Yohanes 18:34

18:34 Jesus replied, ¹  “Are you saying this on your own initiative, ²  or have others told you about me?”

Yohanes 7:48

7:48 None of the rulers ³  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ⁴ 

Yohanes 9:2

9:2 His disciples asked him, ⁵  “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man ⁶  or his parents?” ⁷ 

Yohanes 13:29

13:29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, ⁸  or to give something to the poor.) ⁹ 

Yohanes 7:17

7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, ¹⁰  he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. ¹¹ 

Yohanes 4:27

The Disciples Return

4:27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back. ¹²  They were shocked ¹³  because he was speaking ¹⁴  with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you want?” ¹⁵  or “Why are you speaking with her?”

Yohanes 14:27

14:27 “Peace I leave with you; ¹⁶  my peace I give to you; I do not give it ¹⁷  to you as the world does. ¹⁸  Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. ¹⁹ 

Yohanes 16:3

16:3 They ²⁰  will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. ²¹ 

Yohanes 1:21

1:21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? ²²  Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” ²³  “Are you the Prophet?” ²⁴  He answered, “No!”

Yohanes 3:13

3:13 No one ²⁵  has ascended ²⁶  into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man. ²⁷ 

Yohanes 1:24

1:24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁸ ) ²⁹ 

Yohanes 5:37

5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people ³⁰  have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, ³¹ 

Yohanes 1:13

1:13 – children not born ³²  by human parents ³³  or by human desire ³⁴  or a husband’s ³⁵  decision, ³⁶  but by God.

Yohanes 9:21

9:21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. ³⁷  Ask him, he is a mature adult. ³⁸  He will speak for himself.”

Yohanes 12:40

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ³⁹ 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ⁴⁰ 

and turn to me, ⁴¹  and I would heal them.” ⁴² 

Yohanes 5:41

5:41 “I do not accept ⁴³  praise ⁴⁴  from people, ⁴⁵ 

Yohanes 6:19

6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, ⁴⁶  they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, ⁴⁷  approaching the boat, and they were frightened.

Yohanes 9:25

9:25 He replied, ⁴⁸  “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.”

Yohanes 14:11

14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, ⁴⁹  believe because of the miraculous deeds ⁵⁰  themselves.

Yohanes 6:18

6:18 By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough.

Yohanes 3:8

3:8 The wind ⁵¹  blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁵² 

Yohanes 9:3

9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man ⁵³  nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that ⁵⁴  the acts ⁵⁵  of God may be revealed ⁵⁶  through what happens to him. ⁵⁷ 

Yohanes 10:20

10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! ⁵⁸  Why do you listen to him?”

Yohanes 13:16

13:16 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁵⁹  the slave ⁶⁰  is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger ⁶¹  greater than the one who sent him.

Yohanes 4:21

4:21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, ⁶²  a time ⁶³  is coming when you will worship ⁶⁴  the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

Yohanes 8:14

8:14 Jesus answered, ⁶⁵  “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people ⁶⁶  do not know where I came from or where I am going. ⁶⁷ 

Yohanes 19:10

19:10 So Pilate said, ⁶⁸  “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority ⁶⁹  to release you, and to crucify you?” ⁷⁰ 

Yohanes 14:17

14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, ⁷¹  because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides ⁷²  with you and will be ⁷³  in you.

[18:34]  ¹ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[18:34]  ² tn Grk “saying this from yourself.”

[7:48]  ³ sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).

[7:48]  ⁴ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).

[9:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “asked him, saying.”

[9:2]  ⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:2]  ⁷ tn Grk “in order that he should be born blind.”

[9:2]  sn The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man’s blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man’s parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.

[13:29]  ⁸ tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).

[13:29]  ⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:17]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17]  ¹¹ tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[4:27]  ¹² tn Or “his disciples returned”; Grk “came” (“back” is supplied in keeping with English usage). Because of the length of the Greek sentence it is better to divide here and begin a new English sentence, leaving the καί (kai) before ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) untranslated.

[4:27]  ¹³ tn BDAG 444 s.v. θαυμάζω 1.a.γ has “be surprised that” followed by indirect discourse. The context calls for a slightly stronger wording.

