Discovery BoxJohn 7:15-17 
Context7:15 Then the Jewish leaders 1 were astonished 2 and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” 3 7:16 So Jesus replied, 4 “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 5 7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, 6 he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. 7
1 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.
2 tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.
3 tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).
sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.
4 tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”
5 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
6 tn Grk “his will.”
7 tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”
