14:9 Jesus replied, 110 “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known 111 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? 112 The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, 113 but the Father residing in me performs 114 his miraculous deeds. 115 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, 116 believe because of the miraculous deeds 117 themselves. 14:12 I tell you the solemn truth, 118 the person who believes in me will perform 119 the miraculous deeds 120 that I am doing, 121 and will perform 122 greater deeds 123 than these, because I am going to the Father. 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, 124 so that the Father may be glorified 125 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 126 my commandments. 127 14:16 Then 128 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate 129 to be with you forever – 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, 130 because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides 131 with you and will be 132 in you.
14:18 “I will not abandon 133 you as orphans, 134 I will come to you. 135 14:19 In a little while 136 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 137 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 138 them is the one who loves me. 139 The one 140 who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal 141 myself to him.”
14:22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) 142 said, 143 “what has happened that you are going to reveal 144 yourself to us and not to the world?” 14:23 Jesus replied, 145 “If anyone loves me, he will obey 146 my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. 147 14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey 148 my words. And the word 149 you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
14:25 “I have spoken these things while staying 150 with you. 14:26 But the Advocate, 151 the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you 152 everything, 153 and will cause you to remember everything 154 I said to you.
14:27 “Peace I leave with you; 155 my peace I give to you; I do not give it 156 to you as the world does. 157 Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 158 14:28 You heard me say to you, 159 ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad 160 that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 161 14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. 162 14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, 163 for the ruler of this world is coming. 164 He has no power over me, 165 14:31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know 166 that I love the Father. 167 Get up, let us go from here.” 168
15:1 “I am the true vine 169 and my Father is the gardener. 170 15:2 He takes away 171 every branch that does not bear 172 fruit in me. He 173 prunes 174 every branch that bears 175 fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 15:3 You are clean already 176 because of the word that I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain 177 in me, and I will remain in you. 178 Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, 179 unless it remains 180 in 181 the vine, so neither can you unless you remain 182 in me.
15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains 183 in me – and I in him – bears 184 much fruit, 185 because apart from me you can accomplish 186 nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain 187 in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, 188 and are burned up. 189 15:7 If you remain 190 in me and my words remain 191 in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 192 15:8 My Father is honored 193 by this, that 194 you bear 195 much fruit and show that you are 196 my disciples.
15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain 197 in my love. 15:10 If you obey 198 my commandments, you will remain 199 in my love, just as I have obeyed 200 my Father’s commandments and remain 201 in his love. 15:11 I have told you these things 202 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. 203 15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life 204 for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends 205 if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, 206 because the slave does not understand 207 what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything 208 I heard 209 from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you 210 and appointed you to go and bear 211 fruit, fruit that remains, 212 so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 15:17 This 213 I command you – to love one another.
15:18 “If the world hates you, be aware 214 that it hated me first. 215 15:19 If you belonged to the world, 216 the world would love you as its own. 217 However, because you do not belong to the world, 218 but I chose you out of the world, for this reason 219 the world hates you. 220 15:20 Remember what 221 I told you, ‘A slave 222 is not greater than his master.’ 223 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed 224 my word, they will obey 225 yours too. 15:21 But they will do all these things to you on account of 226 my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 227 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. 228 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 229 among them the miraculous deeds 230 that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. 231 But now they have seen the deeds 232 and have hated both me and my Father. 233 15:25 Now this happened 234 to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ 235 15:26 When the Advocate 236 comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he 237 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. 238 16:2 They will put you out of 239 the synagogue, 240 yet a time 241 is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 242 16:3 They 243 will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 244 16:4 But I have told you these things 245 so that when their time 246 comes, you will remember that I told you about them. 247
“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. 248 16:5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, 249 and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ 250 16:6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness 251 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 252 will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 16:8 And when he 253 comes, he will prove the world wrong 254 concerning sin and 255 righteousness and 256 judgment – 16:9 concerning sin, because 257 they do not believe in me; 258 16:10 concerning righteousness, 259 because 260 I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 16:11 and concerning judgment, 261 because 262 the ruler of this world 263 has been condemned. 264
16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, 265 but you cannot bear 266 them now. 16:13 But when he, 267 the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide 268 you into all truth. 269 For he will not speak on his own authority, 270 but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you 271 what is to come. 272 16:14 He 273 will glorify me, 274 because he will receive 275 from me what is mine 276 and will tell it to you. 277 16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit 278 will receive from me what is mine 279 and will tell it to you. 280 16:16 In a little while you 281 will see me no longer; again after a little while, you 282 will see me.” 283
16:17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying, 284 ‘In a little while you 285 will not see me; again after a little while, you 286 will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 287 16:18 So they kept on repeating, 288 “What is the meaning of what he says, 289 ‘In a little while’? 290 We do not understand 291 what he is talking about.” 292
16:19 Jesus could see 293 that they wanted to ask him about these things, 294 so 295 he said to them, “Are you asking 296 each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you 297 will not see me; again after a little while, you 298 will see me’? 16:20 I tell you the solemn truth, 299 you will weep 300 and wail, 301 but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, 302 but your sadness will turn into 303 joy. 16:21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress 304 because her time 305 has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being 306 has been born into the world. 307 16:22 So also you have sorrow 308 now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 309 16:23 At that time 310 you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, 311 whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 312 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, 313 so that your joy may be complete.
