A Grammatical and Theological Analysis of John 17:5
Table of Contents
- John 17:5 – Full Verse
- Grammar and Syntax Breakdown of John 17:5
- Objections and Responses
- 3.1 Objection: John 17:22 – Did Jesus Give That Glory to His Disciples?
- 3.2 Objection: John 17:5 – Did Jesus Lose His Glory When the World Was Made?
- 3.3 Objection: Does “World” Refer to “the Church”?
- 3.4 Objection: Ideal Pre-Existence? (2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:4; Jeremiah 1:4–5)
- Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – Full Quote on John 17:5]
- Mistranslations
- Augustine on John 17:3-5
The Text: John 17:5
John 17:5
καὶ νῦν (now) δόξασόν με (glorify me) σύ (You) Πάτερ παρὰ σεαυτῷ (alongside yourself) τῇ δόξῃ (with the glory) ᾗ εἶχον (which I had) πρὸ τοῦ (before) τὸν κόσμον εἶναι (was) παρὰ σοί (with you)
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Gammer and Syntax breakdown
δόξασόν – “glorify”
This is the imperative aorist form of the verb δόξαζω (doxazō), meaning “to glorify” or “to honor.” The aorist tense indicates a request for a completed action — Jesus is asking the Father to glorify Him.
The aorist (an event as a complete action rather than one that was ongoing, unfolding, repeated, or habitual) imperative (Although the imperative mood can denote a simple request, the most common usage of the imperative is for commands. Recognized Greek grammarian Daniel Wallace comments on the imperative verb:
“with the aorist [as in John 17:5], the force generally is to command the action as a whole. . . .” (Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, with Scripture, Subject, and Greek Word Indexes (GGBB), 485.)
This expresses a command or request for a completed action, viewed as a whole, rather than an action that is ongoing or habitual. This destroys modalism because the Aorist Imperative is always used in direct discourse between 2 people. The only exception to that is Mark 11:23 – “…Say to this mountain, ‘Be you taken away…be you cast…’ (both Aorist Imperatives).” But obviously, this is a parable that uses a metaphorical or figurative meaning. Oneness would not even be an option. It’s never used where, for example, the mind commands the body or vice versa.
Contextual Note: Prolepsis in Verse 4
Prolepsis is to anticipate or foreshadow something, or to treat a future event as if it has already happened. For example, in literature, prolepsis is a device that disrupts the order of events in a story to reveal a future plot point earlier than it actually occurs. Verse 4, Jesus does exactly that. He is basucally “spoiling what comes next”. When Jesus uses proleptic language to describe the full completion of His mission, Jesus also uses the aorist imperative “δόξασόν” in His prayer. He is asking the Father to glorify Him in a definitive, complete way.
Jesus isn’t simply asking for an ongoing process of glorification; He is requesting the full completion of this glorification. The use of the aorist emphasizes the totality of the glorification He is asking for, which includes both the suffering He will undergo (His crucifixion) and His exaltation (His resurrection and ascension). In other words, it is a prayer for the entire glorification process to be completed.
“παρὰ σεαυτῷ” – “with Yourself”
- παρὰ (para): A preposition meaning “with,” or “alongside.” This is a special kind of “with,” indicating presence or nearness.
- I. With the genitive of a person, to denote that a thing proceeds from or from the side of someone. (English, “from”)… e.g., μονογενοῦς παρά πατρός (from the Father) – John 1:14
- II. With the dative, it indicates vicinity (English: near, beside, in the presence of, with)… e.g., παρὰ τῷ σταυρῷ (by the cross) – John 19:25
- III. With the accusative… beyond, above… e.g., παρά καιρόν ἡλικίας (she bore a child when she was past the age) – Hebrews 11:11
- σεαυτῷ (seautō): A reflexive pronoun in the dative singular, meaning “Yourself.” Jesus is asking to be glorified in union with the Father, in the divine presence, indicating the shared glory between the two. Although both interpretations are possible (physical and relational presence) grammatically, contextually (para with the dative is used again – see more below), it is more appropriate to speak of this as relational presence.
“τῇ δόξῃ” – “with the glory”
- τῇ (tē): The definite article in the dative singular, meaning “the,” modifying δόξῃ.
