John 15:27

And ye also shall bear witness Better, Nay, ye also bear witness: the verb is present, not future. It is also possible to take the verb as an imperative (comp. John 15:18 and John 14:1), but the conjunctions used are against this. The testimony of the disciples is partly one and the same with the testimony of the Spirit, partly not. It is partly the same, so far as it depends on the illumination of the Spirit, who was to bring all things to their remembrance and lead them into all truth. This would not be true in its fulness until Pentecost. It is partly not the same, so far as it depends upon the Apostles" own personal experience of Christ and His work. This is the case at once; the experience is already there; and hence the present tense. Comp. Acts 5:32, where the Apostles clearly set forth the twofold nature of their testimony, and Acts 15:28, where there is a parallel distinction of the two factors.

have been with me Literally, are with Me; i.e. have been and still are.

from the beginning As usual the context decides the meaning of -beginning" (see on John 1:1). Here plainly the meaning is from the beginning of Christ's ministry. They could bear witness as to what they themselves had seen and heard. Comp. Acts 1:22; Luke 1:2.