Yohanes 2:4

2:4 Jesus replied, ¹  “Woman, ²  why are you saying this to me? ³  My time ⁴  has not yet come.”

Yohanes 2:17

2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal ⁵  for your house will devour me.” ⁶ 

Yohanes 4:32

4:32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

Yohanes 5:24

5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁷  the one who hears ⁸  my message ⁹  and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, ¹⁰  but has crossed over from death to life.

Yohanes 5:30

5:30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. ¹¹  Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, ¹²  because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. ¹³ 

Yohanes 5:47

5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses ¹⁴  wrote, how will you believe my words?”

Yohanes 7:16

7:16 So Jesus replied, ¹⁵  “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. ¹⁶ 

Yohanes 8:16

8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, ¹⁷  because I am not alone when I judge, ¹⁸  but I and the Father who sent me do so together. ¹⁹ 

Yohanes 8:28

8:28 Then Jesus said, ²⁰  “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, ²¹  and I do nothing on my own initiative, ²²  but I speak just what the Father taught me. ²³ 

Yohanes 8:31

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ²⁴  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ²⁵  you are really ²⁶  my disciples

Yohanes 8:37

8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. ²⁷  But you want ²⁸  to kill me, because my teaching ²⁹  makes no progress among you. ³⁰ 

Yohanes 8:43

8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ³¹  my teaching. ³² 

Yohanes 8:46

8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty ³³  of any sin? ³⁴  If I am telling you ³⁵  the truth, why don’t you believe me?

Yohanes 8:51-52

8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁶  if anyone obeys ³⁷  my teaching, ³⁸  he will never see death.” ³⁹ 

8:52 Then ⁴⁰  the Judeans ⁴¹  responded, ⁴²  “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! ⁴³  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet ⁴⁴  you say, ‘If anyone obeys ⁴⁵  my teaching, ⁴⁶  he will never experience ⁴⁷  death.’ ⁴⁸ 

Yohanes 10:16

10:16 I have ⁴⁹  other sheep that do not come from ⁵⁰  this sheepfold. ⁵¹  I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, ⁵²  so that ⁵³  there will be one flock and ⁵⁴  one shepherd.

Yohanes 10:18

10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down ⁵⁵  of my own free will. ⁵⁶  I have the authority ⁵⁷  to lay it down, and I have the authority ⁵⁸  to take it back again. This commandment ⁵⁹  I received from my Father.”

Yohanes 12:7

12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. ⁶⁰ 

Yohanes 12:26

12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow ⁶¹  me, and where I am, my servant will be too. ⁶²  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Yohanes 12:47-49

12:47 If anyone ⁶³  hears my words and does not obey them, ⁶⁴  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁶⁵  12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ⁶⁶  my words has a judge; ⁶⁷  the word ⁶⁸  I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, ⁶⁹  but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me ⁷⁰  what I should say and what I should speak.

Yohanes 13:8

13:8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” ⁷¹  Jesus replied, ⁷²  “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁷³ 

Yohanes 13:18

The Announcement of Jesus’ Betrayal

13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, ⁷⁴  ‘The one who eats my bread ⁷⁵  has turned against me.’ ⁷⁶ 

Yohanes 13:35

13:35 Everyone ⁷⁷  will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

Yohanes 14:15

Teaching on the Holy Spirit

14:15 “If you love me, you will obey ⁷⁸  my commandments. ⁷⁹ 

Yohanes 14:21

14:21 The person who has my commandments and obeys ⁸⁰  them is the one who loves me. ⁸¹  The one ⁸²  who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal ⁸³  myself to him.”

Yohanes 14:23-24

14:23 Jesus replied, ⁸⁴  “If anyone loves me, he will obey ⁸⁵  my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. ⁸⁶  14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey ⁸⁷  my words. And the word ⁸⁸  you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

Yohanes 14:27

14:27 “Peace I leave with you; ⁸⁹  my peace I give to you; I do not give it ⁹⁰  to you as the world does. ⁹¹  Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. ⁹² 

Yohanes 15:2

15:2 He takes away ⁹³  every branch that does not bear ⁹⁴  fruit in me. He ⁹⁵  prunes ⁹⁶  every branch that bears ⁹⁷  fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

Yohanes 15:7-8

15:7 If you remain ⁹⁸  in me and my words remain ⁹⁹  in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ¹⁰⁰  15:8 My Father is honored ¹⁰¹  by this, that ¹⁰²  you bear ¹⁰³  much fruit and show that you are ¹⁰⁴  my disciples.