16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; 314 a time 315 is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you 316 plainly 317 about the Father. 16:26 At that time 318 you will ask in my name, and I do not say 319 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. 320 16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, 321 I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” 322
16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly 323 and not in obscure figures of speech! 324 16:30 Now we know that you know everything 325 and do not need anyone 326 to ask you anything. 327 Because of this 328 we believe that you have come from God.”
16:31 Jesus replied, 329 “Do you now believe? 16:32 Look, a time 330 is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, 331 and I will be left alone. 332 Yet 333 I am not alone, because my Father 334 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, 335 but take courage 336 – I have conquered the world.” 337
17:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward 338 to heaven 339 and said, “Father, the time 340 has come. Glorify your Son, so that your 341 Son may glorify you – 17:2 just as you have given him authority over all humanity, 342 so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 343 17:3 Now this 344 is eternal life 345 – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 346 whom you sent. 17:4 I glorified you on earth by completing 347 the work you gave me to do. 348 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side 349 with the glory I had with you before the world was created. 350
17:6 “I have revealed 351 your name to the men 352 you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, 353 and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed 354 your word. 17:7 Now they understand 355 that everything 356 you have given me comes from you, 17:8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They 357 accepted 358 them 359 and really 360 understand 361 that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 17:9 I am praying 362 on behalf of them. I am not praying 363 on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. 364 17:10 Everything 365 I have belongs to you, 366 and everything you have belongs to me, 367 and I have been glorified by them. 368 17:11 I 369 am no longer in the world, but 370 they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe 371 in your name 372 that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. 373 17:12 When I was with them I kept them safe 374 and watched over them 375 in your name 376 that you have given me. Not one 377 of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, 378 so that the scripture could be fulfilled. 379 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience 380 my joy completed 381 in themselves. 17:14 I have given them your word, 382 and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, 383 just as I do not belong to the world. 384 17:15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe 385 from the evil one. 386 17:16 They do not belong to the world 387 just as I do not belong to the world. 388 17:17 Set them apart 389 in the truth; your word is truth. 17:18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 390 17:19 And I set myself apart 391 on their behalf, 392 so that they too may be truly set apart. 393
17:20 “I am not praying 394 only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe 395 in me through their testimony, 396 17:21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray 397 that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 17:22 The glory 398 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, 399 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, 400 so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world 401 . 17:25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men 402 know that you sent me. 17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, 403 so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”
[13:1] 2 tn Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).
[13:1] 3 tn Or “he now loved them completely,” or “he now loved them to the uttermost” (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom εἰς τέλος (eis telos) was translated literally as “to the end” and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”).
[13:1] sn The full extent of Jesus’ love for his disciples is not merely seen in his humble service to them in washing their feet (the most common interpretation of the passage). The full extent of his love for them is demonstrated in his sacrificial death for them on the cross. The footwashing episode which follows then becomes a prophetic act, or acting out beforehand, of his upcoming death on their behalf. The message for the disciples was that they were to love one another not just in humble, self-effacing service, but were to be willing to die for one another. At least one of them got this message eventually, though none understood it at the time (see 1 John 3:16).
[13:2] 4 tn Or “Supper.” To avoid possible confusion because of different regional English usage regarding the distinction between “dinner” and “supper” as an evening meal, the translation simply refers to “the evening meal.”
[13:2] 5 sn At this point the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 365) thought this was a reference to the idea entering the devil’s own heart, but this does not seem likely. It is more probable that Judas’ heart is meant, since the use of the Greek article (rather than a possessive pronoun) is a typical idiom when a part of one’s own body is indicated. Judas’ name is withheld until the end of the sentence for dramatic effect (emphasis). This action must be read in light of 13:27, and appears to refer to a preliminary idea or plan.
[13:2] 6 tn Or “that he should hand over.”
[13:2] 7 tn Grk “betray him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:3] 8 tn Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:3] 9 tn Grk “had given all things into his hands.”
[13:4] 10 tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
[13:4] 11 tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta Jimatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.
[13:4] 12 tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.
[13:5] 13 tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”
[13:6] 14 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:6] 15 tn Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”
[13:7] 16 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[13:7] 17 tn Grk “You do not know.”
[13:7] 18 tn Grk “you will know.”
[13:8] 19 tn Grk “You will never wash my feet forever.” The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.
[13:8] 20 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
[13:8] 21 tn Or “you have no part in me.”
