Farewell Discourse

Text and Content

The Farewell Discourse is the conventional name for the lengthy address that Jesus gave to his disciples at the Last Supper, recorded in chapters 13–17 of the Gospel of John. The name is not part of the biblical text itself, and scholars define its scope differently. Many treat John 13:31–16:33, which begins after Judas Iscariot goes out, as the Farewell Discourse in the narrow sense and refer to the prayer of chapter 17 separately as the "High Priestly Prayer."

Its principal contents are as follows:

• The new commandment to love one another (John 13:34)
• The dwelling places in the Father's house and "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:2-6)
• The promise of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7)
• The parable of the vine and the branches and "Abide in me" (John 15:1-8)
• The warning of the world's hatred and the promise that sorrow will be turned into joy (John 15:18–16:22)
• The prayer that the disciples and later believers may be one (John 17:20-23)

The discourse is interspersed with exchanges in which Peter, Thomas, Philip, and others ask questions and Jesus answers them.

Background

The farewell address, in which a departing leader gives final instructions to those who remain, appears several times in Scripture. Examples include the blessing of Jacob (Genesis 49), the sermons of Moses in Deuteronomy, and the final charge of Joshua (Joshua 23–24). In the New Testament, Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders at Miletus (Acts 20:17-38) follows a similar pattern.

The Greek word paraklētos, rendered "Comforter," means "one called alongside." It combines the senses of helper, advocate, and comforter.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

For the extended teaching of the final week, the Synoptic Gospels record the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13 and parallels), which concerns the end times. John's Gospel does not contain this discourse; instead it presents the Farewell Discourse, which focuses on the community of disciples who will live with the Holy Spirit after Jesus departs. Both the new commandment and the term paraklētos carry over into 1 John; the word translated "advocate" in 1 John 2:1 is paraklētos.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Composition: Although Jesus says, "Arise, let us go hence" (14:31), the discourse continues through chapter 17. Scholars are divided between those who see this as evidence that several sources were combined and those who read the text as a single continuous whole.
• The procession of the Spirit: "The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father" (15:26) is a key text in the Filioque controversy. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western church (the Catholic Church and most Protestants) confess differently on whether the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone or from the Father and the Son.
• Branches that are cast forth: The Calvinist tradition tends to read 15:6 as referring to those who were never truly joined to Christ in the first place. Arminianism and the Wesleyan tradition tend to read it as a warning that one can actually fall away.
• "Greater works than these": Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement frequently cite 14:12 as grounds for the continuation of miracles and spiritual gifts. Others read it as referring to the expanding reach of the gospel as it spreads throughout the world.
• Unity: John 17:21 is frequently cited in the ecumenical movement. Evangelicals tend to read it with an emphasis on spiritual unity in the truth.
• Popular embellishments: Stories circulate that, in keeping with the "mansions" of 14:2, a house is being built in heaven for each believer and that these houses differ in size. The text, however, says nothing about the appearance of these dwellings or any gradation among them.

In the Korean Church

"Let not your heart be troubled" (14:1-3) is frequently read at funeral services and memorial services. On Maundy Thursday during Holy Week, many churches preach from this passage together with the foot-washing scene of chapter 13. Chapter 15 is widely used in sermons on the theme of "abiding in the Lord."