Yohanes 15:10

15:10 If you obey ¹⁰⁵  my commandments, you will remain ¹⁰⁶  in my love, just as I have obeyed ¹⁰⁷  my Father’s commandments and remain ¹⁰⁸  in his love.

Yohanes 15:12

15:12 My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. ¹⁰⁹ 

Yohanes 15:17

15:17 This ¹¹⁰  I command you – to love one another.

Yohanes 15:20-21

15:20 Remember what ¹¹¹  I told you, ‘A slave ¹¹²  is not greater than his master.’ ¹¹³  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed ¹¹⁴  my word, they will obey ¹¹⁵  yours too. 15:21 But they will do all these things to you on account of ¹¹⁶  my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. ¹¹⁷ 

Yohanes 16:14-15

16:14 He ¹¹⁸  will glorify me, ¹¹⁹  because he will receive ¹²⁰  from me what is mine ¹²¹  and will tell it to you. ¹²²  16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit ¹²³  will receive from me what is mine ¹²⁴  and will tell it to you. ¹²⁵ 

Yohanes 17:5

17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side ¹²⁶  with the glory I had with you before the world was created. ¹²⁷ 

Yohanes 17:9

17:9 I am praying ¹²⁸  on behalf of them. I am not praying ¹²⁹  on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹³⁰ 

Yohanes 18:23

18:23 Jesus replied, ¹³¹  “If I have said something wrong, ¹³²  confirm ¹³³  what is wrong. ¹³⁴  But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?”

Yohanes 19:23-24

19:23 Now when the soldiers crucified ¹³⁵  Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, ¹³⁶  and the tunic ¹³⁷  remained. (Now the tunic ¹³⁸  was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) ¹³⁹  19:24 So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice ¹⁴⁰  to see who will get it.” ¹⁴¹  This took place ¹⁴²  to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” ¹⁴³  So the soldiers did these things.

[2:4]  ¹ tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”

[2:4]  ² sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the “Son of Man.” This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is “given” to Mary as her “new” son.

[2:4]  ³ tn Grk “Woman, what to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

[2:4]  ⁴ tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).

[2:4]  sn The Greek word translated time (ὥρα, Jwra) occurs in John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28, 29; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:25; and 17:1. It is a reference to the special period in Jesus’ life when he was to leave this world and return to the Father (13:1); the hour when the Son of man is glorified (17:1). This is accomplished through his suffering, death, resurrection (and ascension – though this last is not emphasized by John). John 7:30 and 8:20 imply that Jesus’ arrest and death are included. John 12:23 and 17:1, referring to the glorification of the Son, imply that the resurrection and ascension are included as part of the “hour.” In John 2:4 Jesus’ remark to his mother indicates that the time for this self-manifestation has not yet arrived; his identity as Messiah is not yet to be publicly revealed.

[2:17]  ⁵ tn Or “Fervent devotion to your house.”

[2:17]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.

[5:24]  ⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:24]  ⁸ tn Or “obeys.”

[5:24]  ⁹ tn Or “word.”

[5:24]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”

[5:30]  ¹¹ tn Grk “nothing from myself.”

[5:30]  ¹² tn Or “righteous,” or “proper.”

[5:30]  ¹³ tn That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”

[5:47]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:16]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16]  ¹⁶ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[8:16]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “my judgment is true.”

[8:16]  ¹⁸ tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:16]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:28]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss).

[8:28]  ²¹ tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.

[8:28]  ²² tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”

[8:28]  ²³ tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”

[8:31]  ²⁴ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ²⁵ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ²⁶ tn Or “truly.”

[8:37]  ²⁷ tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).

[8:37]  ²⁸ tn Grk “you are seeking.”

[8:37]  ²⁹ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:37]  ³⁰ tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.

[8:43]  ³¹ tn Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.

[8:43]  ³² tn Grk “my word.”

[8:46]  ³³ tn Or “can convict me.”

[8:46]  ³⁴ tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”

[8:46]  ³⁵ tn Or “if I tell you.”

[8:51]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:51]  ³⁷ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:51]  ³⁸ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:51]  ³⁹ tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:51]  sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.

[8:52]  ⁴⁰ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì⁷⁵ D L Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (Ì⁷⁵) has the conjunction, the combination of Ì⁶⁶ א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:52]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).

[8:52]  ⁴² tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:52]  ⁴³ tn Grk “you have a demon.”

[8:52]  ⁴⁴ tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:52]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:52]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:52]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[8:52]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[10:16]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And I have.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:16]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”

[10:16]  ⁵¹ sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world – not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.

