John 16:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

NIV: "All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.

NASB: These things I have spoken to you so that you will not be led into sin.

CSB: "I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling.

NLT: I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.

KJV: These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

NKJV: “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.

"These things" refers to the comments Jesus has been making to His disciples. They have just shared the Last Supper (John 13:1–5), and Christ is giving His final set of instructions prior to being arrested and crucified (John 15:1–17). Part of that teaching is the persecution these men—and by extension, all Christians—are liable to in an unbelieving world (John 15:18–25). The encouragement of Christ, in part, comes with the reminder that the Holy Spirit will be there with them, even in their suffering (John 15:26–27).

Here, Jesus explains a key reason why He lays out these dire predictions. Simply knowing something is coming makes it easier to endure. Few things inspire fear more than the unknown. Pain, setbacks, and other problems frighten us mostly because we don't know the outcome. However, when we have advanced notice, and know they're part of something controlled, our fear is reduced. Instead of panicking when trouble hits, we can take some comfort in knowing, "this is exactly what we expected…this is nothing out of control."

Christ's intent is for believers to remember these predictions when they suffer persecution. Without advance notice, believers might be tempted to think "this is not what I expected…did God know this would happen?" Instead, in hard times, Christians can say, "I don't have to like this, but I know it's part of God's plan…and He has it all under control." This is a point Jesus repeats often in this discourse (John 13:19; 14:25; 16:4).

John 16:1–4 completes a thought Jesus began at the end of chapter 15. He has been warning His disciples about the persecution they will face, due to their association with Him. His intention is not to frighten, but to reassure. The message seems dire: enemies will ostracize and even kill followers of Christ. However, knowing this was something God anticipated should give believers confidence that everything is under His control.

Throughout His teaching in the Last Supper (John 13:1–5), Jesus has often brought up the fact that He's giving His followers advance warnings (John 13:19; 14:25). His intent is to provide encouragement—persecution as a result of their faith is inevitable. In keeping with that reassurance, Jesus again promises the coming of the Holy Spirit. He explains that after a time of deep sorrow, His followers will experience great joy and clarity. This concludes with a beloved promise that Christ has "overcome the world."

This completes the teaching portion of Jesus' words during the Last Supper, begun in chapter 13. Christ echoes many of the themes of His earthly ministry. His focus is especially on encouragement: reminding the disciples that the hard times they will experience will end in victory. While they don't clearly understand, the Holy Spirit will lead them in the right direction. This ends with Christ's beloved declaration that He has "overcome the world." That introduces the record of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in chapter 17, immediately before His arrest early in chapter 18.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.