John 16:15
Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.
Everything that belongs to the Father
This phrase underscores the profound unity and shared authority between the Father and the Son. In the Greek, "πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατήρ" (panta hosa echei ho Patēr) emphasizes the totality of what the Father possesses. This includes divine attributes, authority, and the fullness of wisdom and knowledge. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of God as the ultimate sovereign, and here, Jesus claims that all of this divine sovereignty is also His. This is a powerful affirmation of the deity of Christ, aligning with the conservative Christian belief in the Trinity, where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct yet one in essence.

is Mine
The Greek "ἐστιν ἐμὰ" (estin ema) is a declaration of possession and unity. Jesus is not merely a messenger or a prophet; He is asserting His divine nature and equality with the Father. This statement is crucial for understanding the relationship within the Trinity. It affirms that Jesus, as the Son, shares in the divine nature and authority of the Father. This is a cornerstone of conservative Christian theology, which holds that Jesus is fully God and fully man, possessing all the attributes of God.

That is why I said
This phrase serves as a bridge, connecting Jesus' previous teachings with the current revelation. It indicates continuity and consistency in His message. The Greek "διὰ τοῦτο εἶπον" (dia touto eipon) suggests a reasoned explanation, emphasizing that Jesus' teachings are deliberate and purposeful. This reflects the historical context of Jesus' ministry, where He often explained His actions and teachings to His disciples, preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

the Spirit will receive from Me
Here, the role of the Holy Spirit is highlighted. The Greek "λαμβάνει ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ" (lambanei ek tou emou) indicates a transmission of divine truth and authority from Jesus to the Spirit. This reflects the Trinitarian relationship, where the Spirit acts in perfect harmony with the Father and the Son. In a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the belief that the Holy Spirit is not an independent force but is fully integrated into the Godhead, working to reveal and apply the truths of Christ to believers.

what He will make known to you
The Greek "ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν" (anangelei hymin) means to announce or declare. This phrase promises that the Holy Spirit will actively communicate and reveal divine truths to the disciples. Historically, this was fulfilled at Pentecost and continues in the life of believers today. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding, teaching, and empowering believers to understand and live out the teachings of Jesus. It assures Christians that they are not left to their own devices but are continually supported and enlightened by the Spirit.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, Jesus is addressing His disciples, explaining the relationship between Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

2. The Father
Refers to God the Father, emphasizing the unity and shared authority within the Trinity.

3. The Holy Spirit
The Spirit is described as the one who will receive from Jesus and make known to the disciples, highlighting His role in revelation and guidance.

4. The Disciples
The immediate audience of Jesus' teaching, representing all believers who would later receive the Holy Spirit's guidance.

5. The Upper Room Discourse
The setting of this teaching, where Jesus imparts crucial truths to His disciples before His crucifixion.
Teaching Points
Unity of the Trinity
This verse highlights the perfect unity and shared authority within the Trinity. Believers can trust in the cohesive work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in their lives.

Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is essential in revealing Christ's teachings to believers. We should seek the Spirit's guidance in understanding and applying God's Word.

Inheritance in Christ
As co-heirs with Christ, believers share in the spiritual blessings and authority that belong to Jesus. This should encourage us to live confidently in our identity in Him.

Revelation and Relationship
The Spirit's role in making known what belongs to Christ emphasizes the importance of a personal relationship with God, where revelation is ongoing and dynamic.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the unity of the Trinity in John 16:15 affect your view of God's work in your life?

2. In what ways can you actively seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your daily decisions and understanding of Scripture?

3. How does the concept of being a co-heir with Christ, as suggested by this verse, influence your identity and purpose as a believer?

4. Reflect on a time when you felt the Holy Spirit revealed something significant to you. How did it impact your faith journey?

5. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God to experience more of the revelation that the Holy Spirit offers, as described in John 16:15?
Connections to Other Scriptures
John 14:26
This verse also speaks of the Holy Spirit's role in teaching and reminding the disciples of Jesus' words, reinforcing the Spirit's function in revelation.

John 17:10
Jesus speaks of the shared glory and authority between Himself and the Father, echoing the unity expressed in John 16:15.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12
Paul discusses the Spirit's role in revealing the deep things of God to believers, aligning with the Spirit's function in John 16:15.