[10:16]  ⁵² tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”

[10:16]  ⁵³ tn Grk “voice, and.”

[10:16]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.

[10:18]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “give it up.”

[10:18]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.

[10:18]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “order.”

[12:7]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “Leave her alone, that for the day of my burial she may keep it.” The construction with ἵνα (Jina) is somewhat ambiguous. The simplest way to read it would be, “Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” This would imply that Mary was going to use the perfumed oil on that day, while vv. 3 and 5 seem to indicate clearly that she had already used it up. Some understand the statement as elliptical: “Leave her alone; (she did this) in order to keep it for the day of my burial.” Another alternative would be an imperatival use of ἵνα with the meaning: “Leave her alone; let her keep it.” The reading of the Byzantine text, which omits the ἵνα and substitutes a perfect tense τετήρηκεν (tethrhken), while not likely to be original, probably comes close to the meaning of the text, and that has been followed in this translation.

[12:26]  ⁶¹ tn As a third person imperative in Greek, ἀκολουθείτω (akolouqeitw) is usually translated “let him follow me.” This could be understood by the modern English reader as merely permissive, however (“he may follow me if he wishes”). In this context there is no permissive sense, but rather a command, so the translation “he must follow me” is preferred.

[12:26]  ⁶² tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”

[12:47]  ⁶³ tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:47]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”

[12:47]  ⁶⁵ sn Cf. John 3:17.

[12:48]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “message.”

[12:49]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”

[12:49]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “has given me commandment.”

[13:8]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “You will never wash my feet forever.” The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.

[13:8]  ⁷² tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[13:8]  ⁷³ tn Or “you have no part in me.”

[13:18]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”

[13:18]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “The one who shares my food.”

[13:18]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.

[13:18]  sn A quotation from Ps 41:9.

[13:35]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.

[14:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “will keep.”

[14:15]  ⁷⁹ sn Jesus’ statement If you love me, you will obey my commandments provides the transition between the promises of answered prayer which Jesus makes to his disciples in vv. 13-14 and the promise of the Holy Spirit which is introduced in v. 16. Obedience is the proof of genuine love.

[14:21]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “keeps.”

[14:21]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “obeys them, that one is the one who loves me.”

[14:21]  ⁸² tn Grk “And the one.” Here the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated to improve the English style.

[14:21]  ⁸³ tn Or “will disclose.”

[14:23]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[14:23]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “will keep.”

[14:23]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “we will come to him and will make our dwelling place with him.” The context here is individual rather than corporate indwelling, so the masculine singular pronoun has been retained throughout v. 23. It is important to note, however, that the pronoun is used generically here and refers equally to men, women, and children.

[14:24]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “does not keep.”

[14:24]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “the message.”

[14:27]  ⁸⁹ sn Peace I leave with you. In spite of appearances, this verse does not introduce a new subject (peace). Jesus will use the phrase as a greeting to his disciples after his resurrection (20:19, 21, 26). It is here a reflection of the Hebrew shalom as a farewell. But Jesus says he leaves peace with his disciples. This should probably be understood ultimately in terms of the indwelling of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who has been the topic of the preceding verses. It is his presence, after Jesus has left the disciples and finally returned to the Father, which will remain with them and comfort them.

[14:27]  ⁹⁰ tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[14:27]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”

[14:27]  ⁹² tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”

[15:2]  ⁹³ tn Or “He cuts off.”