[13:9] 22 tn The word “wash” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter’s utterance a complete sentence.
[13:10] 23 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[13:10] 24 tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”
[13:10] 26 sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more – Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).
[13:10] 27 tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.
[13:11] 28 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:11] 29 tn Grk “Not all of you are.”
[13:11] 30 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[13:12] 31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:12] 32 tn Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
[13:12] 33 tn Grk “Do you know.”
[13:13] 35 tn Grk “and I am these things.”
[13:15] 36 sn I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).
[13:16] 37 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[13:16] 38 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[13:16] 39 tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).
[13:17] 40 tn Grk “If you know.”
[13:18] 41 tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”
[13:18] 42 tn Or “The one who shares my food.”
[13:18] 43 tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.
[13:18] sn A quotation from Ps 41:9.
[13:19] 44 tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”
[13:19] 45 tn Grk “so that you may believe.”
[13:19] 46 tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
[13:20] 47 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[13:20] 48 tn Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.
[13:20] 49 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
[13:21] 50 tn Or “greatly troubled.”
[13:21] 51 tn Grk “and testified and said.”
[13:21] 52 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[13:21] 53 tn Or “will hand me over.”
[13:22] 54 tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporew).
[13:23] 55 sn Here for the first time the one Jesus loved, the ‘beloved disciple,’ is introduced. This individual also is mentioned in 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20. Some have suggested that this disciple is to be identified with Lazarus, since the Fourth Gospel specifically states that Jesus loved him (11:3, 5, 36). From the terminology alone this is a possibility; the author is certainly capable of using language in this way to indicate connections. But there is nothing else to indicate that Lazarus was present at the last supper; Mark 14:17 seems to indicate it was only the twelve who were with Jesus at this time, and there is no indication in the Fourth Gospel to the contrary. Nor does it appear that Lazarus ever stood so close to Jesus as the later references in chaps. 19, 20 and 21 seem to indicate. When this is coupled with the omission of all references to John son of Zebedee from the Fourth Gospel, it seems far more likely that the references to the beloved disciple should be understood as references to him.
[13:23] 56 tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
[13:23] 57 tn Grk “was reclining in the bosom (or “lap”) of Jesus” (according to both L&N 17.25 and BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνάκειμαι 2 an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Whether this position or the position to the left of Jesus should be regarded as the position of second highest honor (next to the host, in this case Jesus, who was in the position of highest honor) is debated. F. Prat, “Les places d’honneur chez les Juifs contemporains du Christ” (RSR 15 [1925]: 512-22), who argued that the table arrangement was that of the Roman triclinium (a U-shaped table with Jesus and two other disciples at the bottom of the U), considered the position to the left of Jesus to be the one of second highest honor. Thus the present translation renders this “a position of honor” without specifying which one (since both of the two disciples to the right and to the left of Jesus would be in positions of honor). Other translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ (en tw kolpw tou Ihsou; “leaning on Jesus’ bosom,” KJV; “lying close to the breast of Jesus,” RSV; “reclining on Jesus’ breast,” NASB; “reclining next to him,” NIV, NRSV) but the symbolic significance of the beloved disciple’s position seems clear. He is close to Jesus and in an honored position. The phrase as an idiom for a place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.
[13:23] sn Note that the same expression translated in a place of honor here (Grk “in the bosom of”) is used to indicate Jesus’ relationship with the Father in 1:18.
[13:24] 58 sn It is not clear where Simon Peter was seated. If he were on Jesus’ other side, it is difficult to see why he would not have asked the question himself. It would also have been difficult to beckon to the beloved disciple, on Jesus’ right, from such a position. So apparently Peter was seated somewhere else. It is entirely possible that Judas was seated to Jesus’ left. Matt 26:25 seems to indicate that Jesus could speak to him without being overheard by the rest of the group. Judas is evidently in a position where Jesus can hand him the morsel of food (13:26).
[13:24] 59 tn Grk “to this one”; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:24] 60 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:24] 61 sn That is, who would betray him (v. 21).
[13:25] 62 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:26] 63 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[13:26] 64 sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).
[13:26] 65 tn Grk “after I have dipped it.” The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
[13:26] 66 tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
[13:27] 67 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:27] 68 tn Grk “into that one”; the pronoun “he” is more natural English style here.
[13:27] sn This is the only time in the Fourth Gospel that Satan is mentioned by name. Luke 22:3 uses the same terminology of Satan “entering into” Judas but indicates it happened before the last supper at the time Judas made his deal with the authorities. This is not necessarily irreconcilable with John’s account, however, because John 13:2 makes it clear that Judas had already come under satanic influence prior to the meal itself. The statement here is probably meant to indicate that Judas at this point came under the influence of Satan even more completely and finally. It marks the end of a process which, as Luke indicates, had begun earlier.
[13:27] 69 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to him.”
[13:28] 70 tn Grk “reclining at the table.” The phrase reclining at the table reflects the normal practice in 1st century Near Eastern culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
[13:28] 72 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:28] 73 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:29] 74 tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).