[4:27]  ¹⁴ tn The ὅτι (Joti) could also be translated as declarative (“that he had been speaking with a woman”) but since this would probably require translating the imperfect verb as a past perfect (which is normal after a declarative ὅτι), it is preferable to take this ὅτι as causal.

[4:27]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “seek.” See John 4:23.

[4:27]  sn The question “What do you want?” is John’s editorial comment (for no one in the text was asking it). The author is making a literary link with Jesus’ statement in v. 23: It is evident that, in spite of what the disciples may have been thinking, what Jesus was seeking is what the Father was seeking, that is to say, someone to worship him.

[14:27]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”

[14:27]  ¹⁹ tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”

[16:3]  ²⁰ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

[16:3]  ²¹ sn Ignorance of Jesus and ignorance of the Father are also linked in 8:19; to know Jesus would be to know the Father also, but since the world does not know Jesus, neither does it know his Father. The world’s ignorance of the Father is also mentioned in 8:55, 15:21, and 17:25.

[1:21]  ²² tn Grk “What then?” (an idiom).

[1:21]  ²³ sn According to the 1st century rabbinic interpretation of 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah. How does one reconcile John the Baptist’s denial here (“I am not”) with Jesus’ statements in Matt 11:14 (see also Mark 9:13 and Matt 17:12) that John the Baptist was Elijah? Some have attempted to remove the difficulty by a reconstruction of the text in the Gospel of John which makes the Baptist say that he was Elijah. However, external support for such emendations is lacking. According to Gregory the Great, John was not Elijah, but exercised toward Jesus the function of Elijah by preparing his way. But this avoids the real difficulty, since in John’s Gospel the question of the Jewish authorities to the Baptist concerns precisely his function. It has also been suggested that the author of the Gospel here preserves a historically correct reminiscence – that John the Baptist did not think of himself as Elijah, although Jesus said otherwise. Mark 6:14-16 and Mark 8:28 indicate the people and Herod both distinguished between John and Elijah – probably because he did not see himself as Elijah. But Jesus’ remarks in Matt 11:14, Mark 9:13, and Matt 17:12 indicate that John did perform the function of Elijah – John did for Jesus what Elijah was to have done for the coming of the Lord. C. F. D. Moule pointed out that it is too simple to see a straight contradiction between John’s account and that of the synoptic gospels: “We have to ask by whom the identification is made, and by whom refused. The synoptic gospels represent Jesus as identifying, or comparing, the Baptist with Elijah, while John represents the Baptist as rejecting the identification when it is offered him by his interviewers. Now these two, so far from being incompatible, are psychologically complementary. The Baptist humbly rejects the exalted title, but Jesus, on the contrary, bestows it on him. Why should not the two both be correct?” (The Phenomenon of the New Testament [SBT], 70).

[1:21]  ²⁴ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. Acts 3:22 identifies Jesus as this prophet.

[3:13]  ²⁵ tn Grk “And no one.”

[3:13]  ²⁶ sn The verb ascended is a perfect tense in Greek (ἀναβέβηκεν, anabebhken) which seems to look at a past, completed event. (This is not as much of a problem for those who take Jesus’ words to end at v. 12, and these words to be a comment by the author, looking back on Jesus’ ascension.) As a saying of Jesus, these words are a bit harder to explain. Note, however, the lexical similarities with 1:51: “ascending,” “descending,” and “son of man.” Here, though, the ascent and descent is accomplished by the Son himself, not the angels as in 1:51. There is no need to limit this saying to Jesus’ ascent following the resurrection, however; the point of the Jacob story (Gen 28), which seems to be the background for 1:51, is the freedom of communication and relationship between God and men (a major theme of John’s Gospel). This communication comes through the angels in Gen 28 (and John 1:51); but here (most appropriately) it comes directly through the Son of Man. Although Jesus could be referring to a prior ascent, after an appearance as the preincarnate Son of Man, more likely he is simply pointing out that no one from earth has ever gone up to heaven and come down again. The Son, who has come down from heaven, is the only one who has been ‘up’ there. In both Jewish intertestamental literature and later rabbinic accounts, Moses is portrayed as ascending to heaven to receive the Torah and descending to distribute it to men (e.g., Targum Ps 68:19.) In contrast to these Jewish legends, the Son is the only one who has ever made the ascent and descent.

