John 15:26—16:4a
Chapter 15
26
The Testimony of the Spirit and the Disciples
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.27
You also will be my witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Chapter 16
1
I share all this with you to keep you from stumbling.
2
They will expel you from the synagogues. Moreover, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God;
3
they will do this because they do not know the Father or me.
4
I have told you all these things now so that when the time comes, you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you earlier because I was with you,
Commentaries
The Testimony of the Spirit and the Disciples
The disciples are not alone or abandoned; the Spirit will strengthen them in their decision, since he will testify about Jesus and motivate them to testify about the Master as well: “so that they may not fail” (16:1). The evangelist mentions expulsion from the synagogue (16:2), a common situation for the Johannine community, and a distortion of God’s worship: “the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God” (16:2), as was the case with Paul (Acts 26:9-11).