John 16:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

NIV: All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."

NASB: All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.

CSB: Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

NLT: All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

KJV: All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

NKJV: All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

As Jesus prepares for His impending arrest and execution (John 18:1–3; 19:18), He reassures the disciples by predicting the coming of the Holy Spirit. Much of what Jesus has said was not understood by His closest followers (John 2:22; 16:17). Only after His resurrection, and with the empowerment of the Spirit, will they be able to fully grasp all that is happening (John 16:12–13).

In this statement, Jesus once again asserts that He is divine. Likewise, He refers to the Holy Spirit in tying together all three members of the Trinity (John 16:14). John began his gospel explaining that Jesus' presence on earth gloriously presented the truth of God (John 1:14).

The guidance of the Holy Spirit will always lead a person towards or "into" truth. That does not mean every claim of inspiration is true—born-again Christians can be sincerely wrong (Galatians 2:11–14). Other spiritual voices can lead us astray (Galatians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:4). Discipleship and the written Word are crucial in the process of following God (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:31; 1 Corinthians 4:6). However, the voice of the Spirit provides insight which is simply unavailable to those who are not believers (1 Corinthians 2:14).

John 16:5–15 resumes an explanation of the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus began to discuss this topic in John 15:26–27, before returning to the subject of persecution (John 16:1–4). Christ must leave the world, so His followers will learn to depend on the influence of the Holy Spirit. That Spirit will guide, judge, and speak in order to bring glory to God.

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.