Yohanes 6:36

6:36 But I told you ¹  that you have seen me ²  and still do not believe.

Yohanes 6:47

6:47 I tell you the solemn truth, ³  the one who believes ⁴  has eternal life. ⁵ 

Yohanes 8:58

8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁶  before Abraham came into existence, ⁷  I am!” ⁸ 

Yohanes 14:29

14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. ⁹ 

Yohanes 15:3

15:3 You are clean already ¹⁰  because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Yohanes 15:14

15:14 You are my friends ¹¹  if you do what I command you.

Yohanes 16:6

16:6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness ¹²  because I have said these things to you.

Yohanes 16:12

16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, ¹³  but you cannot bear ¹⁴  them now.

Yohanes 16:14

16:14 He ¹⁵  will glorify me, ¹⁶  because he will receive ¹⁷  from me what is mine ¹⁸  and will tell it to you. ¹⁹ 

[6:36]  ¹ tn Grk “But I said to you.”

[6:36]  ² 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.

[6:47]  ³ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:47]  ⁴ tc Most witnesses (A C² D Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat and other versions) have “in me” (εἰς ἐμέ, eis eme) here, while the Sinaitic and Curetonian Syriac versions read “in God.” These clarifying readings are predictable variants, being motivated by the scribal tendency toward greater explicitness. That the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75vid א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.

[6:47]  ⁵ tn Compare John 6:40.

[8:58]  ⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:58]  ⁷ tn Grk “before Abraham was.”

[8:58]  ⁸ sn I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase “I am” in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).

[14:29]  ⁹ 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.

[15:3]  ¹⁰ 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).

[15:14]  ¹¹ 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).

[16:6]  ¹² tn Or “distress” or “grief.”

[16:12]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”

[16:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “That one.”

[16:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “will honor me.”

[16:14]  ¹⁷ tn Or “he will take.”

[16:14]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Or “will announce it to you.”