Joh 16 | HCSB | STEP | “I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling .

John 16

1 “I have told you these things to keep you from ^{▼▼cause the downfall of/ causes to sin: The Greek word skandalizo has a root meaning of "snare" or "trap," but has no real English counterpart.}stumbling. 2 They will ban you from the ^{▼▼synagogue(s): A place where the Jewish people met for prayer, worship and teaching of the Scriptures}synagogues. ^c In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service ^d to God. 3 They will do these things because they haven’t known ^e the Father or Me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their time ^{▼▼Other mss read when the time} comes you may remember ^g I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Counselor’s Ministry

5 “But now I am going away ^h to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁱ 6 Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. ^j It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the ^{▼▼Counselor/ advocate: The Greek word parakletos means one called alongside to help, counsel, or protect; it is used of the Holy Spirit in Jn and in 1 Jn.}Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. ^l 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father ^m and you will no longer see Me; 11 and about judgment, ⁿ because the ruler of this ^{▼▼world: The organized Satanic system that is opposed to God and hostile to Jesus and His followers. The non-Christian culture including governments, educational systems, and businesses}world ^p has been judged. ^q

12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. ^r 13 When the Spirit of truth ^s comes, He will guide you into all the truth. ^t For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father ^u has is Mine. ^v This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you. ^w

Sorrow Turned to Joy

16 “A little while ^x and you will no longer see Me; ^y again a little while and you will see Me.” ^{▼▼Other mss add because I am going to the Father}

17 Therefore some of His disciples said to one another, “What is this He tells us: ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’ ^aa?” 18 They said, “What is this He is saying, ^{▼▼Other mss omit He is saying} ‘A little while’? We don’t know what He’s talking about!”

19 Jesus knew they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me’?

20 “ ^{▼▼I assure you: This is a phrase used only by Jesus to testify to the certainty and importance of His words; in Mt, Mk and Lk it is literally Amen, I say to you, and in Jn it is literally Amen, amen, I say to you.}I assure you: You will weep and wail, ^ad but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, ^ae but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor she has pain ^af because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, ^ag she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow ^{▼▼Other mss read will have sorrow} now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, ^ai and no one will rob you of your joy. ^aj 23 In that day you will not ask Me anything.“I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. ^ak 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. ^al Ask and you will receive, ^am so that your joy may be complete. ^an

Jesus the Victor

25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask ^ao in My name. ^ap I am not telling you that I will make requests to the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved ^aq Me and have believed that I came from God. ^{▼▼Other mss read from the Father
,} ^as 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” ^at

29 “Ah!” His disciples said. “Now You’re speaking plainly and not using any figurative language. 30 Now we know that You know everything ^au and don’t need anyone to question You. By this we believe that You came from God.” ^av

31 Jesus responded to them, “Do you now believe? 32 Look: An hour is coming, and has come, ^aw when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ^ax 33 I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”