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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_17:6-19
6"I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 13But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth."
Joh_17:6 "I have manifested Your name" Hebrew names were meant to reflect character (cf. Joh_17:11-12; Joh_17:25-26; Psa_9:10). This phrase also theologically asserts that to see Jesus is to see God (cf. Joh_1:18; Joh_12:45; Joh_14:8-11; Col_1:15; Heb_1:3).
The "name" plays an important theological role in the upper room dialogues (cf. Joh_14:13-14; Joh_14:26; Joh_15:16; Joh_15:21; Joh_16:23-24; Joh_16:26; Joh_17:6; Joh_17:11-12; Joh_17:26). In chapter 17 two unique titles are used of God.
1. Holy Father, Joh_17:11
2. Righteous Father, Joh_17:25
▣ "the men whom You gave Me" Theologically this speaks of election (cf. Joh_17:2; Joh_17:9; Joh_17:24; Joh_6:37; Joh_6:39). No one can come unless
1. God gives
2. the Spirit draws (Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65)
3. they receive (Joh_1:12); believe (Joh_3:16)
▣ "they have kept Your word" Obedience is crucial (cf. Joh_8:51; Joh_8:55; Joh_14:23; Joh_15:10; Joh_15:20). This is used in a similar sense to OT "blameless" (cf. Noah, Gen_6:9; Abraham, Gen_17:1; Israel, Deu_18:13; Job, Job_1:1). It does not imply perfect obedience or sinlessness, but a desire to hear and do all that is revealed; so far it refers to the disciples' faith in Jesus, abiding in Jesus, and loving one another as Jesus loved them.
Joh_17:7 "they have come to know" This is a perfect active indicative followed by "that" (hoti), which refers to the content of a message. For John's use of "hoti" see Special Topic at Joh_2:23; #Joh_2:4.
▣ "that everything You have given Me is from You" Jesus spoke what was revealed to Him by the Father (cf. Joh_17:8; Joh_7:16; Joh_12:48-49).
Joh_17:8 "they received them" They received Jesus' message about God. There is no direct object stated. In Joh_1:12 the direct object of accept/receive referred to Jesus Himself; here, it is the message about God that Jesus brought (cf. Joh_17:4). This highlights the twin aspects of the gospel as (1) a person and (2) a message.
▣ "they received. . .they believed" These are aorist active indicatives. These truths refer to Jesus' divine origin and message (cf. Joh_5:19; Joh_6:68-69; Joh_12:48-49; Joh_16:30; Joh_17:18; Joh_17:21; Joh_17:23; Joh_17:25).
Joh_17:9 "I ask on their behalf" Jesus is our Mediator (cf. 1Ti_2:5; Heb_8:6; Heb_9:15; Heb_12:24) and Advocate (cf. 1Jn_2:1). The Father is also involved in these tasks (cf. Joh_16:26-27), as is the Spirit (cf. Rom_8:26-27). All three Persons of the Trinity are involved in all aspects of redemption.
▣ "the world" Kosmos is used eighteen times in this chapter. Jesus cares for (1) the planet (cf. Joh_17:5; Joh_17:24) and (2) believers' relationship to its fallenness (cf. Joh_1:10; Joh_17:6; Joh_17:9; Joh_17:11; Joh_17:13-18; Joh_17:21; Joh_17:23). In John's writings this term uniquely means "human society organized and functioning apart from God." Sometimes it implies (1) the planet; (2) all life on the planet; or (3) or life apart from God. See Special Topic at Joh_14:17.
Joh_17:10 "and all things that are Mine are Yours and Yours are Mine" This reveals the unity of the Trinity (cf. Joh_17:11; Joh_17:21-23; Joh_16:15). For Trinity see Special Topic at Joh_14:26.
▣ "I have been glorified in them" This is a perfect passive indicative. A disciple's life is to give honor to Jesus as He gave honor to the Father. What an awesome responsibility!
Joh_17:11 "I am no longer in the world" This refers to (1) the immediate future (ascension) when Jesus will return to the Father (cf. Act_1:9-10) or (2) the public ministry of Jesus.
