Yohanes 1:18

1:18 No one has ever seen God. The only one, ¹  himself God, who is in closest fellowship with ²  the Father, has made God ³  known. ⁴ 

Yohanes 3:19-20

3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ⁵  that the light has come into the world and people ⁶  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.

Yohanes 4:6

4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside ⁷  the well. It was about noon. ⁸ 

Yohanes 5:3

5:3 A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying in these walkways.

Yohanes 5:32

5:32 There is another ⁹  who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true.

Yohanes 5:37

5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people ¹⁰  have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, ¹¹ 

Yohanes 5:43

5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept ¹²  me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept ¹³  him.

Yohanes 6:37

6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. ¹⁴ 

Yohanes 6:45

6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ ¹⁵  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father ¹⁶  comes to me.

Yohanes 6:51

6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread ¹⁷  that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Yohanes 6:71

6:71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, ¹⁸  for Judas, ¹⁹  one of the twelve, was going to betray him.) ²⁰ 

Yohanes 7:18

7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ²¹  desires ²²  to receive honor ²³  for himself; the one who desires ²⁴  the honor ²⁵  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ²⁶  and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Yohanes 10:12

10:12 The hired hand, ²⁷  who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons ²⁸  the sheep and runs away. ²⁹  So the wolf attacks ³⁰  the sheep and scatters them.

Yohanes 10:25

10:25 Jesus replied, ³¹  “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds ³²  I do in my Father’s name testify about me.

Yohanes 11:51

11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, ³³  but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, ³⁴ 

Yohanes 11:55

11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ³⁵  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ³⁶  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ³⁷ 

Yohanes 12:1

Jesus’ Anointing

12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he ³⁸  had raised from the dead.

Yohanes 12:3

12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound ³⁹  of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard ⁴⁰  and anointed the feet of Jesus. She ⁴¹  then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) ⁴² 

Yohanes 12:48-49

12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ⁴³  my words has a judge; ⁴⁴  the word ⁴⁵  I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, ⁴⁶  but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me ⁴⁷  what I should say and what I should speak.

Yohanes 13:26

13:26 Jesus replied, ⁴⁸  “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread ⁴⁹  after I have dipped it in the dish.” ⁵⁰  Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish ⁵¹  and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son.

Yohanes 14:24

14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey ⁵²  my words. And the word ⁵³  you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

Yohanes 15:6

15:6 If anyone does not remain ⁵⁴  in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, ⁵⁵  and are burned up. ⁵⁶ 

Yohanes 17:22

17:22 The glory ⁵⁷  you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one –

Yohanes 18:9

18:9 He said this ⁵⁸  to fulfill the word he had spoken, ⁵⁹  “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” ⁶⁰ 

Yohanes 18:26

18:26 One of the high priest’s slaves, ⁶¹  a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, ⁶²  said, “Did I not see you in the orchard ⁶³  with him?” ⁶⁴ 

Yohanes 19:13

19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat ⁶⁵  in the place called “The Stone Pavement” ⁶⁶  (Gabbatha in ⁶⁷  Aramaic). ⁶⁸ 

Yohanes 19:17

19:17 and carrying his own cross ⁶⁹  he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” ⁷⁰  (called in Aramaic ⁷¹  Golgotha). ⁷² 

Yohanes 20:12

20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet.

Yohanes 20:31

20:31 But these ⁷³  are recorded ⁷⁴  so that you may believe ⁷⁵  that Jesus is the Christ, ⁷⁶  the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ⁷⁷ 

Yohanes 21:11

21:11 So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was ⁷⁸  full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, ⁷⁹  but although there were so many, the net was not torn.

