John 17:2 kjv
As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
John 17:2 nkjv
as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
John 17:2 niv
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
John 17:2 esv
since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
John 17:2 nlt
For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.
John 17 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 28:18 | "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." | Christ's universal authority established |
| Jn 3:35 | "The Father loves the Son and has given everything into his hands." | Father's entrustment of all things to Son |
| Jn 5:21 | "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it." | Son's power to bestow life mirrors Father's |
| Jn 5:27 | "And he has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man." | Son's authority over judgment from the Father |
| Phil 2:9-11 | "...God exalted him to the highest place... that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." | Christ's exalted, universal rule acknowledged |
| Heb 1:2 | "...through whom also he made the universe." | Christ as divine agent of creation and heir |
| Rev 1:18 | "I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever... And I hold the keys of death and Hades." | Christ's ultimate authority over life and death |
| Jn 3:16 | "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes... shall not perish but have eternal life." | Eternal life offered through faith in the Son |
| Jn 5:24 | "...whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life..." | Connection between hearing, believing, and eternal life |
| Jn 6:39 | "And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." | Father's will for Son to preserve His given ones |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Eternal life presented as a divine gift |
| Jn 6:37 | "All those the Father gives me will come to me..." | Father's active role in drawing individuals to Christ |
| Jn 6:44 | "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them..." | Father's drawing is a prerequisite for coming to Jesus |
| Jn 10:28-29 | "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish... My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all..." | Security of those given to Christ by the Father |
| Acts 13:48 | "...and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." | Divine appointment preceding belief and eternal life |
| Eph 1:4-5 | "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world..." | God's sovereign choice of believers before time |
| Eph 2:8-9 | "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God..." | Salvation as God's undeserved grace and gift |
| 2 Tim 1:9 | "...who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace..." | God's saving purpose rooted in His grace, not human works |
| Is 40:5 | "And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it." | Universal manifestation of God's glory |
| Lk 3:6 | "And all mankind will see God's salvation." | Universal scope of God's salvation's visibility |
| Joel 2:28 | "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people..." | Prophecy of God's Spirit poured out broadly |
| Ps 65:2 | "You who answer prayer, to you all people will come." | Anticipation of universal acknowledgement of God |
| Jn 17:1 | "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you." | Immediate context of Jesus' prayer for mutual glorification |
John 17 verses
John 17 2 Meaning
John 17:2 encapsulates the divine commissioning of Jesus Christ, affirming that the Father has bestowed upon Him supreme authority over all humanity. The specific purpose of this universal authority is not merely dominance, but the profound act of imparting eternal life. This salvific gift is not given indiscriminately but directed precisely to those individuals whom the Father, in His sovereign wisdom and election, has "given" to the Son. The verse underscores Christ's role as the divine dispenser of true, everlasting life, operating under the Father's overarching plan for redemption.
John 17 2 Context
John chapter 17 is known as Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." Uttered shortly before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, it represents Jesus' intercession for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers. Verse 2 specifically appears in Jesus' prayer for His own glorification (Jn 17:1-5). Jesus requests the Father to glorify Him, explaining that this glorification is linked directly to the Father's prior action of giving Him authority and the Son's subsequent act of granting eternal life. Historically and culturally, this concept of delegated divine authority (ἐξουσία) would resonate with Jewish monotheistic understanding of God's supreme sovereignty, but it would be unique in its application to a human (divine-human) Messiah, contrasting with any purely human claims to authority or pagan polytheistic views of fragmented powers. The prayer occurs in the immediate aftermath of His final discourses (Jn 14-16) to His disciples, preparing them for His departure and emphasizing the future reality of eternal life and their connection to Him and the Father.
John 17 2 Word analysis
- as thou hast given him power (καθώς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν - kathōs edōkas autō exousian):
- καθώς (kathōs - "as, just as"): Establishes the foundation; the subsequent action directly corresponds to and is dependent on the prior act of giving.
- ἔδωκας (edōkas - "thou hast given"): An aorist verb, pointing to a past, definitive, and completed act by the Father. It highlights the divine source and legitimacy of Christ's authority.
- αὐτῷ (autō - "him"): Singular pronoun directly referring to Jesus, designating Him as the exclusive recipient of this unique divine bestowal.