- δόξῃ (doxē): This word means “glory” — the divine radiance, honor, or splendor. It is in the dative case, showing the means by which Jesus asks to be glorified (the instrument or manner of glorification).
“ᾗ εἶχον” – “which I had”
- ᾗ (hēi): A relative pronoun in the dative singular, which refers to δόξῃ (glory) from the previous phrase. It means “with which” or “in which.”
- εἶχον (eichon): The imperfect tense of the verb ἔχω (echō), meaning “I had.” The imperfect suggests an ongoing or continuous action in the past, so “I had” means that Jesus possessed this glory in a sustained, ongoing manner before the world existed.
“πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι” – “before the world was”
- πρὸ (pro): A preposition meaning “before.”
- τοῦ (tou): The genitive article, meaning “of the.”
“πρὸ τοῦ” is a preposition that often governs the genitive case when referring to a temporal relationship, such as something happening “before” a particular time or event. In this construction, the genitive indicates the time point before which something happens.
- τὸν κόσμον (ton kosmon): “The world,” in the accusative singular. Refers to the created universe, humanity, or the entirety of creation.
- εἶναι (einai): The infinitive form of the verb εἰμί (eimi), meaning “to be.” Here, it means “to be,” or “to exist.”
- εἶναι is timeless in form (infinitive – in and of itself doesn’t convey past, present, or future). The construction πρὸ τοῦ (before) indicates we are talking about a time before the world existed. So, even though the verb itself doesn’t have a past-tense form, the entire phrase expresses the idea that the state of “being” (Jesus’ glory with the Father) existed before the world came into being.
“παρὰ σοί” – “with you”
This is a prepositional phrase indicating location or position.
παρά (“with, by”) + σοί (the dative form of σύ, “you”) means that Jesus desires to be glorified in the presence of (physical presence) or alongside (relational presence) the Father. With the context in mind, it is more appropriate to speak of this as a relational presence (cf. John 1:1, “the Word was with God”) since location did not exist prior to creation.
Conclusion:
John 17:5, when analysed grammatically and contextually, reveals a profound theological truth: Jesus is not merely requesting future glorification, but is asking for the full, completed return to the divine glory He shared with the Father before creation itself. The Greek grammar — particularly the use of the aorist imperative, the imperfect tense, and the prepositions with the dative — supports a view of eternal pre-existence and shared divine glory, expressed with precision and intentionality.
Based on everything we’ve analysed—the grammar, vocabulary, and theological context—a faithful paraphrase of John 17:5 could be:
“And now, Father, glorify Me alongside Yourself with the same divine glory that I continually possessed in Your presence before the world even existed.
Objection:
In John 17:22, Jesus says, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.” If Jesus gives this glory to the disciples, how can it be the same exclusive glory He mentions in verse 5? Doesn’t this imply that the glory of verse 5 is not unique to His divine pre-existence?
Response:
You Cannot Give What You Do Not Possess
In John 17:5, Jesus prays:
“And now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.”
This shows He already possessed this glory prior to creation. Therefore, the objection self-defeats: if Jesus had not already possessed this glory (verse 5), He could not give any aspect of it to the disciples (verse 22). His ability to give derived or reflected glory presupposes that He has an original, divine source of glory that was His from eternity.
The Glory of John 17:5 Is Categorically Unique
What is said about Jesus in John 17:5 is not said about the disciples anywhere in the passage:
- Jesus had pre-creational glory “with the Father.”
- This is a shared divine glory, not merely a manifested or functional one.
- The disciples were never glorified “alongside the Father” before the world existed.
This makes the glory in verse 5 ontological and relational within the Godhead, whereas the glory in verse 22 is functional—it is given for the purpose of unity and mission (see v.18: “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”)
John 17:5 and John 17:24 Speak of the Same Unique Glory
In John 17:24, Jesus says:
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Notice:
- The disciples are to behold, not receive or possess, this glory.
- The glory is said to be given in the context of the eternal love between the Father and the Son “before the foundation of the world.”
- This matches the pre-creational context of John 17:5, again distinguishing it from the glory mentioned in verse 22.
