Conditional Parallelism and Prophetic Syntax in John 15:20

Text in Focus: John 15:20

μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστι δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν.

Literal Translation

Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will also keep yours.

Introduction: The Syntax of Conditional Parallelism

This verse presents a powerful example of conditional parallelism in Koine Greek: two clauses beginning with εἰ (“if”), each followed by a future main verb. The construction is carefully designed to deliver prophetic contrast between rejection and reception — persecution versus obedience — while reinforcing the identity of Jesus’ followers with Him.

The First Command: μνημονεύετε

– μνημονεύετε = present active imperative, 2nd person plural of μνημονεύω
“Remember!” — continuous action, emphasizing ongoing recollection.

What are the disciples to remember?

– τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν
“the word that I spoke to you”

This refers back to John 13:16, where Jesus first said:
οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ
“No servant is greater than his master”

A timeless principle with grammatical clarity:

– οὐκ ἔστιν = present indicative of εἰμί with negation
– δοῦλος = subject
– μείζων = comparative adjective, “greater”
– τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ = genitive of comparison: “than his master”

The Conditional Pairs: εἰ … καὶ … constructions

Two balanced conditional sentences follow:

First Conditional Statement

εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν

– εἰ = “if”
– ἐδίωξαν = aorist active indicative, 3rd plural of διώκω, “they persecuted”
– διώξουσιν = future active indicative, 3rd plural — “they will persecute”

Type: This is a first-class conditional in structure — the protasis (εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν) is assumed true or presented as fulfilled in past reality. The apodosis (καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν) expresses the natural consequence: what they did to Christ, they will do to His followers.

Second Conditional Statement

εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν

– ἐτήρησαν = aorist active indicative, 3rd plural of τηρέω, “they kept”
– τηρήσουσιν = future active indicative — “they will keep”

Same grammatical structure, but this time expressing positive outcome.

Function of the Coordinating καί

In each conditional pair, καί coordinates the result clause — καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν. It gives syntactic balance and rhetorical symmetry — highlighting the shared experience between Jesus and His disciples.

Verb Tense and Aspect: Past Aorist + Future Predictive

The pattern of a past aorist in the protasis and a future indicative in the apodosis reflects a fulfilled condition leading to prophetic certainty.

Implications of This Syntax

1. Identificational Grammar: Jesus uses grammar to link His followers to Himself. Persecution and reception mirror His own experience.
2. Prophetic Certainty: The future indicative is not mere potential; it has the force of inevitable reality — “they will persecute you.”
3. Dual Response Theme: The structure leaves room for two types of hearers: rejecters and keepers. It captures the divided response to the gospel in clear, parallel syntax.

Echoes Elsewhere

John 13:16

οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ — The exact saying Jesus recalls in 15:20.

John 7:7

ἐμὲ μισεῖ ὅτι ἐγὼ μαρτυρῶ περὶ αὐτοῦ — The world’s hatred of Jesus sets the tone for how they will treat those who bear His words.

A Conditional Mirror of Christ

In John 15:20, Jesus uses elegantly balanced conditional syntax to reveal the future treatment of His disciples. The grammatical structure — past reality + future consequence — mirrors the shared fate of Master and servant. This is not abstract prediction but linguistic solidarity: the disciple’s grammar is the grammar of the cross.

The future is embedded in the past — and the syntax of persecution is the syntax of promise.