P-19 John 17:2 Explained!

The Son of Man Received Power and Glory!

***What Does John 17:2 TRULY mean?

Here is John 17:2 from the KJV.  “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”

Notice that verse 2 is speaking of a yet future power that was given to the Son of Man AFTER the cross and resurrection.

This TRUTH is clearly understood in all of the following verses of Scripture:

Revelation 5:12, Matthew 28:18, Romans  1:3-4, John 17:2, Hebrew 2:5-10, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 12:2, Daniel 7:13-14, Acts 2:22-36, Romans 14:9, John 18:37, Philippians 2:6-11, 1 Peter 3:22, Psalm 2:6-9, Psalm 110:1-4, Psalm 89:27, Psalm 89:19-20, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33, Luke 24:25-26, John 3:35, John 5:22-27, Ephesians 1:2-22, 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Revelation 11:15,

The context of John 17:2 is about Jesus praying to “his” God and Father before the cross and resurrection concerning receiving GLORY.

The “controversy” is whether the glory is being RETURNED to God the Son, or if the glory is RECEIVED by the Son of MAN as the “JOY” set before him to endure the cross, according to Hebrews 12:2.

Keep in mind that Jesus OVERCAME the world THROUGH the Eternal Spirit dwelling in him to offer himself to his God without sin, according to Hebrews 9:14, Acts 10:38, and many other verses of Scripture.

To read the CONTEXT, please click the BLUE links.

To read the STUDY and the context, please scroll down.

TABLE of CONTENTS

• Introduction-Who Is the INVISIBLE God?

• Section 1 - Alternate Translations of John 17:5!

• Section 2 - A Closer Look at the Greek!

• Section 3 - Two Correct Translations of John 17:5!

• Conclusion! The Human Son of God RECEIVED Power!

Download this Verse Study to read OFFLINE!

P-19 John 17:2 Explained!

The Son of Man RECEIVED Power After the Cross and Resurrection!

Introduction-Who Is the INVISIBLE God?

Most Christians agree that the “Invisible” God is Almighty God the Father, who is ALSO called the ETERNAL King in 1 Timothy 1:17.

1 Timothy 1:17.

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

And according to Romans 16:27, the Only Wise God receives all of the Glory THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ.

“To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.”

My point is that Almighty God the Father is the ETERNAL King, who gave the PROPHECY of “BEGETTING Himself a Son and SETTING him as a King over the whole earth in Psalm 2:1-12. I will just quote verses 6 and 7.

Psalm 2:6-7.

“Yet have I SET My king upon My holy hill of Zion. 

Psalm 2:7. I will declare the decree: the LORD has said unto me, You are My Son; THIS DAY have I BEGOTTEN you.”

And according to Acts 13:33-34, this PROPHECY was FULFILLED on the very day that God raised the Son of MAN, Jesus, from the Dead and made him a Lord and a King.

And when Jesus was asked by Pontious Pilate if he was a King, Jesus said that to this end he was BORN.

John 18:37.

“Pilate therefore said unto him, Are you a king then? Jesus answered, you say that I am a king. To THIS END was I BORN, and FOR this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.”

Now, if the Son of God always existed as a second person of the Godhead as the Doctrine of the Trinity claims, then the Son of God would have always been the ETERNAL King.

But the Bible ITSELF clearly teaches that the human Son of God was made to become a Lord, according to Acts 2:36 after the cross and resurrection.

And Jesus was BORN for the purpose of being SET on his God’s Throne as Yahweh’s new King over the whole earth during the world to come.

There are several Greek words that mean “RETURN”, but the Apostles and other writers of the New Testament did not use any Greek word that means that a God the Son “returned” to his throne to rule as Lord and King.

And neither did John use a Greek word meaning to “return” the glory that I had with You before the word was.

The Greek word translated as the English word “WAS” literally means “TO BE”, to exist, and to COME”

So then, in TRUTH, John 17:5 is speaking about the Promise in Prophecy concerning the Messiah RECEIVING glory before the world to COME or the AGE yet TO BE.

Section 2 - Alternate Translations of John 17:5!

Now, Trinitarian Christians “interpret” this verse of Scripture in John 17:5 to mean that Jesus LITERALLY HAD glory with Almighty God the Father in the eternity past BEFORE God created the world, the angels, or anything else.

But does that Trinitarian INTERPRETATION of John 17:5 AGREE with the CONTEXT?

Let us now read the context to learn the TRUE SOUND Biblical meaning of John 17:5. 

