John 17:6
- ‘Messenger’ of great counsel, the Son of God is called, because of the other things which He taught, and principally because He announced the Father to men, as also now He says, I have manifested Your Name unto the men. For after having said, I have finished Your work, He next explains it in detail, telling what sort of work. Now the Name indeed was well known. For Esaias said, You shall swear by the true God.. But what I have often told you I tell you now, that though it was known, yet it was so only to Jews, and not to all of these: but now He speaks concerning the Gentiles. Nor does He declare this merely, but also that they knew Him as the Father. For it is not the same thing to learn that He is Creator, and that He has a Son. But He manifested His Name both by words and actions.
Whom You gave Me out of the world. As He says above, No man comes unto Me except it be given him; and, Except My Father draw him; so here too, Whom you gave Me. Now He calls Himself the Way; whence it is clear that He establishes two things by what is said here, that He is not opposed to the Father, and that it is the Father’s will to entrust them to the Son.
Yours they were, and You gave them Me. Here He desires to teach that He is greatly loved by the Father. For that He needed not to receive them, is clear from this, He made them, He cares for them continually. How then did He receive them? This, as I said before, shows His unanimity with the Father. Now if a man choose to enquire into the matter in a human manner, and as the words are spoken, they will no longer belong to the Father. For if when the Father had them, the Son had them not, it is evident that when He gave them to the Son, He withdrew from His dominion over them. And again, there is a yet more unseemly conclusion; for they will be found to have been imperfect while they yet were with the Father, but to have become perfect when they came to the Son. But it is mockery even to speak thus. What then does He declare by this? That it has seemed good to the Father also that they should believe in the Son.
And they have kept Your word.
John 17:7
How did they keep Your word? By believing in Me, and giving no heed to the Jews. For he that believes in Him, it says, ‘has set to his seal that God is true.’ Some read, Now I know that all things whatsoever You have given Me are of You. But this would have no reason; for how would the Son be ignorant of the things of the Father? No the words are spoken of the disciples. From the time, He says, that I told them these things, they have learned that all that You have given Me is from You; nothing is alien, nothing peculiar to Me, with You. (For whatever is peculiar, puts most things in the condition of being alien. They therefore have known that all things, whatsoever I teach, are Your doctrines and teachings. And whence have they learned it? From My words; for so have I taught them. And not only this have I taught them, but also that I came out from You. For this He was anxious to prove through all the Gospel.
John 17:9
What sayest Thou? Do You teach the Father, as though He were ignorant? Do You speak to Him as to a man who knows not? What then means this distinction? Do you see that the prayer is for nothing else than that they may understand the love which He has towards them? For He who not only gives what He has of His own, but also calls on Another to do the same, shows greater love. What then is, I pray for them? Not for all the world, He says, but for them whom You have given Me. He continually puts the hast given, that they might learn that this seems good to the Father. Then, because He had said continually, they are Yours, and, You gave them unto Me, to remove any evil suspicion, and lest any one should think that His authority was recent, and that He had but now received them, what says He?
John 17:10
Do you see the equality of honor? For lest on hearing, You have given them Me, you should deem that they were alienated from the authority of the Father, or before this from that of the Son, He removed both difficulties by speaking as He did. It was as though He said, Do not when you hear that ‘You have given them to Me,’ deem that they are alienated from the Father, for what is Mine is His; nor when you hear, ‘Yours they were,’ think that they were aliens from Me, for what is His is Mine. So that the, You have given, is said only for condescension; for what the Father has is the Son’s, and what the Son has is the Father’s. But this cannot even be said of a son after the manner of man, but because They are upon a greater Equality of honor. For that what belongs to the less, belongs to the greater also, is clear to every one, but the reverse not so; but here He converts these terms, and the conversion declares Equality. And in another place, declaring this, He said, All things that the Father has are Mine, speaking of knowledge. And the hast given Me, and the like expressions, are to show that He did not come as an alien and draw them to Him, but received them as His own. Then He puts the cause and the proof, saying, And I am glorified in them, that is, either that I have power over them, or, that they shall glorify Me, believing in You and Me, and shall glorify Us alike. But if He is not glorified equally in them, what is the Father’s is no longer His. For no one is glorified in those over whom he has no authority. Yet how is He glorified equally? All die for Him equally as for the Father; they preach Him as they do the Father; and as they say that all things are done in His Name, so also in the Name of the Son.