John 17:5
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Study Note
Study Note
Jesus' petition 'glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was' is one of the New Testament's most explicit statements of pre-existent divine glory, making John 17 a crucial text for high Christology. The phrase 'before the world was' (pro tou ton kosmon einai) places this glory in an eternal, pre-temporal state that cannot be merely anticipatory or adoptive. The verb 'had' (eichon, imperfect) indicates continuous possession rather than a punctiliar event, reinforcing the Johannine Prologue's 'the Word was with God.' The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) drew heavily on this verse and John 1:1 to articulate the Son's eternal co-existence with the Father against Arian subordinationism.
Other Translations
And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
`And now, glorify me, Thou Father, with Thyself, with the glory that I had before the world was, with Thee;
And now, Father, let me have glory with you, even that glory which I had with you before the world was.
Cross References
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, …
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life …
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for …
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: …
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and …
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom …
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of …
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the …
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.