All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
'All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.' This verse contains profound Christological and soteriological truth. 'All things are delivered unto me' (πάντα μοι παρεδόθη/panta moi paredothē) asserts Christ's universal authority—the Father has committed all things to the Son (Matthew 28:18, John 3:35, 17:2). The mutual knowledge between Father and Son is exclusive and complete: 'no man knoweth the Son, but the Father'—Jesus's identity is ultimately mysterious, fully known only by God; 'neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son'—knowledge of God comes exclusively through Jesus. The climax: 'he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him' (ᾧ ἐὰν βούληται ὁ υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαι/hō ean boulētai ho huios apokalypsai). The Son sovereignly chooses to whom He reveals the Father. Reformed theology sees this confirming both exclusivity (no one comes to the Father except through Jesus—John 14:6) and divine sovereignty (revelation depends on Christ's will, not human effort).
Historical Context
This statement follows Jesus's prayer thanking God for hiding truth from the wise and revealing it to babes (v.25-26). Now Jesus explains His role: He is the exclusive mediator between God and humanity. In first-century Judaism, knowledge of God came through Torah study, temple worship, and rabbinic tradition. Jesus claims to supersede all these—He alone truly knows the Father and alone can reveal Him. This claim to unique, mutual knowledge with God is implicit deity claim. Jesus positions Himself as exclusive access point to God—scandalous to Jewish ears, foolishness to Greeks (1 Corinthians 1:23). Yet early church affirmed this exclusivity: 'there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus' (1 Timothy 2:5). Modern pluralism rejects this exclusivity, claiming many paths to God. But Jesus's words are unambiguous: knowledge of God comes only through Him, and He reveals the Father only to those He chooses. This exclusivity drove early Christian mission—they possessed what the world lacked and needed.
Questions for Reflection
How does Jesus's claim to exclusive knowledge of the Father and sole ability to reveal Him challenge religious pluralism?
What does it mean that knowing the Son and knowing the Father are mutually dependent—can you have one without the other?
How does the sovereignty in Jesus's phrase 'whomsoever the Son will reveal' shape your understanding of evangelism and conversion?
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Analysis & Commentary
'All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.' This verse contains profound Christological and soteriological truth. 'All things are delivered unto me' (πάντα μοι παρεδόθη/panta moi paredothē) asserts Christ's universal authority—the Father has committed all things to the Son (Matthew 28:18, John 3:35, 17:2). The mutual knowledge between Father and Son is exclusive and complete: 'no man knoweth the Son, but the Father'—Jesus's identity is ultimately mysterious, fully known only by God; 'neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son'—knowledge of God comes exclusively through Jesus. The climax: 'he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him' (ᾧ ἐὰν βούληται ὁ υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαι/hō ean boulētai ho huios apokalypsai). The Son sovereignly chooses to whom He reveals the Father. Reformed theology sees this confirming both exclusivity (no one comes to the Father except through Jesus—John 14:6) and divine sovereignty (revelation depends on Christ's will, not human effort).