Godhead according to Jesus

The Gospel of John contains profound dialogues where Jesus explains his relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

However, many readers find these passages confusing or rely on traditional interpretations that might obscure Jesus' original meaning. Could a single Greek preposition change how we understand the very nature of God and Christ's mission?

By examining the context of the Last Supper and the specific language used, we can gain a clearer perspective on the Godhead as Jesus himself described it.

The Greek Preposition En

The Gospel of John is often misunderstood due to the translation of the Greek word en as "in" by some [trinitarian]../trinity.md translators. This choice often supports the doctrine of Jesus' divinity by suggesting a physical or mystical indwelling. While en can mean "in" (denoting location), it also frequently means "on", "at", "by", "with" or "among".

Considering these alternative meanings radically changes the tone of John 13 through 17. Instead of a focus on metaphysical essence, the text may emphasize partnership and representation.

Jesus' Relationship with the Father

In the context of the Last Supper, Jesus spoke extensively about his departure and his bond with God. The following table explores how translating en as "by" or "with" clarifies these statements.

Scripture (NKJV, but ἐν also translated as "by" or "with")JohnSimplified
So, when he had gone out, Jesus said,
“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified by him. If God is glorified by him, God will also glorify him by Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
13:31-32God (the Father) is glorified when His son is glorified
Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.13:33Jesus will go away
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.13:34-35Love proof discipleship
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in (trust) God, believe (trust) also in me.14:1Jesus' disciples should trust what he is about to say...
In My Father’s house are many mansions (dwelling places); if it were not so, I would have told you.14:2The Father has capacity to dwell with many
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place (seat/opportunity) for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”14:2-4Jesus will prepare his disciples to be with his Father

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” -- John 14:5 (NKJV)

ScriptureJohnSimplified
Jesus said to him, “I am the way (or journey), the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through (because of) me.14:6Jesus is the key to life with the Father, because...
If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.14:7Jesus represent the Father

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” -- John 14:8 (NKJV)

Scripture (NKJV, but ἐν also translated as "by" or "with")JohnSimplified
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?14:9The Father's representative demonstrates the Father's character
Do you not believe that I am with the Father, and the Father with me?14:10Jesus and his Father are partners
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father Who dwells in stay/abide/endure with me does the works deed (action / work).14:10For example: Jesus speaks and act only in obedience to his Father
Believe (trust) me that I am with the Father and the Father with me, or else believe me for the sake of the works deed (action / work) themselves.14:11Jesus' deeds proof that he represents the Father
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in (trust) me, the works deeds (actions / work) that I do he will do also14:12Those who trust Jesus would follow his example
And greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father14:12Unlike his multitudes of disciples, Jesus is only 1 person that needs to return
And whatever you ask (request) in my name (under my authority), that I will do, that the Father may be glorified by the Son.14:13Jesus will support those who act under his authority, which is to glorify the Father
If you ask anything in my name (under my authority)*, I will do it.14:14Jesus would do anything for those who obey him, which is:
If you love me14:151. to love him
keep my commandments14:152. to keep his commandments
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever14:16This is possible by God's helping Spirit
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees (experience/discern) Him nor come to know Him; but you come to know Him14:17Only those who want to know God will receive His Spirit
for He dwells stay/abide/endure with (beside/along) you14:17God's Spirit stays or endures in our presence...
and will be with you.14:17... so that God can be "with" us (like He was "with" Jesus)
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.14:18Jesus will return...
A little while longer and the world will see me no more but you will see me.14:19... but only to his disciples.
Because I live, you will live also.14:20Like Jesus, his disciples will also be resurrected.
At that day you will know that I am with my Father, and you with me, and I with you.14:20That day the Father, Jesus and his disciples will be "with" each other.
He who has my commandments (orders/instructions) and keeps them, it is he who loves me.14:21Those who loves Jesus would obey him
And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him14:21Those who loves Jesus is also loved by Jesus and his Father
and I will manifest (appear in person to declare) myself to him.14:21Jesus will appear to those who love him.

