John 16 25

John 16:25 kjv

These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

John 16:25 nkjv

"These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

John 16:25 niv

"Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

John 16:25 esv

"I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

John 16:25 nlt

"I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father.

John 16 verses

John 16 25 Meaning

John 16:25 presents Jesus' promise of a future, clearer revelation of God the Father to His disciples. He acknowledges that up to that point, He had been speaking in "figures of speech" or veiled language. However, an appointed "hour" was approaching when this indirect mode of communication would cease. In its place, He would provide a direct and plain understanding of the Father, indicating a profound shift in their ability to comprehend divine truth through His continued revelation by the Holy Spirit after His glorification. This marks a transition from limited understanding to an era of intimate spiritual discernment.

John 16 25 Context

John 16:25 is part of Jesus' Farewell Discourse (chapters 13-17), delivered to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. Throughout this discourse, Jesus has been preparing them for His imminent departure, the world's opposition, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. His words have often been indirect or presented in ways that leave the disciples perplexed (e.g., His "going away" in 16:5-6, 16:16-18, 16:21). The disciples admit their confusion (John 16:17-18). Verse 25 directly addresses this state of veiled understanding. Jesus foresees a turning point—"the hour is coming"—which would coincide with His glorification (death, resurrection, ascension) and the subsequent empowering of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to grasp spiritual realities with unprecedented clarity. Culturally, using "figures of speech" (parables, proverbs, dark sayings) was a common teaching method, known as mashal in Jewish tradition, often inviting deeper reflection but sometimes understood to conceal truth from those who were unprepared to receive it. Jesus is here promising a movement beyond this preparatory stage.

John 16 25 Word analysis

• "These things" (Ταῦτα - Tauta):

  • Meaning: Refers to the immediate preceding teachings in the Farewell Discourse, particularly concerning His departure, the world's hatred, the Holy Spirit's role, and the confusion of the disciples.
  • Significance: Jesus acknowledges that much of what He just spoke was challenging to grasp due to its veiled nature.

• "in figures of speech" (ἐν παροιμίαις - en paroimiais):

  • Greek: paroimia, plural paroimiais.
  • Meaning: "Proverb," "allegory," "dark saying," "enigma," "parable."
  • Significance: Denotes indirect, symbolic, or veiled language. Not necessarily to hide truth, but to present it in a way that requires interpretation or a deeper level of understanding. This mode was appropriate for the disciples' current spiritual capacity and prior to the coming of the Spirit. This form of communication allowed for future, Spirit-led clarification.

• "I have spoken" (λελάληκα - lelalēka):

  • Meaning: Perfect tense of laleo, indicating a completed action with continuing relevance.
  • Significance: Jesus asserts that this has been His consistent method up to this point, setting the stage for a dramatic change.

• "The hour" (ὥρα - hōra):

  • Greek: hōra.
  • Meaning: "Appointed time," "specific period."
  • Significance: A key theological term in John, frequently pointing to Jesus' pivotal moment of glorification through suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, followed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This 'hour' marks a divinely ordained turning point for understanding.

• "no longer speak" (οὐκέτι ... λαλήσω - ouketi ... lalēsō):

  • Meaning: "No longer," combined with a future tense verb.
  • Significance: Signifies a definitive cessation and transition from the former manner of speaking. It promises a permanent shift to a different method.

• "plainly" (παρρησίᾳ - parrēsia):

  • Greek: parrēsia.
  • Meaning: "Frankness," "boldness," "openness," "without reservation," "clearly."
  • Significance: Refers to speech that is unambiguous, direct, and fully understood. More than just clearer words, it implies an enhanced spiritual capacity in the hearer, provided by the Holy Spirit, to grasp spiritual realities directly and confidently, moving beyond previous hindrances. It will characterize the boldness of the apostles in Acts.

• "about the Father" (περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς - peri tou Patros):

  • Greek: Patros.
  • Meaning: Refers to God the Father.
  • Significance: The ultimate revelation is always concerning the Father. The clearer teaching will lead to a more profound, intimate, and unveiled understanding of God's character, will, and nature as a loving Father.

• "I will tell" (ἀγγελῶ - aggelō):

  • Meaning: Future tense of aggello, "to announce," "proclaim," "report," "make known."
  • Significance: This signifies an active revelation, a clear and decisive proclamation that enables true understanding.

• "These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech": This phrase underlines Jesus' method of teaching prior to His glorification, indicating that while He taught profound truths, they were often cloaked in imagery and allegories that limited full comprehension for the disciples in their unspiritualized state. This was not a flaw, but a provisional stage in God's redemptive plan.

• "The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly": This signifies a critical pivot in salvation history and in the relationship between God and humanity. The change isn't just in Jesus' language, but in the disciples' ability to receive. It marks the shift from Old Covenant-era partial understanding to New Covenant full revelation enabled by the Holy Spirit.

John 16 25 Bonus section

The "plain speech" and profound understanding promised in John 16:25 manifests in several ways. Firstly, it applies to Jesus' post-resurrection appearances (the "40 days"), during which He did "open their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Lk 24:45) and taught them "things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). This period provided a direct, clear, yet still transitional understanding. However, the fuller and ongoing fulfillment of this promise comes through the Holy Spirit's permanent indwelling. The Spirit enables believers to recall, interpret, and internalize Jesus' teachings (Jn 14:26), and guides them "into all the truth" (Jn 16:13), revealing the deep things of God (1 Cor 2:10). This deeper, Spirit-empowered clarity gives believers confidence (related to parrēsia) to approach the Father in prayer directly, without needing Jesus to specifically intercede for prayer requests at the point of asking, as their very prayers are now understood and acceptable in light of Christ's sacrifice (Jn 16:26-27). Thus, John 16:25 heralds an era of unhindered access and profound spiritual communion, a hallmark of the New Covenant.

John 16 25 Commentary

John 16:25 is a prophetic declaration by Jesus that signifies a turning point in divine revelation. Prior to His death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, His teaching methods often employed paroimiais, or "figures of speech." This style, akin to parables or riddles, necessitated deeper thought and sometimes veiled truths due to the disciples' unreadiness or spiritual limitations. This was a temporary pedagogical necessity.

The promise of the "hour" signals the redemptive work on the cross, His victory over death, ascension to the Father, and critically, the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. With these events, the veil would be removed. The shift to speaking "plainly" (parrēsia) about the Father means more than just using simpler words. It encompasses a new capacity imparted by the indwelling Spirit to grasp profound spiritual truths directly, confidently, and intimately, removing previous ambiguities and uncertainties. This is a promise of divine illumination, granting immediate and clear apprehension of God’s nature and His Son. The ultimate purpose is a deepened relationship with God as a Father, no longer seen through a glass dimly but with unveiled face, empowering believers with both understanding and bold access to God.For example, just as children gradually grasp complex ideas they initially only understood through simple metaphors, believers, through the Spirit, transition to direct spiritual apprehension of God's truth, transforming a once mysterious reality into a direct, living experience.