- ἐξουσίαν (exousian - "power, authority"): This word signifies rightful permission, warrant, or jurisdiction. It implies an authorized ability to act, contrasting with brute force (δύναμις - dynamis). Christ's authority is delegated and legitimate, emanating from the Father.
- over all flesh (πάσης σαρκός - pasēs sarkos):
- πάσης (pasēs - "all, every"): A comprehensive quantifier, asserting the universality and absolute reach of Christ's dominion.
- σαρκός (sarkos - "flesh"): In this context, "flesh" refers to humanity in its entirety, all mortal beings. It denotes Christ's overarching authority extending to every person.
- that he should give eternal life (ἵνα... δώσῃ... ζωὴν αἰώνιον - hina... dōsē... zōēn aiōnion):
- ἵνα (hina - "that, in order that"): This introduces the purpose clause, clarifying the specific divine intent and outcome of the Father's grant of authority.
- δώσῃ (dōsē - "he should give"): Subjunctive verb, indicating the intended action and function of Christ's power—to bestow this life.
- ζωὴν αἰώνιον (zōēn aiōnion - "eternal life"): This term denotes a quality of life, not merely an unending duration. It is divine, true, and abiding life, characterized by a saving relationship and knowledge of God (as elaborated in Jn 17:3). It begins presently for believers and extends eternally.
- to as many as thou hast given him (πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ - pan ho dedōkas autō):
- πᾶν ὃ (pan ho - "all that which," often signifying "all those whom" in such contexts): This phrase collectively refers to specific individuals, the designated recipients of eternal life. It highlights a particular group within "all flesh."
- δέδωκας (dedōkas - "thou hast given"): A perfect tense verb, indicating a past act by the Father with continuing and completed results. This act of giving individuals to the Son is a sovereign, decisive, and established reality.
- αὐτῷ (autō - "him"): Specifies Jesus as the recipient of these chosen individuals, entrusted to Him for their salvation.
- "as thou hast given him power over all flesh" and "that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him": This parallel structure powerfully highlights the divine economy of salvation. The Father grants Christ comprehensive authority ("over all flesh"), but the specific exercise of His redemptive, life-giving power is directed precisely ("to as many as thou hast given him"). This intricate relationship signifies that Christ's universal dominion forms the basis and means by which He accomplishes the particular will of the Father in saving His chosen ones. The repeated "given" emphasizes the Father's initiative and sovereign control in both commissioning the Son and selecting the redeemed.
John 17 2 Bonus section
- The Divine Harmony of Purpose: The repeated use of "given" (ἔδωκας, δέδωκας) highlights a deliberate, harmonious, and coordinated action within the Godhead. The Father is the source and initiator of the divine plan, empowering the Son for a specific redemptive task and designating the beneficiaries. The Son, in turn, faithfully executes this plan.
- Implications for Election and Human Response: This verse, along with others in John (e.g., 6:37, 44), presents a strong emphasis on divine sovereignty in salvation. The Father's "giving" individuals to the Son precedes and enables their reception of eternal life. While it doesn't explicitly negate human response (faith is necessary, Jn 3:16), it places the ultimate cause and initiation of salvation firmly in the Father's sovereign purpose and gift.
- Polemic against Self-Attained Life: In contrast to various philosophical or religious ideas prevalent in the Greco-Roman world about humans achieving immortality or higher life through their own efforts, wisdom, or rites, John 17:2 presents eternal life as a divine gift, mediated solely through Christ and bestowed according to the Father's will. It refutes any notion of earned or humanly merited eternal existence.
John 17 2 Commentary
John 17:2 succinctly states the Father's divine decree regarding the Son's mission: Christ possesses all legitimate authority over humanity for the express purpose of granting eternal life. This authority is not self-derived but divinely bestowed, indicating Christ's obedient function within the Trinity's plan. While His authority spans "all flesh"—all humankind—the act of giving eternal life is specifically for those whom the Father has "given" to Him. This reflects God's sovereign election and Christ's faithful execution of that eternal purpose. "Eternal life" itself transcends mere longevity, signifying a profound, qualitative communion with God through Christ. It's a gift that secures not only future blessedness but also present fellowship.
- Example 1: Just as a sovereign grants a minister plenipotentiary full diplomatic powers to act on his behalf, so the Father gives the Son full authority for salvation.
- Example 2: A gardener prunes an entire vine but carefully nurtures only specific branches to bear fruit; similarly, Christ has authority over all, but nurtures "His own" for eternal life.