What does "the glory You have given Me" mean in John 17:22? Canonical Text “And I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one.” (John 17:22) Divine Origin of the Son’s Glory 1. Eternal Pre-existence – “glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed” (John 17:5). 2. Intrinsic Deity – Isaiah’s vision of Yahweh’s glory (Isaiah 6:1-3) is applied to Christ in John 12:41, equating the Son with the LORD of hosts. 3. Coronation through the Cross – John consistently frames the crucifixion as the moment Christ is “lifted up” and glorified (John 12:23-32; 13:31-32). Resurrection ratifies that glory in history (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Modes of Transfer: How the Father ‘Gave’ Glory to the Son • Eternal procession within the Godhead (John 1:1-18). • Incarnational endowment: Spirit without measure (John 3:34). • Post-resurrection exaltation: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). Scope of the Gifted Glory Not a second-hand glory but shared, communicable splendor. Early manuscripts (𝔓66 c. AD 175; 𝔓75 c. AD 200; Codex Vaticanus B) uniformly contain the phrase, evidencing textual stability. Purpose Clause: Producing Unity “That they may be one as We are one” links glory with relational oneness. The same doxological life of the Trinity becomes the template for ecclesial unity (Ephesians 4:3-6). The Church’s practical harmony is therefore theological, not merely sociological. Old Testament Foreshadows • Moses’ radiant face (Exodus 34:29-35) – reflected, fading glory. • Tabernacle/Temple Shekinah (Exodus 40:34-38; 1 Kings 8:10-11) – localized glory pointing to the incarnate temple of Christ (John 2:19-21). • Psalm 8:5 – humanity crowned with glory, now restored in the Last Adam (Hebrews 2:6-9). Eschatological Dimension Believers will “share in His glory” (Romans 8:17) and be “like Him” (1 John 3:2). John 17:22 therefore previews the consummation when “the glory of God gives light” to the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23). Ethical & Missional Implications Glory received → holiness lived (2 Corinthians 3:18) → Gospel proclaimed (Acts 1:8). The visible unity of the Church validates the Father’s sending of the Son (John 17:23). Philosophical Coherency The concept of communicable glory aligns with an intelligent-design framework: purpose and order arise from a personal Source, not impersonal chance. Observable coherence in created systems mirrors the triune harmony believers are called to display (Psalm 19:1; Colossians 1:16-17). Historical Witnesses • Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 110): speaks of “the glory of Jesus Christ, the Father’s” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 1). • Irenaeus (Against Heresies IV.20.7): the Son “reveals the glory of the Father, and grants partaking of that glory to those who follow Him.” • Augustine (Tractates on John cv): understands the gifted glory as “the love by which they may be made one.” No Significant Textual Variants Critical apparatus (NA28, ECM) lists no variant affecting “τὴν δόξαν ἣν δέδωκάς μοι”. Early papyri, uncials, and versions (Syriac Peshitta, Latin Vulgate) concur, reinforcing doctrinal certainty. Summary Definition “The glory You have given Me” denotes the Father’s eternal, incarnational, and exalted splendor vested in the Son, which the Son now imparts to His followers to produce Trinitarian-patterned unity, sanctification, witness, and eventual participation in the unveiled majesty of God. |
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