LIFTING UP (επαρας). First aorist active participle of επαιρω, old and common verb with οφθαλμους (eyes) as in John 4:35; John 6:5; John 11:41.FATHER (Πατερ). Vocative form as in verses John 17:5; John 17:11; John 11:41, Christ's usual way of beginning his prayers. It is inconceivable that this... [ Continue Reading ]
AUTHORITY OVER ALL FLESH (εξουσιαν πασης σαρκος). Σαρκος is objective genitive. Stupendous claim impossible for a mere man to make. Made already in Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22 (Q, the Logia of Jesus, our earliest known document about Jesus) and repeated in Matthew 28:18 after his resurrection.THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
SHOULD KNOW (γινωσκωσιν). Present active subjunctive with ινα (subject clause), "should keep on knowing."EVEN JESUS CHRIST (Ιησουν Χριστον). See John 1:17 for the only other place in John's Gospel where the words occur together. Coming here in the Lord's own prayer about himself they create dif... [ Continue Reading ]
I GLORIFIED THEE ON THE EARTH (εγω σε εδοξασα επ της γης). Verse John 17:3 is parenthetical and so verse John 17:4 goes on after verse John 17:2. He had prayed for further glorification.HAVING ACCOMPLISHED (τελειωσας). First aorist active participle of τελειοω, old verb from τελειος (perfect). U... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THINE OWN SELF (παρα σεαυτω). "By the side of thyself." Jesus prays for full restoration to the pre-incarnate glory and fellowship (cf. John 1:1) enjoyed before the Incarnation (John 1:14). This is not just ideal pre-existence, but actual and conscious existence at the Father's side (παρα σο,... [ Continue Reading ]
I MANIFESTED (εφανερωσα). First aorist active indicative of φανεροω (from φανερος, manifest). Another word for claiming successful accomplishment of his task as in verse John 17:4 with εδοξασα and in verse John 17:26 with εγνωρισα.WHOM (ους). Accusative case after εδωκας, not attracted to case... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEY KNOW (νυν εγνωκαν). Perfect active indicative third plural like τετηρηκαν above. They have come to know, not as fully as they felt (John 16:30), and yet in a real sense.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORDS (τα ρηματα). Plural, each word of God, as in John 3:34, and of Christ (John 5:47; John 6:63; John 6:68), while the singular (τον λογον σου) in verses John 17:6; John 17:14 views God's message as a whole.KNEW (εγνωσαν). Second aorist active indicative of γινωσκω like ελαβον in contrast... [ Continue Reading ]
I PRAY (εγω ερωτω). Request, not question, as in John 16:23.NOT FOR THE WORLD (ου περ του κοσμου). Now at this point in the prayer Christ means. In verse John 17:19 Jesus does pray for the world (for future believers) that it may believe (verse John 17:21). God loves the whole world (John 3:16).... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE (εστιν). Singular number in the Greek (is), not the plural εισιν (are), emphasizing the unity of the whole as in John 16:15. "This no creature can say in reference to God" (Luther).I AM GLORIFIED IN THEM (δεδοξασμα εν αυτοις). "I stand glorified (perfect passive indicative of δοξαζω) in the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THESE (κα ουτο or αυτο, they). Note adversative use of κα (= but these).I COME (ερεομα). Futuristic present, "I am coming." Cf. John 13:3; John 14:12; John 17:13. Christ will no longer be visibly present to the world, but he will be with the believers through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:20)... [ Continue Reading ]
I KEPT (ετηρουν). Imperfect active of τηρεω, "I continued to keep."I GUARDED (εφυλαξα). First aorist (constative) active of φυλασσω. Christ was the sentinel (φυλαξ, Acts 5:23) for them. Is he our sentinel now?BUT THE SON OF PERDITION (ε μη ο υιος της απωλειας). The very phrase for antichrist... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY MAY HAVE MY JOY FULFILLED IN THEMSELVES (ινα εχωσιν την χαραν την εμην πεπληρωμενην εν εαυτοις). Purpose clause with present active subjunctive of εχω, "that they may keep on having Christ's joy in their faithfulness realized in themselves." Πεπληρωμενην is the perfect passive participl... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT OF THE WORLD (ουκ εκ του κοσμου). They are "in the world" (εν τω κοσμω, verse John 17:13) still and Christ sends them "into the world" (εις τον κοσμον, verse John 17:18), but they must not be like the world nor get their spirit, standards, and message "out of the world," else they can do the... [ Continue Reading ]