Colossians 1:19
This verse speaks of the fullness of God dwelling in Christ, supporting the claim that everything of the Father is also Christ's.
The Fulness that is in ChristT. B. Baker, M. A.John 16:15
The Joint Proprietorship of the Father and the ChildrenW. Arnot.John 16:15
The Revealing Work of the SpiritF. Wayland, D. D.John 16:15
Christ's Gradual Teaching by His ProvidenceCanon Liddon.John 16:12-15
Christ's Gradual Teaching in the ChurchCanon Liddon.John 16:12-15
Christ's Reticence in Teaching TruthJ. Ker, D. D.John 16:12-15
Divine Teaching GradualCanon Liddon.John 16:12-15
Human Capacity the Measure of Divine CommunicationJ. Parker, D. D.John 16:12-15
Teaching Should be Adapted to the Condition of the MindCanon Liddon.John 16:12-15
The Guide into All TruthA. Maclaren, D. D.John 16:12-15
The New TheologyT. V. Tymms.John 16:12-15
The Reserve of ChristT. Hughes.John 16:12-15
The Wisdom of Delayed RevelationJohn 16:12-15
Yet Many Things to SayW. J. Dawson.John 16:12-15
People
Jesus, Disciples
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Account, Announce, Clear, Declare, Disclose, Receives, Shew, Spirit, Takes, Taketh, Truth, Whatever, Whatsoever
Dictionary of Bible Themes
John 16:15

     1511   Trinity, relationships in
     2345   Christ, kingdom of
     3224   Holy Spirit, and preaching
     5263   communication

John 16:5-21

     3215   Holy Spirit, and peace

John 16:7-15

     3040   Holy Spirit, promise of

John 16:12-15

     1444   revelation, NT

John 16:13-15

     1512   Trinity, equality of
     2423   gospel, essence
     3140   Holy Spirit, teacher
     3236   Holy Spirit, and Scripture
     3269   Holy Spirit, in Christ
     4804   breath
     7708   apostles, function
     8164   spirituality
     8355   understanding
     8648   enquiring of God

John 16:13-16

     4966   present, the

John 16:14-15

     5854   experience, of God

Library
Presence in Absence
Eversley, third Sunday after Easter. 1862. St John xvi. 16. "A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." Divines differ, and, perhaps, have always differed, about the meaning of these words. Some think that our Lord speaks in them of His death and resurrection. Others that He speaks of His ascension and coming again in glory. I cannot decide which is right. I dare not decide. It is a very solemn thing--too solemn
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

November 6 Evening
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me--PSA. 25:5. When . . . the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth.--Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.--All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

November 29 Evening
Do ye now believe?--JOHN 16:31. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.--Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Ye see then how that
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

May 14 Morning
The fellowship of His sufferings.--PHI. 3:10. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.--In the world ye shall have tribulation.--Because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none.--At my
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

December 21 Morning
The days of thy mourning shall be ended.--ISA. 60:20. In the world ye shall have tribulation.--The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.--We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

June 15 Evening
The Spirit . . . maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.--ROM. 8:27. Verily, verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.--Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. This is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

August 15. "He Will Guide You into all Truth" (John xvi. 13).
"He will guide you into all truth" (John xvi. 13). The Holy Ghost does not come to give us extraordinary manifestations, but to give its life and light, and the nearer we come to Him, the more simple will His illumination and leading be. He comes to "guide us into all truth." He comes to shed light upon our own hearts, and to show us ourselves. He comes to reveal Christ, to give, and then to illumine, the Holy Scriptures, and to make Divine realities vivid and clear to our spiritual apprehension.
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

October 29. "Whatsoever Ye Shall Ask the Father in My Name, He Will Give it You" (John xvi. 23).
"Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it you" (John xvi. 23). Two men go to the bank cashier, both holding in their hands a piece of paper. One is dressed in expensive style, and presents a gloved and jeweled hand; the other is a rough, unwashed workman. The first is rejected with a polite sentence, and the second receives a thousand dollars over the counter. What is the difference? The one presented a worthless name; the other handed in a note endorsed by the president of
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

