John 17 · Verse 23

John 17:23

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:23, King James Version

John 17:23 in other translations

BSBI in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
WEBI in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one, that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you loved me.
ASVI in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me.
YLTI in them, and Thou in me, that they may be perfected into one, and that the world may know that Thou didst send me, and didst love them as Thou didst love me.
DARBYI in them and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me.
BBEI in them, and you in me, so that they may be made completely one, and so that it may become clear to all men that you have sent me and that they are loved by you as I am loved by you.
WebsterI in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.

What does John 17:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:20-23

20-23. Neither pray I for these alone--This very important explanation, uttered in condescension to the hearers and readers of this prayer in all time, is meant not merely of what follows, but of the whole prayer. them also which shall believe--The majority of the best manuscripts read "which believe," all future time being viewed as present, while the present is viewed as past and gone.

Read the full comment on John 17:20-23 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 23. May be made perfect in one. That their union may be complete. That there may be no jars, discords, or contentions. A machine is perfect or complete when it has all its parts and is in good order--when there is no portion of it wanting. So the union of Christians, for which the Saviour prayed, would be complete or perfect if there were no controversies, no envyings, no contentions, and no heart-burnings and jealousies. It is worthy of remark here how entirely the union of his people occupied the mind of Jesus as he drew near to death. He saw the danger of strifes and contentions in the church. He knew the imperfections of even the best of men. He saw how prone they would be to passion and ambition; how ready to mistake love of sect or party for zeal for pure religion; how selfish and worldly men in the church might divide his followers, and produce unholy feeling and contention; and he saw, also, how much this would do to dishonour religion. Hence he took occasion, when he was about to die, to impress the importance of union on his disciples. By solemn admonition, and by most tender and affecting appeals to God in supplication, he showed his sense of the value of this union. He used the most sublime and impressive illustration; he adverted to the eternal union between the Father and himself; he reminded them of his love, and of the effect that their union would have on the world, to fix it more deeply in their hearts. The effect has shown the infinite wisdom of the Saviour. The contentions and strifes of Christians have shown his knowledge in foreseeing it. The effect of all this on religion has shown that he understood the value of union. Christians have contended long enough. It is time that they should hear the parting admonitions of their Redeemer, and go unitedly against their common foe. The world still lies in wickedness; and the friends of Jesus, bound by the cords of eternal love, should advance together against the common enemy, and spread the triumphs of the gospel around the globe. All that is needful now, under the blessing of God, to convince the world that God sent the Lord Jesus, is that very union among all Christians for which he prayed; and when that union of feeling, and purpose, and action shall take place, the task of sending the gospel to all nations will be soon accomplished, and the morning of the millennial glory will dawn upon the world.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 That the world may know - That the Jewish people first, and secondly the Gentiles, may acknowledge me as the true Messiah, and be saved unto life eternal.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 17:20-23

Our Lord especially prayed, that all believers might be as one body under one head, animated by one soul, by their union with Christ and the Father in him, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The more they dispute about lesser things, the more they throw doubts upon Christianity. Let us endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, praying that all believers may be more and more united in one…

Read the full comment on John 17:20-23 →

John 17:23 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473
ἐνeninG1722
αὐτοῖςautoisthemG846
καὶkaiandG2532
σὺsuYouG4771
ἐνeninG1722
ἐμοί,emoiMe myself —G1473
ἵναinathatG2443
ὦσινōsinthey may beG1510
τετελειωμένοιteteleiōmenoiperfectedG5048
εἰςeisinG1519
ἕν,henunity,G1520
ἵναinaso thatG2443
γινώσκῃginōskēmay knowG1097
ὁhotheG3588
κόσμοςkosmosworldG2889
ὅτιhotithatG3754
σύsuYou yourselfG4771
μεmeMeG3165
ἀπέστειλαςapesteilassentG649
καὶkaiandG2532
ἠγάπησαςēgapēsasYou lovedG25
αὐτοὺςautousthemG846
καθὼςkathōseven asG2531
ἐμὲemeMe myselfG1473
ἠγάπησας.¶ēgapēsasYou loved.G25

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 17:23

  • 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.

  • John 16:27

    For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

  • 1 John 3:1

    Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

  • 1 John 4:12-16

    No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. …

  • John 13:35

    By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

  • John 17:26

    And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

  • Colossians 3:14

    And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

  • John 14:23

    Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

  • John 14:10

    Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

  • 1 Peter 5:10

    But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

  • 1 John 1:3

    That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

  • John 17:24

    Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I.
6:56; 14:10,23; Ro 8:10,11; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:21; Ga 3:28; 1Jo 1:3
1Jo 4:12-16
made.
Eph 4:12-16; Php 3:15; Col 1:28; 2:2,9,10; 3:14; 1Pe 5:10
the.
13:35
and hast.
24; Eph 1:6-14; 1Jo 3:1; 4:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 17:22

    And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

  • John 17:23

    I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

  • John 17:24

    Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Read all of John 17

John 17:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Yo en ellos, y tú en mí, para que sean consumadamente una cosa; que el mundo conozca que tú me enviaste, y que los has amado, como también á mí me has amado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		moi en eux, et toi en moi; afin qu’ils soient consommés en un, et que le monde connaisse que toi tu m’as envoyé, et que tu les as aimés comme tu m’as aimé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		ich in ihnen und du in mir, auf daß sie in eins vollendet seien, und auf daß die Welt erkenne, daß du mich gesandt und sie geliebt hast, gleichwie du mich geliebt hast.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ego in eis, et tu in me: ut sint consummati in unum: et cognoscat mundus quia tu me misisti, et dilexisti eos, sicut et me dilexisti.