[15:2]  sn The Greek verb αἴρω (airw) can mean “lift up” as well as “take away,” and it is sometimes argued that here it is a reference to the gardener “lifting up” (i.e., propping up) a weak branch so that it bears fruit again. In Johannine usage the word occurs in the sense of “lift up” in 8:59 and 5:8-12, but in the sense of “remove” it is found in 11:39, 11:48, 16:22, and 17:15. In context (theological presuppositions aside for the moment) the meaning “remove” does seem more natural and less forced (particularly in light of v. 6, where worthless branches are described as being “thrown out” – an image that seems incompatible with restoration). One option, therefore, would be to understand the branches which are taken away (v. 2) and thrown out (v. 6) as believers who forfeit their salvation because of unfruitfulness. However, many see this interpretation as encountering problems with the Johannine teaching on the security of the believer, especially John 10:28-29. This leaves two basic ways of understanding Jesus’ statements about removal of branches in 15:2 and 15:6: (1) These statements may refer to an unfaithful (disobedient) Christian, who is judged at the judgment seat of Christ “through fire” (cf. 1 Cor 3:11-15). In this case the “removal” of 15:2 may refer (in an extreme case) to the physical death of a disobedient Christian. (2) These statements may refer to someone who was never a genuine believer in the first place (e.g., Judas and the Jews who withdrew after Jesus’ difficult teaching in 6:66), in which case 15:6 refers to eternal judgment. In either instance it is clear that 15:6 refers to the fires of judgment (cf. OT imagery in Ps 80:16 and Ezek 15:1-8). But view (1) requires us to understand this in terms of the judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ. This concept does not appear in the Fourth Gospel because from the perspective of the author the believer does not come under judgment; note especially 3:18, 5:24, 5:29. The first reference (3:18) is especially important because it occurs in the context of 3:16-21, the section which is key to the framework of the entire Fourth Gospel and which is repeatedly alluded to throughout. A similar image to this one is used by John the Baptist in Matt 3:10, “And the ax is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Since this is addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming to John for baptism, it almost certainly represents a call to initial repentance. More importantly, however, the imagery of being cast into the fire constitutes a reference to eternal judgment, a use of imagery which is much nearer to the Johannine imagery in 15:6 than the Pauline concept of the judgment seat of Christ (a judgment for believers) mentioned above. The use of the Greek verb μένω (menw) in 15:6 also supports view (2). When used of the relationship between Jesus and the disciple and/or Jesus and the Father, it emphasizes the permanence of the relationship (John 6:56, 8:31, 8:35, 14:10). The prototypical branch who has not remained is Judas, who departed in 13:30. He did not bear fruit, and is now in the realm of darkness, a mere tool of Satan. His eternal destiny, being cast into the fire of eternal judgment, is still to come. It seems most likely, therefore, that the branches who do not bear fruit and are taken away and burned are false believers, those who profess to belong to Jesus but who in reality do not belong to him. In the Gospel of John, the primary example of this category is Judas. In 1 John 2:18-19 the “antichrists” fall into the same category; they too may be thought of as branches that did not bear fruit. They departed from the ranks of the Christians because they never did really belong, and their departure shows that they did not belong.

[15:2]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “does not yield.”

[15:2]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[15:2]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.

[15:2]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “that yields.”

[15:7]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “reside.”

[15:7]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “reside.”

[15:7]  ¹⁰⁰ sn Once again Jesus promises the disciples ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This recalls 14:13-14, where the disciples were promised that if they asked anything in Jesus’ name it would be done for them. The two thoughts are really quite similar, since here it is conditioned on the disciples’ remaining in Jesus and his words remaining in them. The first phrase relates to the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus. The second phrase relates to their obedience. When both of these qualifications are met, the disciples would in fact be asking in Jesus’ name and therefore according to his will.

[15:8]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “glorified.”

[15:8]  ¹⁰² tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause is best taken as substantival in apposition to ἐν τούτῳ (en toutw) at the beginning of the verse. The Father is glorified when the disciples bring forth abundant fruit. Just as Jesus has done the works which he has seen his Father doing (5:19-29) so also will his disciples.

[15:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “yield.”

[15:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tc Most mss (א A Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) read the future indicative γενήσεσθε (genhsesqe; perhaps best rendered as “[and show that] you will become”), while some early and good witnesses (Ì^66vid B D L Θ 0250 1 565 al) have the aorist subjunctive γένησθε (genhsqe; “[and show that] you are”). The original reading is difficult to determine because the external evidence is fairly evenly divided. On the basis of the external evidence alone the first reading has some credibility because of א and 33, but it is not enough to overthrow the Alexandrian and Western witnesses for the aorist. Some who accept the future indicative see a consecutive (or resultative) sequence between φέρητε (ferhte) in the ἵνα (Jina) clause and γενήσεσθε, so that the disciples’ bearing much fruit results in their becoming disciples. This alleviates the problem of reading a future indicative within a ἵνα clause (a grammatical solecism that is virtually unattested in Attic Greek), although such infrequently occurs in the NT, particularly in the Apocalypse (cf. Gal 2:4; Rev 3:9; 6:4, 11; 8:3; 9:4, 5, 20; 13:12; 14:13; 22:14; even here, however, the Byzantine mss, with א occasionally by their side, almost always change the future indicative to an aorist subjunctive). It seems more likely, however, that the second verb (regardless of whether it is read as aorist or future) is to be understood as coordinate in meaning with the previous verb φέρητε (So M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek §342). Thus the two actions are really one and the same: Bearing fruit and being Jesus’ disciple are not two different actions, but a single action. The first is the outward sign or proof of the second – in bearing fruit the disciples show themselves to be disciples indeed (cf. 15:5). Thus the translation followed here is, “that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.” As far as the textual reading is concerned, it appears somewhat preferable to accept the aorist subjunctive reading (γένησθε) on the basis of better external testimony.

