John 16:4 (DRB)

Passage

But these things I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them.

Nearby Context

John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God.

John 16:3 And these things will they do to you; because they have not known the Father nor me.

John 16:4 But these things I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them.

John 16:5 But I told you not these things from the beginning, because I was with you. And now I go to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me: Whither goest thou?

John 16:6 But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "things", "told", "hour", "shall", "come", and "remember". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "things" and "told", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And these things will they do to..." into verse 5's "But I told you not these things...", so "things" and "told" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "things" and "told" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.