| John 14 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) John 14 (verses 14-17, 19-21) on Uncial 060, written about 6th century. | |
| Book | Gospel of John |
| Category | Gospel |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 4 |
John 14 is the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It continues Jesus' discussions with his disciples in anticipation of his death and records the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.[1] Jesus speaks individually with Thomas, Philip and Judas (not the Iscariot); throughout this chapter, Jesus' purpose is to strengthen the faith of the apostles.[2] The author of the book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly believed that John composed this Gospel.[3]
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 31 verses. Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
All the events recorded in this chapter and the succeeding chapters up to John 17 took place in Jerusalem. The precise location is not specified, but John 18:1 states that afterwards, "Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley".
Chapter 14 continues, without interruption, Jesus' dialogue with his disciples regarding his approaching departure from them. H. W. Watkins describes the chapter break as "unfortunate, as it breaks the close connection between these words and those which have gone immediately before (John 13)",[4] although Alfred Plummer, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, identifies John 14 as the opening of "the last great discourse", continuing to chapter 17.[5]
Jesus says, "Do not let your heart (Greek: ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία, hymōn hē kardia - singular in the Greek, in Wycliffe's Bible and in the American Standard Version - be troubled" (John 14:1), words which are repeated in John 14:27. Many English translations have the plural, hearts (e.g. Jerusalem Bible). Codex D and some other versions introduce into the text καὶ εϊπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ (and he said to his disciples) but Bengel's Gnomon says that "the mass of authorities is against [this]".[6]
Verse 1b reads:
Augustine treats the text as "believe in God, believe also in me",[8] and Bengel argues that both clauses are imperatives,[6] whereas the Vulgate's wording, like the New King James Version, treats the first statement as indicative ("you believe ...") and builds the second ("[therefore], believe also ...") upon it. Heinrich Meyer lists "Erasmus, Luther (in his Exposition), Castalio, Beza, Calvin, Aretius, Maldonatus, Grotius, and several others" as writers who utilised the latter approach.[9]
The purpose of Jesus' departure is to "go to prepare a place for [his disciples]. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2-3). John 14:2 begins, in many English translations, with the statement "There are many rooms in my Father’s house", but the alternative, if it were not so, is presented in various ways:
The latter reading is not supported by any previous text where Jesus had said he was going to prepare a place.
The Greek: μοναὶ (monai) is translated as "rooms" in the ESV, "mansions" in the King James Version, "mansions of bliss" in Irish archbishop John McEvilly's comments,[10] and "dwelling places" in the New Revised Standard Version. The Textus Receptus presents Jesus' intention to prepare a place for His disciples as a separate sentence from the point about the availability of many rooms, whereas, in other versions, the promise that a place will be prepared is directly linked to the teaching that there are many rooms in the Father's house.
The Rastafari movement draws its umbrella term "Mansions of Rastafari" from verse 2, referring to the diverse groups within the movement. Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas argue from the reference to "many mansions" that the mansions vary in type and therefore reflect "different degrees of rewards":[11]
Verse 3 builds on this departure and preparation, when Jesus continues:
The words I will come again are in the present tense, and should be literally rendered, I am coming again.[4] Watkins notes that "this clause has been variously explained: of the resurrection; of the death of individual disciples; of the spiritual presence of our Lord in the Church;[13] [or] of the coming again of the Lord in the Parousia of the last day, when all who believe in Him shall be received unto Himself", but he prefers to read them as referring to Jesus' constant spiritual presence in the midst of His disciples.[4]
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Main article: Via et veritas et vita |
In the first of three individualised conversations in this chapter, Jesus speaks with Thomas.
