Yohanes 17:20

Jesus Prays for Believers Everywhere

17:20 “I am not praying ¹  only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe ²  in me through their testimony, ³ 

Yohanes 11:52

11:52 and not for the Jewish nation ⁴  only, ⁵  but to gather together ⁶  into one the children of God who are scattered.) ⁷ 

[17:20]  ¹ tn Or “I do not pray.”

[17:20]  ² tn Although πιστευόντων (pisteuontwn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10-22).

[17:20]  ³ tn Grk “their word.”

[11:52]  ⁴ tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.

[11:52]  ⁵ sn The author in his comment expands the prophecy to include the Gentiles (not for the Jewish nation only), a confirmation that the Fourth Gospel was directed, at least partly, to a Gentile audience. There are echoes of Pauline concepts here (particularly Eph 2:11-22) in the stress on the unity of Jew and Gentile.

[11:52]  ⁶ tn Grk “that he might gather together.”

[11:52]  ⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.