John 14:1–9

Context

Chapters 13–17 of the Gospel of John are commonly called the "Farewell Discourse," the extended teaching Jesus gave before his departure. On the night when he faces not judgment but his own death, Jesus washes his disciples' feet and, after Judas Iscariot has gone out, announces that he is leaving them. These words come immediately after he foretells Peter's denial (John 13:36–38). The passage opens with comfort for the disciples' distress and continues as a dialogue in which Jesus answers questions from Thomas and Philip.

Interpretation

• The dwelling places and the promise to return (vv. 1–3): Traditionally, many churches read "my Father's house" as the heavenly dwelling that believers enter after death or on the last day, and "I will come again" as a reference to the Second Coming. Some commentators connect the passage with the "abode" of verse 23 in the same chapter and understand it as God's present dwelling in believers through the Holy Spirit; others read it as also including Jesus' appearances after the resurrection.
• "The way, the truth, and the life" (v. 6): Most Protestant denominations regard this verse as the basis for the confession that no one can attain salvation except through Christ.
• "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (v. 9): Churches that hold to orthodox Trinitarian doctrine read this as meaning that the Son fully reveals the Father, and understand the verse as affirming both the unity and the distinction of the Father and the Son.

Debates and Issues

• The question of exclusivity: Theologians who favor religious pluralism argue that verse 6 should be read not as a judgment on other religions but as a confession of Christ made within the community of disciples. Evangelicals counter that such a reading weakens the literal meaning of the text.
• Use by modalists: Proponents of modalism, which regards the Father and the Son as different modes of a single person, cite verse 9 in support of their view. Churches holding orthodox doctrine respond by pointing to expressions in which the Father and the Son appear as distinct, such as "unto the Father" in verse 6.
• Translation and manuscripts: The two occurrences of "believe" in verse 1 can be read in the original either as imperatives or as indicatives. Some translations render the clause in verse 2, "if it were not so, I would have told you," as a question. The manuscripts of verse 7 are known to differ, reading either "If ye had known me … ye should have known" or "If you have come to know me … you will know."

In the Korean Church

Verses 1–3 are widely read at funeral services and at casketing and burial services. Verse 6 is frequently quoted in evangelism and in gospel tracts.

Related Passages

• John 10:9
• John 10:30
• John 14:27
• 1 Timothy 2:5–6
• Hebrews 1:1–3