▣ "Holy Father" This term "Holy" is used of the Father only here in the NT (Also used in the title, "Holy One," 1Pe_1:15) as it is in the OT. This adjective (hagios) is also often attributed to the Spirit (cf. Joh_1:33; Joh_14:26; Joh_20:22). The same Greek root is used of the disciples in Joh_17:17 (hagiasmos) and Jesus in Joh_17:19 (hagiazô).
The basic etymology of the root is "to separate for God's service" (cf. Joh_17:17; Joh_17:19). It is used of persons, places, and things given exclusively for God's use. It describes God's transcendent character (the Holy One of Israel) and a differentness from physical, earthly, fallen things. Jesus was holy; as His followers become more like Him they, too, reflect "holiness." The root of the term "saint" is from the Greek term "holy." Believers are holy because they are in Christ, but they are to become holy as they live for Him, like Him, and unto Him.
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▣ "keep them in Your name" Jesus is praying (aorist active imperative) for the empowering protection and personal presence that YHWH has given Him (perfect active indicative) to be provided His disciples (cf. Joh_17:12). This will enable them to minister in a fallen world as He ministered in a fallen world (cf. Joh_17:18). This is one of the benefits of the unity (cf. Joh_17:21) between
1. the Father
2. the Son
3. the disciples
▣ "that they may be one even as We are" This is a present subjunctive. It refers to the relational unity of the Triune God (cf. Joh_17:21-23; Joh_10:30; Joh_14:10). This is also an awesome request and responsibility for Christians! This call for unity is lacking in our day (cf. Eph_4:1-6). Unity, not uniformity, is the way to reunite God's splintered church.
Joh_17:12 "I was keeping. . .I guarded" The first verb is imperfect tense and the second aorist tense. These verbs are synonymous. The thrust of the passage is Jesus' continuous protection (cf. 1Pe_1:3-9).
In his Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 1, M. R. Vincent makes a distinction between these two terms. He says the first (tçreô) meant to preserve and the second (phulassô) meant to guard (p. 496).
▣ "not one of them perished" This shows Jesus' power of protection (cf. Joh_6:37; Joh_6:39; Joh_10:28-29).
This term (apollumi) is difficult to translate because it is used in two different senses. In his book Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 1, Gerhard Kittel says of this word, "In general we may say that 2 and 4 underlie statements relating to this world as in the Synoptics, whereas 1 and 3 underlie those relating to the next world, as in Paul and John" p. 394. The definitions he gives are:
1. "to destroy or kill"
2. "to lose or suffer loss from"
3. "to perish"
4. "to be lost"
This term has often been used to assert the doctrine of annihilation, that is, that unsaved people cease to exist after judgment. This seems to violate Dan_12:2. It also misses the distinction between the connotations used in the Synoptic Gospels versus John and Paul, who use it metaphorically of spiritual lostness, not physical destruction. See Special Topic at Joh_10:10.
▣ "but the son of perdition" This obviously refers to Judas Iscariot. This same phrase is used in 2Th_2:3 of the "Man of Sin" (end-time Antichrist). This is a Hebraic idiom meaning "the one who is destined to be lost." It is a wordplay on the term "lost" used earlier in the verse: "no one is lost except the one destined to be lost."
See hyperlink at Joh_6:64.
▣ "that the Scripture would be fulfilled" This refers to Psa_41:9, quoted in Joh_13:18; Joh_6:70-71.
Joh_17:13 "But now I come to You" This could refer to
1. Jesus' prayer (John 17)
2. Jesus' ascension (Joh_17:11; Acts 1)
▣ "these things I speak in the world" This phrase may link back to
1. Joh_11:42, Jesus speaks aloud so others can hear
2. Joh_15:11, Jesus' words are directly related to the disciples "joy"
▣ "that they may have My joy made full in themselves" This is a present active subjunctive and perfect passive participle. What a wonderful promise (cf. Joh_15:11; Joh_16:24). John uses this very phrase again (cf. 1Jn_1:4; 2Jn_1:12).
Joh_17:14 "I have given them Your word" The term "word" here is logos. The Greek synonym rhçma is used in Joh_17:8. This is an affirmation of divine revelation through Jesus' person, teachings, and example. Jesus gives the Word and is the Word. The word is both personal and cognitive content. We welcome the Person of the gospel and believe the message of the gospel!