[3:13]  ²⁷ tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (A^[*^] Θ Ψ 050 Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy^c,p,h), have at the end of this verse “the one who is in heaven” (ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, Jo wn en tw ouranw). A few others have variations on this phrase, such as “who was in heaven” (e sy^c), or “the one who is from heaven” (0141 pc sy^s). The witnesses normally considered the best, along with several others, lack the phrase in its entirety (Ì^66,75 א B L T W^s 083 086 33 1241 pc co). On the one hand, if the reading ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is authentic it may suggest that while Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he spoke of himself as in heaven even while he was on earth. If that is the case, one could see why variations from this hard saying arose: “who was in heaven,” “the one who is from heaven,” and omission of the clause. At the same time, such a saying could be interpreted (though with difficulty) as part of the narrator’s comments rather than Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus, alleviating the problem. And if v. 13 was viewed in early times as the evangelist’s statement, “the one who is in heaven” could have crept into the text through a marginal note. Other internal evidence suggests that this saying may be authentic. The adjectival participle, ὁ ὤν, is used in the Fourth Gospel more than any other NT book (though the Apocalypse comes in a close second), and frequently with reference to Jesus (1:18; 6:46; 8:47). It may be looking back to the LXX of Exod 3:14 (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). Especially since this exact construction is not necessary to communicate the location of the Son of Man, its presence in many witnesses here may suggest authenticity. Further, John uses the singular of οὐρανός (ourano", “heaven”) in all 18 instances of the word in this Gospel, and all but twice with the article (only 1:32 and 6:58 are anarthrous, and even in the latter there is significant testimony to the article). At the same time, the witnesses that lack this clause are very weighty and must not be discounted. Generally speaking, if other factors are equal, the reading of such mss should be preferred. And internally, it could be argued that ὁ ὤν is the most concise way to speak of the Son of Man in heaven at that time (without the participle the point would be more ambiguous). Further, the articular singular οὐρανός is already used twice in this verse, thus sufficiently prompting scribes to add the same in the longer reading. This combination of factors suggests that ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is not a genuine Johannism. Further intrinsic evidence against the longer reading relates to the evangelist’s purposes: If he intended v. 13 to be his own comments rather than Jesus’ statement, his switch back to Jesus’ words in v. 14 (for the lifting up of the Son of Man is still seen as in the future) seems inexplicable. The reading “who is in heaven” thus seems to be too hard. All things considered, as intriguing as the longer reading is, it seems almost surely to have been a marginal gloss added inadvertently to the text in the process of transmission. For an argument in favor of the longer reading, see David Alan Black, “The Text of John 3:13,” GTJ 6 (1985): 49-66.

[3:13]  sn See the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[1:24]  ²⁸ sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.

[1:24]  ²⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[5:37]  ³⁰ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.

[5:37]  ³¹ sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Compare Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer – their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.

[1:13]  ³² tn The Greek term translated “born” here also involves conception.

[1:13]  ³³ tn Grk “of blood(s).” The plural αἱμάτων (Jaimatwn) has seemed a problem to many interpreters. At least some sources in antiquity imply that blood was thought of as being important in the development of the fetus during its time in the womb: thus Wis 7:1: “in the womb of a mother I was molded into flesh, within the period of 10 months, compacted with blood, from the seed of a man and the pleasure of marriage.” In John 1:13, the plural αἱμάτων may imply the action of both parents. It may also refer to the “genetic” contribution of both parents, and so be equivalent to “human descent” (see BDAG 26 s.v. αἷμα 1.a). E. C. Hoskyns thinks John could not have used the singular here because Christians are in fact ‘begotten’ by the blood of Christ (The Fourth Gospel, 143), although the context would seem to make it clear that the blood in question is something other than the blood of Christ.

