,,an ,,illustrated ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,st4 ,,john4 ,,for ,,family ,,use ,,and ,,reference1 ,,and ,,for ,,the ,,great ,,body ,,of ,,christian ,,workers ,,of ,,all ,,denominations4 ,,by ,,lyman ,,abbott1 ,d4,d41 ,,author ,,of ,a ,,series ,,of ,,commentaries ,,on ,,the ,,new ,,testament4 ,a4 ,s4 ,,barnes ,,company1 ,,new ,,york1 ,,chicago1 ,,and ,,new ,,orleans4 #ahgi4 ,,by ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,this ,,work4 ,a ,,popular ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,new ,,testament2 ,,with ,,maps1 ,,illustrations1 ,,an ,,introduction ,,to ,,the ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament1 ,a ,,condensed ,,life ,,of ,,christ ,,and ,a ,,tabular ,,harmony ,,of ,,the ,,gospels1 ,,chronological ,,table ,,and ,,gazetteer4 ,,in ,,two ,,sizes4 ,,first ,,series4 ,,four ,,volumes4 ,,large #hvo4 ,very sumptuously printed and bound1 on toned paper with wide margin4 ,volume ,i4 ,,matthew ,,and ,,mark4 8 ,,ii4 ,,luke ,,and ,,john4 7,,the ,,remaining ,,volumes ,,of ,,this ,,series ,,in ,,preparation47 ,,second ,,series4 ,,eight ,,volumes4 #hvo4 ,a handy edition for ,christian workers4 ,volume ,i4 ,,matthew4 8 ,,ii4 ,,mark ,,and ,,luke4 8 ,,iii4 ,,john4 8 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,acts ,,of ,,the ,,apostles4 7,,the ,,remaining ,,volumes ,,of ,,this ,,series ,,in ,,preparation47 ,for ,sale by ,subscription4 ,persons owning any volume of either ,series may obtain the other volumes by addressing the ,publishers4 ,copyright1 #ahgi1 by ,a4 ,s4 ,barnes ,co4 ,,to ,,jacob ,,abbott1 ,,whose ,,writings ,,have ,,interpreted ,,the ,,gospel ,,to ,,innumerable ,,readers2 ,,whose ,,life ,,has ,,even ,,more ,,illustriously ,,manifested ,,its ,,spirit ,,to ,,all ,,who ,,have ,,known ,,him2 ,,and ,,who1 ,,both ,,by ,,example ,,and ,,precept1 ,,has ,,taught ,,his ,,children ,,to ,,value ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,christ ,,above ,,all ,,forms1 ,,and ,,christ ,,himself ,,above ,,all ,,creeds1 ,,this ,,exposition ,,of ,,the ,,gospel ,,is ,,affectionately ,,and ,,reverently ,,dedicated ,,by ,,his ,,son4 ,,preface ,,to ,,all ,,the ,,volumes ,,of ,,this ,,series ,,of ,,commentaries4 ,the object of this ,commentary is to aid in their ,christian work those who are endeavoring to promote the knowledge of the principles which ,jesus ,christ came to propound and establish--clergymen1 ,christian parents1 ,sunday-,school teachers1 ,bible-women1 lay-preachers4 ,intended for ,christian workers1 it aims to give the results rather than the processes of scholarship1 the conclusions rather than the controversies of scholars2 intended for laymen as well as for clergymen1 it accompanies the ,english version of the ,new ,testament1 in all references to the original ,greek gives the ,english equivalent1 and translates all quotations from the ,french1 ,german1 ,latin and ,greek authors4 ,the introduction to ,volume ,i contains a statement of those principles of interpretation which appear to me to be essential to the correct understanding of the ,word of ,god4 ,this ,commentary is the result of a conscientious endeavor to apply those principles to the elucidation of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is founded on a careful examination of the latest and best text2 such variations as are of practical or doctrinal importance are indicated in the notes4 ,it is founded on the original ,greek2 wherever that is inadequately rendered in our ,english version1 a new translation is afforded by the notes4 ,the general purpose of the writer or speaker1 and the general scope of the incident or teaching1 is indicated in a ,preliminary ,note to the passage1 or in an analysis1 a paraphrase1 or a general summary at the close4 ,special topics are treated in preliminary or supplementary notes4 ,the results of recent researches in ,biblical archology have been embodied1 so as to make the ,commentary serve in part the purpose of a ,bible ,dictionary4 ,a free use is made of illustrations1 from antiques1 photographs1 original drawings1 and other trustworthy sources4 ,they are never employed for mere ornament1 but always to aid in depicting the life of ,palestine1 which remains in many respects substantially unchanged by the lapse of time4 ,since the ,commentary is prepared1 not for devotional reading1 but for practical workers1 little space has been devoted to hortatory remarks or practical or spiritual reflections4 ,but ,i have uniformly sought to interpret the letter by the spirit1 and to suggest rather than to supply moral and spiritual reflections1 a paragraph of hints is affixed to each section or topic1 embodying what appears to me to be the essential religious lessons of the incident or the teaching2 sometimes a note is appended elucidating them more fully4 ,the best thoughts of the best thinkers1 both exegetical and homiletical1 are freely quoted1 especially such as are not likely to be accessible to most ,american readers2 in all such cases the thought is credited to the author4 ,parallel and contrasted passages of ,scripture are brought together in the notes2 in addition1 full ,scripture references are appended to the text4 ,these are taken substantially from ,bagster's large edition of the ,english version of the ,polyglot ,bible1 but they have been carefully examined and verified in preparing for the press1 and some modifications have been made4 ,for the convenience of that large class of ,christian workers who are limited in their means1 ,i have endeavored to make this ,commentary1 as far as practicable1 a complete apparatus for the study of the ,new ,testament4 ,when finished it will be fully furnished with maps2--there are four in this volume2 a ,gazetteer gives a condensed account of all the principal places in ,palestine1 mentioned in our ,lord's life2 and an introduction traces the history of the ,new ,testament from the days of ,christ to the present1 giving some account of the evidence and nature of inspiration1 the growth of the canon1 the character and history of the manuscripts1 the ,english version1 the nature of the ,gospels and their relation to each other1 a brief life of ,christ1 and a complete tabular harmony of the four ,gospels4 ,the want of all who use the ,bible in ,christian work is the same4 ,the wish is often for a demonstration that the ,scripture sustains the reader's peculiar theological tenets1 but the want is always for a clearer and better knowledge of ,scripture teaching1 whether it sanctions or overturns previous opinions4 ,i am not conscious that this work is written in the interest of any theological or ecclesiastical system4 ,in those cases in which the best scholars are disagreed in their interpretation1 the different views and the reasons which lead me to my own conclusions have been given1 ,i trust1 in no controversial spirit4 ,for the sole object of this work is to ascertain and make clear the meaning of the ,word of ,god1 irrespective of systems1 whether ecclesiastical or doctrinal4 ,no work is more delightful than that which throws us into fellowship with great minds2 of all work the most delightful is that which brings us into association with the mind of ,god4 ,this is the fellowship to which the student of the ,bible aspires4 ,i can have for those who use this work no higher hope than that they may find in its employment some of the happiness which ,i have found in its preparation1 and that it may serve them as it has served me1 as a guide to the ,word of ,god1 and through that ,word to a better acquaintance with ,god himself4 ,,cornwall-,,on-,,hudson1 ,may1 #ahge4 ,,lyman ,,abbott4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,john4 ,,page ,,introduction #c ,,supplementary ,,notes-- ,,on ,,the ,,introduction ,,to ,,john',s ,,gospel #ac ,,the ,,incarnation #ba ,,the ,,lamb ,,of ,,god #bd ,,christ',s ,,example ,,in ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,wine #cb ,,christ ,,as ,a ,,conversationalist #eh ,,christ',s ,,discourse ,,on ,,the ,,bread ,,of ,,life #hc ,,the ,,woman ,,taken ,,in ,,adultery #aje ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,sheepfold #abe ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,lazarus #ace1 #ade ,,the ,,anointing ,,of ,,jesus #aej ,,the ,,lord',s ,,supper #afb ,,christ',s ,,last ,,discourse ,,with ,,his ,,disciples #aga ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,vine #ahe ,,christ',s ,,intercessory ,,prayer #bja ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,pontius ,,pilate #bba ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,john',s ,,gospel #bdj ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,most of the engravings in this volume have been drawn and engraved expressly for this work2 some from original sketches by ,mr4 ,a4 ,l4 ,rawson1 others from careful study from the best accessible authorities1 by ,mr4 ,r4 ,f4 ,zogbaum4 ,,page ,,cana ,,of ,,galilee #bi ,,an ,,oriental ,,wedding #bi ,,water-,,pots ,,and ,,ewers #ca ,,substructures ,,of ,,the ,,temple #cd ,,plan ,,and ,,section ,,of ,,the ,,temple #cf ,,the ,,expulsion ,,of ,,the ,,traders #cf ,,eastern ,,money-,,changer #cg ,a ,,modern ,,jewish ,,rabbi #da ,,traditional ,,site ,,of ,,enon #dh ,,jacob',s ,,well #eb ,,jesus ,,at ,,the ,,well #ed ,,samaritan ,,remains ,,in ,,gerizim #fj ,,church ,,over ,,the ,,pool ,,of ,,bethesda #fc ,,bethsaida #gg ,,tiberias #he ,,booth ,,on ,,the ,,housetop #if ,,officers ,,of ,,the ,,chief ,,priest #ajd ,,the ,,mount ,,of ,,olives #ajg ,,the ,,woman ,,and ,,her ,,accusers #ajh ,,an ,,eastern ,,sheepfold #abf ,,fell ,,at ,,his ,,feet #adb ,,resurrection ,,of ,,lazarus #adf ,,bethany #aea ,,anointing ,,of ,,the ,,feet #aeb ,,ancient ,,money-,,bag #aec ,,washing ,,of ,,feet #afc ,,dipping ,,the ,,sop #afh ,,torches #bab ,,ancient ,,fire ,,utensils #bad ,,denials ,,of ,,peter #bae ,,jesus ,,before ,,pilate #bag ,,roman ,,judgment-,,seat #bba ,,he ,,girt ,,his ,,fisher',s ,,coat ,,unto ,,him #bce ,,ancient ,,bread #bcf ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,john4 ,,introduction4 ,from the beginning of the third century to near the close of the seventeenth1 the ,fourth ,gospel was by a common and substantially a unanimous consent attributed to the ,apostle ,john4 ,this authorship was then questioned1 at first by an ,english critic by the name of ,evanson4 ,the discussion was soon transferred to ,germany1 where it waxed warm1 and whence it was again transferred to ,england and this country4#a ,it may now be regarded as the most hotly contested question in biblical criticism4 ,the controversy has been intensified by prejudices and feeling on both sides4 ,it is indeed impossible to discuss it with cool indifference1 as a mere matter of curious literary interest4 ,if this ,gospel was written by the ,apostle ,john1 we have the testimony of an undoubted eye-witness--not his conclusions but his account of facts in respect to which he could not well be deceived--certainly not1 unless we are prepared to believe that ,jesus was himself a deliberate deceiver2 testimony of an eye-witness whose honesty not even the most resolute skepticism would or could well call in question4 ,this testimony would establish beyond question such facts as the miraculous feeding of the five thousand1 the healing of the man born blind1 the resurrection of ,lazarus1 and the death and resurrection of ,jesus himself4 ,in other words1 it would establish beyond the possibility of reasonable question1 the truth of historical ,christianity4 ,accordingly1 ,renan1 who to a certain extent accepts the authenticity of the ,fourth ,gospel1 is compelled to maintain that the pretended resurrection of ,lazarus was a pious fraud to which ,jesus lent himself because it was necessary to the success of his mission1 and because his growing religious enthusiasm justified to his conscience this means1 for the sake of the end to be accomplished by it4 ,moreover1 we have in this ,gospel a report of words of ,jesus1 which leave to us no alternative but to accept him as in a peculiar sense the ,son of ,god1 or to regard him either as a religious impostor or a religious enthusiast4 ,the synoptics leave some opportunity for discussion as to the place which ,jesus assumed to fill4 ,the ,fourth ,gospel does not4 ,thus the question of the authorship of this ,gospel is not merely a question in literary criticism1 but even more one respecting the nature of ,christianity4 ,accordingly we find1 on the one hand1 the advocates of its apostolic authorship more or less resting their belief upon the inherent beauty of the book1 and the opponents more or less declaring the true ground of their opposition to it1 viz41 that it presents what they call a mythological view of ,jesus1 and a dogmatic view of his teachings2 in other words1 that it presents ,jesus distinctively as the incarnate ,son of ,god1 and represents the central truth in his teaching to have been the necessity of faith in him4 ,both these aspects of truth are indeed presented in the other ,gospels1 but not with the same clearness1 nor with the same prominence1 as in the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,hence the latter is assailed with peculiar vigor by the opponents of evangelical ,christianity1 and is1 for the same reason1 maintained with equal vigor by evangelical believers4 ,it does not come within the province of this work to enter into the details of this controversy4 ,to give the arguments1 pro and con1 would require a treatise1 and for a consideration of them the reader is of necessity referred to the various works which have been written on this subject4 ,the student will find the most vigorous assault on the authenticity of the ,fourth ,gospel in the second volume of 8,supernatural ,religion10 which1 however1 must be read with considerable allowance for a scholarship evidently warped by determined prejudices1 and which is certainly one-sided1 if not absolutely false in many particulars4 ,among the many defences of the authenticity of the ,gospel1 ,i have found nothing more comprehensive or satisfactory than that contained in the first volume of ,godet's ,commentary on ,john4 ,with this1 however1 may be advantageously compared ,luthardt's 8,st4 ,john1 the ,author of the ,fourth ,gospel10 ,prof4 ,fisher's 8,supernatural ,origin of ,christianity10 and the introductions to the commentaries1 especially those of ,luthardt1 ,lange1 ,alford1 ,meyer and ,tholuck4 ,here ,i propose merely to set before the reader briefly a compact statement of the more important facts in the case1 confining myself mainly to those that are undisputed--facts which led the world for fifteen centuries to attribute the ,fourth ,gospel to ,john without a doubt1 and which on a more careful examination have led the great majority of scholars to adhere to that conclusion4 ,the ,apostle ,john4 ,the ,apostle ,john was probably a native1 certainly a resident1 of ,galilee4 ,his mother1 ,salome1#b early became a follower of ,jesus4 ,she was probably one of the women of ,galilee who accompanied him on his missionary tours1 and ministered to him of their substance4#c ,she was with him on his last journey to ,jerusalem1 and during the passion week1 and was one of those women who were last at the cross and first at the sepulchre4#d ,like the other followers of ,jesus1 she anticipated the establishment of a temporal kingdom1 was ambitious for her sons ,james and ,john1 and made an application for special favors for them when the kingdom should be established4 ,from a comparison of ,matt4 #bg3ef with ,john #ai3be1 it would appear that she was own sister to the ,virgin ,mary1 in which case ,john was own cousin to ,jesus4 ,this opinion is not accepted by all critics1 but ,i believe it to be the correct one4 ,see note on ,john #ai3be4 ,john's father1 ,zebedee1 was a well-to-do fisherman on the shores of the sea of ,galilee4 ,of him we know very little4 ,he was sufficiently prosperous to own several boats and to hire men to work for him4 ,tradition makes him of noble birth2 and this tradition is perhaps confirmed by the fact that ,john had some acquaintance with the high-priest4 ,john has been characterized by those critics who wish to make out that his character is inconsistent with the idea of his authorship of the ,fourth ,gospel1 as ignorant and unlettered1 on the authority of ,acts #d3ac1 and as a vehement and bigoted ,jew on the authority of ,galatians1 chap4 ,,ii1 and of the peculiar ,hebraic tone of the ,book of ,revelation4 ,both characterizations are quite gratuitous assumptions4 ,in connection with every ,jewish synagogue was a parochial school1 in which the pupils were taught reading1 writing1 and the rudiments of such natural sciences as were then in existence4 ,the ,jewish children of the common people were far better educated than those of ,greece or ,rome4 ,there is every reason to believe that ,john received this common education of the age and community in which he lived1 and there is absolutely no reason whatever to suppose the contrary4 ,it was only by the ,pharisees that ,john was considered as ignorant and unlettered1 and they affixed the same stigma upon ,jesus himself4#e ,to the ,pharisees the only learning worth the name was learning in the traditional lore of the church4 ,of this the ,galilean fisherman was ignorant4 ,in the eyes of a ,pharisee of ,jerusalem1 ,plato himself would have been ignorant and unlearned4 ,as little reason is there to believe that ,john was a vehement and bigoted ,jew4 ,there is not the slightest evidence that ,john was among the ,judaizing ,christians to whom ,paul so frequently refers1 and whom throughout his life he combated4 ,with one exception1 ,judas ,iscariot1 all the twelve were taken from ,galilee4 ,this province of ,palestine was innocent of that formalism and narrowness which characterized the southern province of ,judea4 ,the people had lived in amicable relations with their heathen neighbors1 and had intermarried with them ever since the days of the treaty of amity between ,solomon and the ,king of ,tyre4#f ,the line of commerce between ,damascus and the ,mediterranean lay directly across this province4 ,mineral springs of real or fancied value near the southern coast of the ,sea of ,gennesaret made it the summer resort of the wealthy ,romans of the entire land4 ,thus history and location1 commerce and social relations1 combined to make the inhabitants of ,galilee indifferent to the rigid formalism of the ,judeans1 and comparatively free from their narrow race and religious prejudices4 ,indeed1 the two assertions that ,john was ignorant and unlearned1 and at the same time a narrow and bigoted ,jew1 contradict each other4 ,jewish bigotry and reverence for the traditional lore of the ,jewish church always went together4 ,the important facts in the history of ,john1 so far as known1 are few and soon told4 ,john the ,baptist was second cousin of ,jesus1 and ,john the ,apostle was probably1 as we have seen1 his own cousin4 ,the two ,johns were1 therefore1 probably acquainted4 ,at all events1 when the ,baptist began preaching the gospel of repentance for the remission of sins1 the ,apostle was among his disciples2 and when the ,baptist pointed out ,jesus as the one whom ,god had indicated to him as the promised ,messiah1 ,john was among the first to leave the old teacher to follow the new one4 ,this was1 however1 a temporary following only4 ,we next meet him fishing with his father at the ,sea of ,galilee1 where ,jesus finds him and his brother1 and calls them to become permanent followers of him4 ,this summons1 without hesitation or delay1 they obey4 ,from this time onward ,john is the constant companion of ,jesus4 ,with ,peter and ,james he belongs to an inner circle of friends3 the three are selected to be the sole witnesses of the resurrection of ,jairus's daughter2 they alone go up into the ,mount of ,transfiguration1 and witness his glory there2 they alone accompany him to the ,garden of ,gethsemane1 and are invited to be the sharers of his sorrow there2 when the arrest takes place1 and all the disciples forsake their ,master and flee1 ,john and ,peter turn back and follow him to the scene of his trial1 and the former1 with a courage for which few critics give him credit1 goes without concealment1 as a disciple1 openly1 into the house of ,caiaphas1 follows the ,master to the trial before ,pilate1 and when the sentence of crucifixion is pronounced1 accompanies the procession to the place of execution1 to remain by the cross till all is over4 ,when the news of the resurrection is brought to the disciples1 he and ,peter are the first to reach the sepulchre4 ,in the subsequent history of the ,church1 as recorded in the book of ,acts1 he does not take a prominent part4 ,to him was committed the care of ,mary1 the mother of ,jesus1 and probably this sacred charge prevented him from quitting ,palestine while she lived4#g ,for the subsequent history of ,john we are dependent on tradition4 ,this is1 however1 in his case1 less uncertain than in many other cases4 ,as ,christianity spread over the heathen world1 ,jerusalem ceased to be the centre of ,christian operations2 but1 while the ,roman ,empire continued pagan and persecuting1 ,rome could not take the place of ,jerusalem1 as subsequently it did4 ,hence1 for the first century1 ,asia ,minor was the great field of missionary work1 and ,ephesus1 which was the scene of ,paul's greatest triumphs and most successful labors1#h became the centre of the ,christian church4 ,here ,john became settled in his later life4 ,from this point he seems to have exercised an apostolic supervision over the churches of all ,asia ,minor4 ,the few traditional stories of his old age accord with what the ,gospels indicate of his character4 ,when he could no longer preach1 it is said that he was accustomed to be carried into the church1 and to repeat from the pulpit as the sum and substance of ,christian doctrine1 8,little children1 love one another60 ,he was banished to the island of ,patmos1 where1 according to the book of ,revelation1 he witnessed the vision therein recorded4 ,he subsequently returned to ,ephesus1 where it is probable he died at an extremely advanced age--not much1 if any1 less than a hundred years old4 ,the character of ,john has been strangely misconceived4 ,he is with reason identified with the unnamed 8disciple whom ,jesus loved10 and who at the ,last ,supper rested his head on ,jesus' bosom2 the ,epistles attributed to him breathe a spirit of love2 the ,gospel attributed to him is of all the ,gospels the most spiritual in its tone4 ,from these premises1 the character of ,john has been constructed2 it has been supposed that he was by nature peculiarly tender1 gentle1 loving1 and spiritually-minded2 that his was a woman's character4 ,he is so portrayed in art1 and to some extent in literature2 and the special friendship which ,christ has been supposed to have entertained for him is attributed to a character by nature peculiarly loveable4 ,there are1 however1 other considerations which any such view totally ignores4 ,james and ,john were by ,jesus called ,boanerges1 8the sons of thunder20 it was ,john who prohibited a strange disciple from casting out devils in ,jesus' name1 because he followed not the ,twelve2 it was ,john who desired to call down fire from ,heaven upon the ,samaritan village which refused to entertain his ,master2 it was ,james and ,john who1 with their mother1 applied secretly to ,jesus for the highest offices for themselves in his anticipated kingdom2 it was ,john who followed ,jesus into the courtyard of the high-priest1 when all the other disciples forsook him and fled2 ,john who stood with the ,galilean women near the cross at the time of the crucifixion2 ,john who with ,peter defied the edict of the ,sanhedrim after the death of ,jesus1 prohibiting them from teaching or speaking in his name4#i ,these are not the acts of one whose nature was characteristically timid1 gentle1 or spiritually-minded4 ,by nature ,john was ardent1 courageous1 impetuous1 and not more broad-minded or spiritually-minded than his co-disciples4 ,indications of these traits are not wanting1 as we shall presently see1 in the ,gospel and the ,epistles which bear his name4 ,but he was of all the ,twelve the most receptive4 ,when ,christ foretold his passion1 ,peter remonstrated with him4 ,when ,jesus spoke of the heavenly mansions and of his departure to prepare a place therein for his disciples1 ,thomas expressed his doubt and his perplexity by the question1 8,we know not whither thou goest1 and how can we know the way80 ,when ,jesus pointed to himself as the manifestation of the ,father1 ,philip1 dissatisfied1 asked for a direct revelation of the ,father4 ,when ,jesus promised to his disciples a spiritual manifestation of himself1 ,judas 7not ,iscariot71 after the manner of modern theology1 desired to have that manifestation explained to him before he could accept the truth4 ,when ,jesus rebuked ,judas ,iscariot for complaining of ,mary's act in anointing her ,lord1 ,judas was angered4#aj ,but we look in vain in the ,gospels for any instance in which ,john expressed any rebuke of ,christ1 or any opposition to him1 or any doubt of his teaching1 or demanded any other evidence of its truth than the simple word of his ,lord4 ,of all the disciples the most receptive1 he was the one whose character underwent the greatest and most radical change4 ,the ,john that we know is the ,john transformed by the renewing influence of the spirit of ,christ2 he is the ,john that is a new creature in ,christ ,jesus4 ,he was1 ,i believe1 the beloved disciple1 because he was the one in whom the love of ,christ had the freest course and wrought the fullest and the largest results4 ,this simple fact must be borne in mind in considering the question of the internal evidences for and against the ,johannine authorship of the ,gospel4 ,the external evidence4 ,those who expect to find a demonstration of the ,johannine authorship of the ,fourth ,gospel in the external evidences1 will be disappointed4 ,the literature of the first three centuries does not afford a demonstration of authorship of any ancient book4 ,but the authorship of ,john's ,gospel ,i believe to be as well established1 on a fair consideration of all the evidence1 external and internal1 as that of any work of the same era4 ,it is not questioned by any one that at the beginning of the third century the ,fourth ,gospel was in general use in the churches1 and universally recognized as written by the ,apostle ,john4 ,eusebius1 ,origen1 ,tertullian1 ,clement of ,alexandria1 are among those who bear testimony to this fact4 ,the ,fourth ,gospel is recognized as ,john's composition in the canon of ,muratori1 ,a4 ,d4 #age2 and by ,irenus1 who died about #bjb1 and who was a pupil of ,polycarp1 himself a pupil of ,john4 ,references to sayings of ,jesus reported only by ,john are also found in the writings of ,tatian1 ,a4 ,d4 #agj1 ,justin ,martyr1 ,a4 ,d4 #abj-afj1 and the various ,gnostic writers of the second century4 ,these references do not conclusively prove the ,johannine authorship of the ,fourth ,gospel1 for these earliest writers are not accustomed to give the names of authors from whom they quote2 but they do conclusively prove that as early as the first part of the second century1 sayings of ,christ1 found only in the ,fourth ,gospel1 were attributed by the ,church to ,jesus4 ,the best report of these quotations which ,i have seen is to be found in the second volume of 8,supernatural ,religion10 and they are there the more effective because the author in vain endeavors to break their force1 by what most readers will consider an ingenious but ineffective special pleading4 ,let the reader compare these quotations with the parallel passages in the ,fourth ,gospel2 he will not doubt that the later writers borrowed from the earlier one4 ,the only alternative is the irrational hypothesis that both borrowed from the same source and one generally recognized in the primitive ,church2 in other words1 that there was a ,gospel containing the same matter that is now found in the ,fourth ,gospel1 but that it has so entirely disappeared that no tradition even of its existence has survived1 and that in its place a forgery has been palmed off upon the ,church so successfully1 that in the beginning of the third century it was universally accepted as the original work of the ,apostle whose name it has ever since borne4 ,space does not allow me to give in detail these quotations1 which are numerous2 it would be still more out of the province of this introduction to enter into the arguments by which the rationalistic writers endeavor to reconcile these quotations with their hypotheses4 ,i can but briefly indicate a few of them1 referring the student to the larger works for the examination in detail of the parallelism between these early ecclesiastical writers and the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,justin ,martyr thus refers to the testimony of ,john the ,baptist3 8,i am not the ,christ 444 for he cometh who is stronger than ,i1 whose shoes ,i am not meet to bear0 7comp4 ,john #a3ai-bg74 ,he cites ,christ as saying1 8,unless ye be born again1 ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven10 and adds the comment1 8,now that it is impossible for those who have been born to go into the matrices of the mother is evident to all0 7comp4 ,john #c3c-e74 ,tatian refers to the sayings1 8,the darkness comprehends not the light0 7comp4 ,john #a3e71 and 8,all things were by him1 and without him was not anything made0 7comp4 ,john #a3e1 #c74 ,hegessippus 7,a4 ,d4 #abe7 refers to 8that which is spoken in the ,gospels1 #8,that was the true light which lighteth every man who cometh into the world'0 7comp4 ,john #a3i74 ,in the writings of the ,naaseni and ,perat1 ,gnostic sects of the beginning of the second century1 we have several unmistakable references to sayings that are peculiar to the ,fourth ,gospel4 8,i am the door10 7comp4 ,john #aj3g72 8,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son be lifted up10 7comp4 ,john #c3ad72 8,if thou hadst known who it is that asketh thee1 thou wouldest have asked of him1 and he would have given thee living water1 springing up10 7comp4 ,john #d3aj72 8,the ,saviour hath said1 #8,that which is born of flesh is flesh1 and that which is born of the ,spirit is spirit1'0 7comp4 ,john #c3f72 8,except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood1 ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven10 7comp4 ,john #f3ec74 ,these are by no means all the citations from the writers of the first two centuries which appear to have been taken from the ,fourth ,gospel1 but they will suffice to give the reader an idea of the nature of the evidence which is regarded by most ,christian writers1 and by some rationalistic critics--,matthew ,arnold1 for example--as establishing the fact that the ,fourth ,gospel was in existence and recognized as an authority in the ,church in the beginning of the second century4 ,if this is the fact1 it is reasonably certain that it was the work of the ,apostle ,john1 since if it had been written by any one else as early as that date1 that is1 during the lifetime of some of the contemporaries of ,john1 the forgery would certainly have been detected4 ,the internal evidence4 ,the facts indicated above are not questioned by any critic4 ,but though from the beginning of the third century to the close of the eighteenth1 the ,fourth ,gospel was unanimously attributed to the ,apostle ,john1 it is maintained by those critics who deny the ,johannine authorship that a fair consideration of the external evidence now extant1 leaves it uncertain whether the unanimous opinion of the ,church in the first century was correct1 and that the internal evidence1 i4 e41 the character of the ,gospel itself1 when contrasted 7#a7 with the other ,gospels1 7#b7 with the known character of ,john1 7#c7 with the other writings attributed to him1 makes it certain that he was not the author4 ,unquestionably the ,fourth ,gospel presents very different matter and a very different aspect of ,christ's life and character from that presented by the other three ,gospels4 ,the three ,gospels give an impression almost exclusively ,galilean2 the ,fourth ,gospel narrates almost exclusively a ministry in ,judea2 the three ,gospels indicate one which might have been completed in a single year2 the fourth indicates three years as the duration of ,christ's ministry2 the three ,gospels report chiefly ,christ's ethical discourses2 the fourth reports chiefly his doctrinal discourses2 love to men's neighbor is the predominate theme in the three ,gospels2 faith in a divine ,saviour is the predominate theme in the fourth2 the three ,gospels portray the work of ,jesus ,christ2 the fourth portrays his person and character2 the three ,gospels repeat the same incidents and instructions in slightly different language2 the fourth repeats scarcely anything found in the other three2 and when1 as in its account of the feeding of the five thousand1 it does repeat1 the manifest object of the repetition is to introduce a report of a discourse of ,jesus omitted in the other narratives4 ,it is also true that there is a marked difference between the style of ,john's ,gospel and the ,book of ,revelations4 ,this difference is so considerable that it is vigorously maintained that the same author could not have written both books4 8,the difference10 says ,lucke1 8between the language1 way of expression and mode of thought and doctrine of the ,apocalypse and the rest of the ,johannine writings is so comprehensive and intense1 so individual and even so radical2 the affinity and agreement on the contrary either so general1 or in detail so fragmentary and uncertain1 that the ,apostle ,john1 if he really is the author of the ,gospel and of the ,epistles--which we here advance--cannot have composed the ,apocalypse either before or after the ,gospel and the ,epistles40 ,this difference is of two kinds1 a difference both of style and of spirit4 ,the language of the ,apocalypse is comparatively harsh and ,hebraic1 that of the ,gospel a comparatively fine and flowing ,greek4 ,the author of the ,apocalypse1 it is claimed1 is an intense ,jew1 whose imagery is borrowed from the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 and whose object is the exaltation of the ,jewish people2 who narrates the outpoured punishment of ,god on the enemies of ,god's chosen people1 and whose celestial capital of the kingdom without end is the new ,jerusalem4 ,the author of the ,fourth ,gospel1 it is claimed1 could not have been a ,jew or of ,jewish extraction2 he makes no attempt to conceal his enmity of the ,jews2 he stigmatizes them as the enemies of ,christ1 and as the children of the devil2#aa and he writes of them and of their customs as no ,jew would or could have written of the customs of his own people4#ab ,it is not my purpose here to enter upon a discussion of these objections4 ,it must suffice to say that they are founded on a false conception of the character of ,john and a false assumption that what ,john was when he first met ,jesus by the banks of the ,jordan1 that he was after a life-time spent as a disciple1 learning of him and undergoing that transformation of character which has been the peculiar and glorious fruitage of ,christ's husbandry4 ,instead of entering into such a discussion1 ,i shall ask the reader to consider briefly what are some of the more notable characteristics of the ,fourth ,gospel1 and what would be the conclusion as to its authorship from an independent and original examination of its pages4 ,imagine then that we have just discovered this ancient manuscript1 a manuscript which unquestionably dates from the beginning of the third century1 probably from a still earlier period1 and which we have abundant evidence was then unanimously attributed to the ,apostle ,john4 ,we enter upon its examination that we may form for ourselves a judgment who its real author probably was4 ,in this examination there are three characteristics which force themselves upon our attention as predominant3 7#a7 the claims which it presents2 7#b7 its literary character2 7#c7 the indications which it affords as to the personality of its author4 #a4 ,its claims4 ,it assumes to be written by an eye-witness4 ,in his introduction the writer says distinctly of the subject of his biography3 8,we beheld his glory1 the glory as of the only-begotten of the ,father40 ,in the ,epistle attributed to him1 he reiterates this statement even more explicitly4 8,that which was from the beginning1 which we have heard1 which we have seen with our eyes1 which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life 444 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you40 ,in his account of the crucifixion he emphasizes the fact that he is an eye-witness of the events described4 8,he that saw it bare record and the record is true2 and he knoweth that he saith true that ye might believe40 ,and yet again in the closing chapter1 generally regarded as written subsequent to the rest of the volume1 and as supplementary to it1 the writer is identified with the unnamed beloved disciple4 8,this is the disciple who testified of these things and wrote these things1 and we know that his testimony is true40#ac ,in reading the book we constantly come upon indications that the work is by an eye-witness or by one who writes in order to give that impression4 ,no one of the ,evangelist's narratives more abounds with graphic touches1 slight but significant1 such as indicate the vivid remembrance of one who was not only an eye and ear witness1 but also one who treasures up in a remarkably retentive memory incidents which mere tradition would not have preserved4 ,john the ,baptist 8looks upon ,jesus10 and points him out to his disciples1 by his peculiar gaze2 ,jesus 8turns0 and sees them follow2 wearied with the journey he sits 8thus on the well20 there is 8much grass0 where he feeds the five thousand2 when ,mary anointed ,jesus the 8house was filled with the odor of the ointment20 when ,judas went out to complete the betrayal 8it was night20 the night 8was cold10 and ,peter stands with the servant of the high-priest warming himself at a fire of coals in the court-yard4#ad ,these may serve as illustrations4 ,examples the reader will find in great abundance1 and references to them in the notes4 ,of all the ,gospels1 the ,fourth ,gospel is the one which reports most fully the private conferences between ,jesus and the ,twelve1 and the only one which reports his 8asides0 and his personal feelings in explanation of his public acts4#ae ,these features in the narrative do not prove that it was written by an eye-witness1 but they indicate that it was written either by an eye-witness1 or by one who desired to produce that impression2 either by one of the ,twelve or by a deliberate and skilful forger4 #b4 ,its literary character4 ,the differences between this ,gospel and the other three which ,i have already very briefly described1 are very considerable4 ,they have led different minds to very different conclusions respecting the authorship of the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,it is1 however1 safe to say that they are just such as might be expected if the ,fourth ,gospel was written after the other three1 and by some one familiar with them1 or at least with the traditions embodied in them4 ,this ,gospel presents precisely the aspect which would be presented by a book written for the purpose of supplementing the accounts already possessed by the primitive churches1 and of portraying an aspect of character not adequately portrayed by the earlier writers4 ,it presents1 too1 exactly that aspect which would be presented by a narrative written after the rapid growth of the ,church1 and its prophetic incursions into heathenism had given the writer a better conception than his co-disciples possessed of the spiritual character of the new religion4 ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke might perhaps have believed that the privileges of ,christianity were to be confined to ,jews and ,jewish proselytes4 ,though many of ,christ's words which they report indicate a broader scope1 it is by no means clear that they comprehended them4 ,but no one can doubt that the author of ,john's ,gospel1 when he wrote1 believed that the atonement of ,jesus ,christ was for all humanity1 his religion for all classes1 races1 and conditions of mankind4 ,it is the ,fourth ,gospel which tells us that ,he was the true ,light which lighteth every man which cometh into the world1 that ,god so loved the world that he gave his only beloved ,son that whosoever believeth in him should have everlasting life1 and that whosoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out2 it is the ,fourth ,gospel which reports ,christ's interview with the woman of ,samaria and his subsequent preaching to the ,samaritans1 which brings out more clearly than either of the others the grounds of ,christ's practical abrogation of the ,pharisaic law of the ,sabbath1 which dwells more than any other ,gospel on the spiritual aspects of his kingdom and the divine nature of the king4#af ,all this we might expect from one writing after more than half a century of ,catholic ,christianity had interpreted the nature1 mission1 and words of ,christ to his church4 ,let us add that a forger would not have suffered his narrative to stand in such a marked contrast with the previous and recognized narratives already in the possession of the churches4 ,he would have commingled the ethical with the doctrinal1 the human with the divine4 ,he would have repeated in a modified form some of the incidents and teachings already reported by the other ,evangelists1 that he might thus give a color of authenticity to his narrative4 ,the very contrast between the ,fourth ,gospel and the other three1 on which skeptic writers rely to prove its untrustworthiness1 is an indication that it cannot be the work of fraud4 ,if that aspect of ,christ's character and teachings reported by ,john's ,gospel was not recognized by the primitive church as true1 or if the author was not himself known in the age in which the narrative was produced1 and so known that his simple name was a sufficient guarantee of the accuracy of his narrative1 an account so dissimilar from those already in the possession of the churches would have received little credit and no general1 certainly no universal1 acceptance4 #c4 ,indications of authorship4 ,a further examination of this ,gospel gives a definite impression respecting the character of the author4 ,he is evidently thoroughly familiar with ,jewish manners and customs4 ,he knows whereof he writes4 ,he has lived in the country and mingled with the people4 ,his knowledge is not that of a student of books1 nor that of a mere casual traveler4 ,but he writes for those who are not familiar with ,palestine or its social life4 ,he inserts parenthetical explications of ,jewish customs4 ,he explains to his ,gentile readers the use of the firkins of water at the wedding-feast 8for purifying after the manner of the ,jews20 the wrapping of the body of ,jesus1 as the manner of the 8,jews is to bury20 the refusal of the ,pharisees to enter ,pilate's hall 8lest they should be defiled40 ,the feast of ,tabernacles is the ,jews' feast of ,tabernacles1 the ,passover is the ,jews' ,passover1 and the ,preparation for it is the ,preparation of the ,jews4#ag ,these references are so incidental as to indicate a writer thoroughly familiar with ,jewish life2 yet they are so marked as to indicate equally clearly a writer whose readers were not ,jews but ,gentiles4 ,the indications are not less clear that the writer1 whoever he may have been1 was not himself a sharer in ,jewish prejudices4 ,jew he may have been2 an intolerant ,jew he certainly was not4 ,he is familiar with the ,pharisees and with the ,pharisaic law1 but he has no sympathy with the one and no admiration for the other4 ,we can hardly be mistaken in thinking that his native prejudices are adverse rather than favorable to the inhabitants of ,judea4 ,more than any of the other ,evangelists his language respecting them indicates his aversion to them4 ,he is the ,evangelist who reports the mobs in ,jerusalem against ,jesus1 and the secret counsels for his assassination1 and the deliberate judgment of ,caiaphas that it is better for the rulers to kill the ,galilean ,rabbi than to hazard their own offices1 and the persistent persecution of ,jesus2 he it is who with delicate sarcasm stigmatizes ,caiaphas as high-priest for 8that same year20 the very language which he employs in describing the religious festivals of ,judea as 8feasts of the ,jews10 indicates an author not in sympathy with the religious formalism of ,judea2 the very phraseology with which he characterizes the reluctance of the ,jews to enter into ,pilate's judgment-hall1 indicates a writer having little sympathy for the formalism which was never a characteristic of the ,galilean ,jews1 and always was a characteristic of the more intense and bigoted ,jews of the ,syrian province of ,judea4#ah ,nor can we be mistaken in surmising that the author was1 by nature and temperament1 ardent1 impulsive1 vehement4 ,the intensity of his nature has been tamed by age1 experience or grace1 or the three combined2 but the indications of his native character crop out in occasional utterances4 ,the records of ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke are absolutely colorless4 ,they are without epithets4 ,their simple and artless narrative is left to produce its own impression4 ,this is less true of the ,fourth ,gospel than of the other three4 ,the intense indignation which the writer feels against ,judas ,iscariot1 he is at no pains to conceal4 ,he it is who reports ,jesus as declaring early in his ministry1 ,one of you is a devil2 he it is who characterizes ,judas ,iscariot as a thief2 he who twice declares that ,satan entered into ,judas ,iscariot4#ai ,these are the most notable exhibitions of his feelings2 but one can hardly read through the entire narrative without realizing in its tone and spirit the evidence that the author was a man of intense and passionate earnestness1 kept under marvelous self-restraint4 ,finally1 it is clear that the author is a man of some native capacity for culture and of large education4 ,he is familiar with the ,greek language and with the ,greco-,oriental philosophy4 ,he writes with a pure and flowing style4 ,his introduction could have been penned only by one who had become habituated to those forms of philosophic thought which some cities of ,greece1 and notably ,ephesus1 had imported from ,alexandria and the further ,east4 ,it could only have been written for readers who were familiar with that philosophy and could best be approached by employing its phraseology4 ,we find then in the direct claims and the incidental allusions of the ,fourth ,gospel indications that it was written by an eye and ear witness1 who was with ,jesus from the commencement to the close of his ministry2 in the broad differences between the ,fourth ,gospel and the other three gospels1 indications that it was written after the others and by one who was familiar with them or with the traditions embodied in them1 and who wrote to supplement their accounts2 in the general catholic and spiritual atmosphere of the book1 indications that it was written after history had begun to interpret the words and work of ,christ1 and to make clearer his transcendent and incomparable character2 and in the style and phraseology of the book1 indications that it was written by one who was familiar with ,jewish customs but not sharing ,jewish prejudices1 who possessed an ardent nature which had been brought under the power of a strong self-control1 and who to a native capacity for culture added that familiarity with ,greek literature and philosophy which only long residence in a thoroughly ,greek society could impart4 ,now1 so far as our limited knowledge enables us to judge1 ,john's life and character remarkably correspond with these indications of the ,gospel which was so long unanimously attributed to his pen4 ,his parents were well-to-do ,galileans1 and he probably received a fair education in his childhood2 his early education as a ,galilean would have given him familiarity with ,jewish customs1 and yet would prejudice him against rather than in favor of the inhabitants of ,judea2 his later and prolonged residence in ,ephesus1 of all ,greek cities the most ,oriental1 would have made him familiar with the best ,greek culture1 and with the mystic philosophy of the ,greco-,oriental school2 that he possessed a vehement nature is evident from his original title of ,son of ,thunder2 his receptive disposition and his intense love for ,jesus might have been expected to tame that nature1 without eradicating from his writings all indications of its existence2 of all the disciples the most courageous and the most sympathetically intimate with the subject of his biography1 he was of them all the one to adhere to ,jesus in his dangerous ministry in ,jerusalem1 and the one therefore to record what all the others have omitted2 he was also the one to interpret ,christ's actions by his own suggestion of ,christ's unuttered thoughts2 writing after the other ,gospels had been written and were already being widely circulated1 his omission of events and teachings which they had recorded is not only explicable1 but natural and to be anticipated2 finally1 writing after the destruction of ,jerusalem1 after the dispersion of the ,jews had begun1 after the descent of the ,holy ,spirit had interpreted the mystical promises of another ,comforter1 after churches had been organized as far west as ,rome in which ,gentile and ,jew met on equal terms1 after1 in a word1 the history of the church had interpreted the prophecies and instructions of its ,lord1 it would have been strange indeed if he had not given a deeper1 truer1 and more catholic exposition of ,christ's ,gospel than could have been written during the first half-century in ,palestine1 by those whose comprehension of ,christ's1 teaching had not been broadened by residence in a foreign land and an observation of ,christ's redeeming work in a pagan community4 ,other hypotheses4 ,the conclusion to which a consideration of the external and internal evidence brings the candid student is confirmed by a consideration of the alternative hypotheses presented to him4 ,these are many in form2 for it is a significant fact that while those who believe in the authenticity of the ,fourth ,gospel are entirely agreed in respect to its authorship1 and the time and place of its composition1 those who disbelieve in its authenticity are not agreed among themselves respecting either4 ,but in general their various opinions may be reduced to two classes4 ,the first is that the ,fourth ,gospel is the work of a ,gentile ,christian writing in the third century4 ,confessedly this ,gospel purports to be written by an eye and ear witness4 ,confessedly it was unanimously attributed to the ,apostle ,john in the third century4 ,confessedly it is without a peer in literature1 ancient or modern1 sacred or secular1 ,christian or pagan1 in the purity of its doctrine1 the moral elevation of its style1 and the spirituality of its atmosphere4 ,this hypothesis asks us to believe that it is the work of a deliberate ecclesiastical forger1 with so little conscience that he neither hesitated to assume the pen of an ,apostle nor to attribute to ,jesus fictitious discourses and imaginary miracles1 yet with so much conscience that he would not put an ,apostle's name to his composition1 but left its authorship to be inferred by a self-deluded public2 written too by a forger who was so skillful that he deceived the whole contemporaneous church1 all sects and sections1 ,jewish and ,gentile1 ,greek1 ,roman1 and ,african1 orthodox and heretic1 and yet who was such a bungler that the gross discrepancies of his account1 contrasted with that of the other three evangelists1 make his fraud palpable to the ecclesiastical and literary critics of the nineteenth century4 ,this hypothesis demands so great an exercise of credulity that sober critics of even the rationalistic school are generally abandoning it1 or have already done so4 ,this opinion may be already characterized as a thing of the past4 ,the other hypothesis is more plausible and captivating4 ,this is that the ,fourth ,gospel was written by an amanuensis or a disciple of the ,apostle ,john1 that its essential facts were derived from him1 that it was written in his old age1 that his recollection was already growing dim and his reports of the words of ,jesus are unconsciously modified by his philosophy and experience1 and that these reports are still further modified by the free pen of the amanuensis or the disciple who perfected the written record2 and it is urged that this hypothesis explains both verbal peculiarities and the title given to it from early ages1 viz41 not the ,gospel of ,john1 but the ,gospel according to ,john4#bj ,in support of this opinion there is quoted an ancient legend found in the canon of ,muratori 7,a4 ,d4 #age71 which runs as follows3 8,the fourth of the ,gospels is by the disciple ,john4 ,he was being pressed by his disciples and 7fellow7 bishops1 and he said1 #8,fast with me this day1 and for three days2 and whatsoever shall have been revealed to each one of us1 let us relate it to the rest4' ,in the same night it was revealed to the ,apostle ,andrew that ,john should write the whole in his name1 and that all the rest should revise it40 ,it must suffice to say of