John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And this is life eternal , etc.] That is, the beginning and pledge of it, the way unto it, and means of it, and what will certainly issue in it: that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent . The knowledge of God here spoken of, is not the knowledge of him by the light of nature, and works of creation; for a man may know God in this sense, and not know him in Christ, nor anything of Christ; yea, may know God and profess him in words, and in works deny him, as the Heathens did; nor is eternal life known hereby, nor connected with it: nor is it such a knowledge of God as is to be obtained by the law of Moses, in which God is represented as a righteous and incensed Being; nor is there in it any discovery of God, as a God of love, grace, and mercy in Christ; nor any revelation of a Mediator, Saviour and Redeemer; nor can it either show, or give to persons eternal life; and yet what is here said of the knowledge of God and Christ, the Jews say of the law f634 , one man said to his friend, let us dash them against that wall and kill them, because they have left abh lw[ yyj , eternal life; (the gloss upon it is, hrwt , the law;) and employ themselves in a temporary life, the gloss says of this world, which is merchandise.
More truly does Philo the Jew say f635 , that fleeing to the Divine Being, is eternal life; and running front him is death.
But this is to be understood of an evangelic knowledge of God, as the God and Father of Christ, as the God of all grace, pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin, and of Christ Mediator; not a general, notional, and speculative knowledge; but a practical and experimental one; a knowledge of approbation and appropriation; a fiducial one, whereby a soul believes in Christ, and trusts in his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice for salvation; and which, though imperfect, is progressive. The Arians and Unitarians urge this text, against the true and proper deity of our Lord Jesus, and his equality with the Father, but without success; since the Father is called the only true God, in opposition to the many false gods of the Heathens, but not to the exclusion of the Son or Spirit; for Christ is also styled the one Lord, and only Lord God, but not to the exclusion of the Father; yea the true God and eternal life; was he not, he would never, as here, join himself with the only true God; and besides, eternal life is made to depend as much upon the knowledge of him, as of the Father. The reason of this different mode of expression, is owing to the character of Christ as Mediator, who is said to be sent by the only true God, about the business of mans salvation.
Nor is it of any moment what the Jew objects, that Jesus here confesses, that the true God is only one God; nor does he call himself God, only the Messiah sent by God; and that the Apostle Paul also asserts the unity of God, ( 1 Timothy 1:17); and therefore Jesus cannot be God: for Christ and his Father, the only true God, are one; and that he is the one true God with his Father, he tacitly suggests here by joining himself with him; and what the Apostle Paul says of the one and only wise God, may as well be understood of Christ, the Son of God, as of the Father; since all the characters in the text agree with him, and of him he had been speaking in the context.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Our Lord prayed as a man, and as the Mediator of his people; yet he spoke with majesty and authority, as one with and equal to the Father Eternal life could not be given to believers, unless Christ, their Surety, both glorified the Father, and was glorified of him. This is the sinner's way to eternal life, and when this knowledge shall be mad perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully enjoyed. The holiness an happiness of the redeemed, are especially that glory of Christ, and of his Father, which was the joy set before him, for which he endured the cross and despised the shame; this glory was the end of the sorrow of his soul, and in obtaining it he was fully satisfied. Thus we ar taught that our glorifying God is needed as an evidence of our interes in Christ, through whom eternal life is God's free gift.
Greek Textus Receptus
αυτη 3778 D-NSF δε 1161 CONJ εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S η 3588 T-NSF αιωνιος 166 A-NSF ζωη 2222 N-NSF ινα 2443 CONJ γινωσκωσιν 1097 5725 V-PAS-3P σε 4571 P-2AS τον 3588 T-ASM μονον 3441 A-ASM αληθινον 228 A-ASM θεον 2316 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ ον 3739 R-ASM απεστειλας 649 5656 V-AAI-2S ιησουν 2424 N-ASM χριστον 5547 N-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Life eternal. With the article: the life eternal. Defining the words in the previous verse. The life eternal (of which I spoke) is this.That (ina). Expressing the aim.
Might know (ginwskwsi). Might recognize or perceive. This is striking, that eternal life consists in knowledge, or rather the pursuit of knowledge, since the present tense marks a continuance, a progressive perception of God in Christ. That they might learn to know. Compare ver. 23; x. 38; 1 John v. 20; iv. 7, 8.
"I say, the acknowledgment of God in Christ Accepted by thy reason, solves for thee All questions in the earth and out of it, And has so far advanced thee to be wise.
Wouldst thou improve this to reprove the proved? In life's mere minute, with power to use that proof, Leave knowledge and revert to how it sprung? Thou hast it; use it, and forthwith, or die.
For this I say is death, and the sole death, When a man's loss comes to him from his gain, Darkness from light, from knowledge ignorance, And lack of love from love made manifest." Robert Browning, "A Death in the Desert."
The relation of perception of God to character is stated in 1 John iii. 2, on which see note.
True (alhqinon). See on i. 9. Compare 1 Cor. viii. 4; 1 Timothy vi. 15.
Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. The Rev. brings out better the emphasis of the Greek order: and Him whom Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ. Didst send (apesteilav). The aorist tense, emphasizing the historic fact of Christ's mission.