[13:29] 75 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[13:30] 76 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:30] 77 sn Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however. With the departure of Judas to set in motion the betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, daytime is over and night has come (see John 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36). Judas had become one of those who walked by night and stumbled, because the light was not in him (11:10).
[13:31] 78 tn Grk “Then when.”
[13:31] 79 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:32] 80 tc A number of early
[13:32] 81 tn Or “immediately.”
[13:33] 82 tn Or “You will seek me.”
[13:33] 83 tn Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general, or to the Jewish religious leaders in particular, who had sent servants to attempt to arrest Jesus on that occasion (John 7:33-35). The last option is the one adopted in the translation above.
[13:33] 84 sn See John 7:33-34.
[13:33] 85 tn The words “the same” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[13:34] 86 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.
[13:34] 87 sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.
[13:35] 88 tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.
[13:36] 89 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
[13:37] 90 tn Or “I will die willingly for you.”
[13:38] 91 tn Or “Will you die willingly for me?”
[13:38] 92 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[14:1] 93 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] 94 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] 95 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] 96 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] 97 tc A number of important
[14:2] tn If the ὅτι (Joti) is included (see tc above), there are no less than four possible translations for this sentence: The sentence could be either a question or a statement, and in addition the ὅτι could either indicate content or be causal. How does one determine the best translation? (1) A question here should probably be ruled out because it would imply a previous statement by Jesus that either there are many dwelling places in his Father’s house (if the ὅτι is causal) or he was going off to make a place ready for them (if the ὅτι indicates content). There is no indication anywhere in the Fourth Gospel that Jesus had made such statements prior to this time. So understanding the sentence as a statement is the best option. (2) A statement with ὅτι indicating content is understandable but contradictory. If there were no dwelling places, Jesus would have told them that he was going off to make dwelling places. But the following verse makes clear that Jesus’ departure is not hypothetical but real – he is really going away. So understanding the ὅτι with a causal nuance is the best option. (3) A statement with a causal ὅτι can be understood two ways: (a) “Otherwise I would have told you” is a parenthetical statement, and the ὅτι clause goes with the preceding “There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house.” This would be fairly awkward syntactically, however; it would be much more natural for the ὅτι clause to modify what directly preceded it. (b) “Otherwise I would have told you” is explained by Jesus’ statement that he is going to make ready a place. He makes a logical, necessary connection between his future departure and the reality of the dwelling places in his Father’s house. To sum up, all the possibilities for understanding the verse with the inclusion of ὅτι present some interpretive difficulties, but last option given seems best: “Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going to make ready a place.” Of all the options it provides the best logical flow of thought in the passage without making any apparent contradictions in the context.
[14:2] 99 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).
[14:3] 102 tn Grk “to myself.”
[14:4] 103 tc Most
[14:4] sn Where I am going. Jesus had spoken of his destination previously to the disciples, most recently in John 13:33. Where he was going was back to the Father, and they could not follow him there, but later he would return for them and they could join him then. The way he was going was via the cross. This he had also mentioned previously (e.g., 12:32) although his disciples did not understand at the time (cf. 12:33). As Jesus would explain in v. 6, although for him the way back to the Father was via the cross, for his disciples the “way” to where he was going was Jesus himself.
[14:5] 104 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:6] 105 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[14:6] 106 tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”
[14:7] 107 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] 108 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:8] 109 tn Or “and that is enough for us.”
[14:9] 110 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[14:9] 111 tn Or “recognized.”
[14:10] 112 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] 113 tn Grk “I do not speak from myself.”
[14:10] 115 tn Or “his mighty acts”; Grk “his works.”
[14:10] sn Miraculous deeds is most likely a reference to the miraculous signs Jesus had performed, which he viewed as a manifestation of the mighty acts of God. Those he performed in the presence of the disciples served as a basis for faith (although a secondary basis to their personal relationship to him; see the following verse).
[14:11] 116 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] 117 tn Grk “because of the works.”
[14:11] sn In the context of a proof or basis for belief, Jesus is referring to the miraculous deeds (signs) he has performed in the presence of the disciples.
[14:12] 118 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[14:12] 120 tn Grk “the works.”
[14:12] 121 tn Or “that I do.”
[14:12] sn See the note on miraculous deeds in v. 11.
[14:12] 123 tn Grk “greater works.”
[14:12] sn What are the greater deeds that Jesus speaks of, and how is this related to his going to the Father? It is clear from both John 7:39 and 16:7 that the Holy Spirit will not come until Jesus has departed. After Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit to indwell believers in a permanent relationship, believers would be empowered to perform even greater deeds than those Jesus did during his earthly ministry. When the early chapters of Acts are examined, it is clear that, from a numerical standpoint, the deeds of Peter and the other Apostles surpassed those of Jesus in a single day (the day of Pentecost). On that day more were added to the church than had become followers of Jesus during the entire three years of his earthly ministry. And the message went forth not just in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, but to the farthest parts of the known world. This understanding of what Jesus meant by “greater deeds” is more probable than a reference to “more spectacular miracles.” Certainly miraculous deeds were performed by the apostles as recounted in Acts, but these do not appear to have surpassed the works of Jesus himself in either degree or number.
