14:7a

If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well: There is a textual issue here:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts say “If/Because you have known me, you will also know my Father.” This is a promise to the disciples that because they know Christ they will know God the Father as well. For example:

Now that you have known me,…you will know my Father also. (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, NIV2011)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts say “If you really knew me, you would have known my Father as well.” This is a rebuke to the disciples for not recognizing who Jesus really is. For example:

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. (English Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (1984), Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). The UBS Handbook Committee accepted this reading and gave it a C rating, meaning there is much doubt as to the correct reading.

If you had known Me: These notes follow option (1) above and recommend that you translate this as a condition that was fulfilled. For example:

Because you know me

you: This pronoun is plural and refers to all the disciples.

you would know My Father as well: Although they are distinct from each other, God the Father and God the Son have the same divine nature and glory. Therefore, if someone knows Jesus the Son, it means that he will know God the Father also.

14:7b

From now on: This phrase means “starting from this time.” It refers to the time following Jesus’ death and resurrection, when the Holy Spirit would come to the disciples. After Jesus rose from the dead and the Holy Spirit filled them, the disciples understood that Jesus was really God.

you do know Him and have seen Him: Knowing Jesus and realizing that he was God enabled the disciples to know and understand God the Father. Because they had seen Jesus, they had seen God.

General Comment on 14:5–7

In 14:5 Thomas asks a question, and in 14:6 Jesus answers it, speaking only to Thomas. In 14:7 he then addresses all the disciples. In English this is not clear, because there is no difference between a singular and a plural second-person pronoun (“you”). In some languages it may be natural to make this clear by supplying this information. For example:

14:7a “…Now that you have known me,” he said to them, “you will know my Father also….” (Good News Translation)

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