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” -- John 14:22 (NKJV)

Scripture (NKJV, but ἐν also translated as "by" or "with")JohnSimplified
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep (guard/heed/comply with) my word and My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.14:23Those who loves Jesus would obey his commands, therefore the Father will love them and make them part of His home.
He who does not love me does not keep (guard/heed/comply with) my words14:24Those who does not love Jesus disobey his commands
and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s Who sent me14:24Jesus words are not his own ideas, but the Father's instructions
These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things14:25-26Likewise, the Holy Spirit will also teach only what the Father instructed in the same authority
and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.14:26The Holy Spirit will remind Jesus' disciples of his teachings
Peace (or Wholeness) I leave (permit) with you, my peace (or wholeness) I give to you;14:27Jesus' teachings will restore wholeness or peace
not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.14:27Jesus will not disappoint like the world
You have heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for my Father is greater than I.14:28It is to our own benefit that Jesus' greater Father can teach us in his absence
And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.14:29Jesus had revealed the future so that his disciples can trust his teachings
I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing with me.14:30The ruler of this world is not in a good relationship with Jesus
But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me commandment, so I do14:31Jesus love his Father, therefore he obeys him
Arise (Wake up), let us go (drive/lead) from here (on that).14:31Jesus disciples need to be attend to lead according to his teachings and not any deceptions

Then Jesus provide analogies to explain what he just taught:

I am the true vine (vine of truth) and my Father is the vinedresser (farmer).

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away;
and every branch that bears fruit He prunes (cleanse/purify), that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide (stay/endure) with me, and I with you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide (stay/endure) in (with) the vine, neither can you, unless you abide (stay/endure) with me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who Abide (stay/endure) with me, and I with him, bears much fruit;
for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide (stay/endure) with me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

If you abide (stay/endure) with me, and my words abide (stay/endure) with 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.

-- John 15:1-8 (NKJV but ἐν restored)

To summarize:

Analogy
The Fathervinedresser
Jesusvine
Disciplesbranches in the vine
The worldremoved branches

(Note that the Holy Spirit is not mentioned as a separate member of the Godhead in Jesus' analogy)

Then Jesus summarizes what he meant with his analogy:

“As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain with you, and that your joy may be full.

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

-- John 15:9-12 (NKJV)

Then Jesus continue to explain what he means by "love":

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

-- John 15:13-17 (NKJV)

Then Jesus contrast his disciples with the people of the world:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you, "A servant is not greater than his master."

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept (guard/heed) my word, they will kept (guard/heed) yours also.

But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent me.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

He who hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law:

"They hated Me without a cause."

-- John 15:18-25 (NKJV)

ScriptureJohnSimplified
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds (comes) from the Father15:26"The Helper" comes from the Father, but on request of Jesus
He will testify of me.15:26"The Helper" will testify of Jesus
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.15:27The disciples will testify of Jesus
These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.16:1-2Jesus request his disciples to endure persecution
And these things they will do to you because they have not known (come to known / recognize / perceive the Father nor me.16:3Persecution happens because people do not recognize the Father nor Jesus
But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.16:4Jesus foretold the future to prepare his disciples for persecution
But now I go away to Him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart16:5-6Jesus' disciples were sad that he had to go return to His Father
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.16:7Jesus' return make it possible for "The Helper" to come
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:16:8"The Helper" will also convict the people of the world
of sin (failure), because they do not believe in (trust) me;16:9"The Helper" will convict the world that they failed to trust Jesus
of righteousness (acceptability to God), because I go to my Father and you see me no more;16:10"The Helper" will convict the world how much they depend on his Father
of judgment (God's decision), because the ruler of this world is judged16:11"The Helper" will convict the world that God will decide who He will accept

The Jesus closed with:

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine. Therefore I said that He will take of mine and declare it to you.

A little while, and you will not see me;
and again
a little while, and you will see me, because I go to the Father.

-- John 16:12-16 (NKJV)

These words caused some confusion among the disciples:

Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?”
They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.”

-- John 16:17-18 (NKJV)

Then Jesus explain what he meant:

Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’?

Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask me nothing.

Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you.

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;

for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.

