Misinterpretations often restrict this verse to the apostles alone, ignoring its explicit reach to future generations of believers and thus undermining the prayer's universal scope for the church; others misuse it to promote superficial ecumenical unity that disregards essential doctrinal agreement rooted in apostolic truth, or claim it guarantees salvation for all who hear the gospel without personal faith.
John 17:20
King James Version (1769)
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
In John 17:20, Jesus extends his high priestly prayer beyond his immediate disciples to encompass all future believers who will come to faith through their testimony, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the Christian community across time and laying the foundation for his desire for profound unity among believers that mirrors the oneness of the Father and the Son.