THE PRAYER FOR HIMSELF The Son was sent to give to men eternal life, which consists in the knowledge of God. This work the Son has completed to the glory of the Father, and therefore prays to be glorified by the Father.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΆΡΑΣ for ἐπῆρε. Omit καί before ΕἾΠΕΝ and before Ὁ ΥἹΌΣ, and omit σου after Ὁ ΥἹΌΣ. 1. ἘΠΆΡΑΣ. As before the raising of Lazarus (John 11:41), Jesus looks heavenwards in calm confidence as to the issue (John 16:33). The attitude is in marked contrast to His falling on His face in the garden (Matth... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΘῺΣ ἜΔΩΚΑΣ. EVEN _as thou_ GAVEST (John 3:35) _Him_ AUTHORITY (John 1:12) _over all flesh_. The authority was given once for all (John 5:27), and is the reason for the petition in John 17:1. ΠΑ͂ΣΑ ΣΆΡΞ is a Hebraism not used elsewhere in this Gospel. Comp. Matthew 24:22; Luke 3:6; Acts 2:17; Roman... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΙΝΏΣΚΟΥΣΙΝ (ADGLYΔΛ) for γινώσκωσι: but γινώσκωσιν (אBC) is probably right. 3. ΑὝΤΗ ΔΈ. _But_ THE _life eternal_ (just mentioned) _is this_: ‘is’ not ‘will be’ (see on John 3:36; John 5:24; John 6:47; John 6:54); and ‘is this’ means ‘this is what it consists in’ (John 3:19; John 15:12). The truth o... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΕΛΕΙΏΣΑΣ (אABCL) for ἐτελείωσα (D). 4. ἘΔΌΞΑΣΑ. I GLORIFIED _Thee on the earth_, HAVING PERFECTED. In confident anticipation Christ looks back from the point when all shall be accomplished, and speaks of the whole work of redemption as one act. The A.V. is very capricious throughout this chapter, r... [ Continue Reading ]
5. This and John 17:4 are parallels: ‘I Thee glorified on earth; glorify Me Thou in heaven;’ the pronouns being placed side by side for emphasis. ΚΑῚ ΝΥ͂Ν means ‘now that all is completed;’ and ΠΑΡᾺ ΣΕΑΝΤΩ͂Ι ‘side by side with Thee, in fellowship with Thee.’ The imperfect, ΕἿΧΟΝ, implies continual p... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΦΑΝΈΡΩΣΑ. see on John 1:31. The manifestation was not made indiscriminately, but to persons fitted to receive it. Sometimes the Father is said to ‘give’ or ‘draw’ men to Christ (John 5:24; John 6:37; John 6:44; John 6:65; John 10:29; John 18:9); sometimes Christ is said to ‘choose’ them (John 6:70;... [ Continue Reading ]
6–8. The basis of the intercession;—they have received the revelation given to them. The intercession itself begins John 17:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRAYER FOR HIS DISCIPLES... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΓΝΩΚΑΝ. _They have recognised_ and therefore KNOW (John 5:42; John 6:69; John 8:52; John 8:55; John 14:9) that the whole of Christ’s work of redemption in word and act was in its origin and still is (εἰσίν) of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΓΝΩΣΑΝ … ἘΠΊΣΤΕΥΣΑΝ. They _recognised_ that His mission was Divine (see on John 16:28): they _believed_ that He was sent as the Messiah. They had proof of the one; the other was a matter of faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
9. ‘For them who have believed I, who have laboured to bring them to this belief, am praying; for the world I am not praying.’ Ἐγώ, αὐτῶν and κόσμου are emphatic. ΠΕΡΊ indicates the subject of the petition: for ἘΡΩΤΩ͂ see on John 14:16. Of course this does not mean that Christ never prays for unbeli... [ Continue Reading ]
9–19. The intercession for the disciples based on their need.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺ ἘΜΆ. _All_ THINGS _that are Mine are Thine and Thine are Mine_. This does not refer to persons only; it continues and also amplifies ὅτι σοί εἰσιν. The double mode of statement insists on the perfect union between the Father and the Son: what follows shews the perfect union between Christ and bel... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΆΤΕΡ ἍΓΙΕ. The expression occurs here only; but comp. Revelation 6:10; 1 John 2:20 and John 17:25. The epithet agrees with the prayer ἉΓΊΑΣΟΝ αὐτούς (John 17:17), ἵνα ὦσιν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἩΓΙΑΣΜΈΝΟΙ (John 17:19). God has given His name (see on John 1:12) to Christ to reveal to His disciples; and Christ h... [ Continue Reading ]
11, 12. ὮΙ for οὕς: οὕς in John 17:12 caused the omission of ΚΑΊ before ἘΦΎΛΑΞΑ, a colon being placed at σου.... [ Continue Reading ]
11–16. In John 17:6-8 the disciples’ acceptance of Christ is given as the basis of intercession for them: here another reason is added,—their need of help during Christ’s absence. This plea is first stated in all simplicity, and then repeated at intervals in the petition. Note the simple and solemn... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΤΉΡΟΥΝ. The imperfect expresses Christ’s continual watching. Ἐγώ is emphatic: ‘_I_ kept them while I was with them; but now do Thou keep them.’ Mark the change to ἘΦΎΛΑΞΑ, I GUARDED: this is the protection which is the _result_ of the watching. Ὁ ΥἹῸΣ Τ. ἈΠΩΛΕΊΑΣ. The phrase occurs twice in N.T.; h... [ Continue Reading ]