[14:13] 124 tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”
[14:13] 125 tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”
[14:15] 126 tn Or “will keep.”
[14:15] 127 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] 128 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.
[14:16] 129 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] 130 tn Or “cannot receive.”
[14:17] 131 tn Or “he remains.”
[14:17] 132 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] 134 tn The entire phrase “abandon you as orphans” could be understood as an idiom meaning, “leave you helpless.”
[14:18] 135 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] 136 tn Grk “Yet a little while, and.”
[14:20] 137 tn Grk “will know in that day.”
[14:20] sn At that time could be a reference to the parousia (second coming of Christ). But the statement in 14:19, that the world will not see Jesus, does not fit. It is better to take this as the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples (which has the advantage of taking in a little while in v. 19 literally).
[14:21] 139 tn Grk “obeys them, that one is the one who loves me.”
[14:21] 140 tn Grk “And the one.” Here the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated to improve the English style.
[14:21] 141 tn Or “will disclose.”
[14:22] 142 tn Grk “(not Iscariot).” The proper noun (Judas) has been repeated for clarity and smoothness in English style.
[14:22] sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
[14:22] 143 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:22] sn The disciples still expected at this point that Jesus, as Messiah, was going to reveal his identity as such to the world (cf. 7:4).
[14:23] 145 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[14:23] 146 tn Or “will keep.”
[14:23] 147 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] 148 tn Or “does not keep.”
[14:24] 149 tn Or “the message.”
[14:25] 150 tn Or “while remaining” or “while residing.”
[14:26] 151 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] 152 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] 153 tn Grk “all things.”
[14:26] 154 tn Grk “all things.”
[14:27] 155 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] 156 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] 157 tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”
[14:27] 158 tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”
[14:28] 159 tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”
[14:28] 160 tn Or “you would rejoice.”
[14:28] 161 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] 162 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] 163 tn Grk “I will no longer speak many things with you.”
[14:30] 164 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[14:30] 165 tn Grk “in me he has nothing.”
[14:31] 166 tn Or “may learn.”
[14:31] 167 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] 168 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] 169 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.
[15:1] 170 tn Or “the farmer.”
[15:2] 171 tn Or “He cuts off.”
[15:2] sn The Greek verb αἴρω (airw) can mean “lift up” as well as “take away,” and it is sometimes argued that here it is a reference to the gardener “lifting up” (i.e., propping up) a weak branch so that it bears fruit again. In Johannine usage the word occurs in the sense of “lift up” in 8:59 and 5:8-12, but in the sense of “remove” it is found in 11:39, 11:48, 16:22, and 17:15. In context (theological presuppositions aside for the moment) the meaning “remove” does seem more natural and less forced (particularly in light of v. 6, where worthless branches are described as being “thrown out” – an image that seems incompatible with restoration). One option, therefore, would be to understand the branches which are taken away (v. 2) and thrown out (v. 6) as believers who forfeit their salvation because of unfruitfulness. However, many see this interpretation as encountering problems with the Johannine teaching on the security of the believer, especially John 10:28-29. This leaves two basic ways of understanding Jesus’ statements about removal of branches in 15:2 and 15:6: (1) These statements may refer to an unfaithful (disobedient) Christian, who is judged at the judgment seat of Christ “through fire” (cf. 1 Cor 3:11-15). In this case the “removal” of 15:2 may refer (in an extreme case) to the physical death of a disobedient Christian. (2) These statements may refer to someone who was never a genuine believer in the first place (e.g., Judas and the Jews who withdrew after Jesus’ difficult teaching in 6:66), in which case 15:6 refers to eternal judgment. In either instance it is clear that 15:6 refers to the fires of judgment (cf. OT imagery in Ps 80:16 and Ezek 15:1-8). But view (1) requires us to understand this in terms of the judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ. This concept does not appear in the Fourth Gospel because from the perspective of the author the believer does not come under judgment; note especially 3:18, 5:24, 5:29. The first reference (3:18) is especially important because it occurs in the context of 3:16-21, the section which is key to the framework of the entire Fourth Gospel and which is repeatedly alluded to throughout. A similar image to this one is used by John the Baptist in Matt 3:10, “And the ax is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Since this is addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming to John for baptism, it almost certainly represents a call to initial repentance. More importantly, however, the imagery of being cast into the fire constitutes a reference to eternal judgment, a use of imagery which is much nearer to the Johannine imagery in 15:6 than the Pauline concept of the judgment seat of Christ (a judgment for believers) mentioned above. The use of the Greek verb μένω (menw) in 15:6 also supports view (2). When used of the relationship between Jesus and the disciple and/or Jesus and the Father, it emphasizes the permanence of the relationship (John 6:56, 8:31, 8:35, 14:10). The prototypical branch who has not remained is Judas, who departed in 13:30. He did not bear fruit, and is now in the realm of darkness, a mere tool of Satan. His eternal destiny, being cast into the fire of eternal judgment, is still to come. It seems most likely, therefore, that the branches who do not bear fruit and are taken away and burned are false believers, those who profess to belong to Jesus but who in reality do not belong to him. In the Gospel of John, the primary example of this category is Judas. In 1 John 2:18-19 the “antichrists” fall into the same category; they too may be thought of as branches that did not bear fruit. They departed from the ranks of the Christians because they never did really belong, and their departure shows that they did not belong.
