John 17:18 kjv
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
John 17:18 nkjv
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
John 17:18 niv
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
John 17:18 esv
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
John 17:18 nlt
Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
John 17 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 20:21 | So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." | Direct reiteration of the sending commission. |
| Matt 28:19-20 | Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations... teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. | The Great Commission, empowering global evangelism. |
| Mk 16:15 | Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. | Universal scope of the disciples' mission. |
| Lk 10:1-2 | After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him... The harvest is plentiful. | Earlier commissioning of disciples for widespread ministry. |
| Acts 1:8 | You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses... to the remotest part of the earth. | Empowerment for mission and expansion. |
| Isa 61:1 | The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me... | Prophetic foretelling of the Messiah's mission as one "sent." |
| Lk 4:18 | The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me... | Jesus identifies with the Isaianic prophecy, confirming His divine sending. |
| Heb 3:1 | Consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. | Jesus Himself is the ultimate "sent one." |
| Gal 1:1 | Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father...) | Emphasizes divine origin of apostleship, mirroring Jesus' sending. |
| Rom 10:15 | How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS!" | Necessity of being sent for gospel proclamation. |
| Jn 13:20 | Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. | Authority granted to those sent, identifying them with the Sender. |
| Jn 17:15 | I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. | Disciples are in the world for a purpose, not to be withdrawn. |
| Jn 17:16 | They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. | While in the world, they maintain a distinct, heavenly origin/character. |
| Jn 15:19 | If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world... therefore the world hates you. | World's hostility confirms distinct nature of believers. |
| Phil 2:15 | That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God... among whom you appear as lights in the world. | Disciples shine in the world amidst corruption. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION... so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness. | Called out of the world to declare God's glory in the world. |
| 2 Cor 5:20 | Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us... | Believers represent Christ, executing His mission on earth. |
| Jn 5:36 | ...for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. | Jesus' works testify to His being sent. |
| Eph 4:11-12 | And He gave some as apostles... for the equipping of the saints for the work of service... | Gifts for equipping believers for ministry in the world. |
| Jer 1:7 | But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go; And whatever I command you, you shall speak." | OT example of divine sending and commanded speech. |
| Exod 3:10 | Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. | OT example of God sending an individual for a specific liberation mission. |
John 17 verses
John 17 18 Meaning
John 17:18 reveals that the mission of Jesus' disciples into the world directly parallels His own mission from the Father. It signifies a divine commissioning, where the authority, purpose, and sphere of operation for the disciples are derived from, and modeled after, Christ's sending by God the Father. This verse establishes a continuity of divine purpose, extending God's saving work from Father to Son, and then through the Son to His followers, into a world alienated from God, not for isolation, but for spiritual engagement.
John 17 18 Context
John chapter 17 contains what is known as Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." This profound prayer takes place just before Jesus' arrest, crucifixion, and ultimate glorification. In this prayer, Jesus addresses His Father directly, first interceding for Himself, then for His immediate disciples (verses 6-19), and finally for all future believers (verses 20-26). Verse 18 is found within Jesus' prayer for His disciples. Immediately preceding it, Jesus emphasizes that His disciples are "not of the world" (Jn 17:16), yet He specifically prays that the Father would not take them out of the world (Jn 17:15). This sets the stage for their commissioned mission into the very world from which they are distinct, making the contrast and purpose of their "sending" critically important. The verse thus articulates the means by which God's presence and salvation continue to penetrate the world after Christ's departure: through His sanctified, sent followers.
John 17 18 Word analysis
- As (καθὼς - kathōs): This Greek particle means "just as," "even as," "in the same way that." It establishes a perfect analogy, indicating not merely a resemblance but an identity in kind or pattern. It stresses that the disciples' mission is a direct continuation and imitation of Jesus' own. Their sending shares the same divine origin and purpose as His.
- You sent (ἀπέστειλας - apesteilas): This is from the verb ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), meaning "to send with a specific commission or authority." It's the root of the word "apostle" (ἀπόστολος - apostolos, "one who is sent"). It highlights that Jesus' presence in the world was not accidental or self-initiated but was the result of the Father's sovereign, authoritative purpose. This verb emphasizes intentionality, divine delegation, and empowerment for a task.
- Me (ἐμὲ - eme): The emphatic pronoun. Jesus refers to His unique, divine mission from the Father, which serves as the supreme paradigm for all subsequent sending.
- into the world (εἰς τὸν κόσμον - eis ton kosmon): The phrase "into the world" (κόσμος - kosmos) in John often refers to humanity in its fallen state, alienated from God and hostile to His truth (e.g., Jn 1:10; 3:19). It signifies the realm of human rebellion and darkness, which is precisely the destination of God's redemptive mission, not a place to be escaped but engaged for salvation.
- I also (κἀγὼ - kagō): A strong conjunction combining "and I" or "even I." It draws a direct parallel to Jesus' own actions. Just as the Father performed this sending, Jesus now performs a similar sending, asserting His authority and the divine nature of the disciples' commission.
- have sent (ἀπέστειλα - apesteila): The same verb as used for the Father's sending, again indicating commission, authority, and purpose. The aorist tense denotes a past, completed action with ongoing results, pointing to Jesus having already commissioned them (e.g., at choosing the Twelve, sending them out, or the Great Commission yet to come in fulfillment). It implies the mission is already inaugurated.
- them (αὐτοὺς - autous): Refers specifically to the disciples present with Jesus and implicitly extends to all future believers who will carry on the mission.
- into the world (εἰς τὸν κόσμον - eis ton kosmon): The identical phrase confirms that the disciples' field of operation and purpose are precisely the same as Christ's – to penetrate the sphere of alienated humanity with divine truth and redemption.
- "As You sent Me... I also have sent them...": This entire parallel statement, structured with kathōs...kagō (just as... so I also), forms a powerful theological connection. It underscores the apostolic nature of the church. The Church is not a self-initiated club or social gathering; its very existence and function are defined by this divine sending. It emphasizes both the pattern (imitation of Christ's mission) and the authority (derived from the Father through Christ). The nature of this "sending" includes revelation, reconciliation, and confrontation with spiritual darkness, as seen in Jesus' own ministry.
John 17 18 Bonus section
The concept of "sending" (apostleship) presented in John 17:18 is foundational to understanding the very nature of the church. The church is missional not merely by choice or strategy, but by its very essence, as it directly participates in the missio Dei (mission of God). This verse illustrates the idea of spiritual succession, where the Father's mission flows through the Son, and the Son's mission flows through His people. This commissioning ensures that the divine task of redemption and revelation continues until Christ's return, underscoring that every believer, in some capacity, is "sent" into their unique sphere of influence as a representative of Christ's Kingdom. This divine mandate is coupled with a promise of protection and sanctification (as seen in the immediate context of John 17), demonstrating God's provision for those He sends.
John 17 18 Commentary
John 17:18 reveals the inherent missionary identity of Christ's followers. The "sending" (ἀποστέλλω) implies divine authorization and specific purpose. Just as Jesus' ministry was defined by His being "sent" by the Father to bring light and salvation to a lost world, so too are His disciples fundamentally defined by their commission to continue that same mission. This verse dismantles any notion of passive faith or retreat from society. Believers are not called out of the world to escape it, but rather equipped and empowered to enter it as ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor 5:20), bringing His truth and reconciling love. Their presence "in the world" yet "not of the world" (Jn 17:16) signifies that they operate within its reality while embodying different values and being empowered by a divine source. This is the heart of the church's global mission—to participate in God's ongoing work of redeeming humanity by proclaiming the gospel and embodying the Kingdom of God within hostile territory.