ΝΥ͂Ν ΔΈ. BUT _now_. Hitherto He has been with them to guard them, but now He is going away: and He is praying thus aloud in order that His words may comfort them when they remember that before He went He consigned them to His Father’s keeping. Comp. John 11:42. For Τ. ΧΑΡᾺΝ Τ. ἘΜΉΝ see on John 8:31.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓῺ ΔΈΔ. _I_, in emphatic opposition to the world, _have given them the revelation of Thee; and the world_ HATED _them_. The aorist expresses the single act of hate in contrast to the gift which they continue to possess. These are the two results of discipleship; Christ’s protection with the gift of... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΚ Τ. ΠΟΝΗΡΟΥ͂. _From the_ EVIL ONE: comp. 1 John 2:13-14; 1 John 3:12, and especially John 5:18-19. The world and the Gospel are regarded as in ceaseless opposition in S. John’s writings, and the evil one is ‘the ruler of this world’ (John 12:31; John 16:11). Just as Christ is that _in_ which His d... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Κ ΕἸΜΊ before ἘΚ Τ. Κ. (אABCD). The converse arrangement (E) is an imitation of the preceding clause. 16. What was stated in John 17:14 as the reason for the world’s hate is repeated as the introduction to a new petition for not merely protection but sanctification.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἉΓΊΑΣΟΝ. _Sanctify_ or CONSECRATE. It expresses God’s destination of them for their work and His endowment of them with the powers necessary for their work. The word is used of God’s consecration of Jeremiah, Moses, and the Chosen People (Jeremiah 1:5; Sir 49:7; Sir 45:4; 2Ma 1:25). This prayer has... [ Continue Reading ]
ὯΣΙΝ before ΚΑῚ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΊ: comp. John 17:16. 19. Christ does for Himself that which He prays the Father to do for His disciples. In John 10:36 He speaks of Himself as consecrated by the Father; set apart for a sacred purpose. But only thus far is the consecration of Christ and of His disciples the same... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΙΣΤΕΥΌΝΤΩΝ (אABCD1) for πιστευσόντων (alteration to what seemed more in harmony with facts). 20. ΠΙΣΤΕΥΌΝΤΩΝ. Present: the future body of believers is regarded by anticipation as already in existence: the Apostles are an earnest of the Church that is to be. The order emphasizes the fact that those... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRAYER FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH Christ having prayed first for the _Author_ of salvation, and then for the _instruments_ of the work, now prays for the _objects_ of it. The limitation stated in John 17:9 is at an end: through the Church He prays for the whole race of mankind (John 17:21).... [ Continue Reading ]
21. After ἘΝ ἩΜΙ͂Ν omit ἕν (an insertion from the first clause: comp. John 17:11; John 17:22). Confusion between the clauses makes several patristic quotations ambiguous; but the insertion is strongly supported. 21. ἛΝ ὮΣΙΝ. This is the purpose rather than the purport of the prayer: Christ prays fo... [ Continue Reading ]
22. Omit ἐσμεν at the end of the verse with א1BDL against Aא3. 22. ΔΈΔΩΚΑΣ. see on John 3:35. The meaning of this gift of δόξα is clear from John 17:24; the glory of the ascended and glorified Christ in which believers are His συνκληρονόμοι (see on Romans 8:17). In full assurance of victory (John 1... [ Continue Reading ]
22–24. Having prayed for them with a view to their unity, Jesus passes to His final petition, a share in His glory for His disciples. In leading up to this He states what He Himself has done for them: ΚἈΓΏ is emphatic.... [ Continue Reading ]
23. The basis of the unity of believers is their union with Christ and through Him with the Father: in this way they are _perfected_ into _one_, completed and made one. It is in the unity that the completeness consists. For ΤΕΛΕΙΟΥ͂ΣΘΑΙ comp. 1 John 2:5; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 4:17-18; for ΕἸΣ ἝΝ comp.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΤΉΡ, Ὅ for Πάτερ, οὕς (an obvious correction). THE PRAYER OF THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST The prayer which follows the last discourse is unique in the Gospels. The other Evangelists, especially S. Luke, mention the fact of Christ praying (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΤῊΡ ΔΊΚΑΙΕ. The epithet (comp. John 17:11) harmonizes with the appeal to the _justice_ of God which follows, which is based on a simple statement of the facts. The world knew not God; Christ knew Him; the disciples knew that Christ was sent by Him. ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’... [ Continue Reading ]
25, 26. SUMMARY... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓΝΏΡΙΣΑ. Shew in translation that the verb is cognate with ἔγνων in John 17:25; MADE KNOWN. In both cases the aorist should be kept in English. Christ knows the Father and makes known His name, i.e. His attributes and will (see on John 1:12), to the disciples. This imparting of knowledge is already... [ Continue Reading ]