this opinion that in its most pronounced form it is wholly unsustained by evidence4 ,it is ingenious1 but not substantial4 ,doubtless the reports of ,christ's disciples are not verbatim4 ,doubtless we have in many instances the sentiments of ,christ embodied in the words of ,john4 ,possibly some glosses and explanations added originally by an amanuensis or scribe may have become incorporated in the narrative4#ba ,but that the book is in no sense a composite production1 that it is the work of one not of many minds1 that we have essentially the portrayal of the life and character of ,jesus by a single author1 is evident on even a casual perusal1 and still more on a careful analysis of the work4 ,discourses of ,jesus4 ,the ,gospel of ,john abounds with reports of the discourses of ,jesus2 it is more a report of his discourses 77 than of his works 772 the miracles reported are generally only a text for a discourse which follows4 ,the student1 passing from the ,sermon on the ,mount in ,matthew1 or the parables in ,perea1 in ,luke1 to the sermon on the ,bread of life at ,capernaum 7,john1 ch4 #f71 or on the ,good ,shepherd1 at ,jerusalem 7,john1 ch4 #aj71 feels the difference between them1 a difference chiefly in the phraseology employed1 sometimes in the phases of truth taught1 but never amounting to a contradiction in the essential teaching4 ,the same doctrine respecting the authority of ,christ is conveyed by ,matt4 #aa3bg1 and ,john #e3ai-cj2 the same truth as to the nature and necessity of a new and divine life in the soul is expressed in ,mark #d3bf-bi1 and in ,john #f3ej-eh2 similar parallels in essential truth may be found in the synoptics to all that is taught in the ,fourth ,gospel2 but the form of expression is strikingly different4 ,thus1 in the study of the ,fourth ,gospel1 the question is constantly pressed upon the student1 how far the reports of ,christ's addresses by ,john are to be regarded as reported in the words of ,christ4 ,in answer to this we have1 on the one hand1 ,christ's promise reported by ,john3 8,the ,comforter 444 shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever ,i have said unto you0 7ch4 #ad3bf72 on the other1 we have reason to believe that the reports are not verbatim4 7a7 ,this would require a supernatural exercise of memory nowhere claimed by the ,evangelists1 and therefore not to be claimed by the church for them4 7b7 ,in some instances1 e4 g41 the case of the conversation with ,nicodemus and the woman at the well1 it is certain that ,john could not have been present1 and must have derived his information either from ,jesus or from the other party to the conference4 7c7 ,the language in which the discourse is reported is analogous not only in words1 but also in the forms of expression to that of the narrator2 the likeness is so marked that in several instances the critics are not fully agreed how much is to be regarded as the discourse of ,jesus1 and how much as the accompanying comment of ,john4 7d7 ,the thought is sometimes1 and the language is often1 obscure4 ,and though this obscurity is increased by mistranslations1 and by the division into verses1 which hides from the reader the true unity of the discourse1 nevertheless it exists in the ,greek original4 ,such obscurity does not exist in the reports of ,christ's discourses in the other ,gospels4 7e7 ,the largest public discourse as reported would not have required over eight minutes in delivery4 ,i believe then that in the ,fourth ,gospel we have the substantial thoughts of ,christ1 reproduced generally in the words and with the phraseology of ,john1 whose mind1 under the divine inspiration1 preserves the essential truth unimpaired1 but represents it1 not as a mechanical repeater of words1 but as a disciple who freely reproduces the ideas of his ,master1 but largely in language of his own4 ,object and character4 ,we are not left to surmise the object of the author of the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,he himself tells us what it was3 8,these are written that ye might believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 and that1 believing1 ye might have life through his name40#bb ,according to ,john's ,gospel1 true religion consists not in obedience to an external law1 but in a new life in the soul1 by which it is transformed1 and the soul1 its habits and character1 are brought into conformity with the law of ,god1 that is1 the law of love4 ,this new and divine life is implanted supernaturally from above2 it is fed perpetually by the influence of the divine ,spirit2 it emancipates the soul from all bondage to sin and the law2 for it preparation is made by the life and death of the ,lord2 in it ,god is manifested in a peculiar manner to the soul and abides with it1 an indwelling ,comforter4 ,this life comes through a vital faith in ,jesus as in a peculiar sense the ,son of ,god1 in whose life the believer finds his ideal of true life1 by whose death he is redeemed from death1 by whose spiritual power he is raised a new creature in ,christ ,jesus1 by whose abiding presence he is guided1 guarded1 strengthened1 fed4 ,those incidents and discourses in the life of ,christ which illustrate and enforce this aspect of ,christian truth and experience are those which ,john gives us in his ,gospel4 ,the other ,gospels represent the duties of the disciples1 ,john their privileges2 the other ,gospels bid them what they ought to do1 ,john points them to what they can become2 the other ,gospels represent ,christ chiefly as a ,saviour coming to seek and to save that which is lost1 ,john as a ,friend abiding with his own2 in the other ,gospels he is a ,shepherd in the wilderness1 in ,john the ,shepherd in the fold2 in the other ,gospels the ,son is either still in the far country or but just returning to his ,father's home1 in ,john he has returned and is abiding in his ,father's love4 ,in the other ,gospels1 therefore1 ,jesus is chiefly represented as a divine teacher1 in ,john as a recognized ,saviour2 in the other ,gospels as the ,son of man1 in ,john as the ,son of ,god2 in the other ,gospels we have seen him as he appears to the wanderer1 in ,john as he is interpreted by the heart of the saved2 in the other ,gospels the bridegroom is coming for his bride and is still the ,unknown2 in ,john he has taken her to himself1 and her love at least dimly recognizes in him the ,one among ten thousand and altogether lovely4 ,these aspects of truth may be easily discerned in even a brief survey of the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,john opens his narrative by an introduction1 in which he borrows the mystical language of ,oriental philosophy to characterize ,jesus1 whom he describes as the ,life1 the ,light1 the ,word2 he reports ,john the ,baptist1 not as the preacher of the baptism of repentance1 but as a prophet of the ,lamb of ,god which taketh away the sin of the world 7ch4 #a72 in his account of the conversation with ,nicodemus 7ch4 #c71 he points out the origin of the spiritual life which ,christ imparts to the believer1 8,ye must be born from above20 in his report of the conversation with the ,samaritan woman1 and of the discourse at ,capernaum 7chaps4 #d1 #f71 he indicates the means by which that life is sustained1 by appropriating faith in ,christ2 and in his record of the intermediate discourse at ,jerusalem 7ch4 #e71 the basis for that faith in ,christ's own portrayal of himself as the ,son and manifestation of ,god the ,father2 in his report of the discourses in the ,temple1 he sets forth in a different form the same truths4 7ch4 #g71 declares the emancipation from bondage which faith in the ,son achieves for the soul1 contrasts it with the life of bondage unto sin 7ch4 #h71 and describes the safety and security of the disciples1 a security purchased by the death of their ,lord 7ch4 #aj72 he narrates the resurrection of ,lazarus1 therein portraying ,jesus as the resurrection and the life 7ch4 #aa72 he reports those words of ,jesus at the ,last ,supper1 the full meaning of which no ,christian experience has ever yet fully sounded1 in which is promised to the believing disciple a spiritual manifestation of ,god to the soul1 an abiding life of ,god in the soul1 and a joyful realization of all spiritual fullness in ,god by the soul 7chaps4 #ad1 #ae1 #af72 he records the only reported intercessory prayer of the ,lord for his disciples 7ch4 #ag71 the burden of which is1 8,as thou ,father art in me and ,i in you1 that they also may be one in us20 in the account of the ,passion he alone gives the short dialogue between ,jesus and ,pilate1 in which the ,lord declares himself a king and his kingdom one of everlasting truth2 and in his account of the resurrection 7ch4 #bj71 he tells the story of ,thomas's unbelief and of ,christ's warm commendation of 8those who have not seen and yet have believed40 ,life through faith--this is the burden of ,john's ,evangel2 ,jesus ,christ the ,life-giver1 the disciple of ,jesus ,christ the recipient of a new life--this is the good news which constitutes the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,when and where and for whom written4 ,a very ancient testimony1 that of ,irenus1 repeated by ,jerome and later writers1 fixes the place of publication at ,ephesus4 ,this accords with the character of the ,gospel itself4 ,the ,oriental phraseology employed in the first chapter especially1 but also in less degree in other portions of the ,gospel1 indicates that it was written in a city where ,oriental philosophy had a strong hold2 and of all ,greek cities ,ephesus was the most ,oriental4 ,moreover1 an ancient and apparently trustworthy tradition makes this city the home of ,john in his later years4 ,the time of its composition is uncertain4 ,irenus states that it was the latest written of the four ,gospels4 ,the character of the ,gospel1 as we have seen1 confirms this tradition4 ,the book bears marks of being written in old age2 it is apparently the production of a ripened ,christian experience4 ,alford fixes the date as between ,a4 ,d4 #gj and ,a4 ,d4 #he2 ,macdonald1 ,a4 ,d4 #he or #hf2 ,godet1 between ,a4 ,d4 #hj and #ij2 ,tholuck1 not far from ,a4 ,d4 #ajj4 #a ,for same account in detail of these discussions1 see ,godet's ,commentary on ,st4 ,john's ,gospel1 ,intro41 ,chap4 ,,ii4 #b ,comp4 ,matt4 #bg3ef with ,mark #ae3dj4 #c ,luke #h3c4 #d ,matt4 #bj3bj1 #ba2 ,mark #ae3dj2 #af3a4 #e ,john #g3ae1 #dh4 #f #a ,kings #i3aj1 #aa4 ,see ,abbott's ,dict4 of ,rel4 ,knowledge1 art4 ,galilee4 #g ,see ,john #a3ce-cg1 notes2 ,matt4 #d3ba2 #aj3b2 #ag3a2 #bj3bj2 #bf3cg2 ,mark #e3cg2 ,john #ac3bc2 #ad3bf1 #bg2 #bj3a-h2 ,acts #c3a1 etc42 #h3ad-be2 ,gal4 #b3i4 #h ,acts1 ch4 #ai2 ch4 #bj3ag-ch4 #i ,mark #c3ag2 ,luke #i3di-ef2 ,matt4 #bj3bj2 ,john #ah3ae2 #ai3bf2 ,acts #d3ai1 #bj4 #aj ,matt4 #af3bb2 ,john #ad3e1 #h1 #bb2 ,john #ab3d1 with ,matt4 #bf3ad4 #aa ,john #e3af1 #ah2 #g3ac1 #ai2 #h3dj1 #dd1 #ei2 #i3bb1 #bh2 #ah3ca1 etc4 #ab ,see ,john #b3f1 #ac2 #e3a2 #f3d2 #g3b2 #h3ag2 #aj3cd2 #ae3be2 #ai3dj1 #db4 #ac ,john #a3ad2 #ai3ce2 #ba3bd2 #a ,john #a3a-c4 #ad ,john #a3cf1 #ch2 #d3f2 #f3aj2 #ab3c2 #ac3cj2 #ah3ah4 #ae ,john #ab3bg1 #bh2 #ac3c2 chaps4 #ad-af4 #af ,john #a3ai2 #c3af2 #f3cg2 chaps4 #d1 #e1 #aj1 #ad1 #ae4 #ag ,john #b3f2 #e3a2 #f3d2 #g3b2 #ah3bh2 #ai3dj4 #ah ,see ,john #g3a1 #ai1 #be1 #cb2 #h3f1 #ei2 #i3bb2 #aj3ca2 #aa3di4 #ai ,john #f3gj1 #ga2 #aa3f2 #ac3b1 #bg4 #bj ,the student will find this hypothesis urged with great literary ingenuity by ,matthew ,arnold1 in 8,god and the ,bible40 #ba ,see ,john #e3d1 and note there4 #bb ,john #bj3ca4 ,this declaration makes it unnecessary to discuss the various theories which have been proposed1 such as that it was written to supplement the other ,gospels and supply their defects1 or to refute certain ,gnostic heresies1 or to commend ,christianity to the disciples of ,oriental philosophy and the like4 ,these may1 or may not1 have been subordinate aims of the writer3 the main design he clearly indicates1 and it is the design here indicated which affords the key to the true interpretation of the ,gospel as a whole4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,according ,,to ,,john4 #a3a-ah4 ,,the ,,christology ,,of ,,john4--,,the ,,pre-,,existence ,,of ,,christ4--,,the ,,creative ,,power ,,of ,,christ4--,,the ,,regenerating ,,work ,,of ,,christ4--,,the ,,illumination ,,given ,,by ,,christ4--,,the ,,divine ,,manifestation ,,in ,,christ4--,,the ,,word2 ,,the ,,light2 ,,the ,,life2 ,,the ,,tabernacle2 ,,the ,,only-,,begotten ,,son4--,,contrasted ,,with ,,john ,,the ,,baptist2 ,,with ,,moses4--,,the ,,gifts ,,he ,,confers2 ,,the ,,welcome ,,he ,,receives4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,the ordinary ,english reader will find no difficulty in comprehending the truths which ,john expresses in this introduction to his ,gospel1 viz41 the pre-existence1 divine attributes1 and divine nature of that ,jesus1 the ,messiah1 of whom his book is written4 ,john identifies him with the ,word1 which was with ,god from eternity1 and with the ,light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,but it is not so clear why he should use the peculiar and somewhat mysterious language here employed2 for the full understanding of this1 some historical explanation is necessary4 ,my object in this note is to afford very briefly this historical explanation1 as a basis for more detailed consideration of particular words and phrases in the notes4 ,from the earliest ages the ablest minds have been perplexed by the problem how to reconcile faith in an all-wise1 all-powerful1 and all-benevolent ,creator1 with the fact of a creation full of sin and suffering4 ,one of the ablest thinkers of modern times 7,john ,stuart ,mill7 has declared the problem insoluble1 and from the facts of creation has deduced the conclusion that the ,creator is neither all-wise1 all-powerful1 nor all-good2 to use his own words respecting the ,creator1 8his wisdom is possibly1 his power certainly limited1 and his goodness1 though real1 is not likely to have been the only motive which actuated him in the work of creation40--7,three ,essays in ,religion47 ,oriental philosophy1 pondering this problem1 proposed for its solution an hypothesis which to a ,western mind seems singularly puerile and fantastic1 and yet which1 in slightly different forms1 gained1 at one period in the world's history1 an acceptance quite as widespread as any form of philosophy or theology of to-day4 ,this hypothesis1 however modified in form1 was in essence this1 that the evil in the world came not from the ,creator1 but from some other and inferior ,being4 ,in the ,persian religion there were two deities1 a good and an evil god1 ,ormuzd and ,ahriman1 struggling with each other for the supremacy4 ,in the ,chaldean philosophy ,light was the soul of the universe and the ,original ,first ,cause2 in the lower realms1 far below the space filled with pure and unapproachable light1 were darkness1 night1 and all forth-springing evils1 which either the ,supreme ,light regarded it beneath his dignity to contend with1 or which were indestructible and could only be confined within narrow limits1 not destroyed4 ,in the ,hindoo philosophy1 the ,great ,first ,cause1 the beatific ,brahm1 lived in perpetual repose1 in a supreme and serene indifference to all things4 ,from him1 by emanations1 proceeded lesser deities1 and from these1 by a process more or less remote1 a corrupt creation4 ,at the beginning of the ,christian era1 ,alexandria1 founded by and named in honor of ,alexander the ,great1 was one of the intellectual centres of the world4 ,here was gathered a library of over #gjj1jjj volumes2 here congregated ,oriental dreamers1 ,greek philosophers1 and ,jewish religionists4 ,here1 in the third century before ,christ1 was translated into the ,greek language the ,old ,testament ,scriptures4 ,here about #bj ,b4 ,c41 was born ,philo1 a ,jew1 of a priestly family1 a philosopher and litterateur1 and a voluminous writer4 ,he was not an original thinker2 his works are therefore all the more valuable as a reflection of the current mystical philosophy of his age and school4 ,this dreamy philosophy it is difficult to translate into modern forms of thought4 ,so far as this can be done1 it may be said to have involved the following statements3 ,god is simply the absolute1 unchangeable ,existence1 incomprehensible1 inconceivable1 yet ever to be the object of our thoughts and meditations4 ,he could not come directly into contact with matter without losing something of his ineffable excellence4 ,hence he gave forth certain divine powers or influences1 8incorporeal potencies10 which surround ,god as the members of a court surround an earthly monarch4 ,the highest of these is the divine ,logos or ,word of ,god4 ,through this ,word the world was created1 and to the influence of the inferior potencies the evils of the world must be attributed4 ,again1 borrowing the imagery of the ,chaldeans1 ,philo conceives of ,god as the pure and absolute ,light1 the original source of effulgence1 the ,logos or ,word as the nearest circle of light proceeding from it1 and each separate power as a separate ray1 fading more and more away into darkness1 as it becomes removed from the original source and centre4 ,from this philosophy was later developed that peculiar and incomprehensible form of thought known as ,gnosticism4 ,this ,gnostic philosophy1 which reached its climax in the second century after ,christ1 undertook to describe in detail all the emanations from the original inconceivable deity2 ,reason1 the ,word1 practical ,wisdom1 theoretical ,wisdom1 ,power1 ,light1 ,life1 were all lesser deities4 ,the ,god of the ,jews was one of these lower deities2 ,jesus ,christ was a higher deity--the ,reason according to some1 the ,word according to others1 who came to deliver the world from its subjection to the inferior deity1 and who entered the body of ,jesus at his baptism1 and departed from it just before his crucifixion4 ,whether ,john was acquainted with the writings of ,philo we do not know2 but he was certainly familiar with this ,gnostic philosophy4 ,it had already begun to enter into and corrupt the ,christian church during the lifetime of ,paul1 whose writings contain frequent references to different phases of it 7e4 g41 ,col4 #b3ah2 #a ,tim4 #d3a-d2 #b ,tim4 #b3af-ah72 ,ephesus1 a city of luxury1 effeminacy and superstition 7,acts1 ch4 #ai1 notes71 was a centre of this philosophy2 in ,paul's address to the elders of the church at ,ephesus 7,acts #bj3bi1 #cj71 and in his letter to ,timothy1 first bishop of that church 7subs4 to #b ,tim471 he especially warns against it 7#b ,tim4 #b3af-ah2 #c3h1 #i72 and ,ephesus was ,john's residence1 and probably the city in which he wrote his ,gospel4 7,see ,introduction47 ,john1 then1 employs the language of this mystical philosophy1 in order more effectually to refute its errors4 ,he finds a certain substratum of truth1 viz41 that there is one ,god and one ,mediator between ,god and man1 underlying this superstructure of error2 he begins his ,gospel by occupying this ground1 and by his phraseology brings himself into sympathy with his ,gnostic readers2 then1 from this common ground he leads them on to the truth respecting the incarnation4 ,it is true1 he says to them1 that there is a ,word of ,god1 but this ,word was from the beginning with ,god1 and is indeed ,god himself1 who is not incommunicable1 but a self-manifesting ,god4 ,it is true that there is a ,life and a ,light2 but the ,life is ,god himself1 not an inferior and subordinate deity2 and the ,light is not remote and unapproachable1 but lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,for this ,mediator is not an emanation from ,god1 but ,god himself1 the true ,light shining in the darkness 7verse #e71 the true ,life by whom we can not only commune with ,christ1 but become the very children of ,god 7verses #ab1 #ac74 ,and he has come and tabernacled among men in the flesh1 in the earthly life of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,it only remains to add that there is to be found in the ,old ,testament 7see notes below7 a ,scriptural basis for ,john's use of the language here1 particularly his phrase 8the ,word of ,god10 and that there is not the least ground for the claims of some rationalistic scholars that ,john derived his doctrine here from ,philo1 or from the ,alexandrian or ,gnostic schools4 ,on the contrary1 his doctrine and theirs are radically inconsistent4 ,philo holds that matter is inherently defiling1 that ,god cannot come into contact with matter1 even to fashion it in creation1 without defilement2 ,john1 that ,god 8was made flesh and dwelt among us10 and yet so far from being defiled thereby1 manifested his glory1 8the glory of the only-begotten of the ,father40 ,,chapter ,i4 #a ,in#bc the beginning was the ,word1#bd and the ,word was with#be ,god1 and the ,word was#bf ,god4 #bc ,prov4 #h3bb1 #ca2 ,col4 #a3af1 #ag2 #a ,john #a3a4 #bd ,rev4 #ai3ac4 #be ch4 #ag3e4 #bf ,phil4 #b3f2 ,heb4 #a3h-ac2 #a ,john #e3g4 #a4 ,in the beginning4 ,john begins the ,gospel where ,moses began the ,law4 ,the employment of and the reference to the language of the first verse of the first chapter of ,genesis is unmistakable4 ,in that beginning in which ,god created the heavens and the earth was the ,word1 and the ,word was with ,god and was ,god and was the ,one through whom the act of creation was consummated4 ,so in ,prov41 chap4 #h1 ,wisdom personified is represented as with ,god in the creation and from the beginning 7see especially verses #bc-bi74 ,for parallel passages teaching the pre-existence of ,christ1 see ,john #h3eh2 #ag3e2 ,phil4 #b3e1 #f2 #a ,john #a3a4 ,in ,rev4 #c3ad he is described as 8the beginning of the creation of ,god10 but this does not necessarily imply that he was a created ,being4 ,see notes there4--,was the ,word4 ,there are several ,greek words meaning word2 7#a and #b7 and 1 word in the grammatical sense1 i4 e41 that which is spoken2 7#c7 1 word in the rhetorical sense1 that which is delivered by words1 the subject expressed2 7#d7 1 word in a technical sense1 strictly a name1 and only because words are names or appellations2 7#e7 1 word in the philosophical sense1 the outward form by which the inward thought is expressed4 ,the latter term is employed here4 ,as the thoughts or experiences of the soul are completely hidden from us till they are uttered1 so ,god is the ,unknown and the ,unknowable1 save as he utters himself1 discloses his nature to us1 which he does chiefly if not solely through him who is for that reason called the ,word1 i4 e41 the utterance of ,god4 ,the metaphor which underlies this phraseology is in part interpreted by the saying of ,wordsworth that language is the incarnation of ideas4 7#b7 ,in the ,old ,testament we have a partial employment of the same symbolism4 ,in ,moses' account of the creation1 ,god is represented as calling the various powers of nature into being by a word4 8,god said ,light be6 ,light was60 7,gen4 #a3c1 see also #f1 #i1 #aa1 etc47 ,in the later ,hebrew poetry this symbol is made more prominent in the distinct declaration that 8by the word of the ,lord were the heavens made40 7,ps4 #cc3f2 comp4 #ajg3bj2 ,isaiah #ee3aj1 #aa2 see also ,heb4 #aa3c47 ,the same symbol1 in a slightly different form1 reappears in ,prov41 chap4 #h1 which is connected with that employed here by the language of certain of the apocryphal books1 e4 g41 8,i 7,wisdom7 came out of the mouth of the ,most ,high and covered the earth as a cloud0 7,ecclesiasticus #bd3c74 8,she 7,wisdom7 is the breath of the power of ,god0 7,wisdom of ,solomon #a3be74 7#c7 ,the same symbolism was employed as we have seen 7,prel4 ,note above7 in the mystical philosophy of ,alexandria and of later ,gnosticism1 with which ,john was familiar1 and of which1 ,ephesus1 his city1 was a centre1 to represent an eon or emanation for the deity4 ,that the ,word here does not mean the ,bible or the ,gospel is evident both from the connection1 since it cannot be said that the ,bible became flesh 7ver4 #ad71 and also from ,john's usage1 who never employs the phrase ,word of ,god to designate the ,bible1 but usually the term ,scriptures or writings 7,john #b3bb2 #e3ci2 #g3ch1 #db2 #ai3bd1 #bh1 #cf1 #cg1 etc474 ,moreover he does employ this phraseology elsewhere to designate ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,john #a3a2 ,rev4 #ai3ac74 ,it cannot mean the ,speaking ,one nor the ,promised ,one4 ,though both these meanings have been attributed to it1 it is not grammatically capable of either interpretation4 ,there is classical authority for rendering it ,reason or ,order1 and this meaning it still retains in words ending with ology1 such as ge-ology 7ge-logos71 the order1 i4 e41 science of the earth2 path-ology 7pathos-logos71 the order1 i4 e41 science of disease4 ,but it is never used with this signification by ,john1 and is never but once so used in the ,n4 ,t4 7#a ,peter #c3ae71 if even there the translation is strictly accurate1 which is doubtful4 ,seeking1 then1 to understand ,john as he would have been understood by his contemporaries1 ,i think it clear that he declares1 not that ,reason or ,wisdom was in the beginning with ,god1 nor ,speech1 nor the ,promised ,messiah1 but the ,word1 i4 e41 the ,one by and through whom he was chiefly to be manifested to the world1 as one soul is to another by utterance4--,and the ,word was with ,god and the ,word was ,god4 ,grammatically the last clause of the sentence may be read1 and ,god was the ,word4 ,but the obvious connection calls for the rendering of our ,english version1 and it is the rendering adopted by the best scholars4 ,there is a difference in the language of the first and last clause of this sentence in the original which is significant1 but difficult1 if not impossible1 to render in the ,english4 ,in the first clause1 8the ,word was with ,god10 the article accompanies the word ,god2 in the second clause1 8the ,word was ,god10 it is wanting4 ,we should measurably reflect the meaning by reading the passage1 8the ,word was with ,god and the ,word was divine20 or 8the ,word was with the ,father and the ,word was ,god40 #b ,the same was in the beginning with ,god4 #b4 ,the same was in the beginning with ,god4 ,john recurs to his first statement and reiterates it1 not merely for the sake of emphasis1 but also to mark a real distinction between the ,word and the unknown ,father4 ,for he labors to express two conflicting and even apparently contradictory ideas1 the identity of the ,word with ,god and the individuality of the ,word1 as distinct from the infinite and invisible deity4 ,this contradiction subsequent theology has endeavored in vain to eliminate by drawing distinctions between essence and substance1 person and being1 etc41 in such phraseologies as three in substance and one in essence1 or three persons in one ,god4 ,this philosophy of the ,trinity is extra-,scriptural1 framed to harmonize teachings respecting the divine nature1 which are best harmonized by the frank confession that the knowledge of the divine nature is too wonderful for us1 we cannot attain unto it 7,ps4 #aci3f2 ,job #aa3g74 ,so ,chalmers1 8,the ,father is ,god1 the ,son is ,god1 the ,holy ,spirit is ,god4 ,god is one4 ,if you ask me to reconcile the four 7propositions71 ,i answer1 ,i cannot4 ,we require no one to reconcile the personality of each with the unity of ,god40 ,so ,calvin1 8,i could wish them 7the extra-,scriptural phrases1 person1 hypostasis1 etc47 to be buried in oblivion1 provided this truth were universally received1 that the ,father1 ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit are the one ,god2 and that nevertheless the ,son is not the ,father1 nor the ,spirit the ,son1 but that they are distinguished from each other by some peculiar properties40 #c ,all#bg things were made by him2 and without him was not anything made that was made4 #bg ,ps4 #cc3f2 ,eph4 #c3i4 #c4 ,all things were made by him4 ,to interpret this language 8,all things0 as meaning simply the moral creation1 is to distort plain language in order to conform it to preconceived ideas1 a fault in exegesis of which no school of theology is entirely innocent4 ,the reference to ,genesis1 ch4 #a1 is unmistakable4 ,the declaration is parallel to and interpreted by such passages as ,col4 #a3af2 #a ,cor4 #h3f2 ,heb4 #a3b4 ,the ,greek student will observe1 however1 and the ,english student should know1 that the language here implies that the ,word was the instrument by which ,god created the 8all things10 not the original source of creative power4 ,there are two ,greek prepositions translated in ,english 8by10 one 77 signifying the source or origin from which anything proceeds1 or the power by which it is produced2 the other 77 signifying the means or instrument through which it is produced4 ,one indicates the original1 the other the proximate cause4 ,the preposition here used is the latter1 and the exact meaning of the sentence will be imparted by the rendering ,all things were made by means of him or through him4 ,with this interpretation corresponds the general teaching of the ,new ,testament1 which represents ,christ1 both in his earthly life and in his heavenly administration1 as always the executor of his ,father's will4 ,this is in some sense especially prominent in ,john's ,gospel 7see for example ,john #e3bb1 #bc1 #bg2 #f3cg1 #dd1 #eg2 #h3bh1 #db2 #aj3bi2 #ad3aj2 #ag3ah1 #bd72 but it is equally clearly taught elsewhere 7,luke #b3di2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bg1 #bh2 ,phil4 #b3i2 ,col4 #a3ai2 comp4 ,mark #aj3dj1 note and references there74--,and without him was not anything made that was made4 ,simply an emphatic and exhaustive reiteration1 such as is not infrequent in fervid writing4 ,for analogous rhetorical repetition in ,john see verse #bj2 #a ,john #b3d1 #bg4 ,some manuscripts and some few scholars put a period at the close of the first clause of the sentence1 and connect the last clause with the following verse1 so that the passage reads3 ,and without him was not anything made4 ,and what originated in him was life4 ,but while this reading is grammatically possible1 it is generally repudiated by the best scholars1 who accept the punctuation and rendering of our ,english version as correct4 #d ,in him#bh was life2 and the life was the light#bi of men4 #bh ch4 #e3bf2 #a ,john #e3aa4 #bi ch4 #h3ab4 #d4 ,in him was life4 ,there is probably a reference here again to the language of ,gnostic philosophy 7,see ,prel4 ,note71 which supposed other eons or emanations from ,god1 besides the ,word1 prominent among which was ,light and ,life4 ,here1 as throughout this introduction1 ,john employs the language of the ,gnostics to correct their errors4 ,the general and practical teaching for us of the declaration is that ,christ is the source of both physical or external life 7,col4 #a3ag71 and of intellectual and spiritual life 7ch4 #aj3aj74 ,it is admirably interpreted by ,kaulbach's famous cartoon of the ,reformation1 in which ,luther with the open ,bible in his hand is represented as the centre of the intellectual and moral awakening which characterized that century4 ,observe1 since ,christ is ,life and ,light1 that any religion which dwarfs man1 represses their life1 belittles them1 and any which shuts them up in darkness and denies them intellectual freedom and progress in any direction1 is so far anti-,christ4 ,the cause of ,christ has nothing to fear from any intellectual life or any light of scientific discovery4--,and the life was the light of men4 ,not merely shall be1 not merely is1 but was4 ,the intimation is that all the light of ,old ,testament prophecy and instruction1 if not all that dim religious light which has illuminated even heathen nations1 through special instructors such as ,buddha1 ,confucius and ,socrates1 came through the ,word1 i4 e41 through the ,mediator by whom the invisible ,god reveals himself to man1 of which revelation the incarnation 7ver4 #ad7 is only a part1 though a most important part4 ,compare with the language here #a ,john #a3e4 #e ,and the light shineth in#cj darkness2 and the darkness comprehended#ca it not4 #cj ch4 #c3ai4 #ca #a ,cor4 #b3ad4 #e4 ,and the light shineth in the darkness4 ,shines1 not merely appears2 a real illumination is indicated2 shines1 not shone2 a present and continuous illumination is indicated2 the darkness1 not merely darkness2 as1 before ,god said 8,let there be light10 the earth is reported as enveloped in darkness 7,gen4 #a3b71 so1 before and apart from this spiritual illumination1 through the ,light of the world1 the nations of the earth were in gross darkness4 ,comp4 ,isaiah #db3f1 #g2 ,matt4 #d3af1 note2 ,ephes4 #e3g1 #h2 ,john #ab3df4--;,and the darkness comprehended it not4 ,this has been universally true in the world's history2 the dim light of conscience has never been apprehended1 taken hold of by heathen nations4 ,the light afforded by special and signal moral geniuses has never been comprehended aright by the people1 as witness the deterioration of ,buddhism and ,confucianism2 the teachings of the ,jewish prophets were not comprehended2 they shone in darkness which was not dispelled by their instructors2 and the clearer light of ,christ has never1 even in the best ages1 been more than very imperfectly apprehended1 even in the church4 ,here the primary reference is certainly to the constant closing of their eyes by the ,jews to the light of the ,old ,testament teachings1 concerning the spirit of true religion1 the nature of the kingdom of ,god1 and the character and appearance of the promised ,messiah4 ,for the reason why the darkness does not comprehend the light1 see chap4 #c3ai2 comp4 ,matt4 #ac3ae1 note4 #f ,there was a man#cb sent from ,god1 whose name was ,john4 #g ,the same came for a witness1 to bear witness of the ,light1 that all men through him might believe4 #cb ,luke #c3b1 #c4 #f1 #g4 ,there was a man sent from ,god4 ,from a characterization of the light1 ,john passes to a description of the incarnation and its object1 and to a discrimination between the incarnate ,light and the prophet who foretold its coming4 ,from the ,greek word here rendered sent 71 apostello7 comes our word apostle4 ,the apostle is a man sent from ,god2 ,christ is the word or utterance1 or manifestation of ,god4 ,comp4 ,heb4 #a3a-c4--;,john4 ,the ,baptist4--,the same came for a witness4 ,as one who enters the witness-stand to testify what he knows1 so ,john the ,baptist came to declare what had been revealed to him concerning the coming ,messiah4 ,comp4 ,john #e3cb-ce4--,to bear witness of the ,light4 ,simply a repetition and amplification of the previous clause of the sentence4 ,he was not a mere preacher of the law1 nor of the duty of repentance1 though this is the phase of his ministry most prominent in the reports of ,matt4 7#c3a-ab71 and ,luke 7#c3a-ah74 ,he was a forerunner of the great ,king1 sent to bear witness of his approach4 ,and this phase of his ministry1 though indicated in the other ,gospels 7,matt4 #c3aa2 #aa3i1 ,mark #a3g1 #h2 ,luke #c3af1 #ag71 is most clearly brought out in ,john 7verses #bc1 #bi-cf74--,that all through him might believe4 ,that is1 through ,john might believe in the ,light4 ,the other construction1 through the ,light might believe1 i4 e41 in ,god1 is forced and unnatural1 even if grammatically admissible4 ,the true office of the ,christian ministry is so to bear witness to the ,light which the preacher knows by his own experience 7,rom4 #g3ad2 #h3bh2 #b ,tim4 #a3ab71 that men may believe in and accept that ,light 7#b ,cor4 #d3e2 ,col4 #a3bh47 #h ,he#cc was not that ,light1 but was sent to bear witness of that ,light4 #i ,that was the true ,light1#cd which lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 #cc ,acts #ai3d4 #cd ,isa4 #di3f4 #h1 #i4 ,an early ,gnostic sect 7second century7 believed that ,john was the ,messiah4 ,the primary reference here appears to be to this error1 which1 in common with other ,gnostic errors 7see ,prel4 ,note71 ,john aims to correct in this introduction to his ,gospel4 ,compare1 with the declaration here1 ,christ's characterization of ,john1 8,he was a burning and a shining light0 7ch4 #e3ce74 ,the ,greek scholar will observe that the ,english word 8light0 represents different ,greek words in the two passages4 ,here the word is one signifying original light 771 there rather a borrowed or reflected light 771 though the latter word is once applied to ,christ 7,rev4 #ba3bc74 ,we are to be in a true sense the former kind of light 71 ,matt4 #e3ad71 because ,christ in us is our light1 and by his indwelling we are made partakers of his nature 7#b ,pet4 #a3d71 and men seeing this light glorify1 not us1 but ,him who shines in and through us4--,the true ,light was that which lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,there is some difficulty about the construction of this sentence2 this appears to me to be the best4 ,for other constructions1 see ,alford and ,meyer4 ,on the meaning of the declaration observe1 7#a7 ,that ,john's use of the word true here is interpreted by his use of the same word in other and analogous passages1 e4 g41 8true worshippers0 7,john #d3bc72 8true bread0 7ch4 #f3cb72 8true vine0 7ch4 #ae3a74 ,the light1 the bread1 the vine of earth are regarded only as symbols of the spiritual truths which they parabolically represent4 ,christ is the original pattern1 or source of light2 all prophets and teachers are only reflections from him2 all material light is a symbol or parable of his illuminating grace4 7#b7 ,the phrase1 8lighteth every man that cometh into the world10 is not to be taken as an hyperbole4 ,the latter clause is added1 not merely1 as ,meyer1 8as a solemn redundance10 8an epic fullness of words10 but to emphasize and make clear the declaration1 and to show that 8every man0 means not merely 7a7 the ,jews1 nor 7b7 those who accept ,christ as their light1 nor 7c7 the ,christian nations1 but literally all men4 ,the every 77 here is thus distinguished from the all 77 of verse #g above4 ,christ is the universal light2 all intellectual and political as well as moral illumination has come through him2 and this1 not only in ,christendom1 but also in heathendom4 ,such light as struggles through the thick darkness1 in a partial disclosure of divine truth afforded by a ,buddha or a ,confucius1 or dimly recognized by a ,cornelius1 comes from ,him who1 in larger or smaller measure1 lighteth every man that cometh into the world4 ,by this declaration we are to interpret such passages as ,matt4 #h3aa2 ,acts #aj3ce2 ,rev4 #e3i2 whoever accepts even this imperfect and dim light1 mistakenly called the light of ,nature1 in so far accepts ,christ4 #aj ,he was in the world1 and the world was made by him1 and#ce the world knew him not4 #ce verse #e4 #aa ,he#cf came unto his own1 and his own received him not4 #cf ,acts #c3bf2 #ac3df4 #aj1 #aa4 ,notice the rhetorical climax in these verses2 he was in the world2 he came unto his own2 the world knew him not2 his own received him not4 ,the world is here humanity in general1 ,jew and ,gentile1 both of whom united in ,christ's crucifixion2 the ,jew1 represented in the high-priest who deliberately rejected him 7,john #aa3dg-ej71 the ,gentile1 represented in ,pilate and the soldiers1 who simply did not know him4 ,his own are the ,jewish people1 ,jehovah's peculiar possession 7,exod4 #ai3e2 ,deut4 #g3f2 ,psalm #ace3d2 ,isaiah #ca3i71 to whom he first came and by whom he was rejected before he was preached to the ,gentiles 7,acts #ac3df2 ,rom4 #a3af74 ,it was only the world of men that knew him not2 nature knew and obeyed him whenever he commanded her obedience1 as in the turning of water into wine1 the stilling of the tempest1 etc4 ,the verbs in this sentence are in the imperfect tense1 and the reference is to the incarnation of ,christ and his earthly life4 ,observe that the ,jewish nation which rejected the ,messiah is rejected by ,god 7,matt4 #h3ab71 and that the disciples of ,christ are not to know the world which knew not their ,lord and ,master 7#a ,john #b3ae-ag74 #ab ,but as many#cg as received him1 to them gave he power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them#ch that believe on his name3 #cg ,isa4 #ef3d1 #e2 ,rom4 #h3ad1 #ae2 #a ,john #c3a4 #ch ,gal4 #c3bf4 #ab4 ,but as many as received him4 ,not merely1 as ,alford1 8recognized him as that which he was--the ,word of ,god and ,light of men10 but received him as the ,word to be implicitly obeyed 7ch4 #ad3ba2 #ae3aj1 #ae71 and the ,light in which to walk 7#a ,john #a3f74--,to them gave he power 774 ,not capability1 nor privilege1 nor claim1 but power and right2 the original word combines the two ideas4 ,he confers the power to become the sons of ,god1 and confers the right to claim that privilege4 ,ryle is certainly correct in saying that this verse 8does not mean that ,christ confers on those who receive him a spiritual and moral strength1 by which they convert themselves1 change their own hearts1 and make themselves ,god's children40 ,he is as certainly wrong in saying1 with ,calvin and the marginal reading1 that the original ,greek word means 8right or privilege40 ,the reader will best get its meaning by comparing ,john's use of it in other passages1 in no one of which could it be rendered either 8right0 or 8privilege40 ,see ch4 #e3bg2 #aj3ah2 #ag3b2 #ai3aj1 #aa4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #bh3ah1 note4 ,the plain implication here is that the power to become a son of ,god is not natural and inherent1 but acquired1 and is the especial gift of ,god4 ,see ,phil4 #b3ab1 #ac2 ,titus #c3d1 #e4--,to become the sons of ,god4 ,sons and therefore 7#a7 partakers of the divine nature 7,ephes4 #d3ac2 ,heb4 #ab3aj2 #b ,pet4 #a3d72 7#b7 entitled to and walking in freedom as children1 not in bondage as servants 7ch4 #ae3ae2 ,gal4 #d3a-g72 7#c7 heirs of ,god and joint-heirs with ,christ1 his only-begotten ,son 7,rom4 #h3af1 #ag74 ,but the full conception of the meaning of this sonship we cannot know1 till in the other world we see the ,father as he is 7#a ,john #c3a1 #b74--;,even to them that have faith in his name4 ,his name is ,jesus1 i4 e41 ,saviour1 given to him because he saves his people from their sins 7,matt4 #a3ba74 ,to have faith in that name is to have faith in him as a personal ,saviour from sin4 ,observe1 then1 that this verse comprises the whole ,gospel in a sentence4 ,it declares 7#a7 the object of the ,gospel3 that we who are by nature the children of disobedience and of wrath 7,ephes4 #b3b1 #c7 may become the sons of ,god2 7#b7 the source to which we are to look for this prerogative of sonship3 power conferred by ,god2 7#c7 the means by which we are to attain it3 personal faith in a personal ,saviour from sin4 ,observe too that ,john follows his description of the rejection of ,christ1 not by threatening punishment to them1 but by depicting the infinite gain of those that accept ,christ4 #ac ,which were born1#ci not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 #ci ,james #a3ah4 #ac4 ,not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,that is1 not by inheritance 7,luke #c3h72 nor by resolution 7,rom4 #h3e-h72 nor by human teaching 7#a ,cor4 #c3f1 #g72 but by the direct personal influence and contact of the ,spirit of ,god on the heart 7,titus #c3e1 #f74 ,thus1 ,john emphasizes the declaration of the preceding verse1 that ,god gives the power to become the sons of ,god1 by declaring that ,christian character is not the product of either good parentage1 a strong will1 or a good education1 but directly of a divine recreative act4 7,gal4 #f3ae47 ,the ,greek student will observe that the preposition used is of 771 not through 772 the writer is speaking of the origin or source of ,christian character1 not of the instruments by which it is developed4 ,good parentage1 will power1 and education1 are all means for the development of divine sonship2 the original cause1 without which a true son of ,god is never produced1 is the creative act of ,god himself4 #ad ,and the ,word#dj was made flesh1 and dwelt among us1 7and#da we beheld his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten of the ,father17 full#db of grace and truth4 #dj ,luke #a3ce2 #a ,tim4 #c3af4 #da #b ,pet4 #a3ag2 #a ,john #a3a1 #b4 #db ,ps4 #de3b2 ,col4 #b3c1 #i4 #ad4 ,and the ,word4 ,the self-manifesting ,god1 as described in the first verse4--,became flesh4 ,not a man 77 nor a body 771 but flesh 774 ,the word is one whose signification would probably be best rendered to the ,english reader by the phrase human nature4 ,though occasionally used in the ,n4 ,t4 of the literal and material flesh 7,acts #b3ca71 it almost always indicates man in his corporeal or earthly nature1 sometimes signifying the predominance of that over the higher or spiritual nature1 sometimes simply signifying this aspect of his nature1 without any indication of its corrupt tendencies4 ,here1 then1 the declaration is that the ,word became human nature2 how is not indicated4 ,the language gives no sanction to either of the two principal theories of the incarnation2 the first1 that ,christ took on human nature as something superadded to the divine1 so carrying through life a double nature1 both divine and human2 the second1 that he simply entered a human body and became subject to the limitations which it imposed on him4 ,how the divine became human we must learn elsewhere in the ,n4 ,t41 if the ,n4 ,t4 reveals it at all2 but the declaration here is explicit that the divine ,word became human4--,and tabernacled among us4 ,pitched his tent with us4 ,as ,god in the wilderness dwelt for a time in the transitory tabernacle1 so the ,word dwelt in the flesh1 which is elsewhere in the ,n4 ,t4 compared to a tabernacle 7#b ,cor4 #e3a1 #d2 #b ,pet4 #a3ac1 #ad74 ,as ,god dwelt subsequently in the permanent ,temple at ,jerusalem1 so the ,word makes its permanent abode in the soul of the believer1 which is the ,temple1 not the ,tabernacle of ,god 7ch4 #ae3f1 #g2 #b ,cor4 #f3af2 ,rev4 #ba3c74 ,that the reference here is to the incarnation1 not to the spiritual presence of ,christ with the believer1 is evident from the fact that the verb 77 is in the historical tense4 ,john says he tabernacled1 not he tabernacles1 among us4--,and we beheld his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten from the ,father4 ,we are made sons of ,god2 but ,christ alone is the only begotten ,son4 ,for the meaning of this phrase1 see ,luke #g3ab2 #h3db2 #i3ch4 ,john uses it only of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,greek student should observe the use of the preposition from 774 ,it designates the source from which anything is derived1 and here indicates that in a peculiar sense ,christ is from the ,father1 directly and immediately2 we are from him only through ,christ4 ,comp4 ch4 #g3bi4 ,in a peculiar sense the ,apostles beheld ,christ's glory 7ch4 #b3aa2 ,matt4 #ag3a-d2 #b ,pet4 #a3af2 #a ,john #a3a74 ,but in ,christ's life and character1 and in their influence on the world1 we are all beholders of the true divine glory1 manifested in him 7,heb4 #a3c72 and his earthly life is the brightness and glory of heaven 7,rev4 #ba3bc2 #e3i1 #aj74 ,the language1 as of the only begotten1 distinguishes the glory of ,christ from that of all previous revealers of the divine will and nature4 ,since many of the prophets too were glorified1 as ,moses1 ,elijah1 and ,elisha1 the one encircled by the fiery chariot1 the other taken up by it2 and after them ,daniel and the three children1 and the many others who showed forth wonders2 and angels who have appeared among men1 and partly disclosed to beholders the flashing light of their proper nature2 and since not angels only1 but even the cherubim were seen by the prophet in great glory and the seraphim also2 the ,evangelist1 leading us away from all these1 and removing our thoughts from created things1 and from the brightness of our fellow-servants1 sets us at the very summit of good4 ,for1 8not of prophets10 says he1 8nor angel1 nor archangel1 nor of the higher powers1 nor of any other created nature1 if other there be1 but of the ,master himself1 the ,king himself1 the true only begotten ,son himself1 of the very ,lord of all1 did we behold the glory40--7,chrysostom47--,full of grace and truth4 ,there is some doubt whether this is said of the glory beheld1 or of the only begotten ,son whose glory was beheld4 ,the question is not very important2 the latter construction is grammatically preferable4 ,thus rendered1 the clause 8,and we beheld1 etc410 is parenthetical1 ,john's statement being3 8,the ,word tabernacled among us1 full of grace and truth40 ,observe 7#a7 that the grace here answers to the ,life in verse #d1 and the truth to the ,light in verse #i4 ,because of his grace ,christ is ,life to all who accept him2 because of his truth he is ,light to all who follow him2 7#b7 that the declaration here is explained by1 and is possibly partially derived from ,exodus #cc3ah1 #ai1 where ,moses asks to see ,god's glory1 and is promised a disclosure of the divine goodness2 in the goodness of ,god in ,christ ,jesus we behold the divine glory2 7#c7 that the ,christian is to be1 like his ,master1 full of grace and truth1 and that to be at once perfectly truthful and also gracious is one of the most difficult practical problems of the ,christian life 7,rom4 #ab3i74 ,it seems to me clear that ,john has in mind throughout this verse the manifestation of the glory of ,god1 through the ,shechinah1 in the ,tabernacle1 and subsequently in the ,temple 7,exod4 #dj3cd1 #ce2 #a ,kings #h3aj2 see ,matt4 #ag3e1 note74 ,as the ,shechinah made luminous and glorious these earthly dwelling-places1 so the ,word1 by his indwelling1 made glorious the flesh4 #ae ,john#dc bare witness of him1 and cried1 saying1 ,this was he of whom ,i spake1 ,he that cometh after me is preferred before me3 for he was before me4 #dc ,matt4 #c3aa1 etc4 #ae4 ,john is testifying concerning him4 ,john the ,baptist was long since dead when these words were written2 but his testimony was not dead2 it was an ever-living testimony4 ,the verb is therefore put in the present tense1 not1 as in our ,english version1 in the past4--,and he cried1 saying1 ,it is the echo of this cry which still resounds and witnesses to ,jesus ,christ4 ,the language used implies a public testimony1 and one borne with confidence and joy4 ,on seeing the ,christ of whom he had prophesied1 ,john the ,baptist cries out1 8,this is he of whom ,i spoke40 ,for illustration of ,john's prophetic utterances concerning the ,messiah1 previous to the baptism of ,jesus1 see ,matt4 #c3aa1 #ab2 ,mark #a3g1 #h4--;,he that cometh after me4 ,christ did not begin his public ministry till the imprisonment of ,john the ,baptist 7,mark #a3ad74 ,thus as a public teacher he came after ,john the ,baptist4--,came forth before me4 ,not1 was before me 7 has not the force of 71 for then the sentence would be tautological-- that ,jesus was before ,john is in the next clause given as the reason for the statement in this1 that he came forth before him2 nor can the meaning be was preferred before me1 in the sense of esteemed above me1 for the mere fact of ,christ's pre-existence would be no reason for esteeming him more highly than ,john--the devil existed before ,john the ,baptist2 nor1 was preferred before me1 in the sense of1 was exalted in rank above me1 though some excellent scholars1 e4 g41 ,alford1 ,olshausen1 ,de ,wette1 so interpret it2 but1 as ,i have rendered it above1 came forth1 or1 was set before me4 ,the reference is to the previous manifestations of the ,word1 in the partial revelations of ,god in the ,o4 ,t4 ,all the disclosures of the divine nature in the ,o4 ,t4 were made through the ,word or utterance of ,god1 through whom alone he speaks to the human race4 ,see ver4 #d1 note1 and ch4 #h3ef-eh4 ,john then says 8,he who is coming after me is the ,one who has already come forth before me2 for he existed before me40 ,christ's pre-existence would not explain the preference1 either in the divine love or in rank1 but it does in part explain precedence in appearance or manifestation4 ,so ,hengstenberg1 8,my successor is my predecessor40 #af ,and of his fulness#dd have all we received1 and grace for grace4 #dd ch4 #c3cd4 #af4 ,and of his fullness have we all received4 ,the fullness is that of the divine nature1 of which we are made partakers through faith in ,christ 7,col4 #a3ai2 #b3i1 #aj2 ,ephes4 #c3ai74 ,the all are those who receive him and thus become the sons of ,god 7verse #ab74 ,this and the two following verses are the addition of the ,evangelist1 not the continuance of ,john the ,baptist's discourse2 this is evident both from their style1 which better accords with that of the ,evangelist1 and because the fullness of ,christ's nature was not received by ,john the ,baptist and his disciples1 for it was not disclosed till after the ,baptist's death4 ,observe1 7#a7 ,how inexhaustible the fountain4 ,from ,christ's fullness all spiritual life is supplied4 ,chrysostom compares ,christ to a fire from which ten thousand lamps are kindled1 but which burns as brightly thereafter as before4 8,the sea is diminished if you take a drop from it1 though the diminution be imperceptible2 but how much soever a man draw from the divine ,fountain1 it continues undiminished40 7#b7 ,how free the supply2 we have all received4 8,none went empty away40--7,meyer47 7#c7 ,the nature of ,christian experience4 ,it is not a mere trust in a crucified ,saviour for pardon for the past2 it is also a personal and continuous receiving of divine life from the fullness of a living ,saviour4--,and grace for grace4 ,of this expression there are two