I will add some emphasis to words that I want you to notice. 

I will highlight all of the words and pronouns referring to Almighty God the Father in orange. 

I will highlight the words and pronouns referring to Jesus BEFORE the cross in yellow, and words that refer to the GLORIFIED Son of MAN, Jesus, AFTER the cross in light blue. 

The words highlighted in green have OTHER meanings that BETTER fit the CONTEXT. 

And I will explain each verse with my comments in parenthesis.

I will divide the CONTEXT into three parts so you can see that the SAME GLORY that Jesus is asking his God and Father to receive will ALSO be GIVEN to us at the coming of Jesus, according to John 17:22.

But first, please read John 17:1-5.

John 17:1-5.

“These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; (Speaking of the appointed time of the crucifixion of the Son of MAN, Jesus) GLORIFY Your Son, that Your (GLORIFIED) Son also may glorify You: (Here we see the Son of MAN, Jesus praying to his God and Father, asking his Father to GLORIFY him in order that the Father would be glorified. 

Keep in mind that the Apostle John wrote down what he heard and what he was taught by Jesus both before and after the cross and resurrection as a RECORD for us to read. 

So then, while Jesus prayed this prayer before the cross, he was NOT YET glorified by God until after the cross and resurrection, according to John 7:39-42, Luke 24:26,27, and 1 Peter 1:11-13)

John 17:2. AS You have GIVEN him POWER over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as You have GIVEN him. (According to Matthew 28:18, John 5:26,27, Romans 1:3,4, Philippians 2:8-11, and many other verses of Scripture, Almighty God GAVE His NOW glorified human Son with all power and authority AFTER the cross and resurrection.

Please know and understand that God PROPHESIED in Isaiah 43:4 to GIVE His Servant PEOPLE for his LIFE.

Some people will be given to Jesus to be a father to his children and give them eternal life, according to Isaiah 9:6,7, Isaiah 22:21, and Psalm 89:27-35.

While the wicked people will be given to Jesus to execute God's wrath upon them, according to Revelation 2:27.

So, to me, these are PROMISES in the Scriptures for God’s Messiah to RECEIVE as his reward for doing all of his God and Father’s will, even to die on the cross)

John 17:3.  And THIS is life eternal, THAT they might know YOU the only true God, AND (That they might know) Jesus Christ, whom You have SENT. (According to 2 John 1:9, and 1 John 5:12, we must believe in and ABIDE in BOTH, Almighty God the Father, AND in His Son, Jesus, in order to receive eternal life in the world to come. 

Please know and understand that Jesus CLEARLY identifies his God and Father as the ONLY TRUTHFUL God. 

Also, notice that Jesus said THIS is eternal life. So to me, Jesus is saying that we must KNOW that the Father ALONE is the ONLY TRUE God.

And also KNOW that God SENT His ANOINTED Son into the world. 

The word “SENT” means COMMISSION. And the word “commission” means to give power and authority to accomplish the task that one is given to do. 

And the Son of MAN, Jesus, was ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit and power at his baptism by John the Baptist, according to Acts 10:38 and Luke 4:1,17-21)

John 17:4.  I have glorified You on the earth: I have FINISHED the work which You gave me to do. (Here we see the Son of MAN, Jesus, reminding his God and Father that he has finished all of His Will that God asked him to do. 

So, the CONTEXT of John 17:5 is Jesus telling his God and Father that he has done everything that God asked him to do. And NOW, it is Your turn Almighty God to give to me the JOY that you SET before me to ENDURE the cross, according to Hebrews 12:2)

John 17:5. And NOW, (Seeing that I have done all of Your Will that You asked me to do) O Father, You GLORIFY me with Your own self with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” 

Section 2 - A Closer Look at the Greek!

According to BlueLetterBible.org, the Greek word “echo” translated as “had” actually means to HAVE, to HOLD to KEEP, and to possess. 

It also means to LAY HOLD OF, and to JOIN or ACCOMPANY with someone. 

In other words, God PROMISED the Son of MAN, Jesus, that He would make him a partaker of the Divine nature of immortality, crown him with glory and honor, and SET him on His throne at His right hand side, IF Jesus obeyed Him to do all of His Will. 

So then, the TRUE SOUND Biblical meaning of John 17:5 is that Jesus is simply asking his God and Father to give him what God PROPHESIED in His word concerning HIGHLY EXALTING His firstborn to be MADE a King of kings and a Lord of lords in the world to come, according to Psalm 89:27, Psalm 2:6-10, Psalm 16:10,11, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 21:1-7, Psalm 110:1,2, Acts 2:34-38, and many other verses of Scripture. 