[1:18]  ¹ tc The textual problem μονογενὴς θεός (monogenh" qeo", “the only God”) versus ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός (Jo monogenh" Juio", “the only son”) is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the mss, since both words would have been contracted as nomina sacra: thus qMs or uMs. Externally, there are several variants, but they can be grouped essentially by whether they read θεός or υἱός. The majority of mss, especially the later ones (A C³ Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat), read ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός. Ì⁷⁵ א¹ 33 pc have ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, while the anarthrous μονογενὴς θεός is found in Ì⁶⁶ א* B C* L pc. The articular θεός is almost certainly a scribal emendation to the anarthrous θεός, for θεός without the article is a much harder reading. The external evidence thus strongly supports μονογενὴς θεός. Internally, although υἱός fits the immediate context more readily, θεός is much more difficult. As well, θεός also explains the origin of the other reading (υἱός), because it is difficult to see why a scribe who found υἱός in the text he was copying would alter it to θεός. Scribes would naturally change the wording to υἱός however, since μονογενὴς υἱός is a uniquely Johannine christological title (cf. John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). But θεός as the older and more difficult reading is preferred. As for translation, it makes the most sense to see the word θεός as in apposition to μονογενής, and the participle ὁ ὤν (Jo wn) as in apposition to θεός, giving in effect three descriptions of Jesus rather than only two. (B. D. Ehrman, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, 81, suggests that it is nearly impossible and completely unattested in the NT for an adjective followed immediately by a noun that agrees in gender, number, and case, to be a substantival adjective: “when is an adjective ever used substantivally when it immediately precedes a noun of the same inflection?” This, however, is an overstatement. First, as Ehrman admits, μονογενής in John 1:14 is substantival. And since it is an established usage for the adjective in this context, one might well expect that the author would continue to use the adjective substantivally four verses later. Indeed, μονογενής is already moving toward a crystallized substantival adjective in the NT [cf. Luke 9:38; Heb 11:17]; in patristic Greek, the process continued [cf. PGL 881 s.v. 7]. Second, there are several instances in the NT in which a substantival adjective is followed by a noun with which it has complete concord: cf., e.g., Rom 1:30; Gal 3:9; 1 Tim 1:9; 2 Pet 2:5.) The modern translations which best express this are the NEB (margin) and TEV. Several things should be noted: μονογενής alone, without υἱός, can mean “only son,” “unique son,” “unique one,” etc. (see 1:14). Furthermore, θεός is anarthrous. As such it carries qualitative force much like it does in 1:1c, where θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (qeo" hn Jo logo") means “the Word was fully God” or “the Word was fully of the essence of deity.” Finally, ὁ ὤν occurs in Rev 1:4, 8; 4:8, 11:17; and 16:5, but even more significantly in the LXX of Exod 3:14. Putting all of this together leads to the translation given in the text.

[1:18]  tn Or “The unique one.” For the meaning of μονογενής (monogenh") see the note on “one and only” in 1:14.

[1:18]  ² tn Grk “in the bosom of” (an idiom for closeness or nearness; cf. L&N 34.18; BDAG 556 s.v. κόλπος 1).

[1:18]  ³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:18]  ⁴ sn Has made God known. In this final verse of the prologue, the climactic and ultimate statement of the earthly career of the Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is reached. The unique One (John 1:14), the One who has taken on human form and nature by becoming incarnate (became flesh, 1:14), who is himself fully God (the Word was God, 1:1c) and is to be identified with the ever-living One of the Old Testament revelation (Exod 3:14), who is in intimate relationship with the Father, this One and no other has fully revealed what God is like. As Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.”

[3:19]  ⁵ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ⁶ tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[4:6]  ⁷ tn Grk “on (ἐπί, epi) the well.” There may have been a low stone rim encircling the well, or the reading of Ì⁶⁶ (“on the ground”) may be correct.

[4:6]  ⁸ tn Grk “the sixth hour.”

[4:6]  sn It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at “the sixth hour.”

[5:32]  ⁹ sn To whom does another refer? To John the Baptist or to the Father? In the nearer context, v. 33, it would seem to be John the Baptist. But v. 34 seems to indicate that Jesus does not receive testimony from men. Probably it is better to view v. 32 as identical to v. 37, with the comments about the Baptist as a parenthetical digression.

[5:37]  ¹⁰ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.

[5:37]  ¹¹ sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Compare Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer – their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.

[5:43]  ¹² tn Or “you do not receive.”

[5:43]  ¹³ tn Or “you will receive.”

[6:37]  ¹⁴ tn Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”

[6:45]  ¹⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.

[6:45]  ¹⁶ tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”

[6:51]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And the bread.”

[6:71]  ¹⁸ sn At least six explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). See D. A. Carson, John, 304.

[6:71]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:71]  ²⁰ sn This parenthetical statement by the author helps the reader understand Jesus’ statement one of you is the devil in the previous verse. This is the first mention of Judas in the Fourth Gospel, and he is immediately identified (as he is in the synoptic gospels, Matt 10:4, Mark 3:19, Luke 6:16) as the one who would betray Jesus.

[7:18]  ²¹ tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ²² tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ²³ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ²⁴ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ²⁵ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ²⁶ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[10:12]  ²⁷ sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.

[10:12]  ²⁸ tn Grk “leaves.”

[10:12]  ²⁹ tn Or “flees.”

[10:12]  ³⁰ tn Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.

[10:25]  ³¹ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:25]  ³² tn Or “the works.”