interpretations4 ,the ancient expositors understood it to mean1 ,for the lesser grace of the ,o4 ,t4 we have received the greater grace of the ,n4 ,t4 ,so ,chrysostom3 8,there was a righteousness and there is a righteousness 7,rom4 #a3ag72 there was a glory and there is a glory 7#b ,cor4 #c3aa72 there was a law and there is a law 7,rom4 #h3b72 there was a service and there is a service 7,rom4 #i3d2 #ab3aa72 there was a covenant and there is a covenant 7,jer4 #ca3ca1 #cb72 there was a sanctification and there is a sanctification2 there was a baptism and there is a baptism2 there was a sacrifice and there is a sacrifice2 there was a temple and there is a temple2 there was a circumcision and there is a circumcision2 and so too there was a grace and there is a grace40 ,the modern commentators1 ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,lange1 etc41 understand it to mean1 8,for each new accessory of grace we receive a still larger gift4 ,each grace1 though1 when given large enough1 is1 as it were1 overwhelmed by the accumulation and fullness of that which follows40--7,bengel47 8,grace for grace1 grace in the place of that which preceded--therefore grace uninterrupted1 unceasingly renewed40--7,winer47 ,the spiritual signification of the passage is substantially the same on either interpretation4 ,we have nothing to give in exchange for the divine grace2 our only virtue is to receive4 ,it is given to us in exchange for the grace already imparted4 8,unto every one that hath shall be given20 but what he already hath is ,god's gift1 which bestows both the good and the purchase money1 each new gift superseding the old1 as the ,n4 ,t4 gift of grace and truth through ,jesus ,christ superseded the lesser gift of law through ,moses4 ,with this accords the teaching of both ,o4 ,t4 and ,n4 ,t4 ,see1 for example1 ,deut4 #g3g2 ,ps4 #f3d2 #bc3c2 #be3g2 #ca3af2 #gi3i2 #aae3a2 ,isaiah #ee3a2 ,ephes4 #b3d2 #a ,john #d3h1 #aj4 #ag ,for the law was given by ,moses1 but grace#de and truth came by ,jesus ,christ4 #de ,ps4 #he3aj2 ,rom4 #e3ba4 #ag4 ,for the law was given by ,moses4 ,through 77 ,moses as the instrument or mediator of the old covenant4--,grace and truth came by ,jesus ,christ4 ,through 77 ,jesus ,christ as the mediator of the new covenant4 ,the grace is the favor of ,god 7see below71 the truth is the clear revelation of the divine character and will1 seen only dimly under the old covenant4 7#b ,cor4 #c3ac1 #ad47 ,observe the contrast between ,christ and ,moses 7comp4 ,heb4 #c3e1 #f72 and between the gifts brought by the two4 ,the law was given1 a completed thing1 once for all2 grace and truth came and continually come1 grace for grace1 out of the inexhaustible fullness of the giver4 ,,on ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,word 8,,grace40 ,the word here translated grace 77 is also variously translated in the ,n4 ,t4 acceptable1 benefit1 favor1 gift1 joy1 liberality1 pleasure1 thanks1 and thankworthy4 ,this fact will of itself sufficiently indicate that the word possesses various shades of meaning4 ,they are all1 however1 etymologically derived from the same root idea4 ,the noun is derived from a verb meaning to rejoice1 and primarily signifies that which gives joy to another4 ,with the ,greeks1 beauty was one of the chief joys2 hence the first meaning of the word--grace of external form1 manner1 or language1 a meaning which it but rarely bears in the ,n4 ,t4 7see ,luke #d3bb2 ,col4 #d3f74 ,thence it derived a deeper meaning1 viz41 beauty in character1 and this1 according to the ,n4 ,t4 teaching1 is good-will1 the disposition to do a kindness to another1 to make another rejoice2 hence the word is used to signify that quality in ,god which leads him to confer freely happiness on men1 either on special individuals 7,luke #b3dj2 #a ,cor4 #c3aj71 or on the whole human race 7,rom4 #c3bd2 ,ephes4 #a3f2 ,tit4 #b3aa74 ,thence it was employed to designate the kindness actually flowing from and conferred by this disposition1 hence an alms1 and in the ,n4 ,t4 the spiritual gifts conferred by the divine love on the soul 7#a ,cor4 #af3c2 #b ,cor4 #h3d2 #a ,cor4 #ae3aj2 #b ,cor4 #f3a2 #b ,pet4 #c3ah72 in which sense it is employed in the apostolic benediction 7#a ,cor4 #a3c2 #b ,cor4 #a3b2 ,gal4 #a3c1 etc474 ,finally it was used to designate the feeling awakened by favors shown1 the reflection in the human heart of the divine grace imparted1 and hence gratitude and even its expression in thanks 7,luke #f3cb-cd2 #ag3i2 #a ,tim4 #a3ab2 #b ,tim4 #a3c74 ,underlying its meaning in all these uses is the radical idea that the gift is conferred freely and finds its only motive in the bounty and love of the giver1 an idea which finds expression in the ,latin word gratis 7for nothing71 now thoroughly ,anglicized1 a word which comes from the same root as grace 7gratia74 ,by the doctrine of grace1 then1 as it is variously expounded in the ,n4 ,t41 is meant that our own spiritual life is the free gift of ,god1 bestowed on us without merit or desert on our part1 purely from the love and good-will of ,god4 ,our graces are ,god's free gifts4 ,john here marks the contrast between the law which requires obedience of man1 and grace and truth which confers spiritual power on man4 ,the one says1 ,do this and live2 the other says1 ,live1 so that you can do this 7,rom4 #h3c74 ,nowhere in the ,n4 ,t4 is the doctrine of grace more clearly set forth than in these #afth and #agth verses1 which may be paraphrased thus3 ,from the divine fullness in ,jesus ,christ we have all received2 the only condition which ,god attaches to the free impartation of his spiritual gifts is that we should have received willingly those already proffered to us2 by ,moses it was revealed to us what ,god would have us do and be2 by ,christ it is clearly disclosed to us what ,god is1 and there is freely imparted to us power to become1 like him1 sons of ,god4 #ah ,no man hath seen ,god#df at any time2 the#dg only begotten ,son1 which is in the bosom of the ,father1 he hath declared him4 #df ,ex4 #cc3bj2 #a ,tim4 #f3af4 #dg #a ,john #d3i4 #ah4 ,no one hath seen ,god at any time4 ,not merely no man2 no one--man1 angel1 archangel4 ,the phrase here1 seen ,god1 is equivalent to the phrase knowing ,god perfectly1 in ,matt4 #aa3bg 7see note there74 ,we know him but in part1 shall see him only when we awake in his likeness 7,ps4 #ag3ae72 ,christ sees him because he is one with him4--,the only begotten ,son4 ,some manuscripts have here1 ,the only begotten ,god1 and this reading is adopted by ,tregelles1 but rejected by ,alford1 ,meyer1 and ,tischendorf4 ,for examination of the authorities on both sides1 see ,alford 7sixth edition7 and ,lange1 critical note by ,dr4 ,schaff4 ,the external authorities are not conclusive2 internal authority strongly favors the ordinary reading4 ,the only begotten ,god is a phrase occurring nowhere else in the ,n4 ,t41 and is unnatural if not unmeaning4 ,the change of a single letter in the early copies would account for the corruption of the text 7 to 74--,which is in the bosom of the ,father4 ,a metaphorical expression1 indicating the closeness of intimacy1 and drawn more probably from the relation of a child with its parents1 than from the not infrequent reclining of one on the bosom of his friend1 at meal-time 7,john #ac3be74--;,he hath declared him4 ,comp4 ch4 #f3df2 #ad3f1 #i1 #aj2 #a ,tim4 #c3af2 ,heb4 #a3c4 ,these and other kindred passages indicate clearly how ,christ declares the ,father1 viz41 not merely by what he teaches concerning the divine nature1 but yet more by his personal manifestation of the divine nature in his own life and character4 ,this verse thus interprets the word truth in the preceding verse1 as the word grace has already been interpreted by verses #aa and #ab4 ,christ is the truth of ,god1 because he reveals the divine nature2 he is the grace of ,god because he imparts the divine nature to such as trust in him4 ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,incarnation4 ,a correct apprehension of the character and place in history of ,jesus ,christ is essential to a correct apprehension of ,christianity4 ,our conception of the system will depend upon our conception of the ,founder4 ,the other ,evangelists give simply the story of his life1 leaving the readers to draw their own deductions respecting him4 ,john1 writing at a later date1 and in a more philosophical atmosphere1 begins his ,gospel with a characterization of the ,one the story of whose earthly life he is about to narrate4 ,it is evident on even a cursory examination of this preface that ,john believed and intended to teach1 7#a7 ,that ,christ existed prior to his earthly birth4 ,he was the ,light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world2 was before ,john the ,baptist1 whom in his earthly history and mission he succeeded2 and he was in the beginning with ,god 7vers4 #a1 #d1 #ae74 7#b7 ,that he possessed a superhuman character4 ,he is carefully distinguished from and placed above ,john the ,baptist1 the last of the prophets and more than a prophet 7,matt4 #aa3i71 and from ,moses the lawgiver and politically the founder of the ,jewish nation2 and he is emphatically declared not only to have been with ,god in the beginning1 but to have partaken of the divine nature 7vers4 #a1 #f-h1 #ag74 7#c7 ,this superhuman character is further illustrated by what is declared of his office or work4 ,he is the ,creator1 the ,light and ,life of men1 the regenerating power through whom men are brought into divine sonship1 the daily support of the spiritual life of the children of ,god1 the disclosure of the divine nature to men 7vers4 #c1 #d1 #ab1 #ac1 #af1 #ah74 7#d7 ,this truth is incidentally1 but all the more effectively1 enforced by ,john's peculiar language in describing ,christ's earthly state3 he 8tabernacled among us and we beheld his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten from the ,father0 7ver4 #ad74 7#e7 ,finally1 it is illustrated in the various titles conferred upon him throughout this chapter1 which are ten in number3 the ,word2 the ,light2 the ,life2 the only begotten of the ,father2 ,jesus ,christ1 i4 e41 the ,saviour1 the ,messiah2 the only begotten ,son2 the ,lamb of ,god2 the ,son of ,god2 ,master2 the ,son of ,man4 ,it is not the province of the commentator to construct a systematic theology4 ,but it is certain that these elements must enter into any conception of ,jesus ,christ which is founded on and accords with the ,n4 ,t4 ,there is probably no other single passage of equal length in the ,n4 ,t4 which contains so much respecting the character and office of ,jesus ,christ as this preface to ,john's ,gospel2 with it1 however1 should be examined ,paul's ,christology 7e4 g41 ,phil4 #b3e-aa71 and that of the unknown author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews 7,heb41 chaps4 #a1 #b74 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #a3ai-ea4 ,,introduction ,,of ,,christ ,,to ,,the ,,world4 ,,by ,,john ,,the ,,baptist 7vers4 #ai-cg72 ,,by ,,himself 7vers4 #ch-ea74 ,,christ ,,the ,,sin-,,bearer ,,of ,,the ,,world4--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,christ2 ,,the ,,abiding ,,of ,,god',s ,,spirit ,,on ,,him4-- ,,christ ,,our ,,pattern ,,in ,,fishing ,,for ,,men4--,,the ,,value ,,of ,,personal ,,and ,,private ,,work4--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,prejudice ,,in ,,good ,,men4--,,the ,,best ,,answer ,,to ,,skepticism1 8,,come ,,and ,,see40--,,christ ,,reveals ,,himself ,,when ,,he ,,reveals ,,us ,,to ,,ourselves4--,,christ',s ,,first ,,coming ,a ,,prophecy ,,and ,,foretaste ,,of ,,his ,,second ,,coming4 ,the historical portion of the ,fourth ,gospel begins here4 ,the interview between the deputation from the ,sanhedrim and ,john the ,baptist here described probably took place after the baptism of ,jesus1 and during the temptation1 of which latter event this ,gospel makes no mention4 ,with the account of the ,baptist's ministry given here the reader should compare ,matt41 chap4 #c1 and ,luke1 chap4 #c4 #ai ,and this#dh is the record of ,john1 when the ,jews sent priests and ,levites from ,jerusalem to ask him1 ,who art thou8 #dh ,luke #c3ae1 etc4 #bj ,and he confessed1 and denied not2 but confessed1 ,i am not the ,christ4 #ai1 #bj4 ,and this is the witness of ,john4 ,the writer goes back and gives a detailed history of ,john's first explicit testimony to the ,messiah1 connecting it with his previous reference to that testimony in verse #ae4--,when the ,jews sent priests and ,levites4 ,in ,john's ,gospel1 the term ,jews generally signifies1 not the residents of ,palestine1 but those of ,judea1 and sometimes the official heads of the people4 ,this appears to be the meaning here4 ,it is clear from verse #bb that this was an official deputation1 probably sent by the ,sanhedrim4 ,the ,baptist's preaching had produced a profound sensation throughout that part of ,palestine2 great crowds flocked to his ministry2 he was universally regarded as a prophet1 and by some as perhaps the ,messiah2 some of the ,pharisees themselves came to his baptism1 though his severe denunciation of their formalism1 and their own opposition to such a personal reform as his preaching demanded1 made them1 as a class1 bitterly opposed to him 7,matt4 #c3e1 #g2 #ba3be1 #bf2 ,luke #c3ae74 ,it was therefore natural and fit that the ,sanhedrim should send to inquire officially respecting his ministry4 ,there is nothing to indicate whether this inquiry was conducted in a hostile spirit or otherwise4--,who art thou8 ,observe1 throughout this interview1 the difference in the spirit of the inquirers and of ,john4 ,they persist in demanding to know who he is2 he replies only by pointing out what he does4 8,they ever ask about his person2 he ever refers them to his office4 ,he is no one--a voice merely2 it is the work of ,god1 the testimony to ,christ1 which is everything4 ,so the formalist ever in the church asks1 ,who is he8 while the witness for ,christ only exalts1 only cares for ,christ's work40--7,alford47--,and he publicly acknowledged1 and denied not4 ,we know from ,luke #c3ae that some thought he might be the ,messiah2 and later1 a ,gnostic sect maintained that he was the ,messiah4 ,this testimony1 amplifying the brief reference to it in verses #g1 #h1 is probably inserted in part to refute this error4 #ba ,and they asked him1 ,what then8 ,art thou ,elias8 ,and he saith1 ,i am not4 ,art thou that prophet8 ,and he answered1 ,no4 #ba4 ,art thou ,elijah8 ,and he saith1 ,i am not4 ,mal4 #d3e declares that ,elijah should precede the ,messiah4 ,john the ,baptist's character1 and even his appearance 7comp4 ,matt4 #c3d with #b ,kings #a3h71 resembled that of ,elijah4 ,christ distinctly declares that ,john the ,baptist is the ,elijah foretold by the prophet and expected by the people 7,matt4 #ag3ab1 #ac2 comp4 ,luke #a3ag74 ,here ,john says he is not4 ,the true explanation is1 not that the people were expecting a literal resurrection of ,elijah from the dead1 and ,john denied that he fulfilled that expectation1 but that1 like many another great but humble messenger of ,god1 he did not comprehend his own character and mission and relation to ancient prophecy4 ,he was more than he knew4--,art thou that prophet8 ,from ,deut41 #h3ae the ,jews expected a prophet to precede the ,messiah 7,john #f3ad2 #g3dj74 ,not till later was this prophecy correctly interpreted by the ,apostles as referring to ,christ himself 7,acts #c3bb2 #g3cg74 #bb ,then said they unto him1 ,who art thou8 that we may give an answer to them that sent us4 ,what sayest thou of thyself8 #bc ,he#di said1 ,i am the voice of one crying in the wilderness1 ,make straight the way of the ,lord1 as said the prophet#ej ,esaias4 #di ch4 #c3bh2 ,matt4 #c3c2 ,mark #a3c2 ,luke #c3d4 #ej ,isa4 #dj3c4 #bb1 #bc4 ,see ,matt4 #c3c and ,mark #a3c1 and notes4 ,it is evident that the characterization of ,john the ,baptist there and the application to him of the prophecy of ,isaiah #dj3c was derived from ,john himself4 #bd ,and they which were sent were of the ,pharisees4 #be ,and they asked him1 and said unto him1 ,why baptizeth thou then1 if thou be not that ,christ1 nor ,elias1 neither that prophet8 #bf ,john answered them1 saying1 ,i baptize with water3 but there standeth one#ea among you1 whom ye know not2 #ea ,mal4 #c3a4 #bg ,he it is1 who coming after me is preferred before me1 whose shoe's latchet ,i am not worthy to unloose4 #bd-bg4 ,and they which were sent were of the ,pharisees4 ,the ,pharisees were scrupulous ceremonialists1 and ablutions were an important part of their ceremonial4 ,see ,matt4 #ae3a-g2 ,mark #g3b-e1 notes4 ,to them ,john's employment of baptism appeared irregular and unauthorized if he were not invested with some special divine authority4--,john answered them4 ,this answer is only indirectly responsive to their interrogatory4 ,he passes at once from his own authority1 which he disdains to defend1 to testify to the ,messiah1 whose forerunner he is4 ,the synoptical ,evangelists 7,matt4 #c3aa1 #ab1 note2 ,mark #a3g1 #h2 ,luke #c3af1 #ag7 report more fully ,john's characterization of his own baptism and its contrast with that which the ,messiah would inaugurate2 one in water1 the other in fire and the ,holy ,ghost2 one a symbol1 the other the thing symbolized2 one a prophecy1 the other its fulfillment4--,there standeth one among you whom ye know not4 ,that is1 do not recognize as what he really is1 the ,messiah4 ,it is not necessarily implied that ,jesus ,christ was present at this interview1 and verse #bi implies that he was not4 ,the language simply points to one apparently of the common people and unknown4--,who cometh after me1 whose shoe-latchet ,i am unworthy to unloose4 ,this is the true reading2 the words is preferred before me have been added by some copyist from verse #ae4 ,on the significance of the expression1 see notes on ,matt4 #c3aa and ,luke #c3af4 ,the latchet of the shoe is the leather thong with which the sandal was bound on to the foot or the shoe was laced4 ,for illustration1 see ,mark #f3g-ac1 ,vol4 #a1 p4 #cfb4 #bh ,these things were done in ,bethabara#eb beyond ,jordan1 where ,john was baptizing4 #eb ,judges #g3bd4 #bh4 ,bethabara4 ,the best reading here is ,bethany2 the common reading1 ,bethabara1 is derived from ,origen1 who found such a place about opposite ,jericho4 ,the ,bethany intended is certainly not the well-known town of that name on the eastern slope of the ,mount of ,olives1 for this one was beyond ,jordan4 ,the site is unknown2 it has been fixed by ,origen as far south as ,jericho2 by ,stanley1 #cj miles north of ,jericho1 near ,succoth2 by ,lightfoot1 north of the ,sea of ,galilee4 ,we can only say that it was probably at one of the fords of the ,jordan1 in the great eastern line of travel1 and certainly at some point between the sea of ,galilee and the neighborhood of ,jericho4 ,there are two traditional sites1 one ,greek1 the other ,latin1 and both historically worthless4 #bi ,the next day ,john seeth ,jesus coming unto him1 and saith1 ,behold the ,lamb#ec of ,god1 which taketh#ed away the sin of the world4 #ec ,ex4 #ab3c2 ,isa4 #ec3g1 #aa2 ,rev4 #e3f4 #ed ,acts #ac3ci2 #a ,pet4 #b3bd2 ,rev4 #a3e4 #bi4 ,the next day4 ,not merely1 some following day1 for the original ,greek word 77 never has this meaning in the ,n4 ,t4 ,it has been so rendered by some commentators here1 in order to introduce the ,temptation between the testimony of the ,baptist to the delegation from ,jerusalem and his testimony here uttered to his own disciples4--,he seeth ,jesus4 ,the word ,john has been inserted by some copyists to make the meaning clearer4--,coming toward him4 ,not1 as in our ,english version1 unto him4 ,the preposition employed 77 signifies simply direction4 ,why he was coming toward him is not a matter for profitable conjecture4 ,not1 as some suppose1 for baptism1 for the temptation followed the baptism1 and the order of events in ,john's narrative follow each other so closely up to and after the marriage at ,cana 7vers4 #ce1 #dc2 ch4 #b3a71 that no time is afforded for the temptation1 which was forty days in duration1 and which must have occurred prior to the interview between the ,baptist and the ,jewish delegation4--,and said4 ,publicly1 probably to his own disciples1 perhaps to the multitude4 ,this first preaching of ,christ produced no observable effect4 ,it was not till ,john repeated it on the following day 7ver4 #cg7 that any of his auditors followed ,jesus4--,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 ,not a lamb of ,god4 ,the meaning cannot therefore be1 ,behold a pure and innocent man2 an interpretation which would probably never have been conceived1 but for the purpose of escaping the doctrine of atonement for sin1 which can be escaped only by rejecting both the ,old and the ,new ,testaments in their entirety4--,which taketh away4 ,this exactly represents the significance of the original verb 771 which means1 not bears1 or suffers1 or releases from the penalty of1 but takes away4 ,for its non-metaphorical use1 see ,matt4 #ac3ab1 shall be taken away2 #ba3ba1 be removed2 ,luke #f3cj1 that taketh away thy goods2 ,john #aa3ci1 take away the stone2 #aa3dh1 the ,romans shall take away both our place1 etc4 ,it thus corresponds almost exactly with the word 77 ordinarily translated forgive4 ,see ,matt4 #f3ab1 note4 ,observe that the verb is in the present tense1 is taking away4 ,the sacrifice has been offered once for all2 but its effect is a continuous one4 ,christ is ever engaged in lifting up and taking away the sin of the world4--,the sin of the world4 ,not sins from the world1 which would be a very different matter4 ,the sin is represented as one burden1 which ,christ as a whole lifts up and carries away4 ,his redemption is not a limited redemption2 it provides a finished salvation for the entire human race4 ,see ch4 #af3bb1 note4 ,very unnecessary difficulty has been made respecting the interpretation of the ,baptist's simple metaphor here4 ,the lamb was throughout the ,o4 ,t4 times commonly used for sacrifice as a sin-offering 7,lev4 #d3cb72 in cleansing the leper 7,lev4 #ad3aj72 at the morning and evening sacrifice 7,exod4 #bi3ch72 at all the great feasts 7,numb4 #bh3aa2 #bi3b1 #ac1 #cg2 ,lev4 #bc3ai72 and in large numbers on special occasions 7#a ,chron4 #bi3ba2 #b ,chron4 #bi3cb2 #ce3g74 ,the sacrifice of the paschal lamb at the ,passover connected the lamb as a sacrifice with the greatest feast day of the nation1 and with the national redemption from bondage and deliverance from death 7,exod4 #ab3ba-bg74 ,the ceremony with the scape-goat on the day of atonement1 the only fast-day in the ,jewish calendar1 interpreted clearly1 and by an annual symbol1 the meaning of these sacrifices4 ,on that day two kids of goats were chosen1 closely resembling each other2 one was slain as a sin-offering2 over the other the high-priest confessed the sins of the people1 8putting them on the head of the goat10 who was then led away into the wilderness1 8to bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited0 7,lev4 #af3e-aj1 #bj-bb74 ,isaiah1 with unmistakable reference to these typical sacrifices1 declared that the ,messiah should bear the sins and sorrows of the world as a lamb slaughtered 7,isaiah #ec3a-g72 and the ,baptist1 speaking to a people whose national education had led them to regard the lamb as the type of sacrifice1 through the shedding of whose blood there was a redemption1 a carrying away of sins1 points to ,jesus with the declaration1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world1 that is1 the true ,sin-bearer1 of whom all that went before were but types and prophecies4 ,how he was to take away this load of sin the ,baptist does not say1 and probably did not know4 ,that he did not realize that ,christ was to be a true sacrifice for sin is indicated by his subsequent perplexity and message to ,jesus 7,matt4 #aa3b-f1 note74 ,observe the analogy and the contrast between the ,o4 ,t4 and the ,n4 ,t4 ,under the ,o4 ,t4 there were provided by the sinner lambs1 whose sacrifice took sin away from the individual or the nation1 but for the time only1 and therefore the sacrifice needed to be continually repeated2 under the ,n4 ,t4 one ,lamb is provided1 the ,lamb of ,god1 i4 e41 proceeding from and provided by ,god1 as intimated by ,abraham to ,isaac 7,gen4 #bb3h71 whose sacrifice once for all 7,heb4 #aj3aj-ab7 takes away the sin of the whole world 7#a ,john #b3b71 and therefore never needs to be repeated4 ,it is worthy of note that the word lamb is never used in the ,n4 ,t4 except in reference to ,jesus ,christ 7,john #a3bi1 #cf2 ,acts #h3cb2 #a ,peter #a3ai2 ,rev4 #e3f1 #h1 #ab1 etc474 ,the word lambs in the plural form occurs twice1 but both times refer to the disciples of ,christ 7,luke #aj3c2 ,john #ba3ae74 #cj ,this is he of whom ,i said1 ,after me cometh a man which is preferred before me3 for he was before me4 #ca ,and ,i knew him not3 but that he should be made manifest to ,israel1 therefore am ,i come baptizing with water4 #cj1 #ca4 ,after me cometh1 etc4 ,see on verse #ae4--;,but that he should be made manifest to ,israel therefore am ,i come1 etc4 ,the object of the ,baptist's ministry was not then merely to preach repentance1 but to preach repentance as a preparation for the coming of the kingdom of ,god in the incarnation of the ,king4 ,and with this agrees his own definition of his mission 7verse #bc7 and the other ,evangelists' epitome of his ministry 7,matt4 #c3b74 ,the true office of the minister is always that ,christ may be made manifest4 #cb ,and ,john bare record1 saying1 ,i saw the ,spirit descending from heaven like a dove1 and it abode upon him4 #cc ,and ,i knew him not3 but he that sent me to baptize with water1 the same said unto me1 ,upon whom thou shalt see the ,spirit descending1 and remaining#ee on him1 the same is he which baptizeth#ef with the ,holy ,ghost4 #ee chap4 #c3cd4 #ef ,acts #a3e2 #b3d4 #cd ,and ,i saw1 and bare record that this is the ,son of ,god4 #cb-cd4 ,and ,john witnessed4 ,evidently the ,evangelist here speaks of his witness at some period subsequent to the baptism1 and therefore subsequent to the temptation which immediately succeeded the baptism4--,i saw the ,spirit descending from heaven like a dove4 ,that is1 in the form of a dove4 ,the vision was seen only by ,jesus and ,john4 ,on it see ,matt4 #c3af1 note4--,and it abode upon him4 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 not the dove1 abode4 ,that ,john in some way recognized the abiding as a part of the sign of ,christ's ,messiahship1 is evident from the next verse2 how he recognized it is not indicated4--,i also knew him not4 ,he connects himself with the people who knew him not 7verse #bf74 ,i1 as well as you1 knew him not1 till this sign was vouchsafed me4 ,why then did he at first object to baptizing ,jesus1 if he did not recognize in him the ,christ 7,matt4 #c3ad74 ,he was second cousin of ,jesus2 knew him1 probably1 as a pure and holy man2 perhaps knew the facts respecting ,jesus' birth1 which were certainly known to ,john's mother2 may even have suspected that he was the promised ,messiah2 and at all events may have believed that he needed no baptism of repentance4 ,he did not1 however1 know him to be the ,messiah1 and did not recognize him as such1 till after the promised sign1 and this followed the baptism of ,jesus4--,saw and bare witness4 ,that is1 at that time4 ,he refers the people to his witness-bearing at the time of the baptism1 a testimony which was still fresh in their memory4 #ce ,again the next day after ,john stood1 and two of his disciples3 #cf ,and looking upon ,jesus as he walketh1 he saith1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 #cg ,and the two disciples heard him speak1 and they followed ,jesus4 #ce-cg4 ,again the next day4 ,that is1 the day following the apparent public discourse1 so briefly reported in the preceding verses 7#bi-cd74--;,and two of his disciples4 ,see on their names verse #dj and note4 ,as they were disciples of the ,baptist it is to be presumed that they had been baptized1 but by ,john's baptism which was unto repentance and not in the name of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4 ,see ,acts #ai3c-e4--;,as he walked4 ,or1 as we should say1 ,as he was taking a walk4 ,one of the numerous indications in the ,gospels that ,christ was a lover of nature1 and accustomed to meditate and study in communion with nature4--,saith1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god4 ,see on verse #bi4 ,observe the practical value of line upon line4 ,john's private message recalls and repeats his public testimony4 ,see ,phil4 #c3a4--;,and the two disciples heard him speak4 ,he spoke possibly in soliloquy1 more probably to them4 ,it is clear that it was not a public discourse which is here reported4 ,there is no ground for the hypothesis that the two disciples had not heard the discourse of the previous day4 ,rather the implication is that they had heard it1 and these words uttered to them in private by their teacher1 enforced the public lesson1 and led them to seek further knowledge concerning the one who was pointed out to them as the ,messiah4 ,observe how this passage teaches the value of personal work and personal influence4 ,the first disciples are led to seek ,christ1 not by the public discourse1 but by the private words of the ,baptist2 by private influence they bring ,peter 7#da72 by private invitation ,philip is added to the disciples 7#dc72 and by his personal solicitation ,nathanael is brought to ,christ 7#de74--;,and they followed ,jesus4 ,not1 in the religious sense of the words1 became followers of ,jesus2 not till later did they leave all to follow him 7,luke1 ch4 #e74 ,the simplest is also the truest interpretation of these words4 ,they literally followed him2 drawn partly by curiosity1 partly1 perhaps1 by a real spiritual desire for closer acquaintance with the one whom their teacher designated as the ,lamb of ,god4 #ch ,then ,jesus turned1 and saw them following1 and saith unto them1 ,what seek ye8 ,they said unto him1 ,rabbi1 7which is to say being interpreted1 ,master17 where dwellest thou8 #ci ,he saith unto them1 ,come and see4 ,they came and saw where he dwelt1 and abode with him that day3 for it was about the tenth hour4 #ch1 #ci4 ,jesus 99 99 99 saith unto them1 ,what seek ye8 ,not because he was ignorant of their purpose1 for he knew what was in man 7ch4 #b3be2 comp4 ,mark #b3h1 etc472 but because he would draw them out4 ,in a similar manner he opens conversation with the woman at the well 7ch4 #d3aj1 #af71 with the disciples fishing at the sea of ,galilee 7ch4 #ba3e71 and with the disciples on their way to ,emmaus 7,luke #bd3ag74 ,christ as a conversationalist is a study for the ,christian4 ,observe how he opens the way and leads on to familiar acquaintance1 first by his question1 then by his invitation1 finally by his hospitality4--,rabbi 99 99 99 ,master4 ,rather1 teacher1 or doctor4 ,rabbi is a ,hebrew word2 teacher 77 is its ,greek equivalent4 ,john1 writing for the ,gentile world1 habitually translates the ,hebrew phrases into their ,greek equivalents4--,where dwellest thou8 ,they are timid and dare not1 or at least do not1 express their whole desire4 ,often in the spiritual reticence1 so common to the first experiences of the awakened soul1 its real aspirations after truth are concealed beneath an assumed curiosity respecting some indifferent matter4 ,christ meets this non-pertinent if not impertinent curiosity with an invitation which attaches the two inquirers to him for life4--,come and see4 ,rather1 ,come and ye shall see4 ,this is the best reading1 and is given by ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,tischendorf1 ,tregelles1 etc4 7 not 74--,and abode with him that day4 ,for the rest of the day4--,for it was about the tenth hour4 ,reckoning from #f ,a4 ,m41 according to ,jewish fashion1 this would make it #d ,p4 ,m4 ,observe1 as indicative of the ,evangelist ,john's character1 and of the force of the impression made on him from the outset by ,christ1 that he remembered not only the day1 but the very hour1 of his first interview with his subsequent ,lord4 ,this1 too1 is one of those minute touches which would not be found in either a mythical tradition or an ecclesiastical forgery4 #dj ,one of the two which heard ,john speak1 and followed him1 was ,andrew1 ,simon ,peter's brother4 #da ,he first findeth his own brother ,simon1 and saith unto him1 ,we have found the ,messias1 which is1 being interpreted1 the ,christ4 #db ,and he brought him to ,jesus4 ,and when ,jesus beheld him1 he said1 ,thou art ,simon the son of ,jona3 thou#eg shalt be called ,cephas1 which is by interpretation1 ,a stone4 #eg ,matt4 #af3ah4 #dj-db4 ,one of the two 99 99 99 was ,andrew4 ,it is the almost universal belief of scholars that the other was ,john the ,evangelist1 an opinion which rests on the following considerations3 7#a7 ,john never mentions himself in his ,gospel2 if he refers to himself at all it is never by name 7ch4 #ac3bc2 #ah3ae2 #ai3bf2 #bj3c2 #ba3bj74 7#b7 ,the name of the other disciple would have been mentioned if there had not been some special reason for not mentioning it1 and ,john's habit of suppressing his own name constitutes a sufficient reason2 no other plausible reason has been suggested4 7#c7 ,the minute accuracy of detail in this narrative1 extending to the specification of the day and of the hour1 justifies the belief that it is the narrative of an eye and ear witness4 ,on the life and character of ,andrew see note at close of ,matt4 ch4 #aj1 ,vol4 #a4--;,he first findeth his own brother4 ,our ,english version is ambiguous if not misleading4 ,the meaning is not1 ,before going to ,jesus' residence he found his own brother1 but of the two he was the first to find ,simon4 ,the implication is that both went in search of him2 all three1 ,john1 ,andrew1 and ,simon were probably at the baptism of ,john the ,baptist1 and were his disciples4 ,there is no evidence to sustain the hypothesis that ,john brought his brother ,james to ,jesus at this time1 or even that ,james was with ,john at the ,jordan4--,the ,messiah 99 99 99 the ,christ4 ,one is a ,hebrew1 the other a ,greek word4 ,the meaning is the ,anointed ,one4 ,on the spiritual meaning of the names of ,jesus1 see note at close of ,matt4 ch4 #a1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,andrew's exclamation of delight on finding the ,messiah1 eureka 71 we have found71 is the same attributed to ,archimedes on his discovery of the adulteration of ,hiero's crown4 ,he detected the mixture of silver in a crown which ,hiero had ordered to be made of gold1 and determined the proportions of the two metals by a method suggested to him by the overflow of the water when he stepped into a bath4 ,when the thought struck him1 he is said to have been so pleased that1 forgetting to put on his clothes1 he ran home shouting ,eureka1 ,eureka1 ,i have found it1 ,i have found it4 ,what is the grandest discovery compared with that which the soul makes when it finds its ,messiah8--,thou shalt be called ,cephas1 which is by interpretation ,peter4 ,cephas is ,hebrew2 ,peter is ,greek2 both words mean a stone4 ,on the significance of this change of name1 see ,matt4 #af3ah1 note4 ,at the interview there reported ,christ refers to the name here given1 and confirms and interprets it2 at least this is the view of the best ,evangelical scholars1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 ,lange1 ,schaff2 and it is more reasonable1 on the whole1 than the supposition that the ,evangelist ,john anticipates and reports the change of name out of its place4 ,the careful student will observe that here ,christ's language is that of prophecy3 ,thou shalt be called ,peter2 there it is the language of fulfillment4 ,thou art ,peter4 ,the apostle did not become ,peter till he made the inspired confession of ,christ as the divine ,messiah1 which is recorded in ,matthew4 #dc ,the day following4 ,jesus would go forth into ,galilee1 and findeth ,philip1 and saith unto him1 ,follow me4 #dd ,now ,philip was of ,bethsaida1 the city of ,andrew and ,peter4 #de ,philip findeth ,nathanael1 and saith unto him1 ,we have found him1 of whom ,moses#eh in the law1 and the prophets1 did write1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the son of ,joseph4 #eh ,luke #bd3bg1 #dd4 #dc-de4 ,the day following4 ,that is1 the day following the bringing of ,peter to ,jesus1 which ,meyer thinks occurred on the same day in which ,andrew and ,john accompanied ,jesus to his home1 but which it appears to me1 from verse #ci1 must have occurred on the following day2 and this is the view of the ancient and of many of the modern expositors4 ,in that case the order would be as follows3 first day1 ,john's conference with the delegation from ,jerusalem 7#ai-bh72 second day1 ,john's public testimony to ,jesus 7#bi-cd72 third day1 ,john's private testimony to ,jesus 7#ce-ci72 fourth day1 ,peter brought to ,jesus 7#dj-db72 fifth day1 ,nathanael brought to ,jesus 7#dc-ea72 seventh day1 one day intervening1 the marriage at ,cana in ,galilee 7ch4 #b3a1 etc474--,findeth ,philip and saith unto him1 ,follow me4 ,this is ,christ's first personal call of a disciple to follow him4 ,there is no evidence that ,philip ever withdrew from this personal following of ,christ as did ,john and ,peter and ,andrew2 they did not permanently attach themselves to ,jesus till his subsequent call to them by the sea of ,galilee 7,luke #e3a-aa74 ,on ,philip's life1 see note at close of ,matt4 #aj1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,he is not to be confounded with ,philip the deacon1 mentioned in ,acts #f3e2 #h3e-ab1 etc4--,bethsaida4 ,there is no good ground for the hypothesis that there were two towns of this name on or near the sea of ,galilee4 ,the city was on the northern shore1 near the entrance of the ,jordan into the sea4 ,see ,mark #f3de1 note2 and for illustration of site1 ,john ch4 #f4--,philip findeth ,nathanael4 ,observe that the young disciple does not wait1 but as soon as he has found ,christ begins to declare his discovery to others4 ,so with ,andrew above 7#da71 with the woman of ,samaria 7ch4 #d3bh1 #bi71 with ,paul after his conversion 7,acts #i3bj74 ,nathanael's name occurs in the ,n4 ,t4 only here and in ,john #ba3b4 ,it is not among the list of apostles furnished by ,matt4 #aj3b-e2 ,mark #c3af-ai2 ,luke #f3ad-af2 and ,acts #a3ac4 ,but they all mention1 in close connection with ,philip1 a ,bartholomew1 which is not properly a name but only a patronymic1 its meaning being ,son of ,tholmai4 ,these facts have led most scholars to adopt1 as a reasonable hypothesis1 the opinion that ,nathanael and ,bartholomew are different names for the same person4 ,the name ,nathanael1 like our ,theodore1 means gift of ,god4--,we have found him of whom ,moses in the law1 and the prophets1 did write4 ,the reference is unmistakably to the ,messiah4 ,for references in the books of ,moses to the promised ,messiah1 see ,gen4 #c3ae and #ag3g1 with ,gal4 #c3af1 and ,deut4 #ah3ae-ai4--;,jesus of ,nazareth1 the son of ,joseph4 ,this is the language1 not of the ,evangelist1 but of ,philip4 ,unquestionably at that time ,philip knew nothing of the supposed birth of ,jesus2 to him ,jesus was1 as to the ,nazarenes subsequently 7,matt4 #ac3ed-ef71 simply the son of ,joseph4 ,the supposed inconsistency of this language and the account of ,christ's supernatural birth as given by ,matthew1 is therefore purely imaginary4 #df ,and ,nathanael said unto him1#ei ,can there any good thing come out of ,nazareth8 ,philip saith unto him1 ,come and see4 #ei chap4 #g3da4 #df4 ,out of ,nazareth is it possible that anything good can come6 ,there is a scornful emphasis on the word ,nazareth not preserved in our ,english version4 ,that ,nazareth was an unimportant and insignificant town is indicated by the fact that it is neither mentioned in the ,o4 ,t4 nor in ,josephus2 that the moral condition of its inhabitants was below that of the rest of ,galilee is indicated by the declaration of ,mark #f3e1 #f1 and by the mob which threatened the life of ,christ at a time when he was just growing into popularity elsewhere in ,galilee 7,luke #d3bh-cj74 ,no other definite reason is known for the evident odium which attached to ,nazareth even in the minds of ,galileans4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #b3bc1 note4 ,the question of ,nathanael furnishes a striking illustration of the spirit of prejudice in even good men4 ,to ,nathanael it seems impossible that the promised ,prophet can appear elsewhere than in or near the city of the ,great ,king4--,come and see4 ,this is the best answer to make to unbelief4 ,christ is his own best witness 7ch4 #e3cd74 ,it is not merely true that 8personal experience is the best test of the truth of ,christianity1 which1 like the sun in heaven1 can only be seen in its own light0 7,schaff71 but it is also true that ,christ is a greater miracle than any he ever wrought2 and that the supreme character of ,christ carries in itself a moral conviction to hearts which resist all arguments drawn from nature4 ,of this truth ,john ,stuart ,mill1 in his ,three ,essays on ,religion1 affords a striking illustration4 ,after considering all the arguments for the existence and perfection of the ,divine ,being derived from nature1 and declaring that ,natural ,religion points to a ,being 8of great but limited power10 8who desires and pays some regard to the happiness of his creatures1 but who seems to have other motives of action which he cares more for10 he comes to the character of ,christ1 and not only pays a tribute to it1 eloquent and reverent1 but adds his conviction that it would not 8even now be easy1 even for an unbeliever1 to find a better translation of the rule of virtue from the abstract into the concrete1 than to endeavor so to live that ,christ would approve our life40 ,chrysostom notices the gentleness and candor of ,philip's reply2 he furnishes a model to all disputants in dealing with religious prejudice4 ,see #b ,tim4 #b3bd4 #dg ,jesus saw ,nathanael coming to him1 and saith of him1 ,behold#fj an ,israelite indeed1 in whom is no guile6 #fj ,ps4 #cb3b2 ,rom4 #b3bh1 #bi4 #dh ,nathanael saith unto him1 ,whence knowest thou me8 ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,before that ,philip called thee1 when thou wast under the fig tree1 ,i saw#fa thee4 #fa ,ps4 #aci3a1 #b4 #di ,nathanael answered and saith unto him1 ,rabbi1 thou#fb art the ,son of ,god2 thou art the ,king#fc of ,israel4 #fb chap4 #bj3bh1 #bi2 ,matt4 #ad3cc4 #fc ,matt4 #ba3e2 #bg3aa4 #dg-di4 ,an ,israelite indeed4 ,because in faith and love a true child of ,god4 ,comp4 ,luke #ai3i2 ,romans #b3bh1 #bi2 ,gal4 #c3bi2 #f3ae1 #af4 ,for ,o4 ,t4 description of such an ,israelite1 see ,psalm #ae4--;,in whom is no guile4 ,therefore1 characteristically unlike the ,pharisees1 whose pride it was that they were children of ,abraham 7,luke #c3h2 ,john #h3cc71 and who were full of hypocrisy 7,matt4 #f3b1 #e1 #af2 #bc3ad-cc74--,whence knowest thou me8 ,as ,saul of ,tarsus 7,acts #i3e1 #f1 notes71 so ,nathanael is surprised by the ,lord's reading of his character and inward experience4--,when thou wast under the fig-tree4 ,the whole course of the narrative indicates in this response a supernatural sight1 as in the previous characterization of ,nathanael a supernatural insight4 ,if ,christ had merely chanced to see ,nathanael without being seen by him1 this fact would afford1 surely1 no basis for ,nathanael's faith1 or ,christ's commendation of it4 ,it seems also clear that something more is implied than the mere fact that ,christ saw ,nathanael under a fig-tree1 since that would neither explain ,christ's commendation of him as an ,israelite without guile1 nor ,nathanael's astonishment4 ,hence the surmise of the commentators that he had retired there for purposes of prayer1 and that ,christ had seen him there1 like the ,israel from whom he descended 7,gen4 #cb3bd-bc7 wrestling with ,god1 for the bestowal of the long-promised blessing to his realm1 in the gift of the ,messiah4 ,it was probably this revelation of the secret of his soul which caused ,christ to characterize him as a true ,israelite1 and ,nathanael to recognize in the ,one who read his inmost life so perfectly1 the ,king of ,israel4--,the ,son of ,god 99 99 99 the ,king of ,israel4 ,the ,messiah4 ,see ,ps4 #b3g2 ,matt4 #af3af2 ,luke #bb3gj2 ,john #a3cd2 #aa3bg4 ,observe that ,christ recognizes and accepts this characterization of himself at the outset of his ministry1 a quite sufficient refutation of the theory of ,renan1 that it was the outgrowth of his followers' later admiration1 and tacitly accepted by ,christ at or near the close of his earthly life4 ,that ,nathanael fully comprehended the meaning of his own confession is not1 however1 probable4 #ej ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,because ,i said unto thee1 ,i saw thee under the fig tree1 believest thou8 thou shalt see greater things than these4 #ea ,and he saith unto him1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,hereafter ye shall see heaven#fd open1 and the angels#fe of ,god ascending and descending upon the ,son of man4 #fd ,ezek4 #a3a4 #fe ,gen4 #bh3ab2 ,dan4 #g3i1 #aj2 ,acts #a3aj1 #aa4 #ej1 #ea4 ,there is some difficulty respecting the proper interpretation of ,christ's promise here4 ,the word hereafter is rather henceforth2 but it is omitted by the best critics1 e4 g41 ,alford1 ,tischendorf1 ,lachmann4 ,the figure is undoubtedly drawn from the vision of ,jacob 7,israel7 of the ladder between heaven and earth1 and the angels ascending and descending on it 7,gen4 #bh3ab74 ,some suppose the reference to the angelic appearances to ,christ1 and the divine signs given in attestation of his mission 7ver4 #cb2 ,matt4 #d3aa2 ,luke #b3ac2 #i3bi-ca2 #bb3dc71 but the earlier of these had already taken place1 and ,nathanael was neither present at the temptation1 at the transfiguration1 nor at the garden of ,gethsemane4 ,chrysostom refers in addition to the angelic appearances at the resurrection1 but they by no means furnish a literal fulfillment of the promise4 ,some interpret it spiritually1 of the manifest opening of the heavens and the intercommunication between earth and heaven1 through ,jesus ,christ4 ,so ,maurice3 8,faithful and true ,israelite6 the vision to thy progenitor who first bore that name1 shall be substantiated for thee1 and for those who trust in me in lonely hours1 through clouds and darkness1 as thou hast done4 ,the ladder set upon earth and reaching to heaven--the ladder upon which the angels of ,god ascended and descended--is a ladder for thee and for all4 ,for the ,son of man1 who joins earth to heaven1 the seen to the unseen1 ,god and man in one1 ,he is with you2 through ,him your spirits may arise to ,god2 through ,him ,god's ,spirit shall come down upon you40 ,similarly ,luther1 ,calvin1 ,tholuck1 ,alford1 and others4 ,but this interpretation is not wholly satisfactory1 since it converts ,christ's words into an allegory1 and deprives them of all literal meaning4 ,according to this view the angels are but spiritual blessings1 the open heavens are not seen1 and the angelic appearances are not upon the ,messiah1 but through him to mankind4 ,a third interpretation connects ,christ's words here with his analogous declarations in ,matt4 #be3ca2 #bf3fd1 etc41 and refers it to his ,second ,coming4 ,so ,ryle3 8,when ,he comes the second time to take his great power and reign1 the words of this text shall be literally fulfilled4 ,his believing people shall see heaven open1 and a constant communication kept up between heaven and earth--the tabernacle of ,god with men1 and the angels visibly ministering to the ,king of ,israel1 and ,king of all the earth40 ,i believe that these three views are congruous and consistent1 and are all embraced in the promise4 ,christ opened the communication between earth and heaven2 manifested that fact by the angelic appearances which accompanied his coming1 his presence1 and his departure2 still manifests it1 by the spiritual blessings which he constantly confers in answer to the prayers of his people2 and will finally manifest it yet more gloriously when he comes to take possession of his established kingdom1 with his holy angels with him4 ,the past and present fulfillments of this prophecy are but fragmentary and imperfect4 ,the final and perfect fulfillment awaits us in the future4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,oriental ,,wedding4 8,and the third day there was a marriage in ,cana of ,galilee0 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,ch4 #b3a-aa4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,at ,,cana ,,in ,,galilee4 ,,christianity ,,not ,,asceticism4 ,this miracle is recounted only by the ,evangelist ,john4 ,that fact does not discredit the account3 it incidentally confirms the view that he wrote to supply what was lacking in the other ,gospels4 ,illustration3 ,,cana ,,of ,,galilee4 #a ,and the third day there was a marriage in ,cana#ff of ,galilee2 and the mother of ,jesus was there4 #ff ch4 #d3df2 ,joshua #ai3bh4 #b ,and both ,jesus was called1 and his disciples1 to the marriage4#fg #fg ,heb4 #ac3d4 #a1 #b4 ,the third day4 ,that is1 probably1 after the interview with ,nathanael described at the close of the preceding chapter4 ,lightfoot says that1 according to ,jewish custom1 the weddings of virgins took place on the fourth day of the week1 our ,wednesday1 and of widows on the fifth day1 our ,thursday4--,there was a marriage4 ,for description of wedding ceremonies among the ,jews1 with illustration of wedding procession1 see ,matt4 #be3a-ac1 ,prel4 ,note4--,in ,cana of ,galilee4 ,the traditional site is ,kefr ,kenna1 four and one-half miles northwest of ,nazareth4 ,the more probable site is about nine miles north of ,nazareth and six or eight hours from ,capernaum4 ,see ,map1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ej4 ,robinson describes it as a fine situation1 and once a considerable village of well-built houses4 ,they are now uninhabited and the whole region is wild and desolate4--,and the mother of ,jesus was there4 ,her name is never mentioned by ,john4 ,the fact that ,joseph is not mentioned in either of the ,gospels1 after ,christ's manhood1 has led to the universal opinion that he was dead4 ,the presence of ,mary1 and her apparent authority 7ver4 #e71 indicates that the bride or bridegroom were connections or relatives4 ,different traditions represent respectively ,alphus1 one of his sons1 ,john the ,apostle1 and ,simon the ,canaanite as the bridegroom1 but they are all equally untrustworthy4 ,the ,mormons maintain that this was the marriage of ,jesus himself4,the student will observe that it is said of ,mary that she was there1 of ,jesus that he was called1 an indication that he came at a later period1 and probably after the marriage feast1 which usually lasted for several days1 had begun4--,and his disciples4 ,probably those who had already begun to follow him1 though not yet ordained as apostles1 nor summoned by him to leave their regular avocations to become his constant companions4 ,these were ,andrew1 ,john1 ,simon ,peter1 ,philip1 and ,nathanael1 and they were probably invited because they were with ,christ1 and out of consideration for him4 #c ,and when#fh they wanted wine1 the mother of ,jesus saith unto him1 ,they have no wine4 #fh ,eccles4 #aj3ai2 ,isa4 #bd3aa4 #c4 ,and the wine failing4 ,not merely1 as in our ,english version1 when they wanted wine4 ,the implication is that wine had been provided1 but the supply proved insufficient4 ,possibly the unexpected addition of the five disciples of ,christ exhausted it4--,the mother of ,jesus saith unto him1 ,they have no wine4 ,why did she appeal to him8 ,there is certainly no ground for such an explanation as that of ,bengel1 that she meant to give a hint to ,jesus and his disciples to go away6 ,nor is there any evidence that she asked him to work a miracle1 or even definitely anticipated or desired it4 ,if she were in any way responsible for the success of the feast1 and the supply was falling short1 the appeal for help to her son was natural2 and it was specially so1 if1 as modern customs in the ,orient indicate 7see ,ellicott's ,life of ,christ1 p4 #aah71 the guests often contribute to the supplies at such entertainments4 ,along with this desire to do the bride and bridegroom a favor1 there may have been1 as ,chrysostom suggests1 a desire through her son to render herself conspicuous1 and a vague and inexpressible feeling that he could1 if he would1 supply the want by a miracle1 as ,elijah supplied the widow's cruse 7#a ,kings #ag3ad-af74 ,and his quasi rebuke1 if rebuke it be1 may have been addressed to this mother's vanity4 #d ,jesus saith unto her1 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8 mine hour is not yet come4 #d4 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8 ,mine hour is not yet come4 ,some question has been made respecting the meaning of this language4 ,it is clear 7#a7 that woman is not a harsh term1 and involves no tone of rebuke or reproof2 for when ,christ on the cross commends his mother to ,john's care1 he uses the same term1 8,woman1 behold thy son0 7ch4 #ai3bf72 7#b7 the ,greek phrase 7 7 is properly rendered in our ,english version1 ,what have ,i to do with thee8 ,though literally capable of the translation proposed by ,dr4 ,adam ,clarke1 ,what is this to thee and me8 that is1 ,what is this to us8 the uniform usage of the ,n4 ,t4 forbids this translation4 ,the ,greek is the same in the following passages1 where the translation cannot be other than that given