John 16:23-24

“ At that day you shall not question me as to anything: verily, verily, I say to you, that all that which you shall ask the Father, he will give it to you in my name. 24. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be fulfilled. ”

Jesus here describes the privileges connected with this spiritual seeing again, the source for them of the joy promised in John 16:22. They will be: a full knowledge (John 16:23 a) and a full power (John 16:23 b). In the first clause the emphasis is on ἐμέ, me (the accentuated form); they will have no need to ask Him, as visibly present, concerning what shall appear to them obscure and mysterious, as they had the intention to do at this moment (John 16:19). Having the Paraclete within them, they will be able to ask all freely and directly from the Father (comp. John 14:12-14). The reading of A: ὅ, τι ἄν, whatsoever, may well be the true one. After having changed this ὅ, τι into ὅτι, because, one of the pronouns ὅ or ὅσα was necessarily added as an object; then the ὅτι was omitted as useless (Meyer).

Weiss prefers, with Tischendorf, the ἄν τι of the Vatican MS., which was altered in consequence of the introduction of the recitative ὅτι. In any case, the sense is the same. It is very evident that so considerable a change in their relation to God and Christ as that which is here promised to the apostles could not have resulted from the appearances of the Risen One. Weiss endeavors in vain to maintain this application. Acts 1:6 proves clearly that after the resurrection the disciples did not cease to ask questions of Jesus personally when they saw Him again. So Weiss gives to ἐρωτᾷν here, not its ordinary meaning to ask a question, but the meaning to ask for a thing, a meaning which it sometimes has certainly (John 4:31; John 4:40; John 4:47; John 14:16, etc.: to ask whether one will give). But why in this case use two different verbs (ἐρωτᾷν and αἰτεῖν) to say the same thing? And, above all, the relation to John 16:19 and John 16:30 absolutely excludes this meaning.

The word ἐρωτᾷν has certainly the meaning to inquire (to ask light), and αἰτεῖν the more general sense of praying, to ask a gift or help. Jesus therefore means: “You will no longer address your questions to me, as when I was visibly with you; and in general I declare to you that as to what you may have need of, you will be able, because of the communion established henceforth through the Holy Spirit between yourselves and Him (your Father), to address yourselves directly to Him.”

The limiting phrase in my name would refer, according to the T. R., which has in its favor some Mjj. and the ancient versions, to the word ask; to this John 16:24 also points; nevertheless, this reading may come from the parallel passages in John 14:13; John 14:26, and from the following verse. These words should be placed with the Vatican and Sinaitic MSS., etc., at the end of the verse, in connection with the verb to give. It is on the basis of the divine revelation which God has given of Jesus to believers and of the knowledge which they have received from Him, that He will give to them the gifts and helps thus promised.

But as this full revelation of Jesus is made in their hearts only by the Spirit (John 14:17-23), it follows that until the day of Pentecost the disciples could not have really prayed in the name of Jesus. There is therefore no reproach in the words: “Hitherto you have not prayed in my name,” as if Jesus meant that they had been wanting in faith or zeal; it is simply the true indication of their moral state up to the time of the inward revelation which the Spirit will effect within them. From that moment, united in heart with Him, they will be able to pray as if they were Himself. By the present imperative: ask (αἰτεῖτε), Jesus transports Himself to this great day which is foretold. Perfect and enduring joy will then take the place of the extreme grief of a moment. Jesus, however, perceives how all this must remain obscure to them. He acknowledges this, and refers them to that very day itself which He has just promised them, when everything will be finally made clear for them.