Yohanes 1:30

1:30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, ¹  because he existed before me.’

Yohanes 1:50

1:50 Jesus said to him, ²  “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ³ 

Yohanes 3:7

3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all ⁴  be born from above.’ ⁵ 

Yohanes 3:12

3:12 If I have told you people ⁶  about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ⁷ 

Yohanes 3:28

3:28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ ⁸  but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’

Yohanes 6:25

Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, ⁹  they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” ¹⁰ 

Yohanes 6:28

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds ¹¹  God requires?” ¹² 

Yohanes 6:30

6:30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

Yohanes 6:34

6:34 So they said to him, “Sir, ¹³  give us this bread all the time!”

Yohanes 6:36

6:36 But I told you ¹⁴  that you have seen me ¹⁵  and still do not believe.

Yohanes 7:3

7:3 So Jesus’ brothers ¹⁶  advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. ¹⁷ 

Yohanes 7:35

7:35 Then the Jewish leaders ¹⁸  said to one another, “Where is he ¹⁹  going to go that we cannot find him? ²⁰  He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed ²¹  among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? ²² 

Yohanes 7:45

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers ²³  returned ²⁴  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ²⁵  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ²⁶ 

Yohanes 8:13

8:13 So the Pharisees ²⁷  objected, ²⁸  “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” ²⁹ 

Yohanes 8:24

8:24 Thus I told you ³⁰  that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, ³¹  you will die in your sins.”

Yohanes 8:52

8:52 Then ³²  the Judeans ³³  responded, ³⁴  “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! ³⁵  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet ³⁶  you say, ‘If anyone obeys ³⁷  my teaching, ³⁸  he will never experience ³⁹  death.’ ⁴⁰ 

Yohanes 8:57

8:57 Then the Judeans ⁴¹  replied, ⁴²  “You are not yet fifty years old! ⁴³  Have ⁴⁴  you seen Abraham?”

Yohanes 9:26-28

9:26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” ⁴⁵  9:27 He answered, ⁴⁶  “I told you already and you didn’t listen. ⁴⁷  Why do you want to hear it ⁴⁸  again? You people ⁴⁹  don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

9:28 They ⁵⁰  heaped insults ⁵¹  on him, saying, ⁵²  “You are his disciple! ⁵³  We are disciples of Moses!

Yohanes 9:40

9:40 Some of the Pharisees ⁵⁴  who were with him heard this ⁵⁵  and asked him, ⁵⁶  “We are not blind too, are we?” ⁵⁷ 

Yohanes 10:24-25

10:24 The Jewish leaders ⁵⁸  surrounded him and asked, ⁵⁹  “How long will you keep us in suspense? ⁶⁰  If you are the Christ, ⁶¹  tell us plainly.” ⁶²  10:25 Jesus replied, ⁶³  “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds ⁶⁴  I do in my Father’s name testify about me.

Yohanes 10:36

10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart ⁶⁵  and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

Yohanes 11:40

11:40 Jesus responded, ⁶⁶  “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?”

Yohanes 11:42

11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, ⁶⁷  but I said this ⁶⁸  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Yohanes 13:33

13:33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, ⁶⁹  and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, ⁷⁰  ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ ⁷¹  now I tell you the same. ⁷² 

Yohanes 14:2

14:2 There are many dwelling places ⁷³  in my Father’s house. ⁷⁴  Otherwise, I would have told you, because ⁷⁵  I am going away to make ready ⁷⁶  a place for you. ⁷⁷ 

Yohanes 14:26

14:26 But the Advocate, ⁷⁸  the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you ⁷⁹  everything, ⁸⁰  and will cause you to remember everything ⁸¹  I said to you.

Yohanes 14:28

14:28 You heard me say to you, ⁸²  ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad ⁸³  that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. ⁸⁴ 

Yohanes 15:20

15:20 Remember what ⁸⁵  I told you, ‘A slave ⁸⁶  is not greater than his master.’ ⁸⁷  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed ⁸⁸  my word, they will obey ⁸⁹  yours too.