[15:2] 172 tn Or “does not yield.”
[15:2] 173 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] 174 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] 175 tn Or “that yields.”
[15:3] 176 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] 178 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] 179 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] 181 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).
[15:4] 182 tn Or “you reside.”
[15:5] 185 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.
[15:5] sn Many interpret the imagery of fruit here and in 15:2, 4 in terms of good deeds or character qualities, relating it to passages elsewhere in the NT like Matt 3:8 and 7:20, Rom 6:22, Gal 5:22, etc. This is not necessarily inaccurate, but one must remember that for John, to have life at all is to bear fruit, while one who does not bear fruit shows that he does not have the life (once again, conduct is the clue to paternity, as in John 8:41; compare also 1 John 4:20).
[15:6] 188 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] 189 tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
[15:7] 192 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] 193 tn Grk “glorified.”
[15:8] 194 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] 196 tc Most
[15:11] 202 tn Grk “These things I have spoken to you.”
[15:12] 203 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] 204 tn Or “one dies willingly.”
[15:14] 205 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] 206 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[15:15] 207 tn Or “does not know.”
[15:15] 208 tn Grk “all things.”
[15:16] 210 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] 211 tn Or “and yield.”
[15:16] 212 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] 213 tn Grk “These things.”
[15:18] 215 tn Grk “it hated me before you.”
[15:19] 216 tn Grk “if you were of the world.”
[15:19] 217 tn The words “you as” are not in the original but are supplied for clarity.
[15:19] 218 tn Grk “because you are not of the world.”
[15:19] 219 tn Or “world, therefore.”
[15:19] 220 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] 221 tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”
[15:20] 222 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[15:20] 223 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] 224 tn Or “if they kept.”
[15:20] 225 tn Or “they will keep.”
[15:21] 226 tn Or “because of.”
[15:21] 227 tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”
[15:22] 228 tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).
[15:22] sn Jesus now describes the guilt of the world. He came to these people with both words (15:22) and sign-miracles (15:24), yet they remained obstinate in their unbelief, and this sin of unbelief was without excuse. Jesus was not saying that if he had not come and spoken to these people they would be sinless; rather he was saying that if he had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of the sin of rejecting him and the Father he came to reveal. Rejecting Jesus is the one ultimate sin for which there can be no forgiveness, because the one who has committed this sin has at the same time rejected the only cure that exists. Jesus spoke similarly to the Pharisees in 9:41: “If you were blind, you would have no sin (same phrase as here), but now you say ‘We see’ your sin remains.”
[15:24] 229 tn Or “If I had not done.”
[15:24] 230 tn Grk “the works.”
[15:24] 231 tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).
[15:24] 232 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] 233 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] 234 tn The words “this happened” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to complete an ellipsis.
[15:25] 235 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] 236 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] 237 tn Grk “that one.”
[16:1] 238 tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.”
[16:1] sn In Johannine thought the verb σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw) means to trip up disciples and cause them to fall away from Jesus’ company (John 6:61, 1 John 2:10). Similar usage is found in Didache 16:5, an early Christian writing from around the beginning of the 2nd century
[16:2] 239 tn Or “expel you from.”
[16:2] 240 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[16:2] 242 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] 243 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] 244 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] 245 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] 246 tn Grk “their hour.”
[16:4] 247 tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[16:4] 248 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] 249 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] 250 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] 251 tn Or “distress” or “grief.”
[16:7] 252 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] 253 tn Grk “when that one.”
[16:8] 254 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] 255 tn Grk “and concerning.”
[16:8] 256 tn Grk “and concerning.”
[16:9] 257 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] 258 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] 259 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] 261 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] 263 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[16:12] 265 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] 266 tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”
[16:13] 267 tn Grk “that one.”
[16:13] 268 tn Or “will lead.”
[16:13] 269 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] 270 tn Grk “speak from himself.”
[16:13] 271 tn Or will announce to you.”
[16:13] 272 tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”
[16:14] 273 tn Grk “That one.”
[16:14] 274 tn Or “will honor me.”
