ἔχητε (echete) in John 20:31: Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive

Verb: the form names an action, state, or verbal idea. The verse determines how strongly the verbal form should be pressed.

Present: tense and aspect describe how the action is presented in this form, but context decides the exact force.

Active: voice describes how the subject relates to the verbal action in this form.

Subjunctive: the form's mood helps explain how the verbal idea functions in the clause.

Second Person: the form marks who is involved in the verbal assertion, command, or clause.

Not applicable: this verb form is not using noun case to mark its sentence role.

Plural: the form is marked for grammatical number and should be tied to the subject or clause it serves.

Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.

John's purpose statement about having life in Jesus' name

The purpose clause in John 20:31

ἔχητε is a Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive within "Θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.". The present active subjunctive appears in the purpose clause about having life.

The subjunctive does not make life uncertain. In this purpose statement, it names the intended outcome.

High: The form matters because it functions as purpose-result in John 20:31.

Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive. states the purpose outcome of believing. Attached to John's purpose statement about having life in Jesus' name. Governed by the purpose clause in John 20:31. The syntax should be explained from the clause, not isolated from the passage.

What outcome does John name for those who believe? The subjunctive in the purpose clause says they may have life in Jesus' name.

Direct: The form directly supports may have life.

The same morphology label can function differently in another verse. The immediate wording should decide the contextual force. Grammar identifies the form's role; the passage supplies the interpretive weight. Grammatical gender is not a separate theological claim.

Grammar alone proves doctrine: The form supports interpretation only as it serves the verse and its context. form label replaces context: Do not read subjunctive mood as uncertainty here. The clause states the Gospel's intended purpose. grammatical gender proves theology: Grammatical gender is a language feature and should not be pressed beyond the verse.

The Textus Receptus witness for John 20:31 reads ἔχητε with the morphology label Verb Second Person Plural Present Active Subjunctive.

The lemma is ἔχω. The guide uses the gloss "I have, hold, possess" only to orient this occurrence.

ἔχητε appears in the phrase "Θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.". The present active subjunctive appears in the purpose clause about having life.

John 20:31 says these signs are written so readers may believe and have life in Jesus' name.

The form fits John's stated Gospel purpose: belief in Jesus leading to life in his name.

When teaching John 20:31, use the subjunctive to show the purpose outcome without weakening the promise.

The subjunctive does not make life uncertain. In this purpose statement, it names the intended outcome.