[1:13]  ³⁴ tn Or “of the will of the flesh.” The phrase οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκός (oude ek qelhmato" sarko") is more clearly a reference to sexual desire, but it should be noted that σάρξ (sarx) in John does not convey the evil sense common in Pauline usage. For John it refers to the physical nature in its weakness rather than in its sinfulness. There is no clearer confirmation of this than the immediately following verse, where the λόγος (logos) became σάρξ.

[1:13]  ³⁵ tn Or “man’s.”

[1:13]  ³⁶ tn The third phrase, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρός (oude ek qelhmato" andros), means much the same as the second one. The word here (ἀνηρ, anhr) is often used for a husband, resulting in the translation “or a husband’s decision,” or more generally, “or of any human volition whatsoever.” L. Morris may be right when he sees here an emphasis directed at the Jewish pride in race and patriarchal ancestry, although such a specific reference is difficult to prove (John [NICNT], 101).

[9:21]  ³⁷ tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:21]  ³⁸ tn Or “he is of age.”

[12:40]  ³⁹ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁴¹ tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (strafwsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:40]  ⁴² sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.

[5:41]  ⁴³ tn Or “I do not receive.”

[5:41]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:41]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.

[6:19]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[6:19]  sn About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.

[6:19]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”

[9:25]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “Then that one answered.”

[14:11]  ⁴⁹ tn The phrase “but if you do not believe me” contains an ellipsis; the Greek text reads Grk “but if not.” The ellipsis has been filled out (“but if [you do] not [believe me]…”) for the benefit of the modern English reader.

[14:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “because of the works.”

[14:11]  sn In the context of a proof or basis for belief, Jesus is referring to the miraculous deeds (signs) he has performed in the presence of the disciples.

[3:8]  ⁵¹ tn The same Greek word, πνεύματος (pneumatos), may be translated “wind” or “spirit.”

[3:8]  ⁵² sn Again, the physical illustrates the spiritual, although the force is heightened by the word-play here on wind-spirit (see the note on wind at the beginning of this verse). By the end of the verse, however, the final usage of πνεύματος (pneumatos) refers to the Holy Spirit.

[9:3]  ⁵³ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”

[9:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “in him.”

[10:20]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “is insane.” To translate simply “he is mad” (so KJV, ASV, RSV; “raving mad” NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.

[13:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[13:16]  ⁶⁰ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[13:16]  ⁶¹ tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).

[4:21]  ⁶² sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[4:21]  ⁶³ tn Grk “an hour.”

[4:21]  ⁶⁴ tn The verb is plural.

[8:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[8:14]  ⁶⁶ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.

[8:14]  ⁶⁷ sn You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.

[19:10]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.

[19:10]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “the power.”

[19:10]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you.” Repetition of “the authority” is unnecessarily redundant English style.

[19:10]  sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[14:17]  ⁷¹ tn Or “cannot receive.”

[14:17]  ⁷² tn Or “he remains.”

[14:17]  ⁷³ tc Some early and important witnesses (Ì^66* B D* W 1 565 it) have ἐστιν (estin, “he is”) instead of ἔσται (estai, “he will be”) here, while other weighty witnesses ({Ì^66c,75vid א A D¹ L Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 33^vid Ï as well as several versions and fathers}), read the future tense. When one considers transcriptional evidence, ἐστιν is the more difficult reading and better explains the rise of the future tense reading, but it must be noted that both Ì⁶⁶ and D were corrected from the present tense to the future. If ἐστιν were the original reading, one would expect a few manuscripts to be corrected to read the present when they originally read the future, but that is not the case. When one considers what the author would have written, the future is on much stronger ground. The immediate context (both in 14:16 and in the chapter as a whole) points to the future, and the theology of the book regards the advent of the Spirit as a decidedly future event (see, e.g., 7:39 and 16:7). The present tense could have arisen from an error of sight on the part of some scribes or more likely from an error of thought as scribes reflected upon the present role of the Spirit. Although a decision is difficult, the future tense is most likely authentic. For further discussion on this textual problem, see James M. Hamilton, Jr., “He Is with You and He Will Be in You” (Ph.D. diss., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003), 213-20.