Therefore, John 17:5 and 17:24 refer to the same eternal, divine glory. The disciples are never said to share it as participants, only to witness it.
Different Kinds and Degrees of Glory
Scripture distinguishes not only between different kinds of glory but also between different degrees of glory. Paul makes this explicit:
1 Corinthians 15:40–41 (RSV):
“There are celestial bodies and there are terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.”
This establishes that “glory” is not a single, uniform category. Celestial glory and earthly glory are different in nature, and even within celestial glory, degrees vary—sun, moon, and stars each shine with their own intensity.
With that in mind, the glory Christ had with the Father before the world existed (John 17:5) need not be identical in form to the glory He manifested during His earthly life. It may differ either in kind or in degree.
Scripture reinforces this concept through contrasting examples. When Moses asked to see God’s full glory, the Lord responded:
Exodus 33:18–23 (KJV):
“18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
Yet in Isaiah 40:5 it says:
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,And all flesh shall see it together;For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Unless there is different types of glory, this is a clear contradiction. There exists a degree of divine glory so overwhelming that it is lethal to mortal humanity. And yet, Jesus revealed a measure of glory on the Mount of Transfiguration that His disciples beheld without perishing. Luke describes this moment in Luke 9, and John later reflects upon it:
John 1:14 (KJV):
“…we beheld his glory…”
The glory they witnessed was real, divine, and radiant—but it was not the unshielded, life-ending glory of Exodus 33. By simple logic, the glory revealed in Christ on earth cannot have been the same in degree or manifestation as the glory that no human can survive seeing.
Thus, Scripture itself teaches a nuanced understanding: glory varies in quality and intensity, and the incarnate Christ revealed a glory appropriate to His mission, not the full, unmediated splendor of His pre-incarnate divine state.
The Glory in John 17:22 Is the same as John 2:11, its Ministerial
The glory mentioned in John 17:22 is tied to mission and ministry, not eternal divine authority. This is similar to John 2:11:
“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
This was not the eternal glory of John 17:5 or 17:24, but a manifestation of divine power through signs—glory made visible in action, not the inherent glory of eternal Sonship.
Likewise, in John 17:22, the purpose of this given glory is stated:
“that they may be one just as We are one.”
This is glory for relational unity and ministry (see John 17:18), not for deification or divine status.
Objection:
In John 17:5, Jesus says, “…the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
Doesn’t this imply Jesus lost or veiled that glory when the world was made?
Answer:
1. The Text Speaks About a Past Reality—Not a Change After It
John 17:5 is not making a statement about what happened after the world was made or after the Incarnation. It is specifying a particular timeframe:
“…the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
The focus is on the pre-creational reality of the Son’s glory. The verse affirms that before creation, Jesus shared in divine glory with the Father. It does not say whether He retained, veiled, or temporarily relinquished that glory during His earthly ministry.
John 17:24 echoes the same truth:
“…for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”
Here, no one is going to argue that God stopped loving Jesus AFTER the world was founded. Just like verse 5, this speaks about a pre-creation relationship and love between the Father and the Son. It doesn’t address any later developments, such as the Incarnation, veiling, or glorification.
Parallel Language in Scripture Shows a Pattern of Pre-Creation Realities
Consider other examples of “before the foundation of the world” language:
- Ephesians 1:4: “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…”
This doesn’t mean God stopped “choosing us” after the world was created. - Proverbs 8:22: “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old…”
Again, this doesn’t mean God stopped possessing Wisdom after His works of old. This references what was true before creation, without necessarily saying anything about what followed.
These texts affirm what was true before time, not what changed after time began.
Objection:
Does the term “κόσμος” (world) in John 17:5 refer to the Church rather than the created world?
Answer:
John’s Clear Distinction Between “World” and “Disciples”
The Gospel of John consistently distinguishes between the world (κόσμος) and the Church (the disciples or believers). For example:
- John 17:9: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”
- John 17:16: “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
Here, Jesus explicitly contrasts His disciples—representing the Church—with the world. This clearly shows that κόσμος refers to the fallen, created world system, not the Church.