[15:10]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “keep.”

[15:10]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “kept.”

[15:10]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “reside.”

[15:12]  ¹⁰⁹ sn Now the reference to the commandments (plural) in 15:10 have been reduced to a singular commandment: The disciples are to love one another, just as Jesus has loved them. This is the ‘new commandment’ of John 13:34, and it is repeated in 15:17. The disciples’ love for one another is compared to Jesus’ love for them. How has Jesus shown his love for the disciples? This was illustrated in 13:1-20 in the washing of the disciples’ feet, introduced by the statement in 13:1 that Jesus loved them “to the end.” In context this constitutes a reference to Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross on their behalf; the love they are to have for one another is so great that it must include a self-sacrificial willingness to die for one another if necessary. This is exactly what Jesus is discussing here, because he introduces the theme of his sacrificial death in the following verse. In John 10:18 and 14:31 Jesus spoke of his death on the cross as a commandment he had received from his Father, which also links the idea of commandment and love as they are linked here. One final note: It is not just the degree or intensity of the disciples’ love for one another that Jesus is referring to when he introduces by comparison his own death on the cross (that they must love one another enough to die for one another) but the very means of expressing that love: It is to express itself in self-sacrifice for one another, sacrifice up to the point of death, which is what Jesus himself did on the cross (cf. 1 John 3:16).

[15:17]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “These things.”

[15:20]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”

[15:20]  ¹¹² tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[15:20]  ¹¹³ sn A slave is not greater than his master. Jesus now recalled a statement he had made to the disciples before, in John 13:16. As the master has been treated, so will the slaves be treated also. If the world had persecuted Jesus, then it would also persecute the disciples. If the world had kept Jesus’ word, it would likewise keep the word of the disciples. In this statement there is the implication that the disciples would carry on the ministry of Jesus after his departure; they would in their preaching and teaching continue to spread the message which Jesus himself had taught while he was with them. And they would meet with the same response, by and large, that he encountered.

[15:20]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “if they kept.”

[15:20]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “they will keep.”

[15:21]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “because of.”

[15:21]  ¹¹⁷ tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”

[16:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “That one.”

[16:14]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “will honor me.”

[16:14]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “he will take.”

[16:14]  ¹²¹ 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]  ¹²² tn Or “will announce it to you.”

[16:15]  ¹²³ tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ¹²⁴ 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.

[16:15]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “will announce it to you.”

[17:5]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “in your presence”; Grk “with yourself.” The use of παρά (para) twice in this verse looks back to the assertion in John 1:1 that the Word (the Λόγος [Logos], who became Jesus of Nazareth in 1:14) was with God (πρὸς τὸν θεόν, pro" ton qeon). Whatever else may be said, the statement in 17:5 strongly asserts the preexistence of Jesus Christ.

[17:5]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “before the world was.” The word “created” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[17:5]  sn It is important to note that although Jesus prayed for a return to the glory he had at the Father’s side before the world was created, he was not praying for a “de-incarnation.” His humanity which he took on at the incarnation (John 1:14) remains, though now glorified.

[17:9]  ¹²⁸ tn Grk “I am asking.”

[17:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “I am not asking.”

[17:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “because they are yours.”

[18:23]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[18:23]  ¹³² tn Or “something incorrect.”

[18:23]  ¹³³ tn Grk “testify.”

[18:23]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “incorrect.”

[19:23]  ¹³⁵ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:23]  ¹³⁶ sn Four shares, one for each soldier. The Gospel of John is the only one to specify the number of soldiers involved in the crucifixion. This was a quaternion, a squad of four soldiers. It was accepted Roman practice for the soldiers who performed a crucifixion to divide the possessions of the person executed among themselves.

[19:23]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[19:23]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.

[19:23]  ¹³⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:24]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “but choose by lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throw dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling.

[19:24]  ¹⁴¹ tn Grk “to see whose it will be.”

[19:24]  ¹⁴² tn The words “This took place” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[19:24]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “cast lots.” See the note on “throw dice” earlier in the verse.

[19:24]  sn A quotation from Ps 22:18.