The SAME Greek word “echo” that is used here in John 17:5, is ALSO used in MANY other verses of Scripture where we are PROMISED eternal life in the world to come. 

In other words, we HAVE eternal life that is RESERVED in heaven for us IF we obey the Will of God. 

Please consider the following verses of Scripture with the Greek word “echo” translated correctly to fit the CONTEXT.

Matthew 19:16.

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I MAY HAVE eternal life?” 

John 3:16.  

“For God so loved the world, that He gave (Or more correctly translated, the He RECEIVED) his only BEGOTTEN Son, that whosoever believes in him (The MAN ordained and approve of God, BEGOTTEN from the DEAD and CROWNED with GLORY) should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

For you see, the Greek word that is translated as God “GAVE” His only begotten Son, ALSO means God “RECEIVED” His only begotten Son. 

Here is how the concordance in E-Sword defines that Greek word. The emphasis is mine. 

Notice that it also means MADE His only begotten Son, as in, God formed or created His only begotten Son.

G1325

δίδωμι

didōmi

did'-o-mee

A prolonged form of a primary verb (which is used as an alternate in most of the tenses); to give (used in a very wide application, properly or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection): - adventure, bestow, bring forth, commit, deliver (up), give, grant, hinder, make, minister, number, offer, have power, put, receive, set, shew, smite (+ with the hand), strike (+ with the palm of the hand), suffer, take, utter, yield.

John 6:68. 

“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (G2192 “echo”) the words of eternal life.” 

1 John 5:13.

“These things have I written unto you that believe in the NAME of the Son of God; that you may know that you have  (G2192 “echo”) eternal life, (Or more correctly, that you may know that you are TO HAVE, to hold, and to possess eternal life) and that you may believe in the NAME of the Son of God.”

So then, John 17:5 should be translated as “TO HAVE” as opposed to “HAD” in the past tense.

Section 3 - Two Correct Translations of John 17:5!

Here are TWO correct translations of John 17:5 that AGREE with the context in John 17:22 where believers in Jesus are promised to receive the SAME Glory that God GAVE to Jesus after the cross and resurrection.

Here is John 17:5 translated as “TO HAVE” as opposed to being “incorrectly” translated as “had” in the past tense.

“And NOW, (Seeing that I have done all of Your Will that You asked me to do) O Father, You GLORIFY me with Your own self with the glory which I  TO HAVE (To POSSESS) with You before (Or ABOVE or OVER) the world TO BE.” 

The Greek word “einai” translated as before the world “was” in the past tense in the KJV, also means before the world “TO BE”, the age to exist, as in, before the world to COME, the 1000 year reign of Jesus. 

And the Greek word translated as “BEFORE” also means ABOVE, as in, OVER the world TO BE. 

So let us read John 17:5 with these meanings of the original Greek words.

Here is John 17:5 translated with the other meanings of the same Greek words.

“And NOW, (Seeing that I have done all of Your Will that You asked me to do) O Father, You GLORIFY me (Or you HONOR me) with Your own self with the glory (Or with the HONOR) which I  TO HAVE (To HOLD and POSSESS) WITH  You ABOVE (Or OVER) the world TO BE.”

“And NOW, (Seeing that I have done all of Your Will that You asked me to do) O Father, You GLORIFY me with Your own self with the glory which I  TO HAVE (To POSSESS) with (Or BESIDE) You before (Or PRIOR to) the world TO BE.”

And all of these translations using the other meanings of the Greek words AGREE with the PROPHECIES and what has already been FULFILLED.

As for me and my house, we have chosen to believe the correct translation of the Scriptures over the Man-Made doctrines of the Trinity and Modalism.

Section 3 - The Human Son of God RECEIVED Power!

And these “ALTERNATE Translations AGREE with all of the following verses of Scripture:

Revelation 5:12, Matthew 28:18, Romans  1:3-4, John 17:2, Hebrew 2:5-10, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 12:2, Daniel 7:13-14, Acts 2:22-36, Romans 14:9, John 18:37, Philippians 2:6-11, 1 Peter 3:22, Psalm 2:6-9, Psalm 110:1-4, Psalm 89:27, Psalm 89:19-20, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33, Luke 24:25-26, John 3:35, John 5:22-27, Ephesians 1:2-22, 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, Revelation 11:15.