Yohanes 14:13-14

14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, ¹  so that the Father may be glorified ²  in the Son. 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Yohanes 14:26

14:26 But the Advocate, ³  the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you ⁴  everything, ⁵  and will cause you to remember everything ⁶  I said to you.

Yohanes 15:16

15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you ⁷  and appointed you to go and bear ⁸  fruit, fruit that remains, ⁹  so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

Yohanes 16:23-26

16:23 At that time ¹⁰  you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, ¹¹  whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. ¹²  16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, ¹³  so that your joy may be complete.

16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; ¹⁴  a time ¹⁵  is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you ¹⁶  plainly ¹⁷  about the Father. 16:26 At that time ¹⁸  you will ask in my name, and I do not say ¹⁹  that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

[14:13]  ¹ tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”

[14:13]  ² tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”

[14:26]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “all things.”

[14:26]  ⁶ tn Grk “all things.”

[15:16]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Or “and yield.”

[15:16]  ⁹ 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.

[16:23]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And in that day.”

[16:23]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[16:23]  ¹² sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.

[16:24]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:25]  ¹⁶ tn Or “inform you.”

[16:25]  ¹⁷ tn Or “openly.”

[16:26]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “In that day.”

[16:26]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “I do not say to you.”