Yohanes 8:44

8:44 You people ¹  are from ²  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ³  He ⁴  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ⁵  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ⁶  he speaks according to his own nature, ⁷  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁸ 

Yohanes 16:13

16:13 But when he, ⁹  the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide ¹⁰  you into all truth. ¹¹  For he will not speak on his own authority, ¹²  but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you ¹³  what is to come. ¹⁴ 

Yohanes 21:18

21:18 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁵  when you were young, you tied your clothes around you ¹⁶  and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up ¹⁷  and bring you where you do not want to go.”

[8:44]  ¹ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ² tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).

[8:44]  ³ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ⁴ tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ⁵ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ⁶ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ⁷ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ⁸ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[16:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “that one.”

[16:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “will lead.”

[16:13]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Grk “speak from himself.”

[16:13]  ¹³ tn Or will announce to you.”

[16:13]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”

[21:18]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[21:18]  ¹⁶ tn Or “you girded yourself.”

[21:18]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “others will gird you.”