Contextual Meaning in John 17:5
In John 17:5,
“…before the world was” (πρὸ τοῦ κόσμον εἶναι),
the phrase refers to a time prior to creation itself, emphasizing Jesus’ pre-existence and divine glory before the physical and moral order of the cosmos began.
Since the Church did not exist before the world, and is always set apart from the world in John’s theology, “κόσμος” cannot logically refer to the Church here.
Consistent Johannine Theology
John’s use of κόσμος throughout the Gospel aligns with the fallen, unbelieving world or creation that stands in contrast to God’s people, never meaning the Church as a whole.
Conclusion:
The term “κόσμος” in John 17:5 clearly refers to the created world and not the Church, supported by Jesus’ explicit statements in John 17:9 and 17:16 which distinguish the disciples (Church) from the world.
Objection:
2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:4; Jeremiah 1:4-5 teach an ideal pre-existence (a plan or purpose in God’s mind rather than an actual personal pre-existence). Therefore Jesus was with the Father before the creation of the world only ideally (in God’s mind and plan) not as an actual pre-existing person.
Additionally, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states under παρά with the dative:
“II. with the dative, παρά indicates that something is or is done either in the immediate vicinity of someone, or (metaphorically) in his mind, near by, beside, in the power of, in the presence of, with… John 17:5…”
Answer:
Although παρά (para) with the dative can carry a metaphorical meaning of “in the mind,” contextually, παρὰ σοί cannot have this metaphorical meaning in John 17:5 because the phrase πάρα σεαυτῷ (“with Yourself”) is literal, either a . παρὰ with the dative is used twice in John 17:5
“…glorify Me together with Yourself…”
“…with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
Jesus is asking to be glorified with the Father, implying real presence beside and alongside Him. There is no standard lexicon that applies the metaphorical meaning of “in/with the mind” for παρά with the dative in John 17:5. Many heretical teachers abuse or misquote Greek lexicons to support this position, but linguistically and contextually it does not hold.
Here is what The Expositor’s Greek Testament says:
Verse 5
John 17:5. καὶ νῦν δόξασον … σοί. The precise character of the glorification He looks for is here presented. It is παρὰ σεαυτῷ, and it is a restoration to the glory He had enjoyed πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι. By παρὰ σεαυτῷ it is rendered impossible to understand παρὰ σοί of an “ideal” pre-existence; because these two expressions are here equivalents, and Christ cannot be supposed to have prayed for an “ideal” glory when He asked that God would glorify Him παρὰ σεαυτῷ.
παρὰ σοί — “with You”
παρὰ σεαυτῷ — “with Yourself”
These two are:
- the same preposition
- same case (dative)
- same relational function
- referring to the same persons (Father and Son)
- used in a deliberately parallel structure in the same breath of a prayer
That parallelism forces sameness of meaning.
Passages like Matthew 8:22
Let the dead bury their own dead.
fail to refute the arguament. Although the first “dead” means spiritually dead, and the second means physically dead, this should be expected because it does something John 17:5 does not, that is, it refers to 2 different subjects, physically dead people and spiritually dead people. So it’s not “parrallelism” because its 2 distinct catgeories by subjects. However, in John 17:5, “with You/Yourself” has the same referant, “with the Father.”
This would also connect with passages like John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” where the Word is with the Father and also John 16:27-28 — Jesus says, “The Father loves you because you have loved me and believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered the world; now I leave the world and go to the Father.”
Here Jesus describes His movement: from being with the Father, into the world, and back to the Father. It matches the opening of the Gospel — the same relationship of origin and return. This further links to Proverbs 8:30 where Wisdom, the pre-incarnate Christ (see my article of this) is with the Father:
Proverbs 8:30 ἤμην παρ᾽ αὐτῷ ἁρμόζουσα ἐγὼ ἤμην ᾗ προσέχαιρεν καθ᾽ ἡμέραν δὲ εὐφραινόμην ἐν προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ
30 – I was with him, suiting myself to him, I was that wherein he took delight; and daily I rejoiced in his presence continually.
In fact, the same Thayer’s Lexicon explicitly comments on παρά in John 17:5:
“dwelling with God, John 8:38; i. q. [equivalent to] in heaven, John 17:5.”