[16:14] 275 tn Or “he will take.”
[16:14] 276 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] 277 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
[16:15] 278 tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:15] 279 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] 280 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
[16:16] 281 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:16] 282 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:16] 283 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] 284 tn Grk “What is this that he is saying to us.”
[16:17] 285 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:17] 286 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:17] 287 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] 288 tn Grk “they kept on saying.”
[16:18] 289 tn Grk “What is this that he says.”
[16:18] 290 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] 291 tn Or “we do not know.”
[16:18] 292 tn Grk “what he is speaking.”
[16:19] sn Jesus could see. Supernatural knowledge of what the disciples were thinking is not necessarily in view here. Given the disciples’ confused statements in the preceding verses, it was probably obvious to Jesus that they wanted to ask what he meant.
[16:19] 294 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] 295 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] 296 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
[16:19] 297 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
[16:19] 298 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
[16:20] 299 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[16:20] 300 tn Or “wail,” “cry.”
[16:20] 302 tn Or “sorrowful.”
[16:20] 303 tn Grk “will become.”
[16:21] 304 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] 305 tn Grk “her hour.”
[16:21] 306 tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
[16:21] 307 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] 309 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] 310 tn Grk “And in that day.”
[16:23] 311 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[16:23] 312 sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.
[16:24] 313 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] 314 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] 316 tn Or “inform you.”
[16:26] 318 tn Grk “In that day.”
[16:26] 319 tn Grk “I do not say to you.”
[16:27] 320 tc A number of early
[16:28] 321 tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
[16:28] 322 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] 324 tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”
[16:29] sn How is the disciples’ reply to Jesus now you are speaking plainly and not in obscure figures of speech to be understood? Their claim to understand seems a bit impulsive. It is difficult to believe that the disciples have really understood the full implications of Jesus’ words, although it is true that he spoke to them plainly and not figuratively in 16:26-28. The disciples will not fully understand all that Jesus has said to them until after his resurrection, when the Holy Spirit will give them insight and understanding (16:13).
[16:30] 325 tn Grk “all things.”
[16:30] 326 tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”
[16:30] 327 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] 329 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[16:32] 331 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] 332 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] 333 tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).
[16:32] 334 tn Grk “the Father.”
[16:33] 335 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] 336 tn Or “but be courageous.”
[16:33] 337 tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”
[16:33] sn The Farewell Discourse proper closes on the triumphant note I have conquered the world, which recalls 1:5 (in the prologue): “the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.” Jesus’ words which follow in chap. 17 are addressed not to the disciples but to his Father, as he prays for the consecration of the disciples.
[17:1] 338 tn Grk “he raised his eyes” (an idiom).
[17:1] sn Jesus also looked upward before his prayer in John 11:41. This was probably a common posture in prayer. According to the parable in Luke 18:13 the tax collector did not feel himself worthy to do this.
[17:1] 339 tn Or “to the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
[17:1] sn The time has come. Jesus has said before that his “hour” had come, both in 12:23 when some Greeks sought to speak with him, and in 13:1 where just before he washed the disciples’ feet. It appears best to understand the “hour” as a period of time starting at the end of Jesus’ public ministry and extending through the passion week, ending with Jesus’ return to the Father through death, resurrection, and exaltation. The “hour” begins as soon as the first events occur which begin the process that leads to Jesus’ death.
[17:1] 341 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.
[17:1] tn Grk “the Son”; “your” has been added here for English stylistic reasons.
[17:2] 342 tn Or “all people”; Grk “all flesh.”
[17:2] 343 tn Grk “so that to everyone whom you have given to him, he may give to them eternal life.”
[17:3] 344 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] 345 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] 346 tn Or “and Jesus the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[17:4] 347 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] sn By completing the work. The idea of Jesus being sent into the world on a mission has been mentioned before, significantly in 3:17. It was even alluded to in the immediately preceding verse here (17:3). The completion of the “work” the Father had sent him to accomplish was mentioned by Jesus in 4:34 and 5:36. What is the nature of the “work” the Father has given the Son to accomplish? It involves the Son’s mission to be the Savior of the world, as 3:17 indicates. But this is accomplished specifically through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross (a thought implied by the reference to the Father “giving” the Son in 3:16). It is not without significance that Jesus’ last word from the cross is “It is completed” (19:30).
[17:4] 348 tn Grk “the work that you gave to me so that I may do it.”
[17:5] 349 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] 350 tn Grk “before the world was.” The word “created” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[17:5] sn It is important to note that although Jesus prayed for a return to the glory he had at the Father’s side before the world was created, he was not praying for a “de-incarnation.” His humanity which he took on at the incarnation (John 1:14) remains, though now glorified.
[17:6] 351 tn Or “made known,” “disclosed.”
[17:6] 352 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] 353 tn Grk “Yours they were.”
[17:7] 355 tn Or “they have come to know,” or “they have learned.”
[17:7] 356 tn Grk “all things.”