Plummer notes that they were in Jerusalem, "the royal city of the conquering Messiah", so the disciples may have thought they were in the place where Jesus would be "to restore the kingdom to Israel".[5]
The phrase "The Way" is also found in Acts 9:2 and 19:23 as a term to describe the early church. The pronoun is emphatic: it implies "I and no other".[5] The Greek text also includes καὶ (kai, "and") before ἡ ἀλήθεια, (hē alētheia, "the truth"),[15] a preference noted by Plummer and the Revised Standard Version.[16]
The words translated as "know" or "known" in verse 7 are ἐγνώκειτέ (egnōkate) and γινώσκετε (ginōskete) in the first and third occurrences, coming from the verb Greek: γινώσκω, (ginóskó, to come to know, recognize, perceive) [18] whereas the second occurrence translates the Greek: ᾔδειτε (ēdeite), coming from the Greek: εἰδῶ (eidó: be aware, behold, consider, perceive),[19][20] although the Textus Receptus has words derived from γινώσκω in all three instances.[21] Ellicott explains that the words "are not identical in meaning. The former means, to know by observation, the latter to know by reflection. It is the difference between connaître and savoir [in French]; between kennen ("ken, k(e)now"), and wissen ("wit, wisdom") [in German]".[4] The meaning may be expressed more exactly as, 'If ye had recognised Me, ye would have known My Father also'.[4]
Philip, who had said to Nathaniel in John 1:46, "Come and see", takes over the dialogue from Thomas:
He still wants to see a further revelation, thinking that Jesus still has to show them a vision of God which has not yet been made visible.[22] Jesus comments that He has been with His disciples (Greek: ὑμῶν, hymōn - plural) for "such a long time" (John 14:9) - Philip was one of the first disciples to follow Jesus [23] - "and yet you (singular) have not known Me". Jesus speaks first to Philip, alone, "Do you not believe ..." (οὐ πιστεύεις, ou pisteueis - singular) and then to the eleven as a group, "Believe me ..." (πιστεύετέ, pisteuete - plural). Plummer explains that "the English obliterates the fact that Christ now turns from S. Philip and addresses all the eleven":[24]
John has previously referred to Jesus' works as His witness and a sign of His authority (John 5:36 and 10:25) but Jesus adds here:
Lutheran theologian Harold Buls suggests that the "greater works" involve "send[ing] out the message of eternal life in great streams" to the gentiles, being the message which Jesus had only given to the Jews.[25]
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Further information: Christian prayer |
Jesus holds out "great promises in favour of prayer.[10] Verse 13 states,
and verse 14 partially repeats this:
The Byzantine monk and biblical commentator Euthymios Zigabenos states that "the promise is repeated ... for confirmation".[26] Buls notes that both verses (13 and 14) "clearly imply that believers will have many needs", and that Jesus' commitment to doing what is asked of him and is asked in his name "results in - and has as its purpose - the clothing of the Father in splendour".[27]
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Further information: Paraclete |
Jesus is the first advocate or paraclete.[29] The text in Greek refers to αλλον παρακλητον (allon parakleton, another advocate).[30] The Amplified Bible lists Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, and Standby as possible translations.[31] The Common English Bible offers "companion".[32] The Jerusalem Bible opts for "advocate" but notes that "it is difficult to choose between the possible meanings".[33] Buls suggests that "I will ask" denotes a request being made by one equal of another equal.[34]
As the chapter draws to a close (verses 28–31), Jesus repeats that he is going away, but he will return. This passage finalises Jesus' discourse with his closest disciples:
as his life now is solely directed to the task of obedience to his Father (John 14:31a-c).
Preparing to leave the upper room, he says to his disciples:
Their departure links logically with the opening words of chapter 18, When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. This connection has led some commentators to suppose that chapters 15-17 represent Jesus' discourse "as they went along in the way to Mount Olives",[37] or "that they rise from table and prepare to depart, but that the contents of the next three chapters are spoken before they leave the room".[24] In Mark 14:42 and Matthew 26:46, the same words "arise, let us go" (Greek: εγειρεσθε αγωμεν) appear within the Gethsemane narrative set later within those gospels' portrayal of Jesus' passion.[36][38]
