John 14
John 14 | |
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![]() John 16:14-22 on the recto side of Papyrus 5, written about AD 250. | |
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). The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that John composed this Gospel.[2]
Text
- The original text is written in Koine Greek.
- Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter are:
- Papyrus 75 (AD 175-225)
- Papyrus 66 (ca. AD 200).
- Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360)
- Codex Bezae (ca. AD 400)
- Codex Alexandrinus (AD 400-440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. AD 450; extant: verses 1-7))
- This chapter is divided into 31 verses.
Places
All the events recorded in this chapter and the succeeding chapters upto 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".
Structure
The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows (with cross references to other parts of the Bible):
- John 14:1–6 = The Way, the Truth, and the Life
- John 14:7–11 = The Father Revealed
- John 14:12–14 = The Answered Prayer
- John 14:15–18 = Jesus Promises Another Helper
- John 14:19–24 = Indwelling of the Father and the Son
- John 14:25–31 = The Gift of His Peace
Jesus' departure and His return
Chapter 14 continues, without interruption, Jesus' dialogue with His disciples regarding His approaching departure from them. Anglican Bishop Charles Ellicott describes the chapter break as "unfortunate, as it breaks the close connection between these words and those which have gone immediately before (John 13)".[3] Jesus says, "Do not let your heart (Greek: ὑ
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 so, is presented in various ways:
- if it were not so, I would have told you. (e.g. New King James Version, Geneva Bible)
- if that weren’t the case, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? (e.g. English Standard Version (ESV))
The latter reading is not supported by any previous text where Jesus had said He was going to prepare a place.
The Greek:
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":[5]
- In every well-ordered city there is a distinction of mansions. Now the heavenly kingdom is compared to a city (Apocalypse 21:2). Therefore we should distinguish various mansions there according to the various degrees of beatitude.[6]
Verse 3 builds on this departure and preparation, when Jesus continues:
- I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (New King James Version)
The words I will come again are in the present tense, and should be literally rendered, I am coming again.[7] Ellicott 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;[8] [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.[9]
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Coa_Romania_Town_Arad.svg/170px-Coa_Romania_Town_Arad.svg.png)
In the first of three individualised conversations in this chapter, Jesus speaks with Thomas:
- Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 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".[10]
- Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.[11]
The phrase "The Way" is also found in Acts 9:2 and 19:23 as a term to describe the early church.
The words translated as "know" or "known" in verse 7 are ἐγνώκειτέ (egnōkate) and γινώσκετε (ginōskete) in the first and third occurences, coming from the verb Greek: γινώσκω, (ginóskó, to come to know, recognize, perceive) [12] whereas the second occurrence translates the Greek: ᾔδειτε (ēdeite), coming from the [] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: no text (help)
Philip, who had said to Nathaniel in John 1:46, "Come and see", takes over the dialogue from Thomas:
- Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us (John 14:8).
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.[17] Jesus comments that He has been with His disciples (Greek: ὑ
- Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake (John 14:11).
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:
- He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12).
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.[20]
Verse 26
- But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.[21]
See also
- Farewell Discourse
- Jerusalem
- Jesus Christ
- Via, Veritas, Vita
- Other related Bible parts: John 13, John 15, John 16, John 17
References
- ^ Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House 1962
- ^ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
- ^ Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers on John 14, accessed 1 July 2016
- ^ Bengel's Gnomon on John 14, accessed 1 July 2016
- ^ Augustine, Homilies on the Gospel of John, Tractate 67, accessed 7 July 2016
- ^ Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Question 93. The happiness of the saints and their mansions, accessed 7 July 2016
- ^ Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers on John 14, accessed 1 July 2016
- ^ cf. Matthew 28:20: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age"
- ^ Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers on John 14, accessed 1 July 2016
- ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on John 14, accessed 5 July 2016; cf. Acts 1:6
- ^ John 14:6–7
- ^ Strong's Concordance 1097: ginóskó
- ^ Strong's Concordance 1492: eidó
- ^ See for example the Westcott-Hort Text of John 14
- ^ Byzantine Text, John 14
- ^ Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers on John 14, accessed 1 July 2016
- ^ Pulpit Commentary on John 14, accessed 7 July 2016
- ^ John 1:43
- ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on John 14, accessed 5 July 2016
- ^ Buls' Notes on John 14, accessed 9 July 2016
- ^ John 14:26
External links
Preceded by John 13 |
Chapters of the Bible Gospel of John |
Succeeded by John 15 |