John 17:21

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
That	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
they all	πάντες pantes	G3956	all · adjective — nominative plural masculine
may be	ὦ ō	G5600	(may
one	ἓν hen	G1520	one · adjective — nominative singular neuter
as	καθὼς kathōs	G2531	just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
thou	σύ, su	G4771	thou · personal pronoun — 2nd person nominative singular
Father	πάτερ, pater	G3962	a "father" (literally or figuratively · noun — vocative singular masculine, a title
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
me	ἐμοί emoí	G1698	to me
and I	κἀγώ kagṓ	G2504	so also the dative case
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
thee	σοί soí	G4671	to thee
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
they	αὐτοὶ autoi	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — nominative plural masculine
also	κἀγὼ kagō	G2532	and · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular + conjunction
may be	ὦ ō	G5600	(may
one	ἓν hen	G1520	one · adjective — nominative singular neuter
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
us	ἡμῖν hēmîn	G2254	to (or for
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
the world	κόσμος kosmos	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — nominative singular masculine
may believe	πιστεύῃ pisteuē	G4100	to have faith (in · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
thou	σοί, soi	G4771	thou · personal pronoun — 2nd person dative singular
hast sent	ἀπέστειλας. apesteilas	G649	set apart · verb — aorist active indicative, 2nd person singular
me	ἡμῖν hēmin	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person dative plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
Colossians 3:11-14 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou…
1 Corinthians 12:25-27 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your af…
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 17:22-23 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 17:20-23

Next to their purity he prays for their unity; for the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable; and amity is amiable indeed when it is like the ointment on Aaron's holy head, and the dew on Zion's holy hill. Observe, I. Who are included in this prayer (Joh 17:20): "Not these only, not these only that are now my disciples" (the eleven, the seventy, with others, men and women that followed him when he was here on earth), "but for those also who shall believe on me through their word, either preached by them in their own day or written by them for the generations to come; I pray for them all, that they all may be one in their interest in this prayer, and may all receive benefit by it."…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:21

that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us--The indwelling Spirit of the Father and the Son is the one perfect bond of union, knitting up into a living unity, first all believers amongst themselves; next, this unity into one still higher, with the Father and the Son. (Observe, that Christ never mixes Himself up with His disciples as He associates Himself with the Father, but says I in THEM and THEY in US). that the world may believe that thou hast sent me--sentest me. So the grand impression upon the world at large, that the mission of Christ is divine, is to be made by the unity of His disciples. Of course, then, it must be something th…

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Adam Clarke on John 17:21

That they all may be one - This prayer was literally answered to the first believers, who were all of one heart and of one soul: Act 4:32. And why is it that believers are not in the same spirit now? Because they neither attend to the example nor to the truth of Christ. That the world may believe - are have already seen that the word, κοσμος, world, is used in several parts of this last discourse of our Lord to signify the Jewish people only. Christ will have all his members to be one in spirit - one in rights and privileges, and one in the blessedness of the future world.

The Church Fathers

(iv. de. Trin. c. ix) Or that in ourselves we cannot be one, severed from each other by diverse pleasures, and lusts, and the pollution of sin, from which we must be cleansed by a Mediator, in order to be one in Him.
— Augustine of Hippo ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Elsewhere He says of Himself and the Father, We will come and make Our abode with Him; by the mention of two persons, stopping the mouths of the Sabellians. Here by saying that the Father comes to the disciples through Him, He refutes the notion of the Arians.
— John Chrysostom ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

"As we are Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God," [Jesus might say], "so may they be one people in themselves, that is, like dear children and partakers of the divine nature." Call the church what you will—bride, sister, mother—its assembly is but one and never lacks husband, brother or son. [The church's] faith is one, and it is not defiled by variety of doctrine or divided by heresies. [The church] continues a virgin. Wherever the Lamb goes, it follows him. It alone knows the song of Christ.
— Jerome, Against Jovinianus 2.19

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Lord’s Prayer — The name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught his disciples (Matt. 6:9-13). The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke (11:2-4), also in the R.V. of Matt. 6:13. This prayer…
Communion · 3:3; — 3:3;
Communion Of Saints · According to the prayer of Christ — According to the prayer of Christ
Divisions · Are contrary to the: Desire of Christ — Are contrary to the: Desire of Christ
Fellowship · WITH GOD — WITH GOD
Prayer, Intercessory · Christ set an example of — Christ set an example of
Privileges Of Saints · Union in God and Christ — Union in God and Christ
Union With Christ · Christ prayed that all saints might have — Christ prayed that all saints might have

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

John 17:21

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 17:20-23

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:21

Adam Clarke on John 17:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 17:21

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 17:20-23

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:21

Adam Clarke on John 17:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on John 17:21

John Calvin on John 17:20-23

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 17:21