[17:8] 357 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] 359 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] 361 tn Or have come to know.”
[17:9] 362 tn Grk “I am asking.”
[17:9] 363 tn Grk “I am not asking.”
[17:9] 364 tn Or “because they are yours.”
[17:10] 365 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] 366 tn Or “Everything I have is yours.”
[17:10] 367 tn Or “everything you have is mine.”
[17:10] 368 tn Or “I have been honored among them.”
[17:10] sn The theme of glory with which Jesus began this prayer in 17:1-5 now recurs. Jesus said that he had been glorified by his disciples, but in what sense was this true? Jesus had manifested his glory to them in all of the sign-miracles which he had performed, beginning with the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana (2:11). He could now say that he had been glorified by them in the light of what he had already said in vv. 7-8, that the disciples had come to know that he had come from the Father and been sent by the Father. He would, of course, be glorified by them further after the resurrection, as they carried on his ministry after his departure.
[17:11] 369 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] 370 tn The context indicates that this should be translated as an adversative or contrastive conjunction.
[17:11] 371 tn Or “protect them”; Grk “keep them.”
[17:11] 372 tn Or “by your name.”
[17:11] 373 tn The second repetition of “one” is implied, and is supplied here for clarity.
[17:12] 374 tn Or “I protected them”; Grk “I kept them.”
[17:12] 375 tn Grk “and guarded them.”
[17:12] 376 tn Or “by your name.”
[17:12] 377 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] 378 tn Grk “the son of destruction” (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).
[17:12] sn The one destined to destruction refers to Judas. Clearly in John’s Gospel Judas is portrayed as a tool of Satan. He is described as “the devil” in 6:70. In 13:2 Satan put into Judas’ heart the idea of betraying Jesus, and 13:27 Satan himself entered Judas. Immediately after this Judas left the company of Jesus and the other disciples and went out into the realm of darkness (13:30). Cf. 2 Thess 2:3, where this same Greek phrase (“the son of destruction”; see tn above) is used to describe the man through whom Satan acts to rebel against God in the last days.
[17:12] 379 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] 380 tn Grk “they may have.”
[17:13] 381 tn Or “fulfilled.”
[17:14] 382 tn Or “your message.”
[17:14] 383 tn Grk “because they are not of the world.”
[17:14] 384 tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”
[17:15] 385 tn Or “that you protect them”; Grk “that you keep them.”
[17:15] 386 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] 387 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] 388 tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”
[17:17] 389 tn Or “Consecrate them” or “Sanctify them.”
[17:17] sn The Greek word translated set…apart (ἁγιάζω, Jagiazw) is used here in its normal sense of being dedicated, consecrated, or set apart. The sphere in which the disciples are to be set apart is in the truth. In 3:21 the idea of “practicing” (Grk “doing”) the truth was introduced; in 8:32 Jesus told some of his hearers that if they continued in his word they would truly be his disciples, and would know the truth, and the truth would make them free. These disciples who are with Jesus now for the Farewell Discourse have continued in his word (except for Judas Iscariot, who has departed), and they do know the truth about who Jesus is and why he has come into the world (17:8). Thus Jesus can ask the Father to set them apart in this truth as he himself is set apart, so that they might carry on his mission in the world after his departure (note the following verse).
[17:18] 390 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] 391 tn Or “I sanctify.”
[17:19] sn In what sense does Jesus refer to his own ‘sanctification’ with the phrase I set myself apart? In 10:36 Jesus referred to himself as “the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world,” which seems to look at something already accomplished. Here, however, it is something he does on behalf of the disciples (on their behalf) and this suggests a reference to his impending death on the cross. There is in fact a Johannine wordplay here based on slightly different meanings for the Greek verb translated set apart (ἁγιάζω, Jagiazw). In the sense it was used in 10:36 of Jesus and in 17:17 and here to refer to the disciples, it means to set apart in the sense that prophets (cf. Jer 1:5) and priests (Exod 40:13, Lev 8:30, and 2 Chr 5:11) were consecrated (or set apart) to perform their tasks. But when Jesus speaks of setting himself apart (consecrating or dedicating himself) on behalf of the disciples here in 17:19 the meaning is closer to the consecration of a sacrificial animal (Deut 15:19). Jesus is “setting himself apart,” i.e., dedicating himself, to do the will of the Father, that is, to go to the cross on the disciples’ behalf (and of course on behalf of their successors as well).
[17:19] 392 tn Or “for their sake.”
[17:19] 393 tn Or “they may be truly consecrated,” or “they may be truly sanctified.”
[17:20] 394 tn Or “I do not pray.”
[17:20] 395 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] 396 tn Grk “their word.”
[17:21] 397 tn The words “I pray” are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.
[17:22] 398 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] 399 tn Or “completely unified.”
[17:24] 400 tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”
[17:24] 401 tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”
[17:25] 402 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] 403 tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).