both there and here4 ,matt4 #h3bi1 note2 ,mark #a3bd2 #e3g2 ,luke #h3bh4 ,i can only understand it as a disclaimer on ,christ's part of any responsibility in the matter1 and an intimation that in his future mission he was not1 as he had heretofore been1 subject unto his mother4 ,there may also be in it implied a gentle rebuke of her endeavor to elicit from him some display of his miraculous power1 before the time for the commencement of his public ministry4 ,chrysostom interprets her spirit here by that of ,christ's brethren 7ch4 #g3d71 and his reply by his refusal1 later1 to turn aside from his work at her solicitation 7,matt4 #ab3dg1 #dh74 ,evidently she did not regard his language as that of refusal1 for she expects his aid1 and bids the servants do his bidding4 8,she read a yes latent in his apparent no40--7,trench47--,mine hour is not yet come4 ,not mine hour to die1 though that is usually the signification of this oft-repeated phrase in ,john's ,gospel 7ch4 #g3cj2 #h3bj2 #ab3bc1 #bg2 #ac3a72 but that would be here meaningless2 nor1 ,the hour to work this miracle1 because the wine is not yet wholly exhausted1 or the guests are not conscious of the lack1 and have not asked for supply2 but1 ,the hour for me to begin my public ministry1 accompanied as it is to be with the working of miracles1 the hour for my manifestation4 ,the ,protestant commentaries see in the language here a rebuke of the spirit of ,mariolatry1 in this following the fathers2 e4 g41 ,chrysostom3 8,the answer was not that of one rejecting his mother1 but of ,one who would show her that having borne him would have availed nothing1 had she not been very good and faithful20 and ,augustine3 8,as ,god he has no mother4 ,and now that he was about to perform a divine work1 he ignores1 as it were1 the human womb1 and asks1 #8,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8' as much as to say1 ,thou art not the mother of that in me which works miracles2 thou art not the mother of my ,godhead40 #e ,his mother saith unto the servants1 ,whatsoever#fi he saith unto you1 do it4 #fi ,luke #e3e1 #f4 #e4 ,his mother saith onto the servants4 ,the fact that there were servants1 and more than one1 indicates that the family was in at least comfortable if not opulent circumstances4 ,christ associated with the rich as readily as with the poor2 but the rich did not1 as readily as the poor1 associate with him4 ,her direction to the servants and their unquestioning obedience indicates that in this marriage festival she had some degree of authority4 #f ,and there were set there six water-pots of stone1 after the manner of the purifying of the ,jews1 containing two or three firkins apiece4 #g ,jesus saith unto them1 ,fill the water-pots with water4 ,and they filled them up to the brim4 #h ,and he saith unto them1 ,draw#gj out now1 and bear unto the governor#ga of the feast4 ,and they bare it4 #gj ,eccles4 #i3g4 #ga ,rom4 #ac3g4 #f-h4 ,the forms of the water-pot and of the ewer1 with which the water was drawn or dipped out1 are shown in the accompanying illustration4 ,the water-pots may have set in the room2 more probably in an ante-room or in the courtyard of the house4 ,the fact that the water was provided for purifying is stated to account for the presence of so much water2 and the reference to the manner of the ,jews is added for the ,gentile readers1 for whom ,john especially wrote4 ,on these ceremonial washings1 see ,mark #g3b-e1 notes4 ,the firkin 77 is equivalent to #h gallons2 the whole amount of water1 therefore1 was between #ajj and #aej gallons4 ,since the jars were filled to the brim1 the water was apparent after they were filled2 there was1 therefore1 no room for fraud or mistake4 ,the statement of the exact number and proximate size indicates that we have here the description of an eye-witness4 ,it also indicates that there were a large number of guests4 ,illustration3 ,,water-,,pots ,,and ,,ewers4 ,the quantity of wine made by ,christ on this occasion has been the subject of some hostile criticism1 as though it were an invitation to excessive drinking4 ,but 7#a7 there is no evidence that any more wine was created than was used4 ,whether it was changed in the stone jars1 or as it was carried to the guests1 does not appear2 7#b7 in ,palestine1 a wine-growing and wine-consuming country1 where it is not merely a beverage1 but the beverage of the common people1 four or five barrels of wine would not seem so extraordinary a supply as it would to us1 nor would it produce any such effect in the consumption as an equal amount of the ordinary wines of to-day2 7#c7 it is ,god's way to pour out his bounty1 not only in abundance1 but in superabundance4 ,as ,christ created1 not merely barely enough bread for the #e1jjj1 but the disciples1 after all were fed1 gathered up twelve baskets full1 so we may well believe that here he created not barely sufficient for the hour1 but a superabundance which remained to bless the home after the departure of the guests4 ,on the probable character of this wine1 see below1 ,note on ,christ's example in the use of wine4 #i ,when the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine1 and knew not whence it was3 7but the servants#gb which drew the water knew27 the governor of the feast called the bridegroom1 #gb ch4 #g3ag2 ,ps4 #aai3ajj4 #aj ,and saith unto him1 ,every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine2 and when men have well drunk1 then that which is worse3 but thou hast kept the good wine#gc until now4 #gc ,ps4 #ajd3ae2 ,prov4 #i3b1 #e4 #i1 #aj4 ,the ruler of the feast4 ,the same word as governor of the feast1 in the preceding verse4 ,among the ,greeks and ,romans1 a ruler of the feast 7symposiarch7 was commonly chosen1 usually by lot1 who regulated the whole order of the festivities1 proposed the amusements1 etc4 ,a reference in the ,apocrypha 7,eccles4 #cb3a1 #b7 indicates that the same practice prevailed among the ,jews4 ,there is no ground for supposing the ruler of the feast in this case to have been other than a guest1 who occupied this honorary office4--,but the servants knew1 they having drawn the water4 ,not merely1 the servants which drew1 knew2 the reason of their knowledge is indicated2 they knew because they had themselves filled the jars with the water1 and drawn it out4--,called the bridegroom4 ,called out to him1 probably across the table4 ,the language which follows is sportive1 and characteristic of such an occasion of festivity4--,every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine2 and when men are drunken1 then that which is worse4 ,the verb rendered in our ,english version 8have well drunk0 is literally are drunken4 ,it is in the passive voice4 ,this does not necessarily imply that in the ,east men counted on the inebriacy of their guests1 and for that reason provided the best wine first1 still less that the guests here were intoxicated4 8,the man says only in joke1 as if it were a general experience1 what he certainly may have often observed40--7,meyer47 ,the ancient commentators have observed the difference between the feasts of the world and the feasts of ,christ2 the world gives its best wine at first1 and when men have become intoxicated with it1 then the poor1 as the prodigal son experienced 7,luke #ae3ac-af72 ,christ ever reserves the good wine to the last4 ,see this thought beautifully drawn out by ,jeremy ,taylor in his ,life of ,christ4 ,comp4 ,john #d3ac1 #ad4 #aa ,this beginning of miracles did ,jesus in ,cana of ,galilee1 and manifested#gd forth his glory3 and his disciples believed#ge on him4 #gd ch #a3ad4 #ge #a ,john #e3ac4 #aa4 ,this beginning of miracles4 ,an incidental and indirect testimony that the miracles of ,christ's infancy1 narrated in the apocryphal ,gospels1 are spurious4--,and manifested forth his glory4 ,observe his glory2 the miracles of the disciples did not manifest forth their glory1 but that of their ,lord 7,acts #c3h2 #ad3aa-ae74--;,and his disciples believed in him4 ,that is1 the five that had already begun to follow him4 ,but what or how much they believed is not indicated4 ,they began to have that confidence in him which was not consummated till after his resurrection4 ,in respect to this miracle1 observe1 7#a7 ,the simplicity of the narrative4 ,john does not directly assert that the water was made wine1 nor that a miracle was performed1 nor does he deduce any conclusion from the event2 he simply narrates what he saw and heard--the jars filled with water1 the contents drawn out1 the testimony of the governor of the feast to the excellence of the wine carried to him2 the reader is left to draw his own conclusion4 7#b7 ,the utter failure of all naturalistic explanations1 such as that ,christ simply accelerated the process of nature1 or changed the attributes of the water after the analogy of mineral waters1 so as to give it the taste and appearance of wine1 or that the taste and semblance of wine was due to a state of spiritual exaltation on the part of the company1 all of which views have had defenders even among orthodox critics4 ,see ,lange's and ,meyer's ,commentaries for a statement of these and kindred interpretations4 ,meyer well says1 respecting them all1 8,instead of a transmutation of water we have a frivolous transmutation of history40 7#c7 ,the impossibility of deception or fraud4 ,the jars are those belonging to the household2 they are filled to the brim with water2 it is drawn out by the servants2 the judgment respecting the wine is pronounced by the governor of the feast1 who does not know of the miracle4 7#d7 ,the analogy of nature4 8,he who made the wine at this wedding does the same thing every year in the vines4 ,as the water which the servants put into the water-pots was turned into wine by the ,lord1 so that which the clouds pour down is turned into wine by the same ,lord4 ,it excites no wonder in us1 because it occurs every year40--7,augustine47 7#e7 ,the moral and spiritual significance of the miracle4 ,contrast ,christ's ready consent to convert water into wine to add to the festivities of others1 with his refusal to convert stones into bread to supply his own imperative needs 7,matt4 #d3c1 #d72 his conversion of water into wine1 the symbol of inspiration and life1 with the first miracle of ,moses1 who converted water into blood1 an instrument and a symbol of death 7,exod4 #g3bj1 #ba7--;,christ brings life and power1 ,moses brings law and condemnation 7,rom4 #g3h1 #i72 his entrance on his ministry by attendance on a marriage festivity1 and his miracle to prolong its festivities1 with the asceticism of ,john the ,baptist 7,luke #a3ae2 ,matt4 #c3d74 ,compare his inauguration of the new covenant by a miracle at a marriage with ,god's inauguration of the old covenant by ordaining and creating the marriage relation 7,gen4 #a3ba-bd74 ,notice in this miracle a type of ,christ's redeeming love1 who converts the water of the law into the wine of the ,gospel1 and every soul which hears and obeys his creative command into an inspiring life-giving spirit 7,john #e3ba2 #f3cc2 #a ,cor4 #ae3de74 ,observe the fundamental lesson1 that ,christ's example bids us not to withdraw from the world1 nor abstain from its use1 but to use without abusing it 7#a ,cor4 #g3ca71 and that the assertion that ,christianity bids men 8make this earth as unpleasant to themselves as possible so as to secure hereafter the joys of heaven10 is a monstrous perversion of the teaching and example of ,jesus ,christ4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #i3i1 #aj2 #aa3ai2 ,luke #g3cf2 #aa3cg2 #ad3a2 ,john #ab3a1 #b4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,christ',s ,,example ,,in ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,wine4 #a4 ,the facts4 ,these are that ,christ inaugurated his public ministry by attending a wedding feast1 and there by a miracle creating a large quantity of wine--certainly all that the guests could use--for the simple purpose of prolonging the festivities of the occasion2 that he was accustomed throughout his life to attend social gatherings where wine was freely used2 that he used it freely himself1 notwithstanding the fact that it subjected him to the reproaches and the misrepresentations of his enemies 7,matt4 #aa3ai2 ,luke #g3cd72 that he never directly or indirectly condemns the use of wine1 though he does condemn drunkenness 7,matt4 #bd3di2 ,luke #ab3de72 and that he directs its use by his church as a perpetual memorial of his atoning love1 and employs it as a symbol of joy and fellowship in the world to come 7,matt4 #bf3bf-bi2 ,mark #ad3bb-be2 ,luke #bb3ah2 #a ,cor4 #aj3af74 ,the force of this example is strengthened by the reflection that drunkenness was common in the ,east before ,christ's day 7,esther #a3aj2 ,isa4 #e3bb2 #bh3g2 ,dan4 #e3b-d2 ,hosea #d3aa71 and in ,palestine and the neighboring countries during ,christ's lifetime1 so that even the church of ,christ had need of constant admonition against it 7,matt4 #bd3di2 ,luke #ae3ac2 ,rom4 #ac3ac2 #a ,cor4 #aa3ba2 ,gal4 #e3ba2 #a ,pet4 #d3c72 that a ,jewish ,sect existed1 the ,essenes 7,matt4 #c3g1 note71 who were total abstainers1 with whom ,christ never identified himself2 and that he directly contrasts his life and example with that of ,john the ,baptist 7,matt4 #aa3ai71 who1 as a ,nazarite1 was pledged against the use of wine and strong drink 7,luke #a3ae2 ,numb4 #f3c74 ,attempts have been made to show that the wine which ,christ made on this occasion and used on other occasions was not fermented4 ,it is certain that there were in use in the ,greek and ,roman world1 and presumptively in ,palestine1 three kinds of wine--fermented wines1 which1 however1 were unlike our own fiery wines and contained only a small percentage of alcohol1 and which were usually mixed in the use with water1 in the proportion of two or three parts of water to one of wine2 new wine1 made of the juice of the grape1 and1 like our new cider1 not fermented and not intoxicating2 and wines in which1 by boiling the unfermented juice of the grape1 or by the addition of certain drugs1 the process of fermentation had been stopped1 and the formation of alcohol prevented4 ,it is claimed that fermented wine was not used at the ,passover1 though ,i can find no other reason for this opinion than the fact that leavened1 i4 e41 fermented bread was prohibited--a prohibition the sole object of which was to remind the ,jews of the haste of the original passover4 ,paul's language in #a ,cor4 #aa3ba 7see note there7 makes it evident that fermented wine was used by the primitive church in the administration of the ,lord's ,supper2 and the ,rabbinical rule1 requiring water to be mixed with the wine at the paschal feast 7see ,lightfoot on ,matt4 #bf3bg71 lest drunkenness should disgrace it1 makes it equally evident that wine was used in the original ,o4 ,t4 festival4 ,there is nothing in the language of the ,n4 ,t4 to indicate any discrimination between fermented and unfermented wines2 ,christ himself never directly or indirectly discriminates between them2 neither do any of his apostles2 and it is apparently indicated if not necessarily implied in the account here1 and in other passages1 that it was the ordinary fermented wine which ,christ employed2 see especially ,matt4 #aa3ai1 8,behold a glutton and a wine-bibber10 and ,matt4 #i3ag1 8,no man having drunk old 7fermented7 wine1 straightway desireth new 7that of the last vintage and unfermented71 for he saith the old is better40 ,the language of ,mark #ad3be1 8,i will drink no more of the fruit of the vine10 etc41 plainly implies that he had been accustomed to drink it freely and as a beverage with his followers4 ,i judge then that ,christ here made1 and throughout his life ordinarily used1 fermented wine2 and this is the nearly unanimous judgment of the best unprejudiced ,biblical scholars4 ,the opposite opinion is of later origin1 an after-thought1 the product not of impartial ,biblical research1 but of the temperance reformation4 7#b7 ,significance of these facts4 ,it appears to me clear1 in the light of these facts1 that neither ,christ's precept nor his example can be cited in favor of the doctrine of total abstinence1 as a universal and permanent obligation from all use of wine1 even as a beverage2 that it rather indicates that he recognizes the right and propriety of so using it2 and that the doctrine and practice of total abstinence must be maintained1 if at all1 not by any specific precept1 nor by the general course of ,christ's life1 but from local and perhaps temporary considerations1 and solely on the ground that the ,christian must always be willing to surrender a lawful gratification for the sake of a higher good1 either to himself or to others 7,matt4 #e3bi1 #cj2 ,rom4 #ad3ba2 #a ,cor4 #f3ab74 ,it is equally clear that neither ,christ's precepts nor his example justifies the ordinary drinking usages of ,american society of to-day1 with its bars1 its wine-shops1 its beer-gardens1 its fiery wines and strong liquors1 and all its attendant evils4 ,the ordinary wine of to-day is a very different article from that in ,christ's day4 ,the word is the same1 the thing is different4 ,and the usages are equally different4 ,it is not my province here to enter into a general discussion of the temperance question1 or even of the ,bible teaching on the subject2 but for the convenience of the student ,i add1 from my ,dictionary of ,religious ,knowledge1 a tabular view of the principal ,bible passages which bear on the subject1 either for or against the use of wines4 ,,the ,,bible ,,commends ,,wine3 ,,condemns ,,wine3 ,as an offering to ,god ,as a cause of violence and woe3 with oil and wheat3 ,prov4 #d3ag2 #bc3bi-cb4 ,numb4 #ah3ab4 ,neh4 #aj3cg-ci4 ,of self-security and irreligion3 ,isa4 #bh3g2 #ef3ab4 ,as a blessing to man3 ,hab4 #b3e4 ,gen4 #bg3bh-cg4 ,deut4 #g3ac4 ,as a poison3 ,judges #i3ac4 ,deut4 #cb3cc4 ,prov4 #c3aj4 ,prov4 #bc3ca4 ,isa4 #fe3h4 ,hosea #g3e4 ,joel #c3ah4 ,ps4 #ajd3ae4 ,as an accompaniment of ,zech4 #i3ag4 wickedness3 ,isa4 #e3bb4 ,as an emblem of spiritual blessing3 ,as an emblem of divine ,isa4 #ee3a4 wrath3 ,sol4 ,song #g3i4 ,ps4 #fj3c2 #ge3h4 ,isa4 #ea3ag4 ,as a perpetual memorial ,jer4 #be3ae4 of ,christ's atoning ,rev4 #ad3aj2 #af3ai4 sacrifice3 ,matt4 #bf3bf-bi4 ,by the example of priests ,mark #ad3bb-be4 on entering the tabernacle3 #a ,cor4 #aj3af4 ,lev4 #aj3h-aa4 ,as a medicine3 ,of ,rechabites3 ,prov4 #ca3f1 #g4 ,jer4 #ce3f4 #a ,tim4 #e3bc4 ,of ,nazarites3 ,by the example of ,jesus ,numb4 #f3b1 #c4 ,christ3 ,john #b3a-aa4 ,of ,daniel3 ,luke #g3cd4 ,dan4 #a3h1 #ab4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #b3 #ab-bb4 ,,christ ,,casts ,,the ,,traders ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,temple4 ,,an ,,illustration ,,of ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,christ4--,a ,,symbol ,,of ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,christ4--,,an ,,example ,,to ,,the ,,followers ,,of ,,christ4 ,this incident is narrated only by ,john4 ,it is not to be confounded with the second casting out narrated by the synoptists4 ,see note on ,matt4 #ba3ab1 #ac4 ,this occurred at the first ,passover in ,christ's public ministry2 that at the last4 ,there is a significance in the repetition4 ,it indicates both the tendency of a corrupt church to corruption in spite of cleanings1 a truth unhappily abundantly illustrated in history2 and the persistence of ,christ's zeal1 a quality imperfectly reflected in the zeal of his disciples4 ,the probable date of this event was ,march1 ,a4 ,d4 #bh4 #ab ,after this he went down to ,capernaum1 he1 and his mother1 and his brethren1 and his disciples3 and they continued there not many days4 #ab4 ,went down to ,capernaum4 ,from ,cana1 which was the hill country1 to ,capernaum1 which was on the shore of the sea of ,galilee4 ,for description of ,capernaum1 see ,matt4 #d3ac4 ,it would be on the natural though not necessary route from ,cana to ,jerusalem4 ,this visit is not to be confounded with ,christ's permanent change of residence from ,nazareth to ,capernaum1 which resulted from the mob in the former city 7,luke #d3bh-ca72 this did not take place till after the imprisonment of ,john the ,baptist 7,matt4 #d3ab1 #ac74 ,the statement that they continued not there many days1 distinguished this visit from that permanent change of residence4--,his mother and his brethren and his disciples4 ,his public ministry had not yet fully begun2 he had not1 therefore1 yet left his mother and brethren to devote himself to his work4 ,that these were real brethren1 not cousins or other relations1 ,i think is clear1 though by many doubted4 ,see note on 8,brethren of our ,lord10 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ahg4 #ac ,and the ,jews' passover#gf was at hand1 and ,jesus#gg went up to ,jerusalem1 #gf ,ex4 #ab3ad4 #gg ,verse #bc2 chap4 #e3a2 #f3d2 #aa3ee4 #ac4 ,and the ,jews' ,passover was at hand4 ,for origin of ,passover see ,exodus1 ch4 #ab2 for some account of its ceremonies see ,matt4 #bf3bf-cj1 ,prel4 ,note4--,and ,jesus went up to ,jerusalem4 ,observe1 that he was accustomed to attend the ,jewish feasts as well as the synagogue services4 ,the corruption of the church did not cause his withdrawal from its public services 7ch4 #aj3be74 ,illustration3 ,,substructures ,,of ,,the ,,temple4 ,illustration3 ,,bird',s-,,eye ,,view ,,of ,,jerusalem4 ,illustration3 ,from 8,life of ,jesus2 the ,christ10 by ,rev4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher4 ,,plan ,,and ,,section ,,of ,,the ,,temple4 #ad ,and found#gh in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves1 and the changers of money sitting3 #gh ,matt4 #ba3ab2 ,mark #aa3ae2 ,luke #ai3de4 #ad4 ,in the temple4 ,historically there were three temples3 ,solomon's 7#a ,kings1 ch4 #f1 #g2 #b ,chron41 ch4 #c1 #d71 the temple of ,zerubbabel1 constructed at the time of the restoration under ,nehemiah 7,ezra #c3h-aa2 #f3c-e71 and ,herod's4 ,the latter1 named for its builder1 ,herod the ,great 7,matt4 #b3a1 note71 is the one mentioned here and elsewhere in the ,n4 ,t4 ,its site1 established with as much certainty as any in the ,n4 ,t41 was a rock platform in the southeast corner of ,jerusalem1 now occupied by the ,mohammedan ,mosque of ,omar4 ,in its erection ten thousand skilled workmen were employed2 among them one thousand priests especially instructed in the arts of the stonecutter and the carpenter4 ,the result was a temple whose architectural magnificence is thought never to have been surpassed in ancient or modern times4 ,it was less a building than a collection of buildings1 and covered an area of over nineteen acres4 ,the stone was white marble1 the roof cedar1 the architecture probably a combination of the ,greek and the ,roman4 ,on the east it overlooked the valley of the ,cedron1 forming an effective fortification4 ,it also served as a defence on the north1 where adjoined the tower of ,antonia1 the barracks of the ,roman soldiery4 ,on the south a single gateway1 on the west four gateways1 gave exit and entrance4 ,on the east it was connected by a bridge over the ,tyrophan valley with ,mount ,zion1 the site of ,solomon's and later of ,herod's palace4 ,the remains of this bridge have been lately discovered4 ,the annexed ground plan1 from ,henry ,ward ,beecher's 8,life of ,christ10 will enable the reader to understand the internal structure of the temple4 ,the illustration in ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #beg1 will give an idea of its external appearance4 ,the reader is there supposed to be on the ,mount of ,olives looking down upon the temple from the east2 ,mount ,zion with its palaces and towers is in the background2 the long-roofed structure on the left1 that is1 the south1 is the royal cloister or ,stoa basilica4 ,this is minutely described by ,josephus 7,ant4 #ae3aa1 #e74 ,it consisted of a nave and two aisles1 the side toward the country being closed by a wall1 that toward the temple proper being open4 ,it was #aje feet in breadth1 #fjj feet in length2 the centre aisle was #ajj feet high1 the side aisles #ej4 ,the roof of cedar was supported by #ajb ,corinthian columns of white marble1 the floor was a magnificent mosaic4 ,between this cloister and the temple structure was the open court of the ,gentiles4 ,it was open to all1 heathen and ,jew alike1 and was used for the purpose of social and intellectual exchange1 as well as for religious processional services4 ,here ,christ 7,matt4 #ba3bc71 and subsequently his disciples 7,luke #bd3ec2 ,acts #e3ba1 #db71 taught the people4 ,inscriptions in ,greek and ,latin forbade the heathen from passing beyond this court1 under penalty of death4 ,for a supposed infringement of this law ,paul was mobbed 7,acts #ba3bf-cj74 ,within were the successive courts of the women1 of ,israel1 of the priests4 ,in this latter was the sacred furniture and utensils1 the table of shewbread1 the altar1 the laver1 etc4 ,in the heart of this enclosure1 investing all with a mysterious sacredness1 was the ,holy of ,holies1 veiled from even priestly gaze by the curtain1 which was subsequently rent in twain at the time of ,christ's death 7,matt4 #bg3eg74 ,this ,holy of ,holies1 #ij #cj feet1 is seen in the illustration of the temple as restored1 in the centre of the building2 it constituted the most prominent feature4 ,it was in the outer court of the ,gentiles that the sheep and cattle and money-changers had gathered4 ,the scattered ,israelites were unable to bring in person the sacrifices for the altar4 ,the ,mosaic law permitted them to sell their first-fruits1 and with the money purchase their gifts at ,jerusalem 7,deut4 #ad3bd-bf74 ,they were also required to pay for the support of the temple service a half-shekel 7,exod4 #c3aa-af2 ,matt4 #ag3bd-bg1 notes74 ,this must be paid in ,jewish money1 for ,gentile coin would pollute the sacred coffers4 ,thus1 gradually1 the feast-days became great market-days1 as they still are among the nomadic tribes of the ,mohammedan religion4 ,the priesthood1 sharing in the profits1 suffered the traffickers gradually to intrude into and occupy the outer court of the temple4 ,thus1 not only were the religious services of the ,jews disturbed by the bleating of sheep1 the lowing of cattle1 the cooing of doves1 the clangor of the money-changers1 and the hum of a busy market1 but the ,gentiles were absolutely driven from all participation in the religious benefits of the temple4 ,to their exclusion ,christ referred in the second expulsion 7,mark #aa3ae-ai1 note74 ,the priests winked not only at the sacrilege1 but also at the double defrauding of ,god and man which accompanied it 7,mal4 #a3g1 #h74 ,the court of the ,gentiles was worse than a market-place2 it was a den of thieves4 ,thus ,christ's act was not only a vehement protest against the sacrilege which suffers business to encroach on the house and worship of ,god1 but also a rebuke of the bigotry which is indifferent to the religious wants and worship of men not of our race1 faith1 or companionship4--,those that sold cattle1 sheep1 and doves4 ,for sacrifices under the ,levitical law2 sheep1 rams1 lambs1 goats1 kids1 bulls1 cows1 calves1 doves1 and sparrows were offered for this purpose4 ,all sacrifices were required to be offered by the priesthood and in the temple4 ,on the great feast-days1 when the population of ,jerusalem was increased to a million or more1 the traffic must have been both large and profitable4--,and the changers of money4 ,money-changers had in ,greece and ,rome their stalls or tables in the streets and market-places for the purpose of exchanging the coin of one nation for another4 ,they are still to be found in ,jerusalem1 seated by their little glass cases1 in which are saucers of brass filled with coins of silver and gold1 of every size and value4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,expulsion ,,of ,,the ,,traders4 8,he drove them all out of the temple1 and the sheep and the oxen2 and poured out the changer's money1 and overthrew the tables40 #ae ,and when he had made a scourge of small cords1 he drove them all out of the temple1 and the sheep1 and the oxen2 and poured out the changers' money1 and overthrew the tables2 #af ,and said unto them that sold doves1 ,take these things hence2 make not my ,father's house an house of merchandise4 #ae1 #af4 ,and when he had made a scourge of rushes4 ,the original indicates that the scourge was made of the rushes which were used to bed the cattle4 ,christ picked these up from the floor and wove them together into a whip4 ,of course this fragile lash would not do much real execution4 ,it was used as one might use a switch to alarm and so drive out the animals4 ,the original shows very clearly that it was used for this purpose alone1 and not to threaten the men with physical chastisement4--,he drove all out of the temple1 both the sheep and the cattle4 ,this is the correct rendering2 our ,english version is ambiguous and so misleading4--,and poured out the changers' money4 ,poured it out upon the floor4 ,this prevented their resisting1 for it occupied their energies to pick up and save the coin4--,and said unto them that sold doves4 ,it is noteworthy that he drove out the sheep and cattle1 which the owners could reclaim in the streets1 but did not set the doves free1 which would thus have been lost to their owners4 ,a true ,christian indignation never blinds to the true rights even of the most flagrant wrong-doers4--,make not my ,father's house a house of merchandise4 ,compare ,christ's language at the second expulsion1 ,mark #aa3ag1 note4 ,illustration3 ,,eastern ,,money-,,changer4 #ag ,and his disciples remembered that it was written1#gi ,the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up4 #gi ,psalm #fi3i4 #ag4 ,and his disciples remembered1 etc4 ,at the time1 not afterward2 if this had been meant it would have been expressed1 as in ver4 #bb4 ,it is not here stated that the utterance in ,ps4 #fi3i was a prophecy which ,christ fulfilled2 simply that his course recalled the language there4 ,the fact indicates the vigor and intensity of ,christ's zeal in the manner and spirit of his action1 as well as in the act itself4 ,this and the subsequent purification of the temple during the ,passion week1 indicate in ,christ a vigor and intensity of character1 and a power of indignation1 which modern thought rarely attributes to him4 ,they interpret the suggestive description of ,christ's personal appearance given by ,john in ,rev4 #a3ac-af1 the only hint of his personal appearance afforded by the ,new ,testament4 ,we can imagine that in this expulsion his eyes were as flames of fire1 his feet firm in their tread like feet of brass1 his voice as the sound of the ocean1 his words as a two-edged sword4 ,this indignation was aroused by 7a7 the sacrilegious covetousness which made ,god's house a house of merchandise2 7b7 the fraud which converted it into a den of thieves2 7c7 the selfishness of the bigotry which excluded the heathen from the only court reserved for them4 ,it should inspire in his disciples a like spirit of indignation 7a7 against the sacrilegious covetousness which converts the house of ,god into a mart of merchandise1 whether by the sale of indulgences1 masses1 and prayers to others1 or by employing it not for the praise of ,god but for the social and pecuniary profit of the pretended worshipper2 7b7 against the bigotry which permits us to look with indifference upon the exclusion of the poor1 the outcast1 the despised from the privileges of ,god's house4 ,it is a type of 7a7 the cleansing which ,christ comes to do for every soul1 which is a temple of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #c3af71 and out of which all unclean things must be driven by the power of ,god1 before it is fit for ,god's indwelling2 7b7 the final cleansing when he will come to cast out all things that defile and work abomination 7,rev4 #ba3bg74 ,observe that in ,revelation the world is represented as dreading 8the wrath of the ,lamb40 ,christ's example here does not justify the use of physical force by the church to cleanse it from corruption2 for ,christ did not employ physical force4 ,his whip was not a weapon2 the power before which the traders fled was the moral power of ,christ1 strengthened by the concurring judgment of their own consciences and the moral sense of the mass of the people 7,mark #aa3ae1 note74 #ah ,then answered the ,jews and said unto him1 ,what sign#hj showest thou unto us1 seeing that thou doest these things8 #hj ch4 #f3cj2 ,matt4 #ab3ch1 etc4 #ai ,jesus answered and said unto them1 ,destroy#ha this temple1 and in three days ,i will raise it up4 #ha ,matt4 #bf3fa2 #bg3dj4 #ah1 #ai4 ,what sign showest thou unto us8 ,what evidence of authority to expel from the temple practices allowed by the priesthood4 ,they questioned not the right of an inspired prophet to act thus1 but the authority of ,jesus as a prophet4 ,the moral power before which all quailed was the greatest of signs2 but to that they were indifferent4 8,they required signs to be proved by signs40--7,bengel47 ,no other authority for any reformation is ever required than the power and grace to achieve it4 ,the same question was repeated at the second cleansing1 but it elicited a very different answer 7,matt4 #ba3bc74--;,destroy this temple and in three days ,i will raise it up4 ,in interpreting this passage observe that 7#a7 ,john himself explicitly declares ,christ's meaning1 8,he spake of the temple of his body0 7ver4 #ba72 7#b7 that not only the ,jews1 who might have willfully perverted ,christ1 misunderstood his meaning1 but his own followers did not1 till after his death1 understand him 7ver4 #bb72 hence 7#c7 the hypothesis that he pointed to himself when he said1 8,destroy this temple10 is not only unnecessary but improbable4 ,the words are a prophecy1 but are purposely left enigmatical1 to be interpreted by the event4 ,the temple is itself a type of man1 who is intended to be the temple of ,god1 in which he will dwell2 and therefore a type perfectly fulfilled only in ,christ1 in whom alone the ,spirit of ,god dwelt without measure1 and with no periods of partial or complete exclusion4 ,the ,jews in crucifying ,christ destroyed the divine reality of which the building was only a symbol or prophecy2 moreover they inaugurated that terrible drama of passion which ended in the literal destruction of the temple itself4 ,for description of this destruction see ,matt4 ch4 #bd1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,some objections to this passage have been suggested4 7#a7 ,the crucifixion of ,christ and his resurrection taking place three years later cannot be a sign of his authority here4 ,ans4 ,in fact ,christ does not comply with the ,pharisees' demand for a sign but refuses it1 as in the analogous passage in ,matt4 #ab3cd-dj1 where he also by a metaphor refers to his resurrection4 7#b7 ,the prophecy would not be and in fact was not understood4 ,ans4 ,it was not intended to be understood then1 but to afford a basis for the faith of the disciples when subsequent history had interpreted it4 ,it was an enigma more likely to be remembered because enigmatical4 8,many such sayings he uttered which were not intelligible to his immediate hearers1 but which were to be so to those who should come after4 ,and wherefore doth he do this8 ,in order that when the accomplishment of his predictions should have come to pass1 he might be seen to have foreknown from the beginning what was to follow40--7,chrysostom47 7#c7 ,the language is imperative and thus involves a command by ,christ to crucify him4 ,ans4 ,the imperative1 ,destroy this temple1 is not equivalent to the future1 ,you will destroy this temple2 nor is it permissive merely1 ,you may destroy this temple2 nor yet is it a command1 ,you must destroy this temple4 ,it is a challenge4 ,destroy this temple1 and ,i will raise it up4 8,it springs from painfully excited feelings1 as he looks with heart-searching gaze upon that implacable opposition which was already beginning to show itself1 and which would not be satisfied till it had put him to death40--7,meyer47 7#d7 ,the language1 ,i will raise it up1 imputes to ,christ the power of the resurrection which is uniformly attributed to the ,father4 ,ans4 ,this objection is founded on a misapprehension4 ,the ,n4 ,t4 recognizes no such distinction between the ,father and the ,son as this objection implies1 and ,christ uses language elsewhere1 as distinctly implying his own act in the resurrection as that used here 7ch4 #aj3ah2 #aa3be2 comp4 #e3ci1 #dj1 #dd74 ,the interpretation proposed by some writers1 that ,christ here speaks of the decay of the ,jewish religion in its temple1 and the building up of a new spiritual theocracy1 will not be accepted by those who believe that ,john's explicit declaration of ,christ's meaning is inspired and authoritative4 ,observe how the ,jews intentionally misrepresented ,christ's saying2 they accused him of threatening to destroy the temple 7,matt4 #bf3fa1 note71 when he had really prophesied that they would destroy it4 #bj ,then said the ,jews1 ,forty and six years was this temple in building1 and wilt thou rear it up in three days8 #ba ,but he spake of the temple#hb of his body4 #hb ,ephes4 #b3ba1 #bb2 ,col4 #b3i2 ,heb4 #h3b4 #bj4 ,forty and six years was this temple in building4 ,the argument is a natural one1 and seemed conclusive4 ,the temple was commenced by ,herod twenty years previous to the birth of ,christ1 and had been forty-six years in construction up to this time4 ,it was not finally completed1 however1 till ,a4 ,d4 #fd1 under ,herod ,agrippa ,,ii2 so that it was really over eighty years in building4 ,the workmen were at this time still engaged upon it1 and the language of the people refers to the work up to this time4 #bb ,when therefore he was risen from the dead1 his disciples remembered that he#hc had said this unto them3 and they believed the scripture1 and the word which ,jesus had said4 #hc ,luke #bd3h4 #bb4 ,when therefore he was risen from the dead4 ,not merely after but at the time of his resurrection and in the light of that fact1 the disciples interpreted both what he had said and what the ,o4 ,t4 contained on this subject4--,they believed the ,scripture4 ,not the ,n4 ,t41 no part of which was written at the time of the resurrection2 and the 8,scripture0 is here distinguished from the words which ,jesus had spoken4 ,the ,o4 ,t4 contained prophecies of the resurrection which are enigmatical1 and probably were but imperfectly comprehended by even the most devout ,jews1 but which were interpreted by the event 7,ps4 #af3d with ,acts #c3ae2 ,ps4 #ag3ae2 #gc3bc1 #bd2 ,isaiah #bf3ai2 ,hosea #f3b74 ,for evidence that ,christ1 and subsequently the apostles1 recognized in the ,o4 ,t4 prophecies of the resurrection1 see ,luke #bd3bf1 #bg2 ,john #bj3i2 #a ,cor4 #ae3d4 #bc ,now when he was in ,jerusalem at the passover1 in the feast day1 many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did4 #bd ,but ,jesus did not commit himself unto them1 because he#hd knew all men1 #hd ch4 #af3cj2 #a ,sam4 #af3g2 #a ,chron4 #bh3i2 #bi3ag2 ,jer4 #ag3i1 #aj2 ,matt4 #i3d2 ,acts #a3bd2 ,rev4 #b3bc4 #be ,and needed not that any should testify of man3 for he knew what was in man4 #bc-be4 ,many trusted in his name1 seeing the signs which he wrought1 but ,christ did not entrust himself to them1 because he knew all men and needed not1 etc4 ,compare with the ,english version the translation here given which approximates more nearly to the original2 and observe respecting this that 7#a7 the term miracle has acquired in modern theology a technical meaning it does not possess in the ,n4 ,t4 ,christ may have wrought miracles at this time not recorded by the ,evangelist 7ch4 #ba1 #be71 but the belief of the ,jewish disciples may have rested on such signs of his moral power as the expulsion of the traders from the temple2 7#b7 their trust in his name was not necessarily a true spiritual acceptance of him as a personal ,saviour from sin2 the reverse is implied by the statement that they trusted him because they saw his miracles2 and still more by the declaration respecting himself that he did not entrust himself to them2 7#c7 this declaration would scarcely need interpretation were it not for a common misinterpretation4 ,it does not imply that he held back from them his doctrine1 or refused to work miracles for their benefit1 but simply that he did not and could not enter into that close and unreserved personal intercourse with them which characterized his ,galilean life and companionships4 ,he knew them too well to do this2 knew that when the spiritual and universal nature of his kingdom of love was revealed unto them1 they would reject and crucify him4 ,the statement that he knew what was in man1 indicates a divine and supernatural reading of the secrets of the human heart1 of which the ,n4 ,t4 affords many and striking illustrations 7,matt4 #i3d2 ,mark #b3h2 ,luke #g3ci1 #dj74 ,the declaration that he knew all men1 indicates that this interior knowledge of the heart was not occasional and exceptional1 but universal4 ,melancthon sees in the example of our ,lord here an admonition of caution in opening our hearts unreservedly to strangers1 even though they may seem to receive our word with kindness4 ,be friendly to all1 be intimate with few4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,ch4 #c3a-ba4 ,,christ',s ,,conversation ,,with ,,nicodemus4--,,the ,,argument ,,from ,,miracles3 ,,its ,,strength ,,and ,,its ,,weakness ,,illustrated 7verse #b74--;,,christ ,,more ,,than ,a ,,teacher1 ,a ,,life-,,giver2 ,,christianity ,,more ,,than ,a ,,system ,,of ,,truth1 ,a ,,new ,,life4--,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,spiritual ,,knowledge1 ,a ,,new ,,spiritual ,,life4--,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,skepticism ,,illustrated 7verse #d74--,,the ,,true ,,method ,,of ,,answering ,,skepticism1 ,,not ,,by ,,argument1 ,,but ,,by ,,personal ,,assured ,,conviction 7verse #e74--,,the ,,two ,,conditions ,,of ,,entering ,,christ',s ,,kingdom3 ,a ,,new ,,spiritual ,,life1 ,,and ,a ,,public ,,confession ,,of ,,christ 7verse #e74--,,like ,,begets ,,like4--,,the ,,known ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,,in ,,theology 7verses #h1 #aa73 ,,the ,,known1 ,,what ,,takes ,,place ,,on ,,earth2 ,,the ,,unknown1 ,,what ,,takes ,,place ,,in ,,heaven4--,,the ,,ignorance ,,of ,,the ,,wise2 ,,he ,,is ,,no ,,master ,,who ,,has ,,no ,,personal ,,knowledge ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,birth4--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,salvation3 ,a ,,crucified ,,christ2 ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,salvation3 ,,faith ,,in ,,him2 ,,the ,,condemnation ,,of ,,sinners3 ,,their ,,love ,,of ,,darkness ,,and ,,rejection ,,of ,,the ,,light4 ,christ's interview with ,nicodemus is described only by ,john4 ,it occurred immediately after the events described in the preceding chapter1 and before ,christ had inaugurated his missionary labors1 which he did not begin till the imprisonment of ,john the ,baptist 7,mark #a3ad74 ,in studying this passage1 the following considerations will prevent the student from falling into the perplexities and errors into which some learned and orthodox commentators have fallen4 7#a7 ,the conversation was had at the commencement of ,christ's ministry1 before he had explained1 even to his own disciples1 the principles of his kingdom2 we cannot therefore safely assume that ,nicodemus was familiar with those principles1 nor can we interpret ,christ's teachings here by the later apostolic teaching1 except in so far as that was developed from this as from a germ4 7#b7 ,nicodemus was a ,pharisee1 therefore a formalist1 and pre-eminently a ,jew4 ,we may safely assume that ,christ's object was in part to correct ,jewish and ,pharisaic errors1 and our first object must be to understand1 if we can1 ,nicodemus' understanding of our ,lord4 7#c7 ,there is no evidence that ,john was present at this interview2 and it is not probable that we have a full verbatim report of it4 ,the structure of the narrative indicates that only so much of the conversation is reported as was necessary to make clear ,christ's discourse founded thereon4 #a ,there was a man of the ,pharisees1 named ,nicodemus1#he a ruler of the ,jews3 #he ch4 #g3ej1 #ea2 #ai3ci4 #a4 ,there was a man of the ,pharisees named ,nicodemus4 ,of ,nicodemus nothing is known except what ,john tells us4 ,he is not mentioned by the other ,evangelists2 and subsequent traditions are untrustworthy4 ,there is a ,nicodemus referred to in the ,talmud2 but there is nothing to identify him with this one1 for the name was common among the ,jews4 ,the only incidents related of him are this conference1 his protest against condemning ,jesus unheard 7ch4 #g3ej-eb71 and his participation with ,joseph of ,arimathea in the burial of ,jesus 7ch4 #ai3ci74 ,there is a spurious ,gospel of ,nicodemus1 the author of which is1 however1 unknown4 ,the designation of him here as a ruler of the ,jews indicates that he was one of the ,sanhedrim1 and this indication is confirmed by ch4 #g3ej4 ,on the character of the ,pharisees1 see ,matt4 #c3g1 note4 ,among them there were some pure and honest souls1 sincere but not courageous seekers after the truth 7,mark #ab3bh-cd2 #ae3dc2 ,acts #e3cd-ci2 #ae3e2 ,phil4 #c3e72 to this class of the ,pharisees ,nicodemus seems to have belonged4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,modern ,,jewish ,,rabbi4 #b ,the same came to ,jesus by night1 and said unto him1 ,rabbi1 we know that thou art a teacher come from ,god1 for#hf no man can do these miracles that thou doest1 except ,god#hg be with him4 #hf ch4 #i3af1 #cc2 ,acts #b3bb4 #hg ,acts #aj3ch4 #b4 ,the same came to ,jesus by night4 ,why by night8 ,the reason generally assumed is fear of the ,jews2 but this is not asserted by the ,evangelist1 and at this time there had not been developed any pronounced hostility on the part of the ,judeans to ,jesus4 ,nicodemus may have had a natural reluctance to commit himself to an unknown ,rabbi1 till he had learned more of his doctrine2 he may have simply sought a quiet and personal conversation1 such as he could not obtain in the busy day-time4--,rabbi1 we know that thou art a teacher4 ,the plural is not used here for the singular number2 ,nicodemus expresses not merely his own personal conviction1 but that of the ,pharisees as a class4 ,that they did1 even much later1 recognize ,christ's superhuman character and mission is clear from such passages as ,matt4 #ab3bc1 #bd2 ,john #i3bi-cd2 #aa3dg1 and this even when they resisted him most bitterly4--,for no man can do these miracles1 etc4 ,this is the argument from miracles put in the tersest possible form4 ,comp4 ,acts #d3af1 #ag4 ,and this is all that miracles prove1 namely1 the commission and authority of ,christ2 they do not of themselves show his character4 ,nicodemus then regards ,christ as a prophet sent from ,god2 and ,john1 who in ch4 #a3f1 etc41 has drawn clearly the distinction between the prophet and the ,light and ,life1 reports in this conversation with ,nicodemus a discourse of ,christ in which he emphasizes the same distinction4 ,nicodemus impliedly asks to know what new doctrine ,christ has to teach2 ,christ replies in substance that the world needs not new doctrine1 but new life4 ,the key to the understanding of this conversation is the contrast between the two conceptions of religion1 as a system of doctrine1 and as a new and spiritual life4 #c ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,except#hh a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 #hh ch4 #a3ac2 ,gal4 #f3ae2 ,eph4 #b3a2 ,tit4 #c3e2 ,james #a3ah2 #a ,peter #a3bc2 #a ,john #b3bi2 #c3i4 #c4 ,verily1 verily4 ,with ,christ these words are a common precursor of any especially weighty and solemn declaration 7,matt4 #e3ah1 note74--,except a man be begotten anew1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,on the meaning of this sentence1 it is to be observed that1 7#a7 ,the word 77 here rendered in our ,english version born1 more properly signifies the act of begetting4 ,here therefore ,christ's language carries ,nicodemus back to the very beginning of life4 7#b7 ,the word 77 rendered here in our ,english version again1 is certainly mistranslated4 ,it means either anew1 i4 e41 from the beginning or from above4 ,both meanings are attached to it here by the best scholars4 ,according to the first definition1 ,christ simply implies that the life must begin anew1 that the character must be rebuilt from the foundation1 without however implying how2 according to the other idea1 he indicates in the use of this word not only a new but a spiritual and divine birth4 ,the word is used in the first sense in ,luke #a3c1 where it is rendered from the very first2 in the second sense in ,james #a3ag2 #c3ae1 #ag1 where it is rendered from above4 ,it is clear that ,nicodemus understood it in the former sense merely1 and therefore ,i have so rendered it here4 7#c7 ,the word rendered see 77 is not equivalent to enter into 771 as ,meyer interprets it4 ,the declaration is explicit that a new spiritual life is necessary1 not only to enter into but even to form any correct conception of the kingdom of ,god4 ,and with this agrees the teaching of ,christ elsewhere 7,matt4 #ac3ad1 #ae71 and of ,paul 7#a ,cor4 #b3i1 #ad1 #ae74 ,christ thus declares to ,nicodemus that he cannot even understand the spiritual teachings of the new religion without first beginning a new life4 ,in other words1 a new spiritual life is the condition precedent to a correct spiritual apprehension of ,christ's teaching4 ,it is further to be observed that light is thrown on the meaning of this declaration by a consideration of previous ,rabbinical and of later ,apostolic teaching4 ,the new birth was a familiar metaphor with the ,rabbis4 ,they held that a ,gentile in becoming a ,jewish proselyte1 and submitting to circumcision and baptism1 was born again4 ,old things passed away2 all things became new2 it was even maintained that the proselyte might marry his nearest kin without offence1 because the old relationships were annulled by his new birth4 ,christ employs this metaphor1 familiar to the ,jewish ,rabbi1 without interpreting it1 and declares that no man1 ,jew or ,gentile1 could see the kingdom of ,god without undergoing a change as radical4 ,this truth1 that a man may bury his old life and begin a new one1 with something of the freshness and hope of youth1 is also foreshadowed in the ,o4 ,t4 7,isa4 #a3ah1 #ai2 ,jer4 #ca3cc2 ,ezek4 #aa3ai1 #bj2 #cf3bf71 and underlies the teaching of the ,n4 ,t4 7,rom4 #f3h2 #h3c2 #ab3b2 #b ,cor4 #e3ag2 ,gal4 #f3ae2 ,ephes4 #b3a-h2 ,col4 #c3i1 #aj2 ,titus #c3e72 and the metaphor itself frequently occurs in the teaching of the apostles 7,rom4 #h3ae2 ,james #a3ah2 #a ,pet4 #a3c2 #a ,john #c3i74 #d ,nicodemus saith unto him1 ,how can a man be born when he is old8 can he enter the second time into his mother's womb1 and be born8 #d4 ,how can a man be born when he is old8 ,it seems to me clear that this question is asked in a spirit of irony4 ,so ,godet1 ,alford1 ,luther1 and others4 ,considering that the metaphor was a common one1 as ,lightfoot has shown1 and that the doctrine of a new life inspired from ,god could not have been unknown to any devout student of the ,o4 ,t4 7see references above71 it is hardly possible to suppose that ,nicodemus took ,christ literally4 ,this is however ,meyer's interpretation of the question2 but it represents ,nicodemus as not only 8a somewhat narrow-minded man10 but also as a grossly ignorant and stupid one2 and so1 in truth1 ,meyer represents him throughout4 ,in the following verses 7#e-h71 ,christ answers ,nicodemus' threefold question3 first1 by simply reasserting his declaration that no man can see the kingdom of ,god unless he is born anew2 second1 by declaring the nature of this new birth1 as the commencement of a new spiritual life1 not of a new physical or fleshly life2 and third1 by borrowing an illustration from nature to indicate the degree of knowledge attainable by man on this subject2 he can perceive the results of the operations of the spirit of ,god1 but he cannot trace them to their source nor comprehend their laws4 #e ,jesus answered1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,except a man be born of water#hi and of the ,spirit1#ij he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 #hi ,mark #af3af2 ,acts #b3ch4 #ij ,rom4 #h3b2 #a ,cor4 #b3ab4 #e4 ,born of water and of ,spirit4 ,governing ourselves by the cardinal canon1 that we are to understand ,christ as ,christ expected his auditor to understand him1 it cannot be difficult to understand this declaration4 ,the ,jewish proselyte1 as a sign that he put off his old faiths1 was baptized on entering the ,jewish church4 ,john the ,baptist1 employing the same symbolic rite1 baptized ,jew as well as ,gentile1 as a sign of purification by repentance from past sins4 ,the ,sanhedrim were familiar with his baptism1 and had sent a delegation to inquire into it 7ch4 #a3ai1 #be71 and he had told them prophetically of the baptism of the ,spirit which ,christ would inaugurate4 ,nicodemus then would certainly have understood by ,christ's expression1 8born of water10 a reference to this rite of baptism1 and by the expression1 8born of the ,spirit10 a reference to a new spiritual life1 which however he could have only imperfectly apprehended4 ,the declaration then is that no man can enter the kingdom of ,god except by 7#a7 a public acknowledgment and confession of sin1 a public putting off of the old man and entering into the new2 and 7#b7 a real and vital change of life and character wrought by the ,spirit