Yohanes 16:4

16:4 But I have told you these things ⁹⁰  so that when their time ⁹¹  comes, you will remember that I told you about them. ⁹² 

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. ⁹³ 

Yohanes 16:15

16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit ⁹⁴  will receive from me what is mine ⁹⁵  and will tell it to you. ⁹⁶ 

Yohanes 16:19

16:19 Jesus could see ⁹⁷  that they wanted to ask him about these things, ⁹⁸  so ⁹⁹  he said to them, “Are you asking ¹⁰⁰  each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you ¹⁰¹  will not see me; again after a little while, you ¹⁰²  will see me’?

Yohanes 18:8

18:8 Jesus replied, ¹⁰³  “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for ¹⁰⁴  me, let these men ¹⁰⁵  go.” ¹⁰⁶ 

Yohanes 18:21

18:21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. ¹⁰⁷  They ¹⁰⁸  know what I said.”

Yohanes 18:25

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

18:25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard ¹⁰⁹  warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” ¹¹⁰  Peter ¹¹¹  denied it: “I am not!”

Yohanes 18:31

18:31 Pilate told them, ¹¹²  “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him ¹¹³  according to your own law!” ¹¹⁴  The Jewish leaders ¹¹⁵  replied, ¹¹⁶  “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” ¹¹⁷ 

Yohanes 18:34

18:34 Jesus replied, ¹¹⁸  “Are you saying this on your own initiative, ¹¹⁹  or have others told you about me?”

[1:30]  ¹ tn Or “has a higher rank than I.”

[1:50]  ² tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “said to him.”

[1:50]  ³ sn What are the greater things Jesus had in mind? In the narrative this forms an excellent foreshadowing of the miraculous signs which began at Cana of Galilee.

[3:7]  ⁴ tn “All” has been supplied to indicate the plural pronoun in the Greek text.

[3:7]  ⁵ tn Or “born again.” The same Greek word with the same double meaning occurs in v. 3.

[3:12]  ⁶ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:12]  ⁷ sn Obviously earthly things and heavenly things are in contrast, but what is the contrast? What are earthly things which Jesus has just spoken to Nicodemus? And through him to others – this is not the first instance of the plural pronoun, see v. 7, you must all. Since Nicodemus began with a plural (we know, v. 2) Jesus continues it, and through Nicodemus addresses a broader audience. It makes most sense to take this as a reference to the things Jesus has just said (and the things he is about to say, vv. 13-15). If this is the case (and it seems the most natural explanation) then earthly things are not necessarily strictly physical things, but are so called because they take place on earth, in contrast to things like v. 16, which take place in heaven. Some have added the suggestion that the things are called earthly because physical analogies (birth, wind, water) are used to describe them. This is possible, but it seems more probable that Jesus calls these things earthly because they happen on earth (even though they are spiritual things). In the context, taking earthly things as referring to the words Jesus has just spoken fits with the fact that Nicodemus did not believe. And he would not after hearing heavenly things either, unless he first believed in the earthly things – which included the necessity of a regenerating work from above, by the Holy Spirit.

[3:28]  ⁸ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[3:28]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[6:25]  ⁹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:25]  ¹⁰ sn John 6:25-31. The previous miracle of the multiplication of the bread had taken place near the town of Tiberias (cf. John 6:23). Jesus’ disciples set sail for Capernaum (6:17) and were joined by the Lord in the middle of the sea. The next day boats from Tiberias picked up a few of those who had seen the multiplication (certainly not the whole 5,000) and brought them to Capernaum. It was to this group that Jesus spoke in 6:26-27. But there were also people from Capernaum who had gathered to see Jesus, who had not witnessed the multiplication, and it was this group that asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like the manna (6:30-31). This would have seemed superfluous if it were the same crowd that had already seen the multiplication of the bread. But some from Capernaum had heard about it and wanted to see a similar miracle repeated.

[6:28]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the works.”

[6:28]  ¹² tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”

[6:34]  ¹³ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek κύριος (kurios) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage it is not at all clear at this point that the crowd is acknowledging Jesus as Lord. More likely this is simply a form of polite address (“sir”).

