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John 17:8
ESV For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
NIV For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
NASB for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
CSB because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.
NLT for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
KJV For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

What does John 17:8 mean?

This echoes Jesus' earlier statements: that part of His mission was to pass along the message of God the Father (John 8:28; 12:49). As He prays for the disciples, in particular, He refers to their faith.

Jesus' closest followers were far from perfect. He spent quite a bit of time correcting—even rebuking—when they struggled to understand His lessons (Matthew 8:26). Sometimes, those mistakes were a matter of misinterpreting the Old Testament, or the law of Moses (Luke 24:25–26). In other instances, pride and overconfidence tripped them up (Mark 8:33). Despite those errors, the men Jesus selected to become "the Twelve" (Matthew 10:1–4) held sincere, legitimate faith in Him and His message (John 6:68–69). That has always been the one and only requirement to be a "true believer." Perfection is not required—only humble, submissive faith.

Of course, one of the men Jesus placed in His inner circle chose betrayal and damnation, instead. Judas' treachery wasn't a surprise to Christ (John 6:64), and it's something still on His mind even as He prays for those who remained loyal (John 17:12).
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