The argument of this thesis may be stated briefly. It is concerned with the text of Jn 14:2–3. We find this text at the centre of the farewell discourses in the fourth gospel (13:1–17:26). The text describes the redemptive work of Christ in terms which pertain to the family and its intimate personal relationships. But it is our contention that here there are also temple implications which are significant for a correct understanding of the text. In our view this text states