of ,god in the heart of the believer4 ,by the one act he enters into the visible and external kingdom2 by the other1 into the spiritual and invisible kingdom4 ,that a public confession and consecration is essential is clearly indicated elsewhere in ,christ's teaching 7,matt4 #aj3cb1 #cc74 ,observe the difference in phraseology here and in verse #c4 ,he cannot see the kingdom of ,god1 except his eyes are opened by the ,spirit of ,god2 he cannot enter it1 except by a public and complete abandonment of the old and a spiritual consecration to the new life 7#b ,cor4 #e3ad-af74 #f ,that#ia which is born of the flesh is flesh2 and that which is born of the ,spirit is spirit4 #ia #a ,cor4 #ae3dg1 #di2 #b ,cor4 #e3ag4 #f4 ,that which is born of flesh is flesh4 ,the connection is this3 even if a man when he is old could enter again his mother's womb and be born1 it would avail nothing2 that which is born of flesh is always flesh2 only that which is born of the ,spirit partakes of the ,spirit of ,god4 7,comp4 ,rom4 #h3e-i47 ,the declaration here1 coupled with ,john's explicit declaration in ch4 #a3ad1 that the ,word was made flesh1 implies that the birth of ,jesus was supernatural1 though he narrates none of the circumstances of that birth4 #g ,marvel not that ,i said unto thee1 ,ye must be born again4 #g4 ,marvel not that ,i said unto thee1 ,ye must be born again4 ,the original1 by its construction1 puts an emphasis on the word ye4 ,and it was this which surprised ,nicodemus2 not that men must be born again1 but that this necessity was laid on him1 a child of ,abraham1 and an honored ruler and teacher among the ,jews4 ,observe too that he says ye1 not we4 8,the ,lord did not1 could not say this of ,himself4 ,why8 ,because1 in the full sense in which the flesh is incapacitated from entering the kingdom of ,god1 ,he was not born of the flesh4 ,he inherited the weakness of the flesh1 but his spirit was not like that of sinful man1 alien from holiness and ,god1 and therefore on ,him no sentence hath passed2 when the ,holy ,spirit descended on ,him at ,his baptism1 the words spoken by the ,father were indicative of past approval1 not of renewal4 ,his obedience was accepted as perfect1 and the good pleasure of the ,father rested on ,him4 ,therefore ,he includes not himself in this necessity for the new birth40--7,alford47 #h ,the wind bloweth where it listeth1 and thou hearest the sound thereof1 but canst not tell whence it cometh1 and whither it goeth3 so#ib is every one that is born of the ,spirit4 #ib #a ,cor4 #b3aa4 #h4 ,it is very difficult to convey the exact meaning of the original of this verse2 for in the original the same word signifies wind and spirit2 there is thus a verbal felicity in the metaphor1 a certain play upon the word itself1 which cannot be transferred from the ,greek into another language4 ,as in nature we see the operation of the summer breeze1 that comes we know not whence1 and goes we know not whither1 so in the kingdom of grace we see the effects of the ,spirit of ,god1 in changes wrought in the individual character and in the community 7,gal4 #e3bb71 but are unable to comprehend the nature of the influence or the laws according to which it operates4 ,christ by this metaphor certainly indicates something more than the mere incomprehensibleness of the ,spirit's work 7comp4 ,eccles4 #aa3e72 he indicates also the realm in which we are to conduct our investigations1 and that from which1 by the nature of the case1 we are excluded4 ,we can study to advantage the results of the ,spirit's operations2 but all endeavors to know how ,he operates1 what are the occult laws of ,his being and work1 are in vain4 ,a humble acceptance of this teaching would eliminate many useless discussions from theology4 ,alford notices that the ,greek word used for wind 77 indicates the gentle breath of summer1 not the violent gale4 8,it is one of those sudden breezes springing up on a calm day1 which has no apparent direction1 but we hear it rustling in the leaves around40 ,observe also in the language1 where it listeth1 an indication of the fact that the divine operations are free1 unconstrained1 and not answerable to man1 nor subject to his control4 ,comp4 ,rom4 #i3ae1 #af4 #i ,nicodemus answered and said unto him1 ,how can these things be8 #aj ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,art thou a master of ,israel1 and knowest not these things8 #i1 #aj4 ,nicodemus answered1 444 how can these things be8 ,he is sobered by the moral power and earnestness of the ,lord1 lays aside cavilling1 and asks seriously for clearer light4 ,for similar effect of ,christ's personal power on a skeptical nature1 compare his conference with the ,samaritan woman 7ch4 #d3aa with #be71 and with ,pilate 7ch4 #ah3cc-ch with #ai3i-ab72 compare also account of ,paul before ,festus and ,agrippa 7,acts #bf3ca1 #cb74 ,observe that ,christ does not overcome ,nicodemus' skepticism by arguing against his objections1 but by the mere power of his own personal assurance of the truth4--,thou art the teacher of ,israel2 and dost thou not know these things8 ,there is certainly in this declaration and question a touch of irony and of rebuke4 ,the necessity of a radical change of heart and life1 for ,israelite as well as ,gentile1 is abundantly taught by the ,o4 ,t4 7see ver4 #c1 note1 for references72 ,nicodemus1 as a professional teacher of the religion of the ,o4 ,t41 ought not to have been surprised at ,christ's reiteration of the truth2 and the less because the doctrine of a new birth and a public baptism as a symbol of it were taught by the ,rabbis to the ,gentiles4 ,the language here1 ,the teacher of ,israel 7 7 indicates that ,nicodemus was a well-known teacher2 perhaps that he prided himself on his pre-eminence4 #aa ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,we#ic speak that we do know1 and testify that we have seen2 and ye receive not our witness4 #ic #a ,john #a3a-c4 #ab ,if ,i have told you earthly things1 and ye believe not1 how shall ye believe if ,i tell you of heavenly things8 #aa1 #ab4 ,we speak that we do know1 etc4 ,christ has spoken hitherto only of that which is matter of common observation1 viz41 man's need of a new and divine life1 and the apparent results of it in character and conduct4 ,he now speaks of that which is matter of personal experience with ,him1 the new life in the soul4 ,he now becomes not merely an interpreter to facts that are patent1 but also a witness to facts that are not4 ,christian teaching1 to be effectual1 must always be founded on personal experience of the truth taught 7#a ,cor4 #b3ab1 #ac74--;,earthly things 444 heavenly things4 ,the connection of these verses with the preceding interprets the contrast which ,christ here indicates4 ,nicodemus has impliedly asked for an exposition of ,christ's system of truth4 ,christ has replied by saying that no man can understand the truths that pertain to the kingdom of ,god unless he is born again4 ,this necessity of a radical change in heart and life in order to appreciate divine things is an earthly fact1 easily tested by an observation of men2 a striking evidence of it is afforded by the question of ,nicodemus in verse #d4 ,he then immediately goes on to ask how such a change can be effected4 ,but this1 the method of ,god's work in anew creating the heart1 is a heavenly thing1 not a matter of observation2 and ,christ says1 ,if you do not believe me when ,i tell you a truth which you can easily verify by studying the earthly life of men1 what use is there in my telling you the secrets of ,god's working1 the truth of which disclosure you have no means of verifying4 ,observe the implication that the things which are earthly1 literally1 upon the earth 771 belong to us to study and know1 and the things which are heavenly1 literally1 which take place in the heavens 771 belong to the secret counsels and work of ,god1 and do not belong to us to investigate 7,deut4 #bi3bi74 ,and yet by far the largest proportion of theological conflicts have taken place respecting these hidden things1 concerning ,god's eternal counsels not man's present duty4 #ac ,and#id no man hath ascended up to heaven1 but he that came down from heaven1 even the ,son of man which is in heaven4 #id ,eph4 #d3i1 #aj4 #ac4 ,the key to the interpretation of this verse is to be found in its context and connection4 ,christ says3 ,how shall ye believe if ,i tell you of things which take place in heaven2 yet no one else can tell you1 for no one has ascended into heaven1 and no one therefore can report its secrets1 except he who has descended from heaven and is in continual communion with heaven4 ,so interpreting it1 observe1 7#a7 ,the declaration1 ,no one 7not merely no man7 hath ascended up to heaven1 means no living person2 it does not militate against the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead1 nor imply an unconscious or even an intermediate state4 ,it is by the connection limited to those living on the earth1 for they alone could reveal the secrets of heaven if acquainted with them4 7#b7 ,he that came down from heaven plainly implies the pre-existence and supernatural character and origin of ,jesus ,christ 7comp4 ch4 #h3eh74 ,he contrasts himself with other men1 patriarchs1 prophets1 apostles1 as the only one who has descended to earth from heaven4 7#c7 ,which is in heaven indicates not merely1 as ,meyer apparently interprets it1 that ,christ's proper abode and home were in heaven1 but also that he maintained a vital and continuous communion therewith1 dwelling in the ,spirit in heaven1 even while in the flesh upon earth4 ,the ,christian's experience interprets1 though it does not fully measure1 this mystery of the heavenly life in the flesh 7,phil4 #c3bj2 ,ephes4 #b3f2 ,heb4 #ab3bb74 #ad ,and as#ie ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1 even so must the ,son of man be lifted up3 #ie ,numb4 #ba3i4 #ae ,that whosoever#if believeth in him should not perish1 but have eternal life4 #if ver4 #cf2 ,heb4 #g3be4 #ad1 #ae4 ,as ,moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness4 ,the reference here is to the event recorded in ,num4 #ba3d-i4 ,the account there should be carefully studied and compared with the spiritual interpretation which ,christ affords here4 ,what species are there indicated by the description 8fiery serpent0 is not very clear2 probably the title was given from the burning sensations produced by their bite4 ,travelers describe a large serpent1 said to abound in the ,arabian peninsula1 full of fiery red spots and undulating stripes1 and regarded as one of the most poisonous of the serpent kind4 ,excruciating heat and a burning thirst are among the symptoms produced by the bite of this serpent4 ,the brazen serpent described in ,numbers is thought to have been put upon a pole and carried throughout the camp1 so as to bring it within the sight of all the people4 ,it was carefully preserved and carried into the ,holy ,land1 where it became an object of idolatry and was destroyed in the reformation instituted under ,hezekiah 7#b ,kings #ah3d74 ,a ,roman ,catholic church at ,milan1 ,italy1 however1 still claims to possess the original brazen serpent4--,must the ,son of ,man be lifted up4 ,why must8 ,what is the necessity8 ,that question ,christ does not answer here1 nor1 so far as ,i can see1 does the ,n4 ,t4 anywhere4 ,it simply represents the atoning sacrifice of ,christ as a necessity1 without explaining the grounds of that necessity 7comp4 ,luke #bd3bf74 ,that it is in the divine economy of grace an inexorable necessity is indicated even by the types of the ,o4 ,t4 7,lev4 #ag3aa2 ,heb4 #i3bb74 ,the phrase 8,son of ,man0 was a common ,jewish designation for the ,messiah4 ,it would have been so understood by ,nicodemus 7,matt4 #aj3bc1 note74--,be lifted up4 ,not only on the cross1 but by the cross unto glory4 ,it is the cross which lifts up ,christ to be the object of adoration for the whole creation 7,phil4 #b3i2 ,rev4 #e3i74--,should not perish4 ,these words are wanting in the best manuscripts4 ,but the doctrine implied1 that those who do not believe will perish1 is clearly taught in verse #af1 from which it was probably borrowed and inserted here by some early copyist4--,eternal life4 ,the same ,greek words are rendered everlasting life in the next verse 7 74 ,comp4 ch4 #aj3aj4 ,eternal life is the life of the soul which disaster cannot impair nor death destroy--a present possession1 not a future inheritance1 except that it is a possession which grows in value and importance in the future4 ,in studying ,christ's language in these two verses observe 7#a7 ,that we have ,christ's authority for the doctrine that the ,o4 ,t4 history is intended to indicate1 by types or object-teaching1 the great truths of the ,gospel4 ,this he assumes elsewhere in his ministry 7,luke #bb3ae1 #ai1 #bj2 ,john #f3di-ea71 and it is directly asserted by ,paul 7#a ,cor4 #aj3aa71 and underlies the ,epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,the history of the brazen serpent is then a parable of the ,gospel2 parabolically it points out the way of salvation4 7#b7 ,the serpent is throughout the ,bible an emblem of ,satan1 and its poison an emblem of the deadly and pervasive effects of sin 7,gen4 #c3a1 #ad1 #ae2 ,deut4 #cb3cc2 ,psalm #eh3d1 #e2 #adj3c2 ,rom4 #c3ac2 #b ,cor4 #aa3c2 ,rev4 #ab3i74 ,it is a fitting emblem--slight in its first wound1 affecting the blood1 the current and fountain of life1 pervading the whole frame with its subtle poison1 a poison for which there is no human remedy1 and resulting in certain death4 7#c7 ,for the human soul1 poisoned by sin1 the end whereof is death 7,james #a3ae71 there is lifted up ,one who1 though he knew no sin1 was made in the likeness of sinful flesh 7#b ,cor4 #f3ba71 so that in him the enemy himself was1 as it were1 nailed to the cross 7,col4 #b3ae74 ,thus1 as the brazen serpent represented the fiery serpent1 yet had in him not poison but healing1 so ,christ represented sinful flesh1 but had in him no sin but redemption from the poison of sin in others4 7#d7 ,the one only condition of healing to the poisoned ,israelite was that he look on the brazen serpent2 and this simply as an act of obedient faith4 ,to this fact ,isaiah had reference in his interpretation of the divine condition of salvation1 8,look unto me1 and be ye saved1 all the ends of the earth2 for ,i am ,god1 and there is none else0 7,isaiah #de3bb74 ,so here to 8believe in him0 is not to believe some doctrine about the ,messiah1 but simply to trust in him1 to look unto him 7,acts #af3ca2 ,heb4 #ab3b74 7#e7 ,the work of heralding the ,gospel is the work of ,moses in the wilderness4 ,it is a simple pointing to the ,saviour1 lifted up that the sinner1 by looking unto him1 may be saved4 ,the work of instruction in the precepts of ,christ and the principles of his kingdom comes after1 not before1 salvation 7,matt4 #bh3ai1 #bj1 note74 #af ,for ,god#ig so loved the world1 that he gave his only begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish1 but have everlasting life4 #ig #a ,john #d3i4 #af4 ,some scholars1 including ,olshausen and ,tholuck1 suppose that ,christ's discourse ends with the preceding verse1 and that the remainder1 to verse #ba1 are added by ,john2 but the grounds for such an hypothesis seem to me quite insufficient1 and the objections to it quite conclusive4 ,the grounds are 7a7 ,that all allusion to ,nicodemus is henceforth dropped4 ,but ,nicodemus is only introduced as an interrogator1 because his questions elicit the instruction of ,jesus2 and only so much of his share in the conversation is recorded as is necessary to make ,christ's language intelligible4 7b7 ,thenceforth past tenses are used4 ,this might1 however1 well be the case1 even if the events were future1 the discourse being prophetic4 ,but the events were not future1 but past4 ,the love of ,god1 the sending his ,son into the world1 the opening of the door of salvation through ,him--all this was already accomplished2 and the passion is not described in detail as an event past4 7c7 ,the phrase 8only begotten0 is said to be peculiar to ,john4 ,but ,stier well replies that ,john probably obtained the phrase from ,christ4 ,the objections to the view which supposes that ,christ ends the discourse at verse #ae1 and that the rest is ,john's are1 7a7 ,that the discourse breaks off abruptly1 if ended at verse #ae1 leaving ,nicodemus in entire ignorance of the way of salvation4 ,the same necessity which1 on this hypothesis1 led ,john to complete it1 would much more have led ,christ to complete it4 7b7 ,there is nothing to indicate a break at verse #ae2 and to suppose ,john guilty of adding to the discourse of our ,lord his own words1 without indicating that it is an addition1 is to accuse him of imposture1 if not forgery1 and casts discredit over his whole narrative4 ,lange1 ,stier1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 all hold the discourse to be our ,lord's to the end1 at verse #ba4 ,the verse itself has been well called by ,luther 8,the little gospel10 for it embodies the whole gospel in a single sentence4 ,it declares the divine nature--love 7#a ,john #c3i1 #af72 the nature of that love1 a love unto self-sacrifice1 the sacrifice of his ,only ,son2 the object of that love--the whole world2 the result of that love--the gift of the ,messiah2 the divine nature of the ,messiah--,god's only begotten ,son2 the object of that gift--salvation2 the sole condition of securing the benefits of that gift--trust in the ,saviour2 the proffer of that salvation--to all that believe in him2 the effect of rejecting it--perishing2 the effect of accepting it--everlasting life4 ,observe1 7#a7 that all attempts to limit the meaning of the word world 7 7 to the elect1 or the church1 are inconsistent with the original and with other parallel passages of ,scripture4 ,see particularly #a ,john #b3b1 and ,matt4 #ac3ch1 note2 7#b7 the cause of the atonement is traced here not to the wrath but to the love of ,god1 a fundamental fact often lost sight of in presenting that doctrine2 7#c7 in the original an emphasis is put upon the word so1 which is not preserved in the ,english version4 ,the wonder of the ,gospel is not that ,god loved the world1 but that he loved it with such a love1 a love which only the sacrifice of an only begotten ,son can interpret4 #ag ,for ,god#ih sent not his ,son into the world to condemn the world2 but that the world through him might be saved4 #ih ,luke #i3ef4 #ag4 ,not 444 to condemn the world4 ,the ,jews believed 7see ,lightfoot7 that the ,messiah would save ,israel and judge the ,gentile nations4 ,it was a ,rabbinical interpretation of ,isaiah #ba3ab1 8,the morning cometh and also the night40 8,it will be the morning to ,israel 7when the ,messiah shall come71 but night to the 7,gentile7 nations of the world40 ,this error ,christ refutes1 in this his first private preaching of the ,gospel1 as subsequently in his first public preaching 7,luke #d3be-bg72 he declares that he brings salvation to the whole world4 ,alford notices the peculiar construction of the close of the verse1 not1 ,that he might save the world1 but1 ,that the world through him might be saved4 8,the free will of the world is by this strikingly set forth in connection with verses #ai1 #bj4 ,not that the ,lord is not the ,saviour of the world1 but that the peculiar cast of this passage requires the other side of the truth to be brought out40 #ah ,he#ii that believeth on him is not condemned3 but he that believeth not is condemned already1 because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten ,son of ,god4 #ii ch4 #f3dj1 #dg4 #ah4 ,the connection is this3 ,though ,god did not send his ,son into the world to condemn the world1 yet he is even now judging it and condemning its unbelief1 though not in the way ,nicodemus had anticipated2 his mere presence is a judgment4 ,his fan is in his hand 7,matt4 #c3ab72 for he that trusts in ,christ is thereby taken out from judgment1 while he that rejects ,christ condemns himself4 ,the next verse states the ground and the nature of this condemnation4 ,the ,light has come into the world1 and men by refusing the ,light attest their love of darkness2 and it is for this1 not for the darkness but for their love of it1 that they are condemned4--,is not condemned4 ,but 8is passed from death unto life0 7ch4 #e3bd74--;,is condemned already4 ,the sinner is condemned1 not by ,christ but by his own act2 he is self-condemned 7,tit4 #c3aa74 ,observe1 that throughout the ,n4 ,t4 both condemnation and salvation are represented as present realities1 not as future possibilities4 ,the last judgment decides nothing2 it simply announces publicly the results of the judgment now forming4 ,life is the true judgment-day4--,because he hath not believed4 ,men are not condemned for their deeds but for their desires4 ,the way of escape from the evil is provided and declined2 and for this the soul is condemned4 ,thus it is true that the ,lamb of ,god taketh away the sin of the world 7ch4 #a3bi7 and yet condemns the sinner 7ch4 #ae3bb71 because the condemnation is not for the past sin1 but for the present rejection of the ,saviour from sin4--,in the name of the only begotten ,son of ,god4 ,the name is ,jesus1 i4 e41 ,saviour1 and was given to him because 8he shall save his people from their sins0 7,matt4 #a3ba74 ,to disbelieve in that name is to reject that salvation4 8,the #8only begotten' also here sets before us the hopelessness of such a man's state2 he has no other ,saviour40--7,alford47 #ai ,and this is the condemnation1 that light#ajj is come into the world1 and men loved darkness rather than light1 because their deeds were evil4 #ajj ch4 #a3d2 #i3aa4 #ai4 ,and this is the condemnation4 ,not merely1 ,this is the cause of the condemnation2 ,christ has already stated that in the preceding verse2 he here states the nature of the condemnation4 ,he that loves darkness rather than light is given over to his own choice2 this is the sentence pronounced against him 7,hosea #d3a-ag2 ,rom4 #a3bh2 ,rev4 #bb3aa74--,men loved darkness rather than light4 ,not merely more than light2 they chose darkness4 ,for illustration of this deliberate choice of darkness see ,matt4 #ac3ad1 #ae2 #bh3ab-ad2 ,john #f3ff2 #ab3aj1 #aa2 ,acts #d3af1 #ag2 #b ,tim4 #d3aj4 ,this is not always1 however1 a conscious and deliberate choice4 ,see ,john #ab3dc2 #b ,tim4 #c3d4--;,because their deeds are evil4 ,corrupting to others4 ,this is the force of the ,greek word 771 which is different from that rendered evil in the next verse4 ,the corrupting power of sin lies in its secreting its evil character and purpose2 hence it avoids the light2 hence too it is called in ,scripture the power of darkness 7,luke #bb3ec2 ,col4 #a3ac2 ,rev4 #af3aj74 ,observe the secret cause of unbelief here indicated2 men are willfully ignorant of the truth4 ,it is not the intellect1 but the will which is perverse4 8,the source of unbelief is immorality40--7,meyer47 #bj ,for every one that doeth evil hateth the light1 neither#aja cometh to the light1 lest his deeds should be reproved4 #aja ,job #bd3ac1 #ag2 ,pr4 #d3ah1 #ai4 #bj4 ,every one that practiseth evil4 ,worthless things 77 not as in the preceding verse1 things corrupting4 ,but corrupting include worthless things1 for they are not only worthless but worse than worthless4 ,the evil here characterized is parallel to the idle words of ,matt4 #ab3cf1 and it is opposed to the truth which is always fruitful in goodness and love4--,hateth the light4 ,it has been supposed by some that there is in these words a covert rebuke of ,nicodemus for coming to ,christ secretly by night4 ,this seems to me improbable4 ,christ was not accustomed to conceal his rebukes so deftly4--,lest his deeds should be reproved4 ,not necessarily by words of condemnation1 but by the mere exposure of their worthlessness when brought to the light4 ,see ,luke #c3ai1 #bj2 ,john #h3h1 #i2 ,compare ,ephes4 #e3aa-ac4 #ba ,but he that doeth#ajb truth cometh to the light1 that his deeds may be made manifest1 that they are wrought#ajc in ,god4 #ajb #a ,john #a3f4 #ajc ,john #c3ba4 #ba4 ,but he that doeth the truth4 ,man practises the evil 771 he does the truth 774 ,compare ch4 #e3bi1 where the same distinction is observed3 8they that have done good 7shall come forth7 unto the resurrection of life1 they that have practised evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation40 8,he that practises 77 has nothing but his practice1 which is an event1 a thing of the past1 a source to him only of condemnation1 for he has nothing to show for it1 for it is also worthless 772 whereas he that does 77 has his deed--he has abiding fruit2 his works do follow him40--7,alford47--,cometh to the light4 ,not merely is willing and desirous to come to the light1 but is also enabled to come to it1 and to appreciate and receive it 7,prov4 #d3ah2 ,john #g3ag74 ,observe that throughout the ,n4 ,t4 truth is represented not merely as an abstract philosophy to be intellectually received1 but as a life in harmony with the eternal verities of ,god's law and character4 ,thus the incarnation is the fundamental doctrine of ,christianity2 as ,christ is himself emphatically the ,truth1 so every ,christian must be in a smaller measure an embodiment and incarnation of divine truth1 manifesting it less by his words than by his life4 ,so1 on the other hand1 ,paul catalogues the vices of life1 as the things which are contrary to 8sound doctrine0 7#a ,tim4 #a3aj74 ,for an exemplification of what it is to do the truth1 see ,psalm #ae4--,that they are wrought in ,god4 ,the ,christian comes to the light1 not for self-glorification1 but to glorify ,god2 his desire is not to manifest the goodness in himself1 but the goodness in ,god which has triumphed over the evil in himself 7,matt4 #e3af2 #a ,cor4 #ae3aj74 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #c3bb-cf4 ,,further ,,testimony ,,from ,,john ,,the ,,baptist ,,to ,,jesus4--,,the ,,office ,,and ,,the ,,joy ,,of ,,the ,,ministry--,,christ ,,contrasted ,,with ,,his ,,herald--,,the ,,human ,,confirmation ,,of ,,divine ,,truth--,,the ,,conditions ,,of ,,salvation--,,the ,,ground ,,of ,,condemnation--,,the ,,danger ,,of ,,and ,,the ,,defence ,,from ,,envy4 #bb ,after these things came ,jesus and his disciples into the land of ,juda2 and there he tarried with them1 and baptized4#ajd #ajd ch4 #d3b4 #bb4 ,after these things4 ,not necessarily immediately after4 ,there is nothing to indicate how much time elapsed between the conversation with ,nicodemus and the events recorded in the latter part of this chapter1 except the note of time in verse #bd4--;,and baptized4 ,christ did not baptize 7ch4 #d3b71 and the baptism could not have been in the name of the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost1 for the ,holy ,ghost was not yet given 7,john #g3ci71 that is1 in such measure as to be the common heritage of all disciples4 ,the probable explanation of the statement here and in ch4 #d3a1 #b1 is that of ,chrysostom3 8,both parties 7,john and the disciples of ,jesus7 alike had one reason for baptizing1 and that was to lead the baptized to ,christ40 #bc ,and ,john also was baptizing in non1 near to ,salim1#aje because there was much water there3 and they#ajf came1 and were baptized4 #aje #a ,sam4 #i3d4 #ajf ,matt4 #c3e1 #f4 #bd ,for ,john#ajg was not yet cast into prison4 #ajg ,matt4 #ad3c4 #bc1 #bd4 ,in ,enon near to ,salim4 ,the site of both places is uncertain4 ,for different hypotheses see ,smith's ,bible ,dictionary1 article non4 ,jerome and ,eusebius both affirm that ,salim existed in their day eight ,roman miles south of ,scythopolis near the ,jordan4 ,van der ,velde found a ,mussulman oratory called ,sheyk ,salim about six miles south of ,scythopolis1 and two miles west of the ,jordan4 ,dr4 ,hackett seems to think this the more probable site4 ,this places it near the northern border of ,samaria4--,because there was much water there4 ,rather many waters1 i4 e41 many springs4 ,whether this spot was chosen because the water afforded conveniences for baptizing1 or because the springs afforded conveniences for the pilgrims that flocked in such numbers 7,matt4 #c3e7 to the baptism of ,john1 is uncertain4 ,nothing respecting the form of baptism can be deduced from this expression4--,for ,john was not yet cast into prison4 ,for chronology of this period1 see ,matt4 #d3ab1 note4 ,the events recorded in ,john1 chaps4 #b1 #c1 and #d1 seem to have occurred between the temptation and the first preaching of ,jesus recorded in ,matt4 #ad3c-ab2 ,mark #f3ad-bi4 ,see notes there4 #be ,then there arose a question between some of ,john's disciples and the ,jews about purifying4 #bf ,and they came unto ,john1 and said unto him1 ,rabbi1 he that was was with thee beyond ,jordan1 to whom thou barest#ajh witness1 behold1 the same baptizeth1 and all men#aji come to him4 #ajh ch4 #a3g1 #ae1 etc4 #aji ,ps4 #fe3b2 ,isa4 #de3bc4 #be1 #bf4 ,then there arose a question between some of ,john's disciples and a ,jew about purifying4 ,not the ,jews1 but a ,jew1 an indication that the difficulty1 whatever it was1 started with him4 ,various conjectures have been proposed respecting the nature of this question4 ,the discussion of them is unprofitable4 ,the fact of the question is merely stated to explain how the instructions of ,john the ,baptist came to be given4--,and they came4 ,some of the disciples of ,john came4--,said unto him4 ,what they said was evidently in the nature of a complaint4 8,he who also was with thee10 said they1 8as one of thy disciples1 has started off on a mission of his own1 and is eclipsing thee40 ,there was possibly a little personal jealousy in this complaint4 ,to their minds ,jesus was but a disciple of the ,baptist like themselves4 #bg ,john answered and said1 ,a man#aaj can receive nothing1 except it be given him from heaven4 #aaj #a ,cor4 #b3ab1 #ad2 #d3g4 #bh ,ye yourselves bear me witness1 that ,i said1#aaa ,i am not the ,christ1 but that ,i#aab am sent before him4 #aaa ch4 #a3bj1 #bg4 #aab ,luke #a3ag4 #bg1 #bh4 ,a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven4 ,some1 as ,alford and ,maurice1 suppose that ,john refers to himself1 saying in effect3 ,i cannot take more than ,god has given me1 viz41 the mission of a herald2 others1 as ,chrysostom1 that he refers to ,jesus4 ,this latter seems to me clearly the true view1 which has been abandoned1 perhaps1 from a reluctance to apply the principle involved in it to ,christ1 that whatever power he possessed was not independent but derived from the ,father4 ,the connection seems to me to be this3 8,if he whom ,i baptized is drawing all men unto him and is conferring on them spiritual gifts greater than ,i conferred1 it is because his spiritual power1 heaven bestowed1 is greater4 ,for1 in the spiritual realm no man can usurp2 no man can receive what heaven does not give40 ,in other words1 spiritual results are always an all-sufficient justification for any spiritual work4 ,no question of its regularity1 or of the authority or the right of the worker is to be entertained4--,ye yourselves bear me out4 ,he turns their words1 8to whom thou barest witness10 against themselves4 ,see for his witness ,matt4 #c3aa1 #ab2 ,john #a3bj1 #be-bg4--;,i am sent before him4 ,as a herald before a king 7,luke #c3c-f74 ,illustration3 ,,traditional ,,site ,,of ,,enon4 #bi ,he that hath the bride#aac is the bridegroom3 but the friend#aad of the bridegroom1 which standeth and heareth him1 rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice3 this my joy therefore is fulfilled4 #aac ,cant4 #d3h-ab2 ,jer4 #b3b2 ,ezek4 #af3h2 ,hos4 #b3ai1 #bj2 ,matt4 #bb3b2 #b ,cor4 #aa3b2 ,ephes4 #e3be1 #bg2 ,rev4 #ba3i4 #aad ,cant4 #e3a4 #cj ,he must increase1 but ,i must decrease4 #bi1 #cj4 ,he that hath the bride is the bridegroom1 etc4 ,in the ,east1 etiquette forbids any meetings between the bride and groom prior to marriage4 ,often they do not even see each other4 ,all communications between them are carried on by one answering to our groomsman1 and who is designated as the friend of the bridegroom4 ,see ,matt4 #be3a-ac1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,to this custom ,john refers4 ,the ,church is the bride 7,matt4 #i3ae2 #be3a-ac2 ,rev4 #ba3i72 in a sense every individual ,christian is the bride 7,jer4 #c3ad2 ,isa4 #ed3e72 ,christ is the bridegroom2 every one who brings ,christ to his ,church1 or to the individual soul1 is a 8friend of the bridegroom40 ,the practical lesson for us is that we are to rejoice to be lost in the ,master2 to rejoice when our mission is ended for the ,church or the individual1 and those whom we have been teaching are able to say to us1 as the ,samaritans to the woman 7,john #d3db71 8,now we believe1 not because of thy saying2 for we have heard him ourselves1 and know that it is indeed the ,christ1 the ,saviour of the world40 8,i know scarcely any words in all the ,scriptures which have a deeper and diviner music in them than these1 or which more express all that a ,christian minister and a ,christian man should wish to understand and feel2 and should hope that some day he may understand and feel as he who first spoke them did40--7,maurice47--,who standeth and heareth him4 ,stands ready to do the bridegroom's bidding4--,he must increase1 but ,i must decrease4 ,this is with ,john the ,baptist a subject not for resignation1 but for rejoicing4 ,his decrease in the increasing of ,christ is the evidence that his work and his faith have not been in vain4 ,for him to live is ,christ2 hence the more ,christ and the less ,john1 the greater his joy4 #ca ,he that cometh from above#aae is above all3 he#aaf that is of the earth is earthly1 and speaketh of the earth3 he that cometh from heaven is above all4 #aae ch4 #f3cc2 #h3bc4 #aaf #a ,cor4 #ae3dg4 #cb ,and what he hath seen and heard1 that he testifieth2 and no man#aag receiveth his testimony4 #aag ch4 #a3aa4 #ca-cb4 ,it has been supposed by some critics that the discourse of ,john the ,baptist ends with the preceding verse1 and that what follows is a comment by the ,evangelist1 7so ,bengel1 ,olshausen1 ,tholuck72 and by others that although it is in form the ,evangelist's report of the ,baptist's words1 it has been so transformed in the reporting that it is in effect the ,evangelist's1 7so ,lucke and ,de ,wette47 ,it must be confessed that the style is far more like that of ,john the ,evangelist than like that of ,john the ,baptist1 so far as we have reports from other quarters1 of the latter's discourses2 but there is no indication of any transition here from a report to a comment on it2 and the closeness of the connection in thought forbids the idea that any such transition exists4 ,i therefore 7with ,alford and ,meyer7 regard the whole discourse as in substance that of ,john the ,baptist1 though probably in phraseology largely that of the ,evangelist4--,he that cometh from above is above all4 ,the ,baptist emphasizes the contrast between ,christ and himself4 ,christ1 from above and above all1 speaks what he knows and has seen 7comp4 ,john #c3aa72 ,john the ,baptist from the earth1 and possessing the earthly nature1 can1 like all other human teachers1 only declare the truth as it has come to him in his earthly condition and as seen through the earthly atmosphere4 ,the teachings of ,christ are the highest even in the ,bible1 for they are free from that admixture of earthiness which belongs essentially to all mere earth-born teachers4--,no man receiveth his testimony4 ,a sorrowful comment 7comp4 ch4 #a3aa72 but not literally true1 nor is it intended to be literally taken4 ,this is evident from the next verse4 #cc ,he that hath received his testimony hath set#aah to his seal that ,god is true4 #aah #a ,john #e3aj4 #cd ,for he#aai whom ,god hath sent speaketh the words of ,god3 for ,god giveth not the ,spirit by measure#abj unto him4 #aai ch4 #g3af4 #abj ch4 #a3af2 ,ps4 #de3g2 ,isa4 #aa3b2 #ei3ba2 ,col4 #a3ai4 #ce ,the ,father loveth the ,son1#aba and hath given all things into his hand4 #aba ,matt4 #bh3ah4 #cc-ce4 ,he that hath received his testimony hath sealed that ,god is true4--,the seal was in ancient times1 as in modern1 attached to any document in confirmation and attestation of it4 ,john the ,baptist declares that whoever accepts heartily the testimony of ,jesus ,christ becomes himself a confirmation of its truth to others1 by his own life4 ,the meaning is interpreted by ,matt4 #e3ad2 and #b ,cor4 #c3b4 ,a pregnant and suggestive metaphor2 that we put the seal to ,god's testimony4--,he whom ,god hath sent4 ,the question of ,christ's relation to the ,father is not in issue here4 ,john's disciples complain that ,jesus teaches at all2 ,john replies that the divine effects of his teaching are the attestation of his divine ministry2 and that having been divinely sent1 he can speak no other than divine words4 ,compare ch4 #g3af4--;,for the ,father giveth not the ,spirit by measure4 ,alford sustains the addition of the ,english translators1 unto him2 to me it seems1 as to ,meyer1 quite arbitrary4 ,the meaning is not1 ,god has distinguished ,christ from all other teachers by his unmeasured gifts of grace to him2 but1 when ,god gives he does not stint1 nor measure1 nor parley1 but gives abundantly more than we can ask or think 7,ephes4 #c3bj72 therefore1 when he sends one into the world to reveal divine truth1 we are not to be afraid of his teaching1 and to put limitations upon and hindrances about him1 lest he go astray4 ,the truth that ,god has given immeasurably more into the hands of his only begotten ,son than to any created being appears in the next verse1 not in this4 ,our ,english version destroys the climax1 and makes ver4 #ce little more than a repetition of ver4 #cd4--;,and hath given all things into his hands4 ,observe that throughout the ,n4 ,t4 the power and authority of ,christ is represented as derived from the ,father1 not as original or independent of him4 ,see for example1 ,john #e3bf2 ,phil4 #b3i2 ,heb4 #a3i4 #cf ,he#abb that believeth on the ,son hath everlasting life3 and he that believeth not the ,son shall not see life2 but the wrath#abc of ,god abideth on him4 #abb ver4 #ae1 #af2 ,hab4 #b3d4 #abc ,rom4 #a3ah4 #cf4 ,he that believeth on the ,son hath everlasting life4 ,an assertion1 not a promise4 ,the declaration is not that everlasting life shall be given to him in the future as a reward for his act of faith1 but that faith at once inducts him into spiritual life1 which is alone everlasting4 ,compare ver4 #ah above2 ,rom4 #f3bc2 #a ,john #c3b4 ,observe what faith confers is life1 i4 e41 the highest development and activity of the whole being 7,john #aj3aj71 the reverse being death4--,he that believeth not the ,son4 ,two different ,greek words are translated in the two clauses of this verse by the ,english word believe4 ,the force of the original is impaired1 if not destroyed1 by this mistranslation2 but it is not easy to find in ,english the exact equivalent for the distinction which is noted in the original4 ,the passage may perhaps be rendered1 ,he that hath faith in 7 7 the ,son hath everlasting life2 but he that will not be persuaded by 77 the ,son shall not see life4 ,beware of considering ,believe on the ,son as equivalent to either ,believe correctly about the ,son1 or even ,believe the ,son4 ,see ,matt4 #ah3f1 note4--,shall not see life4 ,not only shall not have it1 but cannot even comprehend it4 ,spiritual life is only spiritually discerned1 and faith is the first condition of spiritual discernment4 ,see ver4 #c and note4--,the wrath of ,god abideth on him4 ,remains1 as something previously resting upon him and not removed4 ,see ,ephes4 #b3c4 ,illustration3 ,,sychar4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,ch4 #d3a-bf4 ,,christ ,,and ,,the ,,woman ,,of ,,samaria4--,,christ ,a ,,preacher ,,in ,,season ,,and ,,out ,,of ,,season4--,,his ,,example ,,as ,a ,,christian ,,conversationalist4--,,the ,,divine ,,spring2 ,,the ,,human ,,cistern4--,,the ,,essential ,,and ,,the ,,insignificant ,,questions ,,in ,,worship ,,contrasted4 ,this interview between ,christ and the ,samaritan woman is reported alone by ,john4 ,the time is uncertain2 the only definite indication is that of verse #ce1 and the interpretation of that is uncertain4 ,with ,ellicott and ,andrews1 ,i think ,december of ,a4 ,d4 #bg the most probable date4 ,matthew 7#d3ab7 explains ,christ's departure into ,galilee by saying that it took place when he heard that ,john the ,baptist was cast into prison2 ,john here attributes it to another cause1 a fear of rivalry and contention between his own and ,john's disciples4 ,the probable explanation is that ,christ left ,judea for the latter reason1 but did not commence his public ministry till the imprisonment of the ,baptist4 ,see ch4 #e1 ,prel4 note4 #a ,when therefore the ,lord knew how the ,pharisees had heard that ,jesus made and baptized#abd more disciples than ,john1 #abd ch4 #c3bb1 #bf4 #b 7,though ,jesus himself baptized not1 but his disciples17 #c ,he left ,juda1 and departed again into ,galilee4 #d ,and he must needs#abe go through ,samaria4 #abe ,luke #b3di4 #a-d4 ,jesus made and baptized more disciples than ,john4 ,the conversation between ,christ and ,nicodemus took place at the ,passover1 and therefore in the spring2 if that between ,christ and the woman at the well occurred in ,december1 ,jesus and ,john the ,baptist baptized together during the summer4 ,the doctrine which ,christ preached at this time was substantially the same as that of the ,baptist4 8,repent1 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand0 7,matt4 #c3b2 #d3ag72 for he had not yet begun to explain publicly the spiritual and universal nature of his kingdom4 ,but differences between the ministries of the two were from the first apparent2 differences chiefly respecting the ceremonials of religion--purifying1 baptizing1 fasting 7ch4 #c3be1 #bf2 ,matt4 #i3ad74 ,the increasing popularity of ,christ threatened to awake the envy of the ,baptist's disciples1 his disregard of ceremonial to awaken their suspicion2 the ,pharisees were alert to stimulate both4 ,so ,christ withdrew1 forestalling the first danger of rupture and conflict1 a lesson to all ,christian workers against all unchristian rivalries and contentions about details in doctrine or ceremony4 ,envy is the most common instigator of denominational controversy4--,jesus himself baptized not4 ,no instance is recorded of any baptism administered by ,christ1 or of any baptism commanded or authorized by ,christ1 till after his resurrection and about the time of his ascension4 ,baptism appears to have been adopted by his disciples from ,john the ,baptist1 and employed by them without express direction from ,christ1 as a symbol of repentance and a profession of a new life1 and to have been subsequently adopted in a modified form by their ,lord4 ,that it was always regarded by the apostles as subordinate to the preaching of the ,word is indicated by ,acts #aj3d1 #h1 with #a ,cor4 #a3af1 #ag1 from which it appears to have been a ministerial act not ordinarily performed by the apostles4 ,on the history of baptism1 see note on the baptism of ,jesus by ,john1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #gb1 and on ,christian baptism1 note on ,matt4 #bh3ai4--;,and he must needs go through ,samaria4 ,simply because that province lay directly between ,judea and ,galilee1 and therefore on the direct route4 ,see map4 ,josephus tells us that it was the custom of the ,galileans1 when they came to the holy city to the festivals1 to take their journey through the country of the ,samaritans4 ,the more bigoted ,judeans may have sometimes avoided it by going through ,perea4 ,the history of ,samaria explains1 and in some measure justifies1 the odium attaching to it and its inhabitants among the ,jews4 ,at the time of the secession of the ten tribes under ,rehoboam 7#a ,kings1 ch4 #ab71 ,shechem was adopted by him as the capital of the new monarchy1 and made the seat of an idolatrous worship4 ,subsequently the city of ,samaria was built by ,omri1 king of ,israel1 as capital 7#a ,kings #af3bd71 and so remained till the time of the captivity of the ten tribes under ,shalmaneser 7#b ,kings #ag3f74 ,a heathen colony was then sent in to take the places of the exiled ,israelites2 these colonists suffered from the devastations of wild beasts1 and acting on the common assumption of that time that their own gods were not competent to take care of them in a strange land1 sent for and received priests of ,israel to teach them the manner of the ,god of ,palestine4 ,the result of this instruction was a mixed religion1 partly ,jewish1 partly heathen 7#b ,kings #ag3bd-da74 ,in the ,o4 ,t41 the phrase 8the cities of ,samaria10 is equivalent to the 8kingdom of ,israel20 it thus included all of ,palestine north of ,judea4 ,that portion of ,israel east of the ,jordan which originally belonged to it was subsequently taken away the kings of ,assyria 7#a ,chron4 #e3bf71 ,galilee shared the same fate 7#b ,kings #ae3bi71 and ,samaria was reduced to the dimensions which it possessed in the time of ,christ4 ,the character and conduct of the ,samaritans increased the antagonism between them and the ,jews4 ,they were refused permission to participate in the rebuilding of the temple at ,jerusalem1 at the time of the return of ,judah from captivity1 and became open1 and1 for a time1 successful opponents of the rebuilding 7,ezra1 chaps4 #d and #e2 ,neh41 chaps4 #d and #f74 ,finally1 an exiled priest from ,jerusalem obtained permission from the ,persian king of his day to build a rival temple at ,gerizim1 and ,samaria became the rival of ,jerusalem1 and the rallying-point of its foes and its outlaws 7,josephus' ,antiq4 #aa3h1 #f74 ,to a rival temple and religion1 they added a ,samaritan ,pentateuch1 for which they claimed a greater antiquity and authority than for any copy of the ,o4 ,t4 possessed by the ,jews4 ,the bitter national and religious antipathy between ,jew and ,samaritan1 consequent upon this history1 is illustrated in several passages in the ,n4 ,t4 7ver4 #i1 note2 #h3dh2 ,luke #i3eb-ef2 #aj3cj-cg2 #ag3af74 ,if anything could justify such an antipathy this would be justified1 since the ,samaritans were renegades both to their religion and to their nation2 and ,christ's course here and elsewhere implies a condemnation of all rancor and bitterness1 founded on race1 national1 or religious differences4 ,of the ,samaritans1 one hundred and fifty still worshipping in a little synagogue at the foot of ,gerizim are all that are left1 8the oldest and the smallest sect in the world40 #e ,then cometh he to a city of ,samaria1 which is called ,sychar1 near to the parcel of ground that ,jacob gave#abf to his son ,joseph4 #abf ,gen4 #cc3ai2 #dh3bb2 ,josh4 #bd3cb4 #e4 ,a city of ,samaria called ,sychar4 ,the prevalent opinion is that ,sychar is a corruption of the name ,shechem1 that it means drunken1 and that this slight change was given by the ,jews to the rival capital in derision1 and in possible allusion to ,isaiah #bh3a4 ,if this be so1 it must have become current at this time2 for we can hardly believe that ,john would otherwise embody a mere term of derision in the ,evangelical narrative4 ,dr4 ,thomson 7,land and ,book1 ii3#bjf1 following ,hug1 ,luthardt1 and ,ewald7 identifies the ancient ,sychar with a village about half a mile north of the supposed site of ,jacob's well1 called ,aschar2 and as the corruption of ,shechem into ,sychar is a mere hypothesis1 framed to account for the use of the word here1 ,dr4 ,thomson's opinion appears to me the more probable4 ,shechem was two miles distant from ,jacob's well1 and apparently was abundantly supplied with water4 ,illustration3 ,,jacob',s ,,well4 #f ,now ,jacob's well was there4 ,jesus therefore1 being wearied with his journey1 sat thus on the well3 and it was about the sixth hour4 #f4 ,now ,jacob's spring was there4 ,there are two ,greek words translated well in this narrative3 the first means a spring or fountain1 i4 e41 water-source2 the second a well or cistern1 i4 e41 a water-chamber4 ,the first 77 is used here1 indicating that the well was fed internally by springs1 not externally by rain4 ,a well1 now dry and deserted1 answering to all the conditions of the narrative here1 is designated by an ancient tradition as the one here described2 and the case is one of the very few in ,palestine in which tradition appears to be trustworthy4 ,it is accepted even by ,dr4 ,robinson4 ,the purchase of the ground by ,jacob is described in ,gen4 #cc3ah-bj1 but for the digging of the well there is no other authority than tradition1 unless ,gen4 #di3bb is an allusion to it4 ,whether ,jacob himself dug it1 or whether his name was subsequently given to it by tradition is not known1 nor does the reference here determine that question2 it only designates the well by its customary name4 ,why he should have dug a well at all has been made matter of question1 since the whole valley abounds with water4 ,to this question ,dr4 ,thomson replies3 8,the well is a very positive fact1 and it must have been dug by somebody1 notwithstanding this abundance of fountains1 and why not by ,jacob80 ,and he suggests that these fountains may have been already appropriated by the native population4 ,the site of the well is in the valley between ,mts4 ,gerizim and ,ebal4 ,for a striking description of this valley1 see ,van der ,velde4 ,the historical associations connected with the site were many and sacred4 ,there the ,lord first appeared to ,abraham 7,gen4 #ab3f1 #g72 ,jacob built his first altar 7,gen4 #cc3ah-bj72 ,joseph sought his brethren in vain 7,gen4 #cg3ab72 ,joshua rehearsed the law1 with its blessings and cursings1 and amidst the loud amens of the assembled people 7,josh4 #h3cj-ce2 #bd3a-be72 and there ,joseph was buried in the land that belonged to his father ,jacob 7,josh4 #bd3cb74 8,at no other spot in ,palestine1 probably1 could ,jesus have more fitly uttered his remarkable doctrine1 of the absolute liberty of conscience from all thrall of place or tradition1 than here in ,shechem1 where the whole ,jewish nation1 in a peculiar sense1 had its beginning40--7,h4 ,w4 ,beecher's ,life of ,christ47--,being wearied with his journey4 ,the commentators call attention to this weariness as an evidence of the reality of his humanity4 ,it seems to me1 when coupled with the prophecy of ,isaiah #ec3b1 his apparent sinking under the weight of the cross1 and his early death1 while the two thieves survived 7,matt4 #bg3cb2 ,mark #ae3dd2 ,john #ai3cb1 #cc71 to be an indication that his physical frame was not robust1 was not equal to the demands of the soul which it contained1 and that1 as a part of his human experience1 he knew the peculiar sorrows which an intense and active mind feels when hindered by a weak bodily organization4--,sat thus at the spring4 8,what meaneth #8thus'8 ,not upon a throne2 not upon a cushion2 but simply and as he was upon the ground40--7,chrysostom47--,and it was about the sixth hour4 ,that is1 about twelve o'clock4 ,there appears to be no adequate reason for the opinion that has been advanced1 that ,john employs a different kind of reckoning from that common among the ,jews1 and means here #f ,p4 ,m4 ,it is true that the evening was the common hour of resort to the wells by the women1 but evidently this conference was with ,christ alone1 an indication that the hour was not the evening hour1 for then others would probably have been present also4 ,ryle suggests that there is a significance in the fact that while ,christ talked with ,nicodemus alone1 and at night1 his ministry to this sinful woman was at a public resort1 and at noon4 8,if a man will try to do good to a person like the ,samaritan woman1 alone and without witnesses1 let him take heed that he walk in his ,master's footsteps1 as to the time of his proceedings1 as well as to the message he delivers40 ,compare the circumstances of ,christ's ,gospel message to the woman that was a sinner 7,luke #g3cg1 etc474 #g ,there cometh a woman of ,samaria to draw water3 ,jesus saith unto her1 ,give me to drink4 #h 7,for his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat47 #g1 #h4 ,a woman of ,samaria4 ,that is1 a ,samaritan woman4--,to draw water4 ,in the ,east the towns are not supplied1 as with us1 by means of aqueducts and water-pipes1 nor are individual houses furnished each with its well4 ,the well itself is usually excavated from the solid limestone rock1 and provided with a low curb to guard against accident 7,exod4 #ba3cc74 ,on such a curb ,christ probably sat to rest4 ,the well is ordinarily not furnished with any apparatus for drawing water4 ,each woman brings her own bucket1 most commonly made of the skin of some animal2 sometimes the well is shallow1 and she descends by steps made for the purpose 7,gen4 #bd3af71 and dips the water up from the surface2 if it is deep1 she lets down her bucket with a rope4 ,to assist in the work1 a wheel or pulley is sometimes fixed over the well4 ,a trough of wood or stone usually provides a means for watering cattle and sheep 7,gen4 #bd3bj2 ,exod4 #b3af74 ,in this case1 ,christ had no bucket with him1 and the well being deep1 so that he could not descend into it1 he had no means of obtaining water 7ver4 #aa74--;,jesus saith unto her1 ,give me to drink4 ,observe how insignificant a request he makes the occasion for a deeply spiritual religious conversation2 and how natural the transition from the material to the spiritual4 ,observe1 too1 that by asking a favor he opens the way to the granting of one4 ,he thus verifies the truth that the way to gain another's good will is not at first by doing1 but by receiving a kindness4--,his disciples were gone 444 to buy meat4 ,they apparently carried little or nothing to eat on their journeys 7,matt4 #af3f1 #g2 #ab3a71 but money to make the necessary purchases 7,john #ab3f74 ,the direction to depend on hospitality 7,matt4 #aj3i1 #aj7 was not for their general guidance and government4 #i ,then saith the woman of ,samaria unto him1 ,how is it that thou1 being a ,jew1 askest drink of me1 which am a woman of ,samaria8 for the ,jews have no dealings#abg with the ,samaritans4 #abg ,acts #aj3bh4 #i4 ,for the ,jews have no dealings with the ,samaritans4 ,this is taken by some to be said by the woman2 more probably it was added parenthetically by the ,evangelist1 to explain to his ,gentile readers the woman's surprise4 ,for the reason of the fact1 see on verse #d4 ,it seems clear that the statement is not to be taken literally1 for the disciples1 who were ,jews1 had just gone into the ,samaritan city to purchase food2 but that there was abundant ground for it is evident from ,rabbinical writings2 e4 g41 8,let no ,israelite eat one mouthful of anything that is a ,samaritan's2 for if he eat but a little mouthful1 he is as if he ate swine's flesh40 #aj ,jesus answered and said unto her1 ,if thou knewest the gift#abh of ,god1 and who it is that saith to thee1 ,give me to drink2 thou wouldest have asked of him1 and he would have given thee living#abi water4 #abh ,eph4 #b3h4 #abi ,isa4 #ab3c2 #da3ag1 #ah2 ,jer4 #b3ac2 ,zech4 #ac3a2 #ad3h2 ,rev4 #bb3ag4 #aj4 ,if thou knewest the gift of ,god4 ,not1 ,if thou knew that water is the gift of ,god2 this knowledge might indeed have prevented her seemingly surly refusal1 but it would not have led her to ask living water of him4 ,nor1 ,if thou knewest the peace and joy which are the spiritual gifts of ,god2 these constitute the living water1 and if she already knew them1 in her experience1 she would not need to ask to receive them4 ,christ is the unspeakable gift of ,god2 if she knew the full importance of this gift1 the office and work of the ,messiah1 and that he who was asking her for a drink of water was he1 she would have asked and received from him living water4 ,the objection that the woman would not have so comprehended the reference1 and therefore that it cannot be the primary meaning 7,alford1 ,meyer71 is not tenable1 because by the very language itself it is implied that the woman will not comprehend it4 ,christ speaks of a mystery to provoke her to further inquiry4--,living water4 ,this phrase signifies primarily spring water1 as opposed to water in a cistern4 ,in ,gen4 #bf3ai2 ,lev4 #ad3e2 ,jer4 #b3ac1 the word rendered 8springing10 8running10 and 8living10 is in the ,septuagint the one here rendered 8living40 ,it is taken by ,christ as a symbol of the spiritual life which he imparts1 and so as a symbol of himself1 for he gives himself to the soul1 and is1 by his indwelling1 the bread and water of life4 ,the spiritual meaning then is not life-giving2 for that a different ,greek word would be employed 7 not 74 ,it is true that living water is life-giving1 but that is not the meaning conveyed by the phrase4 ,the meaning is water that has life in itself1 as in ,john #f3ea2 8living bread0 means the living ,christ1 in contrast with the inert manna4 ,the significance of the metaphor here is explained by its connection4 ,christ compares himself with water1 not because of its cleansing power1 nor because of its revivifying power on the soil1 but because he satisfies the soul's thirst4 ,a similar metaphorical use of water is to be found in the ,o4 ,t4 ,see ,psalm #bc3b2 ,isaiah #ee3a2 ,jer4 #b3ac2 but especially ,numb4 #bj3h-aa1 an incident which it appears to me probable ,christ had in mind1 and one with which the woman was probably familiar1 as the ,samaritans accepted and employed the ,pentateuch4 ,observe that salvation is the gift of ,god 7,rom4 #f3bc71 and that the only condition of receiving it is asking 7,matt4 #e3f2 #g3g2 ,rev4 #bb3ag74 ,the water' is always ready2 it is the thirst only that is wanting 7,luke #ad3ag-ai74 #aa ,the woman saith unto him1 ,sir1 thou hast nothing to draw with1 and the well is deep3 from whence then hast thou that living water8 #ab ,art thou greater than our father ,jacob1 which gave us the well1 and drank thereof himself1 and his children1 and his cattle8 #aa1 #ab4 ,sire1 ,thou hast no bucket1 and the well is deep4 ,not spring2 the water chamber1 not the water source 7 not 7 ,see on ver4 #f4 ,the language is that of badinage4 ,it is analogous to that of ,nicodemus in ch4 #c3d2 though here1 commingled with irony1 there may well have been a real perplexity4 ,the original indicates a change in the woman's tone2 she at first says1 ,how is it that thou being a ,jew8 she now addresses him as 8,sire0 7k74--,our father ,jacob1 etc4 ,the ,samaritans traced their origin back to the patriarchs1 and her language here implies a claim to an ancestry superior to that of the ,jews1 among whom she classed ,jesus4 ,observe an illustration of the spirit which says1 ,what sufficed for our fathers is good enough for us1 no one can be greater than they2 a spirit which is fatal to all progress1 in either material or spiritual things4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,the ,,well4 8,whosoever drinketh of the water that ,i shall give him shall never thirst40 #ac ,jesus answered and said unto her1 ,whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again3 #ad ,but whosoever#acj drinketh of the water that ,i shall give#aca him shall never thirst2 but the water that ,i shall give him shall be in him#acb a well of water springing up into everlasting life4 #acj ch4 #f3ce1 #eh4 #aca ch4 #ag3b1 #c2 ,rom4 #f3bc4 #acb ch4 #g3ch4 #ac1 #ad4 ,every one drinking of this water2 accustomed to drink of it1 and relying upon it4 8,the #8drinking' sets forth the recurrence1 the interrupted seasons of the drinking of earthly water40--7,alford47--,shall thirst again4 ,he appeals in this to the woman's experience1 who comes daily to re-supply the ever-recurring want4--,but whosoever has drunk2 once for all2 the tense 7aorist1 7 indicates an historical act once performed4--,that ,i shall give to him4 ,observe the representation throughout that the water is a gift1 and a gift not received by ,christ in common with humanity1 but given by ,christ to humanity4 ,the ,bible may be searched in vain for similar language from any prophet or apostle4--,shall not thirst unto eternity4 ,that is1 shall never1 even unto eternity1 thirst4 8,the whole verse is a strong argument in favor of the doctrine of the perpetuity of grace1 and the consequent perseverance and the faith of believers40--7,ryle47 ,comp4 ch4 #aj3bh2 ,rom4 #h3ce-ci2 #b ,tim4 #a3ab4--;,but the water which ,i shall give him4 ,this ,christ does by giving his own life for the life of the world in his sacrifice for sin 7ch4 #f3ea7 and in his spiritual indwelling in the soul of the believer 7ch4 #ad3ai1 #bc74--,shall become in him a fountain of water4 ,not a well 7not but 74 ,the reason he shall never thirst is that the water which ,christ gives becomes itself a water source1 a spring1 a perpetual fountain of supply4--,springing up unto eternal life4 ,not into2 the preposition indicates not something into which the fountain will be transformed1 but the duration of its existence2 it will forever spring up in the soul4 ,the contrast throughout these verses is between earthly and spiritual supplies4 ,the well 77 is a symbol of earthly supply4 ,this appeases but never satisfies2 for it furnishes that which is external1 and which is consumed in the using1 so that the soul which relies on earthly cisterns for its satisfaction thirsts again4 ,the living water1 the spring 77 which ,christ gives1 becomes a fountain in the soul1 it enters into and becomes part of the character2 using does not consume but increases the supply4 ,in ,christ's promise here thirst is not equivalent to 8desire10 nor is the declaration 8shall never thirst10 equivalent to 8shall never feel any spiritual want40 ,thirst is of all bodily cravings the most painful and intolerable4 ,hence it is used in the ,bible as a metaphor1 not merely of spiritual desires1 but of an urgent and intense desire1 that cannot be denied 7,psalm #db3b2 #fc3a2 #adc3f2 ,isaiah #ee3a2 ,matt4 #e3f1 note74 ,here then the declaration is that ,christ satisfies this painful longing1 so that the soul shall experience it no more4 ,of soul-thirst we have striking illustrations in ,psalms #da and #db1 and in ,rom4 #g3ag-bd2 of soul-satisfaction in ,christ1 illustrations in ,psalm #df and in ,rom4 #h3ca-ci4 ,compare ,christ's promises in ,john #aa3cf2 #af3cb1 #cc4 ,the continuance of earnest spiritual desires is not inconsistent with a rich spiritual experience4 ,see ,phil4 #c3ab-ad4 #ae ,the woman saith unto him1 ,sir1 give me this water1 that ,i thirst not1 neither come hither to draw4 #ae4 ,there is certainly a difference in tone between this request and the answer of verses #aa1 #ac4 ,the woman now dimly recognizes and vaguely appreciates ,christ's interpretation of her own soul-want1 and replies half in jest1 half in earnest4 ,but her language 8neither come hither to draw10 shows that she still gives to ,christ's words1 as ,i think purposely misinterpreting them1 a prosaic and literal meaning4 ,observe the implied misapprehension of the office of ,christ1 as one who relieves the soul of all further care and labor in the matter of religion4 8,there are many like her who would be glad of such a divine gift of religion as should take away all the labor and trouble of ,christian life4 #8,that ,i come not hither to draw' is the desire of thousands who want the results of right living without the trouble of living aright40--7,h4 ,w4 ,beecher47 #af ,jesus saith unto her1 ,go1 call thy husband1 and come hither4 #af4 ,go1 call thy husband1 etc4 ,this is in appearance a break in the conversation2 it is in reality the first step toward granting the woman's request3 8,give me this water20 for the first step is to convince of sin4 ,it is only if we confess our sins that 8,he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness0 7#a ,john #a3i74 ,hence when ,christ came to bring this water of life to the world he began by preaching the duty of repentance 7,matt4 #d3ag2 ,mark #a3ae74 ,other explanations1 as that a longer conversation with the woman alone would be indecorous 7,grotius71 or that she was unable to understand ,christ's meaning and so he summoned her husband 7,cyril1 quoted in ,alford71 or that he wished her husband to share with her in the benefits of the conversation 7,chrysostom71 singularly ignore the moral meaning and continuity of the discourse4 ,observe ,christ's uniform way of dealing with skepticism4 ,its root is in sin2 and he addresses not the reason1 but proceeds directly to convict the conscience4 ,it is only the sinner1 conscious of sin1 who ever truly finds a divine ,saviour4 #ag ,the woman answered and said1 ,i have no husband4,jesus said unto her1 ,thou hast well said1 ,i have no husband3 #ah ,for thou hast had five husbands2 and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband3 in that saidst thou truly4 #ag1 #ah4 ,the word 77 in ,christ's reply1 rendered husband1 is one of more general import and is often translated man4 ,but it is the ordinary word used in the ,n4 ,t4 for husband1 and ,i see no reason to doubt that she had lived with five successive husbands4--,from these she had been separated1 from some perhaps by death1 from others by divorce2 at all events the last of these separations was unconcealedly illegal1 and her present life was one which her own conscience condemned as licentious4 ,observe the severity in fact and the gentleness in form of ,christ's rebuke4 ,it shows a full knowledge of her sin2 yet it is couched in the language not of condemnation but of commendation4 #ai ,the woman saith unto him1 ,sir1 ,i perceive#acc that thou art a prophet4 #acc ch4 #a3dh1 #di4 #bj ,our fathers worshipped in this mountain2#acd and ye say1 that in ,jerusalem#ace is the place where men ought to worship4 #acd ,judges #i3g4 #ace ,deut4 #ab3e-aa2 #a ,kings #i3c4 #ai1 #bj4 ,the woman saith unto him4 ,her sentence is incomplete1 either in the utterance or in the report4 ,it is the basis of a question1 implied1 or perhaps expressed1 but not given by ,john1 in which place should worship be offered2 which were right1 ,jew or ,samaritan4 ,the question was one fiercely debated between them 7,see on verse #e74--;,i perceive that thou art a prophet4 ,it was a hasty conclusion2 ,christ might have known her character and life by other than supernatural means4 ,bigotry and vice are apt to be credulous and superstitious4 ,observe1 however1 the difference in tone between this declaration and the language of verse #i3 8,how is it that thou being a ,jew40--,our fathers worshipped4 8,the argument of #8our fathers' has always proved strong4 ,opinions1 like electricity1 are supposed to descend more safely along an unbroken chain4 ,that which #8our fathers' or our ancestors believed1 is apt to seem necessarily true2 and the larger the roots of any belief1 the more flourishing1 it is supposed1 will be its top40--7,beecher47 ,calvin's comments are admirable though too long to quote4 ,he suggests four errors into which men are apt to fall1 from blindly following the 8fathers10 all illustrated by the ,samaritans3 7#a7 ,when pride has created a false custom or religion1 the history of the fathers is ransacked to find justification for it2 7#b7 when men imitate the example of the evil-doers1 because they are ancient1 forgetful that they only are worthy to be reckoned as fathers who are true sons of ,god2 7#c7 when we imitate the conduct but not the spirit of the fathers1 as if one should defend human sacrifice from the example of ,abraham in ,gen4 #bb3a-aj2 7#d7 when we imitate the conduct of the fathers without considering the change of circumstances1 as when the ,christian church attempts to copy the ceremonials of the ,jewish4 8,none of these are true imitators of the fathers2 most of them are apes40--,in this mount1 ,gerizim4 ,according to the ,samaritan tradition it was here that ,abraham went to sacrifice ,isaac2 and here1 not on ,ebal1 as according to our ,scripture 7,josh4 #h3cj2 ,deut4 #bg3d71 that the altar was erected by ,joshua on which the words of the law were inscribed4 ,the first view is sanctioned by some ,christian scholars1 prominent among whom is ,dean ,stanley4 ,a temple was built on ,gerizim by the ,samaritans1 according to ,josephus1 during the reign of ,alexander1 though the date is doubtful4 ,the two temples intensified the bitterness of the feud between the ,jews and the ,samaritans1 and the ,samaritan temple was deserted and destroyed1 ,b4 ,c4 #abi1 by ,john ,hyrcanus 7,josephus' ,antiquities #ac3i1 #aa72 but the ,samaritans at ,sechem 7,nablus7 still call ,gerizim the holy mountain1 and turn their faces toward it in prayer4--,ye say4 ,she still treats ,christ as a ,jew4 ,some have regarded the question presented by the woman here as a serious one2 recognizing ,christ as a prophet1 she asks his solution of what was to her mind the great religious problem of the day2 others see in it an endeavor on her part to evade the personal reference to her own sins4 ,both seem to me true4 ,she endeavors to turn the conversation2 recognizing the truth of ,christ's allegation1 8,he whom thou now hast is not thy husband10 not by confessing her sin but by acknowledging him as a prophet2 but eludes the topic by opening a problem in controversial theology4 ,in all this she is honest and in earnest4 ,she is not the first inquirer who has deemed theoretical theology more important than practical duty4 ,the moment her thoughts are turned to religious truth1 they tend to its external aspects1 and she naturally and honestly seeks a refuge from her conscience in the question1 ,where ought men to worship8 ,the question1 ,what ought ,i to do8 is postponed4 ,observe that ,christ suffers her to change the subject2 leaves her conscience to press the sin to which he has awakened it1 and teaches his followers how to deal with those who evade practical duty by doctrinal or ceremonial questions by his own response1 ,no matter where or how the soul seeks ,god1 if it only seeks him in spirit and in truth4 #ba ,jesus saith unto her1 ,woman1 believe me1 the hour cometh1 when ye#acf shall neither in this mountain1 nor yet at ,jerusalem1 worship the ,father4 #acf ,mal4 #a3aa2 ,matt4 #ah3bj4 #bb ,ye worship#acg ye know not what3 we know what we worship3 for salvation#ach is of the ,jews4 #acg #b ,kings #ag3bi4 #ach ,isa4 #b3c2 ,rom4 #i3e4 #bc ,but the hour cometh1 and now is1 when the true worshippers shall worship the ,father in spirit#aci and in truth3 for the ,father seeketh such to worship him4 #aci ,phil4 #c3c4 #bd ,god#adj is a ,spirit3 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth4 #adj #b ,cor4 #c3ag4 #ba-bd4 ,believe me4 ,this expression is nowhere else used by our ,lord4 ,it answers to his 8,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you0 7,matt4 #e3ah1 note71 and to ,paul's 8,this is a faithful 7i4 e41 trustworthy7 saying0 7#a ,tim4 #a3ae1 #d3i2 ,tit4 #c3h74 ,he employs it here because his declaration is partly in the nature of a prophecy1 which must be accepted1 if at all1 upon simple trust in him4--,the hour cometh4 ,the word hour is here equivalent to time or season2 this use of 8hour0 is not infrequent in ,john's ,gospel 7ch4 #b3d2 #e3be1 #bh1 #ce1 8season20 #h3bj1 etc474--,when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at ,jerusalem worship the ,father4 ,a prophecy which was speedily1 perhaps in the lifetime of this woman1 fulfilled4 ,the ravaging of ,palestine by the ,roman armies1 and the destruction of ,jerusalem and the dispersion of the ,jews1 has scattered the worshippers throughout the world4 ,the ,samaritan sect is indeed extinct1 except the few survivors at ,nablus1 but the ,jews continue their worship in exile in every land 7,mal4 #a3aa74--,ye worship ye know not what4 ,their ignorance concerning the nature of the true ,god is indicated in their early history 7#b ,kings #ag3bd-cd74 ,the woman was solicitous concerning the place of worship2 ,christ directs her thought toward the person to be worshipped4--,we know what we worship4 ,this is the only instance in which ,christ classes himself with the ,jews by the pronoun we4 ,he accepts1 for the time1 her estimate of him as a ,jewish prophet1 and declares that it is in the ,jewish ,scripture she is to look for a knowledge of the true ,god4 ,in fact1 all correct knowledge of the character1 attributes1 and dealings of ,god1 possessed by the world to-day1 has come through the ,jewish people1 by means of the ,old and ,new ,testaments 7see ,romans #c3a1 #b2 #i3d1 #e74 ,at the time of this conversation idolatry had entirely disappeared from the ,jewish nation2 and however inadequate1 imperfect1 and corrupt their worship1 they at least recognized the one only true ,god4 ,notwithstanding some efforts to prove the contrary1 ,i think it is historically demonstrable that ,judaism is the source of all monotheistic religion4 ,it is reasonably certain that the monotheism of ,mohammedanism is due to ,mohammed's early instruction in the principles of ,judaism4--,for the salvation is of the ,jews4 ,the definite article in the original1 unfortunately omitted in our ,english version1 gives not only emphasis but significance to the language4 ,the ,jews know what they worship1 because it is from them1 as a nation1 that there comes forth the divine salvation1 typified by the sacrifices at ,jerusalem1 prophesied by ,jewish ,scripture1 and fulfilled by the ,messiah born at ,bethlehem in ,judea4 ,it is therefore here equivalent not merely to the ,saviour1 but also includes all the preparations which preceded his personal advent4--,but the hour cometh and now is4 ,the last clause is added parenthetically as a suggestion that the woman is not to look to the remote future for the fulfillment of this word4 ,already the day has dawned1 though it has not fully arrived4 ,her language in verse #be indicates that a suspicion of ,christ's true nature was1 perhaps by this declaration1 awakened in her4--,when the true worshippers4 ,not merely the sincere in opposition to consciously hypocritical worshippers 7,isaiah #bi3ac71 but also the true1 inward worshippers1 in opposition to those whose worship was one of external form and therefore not genuine4 ,the word true is elsewhere used thus by ,john to indicate the inward and spiritual as contrasted with the external and earthly1 e4 g41 the true light 7#a3i71 the true bread 7#f3cb71 the true vine 7#ae3a74 ,compare ,luke #af3aa4--,shall worship the ,father1 and therefore know what they worship2 in spirit and in truth4 ,not in the ,holy ,spirit1 though it is true that all spiritual worship is inspired and directed by his influence 7,rom4 #h3bf2 ,zach4 #ab3aj72 nor with the breathing and aspirations of the heart1 in contrast to worship with outward forms and symbols1 for symbol is necessary in all public worship1 language is but an external symbol of inward feeling2 nor in holiness and righteousness of life1 for that is not the meaning of spirit2 nor in soundness of faith1 in contrast to heretical worship1 for the worship of the ,jews was not heretical1 ,christ has just said1 8,we know what we worship40 ,in 77 expresses not the instrument with which the worship shall be conducted1 but the atmosphere in which it will live1 an atmosphere of spiritual life and truth2 worship in spirit1 is in contrast with a worship in the flesh1 the essence of which consists in the rite1 the form1 the language1 the posture 7,comp4 ,rom4 #ab3a2 ,phil4 #c3c1 #d2 ,heb4 #i3i1 #bd72 worship in truth is one which in its character harmonizes with the nature of him who is worshipped4 ,the ,lycaonians would have worshipped ,paul and ,barnabas 7,acts #ad3aa-ac7 in sincerity1 but not in truth4 ,christ's language condemns the spirit of ritualism1 but not the employment of rites4--,for the ,father is seeking such to worship him4 ,god is represented as in quest of such worshippers1 among the many who are worshippers merely in form4 ,observe work is not worship2 ,god is seeking not merely workers 7,matt4 #bj3a7 but also worshippers 7,comp4 ,luke #aj3ch-db1 notes74--,god is a ,spirit4 ,this declaration is fundamental1 and radically inconsistent with 7#a7 all scientific theories which represent him as an abstract impersonal force2 7#b7 with all metaphysical refinements which1 ignoring his personality1 treat him as a 8power that makes for righteousness10 or as 8the highest dream of which the human soul is capable20 7#c7 with much of the received theology1 which often assumes that ,god is like nature1 and deduces his attributes from such an imaginary likeness2 7#d7 with all idolatry1 whether the idol be in the imagination or in wood1 stone1 or canvas4 ,but it justifies us in looking to man's spiritual nature to interpret the divine nature to us4 ,the spirituality of ,god is abundantly taught in the ,o4 ,t41 but by implication only4 ,the abstract statement occurs only here and in #b ,cor4 #c3ag4--,must worship him in spirit and in truth4 ,nothing else is worship4 ,observe 7#a7 ,christ answers the woman's question not by pointing out the right place of worship1 but by inculcating such a conception of the true nature of worship1 that the controversy respecting ,gerizim and ,jerusalem shrinks into insignificance4 ,the solution of many theological problems is to be found1 not in any answer1 but in a new1 a higher1 a more spiritual conception of religion as a spiritual life4 7#b7 ,the place1 and impliedly the forms and methods of worship1 are matters of no importance4 7#c7 ,it is important that we know what we worship1 i4 e41 that our worship be intelligent1 else it is superstitious4 8,unless there be knowledge1 it is not ,god that we worship1 but a phantom or idol40--7,calvin47 7#d7 ,that knowledge includes three elements1 viz41 that ,god is a spiritual being1 with the sympathies1 the flexibility1 the life which belongs to spirit2 that he is a ,father1 and is therefore to be approached with a filial1 reverential1 trusting affection 7,matt4 #e3i1 note72 that he is revealed to us through the ,jewish ,scripture and the ,jewish ,messiah4 7#e7 ,he must be worshipped in spirit1 i4 e41 with the heart1 and in truth1 i4 e41 in accordance with the realities of his nature as thus revealed to us2 nothing else is worship4 7#f7 ,worship is essential to a religious life4 ,god looks for it1 as well as for work1 as an evidence of love4 ,the whole lesson is eloquently embodied by ,henry ,ward ,beecher in his ,life of ,christ3 8,it expresses the renunciation of the senses in worship4 ,it throws back upon the heart and soul of every one1 whoever he may be1 wherever he may be1 the whole office of worship4 ,it is the first gleam of the new morning4 ,no longer in this nest alone1 or in that1 shall religion be looked for1 but escaping from its shell1 heard in all the earth1 in notes the same in every language1 flying unrestrained and free1 the whole heavens shall be its sphere and the whole earth its home40 #be ,the woman saith unto him1 ,i know that ,messiah cometh1 which is called ,christ3 when he is come1 he will tell us all things4 #bf ,jesus saith unto her1 ,i#ada that speak unto thee am he4 #ada ch4 #i3cg4 #be1 #bf4 ,the woman saith unto him4 ,chrysostom well expresses her spirit3 8,the woman was made dizzy by his discourse1 and fainted at the sublimity of what he said40 ,so she turns away from the present revelation1 procrastinating its application with the expectation of a better opportunity when the ,messiah comes4--,he will tell us all things is not to be interpreted literally2 it is the expression of a vague hope of a clearer light by and by4--,i that speak unto thee am he4 ,christ did not until a much later period declare his ,messiahship to his own disciples2 he never declared it more clearly than to this sinful ,samaritan woman4 ,there is a reason for it1 in that this declaration took from her all excuse of procrastination1 and in fact made her a missionary of the ,messiah4 ,perhaps1 too1 the very fact that she was an uninfluential woman and a ,samaritan may have made him more ready to reveal himself2 for it was certainly his general purpose not to disclose his character and mission to the public until his death 7,matt4 #ag3i74 ,we certainly have no right to say1 with some rationalizing critics1 that because we cannot fully understand his reasons it is incredible4 ,such a method of criticism would make havoc of all history4 ,most scholars suppose that the words 8which is called ,christ0 were spoken by the woman4 ,it seems to me more probable that they were added by ,john1 as an explanation to his ,greek readers of the ,hebrew term ,messiah4 ,the word ,christ is its ,greek equivalent4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,note ,,on ,,christ ,,as ,a ,,conversationalist4--,christ as a preacher has been studied2 ,christ as a conversationalist is quite as worthy the ,christian's study4 ,many of his so-called discourses were simply conversations2 this is notably the case with the discourse to ,nicodemus 7ch4 #c3a-ba7 and the discourse here to the woman of ,samaria4 ,observe1 ,i4 ,the contrast4 ,in the first the conversation is with a religious teacher1 of honorable position1 of unexceptionable life2 in the second1 with an abandoned woman1 of licentious life2 in the first1 conversation with ,christ is sought1 in the second1 repelled2 in the first1 ,christ impresses the truth that the moralist must be born again1 and without personal trust in a personal ,saviour is condemned2 in the second1 he impresses upon the outcast the truth that for the lost there is new life in him2 the first he discourages1 the second encourages2 to the first he proclaims duty1 to the second he preaches deliverance4 ,,ii4 ,the harmony4 ,both are skeptical2 both receive his declaration with scoffs2 both invite argument2 with both ,christ refuses to argue2 to both he simply proclaims the truth1 but without strife or debate2 with both he conquers cavilling by patience1 not by argument4 ,,iii4 ,christ's method4 7a47 ,though wearied1 he does not neglect the occasion and opportunity afforded to him4 7b47 ,he commences the conversation by a natural request4 7c47 ,he opens the woman's heart by requesting from her a favor4 7d47 ,he passes1 by a natural transition1 from the physical to the spiritual world1 from nature to the truth which nature typifies4 7e47 ,he presents to her not ethical1 but spiritual truth2 not the simple moralities1 but the deep things of the ,gospel4 7f47 ,her badinage does not affront him1 nor does he reprove her for it1 or indicate surprise1 astonishment1 or even objection4 7g47 ,he answers it by a direct and unanswerable appeal to her conscience1 by convicting her of sin4 7h47 ,in this1 while his rebuke is sharp1 his language is courteous1 the language of commendation clothing condemnation4 7i47 ,having once awakened her conscience1 he does not pursue the rebuke2 leaving conscience to do its work1 he suffers her to change the subject4 7j47 ,he answers her theological question not by direct response1 but by asserting a principle of worship which lifts the soul above all controversies respecting forms and methods of worship4 7k47 ,finally1 he makes his first and fullest disclosure of his ,messiahship to this ,samaritan woman1 showing himself most a ,saviour to her who most needs his salvation4 ,,iv4 ,his example4 ,it illustrates the enthusiasm 7,rom4 #aj3a2 ,col4 #d3ac2 #b ,tim4 #d3b71 the skill 7,prov4 #aa3cj71 the patience 7#b ,tim4 #b3bd2 #a ,thess4 #b3g71 and the spirituality 7#a ,cor4 #b3ac1 #ad7 needed for the most efficient1 direct1 personal work of soul-saving4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #d3bg-db4 ,,christ ,,in ,,samaria4--,,the ,,sustenance ,,of ,,christian ,,laborers4--,,the ,,call ,,for ,,christian ,,laborers4--,,their ,,reward4--,,their ,,success4 #bg ,and upon this came his disciples1 and marvelled that he talked with the woman3 yet no man said1 ,what seekest thou8 or1 ,why talkest thou with her8 #bh ,the woman then left her waterpot1 and went her way into the city1 and saith to the men1 #bi ,come1 see a man1 which told me all things that ever ,i did3 is not this the ,christ8 #cj ,then they went out of the city1 and came unto him4 #bg-cj4 ,and marvelled that he talked with a woman4 ,there is no definite article in the original4 ,the disciples knew nothing of the woman's character except that she was a ,samaritan4 ,what amazed them was that ,christ should descend to instruct a woman at all1 and especially a woman of ,samaria4 ,see above on ver4 #d4--,no man said1 ,what seekest thou8 ,one of the many indications in the ,gospel of the awe in which these life-companions of ,christ stood toward him 7,mark #i3cb2 #aj3cb2 #af3h2 ,luke #h3be2 ,john #ba3ab74--,left her waterpot4 ,lightfoot supposes in kindness1 for the ,lord to use2 ,calvin1 with greater probability1 in her haste forgetting it4 ,in her eagerness to carry to others the news of the ,messiah1 she forgets her original errand1 which was to draw water for her home4--,come see a man4 ,compare ch4 #a3ci1 #df4--,which told me all things that ever ,i did4 ,the natural exaggeration of enthusiasm4 ,observe the method of the spread of ,christianity in its earliest years4 ,the new convert became a missionary1 propagating its faith4 ,compare ,acts #h3d2 #i3bj4 ,if ever a new convert might be excused from evangelical labors1 this one might--a woman1 living in an age when female preaching was more obnoxious even than now1 and a woman of such ill-repute that she might well expect to be received with scorn1 not with respect4 ,but her strong convictions overbear all obstacles1 secure for her a hearing1 and obtain for her mission success 7ver4 #ci74 ,chrysostom dwells upon her wisdom as well as her eagerness3 8,she said not1 ,come1 see the ,christ1 but1 with the same condescension with which ,christ had netted her1 she draws the men to ,him2 ,come1 she saith1 see a man who told me all that ever ,i did4 ,is not this the ,christ8 ,observe again here the great wisdom of the woman2 she neither declared the fact plainly1 nor was she silent2 for she desired not to bring them in by her own assertion1 but to make them to share in this opinion by hearing him4 99 99 99 ,nor did she say1 ,come1 believe1 but ,come1 see1 a gentler expression than the other1 and one which more attracted them40--,then they came out of the city4 ,wisdom and tact inspired by enthusiasm produced by a personal and profound conviction of ,christ's person and power1 rarely fail in evangelical labor4 #ca ,in the mean while his disciples prayed him1 saying1 ,master1 eat4 #cb ,but he said unto them1 ,i have meat to eat that ye know not of4 #cc ,therefore said the disciples one to another1 ,hath any man brought him aught to eat8 #ca-cc4 ,master1 eat4 ,the disciples had brought food from the city1 to obtain which they had originally left him 7ver4 #h74--;,i have meat to eat that ye know not of4 ,the commentators generally assume that the doing of his ,father's will was this meat4 ,this seems to me a false interpretation not required by and not really accordant with a correct reading of ver4 #cd below 7see note there72 inconsistent with other teachings of ,scripture1 and practically misleading to the disciple4 ,it is inconsistent with the metaphor2 for in nature work is never a substitute for food1 but physiologically exhausts it4 ,it is inconsistent with other teachings of ,scripture1 which never represent work1 but always divine sustaining grace1 as the ,christian food4 ,it is practically misleading1 for it leads the disciple to suppose that he can grow by simply doing the will of his ,father1 whereas he is to acquire the power to do that will by constantly receiving grace from the ,father4 ,christ's language here is interpreted by such passages as ,matt4 #d3d1 8,man shall not live by bread alone1 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god20 ,matt4 #be3d1 8,the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps40 ,compare ,john1 ch4 #f4 ,that ,jesus lived by this divine food is evident from his habit of prayer1 and from such declarations as ,john #e3ai1 #bf1 #cj2 #ad3aj1 #aa4 ,this meat then is the indwelling ,spirit of ,god1 conditioned upon entire consecration to ,god4 ,it was this meat which fed ,peter in prison 7,acts #ab3f71 ,paul and ,silas at ,philippi 7,acts #af3be71 and ,paul in the shipwreck 7,acts #bg3bc1 etc472 this too which sustained ,christ in the hour of ,gethsemane and throughout his ,passion4 ,a faint type of it is afforded in earthly experiences by the strength which seems often to be imparted to even a feeble mother in the hour of her child's sickness1 and which carries her through vigils which1 but for her love1 it would be impossible for her to sustain4 ,her work is not her food3 her love and faith are her food1 and sustain her for her work4 ,no ,christian can live by or on his work2 nor did ,christ4--,hath any one brought him aught to eat4 ,they thought1 perhaps1 that the woman had done so4 8,it is very characteristic of the first part of this ,gospel to bring forward instances of unreceptivity to spiritual meaning4 ,compare ver4 #aa2 ch4 #b3bj2 #c3d2 #f3db1 #eb40--7;,alford47 #cd ,jesus saith unto them1 ,my meat#adb is to do the will of him that sent me1 and to finish#adc his work4 #adb ch4 #f3ch2 ,job #bc3ab4 #adc ch4 #ag3d4 #cd4 ,for me meat is in order that ,i may do the will of him that sent me4 ,the meaning is not1 as our ,english version seems to imply1 that meat and doing ,god's work are synonymous4 ,the above is a literal translation of the original2 and the meaning is1 ,the object of meat is that ,i may do the will of him that sent me and may finish his work4 ,the expression is parallel to and interpreted by ,paul's in ,acts #bj3bd1 8,neither count ,i my life dear unto myself so that ,i might finish my course20 or in ,phil4 #a3ba1 8,for to me to live is ,christ40 ,the object of ,christ was the accomplishment of his mission2 for this purpose alone had meat any value to him2 for this purpose he both needed and possessed meat that his disciples1 in their then state of spiritual culture1 did not and could not understand2 and in the work which he had accomplished1 by his conversation with the woman1 he had received greater satisfaction than in any food which they could have brought to him from the city4 #ce ,say not ye1 ,there are yet four months1 and then cometh harvest8 behold1 ,i say unto you1 ,lift up your eyes1 and look on the fields2 for they are white already to harvest4#add #add ,matt4 #i3cg4 #ce4 ,there is some uncertainty regarding the proper interpretation of this verse4 ,alford1 ,tholuck1 ,de ,wette1 and some others1 suppose that ,christ is quoting a proverbial expression2 perhaps referring to the time which elapsed between seed-time and harvest1 perhaps to some time intervening between a local feast or a religious anniversary and the harvest4 ,meyer1 ,andrews1 ,ellicott1 and others take it as a chronological indication that it was then four months to harvest1 i4 e41 the month of ,december1 a fact to which perhaps some reference had been made by the disciples in the course of their walk4 ,chrysostom1 ,meyer1 and others1 suppose moreover that the approaching ,samaritans were seen through the corn-fields1 and to them ,christ pointed when he said1 8,lift up your eyes and look on the fields40 8,the approaching townspeople now showed how greatly the doing of the ,father's will was in process of accomplishment4 ,they were coming through the corn-field1 now tinged with green2 thus they make the fields1 which for four months would not yield the harvest1 in a higher sense already white harvest fields4 ,jesus directs the attention of his disciples to this2 and with the beautiful picture thus presented in nature he connects further appropriate instructions40--7,meyer47 ,the phrase 8,say not ye0 seems to me clearly to indicate that ,christ refers to some proverbial saying 7comp4 ,matt4 #af3b72 the direction1 8,lift up your eyes and look on the fields10 indicates some present appearance which gave point to his declaration that they were white already1 a declaration which would have no significance if the fields were literally ready for the harvest4 ,i therefore1 with ,tholuck1 combine the two views and suppose that ,christ did refer to a proverbial expression1 probably indicating the time between seed-time and harvest1 and appropriate then because it was then the seed-time4 ,the spiritual meaning is very clear4 ,procrastination is a fault of the church as well as of the world1 of the disciple as well as of the impenitent sinner4 ,the ,christian is constantly waiting for an opportunity2 he should wait on1 he never need wait for the ,lord4 ,since ,christ has ascended1 and the ,holy ,ghost has been given1 the field is always white for the harvest2 we never need wait for ,god to ripen the grain4 ,the message1 8,all things are now ready10 was given by the ,lord to his servants2 it is only as the servant understands and believes this that he can make the guests believe it 7,luke #ad3ag74 ,illustration3 ,,samaritan ,,remains ,,in ,,gerizim4 #cf ,and he that reapeth receiveth wages1 and gathereth fruit#ade unto life eternal3 that both#adf he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together4 #ade ,rom4 #f3bb4 #adf #a ,cor4 #c3e-i4 #cg ,and herein is that saying true1 ,one#adg soweth1 and another reapeth4 #adg ,micah #f3ae4 #ch ,i sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour3 other#adh men laboured1 and ye are entered into their labours4 #adh #a ,pet4 #a3ab4 #cf-ch4 ,and he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal4 ,the ,lord's husbandman has both wages and heaven4 ,the earthly wages of the successful evangelist is not in his salary1 nor in his fame or position1 but in the affections which reward him1 and the personal present consciousness of work achieved1 the highest and grandest which it is ever permitted man to do4 ,to this is added the joy inherent in bringing souls to ,christ1 and through ,christ into eternal life1 a joy which will not be consummated until the reaper enters into glory1 with an 8abundant entrance10 and brings his sheaves to his ,lord4--,that both 99 99 99 may rejoice together4 ,the sowing is in tears2 the reaping is with rejoicing 7,ps4 #abf3e72 but in the future life both will rejoice in the ingathering2 hearts that knew not whence they received the seed will learn to thank the unknown or the unrecognized benefactor2 and the ,lord of the harvest will say to both1 8,well done1 good and faithful servants40--,herein is that saying true4 ,undoubtedly a reference to a proverbial saying1 to which ,christ gives a new and spiritual significance4 ,primarily1 ,christ is the sower1 who sowed in tears and reaped but little2 the apostles are the reapers1 who gathered in a single day more souls into the church of ,christ than ,jesus himself in his whole lifetime4--,but secondarily the prophets were sowers and the apostles reapers1 a fact illustrated by their constantly quoting of the prophets in attestation of the divine character and mission of ,christ4 ,and finally1 the twofold work of sowing and reaping goes on throughout all time1 the same man sometimes being both sower and reaper1 sometimes sowing all his life in tears that another may reap in joy4 ,the truth of ,christ's saying in verses #cg1 #ch1 is illustrated1 but as a prophecy it is not fulfilled1 by the successful mission of the apostles to ,samaria1 where ,christ sowed at this time and they reaped subsequently 7,acts #h3e-h1 #ad-ag74 #ci ,and many of the ,samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying#adi of the woman1 which testified1 ,he told me all that ever ,i did4 #adi ver4 #bi4 #dj ,so when the ,samaritans were come unto him1 they besought him that he would tarry with them3 and he abode there two days4 #da ,and many more believed because of his own word2 #db ,and said unto the woman1 ,now we believe1 not because of thy saying3 for#aej we have heard him ourselves1 and know that this is indeed the ,christ1 the ,saviour of the world4 #aej ch4 #ag3h2 #a ,john #d3ad4 #ci-db4 ,this mission of ,christ to the ,samaritans is not inconsistent with his directions to his apostles1 when they were commissioned1 not to go into any ,samaritan city1 for the reason of that prohibition was not his unwillingness to open the ,gospel to the heathen1 but the fact that his apostles did not yet comprehend its catholicity1 and could not therefore successfully preach it to the heathen4 ,that the opening of the doors to others than ,jews was neither an afterthought with ,christ1 nor a supplemental act originating with ,paul1 is evident from the incident recorded here4 ,notice that the faith of the ,samaritans rested on ,christ's words--he apparently wrought no miracles2 and that they recognized in him the ,saviour not of the nation but of the world4 8,universalism was more akin to the ,messianic faith of the ,samaritans than to that of the ,jews1 with their definite and energetic feeling of nationality40--7,meyer47 ,notice too1 the forms of ,christian experience illustrated in this passage2 one 7ver4 #ci7 rests on the testimony of others1 the other 7ver4 #db7 rests on a personal communion with and experience of ,christ as a ,messiah and ,saviour4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #d3dc-ed4 ,,the ,,cure ,,of ,,the ,,centurion',s ,,son4--,,two ,,kinds ,,of ,,faith2 ,a ,,poor ,,faith ,,requires ,,miracles2 ,a ,,true ,,faith ,,accepts ,,christ',s ,,word ,,simply4 #dc ,now after two days he departed thence1 and went into ,galilee4 #dd ,for ,jesus himself testified1 that#aea a prophet hath no honour in his own country4 #aea ,matt4 #ac3eg2 ,mark #f3d2 ,luke #d3bd4 #de ,then when he was come into ,galilee1 the ,galilans received him1 having seen#aeb all the things that he did at ,jerusalem at the feast3 for#aec they also went unto the feast4 #aeb ch4 #b3bc4 #aec ,deut4 #af3af4 #dc-de4 ,after two days4 ,spent in preaching the gospel to the ,samaritans4 ,the nature of this ministry is left to conjecture4 ,we must presume1 however1 that it was of the same type as ,christ's preaching in ,galilee at this time1 where his theme was1 8,repent1 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand0 7,matt4 #d3ag72 the nature of that kingdom1 and the character of the ,messianic king1 he probably made no attempt to explain4 ,it was preparative2 he sowed only1 leaving the reaping to be done by others at a later day4--,for ,jesus himself testified that a prophet hath no honor in his own country4 ,the rationalistic critics cite this as one of the evidences that the ,fourth ,gospel is not the product of one of the ,twelve4 ,thus1 8,in the ,synoptics ,jesus is reported as quoting against the people of his own city1 ,nazareth1 who rejected him1 the proverb1 #8,a prophet has no honor in his own country' 7,matt4 #ac3eg2 ,mark #f3d2 ,luke #d3bd74 ,the appropriateness of the remark here is obvious4 ,the author of the ,fourth ,gospel1 however1 shows clearly that he was neither an eye-witness nor acquainted with the subject or country when he introduces this proverb in a different place4 99 99 99 99 99 ,he 7,christ7 is made to go into ,galilee1 which is his own country1 because a prophet has no honor in his country1 and the ,galileans are represented as receiving him1 which is a contradiction of the proverb40--7,supernatural ,religion1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 #ddg47 ,i have cited this objection at length because it is a not unfair illustration of the straits to which rationalism is reduced in its efforts to discredit this ,gospel4 ,constructive dogmatism is bad enough2 destructive dogmatism is much worse4 ,the difficulties created by evangelical critics in the interpretation of the passage are equally curious as an illustration of forced and fanciful exaggerations4 ,the curious will find them stated in ,alford and ,meyer4 ,the ,english reader1 who simply takes the context1 will assuredly find no difficulty in the passage4 ,christ was received in ,samaria1 notwithstanding he was a ,jew1 with whom usually the ,samaritans had no dealings 7ver4 #i71 and this though he wrought no miracles1 and merely because of his words1 i4 e41 the purity and beauty and self-evident truth of his teaching 7ver4 #da74--;,in ,galilee he was received only because he was a ,jew1 and had wrought miracles at ,jerusalem 7chap4 #c3b71 and brought with him a metropolitan reputation4 ,he had no honor in his own country as a prophet1 until he brought it back with him from the holy city2 it was honor1 not indigenous but imported4 #df ,so ,jesus came again into ,cana of ,galilee1 where he made#aed the water wine4 ,and there was a certain nobleman1 whose son was sick at ,capernaum4 #aed ch4 #b3a1 #aa4 #dg ,when he heard that ,jesus was come out of ,juda into ,galilee1 he went unto him1 and besought him that he would come down1 and heal his son3 for he was at the point of death4 #df1 #dg4 ,into ,cana4 ,for site see chap4 #b3a1 note4 ,the fact that he went at once to ,cana1 gives color to the supposition that the marriage there may have been that of ,john1 according to an ancient tradition2 at all events it probably was one of some intimate friend of ,christ4--,a certain nobleman4 ,probably an officer of ,herod ,antipas who had a palace at ,tiberias4 ,it has been conjectured that he may have been the ,chuza1 whose wife became attached to ,jesus with other women of ,galilee 7,luke #h3c74 ,that he was a ,jew is probable1 since the manifestation of faith in a heathen is generally especially noted by the historian or by ,christ4--,was sick at ,capernaum4 ,about twenty miles distant4--,was at the point of death4 ,literally ,was about to die4 #dh ,then said ,jesus unto him1 ,except ye see signs#aee and wonders1 ye will not believe4 #aee #a ,cor4 #a3bb4 #di ,the nobleman saith unto him1 ,sir1 come down ere my child die4 #dh1 #di4 ,except ye see signs and wonders4 ,rather a soliloquy applied to the entire people1 than a personal rebuke of the nobleman4 ,for there is certainly no evidence that his faith was notably small2 rather the reverse4 ,he had traveled twenty miles to apply to ,christ for assistance2 his request that ,christ should come personally was certainly not unnatural1 for he could not be expected to assume that ,christ would or could heal by a word2 when the word was spoken he went away undoubtingly2 and he evidently made no great haste 7see note on verse #ea71 an indication of his restful assurance on ,christ's mere word4 ,analogous to ,christ's utterance here is that of ,mark #i3ai2 see note there4 ,it is certainly a rebuke to the skepticism which to-day demands signs and wonders as a basis for faith1 and to the church which continually endeavors to satisfy this desire by demonstrating the miracles as though they were the evidences of ,christianity4 ,christ himself never1 in public discourse with skeptics1 based his claims on his miracles2 never performed a miracle for the purpose of proving his claims to an unbeliever 7,matt4 #aa3d1 #e is not an exception2 see note there72 and rebuked the demand made on him for miracles as a basis of faith in his mission4--,come down4 ,one of those geographical and incidental evidences of accuracy in the historian which demonstrate his familiarity with the country4 ,capernaum was on the shore of the sea of ,galilee2 ,cana was in the hill country4 #ej ,jesus saith unto him1 ,go#aef thy way2 thy son liveth4 ,and the man believed the word that ,jesus had spoken unto him1 and he went his way4 #aef ,matt4 #h3ac2 ,mark #g3bi1 #cj2 ,luke #ag3ad4 #ea ,and as he was now going down1 his servants met him1 and told him1 saying1 ,thy son liveth4 #eb ,then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend4 ,and they said unto him1 ,yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him4 #ec ,so the father knew that it was at the same#aeg hour1 in the which ,jesus said unto him1 ,thy son liveth3 and himself believed1#aeh and his whole house4 #aeg ,ps4 #ajg3bj4 #aeh ,acts #af3cd2 #ah3h4 #ed ,this is again the second miracle that ,jesus did1 when he was come out of ,juda into ,galilee4 #ej-ed4 ,he went his way4 ,the course of the nobleman was not that of one deficient in faith4 ,on the contrary1 he did not wait to see signs or wonders2 he believed the simple word4 ,that he did not hasten is evident from the next verse4 ,christ spoke the word of healing at the seventh hour1 i4 e41 one in the afternoon4 ,the father could have reached home that same night2 but it was not until the next day that his servants1 coming to relieve his fears1 met him on the road4 ,faith neither worries nor hurries4--,thy son is living4 ,he was so sick before the father left home1 that the mere announcement that he was living demonstrated that he was recovering4 ,the case was one in which life could not last long if a change for the better did not take place4--,himself believed4 ,believed what8 ,he had believed before1 when he came to ,jesus1 or he would not have come2 and again when he went away1 or he would not have been satisfied at the mere word of ,jesus4 ,but he before simply believed about ,jesus1 e4 g41 that he was a prophet1 possessing certain healing powers1 the extent of which he had not measured4 ,now he believed on ,jesus2 without as yet comprehending the ,saviour's mission or character1 he yet had faith in him2 that kind of faith which was ready to accept him as all that he claimed1 whatever that might be4 ,to believe1 used absolutely1 as here1 always indicates not believing a doctrine about ,christ1 but personal belief in and allegiance to him4 ,this miracle is certainly not the same with the healing of the centurion's servant1 recorded in ,matt4 #h3e-ac1 with which it has been sometimes confounded1 but with which it really has little in common4 ,one is wrought at ,capernaum1 the other at ,cana2 one at the petition of a nobleman1 an officer of the court1 the other at the request of a centurion2 one probably for a ,jew1 the other certainly for a ,roman2 one in behalf of a son1 the other in behalf of a servant2 one for a petitioner who entreats ,christ to come to his house1 the other for one who deprecates his doing so2 one affording an illustration of the largest faith in a heathen1 the other of the development of faith from a small beginning in an ,israelite4 ,the resemblances are superficial2 the differences are radical4 ,accepting the narrative as true1 it is one of the many which utterly refute the rationalistic explanation of miracles offered by such writers as ,schenkel4 ,this cure could not have been due to any natural means1 as the inspiration of hope1 or the infusion of nervous power by personal contact1 or the like1 for the sick man did not see ,jesus nor even know when the father saw him4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,ch4 #e3a-dg4 ,,healing ,,of ,,impotent ,,man ,,and ,,discourse ,,thereon4--,a ,,parable ,,of ,,redemption2 ,,the ,,nature ,,and ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,spiritual ,,cure ,,illustrated4--,,the ,,christian ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,sabbath ,,illustrated4--,,the ,,authority ,,of ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,god3 ,,he ,,is ,,with ,,the ,,father2 ,,comes ,,from ,,the ,,father2 ,,is ,,to ,,be ,,honored ,,and ,,trusted ,,as ,,the ,,father2 ,,he ,,raises ,,the ,,dead ,,and ,,judges ,,the ,,living4--,,the ,,evidences ,,of ,,christianity2 ,,the ,,testimony ,,of ,,john2 ,,of ,,christ',s ,,life ,,and ,,works2 ,,of ,,the ,,scripture4--,,the ,,cause ,,of ,,unbelief4 ,illustration3 ,,church ,,over ,,the ,,pool ,,of ,,bethesda4 #a ,after this there was a feast#aei of the ,jews2 and ,jesus went up to ,jerusalem4 #aei ch4 #b3ac2 ,lev4 #bc3b1 etc42 ,deut4 #af3af4 #b ,now there is at ,jerusalem by the sheep market1 a pool1 which is called in the ,hebrew tongue ,bethesda1 having five porches4 #c ,in these lay a great multitude of impotent folk1 of blind1 halt1 withered1 waiting for the moving of the water4 #d ,for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool1 and troubled the water3 whosoever then first#afj after the troubling of the water stepped in1 was made whole#afa of whatsoever disease he had4 #afj ,prov4 #h3ag2 ,eccles4 #i3aj2 ,matt4 #aa3ab4 #afa ,ezek4 #dg3h1 #i2 ,zech4 #ac3a4 #a-d4 ,after this was a feast of the ,jews4 ,there were three great feasts of the ,jewish nation1 the ,passover in the spring1 usually ,march2 the ,pentecost1 fifty days after1 coming therefore usually early in ,june2 and the ,tabernacles1 a feast in the ,fall1 usually ,october1 analogous to our ,thanksgiving4 ,to these must be added the feast of ,purim1 which was kept in celebration of the deliverance of ,israel1 in the time of ,esther1 from massacre 7,esther #i3ag-ai71 and the feast of ,dedication1 instituted subsequent to the close of the ,o4 ,t4 canon1 to commemorate the purging of the temple and the rebuilding of the altar1 after ,judas ,maccabeus had driven out the ,syrians1 ,b4 ,c4 #afd4 ,there is nothing in the language of ,john to indicate which of these various feasts is the one here intended4 ,some manuscripts have indeed the words1 the feast of the ,jews1 and if this reading were correct it would unquestionably designate the ,passover2 but the weight of authority is against it4 ,the question is one which has provoked a vast deal of discussion1 but no general agreement4 ,it is important only in determining the chronology of the life of ,christ1 and is itself so far undetermined that it cannot be of great value even for that purpose4 ,i think it clear 7a7 that it could not be the feast of ,dedication1 which took place in the winter1 when it is not probable that the sick would be lying in the porches of ,bethesda2 7b7 nor the feast of ,purim1 though this has been maintained by some eminent modern scholars1 as ,wieseler1 ,godet1 ,olshausen1 ,ellicott1 and ,meyer2 for there is no evidence that the ,jews generally went up to ,jerusalem to celebrate the feast of ,purim1 and no reason to believe that our ,lord would have gone there in honor of a festival which was purely national1 not directed by the ,o4 ,t41 observed not in connection with the temple service1 but privately at home1 and often1 if not generally1 with rioting and excess1 rather than with religious services4 ,i agree therefore with ,alford and ,tholuck that we cannot gather with any probability what feast it was4--,and ,jesus went up to ,jerusalem4 ,presumptively to attend the feast4--,by the sheep-market4 ,rather sheep-gate4 ,see ,neh4 #c3a1 #cb2 #ab3ci4 ,the site is unknown4 ,the traditional site1 identical with the gate now known as ,st4 ,stephen's1 is pretty effectually disproved by ,robinson1 who shows that no wall was existing there at the time of ,christ4--,a pool4 ,properly a swimming-place4 ,pools for purposes of bathing were in use in the great cities of the old world2 and recent excavations have brought to light the fact that ancient ,jerusalem was in a remarkable degree supplied with water4 ,see below4--,called ,bethesda4 ,the word means ,house of mercy4 ,the location is entirely uncertain4 ,tradition places it near the modern ,st4 ,stephen's gate2 but this tradition dates back only to the #abth century4--,having five porches4 ,opening upon the bath or tank4 ,in these the sick could lie and be partially protected from the weather4--,in these lay a great multitude of impotent1 blind1 halt1 withered4 ,four classes intended to embrace all forms of purely bodily disorder of a chronic character1 but not including those possessed of evil spirits4 ,the impotent are those simply suffering from special weakness and infirmity or from general debility2 the halt are those deprived from any reason of the full and free use of their limbs2 the withered are those affected by paralysis or kindred disorders4--,waiting for the moving of the water 99 99 99 99 was made whole of whatever disease he had4 ,whether this explanation1 i4 e41 the last clause of ver4 #c and the whole of ver4 #d1 is genuine or a later interpolation1 is a question of dispute among the critics2 the weight of authority is1 on the whole1 in favor of its omission2 the weight of reason is wholly so4 7a7 ,the external evidence is1 on the whole1 against its retention4 ,it is wanting in the ,vatican1 ,cambridge1 and ,sinaitic manuscripts2 in those manuscripts in which it occurs1 the verbal variations are considerable4 ,tischendorf1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 and ,tregelles all declare against it4 7b7 ,the internal evidence is conclusive4 ,if it had been in the original1 the early copyists would not have omitted it2 for in the first centuries there was no such reluctance to accept the supernatural1 and no such discrimination between wonders that are and wonders that are not miracles1 as would have induced its omission4 ,on the other hand1 if no explanation of the reason why the sick were gathered in the porches of ,bethesda were given in the original account1 it would have been very natural for copyists to have supplied the omission by inserting one4 7c7 ,the explanation offered by the doubtful passage is itself incredible4 ,it is a marvel1 but it is in no sense a miracle4 ,the irregular and fitful appearance of help by such an angelic visitor1 would have witnessed to no truth1 would have had no tendency to confer faith in ,god or his grace4 8,that ,god would thus miraculously interpose to throw down from time to time a boon among a company of cripples1 to be seized by the most forward1 selfish1 and eager1 leaving the most helpless and miserable to be overwhelmed again and again with bitter disappointment1 is a supposition not admissible40--7,jacob ,abbott's ,notes on the ,n4 ,t47 7d7 ,these considerations have led the latest and best scholars1 with substantial unanimity1 to omit the explanatory words of ver4 #d1 and latter clause of ver4 #c4 ,so ,alford1 ,tholuck1 ,ebrard1 ,trench1 ,olshausen1 ,meyer1 ,tischendorf1 and ,tregelles4 ,but though it is no part of the sacred record1 it probably correctly states what was the popular belief among the ,jews1 or at least among such as resorted to this spring for cure4 ,the real basis of this belief is indicated by recent researches4 ,these have made it evident that the pools in and about ,jerusalem were connected with each other by underground aqueducts4 ,dr4 ,robinson gives an account of his exploration of such an aqueduct connecting two pools1 the ,fountain of the ,virgin and the ,pool of ,siloam4 ,he satisfied himself that water flowed from the one to the other reservoir1 and he witnessed the 8troubling of the water0 in the ,fountain of the ,virgin4 8,we perceived the water rapidly bubbling up from under the lower step4 ,in less than five minutes it had risen in the basin nearly or quite a foot2 and we could hear it gurgling off through the interior passage4 ,in ten minutes more it had ceased to flow2 and the water in the basin was again reduced to its former level40 ,his observation has been since confirmed by others4 ,it is now difficult to see how the ,fountain of the ,virgin could ever have been surrounded by porches or made a resting-place for the sick2 and it is quite certain that the ,fountain of the ,virgin cannot be asserted with any positiveness to have been the ,pool of ,bethesda4 ,but these discoveries indicate the probably true explanation of the troubling of the water mentioned1 not by ,john it will be remembered1 but by some subsequent copyist1 in the text4 ,the ,pool of ,bethesda1 probably1 was connected by an underground passage with some intermittent spring1 possibly possessing healing virtues1 and the bubbling of the water from time to time gave rise to the legend of an angelic visitant1 which certain of the ,jews accepted1 but which the ,evangelist does not confirm1 and to which there is no reference in other literature4 #e ,and a certain man was there1 which had an infirmity#afb thirty and eight years4 #f ,when ,jesus saw him lie1 and#afc knew that he had been now a long time in that case1 he saith unto him1 ,wilt thou be made whole8 #g ,the impotent man answered him1 ,sir1 ,i have#afd no man1 when the water is troubled1 to put me into the pool3 but while ,i am coming1 another steppeth down before me4 #h ,jesus saith unto him1 ,rise1#afe take up thy bed1 and walk4 #i ,and immediately the man was made whole1 and took up his bed1 and walked3 and on#aff the same day was the sabbath4 #afb ,luke #h3dc2 #ac3af4 #afc ,ps4 #adb3c4 #afd ,deut4 #cb3cf2 ,ps4 #gb3ab2 #adb3d2 ,rom4 #e3f2 #b ,cor4 #a3i1 #aj4 #afe ,matt4 #i3f2 ,mark #b3aa2 ,luke #e3bd4 #aff ch4 #i3ad4 #e-i4 ,which had an infirmity4 ,the original implies rather a loss of power than a positive disease2 probably it was a nervous disease of the paralytic type4--,thirty and eight years4 ,the words 8in that case10 are added by the translator1 but they correctly convey the meaning1 which is not that he had been at the ,pool of ,bethesda1 but that he had been diseased that length of time4--,wilt thou be made whole8 ,why this question8 ,not necessarily because there was any reasonable doubt whether the man desired healing2 nor because ,christ required1 as a conditional preliminary1 the man's assent to healing on the ,sabbath2 nor because he would imply blame1 as though the man's long infirmity were the result of his own weakness of will2 nor1 surely1 because he would indicate that he was an impostor and desired to use his apparent but exaggerated infirmity to appeal to the compassion of others4 ,all these hypotheses have been suggested4 ,but ,christ almost1 if not quite1 always requires on the part of the healed some act of the will precedent to and concurrent with his act of grace2 the cured are never merely receptive and quiescent4 ,i believe there is a deep religious meaning in this1 for every miracle is a parable of redemption1 and that our ,lord would teach us that it is only as we will to be made whole that any wholeness is possible for us1 even through omnipotent divine grace4 ,in this particular case it is certainly true that the man might have traded on his infirmity and not really desired to be cured2 and though ,christ's knowledge of character would have rendered the question unnecessary for his own information1 it was not unnecessary to make it clear to others that he was acting in sympathy with the man1 nor was it unimportant as a disclosure to the man himself that he must rouse himself from the lethargy of despair1 and lay hold1 by hope1 on the salvation brought to him4--,i have no man4 ,it is the friendless who appeals peculiarly to the ,friend of the sinful and the suffering4--,rise1 take up thy bed and walk4 ,the original 77 implies a small1 low bedstead4 ,see for illustration ,mark #b3d1 note4 ,here1 however1 the term may be used in a more general way1 and may imply simply a mattress which served as a couch by day and a bed by night4 ,observe the command to take up the bed4 ,this apparently was not necessary2 ,i can conceive but two reasons for it2 one to emphasize the perfection of the cure1 the other to provoke the controversy with the ,pharisees respecting the ,sabbath1 and thus make it the occasion for the discourse which follows4--,immediately4 ,the instantaneousness of the cure indicates its miraculous character2 so does its permanence4 ,he was cured instantly2 he was cured so thoroughly that he could not only walk1 but could carry his bed2 and he remained cured4 ,i have already said that the miracles are parables of redemption4 ,of no one of the miracles is this more strikingly true than of the present one4 ,the diseased man has been a long time sick4 ,he is helpless1 friendless1 in despair4 ,he waits for an imagined moving of the water1 an expected divine cure that is to come without act or interposition on his part2 and it never comes4 ,christ calls first his will into exercise3 ,wilt thou be made whole8 then bids him do3 8,rise1 take up thy bed20 and in the choice and the obedience1 by faith indeed1 but by the faith which chooses and obeys1 he is made instantly and permanently well4 #aj ,the ,jews therefore said unto him that was cured1 ,it is the sabbath day3#afg it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed4 #afg ,jer4 #ag3ba1 etc42 ,matt4 #ab3b1 etc4 #aa ,he answered them4 ,he that made me whole1 the same said unto me1 ,take up thy bed1 and walk4 #ab ,then asked they him1 ,what man is that which said unto thee1 ,take up thy bed1 and walk8 #ac ,and he that was healed wist#afh not who it was3 for ,jesus had conveyed#afi himself away1 a multitude being in that place4 #afh ch4 #ad3i4 #afi ,luke #d3cj4 #aj-ac4 ,it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed4 ,the general ,sabbath command was1 ,thou shalt do no work4 ,nehemiah1 enforcing this command1 forbade the carriage of commercial burdens 7,neh4 #ac3ai74 ,from this the ,pharisees1 with their accustomed literalism1 had deduced the doctrine that nothing must be carried on the ,sabbath4 ,to forbid this man from carrying his bed was like forbidding a modern1 man to move a chair or a campstool4 ,either he must have left his bed at the pool1 to be stolen1 or he must have stayed there to watch it1 or he must have been allowed to take it home with him4 ,for the ,pharisaic regulations respecting the ,sabbath1 see ,matt4 #ab3b1 note4--,he that made me whole said unto me4 ,the man knew nothing about ,christ or his authority4 ,his idea appears to have been that ,christ proved his right to give the command1 ,take up thy bed and walk1 by his miracle of healing4--,what man is it that said unto thee1 ,take up thy bed4 ,observe the spirit of the ,pharisees4 ,their question is not1 ,who healed thee8 but1 ,who said unto thee1 ,take up thy bed and walk8 ,they are blind to the miracle2 they can see only the ,sabbath violation1 as they regard it4--,a multitude being in that place4 ,christ had stopped a moment1 spoken the word of healing1 and passed on into the crowd4 ,all was over in an instant1 and because of the crowd ,christ escaped the man's identification4 ,this was early in his ministry2 he was not yet widely known and thronged1 as later in life4 ,observe the indications of the nature of belief1 an obedient trust1 not a correct intellectual apprehension4 ,this man had faith enough to be healed because faith to obey ,christ's directions despite ,pharisaic criticism2 yet he knew nothing of ,christ's person1 character1 or work2 did not even know who he was4 ,it is possible to have faith in even an unknown ,christ4 #ad ,afterward ,jesus findeth him in the temple1 and said unto him1 ,behold1 thou art made whole3 sin#agj no more1 lest a worse thing come unto thee4 #agj ch4 #h3aa4 #ae ,the man departed1 and told the ,jews that it was ,jesus1 which had made him whole4 #af ,and therefore did the ,jews persecute ,jesus1 and sought to slay him1 because he had done these things on the sabbath day4 #ad-af4 ,in the temple4 ,possibly an indication that the divine grace of healing had already acted as a means of spiritual quickening4--,sin no more1 lest1 etc4 ,a plain indication that the man's disease1 probably some form of paralysis1 was an effect of sin4 ,see note on ch4 #i3a4 ,here1 as almost everywhere1 ,christ makes the physical healing minister to a spiritual cure4--,and reported to the ,judeans that it was ,jesus which had made him whole4 ,they asked who bade him carry his bed2 he replied that it was ,jesus who healed him4 ,they asked to condemn1 he answered so as to honor ,christ4--,and therefore did the ,judeans come in pursuit of ,jesus4 ,here1 as very generally throughout his gospel1 ,john uses the word ,jews 77 to signify not generally the members of the ,hebrew race1 but distinctly the inhabitants of the province of ,judea4 ,i therefore render it here and elsewhere by the more distinctive word ,judeans4 ,his language indicates not a legal persecution1 but a malicious pursuit4 ,norton translates as ,i have1 ,came in pursuit of ,jesus4 ,this is the literal rendering of the original verb 771 which however generally1 though not always1 indicates a pursuit with an evil intent4 ,here the meaning is not that the general cause of the persecution which ,christ suffered in ,judea was his supposed ,sabbath violation1 but that in this particular instance they pursued him to call him to account for this particular act of ,sabbath breaking4 ,it is always the nature of the ceremonialist to care more for the ceremony than for man4--,and sought to slay him4 ,these words do not belong here4 ,they have been added to explain and correspond with the expression in verse #ah1 ,sought the more to kill him4 ,they are omitted by ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,norton1 and all the best critical authorities4 99 99 99 99 99 #ag-dg4 ,in the study of the discourse which follows1 beware of considering it simply verse by verse4 ,it is not a collection of incidental aphorisms1 but a connected address1 the theme being the character1 mission1 authority1 and credentials of the ,son of ,god4 ,the ,pharisees call ,christ to account for healing on the ,sabbath2 he cites in his defence the example of his heavenly ,father4 ,they seize upon his language1 deduce from it the conclusion that he makes himself equal with ,god1 and charge him with blasphemy4 ,this serves as the text of the discourse which follows4 ,he declares that he comes not to draw allegiance from1 but to1 the ,father2 that he acts under the ,father's will2 that to him the ,father has committed the whole work of grace on the earth2 that he is even now raising the spiritually dead to life2 that he is to raise the physically dead to a new life2 and that he will finally complete this work entrusted to him1 by declaring and executing the divine judgment4 ,the evidence of his mission and authority is not in his own words2 he is testified to by ,john the ,baptist2 by his own life and work2 and by the ,scriptures of the ,o4 ,t4 ,he closes by pointing out the secret cause of the ,jews' rejection of him1 viz41 their personal ambition4 ,beware1 too1 of imputing to the words a dogmatic meaning borrowed from later ecclesiastical controversies1 which they did not bear in the minds of his hearers at the time4 ,there is little or nothing here respecting the relations of the ,son to the ,father1 except as the language throughout implies that the ,son is subordinate to and dependent upon the ,father2 but the relation of the ,son to the human race is clearly revealed1 the relation of life-giver and judge1 and is certainly not that of any man1 however endowed1 to his fellow-men4 ,nevertheless this address contains the christology of ,jesus ,christ1 his own teaching concerning his own character and work2 and it clearly implies1 on the one hand1 that he not only represents the ,father1 as an ambassador might represent a king1 that he is not only clothed with divine authority1 as ,moses was clothed1 in the administration of the theocracy1 with the authority of ,god1 but that he is a partaker of the divine nature2 nor less clearly1 on the other hand1 does it imply that his authority is derived from the ,father1 that his power is conferred on him by the ,father1 that he executes in all things the will of the ,father1 that he is to be conceived of not as distinct from1 but as one with the ,father1 and that his object is in all things to be a way unto the ,father4 ,against every form of tri-theism1 against all substitution of the ,son in the place of the ,father1 this discourse is a solemn and earnest admonition1 no less than against all belittling of either his character to that of man or angel1 or his mission to that of mere messenger or teacher4 #ag ,but ,jesus answered them1 ,my#aga ,father worketh hitherto1 and ,i work4 #aga chaps4 #i3d1 #ad3aj4 #ag4 ,my ,father worketh hitherto1 and ,i work4 ,the argument is very brief2 it is based on the premises that we are to be followers of ,god as dear children 7,ephes4 #e3a71 that the ,father's work is a pattern for our own working4 ,it gives color to the opinion that the days of creation are long eons or periods2 that the seventh day1 which ,god blessed and on which he rested1 is the present period in which the mere physical work of creation has given place to the higher work of redemption2 thus the ,sabbath of ,god becomes both interpreted and an interpreter to us of what our ,sabbath should be4 ,the divine work does not cease2 the grass grows1 the buds swell1 the flowers bloom1 the fruits ripen1 the rains fall1 the winds blow1--but all this is the work of love2 over all this work ,god's tender mercies brood 7,psalm #ade3i74 ,the lesson of nature interpreted here by ,christ is that the work of love is never a violation of the true ,sabbath law4 ,this verse1 with ,matt4 #ab3h and ,mark #b3bg1 give the three canons for the ,christian observance of the ,sabbath4 7#a7 ,the ,son of man is ,lord also of the ,sabbath4 ,it is then a ,christian day1 belongs to the ,christian dispensation1 is under the ,lordship of ,christ and in his kingdom1 and is to be kept in that spirit of joyous freedom with which ,christ makes free4 7#b7 ,the ,sabbath is made for man4 ,it is therefore man's day2 belongs to all men1 ,gentile and ,jew1 poor and rich2 a day to be used for man2 so that whatever work is necessary to the real abiding welfare of the human race1 is not foreign to this day4 7#c7 ,my ,father worketh hitherto4 ,the ,father's work is the example and the law for his children2 the work of love1 the work for others1 the work that has tender mercy for its inspiration and its overseer1 is ,sabbath work4 ,it is to be our rest-day as it is our heavenly ,father's rest-day1 and only so2 a prophecy of that eternal rest which will be one of glorious activity3 a rest from care1 from worldliness1 from the common temptations of life1 but not a day of mere dull cessation of labor4 #ah ,therefore the ,jews sought the more to kill#agb him1 because he not only had broken the sabbath1 but said also that ,god was his ,father1 making#agc himself equal with ,god4 #agb ch4 #g3ai4 #agc ch4 #aj3cj1 #cc2 ,zech4 #ac3g2 ,phil4 #b3f4 #ah4 ,because he had not only broken the ,sabbath4 ,literally relaxed 77 the ,sabbath4 ,see note on ,matt4 #e3ai for meaning of the word4 ,the ,pharisees then1 as the literalists now1 believe that the sanctity of the ,sabbath could only be preserved by putting the soul under bonds to a literal compliance with specific regulations4 ,christ broke these bonds asunder1 gave the soul liberty1 and preserved the ,sabbath by inspiring the souls of his disciples with allegiance to himself1 love for humanity1 and sympathy with the redeeming work of the ,father4 ,he did relax what they supposed to be essential to the preservation of the day1 but what was really destroying it4 ,to keep this poor man on his bed1 or watching it to prevent it from being stolen1 would have destroyed for him the rest of the day1 in order that he might comply with the letter of the ,pharisaic regulations4 ,so he who rides in a horse-car rather than remain away from church1 or travels late ,saturday night or early ,sunday morning rather than destroy his ,sabbath by spending it with strangers1 seems to the ,sabbatarian of to-day to be relaxing the ,sabbath1 while he may be in truth preserving it4--,but said also that ,god was his own ,father4 7 47 ,norton renders the sense accurately though freely1 ,had spoken of ,god as particularly his ,father4 ,the meaning of the original will be indicated to the ,english reader by ,rom4 #h3cb1 8,spared not his own ,son20 #a ,cor4 #f3ah1 8,sinneth against his own body20 #a ,cor4 #g3b1 8,have her own husband40 ,it is clear that the ,jews either did understand ,christ by his language to claim peculiar relations with ,god1 or pretended so to do4 ,in his mere reference to ,god as ,father there was no such claim1 for he bids us all call him our ,father 7,matt4 #f3f1 #g74 ,true1 in the language 8my ,father10 most commentators see a ground for the interpretation put upon his language by the ,judeans3--thus ,meyer3 8,they rightly interpreted #8my ,father' as signifying peculiar and personal fatherhood20 ,bengel3 8,the ,only-begotten alone can say1 #8my ,father'20 similarly ,alford1 ,tholuck1 and others4 ,there is perhaps some ground for this view4 ,yet ,i can hardly think that ,christ's mere designation of ,god as 8my ,father0 implies more than ,paul's 8,abba ,father0 7,rom4 #h3ae71 which ,luther renders 8dear ,father10 or the frequent designation of ,god as my ,god by the patriarchs1 and especially by ,david4 ,see for example1 ,exod4 #ae3b2 #a ,chron4 #bh3bj2 #b ,chron4 #ah3ac2 ,ps4 #bb3a1 #aj2 #ch3ba2 #ga3ab2 #b ,cor4 #ab3ba2 ,phil4 #d3ai4 ,and in ,psalm #hi3bf2 ,jer4 #c3d1 man is directed by ,god to apply this very phrase 8my ,father0 in his address to ,god4 ,i believe then that the statement that ,jesus said that ,god was in a peculiar sense his ,father1 and the deduction that he thus made himself equal to ,god1 are the malicious wresting of his words by the ,judeans1 for the very purpose of finding an occasion of offence4 ,they manifested the same spirit in ,john #aj3ca1 etc41 though there they have better ground for the interpretation which they put upon his words4 ,in the discourse which follows1 ,christ does not hold them to their original charge respecting the ,sabbath4 ,he follows them into the new ground which they have entered on1 and expounds his true nature and mission4--,making himself equal with ,god4 8,on the same level with ,god0 7,meyer72 8,on an equality with ,god0 7,norton72 8,of the same nature and condition0 7,robinson74 ,the language of ,jesus1 his claim of the right to work because the ,father works1 and his language ,my ,father1 the ,judeans regard as embodying an assumption that he is of the divine nature and possesses the divine prerogatives4 ,that they so interpreted his language does not prove that it is to be so interpreted4 ,the ,pharisees are not authorized interpreters of the words of ,christ4 ,his claim we must interpret for ourselves from the discourse which follows4 ,how far does he correct and how far confirm their interpretation8 ,it seems to me clear that at the very outset he materially modifies it1 in his declaration of his obedience to and dependence upon and work under the ,father 7ver4 #ai71 while he confirms the substantial idea that he possesses the same nature as the ,father1 is1 so to speak1 of kin to ,him1 by his declaration that he does what the ,father does 7ver4 #ai71 shares in all the counsels of the ,father 7ver4 #bj71 gives life to the dead as the ,father 7ver4 #ba71 judges all men for the ,father 7ver4 #bb71 is to be honored as the representative of the ,father 7ver4 #bc71 is the door through which all must enter into eternal life in the ,father 7ver4 #bd71 and is the final ,resurrection and ,judge for the ,father 7ver4 #be-bi72 yet at the close he again emphasizes the truth that in all this he is not a second or even subordinate ,god1 but the ,one through whom the ,father does all 7ver4 #cj71 the one mediator between ,god and man 7#a ,tim4 #b3e74 #ai ,then answered ,jesus and said unto them1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1#agd ,the ,son can do nothing of himself1 but what he seeth the ,father do3 for what things soever he doeth1 these also doeth the ,son likewise4 #agd verse #cj4 #bj ,for#age the ,father loveth the ,son1 and sheweth him all things that himself doeth3 and he will shew him greater works than these1 that ye may marvel4 #age chaps4 #c3ce2 #ag3bf2 ,matt4 #c3ag4 #ai1 #bj4 ,verily1 verily4 ,a formula used by ,christ in cases of important and emphatic affirmation4--,the ,son can do nothing of himself1 i4 e41 of his own will or authority4 8,of myself 7' 71 i4 e41 of one's own will or accord1 without authority or command from another40--7,rob4 #bd1 art4 47 ,this declaration cannot be limited1 as by ,calvin1 to the power of ,christ in his human nature1 without1 adding to the verse what is not in it1 nor in its necessary connection2 nor can we read it1 as ,chrysostom does1 that ,christ can do nothing contrary to his ,father's will1 because of the perfect union between them1 for this is clearly not the meaning of the original4 ,christ says not1 ,i can do nothing contrary to my ,father1 but1 ,i can do nothing of myself by my own independent and original power4 ,the meaning of the original is transparent1 though the truth is transcendent4 ,this is that the power of ,christ is not an original but a derived power2 that it comes from the ,father and is a power only to do those things which carry out the ,father's will4 ,as the ,christian can do nothing without ,christ 7ch4 #ae3e71 yet can do all things through ,christ strengthening him 7,phil4 #d3ac71 so ,christ can do nothing without the ,father1 but does all things by virtue of a divine power imparted to him by the ,father1 and as a manifestation of the ,father4 ,this is a partial answer to the charge that ,christ makes himself equal to the ,father4 ,he show's that so far from doing anything calculated to draw away allegiance from the ,father1 he draws allegiance to the ,father1 since in all that he does he acts out only the ,father's will4 ,he is divine because of the divinity with which he has1 so to speak1 been clothed by the ,father's love4--,but what he seeth the ,father do4 8,a familiar description1 borrowed from the attention which children give to their father--of the inner and immediate intention which the ,son perpetually has of the ,father's will1 in the perfect consciousness of fellowship of life with ,him40--7,meyer47--,whatsoever things he doeth1 these also doeth the ,son likewise4 ,in like manner 771 that is1 with like power and authority4 ,this surely could be said of no man1 no angel4 ,it indicates not only a superhuman but also a super-angelic character4 ,thus this verse puts in a very compact form the paradox of ,christ's character--a paradox not to be explained away by either modifications of the first clause or denials of the second4 ,the first clause asserts that ,christ's power comes from the ,father1 and thus1 in a sense1 is not equal to that of the ,father1 which is uncreated and underived4 ,and with this declaration agree many other passages of ,scripture4 ,see for example1 ch4 #g3ag1 #ah2 #h3db2 #ad3aj2 ,phil4 #b3i2 ,heb4 #a3i2 #c3b4 ,the second clause asserts that this power1 conferred upon the ,son1 is that of the ,father1 who has put all things into the hands of the ,son that he may be ,lord of all4 ,acts #aj3cf2 ,james #e3i2 ,col4 #a3af1 #ag2 #c3aa4 ,it is noticeable that ,john1 who of all ,evangelists makes most clear the divine nature of ,christ1 as well as his divine mission1 is the one who more clearly than any other of the evangelists asserts his dependence on the ,father4--,for the ,father loveth the ,son1 etc4 ,this is stated as the reason why the ,son is able to do all things that the ,father doeth4 ,his power is derived from the ,father through the ,father's love for him4 ,comp4 ,heb4 #a3i4--;,and showeth him all things4 8,he who loves hides nothing40--7,bengel47--,he will show him greater works than these4 ,greater miracles than the healing of the impotent man4 ,far greater works were done later in ,christ's ministry in ,jerusalem and vicinity1 the consummation being the raising of ,lazarus from the dead4--,that ye may marvel4 ,here the verb marvel 77 is used with the idea of praise as well as wonder4 ,the object of the wonderful works of ,god is not merely to awaken the wonder of mankind1 but1 through the wonder1 the reverence and so the allegiance of mankind to the ,father through ,christ his ,son4 #ba ,for as the ,father raiseth up the dead1 and quickeneth them2 even#agf so the ,son quickeneth whom he will4 #agf ch4 #aa3be2 #ag3b2 ,luke #h3ed4 #bb ,for the ,father judgeth no man1 but hath committed#agg all judgment unto the ,son2 #agg ,matt4 #aa3bg2 ,acts #ag3ca2 #b ,cor4 #e3aj4 #bc ,that all men should honour the ,son1 even as they honour the ,father4 ,he that honoureth not the ,son1 honoureth not the ,father which hath sent him4 #ba-bc4 ,for as the ,father raiseth up the dead and maketh them to live1 even so the ,son1 whom he will1 makes to live4 ,observe1 7#a7 that the verbs in this sentence are in the present tense2 ,christ is therefore speaking of a present resurrection1 one now taking place4 7#b7 ,that this resurrection is one recognized among men1 not one taking place in the invisible world 7ver4 #bc74 7#c7 ,that as the result of this resurrection1 the raised pass from death unto life 7ver4 #bd74 7#d7 ,that a universal resurrection is not indicated1 but only of those whom he wills to raise 7ver4 #ba74 ,it is then not of a future resurrection of all men at the last day1 nor of a present resurrection of the literally dead taking place as they die1 that ,christ here speaks1 but of a spiritual resurrection1 taking place on the earth1 confined to those whom the ,saviour calls and who hear and answer his call1 and so manifest to men that it is recognized as a sign of the ,saviour's power4 ,as ,christ has power on earth to forgive sins 7,mark #b3aj71 so also he has power to raise the dead in trespasses and sins4 ,thus he is now1 as he will be in another sense in the last day1 the resurrection and the life 7,john #aa3be74 ,this theme of a spiritual resurrection and life-giving occupies verses #ba-bg2 then by a natural transition ,christ passes to the future resurrection of the physical dead4 ,be not surprised1 he says in substance1 at my declarations respecting the spiritual resurrection2 for the final resurrection shall also be at my voice4 ,be not surprised at my claim to be now a judge1 for the great day of judgment the ,father has also committed into my hands4--,whom he will4 ,this phrase does not indicate 8that he specially confers this grace on none but certain men1 that is1 on the elect0 7,calvin72 nor can we say that 8,he will not quicken others because they believe not0 7,meyer71 for though this is true1 it is neither asserted1 nor even hinted at here2 nor is the meaning merely that 8in every instance where his will is to vivify1 the result invariably follows0 7,alford74 ,clearly the indication of the passage is that spiritual life has its source1 not in the will of the sinner but in that of the ,saviour 7comp4 ch4 #a3ac2 ,rom4 #i3af72 but the reason why the divine will apparently chooses some and not others1 whether for reasons in human character and choice1 or for inscrutable reasons1 not explained nor indeed explicable1 is not here hinted at4--,for the ,father judgeth no man4 ,the whole work of judgment1 the whole moral government of the world1 the whole course of divine ,providence1 as regards the nation1 the church1 and the individual1 is entrusted to the ,son4 ,see ,psalm #b2 ,rev4 #a3e4--,that all men should honor the ,son even as they honor the ,father4 ,there is some reasonable ground for a difference of opinion as to the proper interpretation of the preceding verses1 which treat of the relations of the ,father to the ,son2 and ,christian critics are not wholly agreed respecting their meaning4 ,but there can be no room for difference of opinion as to the meaning of this verse1 which gives the practical outcome of those which precede4 ,whatever opinion the theologian may entertain concerning the mystery of ,christ's nature1 the ,christian can hardly doubt the plain teaching of ,scripture that the highest allegiance that the soul can pay to its ,god1 the highest love it can offer1 the highest reverence it can experience1 are all due to the ,son4 ,even as signifies the manner and the degree4 ,so in heaven the highest praises are paid to the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world 7,rev4 #e3ab2 #g3aj74--;,he that honoreth not the ,son1 honoreth not the ,father which hath sent him4 ,not because the failure to honor an ambassador is a failure to honor the king whom he represents1 but because the honor paid to ,god belongs to his character1 and of that character the ,son is the manifestation2 so that the soul that does not honor the ,son1 who is the brightness of the ,father's image1 and who doeth all things which the ,father does1 and as the ,father does them1 does not really honor the ,father4 ,in truth1 he who does not recognize in ,christ the ,son of the ,father1 the true image of the divine glory1 has either no true conception of the ,son or none of the ,father2 for the only way to the ,father is the ,son4 ,and in fact1 those forms of theological doctrine which have tended to belittle ,christ have also tended1 in the history of the church1 to dwarf worship4 #bd ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he#agh that heareth my word1 and believeth on him that sent me1 hath everlasting life1 and shall not come into condemnation2 but is passed#agi from death unto life4 #agh ch4 #f3dj1 #dg4 #agi #a ,john #c3ad4 #bd4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that heareth me and hath faith on him that sent me1 hath eternal life1 and comes not into judgment1 but has passed out of the death into the life4 ,the meaning of this declaration is not obscure1 though it has been sometimes obscured by unbelief4 ,to hear the word of ,christ is to hear it with the spiritual ear1 not merely with the physical ear4 ,thus those may be included who have never heard of the historic ,christ2 for as he is the ,light of the world1 who lighteth every man who cometh into the world 7ch4 #a3i1 note71 so those who1 without the literal hearing of his words1 do hear and attend to the message which he speaks to the soul1 in the inner experience1 are to be included among those who hear his words4 ,to have faith on him that sent me1 is not merely to believe his written word1 nor to believe that he has sent ,christ into the world1 nor to believe any specific dogma respecting ,christ1 however important1 but to have faith in an unseen divinity1 in contrast to faith in either one's self or in any human helper4 ,it is to direct faith toward this unseen ,god that ,christ came into the world2 and to have faith in ,christ is to have faith in the ,father who sent him1 in order that he might bring all unto the ,father1 and present all to him 7ch4 #ag3h1 #ba1 #bd74 ,cometh not into judgment is mistranslated in our ,english version1 ,shall not come into condemnation4 ,the verb is not future1 and the noun is judgment1 not condemnation4 8,there can be no good reason why the word 71 krisis7 should be rendered judgment in the #bb;d verse1 and condemnation in the #bdth4 ,but from a fear1 ,i suppose1 lest the one should seem to contradict the other--lest the ,son should be thought not to execute the judgment that had been committed to him--they 7the translators7 were unfaithful to the letter1 perhaps even more unfaithful to the spirit1 of the passage40--7,maurice47 ,the promise is one fulfilled in this life1 a promise of present not merely future deliverance1 and of a deliverance not merely from condemnation1 but from judgment4 ,if the ,christian comes into judgment1 he would also inevitably come into condemnation 7#a ,john #a3h1 #aj74 ,the meaning of this verse then is1 that when the soul has accepted ,christ as its ,master1 hearing his words1 and following him1 for spiritual hearing involves following 7ch4 #aj3c1 #d7 so as to live by faith in ,god 7,gal4 #b3bj71 he is no longer subject to divine judgment2 there is no more condemnation to them who are thus in ,christ ,jesus 7,rom4 #h3a74 ,with this is involved the further truth that there will be no true judgment for them in the last day4 8,the reckoning which ends with #8,well done1 good and faithful servant1' is not judgment2 the reward is of free grace4 ,in this sense the believers in ,christ will not be judged according to their works2 they are justified before ,god by faith1 and by ,god40--7,alford47 ,finally1 the last clause of the verse1 but hath passed out of death into life1 indicates the true condition of both the impenitent and the believer2 the one is already in death1 from which he can only be delivered by the ,life-giver2 the other has already entered into eternal life4 ,this is not a future reward reserved for him2 it begins here and now1 though it is to be consummated hereafter4 ,the life is spiritual life1 the death spiritual death4 ,of these great realities physical life and death are but tropes and symbols4 #be ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,the hour is coming1 and now is1 when the dead#ahj shall hear the voice of the ,son of ,god2 and they that hear shall live4 #ahj verse #bh2 ,ephes4 #b3a4 #bf ,for as the ,father hath life in himself2 so hath he given to the ,son to have life#aha in himself2 #aha #a ,cor4 #ae3de4 #bg ,and hath given him authority#ahb to execute judgment also1 because he is the ,son of man4 #ahb verse #bb4 #be-bg4 ,the hour is coming1 and now is1 when1 etc4 ,the resurrection here spoken of is then one already taking place4 ,in order to meet this evident requirement of the verse1 those commentators who regard ,christ as throughout this passage speaking of the final resurrection suppose here a reference to the cases of resurrection which took place in connection with his ministry4 ,but none such had as yet taken place2 moreover1 this construction requires us to suppose that ,christ used the word life in one sense in the preceding verse and in another sense here1 without giving any indication of the change of meaning4 ,his reference then ,i believe to be here1 as throughout this passage up to verse #bh1 to spiritual death and spiritual resurrection4--,for as the ,father hath life in himself1 so he hath given to the ,son to have life in himself4 ,norton renders this somewhat enigmatical verse liberally1 thus3 8,for as the ,father is the fountain of life1 so hath he given to the ,son to be the fountain of life40 ,this must be regarded rather as a paraphrase than as a translation2 but it embodies well the meaning of the verse1 as indicated by the context4 ,no man is a fountain of life to any other man4 ,he may be a conduit1 but not a source4 ,it is given to ,christ to be a source of life himself to others4 ,we live only as we draw continuously our life from ,god2 to the ,son the ,father has given life in such a sense that he becomes himself the life of the world1 and thus the life-giver to the dead4--,because he is a ,son of man4 ,not1 as in the ,english version1 the ,son of man4 ,the omission of the article is significant1 for without the article the phrase son of man means simply one of the human race2 with the article it always means the ,messiah4 ,here then the meaning is that ,christ is to be the judge of all the earth1 because he has taken on himself human nature4 ,why is this any reason that he should be the judge of the world8 ,the answer is1 ,i think1 indicated by ,heb4 #e3ae3 8,we have not an high-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities1 but was tempted in all points like as we are1 yet without sin40 ,our judge is chosen1 because he knows our frame1 he understands sympathetically our temptations1 is able to make allowances for all infirmities and weaknesses of humanity1 and for all trials of life1 and able1 also1 to measure at their true worth the false excuses with which we endeavor to excuse ourselves to ourselves and to our fellows4 ,other explanations1 for which in detail see ,meyer1 as that judgment is a necessary part of redemption1 or that it belongs to ,christ as the ,messiah1 or that it is given to him as a reward for accepting the humility of human nature1 seem to me to be inadmissible4 ,judgment is not a part of redemption2 it is in no true sense redemptive2 the phrase a son of man never means the ,messiah2 and it would be no reward to a tender and loving nature to exercise judgment1 except as it afforded an opportunity for the exercise of mercy in judgment4 #bh ,marvel not at this3 for the hour is coming1 in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice1 #bi ,and shall come forth2 they#ahc that have done good1 unto the resurrection of life2 and they that have done evil1 unto the resurrection of damnation4#ahd #ahc ,dan4 #ab3b4 #ahd ,matt4 #be3df4 #bh1 #bi4 ,marvel not at this4 ,not only because the greater wonder absorbs the less 7,meyer71 but also because there is nothing strange in the declaration that he who is to be the final judge of all flesh should exercise judgment now on men1 and he who is to be the final resurrection and the life should be the resurrection and the life in the spiritual realm now4--,for the hour is coming4 ,he does not add and now is1 for now he is speaking not of a present resurrection1 but of one to take place only in the future4--,all that are in their graves shall hear his voice1 and shall come forth4 ,a voice like the sound of a trumpet 7,rev4 #a3aj71 and like the sound of many waters 7,rev4 #a3ae71 that is1 like the roar of the ocean for fullness and power4 ,comp4 #a ,thess4 #d3af4 ,the entire language is highly figurative4 ,if literally interpreted it would seem to imply a bodily resurrection1 and it is apparently so understood by some of the commentators1 e4 g41 ,alford and ,olshausen2 but it is evident that it cannot be literally interpreted4 ,thus the dead do not in a literal sense hear his voice2 their arousing is not that of literal sleepers who have been awakened by a voice4 ,the doctrine that death is a sleep1 that the soul remains in an unconscious state till the resurrection1 and that the life is then anew given to the soul simultaneously with the re-creation of the body from the dust1 is so inconsistent with the plain teaching of ,scripture in many passages 7see #a ,cor4 #ae3cf-ch1 #ej1 #ea71 that it cannot be sustained by doubtful interpretations of pictorial passages like the present one4 ,how little ground there is for the opinion that the ,bible supports a doctrine of a literal and universal bodily resurrection1 will be evident to the student who considers the force of the following passages1 which are said by ,olshausen1 and quoted with apparent approval by ,alford1 both of whom seem to believe in a literal resurrection of the body1 to be the only passages in ,scripture which imply a resurrection of the bodies of the impenitent3 ,acts #bd3ae2 ,matt4 #aj3bh2 ,matt4 #be3cd1 etc42 ,rev4 #bj3e1 #ab2 ,dan4 #ab3b4 ,no one of these directly asserts the resurrection of the body1 and some of them can hardly be said even remotely to imply it4 ,the doctrine is directly inconsistent with the teaching of ,paul in #a ,cor41 ch4 #ae4 ,see notes there4--,they that have done good unto the resurrection of life4 ,that is1 unto a resurrection the necessary result of which is life1 life in the ,messiah's kingdom4--7,meyer47 --,and they that have practised evil4 ,the righteous have done good--their fruit remains2 the wicked have only practised evil--their works do not follow them4 ,the wheat is garnered into the storehouses2 the chaff is destroyed4 ,see ch4 #c3bj1 #ba4--,unto the resurrection of judgment4 ,observe again that only they that have done evil come into judgment 7verse #bd1 note74 ,observe too that it is they that have done good to whom is given the gift of eternal life1 and they that have practised evil that enter into judgment4 ,the test1 and the only test of character which the ,new ,testament recognizes1 is that of fruit in the actual life 7,matt4#g3bj2 #ab3cc2 #be3ca-df2 ,ephes4 #e3f2 #a ,john #c3g1 #h74 ,the works of righteousness are the fruits of the ,spirit2 his gracious influences are received into the soul by faith1 but the evidence of the abiding of that ,spirit consists in the manifestation of these fruits in a righteous life 7,john #ae3a1 #b1 #f2 ,gal4 #e3bb-bd2 ,james #b3ad-bf74 ,living a ,christ-like life is the only evidence of possessing a ,christ-like spirit4 #cj ,i#ahe can of mine own self do nothing3 as ,i hear1 ,i judge3 and my judgment is just3 because ,i seek not mine own will1 but the will#ahf of the ,father which hath sent me4 #ahe verse #ai4 #ahf ch4 #d3cd2 #f3ch2 ,ps4 #dj3g1 #h2 ,matt4 #bf3ci4 #cj4 ,in this verse ,christ returns to the statement made in the beginning of the discourse1 ver4 #ai 7see note there72 he does all things as the representative of the ,father and the expression of the ,father's will4--,as ,i hear ,i judge4 ,as ,christ is the image of the ,father1 so his voice is the echo of the ,father's voice4--,my judgment is just1 because ,i seek not my own will1 but the will of the ,father4 ,to the ,father there is no law superior to his own will2 to the ,son the will of the ,father is the law4 ,in this declaration our ,lord gives us an example of the way in which we may secure just judgments in ourselves4 ,it is self-seeking which obscures the judgment4 ,unselfish seeking of the ,father's will is the great clarifier of the moral judgments of the disciple4 #ca ,if ,i bear witness#ahg of myself1 my witness is not true4 #ahg ch4 #h3ad2 ,prov4 #bg3b2 ,rev4 #c3ad4 #ca4 ,this verse makes a transition from the subject-matter of the discourse thus far to a new subject4 ,christ has been speaking of his own character and authority2 he now passes to speak of the evidences which attest it4 ,the verse is to be read not affirmatively1 but interrogatively4 ,do you say1 if ,i bear witness of myself1 my witness is not true8 ,i will then point you to other testimony4 ,that this is the true reading of the verse is evident from ch4 #h3ad1 where ,christ declares that though he bears witness of himself1 his witness is true4 ,he here anticipates the objection there made by the ,pharisees 7ch4 #h3ac71 and replies to it4 ,in his reply1 which extends to verse #ci1 he cites in attestation of his mission three witnesses3 7#a7 the testimony of ,john the ,baptist 7vers4 #cb-ce72 7#b7 his own works1 including1 but only incidentally1 his miracles 7ver4 #cf72 7#c7 the personal testimony of the ,father1 speaking chiefly through the ,o4 ,t4 ,scripture 7vers4 #cg-ci74 #cb ,there is another#ahh that beareth witness of me2 and ,i know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true4 #ahh ch4 #h3ah2 ,acts #aj3dc2 #a ,john #e3g-i4 #cc ,ye sent unto ,john1 and#ahi he bare witness unto the truth4 #ahi ch4 #a3g1 #cb4 #cb1 #cc4 ,there is another that beareth witness of me4 ,most of the modern commentators consider this another to be the ,father4 ,so ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,bengel1 ,tholuck1 and others4 ,they understand the connection to be this3 ,the ,father testifies to me2 ,john's testimony ,i do not receive1 because it is human and fallible1 but in passing ,i refer to it1 for your salvation4 ,thus verses #cc-ce are parenthetical4 ,the other interpretation seems to me the more natural and preferable4 ,christ gives1 in an ascending climax1 a threefold testimony to himself3 first the testimony of ,john1 a prophet1 rather the prophet and forerunner of the ,messiah2 then his own works2 finally the testimony of the ,father1 in the heart and through the written word4--,and ,i know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true4 ,such language confirming the testimony of ,john the ,baptist is natural2 such language in confirmation of the testimony of the ,father seems to me strained and unnatural4 ,what significance can be given to the statement1 ,the ,everlasting ,father testifies of me1 and ,i know that his testimony of me is true8 ,it is apt if applied to ,john the ,baptist1 a human and fallible witness1 whose language might be attributed by the ,jews to extraordinary and mistaken admiration4--,ye sent unto ,john4 ,the reference is probably to the delegation which came out from ,jerusalem to inquire into ,john's character and work 7ch4 #a3ai74--;,he bare witness unto the truth4 ,that is1 ,to the truth concerning ,jesus ,christ4 ,by this declaration ,christ makes the christology of ,john the ,baptist his own1 and declares of himself that he is the ,son of ,god and the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sins of the world4 ,see ch4 #a3bi1 #cd4 #cd ,but ,i receive not testimony from man3 but#aij these things ,i say1 that ye might be saved4 #aij ch4 #bj3ca2 ,rom4 #c3c4 #ce ,he was a burning and a shining light3 and ye were willing#aia for a season to rejoice in his light4 #aia ,matt4 #ba3bf2 ,mark #f3bj4 #cd1 #ce4 ,but ,i receive not testimony from man4 ,this is not equivalent to1 ,i will not avail myself of human witness in this matter 7,meyer72 he does in fact avail himself of human witness1 cites it1 and declares the reason why he does so1 that his auditors may by it be saved from fatal error2 nor does it merely mean1 as ,calvin1 that he cites this testimony out of regard to them rather than to himself1 though this is true1 and equally true of all his ministry1 and of all the testimony which he cites in support of his divine claims4 ,here1 as in so many other places in the ,n4 ,t41 especially in the reports of ,christ's words1 the careful study of the original clears up obscurity which is felt in the translation1 and sometimes which any mere translation fails to clear away4 ,from 771 when joined to verbs of inquiring1 asking1 and learning1 indicates that the matter to be learned is viewed as in the mental possession of the person cited 7see ,winer1 #dg1 p4 #cfe71 that is1 as derived from him and dependent on his testimony4 ,so in common language with us1 8,i know such a fact to be true1 for ,i learned it from ,mr4 ,a410 indicates ,mr4 ,a4 as the authority for the statement4 ,christ's declaration here then is1 not that he will not use human testimony1 