March 5. "I have Overcome the World" (John xvi. 33).
"I have overcome the world" (John xvi. 33). Christ has overcome for us every one of our four terrible foes--Sin, Sickness, Sorrow, Satan. He has borne our Sin, and we may lay all, even down to our sinfulness itself, on Him. "I have overcome for thee." He has borne our sickness, and we may detach ourselves from our old infirmities and rise into His glorious life and strength. He has borne our sorrows, and we must not even carry a care, but rejoice evermore, and even glory in tribulations also. And
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Self-Help
ST. JOHN xvi. 7. It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. This is a deep and strange saying. How can it be expedient, useful, or profitable, for any human being that Christ should go away from them? To be in Christ's presence; to see his face; to hear his voice;--would not this be the most expedient and profitable, yea, the most blessed and blissful of things which could befall us? Is it not
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

From' and 'to'
'I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.'--JOHN xvi. 28. These majestic and strange words are the proper close of our Lord's discourse, what follows being rather a reply to the disciples' exclamation. There is nothing absolutely new in them, but what is new is the completeness and the brevity with which they cover the whole ground of His being, work, and glory. They fall into two halves, each consisting of two clauses; the former half
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

Peace and victory
'These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.'--JOHN xvi. 33. So end these wonderful discourses, and so ends our Lord's teaching before His passion. He gathers up in one mighty word the total intention of these sweet and deep sayings which we have so long been pondering together. He sketches in broad outline the continual characteristics of the disciples' life, and closes all with the
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

Why Christ Speaks
'These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But these things have I told you, that, when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go My way to Him that
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

The Guide into all Truth
'I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.'--JOHN xvi. 12-15. This is our Lord's
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

Christ's 'little Whiles'
'A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of His disciples among themselves, What is this that He saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that He saith, A little while? we cannot tell what He saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask Him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

'In that Day'
'And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.'--JOHN xvi. 23, 24. Our Lord here sums up the prerogatives and privileges of His servants in the day that was about to dawn and to last till He came again. There is nothing absolutely new in the words; substantially the promises contained in them have appeared in
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

The Joys of 'that Day'
'These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in My Name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God.'--JOHN xvi. 25-27. The stream which we have been tracking for so long in these discourses has now nearly reached its close. Our Lord,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

Glad Confession and Sad Warning
'His disciples said unto Jesus, Lo! now speakest Thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask Thee: by this we believe that Thou earnest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.' --JOHN xvi. 29-32. The first words of these wonderful
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

The Departing Christ and the Coming Spirit
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.'--JOHN xvi. 7, 8. We read these words in the light of all that has gone after, and to us they are familiar and almost thread-bare. But if we would appreciate their sublimity, we must think away nineteen centuries, and all Christendom,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

The Convicting Facts
'Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.'--JOHN xvi. 9-11. Our Lord has just been telling His disciples how He will equip them, as His champions, for their conflict with the world. A divine Spirit is coming to them who will work in them and through them; and by their simple and unlettered testimony will 'convict,' or convince, the mass of ungodly men of error and crime in regard
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: St. John Chaps. XV to XXI

Nevertheless I Tell You the Truth; it is Expedient for You that I Go Away; for if I Go not Away
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them
Charles G. Finney—Lectures to Professing Christians

June the Second Our Spiritual Guide
"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." --JOHN xvi. 7-14. How great is the difference between a guide-post and a guide! And what a difference between a guide-book and a companion! Mere instructions may be very uninspiring, and bare commandments may be very cold. Our Guide is an inseparable Friend. And how will He guide us? He will give us insight. "He will guide you into all truth." He will refine our spirits so that we may be able to distinguish "things that
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Loved in the Beloved.
(Third Sunday in Advent, 1831.) TEXT: JOHN xvi. 27. "For the Father Himself loveth you, be cause ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father." THAT was a great word of the Saviour about Himself on which we lately spoke together, in which He represented Himself as from of old the one object of desire and longing to all the best part of mankind, to those who were nearest to God and had received most teaching from Him: but this is a still greater saying, in which He sets Himself
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Spirit not Striving Always.
"And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man."-Gen. vi. 3. IN speaking from this text I shall pursue the following outline of thought, and attempt to show: I. What is implied in the assertion, My Spirit shall not always strive with man; II. What is not intended by the Spirit's striving; III. What is intended by it; IV. How it maybe known when the Spirit strives with an individual; V. What is intended by His not striving always; VI. Why He will not always strive; and, VII. Some consequences
Charles G. Finney—Sermons on Gospel Themes

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