Beyond John 17:5, every instance where John uses παρά with the dative (about 10 times) carries a literal meaning of “with” or “beside” in a personal sense. These include:
John 1:39: “He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.”
John 4:40: “So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.”
John 8:38: “I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”
John 14:17: “…for He dwells with you and will be in you…”
John 14:23: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.’”
John 14:25: “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.”
John 17:5 (twice)
John 19:25: “Therefore, the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross [παρὰ τῷ σταυρῷ] of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
Revelation 2:13: “ “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
Nowhere in John’s writings does παρά with the dative mean “in one’s mind” or “figuratively in the plan.” It consistently denotes physical (the actual body being present in the space, without necessarily implying an emotional or relational connection) or relational presence (involves a two-way connection between parties. It’s not just about someone being mentally or conceptually in someone’s thoughts or plans).
The first “with You” in John 17:5 is to be understood as “glorify Me, which will also glorify You,” which it emphasizes the mutual glorification between the Father and the Son. This aligns with the broader theme in John’s Gospel, where Jesus repeatedly speaks of glorifying the Father through His obedience, death, and resurrection.
John 17:1 supports this idea:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.”
Here, Jesus explicitly states that His glorification leads to the Father’s glorification. If we apply this to John 17:5, it suggests that Jesus is asking to be restored to the glory He had before creation, which in turn magnifies the Father’s glory.
This interpretation highlights the interconnected nature of divine glory—Jesus’ glorification is not separate from the Father’s but is an expression of their unity.
In conclusion, although para with the dative can be both relational and physical presences, I am of the opinion that both uses of the para with dative are to be understood as relational presences.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon Full Quote
II.with the dative, παρά indicates that something is or is done either in the immediate vicinity of someone, or (metaphorically) in his mind, near by, beside, in the power of, in the presence of, with, the Sept. for אֵצֶל (1 Kings 20:1 (); Proverbs 8:30), בְּיַד (Genesis 44:16; Numbers 31:49), בְּעֵינֵי (see b. below); cf. Winers Grammar, § 48, d., p. 394f (369); (Buttmann, 339 (291f)).
a. near, by: εἱστήκεισαν παρά τῷ σταυρῷ, John 19:25 (this is the only passage in the N. T. where παρά is joined with a dative of the thing, in all others with a dative of the person). after a verb of motion, to indicate the rest which follows the motion (cf. Buttmann, 339 (292)), ἔστησεν αὐτό παῥ ἑαυτῷ, Luke 9:47.
b. with, i. e. in one’s house; in one’s town; in one’s society: ξενίζεσθαι (which see), Acts 10:6; Acts 21:16; μένειν, of guests or lodgers, John 1:39 (); ; Acts 9:43; Acts 18:3, 20 (R G); f; ἐπιμένειν, Acts 28:14 L T Tr WH; καταλύειν, Luke 19:7 (Demosthenes, de corona § 82 (cf. Buttmann, 339 (292))); ἀριστᾶν, Luke 11:37; ἀπολείπειν τί, 2 Timothy 4:13; παρά τῷ Θεῷ, dwelling with God, John 8:38; equivalent to in heaven, John 17:5; μισθόν ἔχειν, to have a reward laid up with God in heaven, Matthew 6:1; εὑρεῖν χάριν (there where God is, i. e. God’s favor (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 365 (343))), Luke 1:30; a person is also said to have χάρις παρά one with whom he is acceptable, Luke 2:52; τοῦτο χάρις παρά Θεῷ, this is acceptable with God, pleasing to him, 1 Peter 2:20 (for בְּעֵינֵי, Exodus 33:12, 16; Numbers 11:15); παρά Θεῷ, in fellowship with God (of those who have embraced the Christian religion and turned to God from whom they had before been estranged), 1 Corinthians 7:24; παρά κυρίῳ (in heaven), before the Lord as judge, 2 Peter 2:11 (G L omit and Tr WH brackets the phrase); παῥ ὑμῖν, in your city, in your church, Colossians 4:16; with a dative plural equivalent to among, Matthew 22:25; Matthew 28:15; Revelation 2:13; παῥ ἑαυτῷ, at his home, 1 Corinthians 16:2.
