To do not my own will but the will of him who sent me expresses the same truth as that stated in 5.30 (see also 4.34). In earlier editions of Good News Translation the order was reversed: “to do the will of him who sent me, not my own will,” and in some languages it would be more natural to place the positive clause first.

It may be useful to substitute “God” for him, for example, “to do what God who sent me wants me to do.” Not my own will may then be rendered “I have not come just to do what I myself want to do.”

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 .