[11:51]  ³³ tn Grk “say this from himself.”

[11:51]  ³⁴ tn The word “Jewish” is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context (so also NIV; TEV “the Jewish people”).

[11:55]  ³⁵ tn Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is the final Passover of Jesus’ ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts (ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ek th" cwra") who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.

[11:55]  ³⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:55]  ³⁷ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

[12:1]  ³⁸ tn Grk “whom Jesus,” but a repetition of the proper name (Jesus) here would be redundant in the English clause structure, so the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.

[12:3]  ³⁹ tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).

[12:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The adjective πιστικῆς (pistikh") is difficult with regard to its exact meaning; some have taken it to derive from πίστις (pistis) and relate to the purity of the oil of nard. More probably it is something like a brand name, “pistic nard,” the exact significance of which has not been discovered.

[12:3]  sn Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.

[12:3]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “And she.” 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.

[12:3]  ⁴² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. With a note characteristic of someone who was there and remembered, the author adds that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil. In the later rabbinic literature, Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.1.1 states “The fragrance of good oil is diffused from the bedroom to the dining hall, but a good name is diffused from one end of the world to the other.” If such a saying was known in the 1st century, this might be the author’s way of indicating that Mary’s act of devotion would be spoken of throughout the entire world (compare the comment in Mark 14:9).

[12:48]  ⁴³ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “message.”

[12:49]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”

[12:49]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “has given me commandment.”

[13:26]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[13:26]  ⁴⁹ sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).

[13:26]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.

[14:24]  ⁵² tn Or “does not keep.”

[14:24]  ⁵³ tn Or “the message.”

[15:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “reside.”

[15:6]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

[17:22]  ⁵⁷ 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.

[18:9]  ⁵⁸ tn The words “He said this” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.

[18:9]  ⁵⁹ sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.

[18:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.

[18:9]  sn This action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of Jesus’ own words: “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” Here it is Jesus’ own words, rather than the OT scriptures, which are quoted. This same formula will be used by the author again of Jesus’ words in 18:32, but the verb is used elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel to describe the NT fulfillment of OT passages (12:38, 13:18, 15:25, 17:12, 19:24, and 19:36). It is a bit difficult to determine the exact referent, since the words of Jesus quoted in this verse are not an exact reproduction of a saying of Jesus elsewhere in John’s Gospel. Although some have identified the saying with John 6:39, the closest parallel is in 17:12, where the betrayer, Judas, is specifically excluded. The words quoted here in 18:9 appear to be a free rendition of 17:12.

[18:26]  ⁶¹ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:26]  ⁶² sn This incident is recounted in v. 10.

[18:26]  ⁶³ tn Or “garden.”

[18:26]  ⁶⁴ tn This question, prefaced with οὐκ (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.

[19:13]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “the judge’s seat.”

[19:13]  sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.

[19:13]  ⁶⁶ sn The precise location of the place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ is still uncertain, although a paved court on the lower level of the Fortress Antonia has been suggested. It is not certain whether it was laid prior to a.d. 135, however.

[19:13]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[19:13]  sn The author does not say that Gabbatha is the Aramaic (or Hebrew) translation for the Greek term Λιθόστρωτον (Liqostrwton). He simply points out that in Aramaic (or Hebrew) the place had another name. A number of meanings have been suggested, but the most likely appears to mean “elevated place.” It is possible that this was a term used by the common people for the judgment seat itself, which always stood on a raised platform.

[19:13]  ⁶⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:17]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “carrying the cross by himself.”

[19:17]  sn As was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion, the prisoner was made to carry his own cross. In all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution. According to Matt 27:32 and Mark 15:21, the soldiers forced Simon to take the cross; Luke 23:26 states that the cross was placed on Simon so that it might be carried behind Jesus. A reasonable explanation of all this is that Jesus started out carrying the cross until he was no longer able to do so, at which point Simon was forced to take over.

[19:17]  ⁷⁰ sn Jesus was led out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” where he was to be crucified. It is clear from v. 20 that this was outside the city. The Latin word for the Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria. Thus the English word “Calvary” is a transliteration of the Latin rather than a NT place name (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).

[19:17]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[19:17]  ⁷² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[20:31]  ⁷³ tn Grk “these things.”

[20:31]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “are written.”

[20:31]  ⁷⁵ tc ‡ A difficult textual variant is present at this point in the Greek text. Some mss (Ì^66vid א* B Θ 0250 pc) read the present subjunctive πιστεύητε (pisteuhte) after ἵνα (Jina; thus NEB text, “that you may hold the faith”) while others (א² A C D L W Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) read the aorist subjunctive πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) after ἵνα (cf. NEB margin, “that you may come to believe”). As reflected by the renderings of the NEB text and margin, it is often assumed that the present tense would suggest ongoing belief (i.e., the Fourth Gospel primarily addressed those who already believed, and was intended to strengthen their faith), while the aorist tense would speak of coming to faith (i.e., John’s Gospel was primarily evangelistic in nature). Both textual variants enjoy significant ms support, although the present subjunctive has somewhat superior witnesses on its behalf. On internal grounds it is hard to decide which is more likely the original. Many resolve this issue on the basis of a reconstruction of the overall purpose of the Gospel, viz., whether it is addressed to unbelievers or believers. However, since elsewhere in the Gospel of John (1) the present tense can refer to both initial faith and continuation in the faith and (2) the aorist tense simply refrains from commenting on the issue, it is highly unlikely that the distinction here would be determinative for the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. The question of purpose cannot be resolved by choosing one textual variant over the other in 20:31, but must be decided on other factors. Nevertheless, if a choice has to be made, the present subjunctive is the preferred reading. NA²⁷ puts the aorist’s sigma in brackets, thus representing both readings virtually equally (so TCGNT 220).

[20:31]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “Jesus is the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[20:31]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[20:31]  ⁷⁷ sn John 20:31. A major question concerning this verse, the purpose statement of the Gospel of John, is whether the author is writing primarily for an audience of unbelievers, with purely evangelistic emphasis, or whether he envisions an audience of believers, whom he wants to strengthen in their faith. Several points are important in this discussion: (1) in the immediate context (20:30), the other signs spoken of by the author were performed in the presence of disciples; (2) in the case of the first of the signs, at Cana, the author makes a point of the effect the miracle had on the disciples (2:11); (3) if the primary thrust of the Gospel is toward unbelievers, it is difficult to see why so much material in chaps. 13-17 (the last meal and Farewell Discourse, concluding with Jesus’ prayer for the disciples), which deals almost exclusively with the disciples, is included; (4) the disciples themselves were repeatedly said to have believed in Jesus throughout the Gospel, beginning with 2:11, yet they still needed to believe after the resurrection (if Thomas’ experience in 20:27-28 is any indication); and (5) the Gospel appears to be written with the assumption that the readers are familiar with the basic story (or perhaps with one or more of the synoptic gospel accounts, although this is less clear). Thus no account of the birth of Jesus is given at all, and although he is identified as being from Nazareth, the words of the Pharisees and chief priests to Nicodemus (7:52) are almost certainly to be taken as ironic, assuming the reader knows where Jesus was really from. Likewise, when Mary is identified in 11:2 as the one who anointed Jesus’ feet with oil, it is apparently assumed that the readers are familiar with the story, since the incident involved is not mentioned in the Fourth Gospel until 12:3. These observations must be set over against the clear statement of purpose in the present verse, 20:31, which seems to have significant evangelistic emphasis. In addition to this there is the repeated emphasis on witness throughout the Fourth Gospel (cf. the witness of John the Baptist in 1:7, 8, 15, 32, and 34, along with 5:33; the Samaritan woman in 4:39; Jesus’ own witness, along with that of the Father who sent him, in 8:14, 18, and 18:37; the disciples themselves in 15:27; and finally the testimony of the author himself in 19:35 and 21:24). In light of all this evidence it seems best to say that the author wrote with a dual purpose: (1) to witness to unbelievers concerning Jesus, in order that they come to believe in him and have eternal life; and (2) to strengthen the faith of believers, by deepening and expanding their understanding of who Jesus is.

[21:11]  ⁷⁸ tn The words “It was” are not in the Greek text. Here a new sentence was begun in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences. For this reason the words “It was” had to be supplied.

[21:11]  ⁷⁹ sn Here the author makes two further points about the catch of fish: (1) there were one hundred fifty-three large fish in the net, and (2) even with so many, the net was not torn. Many symbolic interpretations have been proposed for both points (unity, especially, in the case of the second), but the reader is given no explicit clarification in the text itself. It seems better not to speculate here, but to see these details as indicative of an eyewitness account. Both are the sort of thing that would remain in the mind of a person who had witnessed them firsthand. For a summary of the symbolic interpretations proposed for the number of fish in the net, see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1074-75), where a number are discussed at length. Perhaps the reader is simply to understand this as the abundance which results from obedience to Jesus, much as with the amount of wine generated in the water jars in Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (2:6).