John 17:2
As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Study Note
Study Note
Jesus's prayer that the Father has 'given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him' presents eternal life as a gift doubly given: first by the Father to the Son, then by the Son to the given ones — a Trinitarian economy of salvation. The universality of the Son's authority ('all flesh,' pases sarkos) is immediately qualified by particularity ('as many as thou hast given him'), creating the characteristic Johannine tension between the universal scope of the Son's mission (John 3:16: 'the world') and the particular effectiveness of his saving work (John 6:39: 'all that he hath given me I should lose nothing'). The definition of eternal life in verse 3 — 'that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' — identifies eternal life as relational knowledge rather than immortality per se, grounding eschatology in the quality of present divine-human communion.
Other Translations
even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that to all whom thou hast given him, he should give eternal life.
according as Thou didst give to him authority over all flesh, that--all that Thou hast given to him--he may give to them life age-during;
Even as you gave him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all those whom you have given to him.
Cross References
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a …
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: …
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth …
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall …
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, …