John 17:3

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 of man’s religion depends on his conception of God. For ἵνα after οὗτος comp. John 6:29; John 6:39; John 6:49-50; John 15:12; 1 John 3:11; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6.

ἵνα γινώσκουσιν. The present indicative after ἵνα is surprising, but not very rare in late Greek: comp. 1 Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 4:17 : Winer, p. 362. The future is comparatively common; Galatians 2:4. There is no need to give ἵνα a local as distinct from a final meaning in such constructions; ‘where’ or ‘in which case’ instead of ‘in order that.’ The meaning is rather ‘that ye may continue to recognise, as you do now.’ But γινώσκουσιν, though adopted by Tischendorf and Tregelles, is rejected by Westcott and Hort, who retain γινώσκωσιν with Alford and the Revisers. (Westcott and Hort adopt δώσει for δώσῃ in John 17:2.) It is the appropriation of the knowledge that is emphasized: hence γινώσκειν, not εἰδέναι. Comp. Wis 15:3. For ἀληθινόν see on John 1:9; John 4:23 : ‘the only true God’ is directed against the many false, spurious gods of the heathen. This portion of the truth the Gentiles signally failed to recognise.

ὃν�. Ἰ. Χρ. Him whom thou didst send (see on John 1:33),—Jesus Christ; or, Jesus as Christ. This portion of the truth the Jews failed to recognise. But the words are not without difficulty, even when we insert the ‘as;’ and the run of the Greek words is rather against the insertion of ‘as.’ If ‘Christ’ were a predicate and not part of the proper name we should expect ‘Jesus, whom Thou didst send, as Christ.’ Probably in this verse we have the substance and not the exact words of Christ’s utterance. That He should use the name ‘Jesus’ here is perhaps improbable; that He should anticipate the use of ‘Jesus Christ’ as a proper name is very improbable; and the expression ‘the true God’ is not used elsewhere by Christ and is used by S. John (1 John 5:20). We conclude, therefore, that the wording here is the Evangelist’s, perhaps abbreviated from the actual words.