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John 17:3Farewell Discourse
This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
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Interpretation

Jesus teaches a eternal life that is worked out in study and play in John 17:3—look for "eternal" and "life". Give eternal life in conversations that test patience—steady the will with prayer.

Context

The setting is John—gospel narrative, developing eternal life. Read in John 17, its force becomes clearer. Listen for “eternal” alongside “life”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits John to John the Apostle. In current research on John, Frequently associated with a Johannine community; markedly non‑synoptic.. Scholars commonly date John AD 90–100. John appears framed for Johannine circles.. The setting is the Farewell Discourse (gospel narrative). Johannine theology centers life and light in the Son. Signs and discourses create a distinct theological portrait.

More details
Traditional:John the Apostle
Modern scholarship:Johannine community; final redaction distinct from Synoptics.
Date:AD 90–100
Audience:Johannine circles.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in more than 5,800 manuscripts, exceeding other ancient writings in manuscript count. 2nd-3rd century papyri like P46, P66, P75 provide text roughly 100-150 years after composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the most likely original reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46