▣ "the world has hated them" Rejection by the world is a sign of acceptance by Christ (cf. Joh_15:18-20; 1Jn_3:13).
▣ "because they are not of the world" Believers are in the world, but not of the world (cf. Joh_17:16; 1Jn_2:15-17).
▣ "as I am not of the world" "The world" refers to this fallen age of human and angelic rebellion (cf. Joh_8:23). This is another example of John's vertical dualism.
Joh_17:15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world" Christians have a mission in the world (cf. Joh_17:18; Mat_28:19-20; Luk_24:47; Act_1:8). It is not time for them to go home!
NASB, NKJV "the evil one"
NRSV "the evil one"
TEV, NJB "the Evil One"
This term is either neuter or masculine. This literary unit mentions the personal force of evil often (cf. Joh_12:31; Joh_13:27; Joh_14:30; Joh_16:11), therefore, this verse, like Mat_5:37; Mat_6:13; Mat_13:19; Mat_13:38, should be "the evil one" (cf. 2Th_3:3; 1Jn_2:13-14; 1Jn_3:12; 1Jn_5:18-19). See Special Topic at Joh_12:31.
Joh_17:17 "Sanctify" This is an aorist active imperative from the root "holy" (hagios). This can mean
1. Believers are called to Christlikeness (cf. Joh_17:19; Rom_8:28-29; 2Co_3:18; 2Co_7:1; Gal_4:19; Eph_1:4; Eph_4:13; 1Th_3:13; 1Th_4:3; 1Th_4:7; 1Th_5:23; 1Pe_1:15). This can only happen through knowledge of the truth, which is both living word (Jesus cf. Joh_1:1-14) and written word (Bible, cf. Joh_15:3).
2. "Sanctify," in its OT sense, basically means "to set apart for God's service. Joh_17:18 clarifies the purpose for them being "sanctified."
It is not a question of whether #1 or #2 is true. They both are true. Jesus' life showed the necessity of both (cf. Joh_17:19).
It is quite possible that John has the disciples "sanctified" for God's service as an analogy of the OT priests set apart for God's service. They served as mediators of the OT sacrifices, but the disciples' served as the revealers of the NT perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, Christ (see the book of Hebrews, which compares the OT and NT).
▣ "in the truth; Your word is truth" Truth refers to Jesus' message about God (cf. Joh_8:31-32). Jesus is called both the message (Logos, cf. Joh_1:1; Joh_1:14) and truth (cf. Joh_14:6) of God. The Spirit is often referred to as the Spirit of Truth (cf. Joh_14:17; Joh_15:26; Joh_16:13). Notice that believers are also sanctified by truth (cf. Joh_17:19, perfect passive participle) and by the Spirit (cf. 1Pe_1:2). For a fuller discussion on the Greek root "true, truth" see Special Topics on Truth at Joh_6:55; Joh_17:3.
It is possible that "Your word is truth" may be an allusion or quote from the LXX of Psa_119:142, "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and they law is truth." It is surely possible that Jesus was seen as
1. the new Moses (Deu_18:15)
2. His disciples as new priests (use of verb "sanctify")
3. His life as the true revelation of the one true God
4. the unity of the Triune God and disciples as the fulfilled purpose of creation (i.e., Gen_1:26-27)
5. Jesus as the fulfillment of Gen_3:15
Joh_17:18 "As You sent Me into the world" Jesus' life of obedience and service, even to the point of death (2Co_5:14-15; Gal_2:20; 1Jn_3:16), sets the pattern for His followers (cf. Joh_17:19). He will send them into the lost world on mission just as He was sent in Joh_20:21. They must engage the world, not cloister from it. See Special Topic: Send (Apostellô) at Joh_5:24.
Joh_17:19 "I sanctify Myself" This must refer in this context to Calvary! Jesus set Himself to do the Father's will (i.e., Mar_10:45).
▣ "that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth" This is a hina clause (purpose clause) with a periphrastic perfect passive participle, which implies that the results have already occurred and continue in force. There, however, is an element of contingency based on
1. Christ's upcoming work on the cross, resurrection, and ascension
2. their continuing repentant faith response to Jesus and His teachings
See Special Topics on Truth at Joh_6:55; Joh_17:3.