John 17:10

17:6-10. Christ prays for those that are his. Thou gavest them me, as sheep to the shepherd, to be kept; as a patient to the physician, to be cured; as children to a tutor, to be taught: thus he will deliver up his charge. It is a great satisfaction to us, in our reliance upon Christ, that he, all he is and has, and all he said and did, all he is doing and will do, are of God. Christ offered this prayer for his people alone as believers; not for the world at large. Yet no one who desires to come to the Father, and is conscious that he is unworthy to come in his own name, need be discouraged by the Saviour's declaration, for he is both able and willing to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him. Earnest convictions and desires, are hopeful tokens of a work already wrought in a man; they begin to evidence that he has been chosen unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. They are thine; wilt thou not provide for thine own? Wilt thou not secure them? Observe the foundation on which this plea is grounded, All mine are thine, and thine are mine. This speaks the Father and Son to be one. All mine are thine. The Son owns none for his, that are not devoted to the service of the Father.

John 17:10 . καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πὰντα σὰ ἐστι , καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά , the community of property and therefore of interest is unlimited, absolute; extending not only to the persons of the disciples, but to all that Christ has spoken and done on earth. καὶ δεδόξασμαι ἐν αὐτοῖς , “and I have been glorified in them,” i.e. , in the disciples. In them it had been manifested that Christ was the messenger of God and had the words of eternal life.

10. all mine are thine, and thine are mine—literally, "All My things are Thine and Thy things are Mine." (On this use of the neuter gender, see on [1879]Joh 6:37-40). Absolute COMMUNITY OF PROPERTY between the Father and the Son is here expressed as nakedly as words can do it. (See on [1880]Joh 17:5).

In the Greek the adjectives are of the neuter gender, so as the sense is not, All my friends, or all my disciples, are thine also; but, All my things are thine, and all thy things are mine; which is no more than he hath before often said. Christ and his Father have all things common, neither of them have any thing that is not the other’s: they are one, and they agree in one; they have the same essence, the same will, the same attributes, the same friends. And I am (saith our Saviour) glorified, or made glorious, in them, by their owning, receiving, and embracing me, and accepting me as their Saviour. So as this verse containeth two arguments more, enforcing his petition on the behalf of his elect: 1. His Father’s propriety in them, as well as his. 2. Their love to him, and the glory which redounded to him from their faith and holiness.

John 17:10 . Τὰ ἐμὰ , all things that are Mine ) and all persons that are Mine .— σά ἐστι , are Thine ) are “from Thee” ( John 17:7 ), and are referred back by Me to Thee.— ἐμὰ , Mine ) because Thou hast given them to Me.— δεδόξασμαι , I am glorified ) They have shown themselves of such a character as that I should be glorified in them; they have recognised My glory: i.e . they believe that all things which are Mine are Thine, and Thine Mine.— ἐν αὐτοῖς , in them ) in their case. So ἐν αὐτοῖς , in their case , ch. John 15:24 .

10 . all mine are thine ] Better, all things that are Mine are Thine . The statement does not refer to persons only, but continues and amplifies the reason with which John 17:9 concludes; ‘Because they are Thine, and all My things are Thine.’ There should be no full stop at the end of John 17:9 . thine are mine ] Or, the things that are Thine are Mine . The statement is made conversely to insist on the perfect union between the Father and the Son. I am glorified ] Better, I have been glorified ; have been and still am. in them ] As the vine is glorified in its branches and fruit. They are the vehicles and monuments of the glory. Comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:20 .

(10) And all mine are thine, and thine are mine. —Better, And all My things are Thine, and Thy things are Mine. The Authorised version leaves the impression that the pronouns are masculine, and that persons are exclusively meant; whereas the words are all-inclusive, and assert absolute community in all things between the Father and the Son. And I am glorified in them.—The division of verses is unfortunate, as the last words of this verse are closely connected with the last words of John 17:9, and the general assertion which intervenes is a parenthesis. The thought is, “For they are Thine (and all My things are Thine, and Thy things are Mine), and I am glorified in them.” The fact that Christ is glorified in them forms, then, a second reason for His special prayer for them. The tense is perfect. Its accomplishment is already in part realised (John 17:6-8; comp. John 15:8), and is more fully to be realised in that future of the Spirit’s work which all through this chapter is regarded as present. (Comp. Note on John 16:14.)

I pray for them - In view of their dangers and trials, he sought the protection and blessing of God on them. His prayer was always answered. Not for the world - The term world here, as elsewhere, refers to wicked, rebellious, vicious men. The meaning of this expression here seems to be this: Jesus is praying for his disciples. As a reason why God should bless them, he says that they were not of the world; that they had been taken out of the world; that they belonged unto God. The petition was not offered for wicked, perverse, rebellious men, but for those who were the friends of God and were disposed to receive his favors. This passage, then, settles nothing about the question whether Christ prayed for sinners. He then prayed for his disciples, who were not those who hated him and disregarded his favors. He afterward extended the prayer for all who should become Christians, John 17:20. When on the cross he prayed for his crucifiers and murderers, Luke 23:34. For they are thine - This is urged as a reason why God should protect and guide them. His honor was concerned in keeping them; and we may always "fill our mouths with" such "arguments" when we come before God, and plead that his honor will be advanced by keeping us from evil, and granting us all needful grace. I am glorified in them - I am honored by their preaching and lives. The sense of this passage is, "Those who are my disciples are thine. That which promotes my honor will also promote thine.

John 17:10 . Καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα … ἐμά ] is parenthetic (on καί parentheticum , see Fritzsche, ad Rom . I. 13, p. 35), and καὶ δεδόξ . ἐν αὐτοῖς is still in connection with ὅτι , John 17:9 , containing a second ground of the intercession. As regards the above parenthesis, when Jesus prayed ὅτι σοί εἰσι , John 17:9 , His glance was extended from this concrete relation to the category, to the general reciprocal community of property , which, in matters relating to His work, exists between Him, the Son and plenipotentiary of the Father, and the Father. Both have the same work, the same aim, the same means, the same power, the same grace and truth, etc., in common; neither has and works separate from the other, and for Himself; God in Christ, and He in God. Comp. on John 16:15 . Luther aptly remarks: “It would not yet be so much if He simply said: All that is mine is Thine; for that every one can say …; but this is much greater, that He inverts the relation, and says: All that is Thine is mine; this no creature can say in reference to God.” δεδόξ . ἐν αὐτ .] I am glorified in them , in their person and activity, in so far as they are bearers and furtherers of my glory and knowledge upon earth, so precious and important, then, that I pray for them.