c. παῥ (L Tr WH text ἐν) ἑαυτῷ, with oneself i. e. in one’s own mind, διαλογίζεσθαι, Matthew 21:25.
d. a thing is said to be or not to be παρά τίνι, with one, α. which belongs to his nature and character, or is in accordance with his practice or the reverse; as, μή ἀδικία παρά τῷ Θεῷ; Romans 9:14; add, Romans 2:11; 2 Corinthians 1:17; Ephesians 6:9; James 1:17. β. which is or is not within one’s power: Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27, cf. Luke 1:37 R G L text e. παρά τίνι, with one i. e. in his judgment, he being judge (so in Herodotus and the Attic writings; cf. Passow, under the word, II. 2, vol. ii., p. 667; (Liddell and Scott, under B. II. 3)): παρά τῷ Θεῷ, Romans 2:13; 1 Corinthians 3:19; Galatians 3:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:6; James 1:27; 1 Peter 2:4; 2 Peter 3:8 (παρά κυρίῳ); φρόνιμον εἶναι παῥ ἑαυτῷ (A. V. in one’s own conceit), Romans 11:25 (where Tr text WH text ἐν); Romans 12:16.
“Before the world was with You.”?
An objection I would like to quickly deal with is that of the rendering “…glory which I had before the world was with You.” Some say that it is not Jesus who was “with You” ie. the Father. Rather it is in reference to the world, that Jesus had glory in the Father’s mind before the world literally existed with the Father.
First of all, although the Greek text does read “…which (η) I had (ειχον) before the world existed (ειναι) with (παρα) You (σοι).”, Greek does not work like English. In Greek, word order is not always necessary. So eventhough “παρα σοι” comes after “ειναι”, it’s not necessarily true that παρα σοι modifies ειναι. Secondly, ειναι is in the infinitive form, simply meaning ‘to be/exist”. Out its 126 occurences, none are modified by παρα + Dative. Thirdly, not one Greek Father ever inteprets John 17:5 that way, that it was the world that was “with You.”
“Before the world to be alongside you.”?
Some say, the text is actually saying the glory that what Jesus is asking for is “to be alongside you, “ειναι παρα σοι”. Apart from the fact that we’ve already ειναι is not modified by παρα σοι, this objection fails because Greek grammar dictates that when the preposition πρὸ appears with the genitive article τοῦ and is followed by the infinitive εἶναι, it functions as an adverbial phrase of time (tells us when something happens) and is best translated as “before.”
Augutine of Hippo on John 17:3-5
3.
And this,He adds,is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.The proper order of the words is,That they may know You and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent, as the only true God. Consequently, therefore, the Holy Spirit is also understood, because He is the Spirit of the Father and Son, as the substantial and consubstantial love of both. For the Father and Son are not two Gods, nor are the Father and Son and Holy Spirit three Gods; but the Trinity itself is the one only true God. And yet the Father is not the same as the Son, nor the Son the same as the Father, nor the Holy Spirit the same as the Father and the Son; for the Father and Son and Holy Spirit are three [persons], yet the Trinity itself is one God…7…when the Son says,
And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Your own self, with the glory which I had with You before the world was,we understand the predestination of the glory of His human nature, as thereafter, from being mortal, to become immortal with the Father: and that this had already been done by predestination before the world was, as also in its own time it was done in the world.Tractate 105 John 17:1-5
Although Augustine stood virtually alone in his interpretation of John 17:5, he clearly understood John 17:3 as referring to all three persons of the Trinity. To cite Augustine as evidence for a Unitarian reading of John 17:5 is inconsistent. As Catholics, we are not bound to accept interpretations that lack the consensus of the Church, so Augustine could simply be mistaken on that verse.
Unitarians, for their part, dismiss Augustine’s Trinitarian reading of John 17:3. If they can claim he was wrong there, then it follows he could also be wrong on John 17:5. We hold that he was right about John 17:3 but mistaken on John 17:5; Unitarians reverse the judgment. In the end, appealing to Augustine settles nothing—it is a moot point.