rwp - John:17:20-26

rwp@John:17:20 @{Through their word} (\dia tou logou autn\). Through the agency of conversation and preaching, blessed privilege open to all believers thus to win men to Christ, but an agency sadly limited by the lives of those who speak in Christ's name.

rwp@John:17:21 @{That they also may be in us} (\hina kai autoi en hmin sin\). Another purpose clause with \hina\ and the present active subjunctive of \eimi\. The only possible way to have unity among believers is for all of them to find unity first with God in Christ. {That the world may believe} (\hina ho kosmos pisteui\). Another purpose clause with \hina\ and the present active subjunctive of \pisteu\, "may keep on believing." Beyond a doubt, strife, wrangling, division are a stumblingblock to the outside world.

rwp@John:17:22 @{And the glory} (\kag tn doxan\). Literally, "And I the glory," with emphasis on "I." It is the glory of the Incarnate Word (Bernard), cf. strkjv@1:14; strkjv@2:11|, not the glory of the Eternal Word mentioned in strkjv@17:24|. Bengel says: _Quanta majestas Christianorum!_ Then verse 22| repeats the unity prayed for in verse 21|.

rwp@John:17:23 @{That they may be perfected into one} (\hina sin teteleimenoi eis hen\). Purpose clause again with \hina\ (nineteen times in this prayer, this the fifteenth) with the periphrastic perfect passive subjunctive of \teleio\ (verse 4|), permanent state, with \eis hen\ (into one) as the goal and final result. {That the world may know} (\hina ginski\). Present active subjunctive of \ginsk\ with \hina\ like the present tense of \pisteu\ in verse 21|, "that the world may keep on knowing" with the same pregnant phrase "that thou me didst send" (\hoti su me apesteilas\) as in 8,25|. {And lovedst them} (\kai gapsas autous\). Timeless aorist, but love shown by sending Christ (John:3:16|) and illustrated and proven by the way Christians love one another.

rwp@John:17:24 @{I will} (\thel\). Perfect identity of his will with that of the Father in "this moment of spiritual exaltation" (Bernard), though in Gethsemane Jesus distinguishes between his human will and that of the Father (Mark:14:36|). {Where I am} (\hopou eimi eg\). That is heaven, to be with Jesus (12:26; strkjv@13:36; strkjv@14:3; strkjv@Romans:8:17; strkjv@2Timothy:2:11f.|). {That they may behold} (\hina thersin\). Another purpose clause with \hina\ and the present active subjunctive of \there\, "that they may keep on beholding," the endless joy of seeing Jesus "as he is" (1John:3:2|) in heaven. {Before the foundation of the world} (\pro katabols kosmou\). This same phrase in strkjv@Ephesians:1:4; strkjv@1Peter:1:20| and six other times we have \katabol kosmou\ (Matthew:25:34; strkjv@Luke:11:50; strkjv@Hebrews:4:3; strkjv@9:26; strkjv@Revelation:13:8; strkjv@17:8|). Here we find the same pre-incarnate consciousness of Christ seen in strkjv@17:5|.

rwp@John:17:25 @{O righteous Father} (\Patr dikaie\). Nominative form with \patr\ used as vocative (cf. strkjv@John:20:28|), but vocative form \dikaie\. Then the righteousness of God is appealed to like God's holiness in verse 11|. {The world} (\kai ho kosmos\). The translations usually slur over the \kai\ as untranslatable in English. Westcott suggests "while" as a sort of correlative. It is quite possible that here \kai\ is almost concessive like "though" and \de\=yet: "though the world did not know thee, yet I knew thee, and these knew thee." See Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1182 for \kai--de--kai\ and various other uses of \kai\ in John's Gospel.

rwp@John:17:26 @{And will make it known} (\kai gnris\). Future active of \gnriz\, the perpetual mission of Christ through the Spirit (16:12,25; strkjv@Matthew:28:20|) as he himself has done heretofore (17:6|). {Wherewith} (\hen\). Cognate accusative relative with \gapsas\ which has also the accusative of the person \me\ (me).