SHOULDEST TAKE (αρηις). First aorist active subjunctive of αιρω (liquid verb).FROM THE EVIL ONE (εκ του πονηρου). Ablative case with εκ, but can mean the evil man, Satan, or the evil deed. See same ambiguity in Matthew 6:13. But in 1 John 5:18 ο πονηρος is masculine (the evil one). Cf. Revelati... [ Continue Reading ]
Repetition of verse John 17:14 for emphasis.... [ Continue Reading ]
SANCTIFY (αγιασον). First aorist active imperative of αγιαζω. To consecrate or set apart persons or things to God. See Exodus 28:41; Exodus 29:1; Exodus 29:36; Exodus 40:13. See Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This is done in the sphere (εν) of truth (God's truth), God... [ Continue Reading ]
SENT I THEM (απεστειλα αυτους). The very verb (αποστελλω) used of the original commission of these men (Mark 3:14) and the special commission (Luke 9:2) and the renewal of the commission after the resurrection (John 20:21, both αποστελλω and πεμπω here).... [ Continue Reading ]
I SANCTIFY MYSELF (εγω αγιαζω εμαυτον). To his holy ministry to which the Father "sanctified" (ηγιασεν) him (John 10:36).THAT THEY THEMSELVES ALSO MAY BE SANCTIFIED IN TRUTH (ινα ωσιν κα αυτο ηγιασμενο εν αληθεια). Purpose clause with ινα and the periphrastic perfect passive subjunctive of αγια... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THEIR WORD (δια του λογου αυτων). Through the agency of conversation and preaching, blessed privilege open to all believers thus to win men to Christ, but an agency sadly limited by the lives of those who speak in Christ's name.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE IN US (ινα κα αυτο εν ημιν ωσιν). Another purpose clause with ινα and the present active subjunctive of ειμ. The only possible way to have unity among believers is for all of them to find unity first with God in Christ.THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE (ινα ο κοσμος πιστευη). Ano... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GLORY (καγω την δοξαν). Literally, "And I the glory," with emphasis on "I." It is the glory of the Incarnate Word (Bernard), cf. John 1:14; John 2:11, not the glory of the Eternal Word mentioned in John 17:24. Bengel says: _Quanta majestas Christianorum!_ Then verse John 17:22 repeats the... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY MAY BE PERFECTED INTO ONE (ινα ωσιν τετελειωμενο εις εν). Purpose clause again with ινα (nineteen times in this prayer, this the fifteenth) with the periphrastic perfect passive subjunctive of τελειοω (verse John 17:4), permanent state, with εις εν (into one) as the goal and final resul... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL (θελω). Perfect identity of his will with that of the Father in "this moment of spiritual exaltation" (Bernard), though in Gethsemane Jesus distinguishes between his human will and that of the Father (Mark 14:36).WHERE I AM (οπου ειμ εγω). That is heaven, to be with Jesus (John 12:26; Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
O RIGHTEOUS FATHER (Πατηρ δικαιε). Nominative form with πατηρ used as vocative (cf. John 20:28), but vocative form δικαιε. Then the righteousness of God is appealed to like God's holiness in verse John 17:11.THE WORLD (κα ο κοσμος). The translations usually slur over the κα as untranslatable in... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WILL MAKE IT KNOWN (κα γνωρισω). Future active of γνωριζω, the perpetual mission of Christ through the Spirit (John 16:12; John 16:25; Matthew 28:20) as he himself has done heretofore (John 17:6).WHEREWITH (εν). Cognate accusative relative with ηγαπησας which has also the accusative of the... [ Continue Reading ]