John 16:25 Commentary: From Figures to Plain Speech About the Father

Jesus speaks these words near the end of the Farewell Discourse (John 13, 17), just before his arrest. His disciples have just heard about a departing-shepherd, a woman in labor, and a vine and branches. That is precisely the kind of instruction he calls paroimiais, a term rooted in the Hebrew mashal, which covers proverbs, riddles, and parables (Psalm 49:4; 78:2; Proverbs 1:6). In Jewish tradition, a mashal both conceals and reveals: it hides truth from the hard-hearted and opens it to the humble (Matthew 13:10-11). Jesus’ earlier public ministry used parables deliberately for that purpose (Matthew 13:34-35).

Now, addressing only his disciples, he still finds them struggling. Barnes observes that ‘the plainest declarations to them on the subject would appear to be involved in mystery.’ Their minds were still shaped by hopes for a political Messiah. The ‘hour’ (hōra) that is coming echoes John’s distinctive use of the word for decisive moments, Jesus’ ‘hour’ of crucifixion (John 12:23), the hour of true worship (John 4:23), and the hour of resurrection (John 5:25). In John 16:25, the hour marks a turning point in revelation. The disciples will soon move from needing explanations to receiving direct, Spirit-borne understanding about the Father (John 16:13-15).

The textual tradition for John 16:25 is stable. The main variant noted by the Cambridge Bible is the omission of the word ‘but’ (alla) after ‘coming’ in the best manuscripts; modern critical editions (e.g., NA28) include it in brackets. The verb for ‘tell’ varies between apangellō (bring word from something) and anapangellō (declare), but the meaning is nearly identical, to announce openly. No significant doctrinal issue depends on these variants.

Early church writers (e.g., Athanasius, Augustine) read this verse as a promise that Christ’s teaching would shift from veiled types to the unveiled truth of the gospel era, fulfilled in the Spirit’s indwelling. The Fathers often connected it to the contrast between the Old Testament’s shadows and the New Testament’s clarity in Christ. Medieval exegetes, such as Thomas Aquinas, used the verse to explain how the disciples grew from sensible images to intellectual knowledge of the divine. Reformation commentators (Calvin, the Geneva Bible) stressed that the disciples’ dullness does not negate the clear intention of Scripture, God’s Word is plain, but human sin and weakness require the Spirit’s illumination. In modern application, the verse is frequently preached to encourage those who find the Bible confusing: clarity is coming, but it comes through a walk with the Spirit, not a magic key.

Three-point outline

1. The shape of veiled speech. Jesus has spoken in paroimiais, images, similes, and statements that demand reflection. Even the closest disciples felt lost.
2. The promise of open speech. An hour is coming when Jesus will declare the Father plainly (parrēsia). The promise includes both his resurrection appearances and the ongoing work of the Spirit.
3. The content of plain speech. The Father himself, his character, love, and plan, is the subject. Clear revelation leads to confident prayer and full joy (John 16:23-24).

Five-point outline

1. The problem: figures of speech that frustrate. Jesus acknowledges the disciples’ confusion.
2. The pivot: an hour is coming. Not a date on a calendar, but a new era of understanding.
3. The shift: from paroimia to parrēsia. Dark sayings replaced by frank disclosure.
4. The speaker: Jesus himself. ‘I will tell you plainly’, the risen Lord or the Spirit speaking as Christ’s voice.
5. The subject: the Father. All revelation aims at showing us God as Father.

Illustration hooks

• A cryptic textbook vs. a teacher’s after-class explanation. Students read a dense poem; later the poet sits with them and says, ‘Here is what I meant.’
• A puzzle you stare at for an hour, and then someone points, and suddenly the whole picture clicks. That click is what the disciples experienced after Pentecost.
• A parent who uses bedtime stories to teach moral lessons, but later, when the child is ready, explains the reason behind the rule. The relationship deepens from imagery to intimacy.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Why doesn't God speak more clearly to me when I'm struggling? This verse shows that clarity came gradually and relationally, not all at once.
• How can I know if something is God’s plain guidance or just a coincidence? The promise of plain speech is connected to knowing the Father’s character, not receiving a step-by-step map.
• If Jesus spoke plainly after the resurrection, why do I still find parts of the Bible hard to understand? The disciples themselves needed the Spirit to understand what Jesus said (John 16:13). Growing in understanding is part of the Christian life.

In John 16:25, Jesus names a tension his disciples feel: his words seem hidden, yet he promises a time when everything will be clear. This small group study invites you to sit with that tension and to trust that the same Jesus who spoke in parables also offers plain, personal knowledge of the Father.

Discussion questions

1. Read John 16:25 aloud. What do you think the disciples felt when they heard ‘I have spoken these things in figures of speech’?
2. Look at the Greek word paroimia. How does it connect to the Hebrew mashal and Jesus’ use of parables (Matthew 13:34-35)?
3. When Jesus says ‘but the time is coming,’ what options do commentators offer for that ‘hour’? Which view makes most sense to you, and why?
4. How does Jesus’ promise to ‘tell you plainly about the Father’ relate to the work of the Holy Spirit described in John 16:13-15?
5. In what areas of your life do you feel you are still hearing ‘figures of speech’ from God, truths you sense but cannot fully grasp?
6. What difference does it make that the subject of this plain speech is the Father rather than a doctrine or a plan?
7. How might the promise of coming clarity encourage you to keep listening even when Scripture or current circumstances seem puzzling?