In Greek this verse reads literally “but in order that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father commanded me, thus I am doing.” Good News Translation and most other translations restructure this verse slightly; some do so rather radically. Note, for example, Revised Standard Version “but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”

As in many other instances, the world must often be translated “the people of the world.” Similarly, I love the Father must often be translated “I love my Father.” It is possible that in some languages the use of the possessive pronoun my with Father may be misunderstood as referring to Jesus’ earthly father. However, in view of the many other contexts in which it has been used, it seems unlikely that it will cause any serious misunderstanding.

That is why I do everything as he commands me may be rendered “that is why I do everything in just the way he tells me to do it.”

Come, let us go from this place is very close to Mark 14.42 (Get up, let us go), words spoken in Gethsemane immediately before the arrest of Jesus. From this place may be best translated in some languages “from this room” or “from this building.” As observed in the introduction to this section, these words should be taken literally, not spiritually.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .