Charles Ellicott Commentary John 18:20

"Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world; I ever taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and in secret spake I nothing." — John 18:20 (ASV)

I spoke openly to the world.—He does not distinctly answer the question about His disciples, but His words imply that all may have been His disciples. The pronoun is strongly emphatic. His words mean, “I am one who spoke plainly and to all people.” “My followers have not been initiated into secret mysteries, nor made conspirators in any political organization.” “I have not been a leader, and they have not been members, of a party.”

I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where the Jews always resort.—The better reading omits the article before “synagogue,” as in John 6:59, and reads for the last clause, where all the Jews resort. “In synagogue” is an adverbial phrase, as we say “in church.” His constant custom was to teach “in synagogue,” and in Jerusalem He taught in the temple itself, which was the resort of all the leaders of the people. This refers to His general custom and, of course, does not exclude His teaching in other places.

The point is that during His public ministry, He was constantly in the habit of teaching under the authority of the officers of the synagogues and the temple. That was the answer as to what His doctrine had been.

And in secret I have said nothing.—His private teaching of the disciples is, of course, not excluded, but that was only the exposition of His public doctrine. There was nothing in it such as they understood by “secret teaching.” It was unlike the leaven of the Pharisees which was hypocrisy; for in it there was nothing covered, nothing hid .