Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Parallel translations
- WEB You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.
- BSB You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- NKJV You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
- NASB You are My friends if you do what I command you.
- NLT You are my friends if you do what I command.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus calls the disciples His friends if they do what He commands. Friendship with Christ is marked by loving obedience.
Overview
Jesus graciously names His disciples 'friends,' an intimate relationship, yet one consistent with His lordship, since friends do what He commands. Obedience is not the price of friendship but its evidence and expression. This astonishing nearness, friendship with the Son of God, is a gift of grace flowing from His love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Matt 12:50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
- 1 Jn 5:3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
- Jas 2:23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
- John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
- John 14:15If ye love me, keep my commandments.
- John 13:17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
- Luke 12:4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
- Isa 41:8But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
- John 2:5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
- John 14:28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
- 2 Chr 20:7Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
- Song 5:1I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 15:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.