John 14
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Jesus reveals spiritual truths
14 1-4 “You must not let yourselves be distressed—you must hold on to your faith in God and to your faith in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s House. If there were not, should I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? It is true that I am going away to prepare a place for you, but it is just as true that I am coming again to welcome you into my own home, so that you may be where I am. You know where I am going and you know the road I am going to take.”
5 “Lord,” Thomas remonstrated, “we do not know where you’re going, and how can we know what road you’re going to take?”
6-7 “I myself am the road,” replied Jesus, “and the truth and the life. No one approaches the Father except through me. If you had known who I am, you would have known my Father. From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.”
Jesus explains his relationship with the Father
8 Then Philip said to him, “Show us the Father, Lord, and we shall be satisfied.”
9-14 “Have I been such a long time with you,” returned Jesus, “without your really knowing me, Philip? The man who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The very words I say to you are not my own. It is the Father who lives in me who carries out his work through me. Do you believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? But if you cannot, then believe me because of what you see me do. I assure you that the man who believes in me will do the same things that I have done, yes, and he will do even greater things than these, for I am going away to the Father. Whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do—that the Son may bring glory to the Father. And if you ask me anything in my name, I will grant it.
Jesus promises the Spirit
15-20 “If you really love me, you will keep the commandments I have given you and I shall ask the Father to give you someone else to stand by you, to be with you always. I mean the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, for it can neither see nor recognise that Spirit. But you recognise him, for he is with you now and will be in your hearts. I am not going to leave you alone in the world—I am coming to you. In a very little while, the world will see me no more but you will see me, because I am really alive and you will be alive too. When that day come, you will realise that I am in my Father, that you are in me, and I am in you.
21 “Every man who knows my commandments and obeys them is the man who really loves me, and every man who really loves me will himself be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and make myself known to him.”
22 Then Judas (not Iscariot), said, “Lord, how is it that you are going to make yourself known to us but not to the world?”
23-24 And to this Jesus replied, “When a man loves me, he follows my teaching. Then my Father will love him, and we will come to that man and make our home within him. The man who does not really love me will not follow my teaching. Indeed, what you are hearing from me now is not really my saying, but comes from the Father who sent me.
25-26 “I have said all this while I am still with you. But the one who is coming to stand by you, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will be your teacher and will bring to your minds all that I have said to you.
27-31 “I leave behind with you—peace; I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world. You must not be distressed and you must not be daunted. You have heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you really loved me, you would be glad because I am going to my Father, for my Father is greater than I. And I have told you of it now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, your faith in me will not be shaken. I shall not be able to talk much longer to you for the spirit that rules this world is coming very close. He has no hold over me, but I go on my way to show the world that I love the Father and do what he sent me to do ... Get up now! Let us leave this place.
John 14
Worldwide English (New Testament)
14 Jesus said, `Do not let anything trouble your heart. You believe in God and you must believe in me also.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to make a place ready for you.
3 If I go to make a place ready for you, I will come again. I will come to take you so that you may be with me.
4 You know where I am going, and you know the way.
5 Thomas said to Jesus, `Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?'
6 Jesus said to him, `I am the way. I am the truth. I give life. No one can come to my Father unless I take him there.
7 If you knew me, you would have known my Father also. But from now on you do know him because you have seen him.'
8 Philip said to him, `Lord, show us the Father, then we will be happy.'
9 Jesus said to him, `Philip, you mean to say that I have been with you all this time and yet you do not know me? The person who has seen me has seen my Father also. Why do you say, "Show us your Father"?
10 Do you not believe that I am in my Father and my Father is in me? The things that I say, I speak not from my own mind. But my Father lives in me and he does the work.
11 I tell you that I am in my Father and my Father is in me. But you do not believe me. So then let the work that I do prove it to you.
12 `I tell you the truth. The person who believes in me will do the big work that I do. And he will do even bigger work because I go to my Father.
13 I will do anything you ask of my Father in my name. In that way the Son will make my Father's name great.
14 If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.'
15 `If you love me, you will obey me.
16 I will ask my Father. He will give you another one to help you and to be with you always.
17 He will send you the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive the true Spirit because it does not see or know him. You know him because he is with you and will be in you.
18 `I will not leave you without someone to help you. And I myself will come back to you.
19 In a short time the world will not see me again, but you will see me again. Because I live, you will live also.
20 At that time you will know that I am in my Father. You are in me, and I am in you.
21 `He who knows the things I tell him to do and does them, really loves me. My Father will love him and I also will love him. I will show him who I am.'
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Jesus, `Lord, how are you going to make yourself real to us, and not to the rest of the world?'
23 Jesus said to him, `If a person loves me, he will obey me. My Father also will love him. And we will come to him and will live with him.
24 The person who does not love me does not obey me. The word which you hear is not my word. It is my Father's word. He is the one who sent me.
25 `I have told you these things while I am still with you.
26 But the Holy Spirit is the one who will help you. My Father will send him in my name. He will teach you everything that I have said to you. His Helper will remind you of all that I said.
27 Peace is what I leave for you. I give you my own peace. People of the world also say, "Peace" to you. I do not say it as they say it. Do not let anything trouble your hearts. Do not fear.
28 You heard me say, "I am going away and then I will come back to you." If you really loved me, then you would have been very glad that I am going to my Father. My Father is greater than I am.
29 `I have told you this before it happens. Then when it does happen, you will believe.
30 After this I will not talk much with you. The ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me.
31 I will do what my Father tells me to do so that the people of the world may know that I love my Father. `Get up now! We must go.'
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
© 1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications