Christ’s prayer isn't just for the apostles in that moment, but specifically for all future believers, emphasizing that our faith is fundamentally connected to the apostles' witness. This highlights that belief isn't a solitary act, but rather a legacy passed down through their spoken and written testimony.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished praying for his closest followers, the apostles, and now He expands His prayer to encompass all future believers. This prayer isn't just for those who heard Him directly, but for everyone throughout history who would come to believe in Him because of the message shared by His followers. It's a prayer that links His original disciples to every single person who would ever place their faith in Him.
Jesus' prayer didn't stop with his closest friends. Discover how his intercession reaches across time to include you.
Jesus, in his High Priestly prayer, expands his petition beyond the apostles. He explicitly includes "those who will believe in me through their word." This shows Christ's deep concern not just for those present, but for the entire sweep of future believers throughout history. Your faith, no matter when it arises, is encompassed in His loving prayer. This isn't just a comforting thought; it's a foundational aspect of the Christian faith – that we are united with the earliest disciples in Christ's ongoing intercession.
How does faith spread? Jesus reveals the vital link between His followers and the message they share.
The phrase 'through their word' is crucial. It highlights that faith in Jesus isn't generated spontaneously but is a response to the message entrusted to the apostles and, by extension, to the Church. Our belief is rooted in the proclamation of the Gospel. This means the word of God, whether spoken or written, carries divine authority and the power to bring people to faith. It's through this divinely appointed channel that the connection with Christ is established for future generations.
Christ's prayer isn't just about individual salvation; it's about collective witness. What makes our faith compelling to outsiders?
Jesus' prayer for unity among believers in verses 20-23 is not merely an internal desire but a strategic mission objective. He prays that believers 'also may be one' (v. 20), so that 'the world may believe' (v. 21). This shows that the unity of the Church serves as a powerful testament to the truth of the Gospel. When the world sees believers united in love and purpose, despite their differences, it points them to the divine source of that unity – God Himself. Our shared life in Christ, empowered by His Spirit, is meant to be a beacon.
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Understand the original words
pisteuō · Greek Verb
Refers to the act of placing faith in, relying upon, and surrendering to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is the defining characteristic of a disciple, involving both intellectual assent and a transformative trust in His person and work.
patēr · Greek Noun
The title Jesus uses for God, emphasizing the intimate, relational, and eternal Father-Son bond within the Trinity and the believers' adopted relationship with God through Christ.
heis · Greek Adjective/Numeral
A state of unity, concord, or wholeness; in a theological context, it refers to the spiritual union of believers with God and with one another, modeled after the unity of the Godhead.
kosmos · Greek Noun
The world system alienated from God, often characterized by rebellion, darkness, and ignorance of divine truth; those who live apart from God's grace.
pisteuō · Greek Verb
To place faith in, trust, or rely upon; specifically, the act of accepting the testimony regarding Jesus Christ's identity and mission as the Savior sent by the Father.
apostellō · Greek Verb
The act of God the Father commissioning and dispatching the Son into the human experience for the purpose of salvation.
This passage speaks of the prophets searching and inquiring about the salvation that would come through Christ, echoing how believers today come to faith through the 'word' passed down from those initial messengers.
Acts 4:32This verse highlights the early Christian community's profound unity, demonstrating the ideal that Christ prays for in John 17, where believers share everything and are of one heart and mind.
Ephesians 4:11-13Paul describes the purpose of spiritual gifts as equipping believers for service and unity, leading them to maturity in Christ, which aligns with Jesus' prayer for believers to be one as He is one with the Father.
Colossians 1:23This verse mentions the 'gospel' that has been proclaimed to all creation, emphasizing the foundational role of the apostles' message in bringing people to faith in Christ, just as Jesus highlights in His prayer.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14This passage affirms that God chose believers from the beginning to be saved through the sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, which was brought to them through the gospel preached by the apostles.
barnesJohn 17:20: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;"
Neither pray I for these alone ... - Not for the apostles only, but for all who shall be converted under the preaching of the gospel. They will all need similar grace and be exposed to similar trials. It is a matter of unspeakable joy that each Christian, however humble or unknown to men however poor, unlearned, or despised, can reflect that he was remembered in prayer by "him whom God…
cambridgeJohn 17:20: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;"
20–26 . The Prayer for the whole Church 20 . Neither pray I for these alone ] More accurately, But not concerning these only do I pray (see on John 14:16 ). The limitation stated in John 17:9 is at an end: through the Church He prays for the world ( John 17:21 ). which shall believe ] The true reading gives, who believe . The future body of believers is regarded by anticipation as alrea…
Christ’s prayer isn't just for the apostles in that moment, but specifically for all future believers, emphasizing that our faith is fundamentally connected to the apostles' witness. This highlights that belief isn't a solitary act, but rather a legacy passed down through their spoken and written testimony.
Jesus has just finished praying for his closest followers, the apostles, and now He expands His prayer to encompass all future believers. This prayer isn't just for those who heard Him directly, but for everyone throughout history who would come to believe in Him because of the message shared by His followers. It's a prayer that links His original disciples to every single person who would ever place their faith in Him.
Jesus has just finished praying for his closest followers, the apostles, and now He expands His prayer to encompass all future believers. This prayer isn't just for those who heard Him directly, but for everyone throughout history who would come to believe in Him because of the message shared by His followers. It's a prayer that links His original disciples to every single person who would ever place their faith in Him.
"“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have se…" — Christ’s prayer isn't just for the apostles in that moment, but specifically for all future believers, emphasizing that our faith is fundamentally connected to the apostles' witness. This highlights…
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Last reviewed October 2026