[6:36]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “But I said to you.”

[6:36]  ¹⁵ tc A few witnesses lack με (me, “me”; א A a b e q sy^s,c), while the rest of the tradition has the word (Ì^66,75vid rell). It is possible that the mss that lack the pronoun preserve the original wording here, with the rest of the witnesses adding the pronoun for clarity’s sake. This likelihood increases since the object is not required in Greek. Without it, however, ambiguity increases: The referent could be “me” or it could be “signs,” reaching back to vv. 26 and 30. However, the oblique form of ἐγώ (egw, the first person personal pronoun) occurs some two dozen times in this chapter alone, yet it vacillates between the emphatic form and the unemphatic form. Although generally the unemphatic form is used with verbs, there are several exceptions to this in John (cf. 8:12; 12:26, 45, 48; 13:20; 14:9). If the pronoun is a later addition here, one wonders why it is so consistently the unemphatic form in the mss. Further, that two unrelated Greek witnesses lack this small word could easily be due to accidental deletion. Finally, the date and diversity of the witnesses for the pronoun are so weighty that it is likely to be authentic and should thus be retained in the text.

[7:3]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:3]  sn Jesus’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.

[7:3]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

[7:3]  sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.

[7:35]  ¹⁸ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; 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 is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).

[7:35]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:35]  ²⁰ tn Grk “will not find him.”

[7:35]  ²¹ sn The Jewish people dispersed (Grk “He is not going to the Diaspora”). The Greek term diaspora (“dispersion”) originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.

[7:35]  ²² tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”).

[7:35]  sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36. They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.

[7:45]  ²³ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:45]  ²⁴ tn Grk “came.”

[7:45]  ²⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:45]  ²⁶ tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

[8:13]  ²⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:13]  ²⁸ tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”

[8:13]  ²⁹ sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.

[8:24]  ³⁰ tn Grk “thus I said to you.”

[8:24]  ³¹ tn Grk “unless you believe that I am.” In this context there is an implied predicate nominative (“he”) following the “I am” phrase. What Jesus’ hearers had to acknowledge is that he was who he claimed to be, i.e., the Messiah (cf. 20:31). This view is also reflected in English translations like NIV (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), NLT (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and CEV (“if you don’t have faith in me for who I am”). For a different view that takes this “I am” and the one in 8:28 as nonpredicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38. Such a view refers sees the nonpredicated “I am” as a reference to the divine Name revealed in Exod 3:14, and is reflected in English translations like NAB (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and TEV (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’”).

[8:24]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[8:52]  ³² tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì⁷⁵ D L Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (Ì⁷⁵) has the conjunction, the combination of Ì⁶⁶ א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:52]  ³³ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).

[8:52]  ³⁴ tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:52]  ³⁵ tn Grk “you have a demon.”

[8:52]  ³⁶ tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:52]  ³⁷ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:52]  ³⁸ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:52]  ³⁹ tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[8:52]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:57]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.

[8:57]  ⁴² tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:57]  ⁴³ tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).

[8:57]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “And have.”

[9:26]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:27]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[9:27]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “you did not hear.”

[9:27]  ⁴⁸ tn “It” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.

[9:27]  ⁴⁹ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[9:28]  ⁵⁰ 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.

[9:28]  ⁵¹ tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”

[9:28]  ⁵² tn Grk “and said.”

[9:28]  ⁵³ tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”

[9:40]  ⁵⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[9:40]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “heard these things.”

[9:40]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “and said to him.”

[9:40]  ⁵⁷ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are we?”).

[10:24]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. The question they ask Jesus (“Are you the Christ?”) is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34). See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish people” in v. 19.

[10:24]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.

[10:24]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “How long will you take away our life?” (an idiom which meant to keep one from coming to a conclusion about something). The use of the phrase τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις (thn yuchn Jhmwn airei") meaning “to keep in suspense” is not well attested, although it certainly fits the context here. In modern Greek the phrase means “to annoy, bother.”