-- John 16:19-28 (NKJV)

Then Jesus disciples respond that they finally understood what he had meant:

His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that you know all things, and have no need that anyone should question you. By this we believe that you came forth from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

-- John 16:29-33 (NKJV)

Then Jesus prays to his Father:

"Father, the hour has come;

  • glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You,
  • since You have given him authority over all flesh,
  • to give eternal life to all whom You have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
  • I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do.
  • And now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
  • I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave me out of the world.
  • Yours they were, and You gave them to me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything that You have given me is from You.
  • For I have given them the words that You gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that
  • I came from You; and they have believed that You sent me.
  • I am praying for them.
  • I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given me, for they are Yours. All mine are Yours, and Yours are mine, and
  • I am glorified in them.
  • And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You.
  • Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given me,
  • that they may be one, even as we are one.
  • While I was with them, I kept them in Your name, which You have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
  • But now I am coming to You, and
  • these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
  • I have given them Your word, and
  • the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world (John 18:36).
  • Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
  • As You sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
  • And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
  • 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 with me, and I with You, that they also may be with us, so that the world may believe that You have sent me. The glory that You have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in (with) them and You in (with) me, that they may become perfectly one,
  • so that the world may know that You sent me and loved them even as You loved me.
  • Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that You have given me
  • because You loved me before the foundation of the world.
  • O righteous Father, even though the world does not know You, I know You, and these know that You have sent me.
  • I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known,
  • that the love with which You have loved me may be with them,
  • and I with them.”

-- John 17:1-26 (ESV but ἐν restored)

To summarize this prayer:

The FatherThe SonBelievers
Glorifies the Son (even before the world existed)Glorifies the FatherGlorifies the Son
Gives all authority to the SonSon uses authority to give eternal life to believersMay ask things in the authority of the Son
Sent the SonSent by the FatherSent by Jesus (John 20:21)
The only GodManifested God's name (authority) to the people-
Gave the people to the Son, yet still own everything given to the SonReceived the people from the FatherBelievers are owned by the Father
Gave the word to the SonGave the word of the Father to the peopleKeep the word of the Father
-Pray for the believers, not the worldShould pray to the Father
OmnipresentNot in the worldStill in the world
Keep (guard) believers under the Son's name (authority) in Jesus absenceGuard believers under the Son's name (authority) while Jesus was on earthGuarded by the Father
Is One with the SonIs One with the FatherBelievers are one
Sent the SonReturn to the FatherBelievers may have joy
Protect believers in the world against the evil oneNot of this world, therefore hated by the worldNot of this world, but protected by the Father against evil one
Sanctify believers in the truth (word)Consecrate himself for current and future believersShould believe, repent and be baptized in the name (authority) of the Son
Is with the SonIs with the FatherIs with the Father and the Son; The Son is with believers
Loves the Son and believersLoved by the Father even before the world existed; Desire to be with believersLoved by the Father
-Knows the FatherKnows that Jesus knows the Father

Addressing Common Critiques

Critiques of this interpretation often argue that the standard translation "in" is essential for the doctrine of the mystical union between Christ and the believer. They point to passages like 2 Corinthians 5:17 where "in Christ" signifies a new spiritual state.

However, proponents of the "with" or "by" translation argue that in the context of the Gospel of John, Jesus is emphasizing his functional unity with the Father. If en were strictly locational, it would imply a physical containment that contradicts the clear distinction of persons Jesus maintains throughout his prayer in John 17. By acting "by" the Father's authority and remaining "with" Him in purpose, Jesus demonstrates a oneness of mission rather than just a metaphysical status.

Conclusion

The Godhead, as described by Jesus in the Gospel of John, is characterized by a profound unity of purpose, love, and representation.

The Greek preposition en suggests that this relationship is one of being "with" or "by" one another rather than a physical indwelling. Jesus' relationship with the Father is defined by his role as the Father's perfect representative on earth. The role of the Helper is to continue Jesus' mission by teaching and reminding disciples of his words.

Through the analogy of the vine, Jesus illustrates that believers must obey him to live.

Finally, the High Priestly Prayer reveals that the ultimate goal is for all believers to share in the same unity that exists between the Father and the Son.