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The DEEP

Misunderstanding Glory

It's His.

John 15:7–8

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

One of the most exciting lessons in Biblical Greek—definitely my favorite—is about the purpose construct. When you have the word “hinna” (ἵνα) followed by a verb in the subjunctive, hinna means “for the purpose that.”

That wording is long and clumsy, so translators typically just render it as, “so that,” or just, “that.” In the last part of this passage, in Greek, the verb “bear” is in the subjunctive and “that” is “hinna.”

So, that last clause is literally, “for the purpose that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Thus, the “this” in the preceding clause, “By this My Father is glorified,” isn’t referring to the fruit we bear; it’s referring to verse seven.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

That, not our works, is what glorifies God. This agrees with John 14:13.

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

We often think too much of ourselves and our works. Today’s passage is often misunderstood to say that our fruit glorifies God.

It actually says that God glorifies Himself—same as in John 14:13.


Do not take this to mean our works are worthless. If they were, Jesus wouldn’t call them fruit. There is glory in things we do. For example, we can “give glory to God.”

But it is important to understand that God’s glory comes principally from Himself.

It’s why He created the universe.

It’s why He created us.

It’s why Jesus went to the cross.

We get to be part of all this—which is plenty glorious right there—but we’re not the central characters.

Keep this concept front-and-center as we walk through John’s account of Jesus’s betrayal, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. God’s glory is the central, unifying theme of everything that happens.

And watch for more of those purpose constructions. They’ll explain what’s actually going on.


These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Saturday DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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