[10:24]  ⁶¹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[10:24]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[10:24]  ⁶² tn Or “publicly.”

[10:25]  ⁶³ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:25]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “the works.”

[10:36]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “dedicated.”

[11:40]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[11:42]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “that you always hear me.”

[11:42]  ⁶⁸ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[13:33]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “You will seek me.”

[13:33]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ sn See John 7:33-34.

[13:33]  ⁷² 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.

[14:2]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ tc A number of important mss (Ì^66c א A B C* D K L W Ψ Ë¹³ 33 565 579 892 al lat) have ὅτι (Joti) here, while the majority lack it (Ì^66* C² Θ Ï). Should the ὅτι be included or omitted? The external evidence is significantly stronger for the longer reading. Most Alexandrian and Western mss favor inclusion (it is a little unusual for the Alexandrian to favor the longer reading), while most Byzantine mss favor omission (again, a little unusual). However, the reading of Ì^66*, which aligns with the Byzantine, needs to be given some value. At the same time, the scribe of this papyrus was known for freely omitting and adding words, and the fact that the ms was corrected discounts its testimony here. But because the shorter reading is out of character for the Byzantine text, the shorter reading (omitting the ὅτι) may well be authentic. Internally, the question comes down to whether the shorter reading is more difficult or not. And here, it loses the battle, for it seems to be a clarifying omission (so TCGNT 206). R. E. Brown is certainly right when he states: “all in all, the translation without ὅτι makes the best sense” (John [AB], 2:620). But this tacitly argues for the authenticity of the word. Thus, on both external and internal grounds, the ὅτι should be regarded as authentic.

[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]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “to prepare.”

[14:2]  ⁷⁷ 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).

[14:26]  ⁷⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “all things.”

[14:26]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “all things.”

[14:28]  ⁸² tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”

[14:28]  ⁸³ tn Or “you would rejoice.”

[14:28]  ⁸⁴ 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).

[15:20]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”

[15:20]  ⁸⁶ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[15:20]  ⁸⁷ 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]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “if they kept.”

[15:20]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “they will keep.”

[16:4]  ⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “their hour.”

[16:4]  ⁹² tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:4]  ⁹³ 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.

[16:15]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “will announce it to you.”

[16:19]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “knew.”

[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]  ⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”

[16:19]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “A little while, and you.”

[16:19]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”

[18:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[18:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “if you are seeking.”

[18:8]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.

[18:8]  ¹⁰⁶ sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.

[18:21]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.

[18:21]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”

[18:25]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The words “in the courtyard” are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.

[18:25]  ¹¹⁰ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[18:25]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:31]  ¹¹² tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”

[18:31]  ¹¹³ tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).

[18:31]  ¹¹⁴ sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.

[18:31]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:31]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:31]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”

[18:31]  sn The historical background behind the statement We cannot legally put anyone to death is difficult to reconstruct. Scholars are divided over whether this statement in the Fourth Gospel accurately reflects the judicial situation between the Jewish authorities and the Romans in 1st century Palestine. It appears that the Roman governor may have given the Jews the power of capital punishment for specific offenses, some of them religious (the death penalty for Gentiles caught trespassing in the inner courts of the temple, for example). It is also pointed out that the Jewish authorities did carry out a number of executions, some of them specifically pertaining to Christians (Stephen, according to Acts 7:58-60; and James the Just, who was stoned in the 60s according to Josephus, Ant. 20.9.1 [20.200]). But Stephen’s death may be explained as a result of “mob violence” rather than a formal execution, and as Josephus in the above account goes on to point out, James was executed in the period between two Roman governors, and the high priest at the time was subsequently punished for the action. Two studies by A. N. Sherwin-White (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1-47; and “The Trial of Christ,” Historicity and Chronology in the New Testament [SPCKTC], 97-116) have tended to support the accuracy of John’s account. He concluded that the Romans kept very close control of the death penalty for fear that in the hands of rebellious locals such power could be used to eliminate factions favorable or useful to Rome. A province as troublesome as Judea would not have been likely to be made an exception to this.

[18:34]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[18:34]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “saying this from yourself.”