This verse gives the basis for Jesus’ authority: he is the one whom God has sent. Has sent (so also Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible) is “sent” in many translations. The Greek verb tense is aorist, and therefore may focus attention on the initial act of sending; if so, then the better rendering may be “sent” rather than has sent.

In saying the one whom God has sent speaks God’s words, it is important to avoid the impression that Jesus is simply “mimicking God.” The focus here is not on the particular manner of pronunciation, but on the content of the message. It is therefore appropriate to translate “The one whom God has sent speaks the message that comes from God” or “… delivers God’s message.”

Because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit is literally “for he gives the spirit not by measure.” The phrase “not by measure” is often used in Rabbinic writings, where it has the meaning of “completely” or “fully.” Good News Translation transforms this adverbial expression into a noun and renders it the fullness; New English Bible makes it into an adjective, “so measureless is God’s gift of the Spirit,” and Phillips into a verb, “there can be no measuring of the Spirit given to him.”

In Greek the subject of the verb gives is ambiguous, and no indirect object (one to whom the Spirit is given) is indicated. Some scholars hold that Jesus is the subject of the verb gives, which would mean that the indirect object would be “those who believe in Jesus.” In support of this view is the argument that 6.63 forms a good parallel to this verse. In 6.63 it is Jesus who speaks words that bring God’s life giving Spirit. Moreover, in 15.26 Jesus says that he will send the Spirit. On the other hand, God is elsewhere spoken of as the one who sends the Spirit (14.26), and several ancient scribes have added either “God,” “the Father” or “God the Father” as the subject of the verb gives in 3.34. On the basis of the verse following it seems that this conclusion is correct and several translations make this meaning explicit (Goodspeed, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible). It is God who gives the Spirit, and in the context he gives it to the one whom he has sent, that is, to the Son. This interpretation makes good sense of the passage, and adds strength to the argument regarding the source of Jesus’ authority.

In many languages is it meaningless to speak about “the fullness of the Spirit.” The concept of fullness can be expressed only in terms of “completeness,” that is, “because God gives his Spirit to him completely.” However, in some languages “completeness” is expressed as a negation of “lack,” that, “There is no lack in the manner in which God gives his Spirit to him.” In some languages it is impossible to speak about “giving the Spirit,” since the Spirit does not belong to the class of objects which can be given, in the sense of passing from one person to another. However, one may say “he causes his Spirit to come upon” or “he makes his Spirit live in.”

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 .