but that his claims do not depend upon it4 ,compare ,matt4 #aa3bg1 8,no man knoweth the ,son but the ,father10 and ,matt4 #af3ag1 8,flesh and blood hath not revealed it 7the truth respecting ,jesus7 unto thee1 but my ,father which is in heaven40 ,the testimony of ,john the ,baptist1 like that of all the prophets1 is not in truth testimony of or from man1 but testimony from ,god1 through man1 the man speaking as he is moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and the moral for us is that all mere human argument for and witness to the character of ,christ breaks down2 it is only as the divine character has been divinely revealed to us1 by the ,spirit of ,god1 that we can hope to persuade others of the truth1 a lesson abundantly confirmed in the history of the church by its dealings with infidelity4 ,unbelief is to be vanquished by spiritual1 not by mere intellectual power4 ,alford represents the idea well by a free translation1 8,i take not my testimony from man40--,these things ,i say that ye might be saved4 ,blind to the testimony of the ,o4 ,t4 7#b ,cor4 #c3ad71 unspiritual1 and therefore deaf to the inner voice of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #b3ad71 there is hope that they may heed the recent testimony of ,john1 whom all men counted for a prophet 7,matt4 #ba3bf71 and whose baptism even the ,pharisees and the ,sadducees had attended 7,matt4 #c3g74 ,therefore he cites it to them1 that he may by any means save some4 ,he seeks to outflank their prejudice4--,he was the lamp1 kindled and shining4 ,observe the difference between this translation and that of our ,english version4 ,he was not a light1 but the lamp2 not burning1 but kindled4 ,a common title given to famous ,rabbis was ,the candle of the law2 ,christ borrows it1 applies it to ,john1 and declares him to have been the lamp1 lighting not the law1 but the way to ,christ4 ,the lamp1 because the one foretold in the prophets to light the way of the ,lord and prepare for his coming4 ,the lamp1 not light4 ,two different ,greek words 7 and 7 are erroneously rendered by the same ,english word1 light4 ,man is but a lamp2 ,christ is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world 7ch4 #a3i72 and man 7the lamp7 can give light to others only as he is himself filled with ,christ 7the true and only light74 ,this lamp is kindled 71 passive71 i4 e41 by the touch of ,god1 as a lamp unable to give light until it is filled and lighted by the owner's hand2 and shining1 as one of the lights of the world 7,matt4 #e3ad71 shining with divine light because kindled by a divine hand and partaking of the divine nature 7lumen illuminatum1 not lumen illuminans74--,and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light4 ,the two marks of a spurious religious enthusiasm4 ,they were willing to rejoice1 but not to repent2 they were ready to 8enjoy religion10 but not to 8bring forth fruit meet for repentance20 they flocked in great crowds to ,john's ,baptism 7,matt4 #c3e71 much as men now flock to camp and tabernacle meetings2 but they were not ready to 8do justly1 love mercy1 and walk humbly before ,god40 ,and their enthusiasm was but 8for a season10 as all merely emotional enthusiasm is4 ,it made no practical and lifelong change in their character or conduct4 #cf ,but ,i have greater witness than that of ,john2 for the works#aib which the ,father hath given me to finish1#aic the same works that ,i do1 bear witness of me1 that the ,father hath sent me4 #aib ch4 #aj3be2 #ae3bd2 ,acts #b3bb4 #aic ch4 #ag3d4 #cf4 ,but ,i have greater witness than that of ,john2 for the works which the ,father hath given me to finish4 ,from the testimony of ,john the ,baptist1 ,jesus passes to the second authentication of his mission1 the works which he is doing4 ,these works are not merely nor primarily his miracles4 ,against this narrow and unspiritual interpretation the church should have been saved by even a careful study of the words4 ,for 7a7 the word here rendered works 77 is never used by ,john as equivalent to a miracle1 but always1 when in connection with ,christ1 as significant of his whole course of beneficent and redeeming activity2 7b7 in this very discourse ,christ uses it in connection with and in reference to his work of spiritual life-giving to the dead in trespasses and sins 7vers4 #bj1 #ba72 7c7 the phrase 8hath given me to finish0 points forward to the time when he should be able to say in prayer to his ,father1 8,i have finished the work which thou gavest me to do0 7ch4 #ag3e2 comp4 #d3cd71 and in his last triumphant cry upon the cross1 8,it is finished0 7ch4 #ai3cj74 ,the matter is important because the church needs to recognize that the evidences of ,christianity on which ,christ relied are not the miracles1 which are purely historical acts1 the historic veracity of which must be proved like that of any other past events1 but the whole work of redeeming love1 the visible and indubitable fruits of which are to be unceasingly seen in the victories of ,christianity over the individual and over communities4--,the same works that ,i am doing4 ,not have done1 which might have been said of miracles already wrought1 but am now engaged in doing1 which alone could be said of the unceasing work of him who ever went about doing good4 ,observe that the works which he is doing are those which the ,father hath given him to do 7vers4 #ai1 #bj1 notes71 and that whatever the ,father hath given him1 that he does 7ch4 #ah3aa74--;,bear witness of me1 that the ,father hath sent me4 ,because they are manifestations of the ,father's love4 ,the message which the ,son has come to bring is the message of the ,father's grace 7ch4 #a3ad74 #cg ,and the ,father#aid himself1 which hath sent me1 hath borne witness of me4 ,ye#aie have neither heard his voice at any time1 nor seen his shape4 #aid ,matt4 #c3ag2 #ag3e4 #aie ,deut4 #d3ab2 #a ,tim4 #f3af4 #ch ,and ye have not his word#aif abiding in you3 for whom he hath sent1 him ye believe not4 #aif #a ,john #b3ad4 #cg1 #ch4 ,and he which hath sent me1 the ,father himself1 hath borne witness of me4 ,the past tense of the verb indicates a completed testimony1 borne in past time1 but accessible to present hearers4 ,the meaning therefore cannot be the witness of the ,spirit to ,christ's character and mission1 a continuously fresh testimony1 which is however borne only to those that are already the sons of ,god1 through a measurable faith in ,jesus as ,saviour and ,messiah4 ,the reference is possibly in part to the testimony which the ,father had borne at the baptism to ,christ as his well-beloved ,son 7,matt4 #c3ag71 a testimony repeated on other occasions 7,matt4 #ag3e2 ,john #ab3bh72 but the primary reference is to the testimony borne to ,god in the ,o4 ,t4 ,scriptures1 which were to the ,jewish nation witnesses to the ,messiah1 whose coming they heralded1 and whose work they described 7,luke #bd3bg-dd2 ,acts #ac3bg74--,no voice of his have ye ever heard1 no appearance of his have ye ever seen1 and his word ye have not abiding in you4 ,this gives as nearly literally as is possible the meaning of the original4 ,two interpretations are possible4 ,one is that indicated by our ,english version4 ,according to this interpretation ,christ declares the general philosophic truth1 that the ,father is a ,spirit1 and therefore invisible and inaudible1 to be spiritually discerned2 and since the ,jews have not spiritual discernment1 since they have not ,god's word abiding in them1 they are without any knowledge of ,god or understanding of his witness4 ,the other interpretation is that indicated by the more literal translation given above4 ,according to this translation it is the language of 8reproach for want of susceptibility to this 7divine7 testimony0 7,meyer74 ,this was the view of ,calvin1 who here1 as in the interpretation of so many other passages1 anticipated the results of later criticism4 8,when he says that they had never heard the voice of ,god or seen his shape1 these are metaphorical expressions1 by which he intends to state generally that they are utterly estranged from the knowledge of ,god40 ,this last ,i believe to be the correct interpretation1 both because it more nearly accords with the literal rendering of the original1 and because1 according to the other interpretation1 ,christ inserts in the midst of his discourse an abstract statement of philosophic truth1 in a manner which1 if not absolutely artificial1 is at least quite unlike his usual method4 ,his word abiding in you is the word of the ,o4 ,t4 ,this they had2 but it was external to them4 ,they did not believe it 8with the heart unto righteousness0 7,rom4 #aj3aj74 ,it was not an abiding force in the shaping of their conduct or the formation of their character4 ,he only can truly comprehend what the ,scriptures teach concerning ,god1 who yields obedience to whatever they teach concerning duty2 for it is only as the divine attributes are reproduced in us that we can approximate an understanding of them in ,god4--,for whom he hath sent1 in him ye have not faith4 ,this may be regarded either as the reason why they have not seen ,god nor heard his voice1 because they have not faith in his ,son2 or as the evidence that they have not seen ,god1 etc41 since if they had they would have faith in his ,son4 ,the latter is the preferable interpretation1 ,he that is truly and spiritually familiar with the ,father will discern the ,father's lineaments in the ,son2 he that does not recognize the divinity in the ,son bears thereby witness that he does not truly know in what divinity consists4 #ci ,search#aig the ,scriptures2 for in them ye think ye have eternal life3 and they are#aih they which testify of me4 #aig ,isa4 #h3bj2 #cd3af4 #aih ,luke #bd3bg2 #a ,pet4 #a3aj1 #aa4 #dj ,and ye will not come#aii to me1 that ye might have life4 #aii ch4 #c3ai4 #ci1 #dj4 ,ye search the ,scriptures because in them ye think ye have eternal life2 and they are they which testify concerning me2 and still ye will not come unto me that ye might have life4 ,the verb search 77 may be rendered either as imperative or as indicative4 ,alford and ,tholuck make it1 as does the ,english version1 imperative1 thus interpreting it as a direction to search the ,scriptures2 ,meyer1 ,bengel1 ,olshausen1 and ,godet make it indicative1 thus interpreting it as a statement of a fact and a basis for the condemnation which follows4 ,which interpretation is correct is to be determined wholly by the context and the circumstances2 either is grammatically correct4 ,it appears to me clear1 both from the context and the audience1 that ,christ does not give here a command or an exhortation1 but simply states a fact4 ,for 7#a7 he is addressing men who did not need a direction to ,scriptural study2 the great1 almost the exclusive1 study of the ,jewish ,rabbis was either the ,scriptures or the commentaries thereon4 ,it is true that their search was not spiritual2 they stopped with the letter which killeth1 and disregarded the spirit which giveth life2 but this was a reason1 not for an exhortation to more searching1 but to a different spirit in the searching4 7#b7 ,the theme of ,christ's discourse here would not naturally lead to an exhortation to ,bible study4 ,he is pointing them to himself2 and their failure to find him was not because they were not familiar with the ,scriptures1 but because a veil was over their hearts when they read it 7#b ,cor4 #c3ae74 ,i understand then that ,christ in this verse notes a contrast between the ,scriptures and himself2 the ,jews search the ,scriptures because in them they think to find eternal life4 ,but eternal life is not in the ,book2 it is in the person to whom the ,book bears witness4 ,and they search in vain who do not find in it the ,christ to whom the ,book bears testimony4 ,in contrast with their searching1 note the spirit and method of the ,bereans1 who searched to see if these things were so 7,acts #ag3aj1 #aa71 that is1 with a docile and inquiring1 not a predetermined mind4--,ye will not come unto me4 ,though the ,scriptures which they searched so diligently contained testimony to a suffering and saving ,messiah1 they would not come to him4 ,they were as one who reads a guide-board1 but goes not whither it points4--,that ye might have life4 ,the object of ,christ's coming was to give life2 the object of coming to ,christ is to receive life 7ch4 #aj3aj74 ,the kind of life imparted by him and to be received by us is indicated in ,ephes4 #b3aj2 ,gal4 #e3bb1 #bc4 #da ,i receive not honour from#bjj men4 #bjj verse #cd2 #a ,thess4 #b3f4 #db ,but ,i know you1 that ye have not the love of ,god in you4 #da1 #db4 ,i receive not honor from men4 ,it is true that at his name every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess him to be ,lord1 but to the glory of ,god the ,father 7,phil4 #b3aj1 #aa74 ,as the ,christian lets his light shine that men may glorify ,christ1 so ,christ's light glorifies the ,father4 ,moreover1 this honor is not derived from men4 ,what was said on the meaning of the original on ver4 #cd 7see note there7 is equally applicable here4 ,from men 77 indicates the original source4 ,christ's glory comes from the ,father 7,phil4 #b3i72 human voices do but echo the divine voice4--,i know you4 ,as no man ever knows his fellow-men4 ,for illustration of ,christ's divine insight into the hearts of men1 see ,matt4 #i3d2 ,john #b3bd2 ,heb4 #d3ac4--,that ye have not the love of ,god in you4 ,they who were condemning ,christ for a violation of the ceremonial law of the ,sabbath were themselves guilty of violating the first and great commandment ,of the law 7,deut4 #f3e74 #dc ,i am come in my ,father's name1 and ye receive me not3 if another shall come in his own name1 him ye will receive4 #dd ,how can ye believe1 which#bja receive honour one of another1 and seek#bjb not the honour that cometh from ,god only8 #bja ch4 #ab3dc4 #bjb ,rom4 #b3aj4 #dc1 #dd4 ,in my ,father's name4 8,the name of ,god1 of ,christ1 is a paraphrase for ,god himself1 ,christ himself1 in all their being1 attributes1 relations1 manifestations40--7,rob4 ,lex41 art4 47 ,see ,matt4 #bh3ai1 note4 ,here1 therefore1 ,christ's declaration is primarily1 ,i have come in the power of the ,father1 not in my own power1 or with my own authority2 and secondarily1 ,i have come to manifest and glorify not myself1 but ,him4--,if another shall come in his own name1 him ye will receive4 ,the reference is primarily to the false ,christs1 of whom many have been at different times received by ,jews4 ,see ,matt4 #bd3e1 note4 ,but the declaration has a wider application to all times and nations4 ,wherever the minister is received1 not as a guide to ,god1 but as an independent object of hero-worship1 he is received in his own name4--,how can ye have faith which receive honor derived from 77 one another8 ,earthly ambition is inconsistent with spiritual growth4 ,he that seeks the perishable cannot at the same time seek the imperishable crown4--,and seek not the honor which cometh from the only ,god4 ,not1 as in our ,english version1 from ,god only4 ,the structure of the sentence forbids that interpretation4 ,the reference is to such passages as ,exod4 #h3aj2 #i3ad2 #bj3c2 ,deut4 #d3ce1 #ci2 #b ,sam4 #g3bb2 ,isa4 #de3e1 #f1 etc4 ,to those who seek from the one and only true ,god glory and honor and immortality1 by patient continuance in well-doing1 and to them alone1 is the gift of eternal life promised 7,rom4 #b3f1 #g74 #de ,do not think that ,i will accuse you to the ,father3 there is#bjc one that accuseth you1 even ,moses1 in whom ye trust4 #bjc ,rom4 #b3ab4 #df ,for had ye believed ,moses1 ye would have believed me3 for he#bjd wrote of me4 #bjd ,gen4 #c3ae2 #bb3ah2 ,deut4 #ah3ae1 #ah2 ,acts #bf3bb4 #dg ,but if ye#bje believe not his writings1 how shall ye believe my words8 #bje ,luke #af3ca4 #de-dg4 ,do not think that ,i will be your accuser before the ,father4 ,the imagery is borrowed from the course of judicial proceedings4 ,in the last judgment ,christ will be judge 7ver4 #cg71 not public prosecutor4--,there is one that accuseth you4 ,observe the present tense1 who is accusing you4 ,the law is a perpetual accusation against the sinner 7,rom4 #b3ae2 #c3ai1 #bj71 from whose indictments there is no escape except in the pardon offered by the grace of ,god through ,jesus ,christ4 ,for prophetic and specific accusations of the ,jewish nation in the ,mosaic writings1 see ,deut4 #ca3ba1 #bf4--;,even ,moses4 ,the law-giver is put for the law4--,in whom ye have put your hopes4 7 7 ,for the meaning of in whom 7 71 see #b ,cor4 #a3aj4 ,in 77 signifies the end toward which any action tends2 with verbs indicating a mental action1 the object of that action4 ,the hopes of the ,jews looked toward ,moses1 i4 e41 toward an exact obedience of the letter of the law given by ,moses1 not toward a spiritual communion with the ,father whose children they were called to be4 ,for a portrayal1 autobiographically1 of this legal and self-righteous hope1 see ,phil4 #c3d-f4--;,had ye believed ,moses4 ,not believed in or on him2 the child of ,god believes the prophets1 he believes in or on ,christ only4 ,if the ,jews had really believed ,moses1 even as a teacher1 they would have believed on ,christ2 for ,moses testified of ,christ4--,for he wrote of me4 ,an incidental testimony to the ,mosaic authorship of the books usually attributed by the ,jews to ,moses1 viz41 the first five books of the ,o4 ,t42 also an indication of the prophetic and typical character of the ceremonial law4 ,moses was a prophet because the entire ,o4 ,t4 ceremonial and service--temple sacrifices1 ablutions1 etc4--were prophecies1 fulfilled in and by ,christ4 ,thus ,christ himself incidentally confirms that view of the ,o4 ,t4 ceremonial which underlies and is most fully expounded by the ,epistle to the ,hebrews4--,but if ye believe not his writings1 how shall ye believe my words8 8,the meaning is1 ,men give greater weight to what is written and published1 the letter of a book1 than to mere word of mouth2 and ye in particular give greater honor to ,moses than to ,me3 if then ye believe not what he has written1 which comes down to you hallowed by the reverence of ages1 how can you believe the words which are uttered by ,me1 to whom ye are hostile8 ,this however is not all2 ,moses leads to ,christ2 is one of the witnesses by which the ,father hath testified of ,him2 #8if then ye have rejected the means1 how shall ye reach the end8' ,if your unbelief has stopped the path1 how shall ye arrive at ,him to whom it leads80--7,alford47 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,ch4 #f3a-ae4 ,,feeding ,,of ,,the ,,five ,,thousand4--,,the ,,grace1 ,,the ,,bounty1 ,,the ,,power1 ,,and ,,the ,,method ,,of ,,christ ,,illustrated4 ,of this miracle accounts are given by the four ,evangelists 7,matt4 #ad3ac-cc2 ,mark #f3cb-eb2 ,luke #i3aj-ag72 and it is the only miracle recorded by them all4 ,there are some differences in their records2 for details see notes below4 ,in the main the three ,synoptics agree1 while the differences between them and the ,fourth ,gospel are more considerable4 ,according to the ,synoptics ,jesus and his disciples crossed the ,sea of ,galilee to the east side2 the people1 going round by land1 outran them1 and apparently were waiting for them on the shore 7,mark72 ,christ therefore abandoned his original design of rest1 and devoted the day to instruction 7,mark7 and healing 7,matthew and ,luke74 ,when evening was come the disciples asked him to send the people away to the villages to get necessary food2 ,jesus replied1 ,give ye them to eat2 the disciples answered that they had nothing but five loaves and two small fishes to give2 and from these ,jesus fed them4 ,according to ,john1 ,jesus crossed over the sea with his disciples1 went up into the hills1 and there sat with them2 while sitting there he saw the people coming round by land1 proposed to feed them1 asked ,philip where they should get the bread1 and apparently going down to the plain to feed the people1 took the five loaves and two small fishes and distributed them among the people4 ,all agree1 however1 as to the main facts3 the feeding of five thousand on five loaves and two small fishes1 and the gathering of twelve baskets of fragments1 are narrated by all four ,evangelists2 the subsequent departure of ,christ into the mountain for solitude and prayer1 the embarkation of the disciples by boat1 and his walking to them upon the sea are recounted by all but ,luke2 ,matthew alone gives the account of ,peter's attempt to walk upon the water to meet ,jesus4 ,harmonists have endeavored to combine these accounts in one consistent narrative2 this is the work1 however1 rather of imagination than of criticism2 any such harmony is necessarily hypothetical4 ,the attempts have succeeded in so far as to show that the accounts are capable of combination4 ,it may be added that the variations are just such as we might expect in narratives coming from independent eye-witnesses1 and not such as we might expect in different fictitious accounts1 or in different versions of a myth1 derived from the same tradition4 ,the miracle took place immediately on the return of the twelve after executing the commissions given to them in ,matthew1 ch4 #aj2 the immediate object of ,christ in retiring to the eastern shore of the ,sea of ,galilee was to secure quiet for a personal conference with the twelve respecting their work 7,mark #f3cj74 ,for further statement of the chronology of the event1 and the most probable harmony of the four accounts1 see ,matt4 #ad3ac-bg1 note4 ,a topographical difficulty is presented by an apparent but not real inconsistency between ,luke #i3aj and ,mark #f3de4 ,according to ,luke1 ,christ took the twelve with him into a desert place belonging to ,bethsaida1 whither the multitude followed him2 according to ,mark1 after feeding the multitude he told the twelve to sail across to the other side unto ,bethsaida4 ,thus ,luke seems to place ,bethsaida on the eastern1 and ,mark on the western shore of the lake1 and this has led to the hypothesis that there were two ,bethsaidas1 an hypothesis generally adopted by the commentators1 without1 it seems to me1 sufficient inquiry4 ,it has no historical confirmation1 was invented to harmonize ,luke and ,mark1 and is needless4 ,let the reader compare the map of the ,sea of ,galilee 7,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cdb7 with the accompanying illustration1 in which he looks down on the ,sea of ,galilee from the north4 ,the ruins in the foreground are those of ,bethsaida2 the river is the ,jordan4 ,probably in ancient times the town of ,bethsaida reached to or near the shore of the lake4 ,the mountains in the distance are those on the eastern shore of ,galilee1 and the plain at their foot is the plain of ,butaiha1 where the five thousand were fed4 ,christ was at or near ,capernaum2 sailed with his disciples across the ,sea of ,galilee to the plain of ,butaiha1 at the foot of the hills on the northeastern shore of the lake1 not far from ,bethsaida4 ,after the attempt of the multitude to make ,jesus king1 he bade them embark and row along the shore toward 77 ,bethsaida 7,mark #f3de71 where he proposed to meet them4 ,a sudden wind rising and blowing down the ,jordan valley from the ,lebanon range 7see on verses #af-ah71 drove the disciples' boat out into the lake2 and it was while they were rowing back1 against the wind1 toward ,bethsaida1 where their ,lord had promised to meet them1 that he came out upon the waves for that purpose4 ,thus it is true that when they left ,capernaum for the plain of ,butaiha in the morning1 they were going over to a plain belonging to the city of ,bethsaida1 as ,luke reports2 and also true that when they started back in the evening in the direction of ,capernaum1 as ,john reports 7ver4 #ag1 indicating the ultimate point they had in view71 they were also going toward ,bethsaida1 which lay on the northern shore1 and not far from midway between the eastern and the western shores4 ,see further1 ,mark #f3de1 note4 ,illustration3 ,,bethsaida4 #a ,after#bjf these things ,jesus went over the sea of ,galilee1 which is the sea of ,tiberias4 #bjf ,matt4 #ad3ae1 etc42 ,mark #f3cd1 etc42 ,luke #i3ab1 etc4 #b ,and a great multitude followed him1 because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased4 #a1 #b4 ,after these things4 ,not a definite note of time4 ,it was subsequent to the healing of the impotent man at the foot of ,bethesda4 ,but many and important events had intervened4 ,see ,tabular ,harmony of ,gospels1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #dd4--,which is the ,sea of ,tiberias4 ,john1 writing for ,gentile readers1 gives the name by which this body of water was best known in the ,gentile world4 ,for map and description1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cdb4 ,the eastern shore was not populous2 it is to this day comparatively a solitude2 ,christ went thither with his disciples partly for rest and a quiet conference 7,mark #f3cj1 #ca71 and partly in consequence of the death of ,john the ,baptist1 perhaps to avoid the possibility of danger to himself and to them from ,herod4 ,after the sermon which followed this miracle of feeding1 reported in this chapter by ,john1 he engaged no more in any public ministry in ,galilee4 ,see ,matt4 #ae3bi-ci1 note4--,because they saw his miracles which he did4 ,john has not recorded any miracles done at this time in ,galilee1 and only two performed at any time in ,galilee4 ,this is one of those incidental references which makes it clear to my mind that ,john wrote not only with a personal knowledge of the writings of the other ,evangelists or some of them1 but with a recognition of the fact that their writings would be familiar to the readers of his own ,gospel4 ,the miracles referred to here are those performed in ,christ's ,galilean ministry subsequent to his return from the second ,passover at ,jerusalem4 ,they are recorded in ,matthew1 chaps4 #h-ac2 ,mark1 chaps4 #b-e2 and ,luke1 chaps4 #e-h4 #c ,and ,jesus went up into a mountain1 and there he sat with his disciples4 #d ,and the passover1 a feast of the ,jews1 was nigh4 #c1 #d4 ,and ,jesus went up into the hill country4 ,up from the shore of the sea to the quiet of the hills4 ,these1 on the eastern shore1 rise to a height of nearly #b1jjj feet above the level of the sea1 which is however itself depressed some #fjj feet below the level of the ,mediterranean4--,the ,passover1 a feast of the ,jews1 was nigh4 ,this affords both a note of time and an explanation of the multitude present4 ,the month was ,nizan 7our ,march74 ,the grass was green2 the trees were in full leaf2 the palm trees were laden with blossoms2 the orange and lemon trees with fruit2 the barley was ripening in the fields4 ,at such a season and in such a climate1 to spend a night without shelter is no hardship1 and is not unusual4 ,the leisure of the ,oriental is partly a characteristic of the people1 partly an incident of a climate which compels less labor than ours4 ,the fifteen days preceding the ,passover were largely devoted to various preparations for it2 the roads1 streets1 and bridges were repaired1 and the caravans began to move toward ,jerusalem4 ,the gathering at such a time of a congregation of #e1jjj men1 besides women and children1 attracted by the fame of such a prophet1 is not at all incredible4 ,the reader must also remember that ,galilee was then the home of a large population4 ,according to ,josephus1 there were six cities of considerable size on the thirteen miles of coast-line along the northern and northeastern shores of the ,lake of ,tiberias4 #e ,when ,jesus then lifted up his eyes1 and saw a great company come unto him1 he saith unto ,philip1 ,whence shall we buy bread1 that these may eat8 #f ,and this he said to prove him3 for he himself knew what he would do4 #e1 #f4 ,when ,jesus then lifted up his eyes4 ,according to ,mark the people going round by the shore outran ,jesus1 and he found them there upon his arrival 7,mark #f3cc74 ,there is no irreconcilable inconsistency in the two statements4 ,it may be that ,jesus found a few of his disciples1 those that knew his probable destination1 and took them up with him and the twelve into the hills2 for the term disciples 7ver4 #c7 is not in the ,gospels confined to the twelve apostles2 that the larger multitude followed1 looking for the ,lord2 and that their gradual congregating moved his compassion 7,mark #f3cd7 and led him to descend from the retirement of the hills to teach and to heal them4--,he saith unto ,philip4 ,he spent the greater part of the day in teaching and healing 7,matt4 #ad3ad2 ,mark #f3cd2 ,luke #i3aa74 ,the people1 absorbed by their interest1 took no note of the passage of time4 ,as the afternoon drew on1 the disciples proposed to ,christ to send the people away to procure food 7,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke72 it was probably as a result of this proposition that ,christ addressed to ,philip the question here1 ,whence shall we buy8 ,this question is reported alone by ,john4 ,why did ,jesus address this inquiry to ,philip8 ,some commentators have supposed that he was the purveyor for ,christ and the apostles2 others that his faith was especially weak and needed strengthening2 still others that the question was addressed to him because he belonged to ,bethsaida 7ch4 #a3dd71 and therefore would be the one to know where food could be procured2 but there is no evidence to support either hypothesis4 ,christ frequently questioned his disciples in order to bring out to their own consciousness the measure of their faith 7,matt4 #i3bh2 #af3ac2 #ai3ag2 ,luke #bd3ag1 etc474--,for he himself knew what he would do4 ,a statement made by the apostle to emphasize the truth that ,jesus himself was not in perplexity1 and taking counsel with his apostles for his own guidance4 ,this he is never recorded to have done4 ,according to ,matthew the question of providing for the multitude was not raised until 8it was evening0 7,matt4 #ad3ae74 ,yet both ,matthew and ,john say that 8when evening was come0 ,jesus was left alone in the mountain 7ver4 #af2 ,matt4 #ad3bc74 ,the explanation of this discrepancy lies in the fact that there were two evenings recognized by the ,hebrews1 as by the ,greeks1 one beginning with the declining sun at or about three in the afternoon1 the other with the setting sun4 ,it was during the first evening1 i4 e41 between three and six1 that the people were fed2 at the second evening1 i4 e41 about sunset1 they had departed and left ,jesus alone4 #g ,philip answered him1 ,two#bjg hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them1 that every one of them may take a little4 #bjg ,numb4 #aa3ba1 #bb2 #b ,kings #d3dc4 #h ,one of his disciples1 ,andrew1 ,simon ,peter's brother1 saith unto him1 #i ,there is a lad here1 which hath five barley loaves1 and two small fishes3 but what are they among so many8 #g-i4 ,two hundred pennyworth of bread4 ,the penny1 or denarius1 was equal in value to seventeen cents ,american coin2 but it was the day's wages of a common laborer 7,matt4 #bj3b72 two hundred pennyworth therefore would be practically equivalent to #bjj worth in our time4-- ,one of his disciples said unto him4 ,christ bade them ascertain how much they had on hand for themselves 7,mark #f3ch74 ,andrew ascertained and reported in response to ,christ's direction4 ,the lad here mentioned was therefore probably some one in attendance upon ,christ and the twelve1 and carrying their simple store for them4 ,how much blessing the ,lord can impart to the service of a little child4 ,comp4 #b ,kings #e3b1 #c4 ,here a little boy 77 had but five loaves1 and they of barley1 and yet when given to the ,lord1 and blessed by ,him1 they feed five thousand4--,five barley loaves4 ,the loaves of the ,jews were thin round cakes or crackers2 for illustration and description1 see ,mark #h3c-e1 note4 ,barley was the food only of the lower classes4 8,one in the ,talmud1 speaking of barley bread1 says1 #8,there is a fine crop of barley4' ,another answers1 #8,tell this to the horses and asses4' ,a ,roman soldier who had quitted his ranks1 had for part of his punishment that he received barley bread instead of wheaten40--7,geike's ,life of ,christ47 ,thus we have here 7#a7 an indication of the simplicity of the living of our ,lord2 without a place to lay his head1 i4 e41 a permanent home1 and with the plainest possible food for his fare1 the bread of the peasant classes2 7#b7 a suggestion of true benevolence2 he did not create wheaten bread for the multitude2 he gave such as he had4 ,to share what we have1 not to aspire to give what we have not1 is true benevolence4--,and two small fishes4 ,the word here rendered small fishes 77 denotes any relish eaten with bread2 hence1 because fish was a common accompaniment1 the most common from the animal kingdom1 it came to be used for fish1 generally salt fish1 prepared for and used as a relish4 #aj ,and ,jesus said1 ,make the men sit down4 ,now there was much grass in the place4 ,so the men sat down1 in number about five thousand4 #aa ,and ,jesus took the loaves3 and when he had given thanks1 he distributed to the disciples1 and the disciples to them that were set down2 and likewise of the fishes as much as they would4 #aj1 #aa4 ,make the men sit down4 ,it requires little imagination to picture to the mind the wondering surprise with which the disciples prepared to obey a direction the object of which they could not conceive1 and the perplexity of the people as they prepared to take their places1 wondering what was to occur next4 ,they sat down2 ,mark tells us in ranks1 literally garden plats 7 2 the repetition without denotes distribution74 ,with their bright-colored ,oriental dresses1 these men sitting cross-legged on the ground in groups of fifty each 7,mark #f3dj71 so that their number was afterward easily estimated1 presented an appearance which recalled a brilliant garden in the early summer4 ,the picture thus presented by ,mark1 but lost in our ,english translation1 is one of the pictorial characteristics of his ,gospel1 and is thought to have been derived by him from ,peter1 the most effective and therefore probably the most pictorial of all the apostolic preachers4--,there was much grass in the place4 ,this is not inconsistent with its description by the other ,evangelists as a desert place1 the word desert implying simply solitude1 not an arid soil4 ,the location 7,thompson's ,land and ,book1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #bi7 was probably the rich level plain of ,butaiha1 forming a triangle1 of which the ,eastern mountains make one side and the lake shore and the ,jordan the other two4 ,it was at the southeastern angle of this plain1 near the point where the hills abut upon the lake1 that the feeding took place4 8,from the four narratives of this stupendous miracle we gather3 #ast1 that the place belonged to ,bethsaida2 #b;d1 that it was a desert place2 #c;d1 that it was near the shore of the lake1 for they came to it by boats2 #dth1 that there was a mountain close at hand2 #eth1 that it was a smooth1 grassy spot1 capable of seating many thousand people4 ,now all these requisites are found in this exact locality1 and nowhere else1 so far as ,i can discover4 ,this ,butaiha belonged to ,bethsaida4 ,at this extreme southeast corner of it the mountain shuts down upon the lake1 bleak and barren4 ,it was1 doubtless1 desert then as now1 for it is not capable of cultivation4 ,in this little cove the ships 7boats7 were anchored4 ,on this beautiful sward1 at the base of the rocky hill1 the people were seated40--7,andrews47--,about five thousand4 ,besides women and children 7,matt4 #ad3ba71 who perhaps sat separately from the men1 as ,oriental custom would require them to do4--,when he had given thanks4 ,the same act is differently expressed by the other ,evangelists as blessing the bread4 ,asking a blessing upon food before meals was a universal custom among the ,jews1 and was practised both by ,christ and by the apostles 7,luke #bb3ag1 #ai2 #bd3cj2 ,acts #bg3ce74--;,he gave to the disciples and the disciples to them that were set down4 ,the words which ,i have put in brackets are not in the original according to the best manuscripts4 ,they have been added from ,matt4 #ad3ai4 ,they undoubtedly represent the actual fact1 viz41 that the bread was distributed by the hands of the twelve4 #ab ,when they were filled1#bjh he said unto his disciples1 ,gather up the fragments that remain1 that nothing#bji be lost4 #bjh ,neh4 #i3be4 #bji ,neh4 #h3aj4 #ac ,therefore they gathered them together1 and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves1 which remained over and above unto them that had eaten4 #ad ,then those men1 when they had seen the miracle that ,jesus did1 said1 ,this is of a truth that#baj prophet that should come into the world4 #baj ,gen4 #di3aj2 ,deut4 #ah3ae-ah4 #ae ,when ,jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force1 to make him a king1 he departed again into a mountain himself alone4 #ab-ae4 ,gather up the fragments that remain1 that nothing be lost4 8,it was a custom and a rule 7among the ,jews7 that when they ate together they should leave something to those that served4 #8,every one leaves a little portion in the dish1 which is called the servitor's part4'0--7,lightfoot47 ,the fragments thus gathered up by the apostles were probably preserved for their own use4 ,the practical lesson is important3 8,he likewise exhorts his disciples to frugality when he says1 #8,gather the fragments which are left1 that nothing be lost'2 for the increase of the bounty of ,god ought not to be an excitement to luxury4 ,let those therefore who have abundance remember that they will one day render an account of their immoderate wealth1 if they do not carefully and faithfully apply their superfluity to purposes which are good1 and of which ,god approves40--7,calvin47 ,this gathering up of the fragments demonstrates also the reality of the miracle4 ,see below4--,they filled twelve baskets 774 ,these baskets were the common baskets used universally by the ,jews in traveling to carry their food4 ,see for description and illustration1 ,matt4 #af3i1 #aj1 note4 ,christ there distinguishes between this miracle and that of the feeding of the #d1jjj1 which are evidently not to be confounded as one event4--,that prophet that should come into the world4 ,foretold in ,deut4 #ah3ae1 #af1 and referred to by the delegation sent from ,jerusalem to inquire of ,john the ,baptist as to his character and authority 7,john #a3ba74 ,by some ,rabbis this prophet was regarded as a forerunner of the ,messiah2 by others as the ,messiah himself4 ,here apparently the people regarded the two as identical2 this at least is indicated by their desire to take ,christ at once and crown him as king4--,jesus knowing that they were about to come and seize him that they might make him king4 ,either by reading in their hearts the half-formed design2 or perceiving it in their whispered conference2 or informed of it by the apostles1 who doubtless shared the enthusiasm of the multitude1 and who may have been as eager as any for the coronation of their ,lord4 ,this attempt of the people to make ,christ a temporal king was a renewal of ,satan's endeavor to tempt him to secure the kingdoms of the earth by ,satanic methods 7,matt4 #d3h-aj1 note74 ,the ,jews anticipated a realm of material marvels and miracles with the advent of the ,messiah4 8,drought and famine should then be known no more4 ,the prophecy of ,isaiah 7,isa4 #fe3ac71 #8,my servants shall eat1 but ye shall be hungry1' should be literally fulfilled4 ,israel should be gathered together4 ,the young men should feed on bread1 the old men on honey1 the children on oil4 ,every palate should be pleased1 every appetite satisfied1 and the prolific profusion of the ,garden of ,eden should repeat itself in the land of the ,messiah4 ,these prophecies of the scribes1 with which constant repetition in the synagogue had made the common people familiar1 seemed to them about to be fulfilled40--7,abbott's ,jesus of ,nazareth47--,he departed again into the mountain4 ,for solitude and prayer 7,matt4 #ad3bc2 ,mark #f3df74 ,he first constrained his disciples to embark for ,bethsaida1 a fact which ,matthew and ,mark state 7,matt4 #ad3bb2 ,mark #f3de7 without giving the reason for it2 ,john alone tells of the purpose of the multitude to make ,christ a king4 ,there is significance for us in ,christ's refusal of their homage4 ,they desired to make him king1 not to accept him as king2 to give him a sceptre1 not to own allegiance to the sceptre he possessed2 to secure his power and authority in aid of their designs1 not to recognize his royal authority and be obedient to his will4 ,when they found out what that will involved1 from his discourse on the following ,sabbath at ,capernaum1 they would have him for their king no longer4 ,it is one thing to attempt to make ,christ serve our wills2 it is a very different thing to make our wills obedient to his4 ,various attempts have been made to explain this miracle on rationalistic principles4 ,the two principal explanations offered are3 7#a7 that the people were so satisfied with ,christ's instruction that they did not feel the claims of hunger 7,schenkel72 7#b7 that they had their hearts opened by the beneficence of ,christ1 so that those who possessed food themselves provided for those that had none1 and thus all were furnished by a miracle of love1 operating not by the literal creation of new supplies1 but by the inspiration of a new spirit of benevolence in the people themselves4 ,this1 if ,i understand him aright1 is ,lange's explanation4 ,see his ,life of ,christ1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 p4 #adj4 ,for a more elaborate classification of rationalistic theories1 see ,lange's ,commentary on ,matthew1 ,am4 ed41 p4 #bff4 ,neither interpretation deserves serious refutation4 ,the first is inconsistent with the fact that twelve baskets of the fragments were gathered up after the meal was ended2 the second is contradicted by the language of the disciples1 who plainly imply that the people are without food 7,matt4 #ad3ae2 ,mark #f3cf2 ,luke #i3ab71 and by the enthusiasm of the people after the miracle has been performed4 ,they were not of a kind to be ready to crown a prophet as king1 merely because he had opened their hearts and inclined them to benevolence4 ,it is1 however1 to be noted that here as elsewhere the ,evangelists simply state the facts1 leaving the reader to make his own deductions4 ,these facts are that over #e1jjj people were upon a plain1 without provisions2 that all the food which ,christ had for them was five loaves and two small fishes2 that he distributed this to the twelve1 and they to the multitude2 that all had enough2 and that when the meal was over there were twelve baskets full of fragments remaining4 ,assuming these to be the facts1 the explanation of a miraculous creation of bread is the only reasonable explanation2 any other hypothesis impugns the historical verity of the four ,gospels4 ,the attempt to explain the miracle as an acceleration of the processes of nature 7,olshausen71 to which1 as ,dr4 ,schaff well says1 8must be added an accelerated process of art1 or the combined labors of the reaper1 miller1 and baker10 gives no help in understanding the process by which ,christ provided for all4 ,we can accept the fact without comprehending the method1 which is indeed as entirely incomprehensible as are ,god's methods in the ordinary phenomena of nature1 e4 g41 the multiplication of a single kernel of corn into the many kernels upon the stalk4 ,the parallel and contrast between this miracle and the analogous but different multiplication of food wrought by the ,o4 ,t4 prophets ,elijah and ,elisha 7#a ,kings #ag3af2 #b ,kings #d3db-dd7 are instructive4 ,like all of ,christ's miracles1 this multiplication is a parable4 7#a7 ,it illustrates ,christ's method3 the way to men's hearts is often through ministering to their bodies2 in the recent famines in ,india and ,china 7#ahgg71 the missionaries have found the way opened for the gospel in many districts by their ability to provide the starving with food or employment4 7#b7 ,it manifests the miraculous grace of ,god3 8everything wastes in the hands of men2 but everything multiplies in those of the ,son of ,god40--7,quesnel47 7#c7 ,it rebukes distrust3 8,he who feeds here five thousand men in an extraordinary manner and by a visible miracle1 cannot ,he find means to support this numerous family1 which raises in the mind of this father and mother so many unceasing and distrustful thoughts80--7,quesnel47 7#d7 ,it is an inspiration and a prophecy of ,christian love4 ,it is 8the brilliant inauguration of that fruitful miracle of ,christian charity which has ever since gone on1 multiplying bread to the hungry4 ,the heart of man once touched1 like the rock in the desert touched by the rod of ,moses1 has gone on pouring over thirsty crowds the inexhaustible stream of generosity40--7,pressense47 7#e7 ,it is a symbol of the inexhaustible love of ,christ himself2 a symbol of that miraculous multiplying of sacred influences which1 from one brief life of three active years1 and one body pierced and broken on the tree1 feeds innumerable thousands1 a love which ,christ imparts to his disciples1 and which they in turn convey throughout the ages and to all lands4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #f3af-ba4 ,,jesus ,,walks ,,on ,,the ,,sea4--,,christ ,,the ,,lord ,,of ,,nature3 ,,light ,,in ,,our ,,darkness2 ,,peace ,,in ,,our ,,storms4--,,he ,,comes ,,to ,,those ,,who ,,are ,,toiling ,,to ,,come ,,to ,,him4--,,his ,,message ,,to ,,all ,,his ,,disciples3 ,,fear ,,not4--,,the ,,ground ,,of ,,that ,,message3 ,,he ,,is ,,the ,i ,,am4 ,compare ,matt4 #ad3bb1 #bc2 ,mark #f3de-eb1 and see ,prel4 ,note at beginning of this chapter4 #af ,and#baa when even was now come1 his disciples went down unto the sea1 #baa ,matt4 #ad3bc2 ,mark #f3dg1 etc4 #ag ,and entered into a ship1 and went over the sea toward ,capernaum4 ,and it was now dark1 and ,jesus was not come to them4 #ah ,and the sea arose#bab by reason of a great wind that blew4 #bab ,ps4 #ajg3be4 #af-ah4 ,and when even was come4 ,this was the second evening1 which began at sunset4 ,see on ver4 #f4--;,his disciples went down unto the sea4 ,from the plain where the five thousand had been fed4 ,by the disciples here is meant the apostles4 ,they went reluctantly1 yielding to ,christ4 ,this is implied by the language of ,matthew and ,mark1 he 8constrained his disciples40 ,while they departed by sea ,jesus sent the multitude away4--,and entered into a ship4 ,a fishing-boat2 large enough to carry ,christ and the twelve2 not too large to be propelled by oars4 ,see for description1 ,mark #f3cf1 note4--,and went over the sea unto ,capernaum 7 474 ,mark says toward ,bethsaida 7 474 ,john indicates the final aim of their journey2 ,mark the direction in which the boat was steered4 ,they started for ,capernaum via ,bethsaida4 ,see ,prel4 ,note above1 and ,mark #f3de1 note4--,jesus was not come to them4 ,an evidence that they expected to meet him along the shore2 probably 7this is implied upon a comparison of the three gospel narratives7 at ,bethsaida1 i4 e41 at or near the entrance of the ,jordan upon the lake4--,the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew4 ,it is a common occurrence for the winds to arise suddenly upon this lake1 drawing down the ,jordan valley from the ,lebanon range in the north4 ,see ,mark #d3cg1 note4 8,my experience in this region enables me to sympathize with the disciples in their long night's contest with the wind4 ,i spent a night in that wady ,shukaiyif1 some three miles up it1 to the left of us4 ,the sun had scarcely set when the wind began to rush down toward the lake1 and it continued all night long with constantly increasing violence1 so that when we reached the shore the next morning the face of the lake was like a huge boiling caldron4 ,the wind howled down every wady from the northeast and east with such fury that no efforts of rowers could have brought a boat to shore at any point along that coast4 ,in a wind like that the disciples must have been driven quite across to ,gennesaret1 as we know they were4 ,to understand the causes of these sudden and violent tempests1 we must remember that the lake lies low--six hundred feet lower than the ocean2 that the vast and naked plateaus of the ,jordan rise to a great height1 spreading backward to the wilds of the ,hauran1 and upward to snowy ,hermon2 that the water-courses have cut out profound ravines and wild gorges1 converging to the head of this lake1 and that these act like gigantic funnels to draw down the cold winds from the mountains40--7,thompson's ,land and ,book1 #b3cb47 ,dr4 ,thompson adds a testimony to the suddenness with which these winds arise3 8,i once went in to swim near the hot baths1 and before ,i was aware a wind came rushing over the cliffs with such force that it was with great difficulty ,i could regain the shore40 #ai ,so when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs1 they see ,jesus walking on the sea1 and drawing nigh unto the ship3 and they were afraid4 #bj ,but he saith unto them1 ,it is ,i2#bac be not afraid4 #bac ,ps4 #ce3c2 ,isa4 #dc3a1 #b2 ,rev4 #a3ag1 #ah4 #ba ,then they willingly received him into the ship2 and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went4 #ai-ba4 ,so when they had rowed about five-and-twenty or thirty furlongs4 ,stadia2 that is1 a little over three miles4 ,the lake at this point is about six miles across2 they had therefore rowed about half way across the lake2 but they were unable to make head against the wind1 and could not reach the northern shore to keep their appointment with ,jesus4 ,it was while they were endeavoring to come to ,jesus that he came out upon the sea to meet them4--,they see ,jesus walking on the sea4 ,that he was really walking on the sea1 not standing on the land and supposed to be on the sea because only dimly discerned through the storm and darkness 7,bleek71 is evident from the facts1 7#a7 that ,peter went out to meet him 7,matt4 #ad3bh-ca72 7#b7 that on receiving him into the ship they were immediately at the land 8unto which they were going0 7 74 ,this was the plain of ,gennesaret1 on which ,capernaum was situated1 and was two or three miles away from the point where they met ,jesus2 for they had as yet rowed only about half the distance across the lake4--,he saith unto them1 ,it is ,i4 ,literally1 ,i am4 ,the same language used by ,jesus in ,jerusalem 7ch4 #h3eh71 for which the ,pharisees would have stoned him1 and in the ,o4 ,t4 to designate ,jehovah 7,exod4 #c3ad74 ,here ,i should prefer to give it this meaning4 ,christ says not merely1 8,it is ,i1 your ,friend and ,master20 he says1 at least implies1 ,it is the 8,i am0 who is coming to you1 the ,almighty ,one who rules winds and waves1 who made them1 and whom they obey4--,be not afraid4 ,this is the message of ,christ to his people in the hour of his advent 7,luke #b3aj72 of their tempest experiences of temptation and struggle 7,matt4 #ad3bg2 ,mark #f3ej2 #a ,pet4 #c3ad72 their sorrows 7,matt4 #bh3aj2 ,mark #e3cf72 and their hour of dangerous duty 7,acts #ah3i74--,then they willingly received him4 ,literally1 ,thereupon they willed to receive him4 ,if this account stood alone we might perhaps doubt whether he actually did enter the ship1 as some rationalistic commentators have done2 but ,matthew and ,mark are explicit in their statements that he did so4--,and immediately the ship was at the land to which they were going4 ,that is1 the shore at ,capernaum4 ,this1 coupled with the statement of ver4 #ai that they had only rowed twenty-five or thirty furlongs1 i4 e41 about half way1 seems clearly to imply a further miracle1 unless indeed we give to the word immediately 77 a large latitude of expression1 understanding it merely to mean that since the wind at once ceased 7,matt4 #ad3cb7 they had no further difficulty in reaching their destination4 ,matthew adds that they that were in the ship came and worshipped ,jesus1 saying1 8,of a truth thou art the ,son of ,god20 and ,mark that they were amazed beyond measure1 8for they considered not the miracle of the loaves1 for their heart was hardened10 rather dull1 stupid4 ,they had been amazed at the miracle of the loaves1 but they had not deduced from it the natural conclusion that ,christ was the ,lord of nature1 so when a new manifestation of his power was made they were as much surprised as if they had never seen any previous manifestation4 ,in this they were very typical of ,christians in all ages of the church4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #f3bb-ga4 ,,sermon ,,on ,,the ,,bread ,,of ,,life4--,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,eternal ,,life3 ,,feeding ,,on ,,christ4--,,the ,,true ,,nature ,,of ,,faith ,,symbolized4--,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,lord',s ,,supper4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,before entering upon this discourse in detail1 some preliminary considerations are necessary4 #a4 ,the report4 ,there is no reason to believe that we have a verbatim report of ,christ's discourse1 but good reason to believe the reverse4 ,john makes no claim to give the sermon in full4 ,the language of ver4 #ei implies that he does not4 ,the whole sermon occupies in deliberate reading less than five minutes4 ,we can hardly suppose that an actual discourse delivered in the synagogue would have been compressed in so brief a space4 ,we have then1 here1 ,john's subsequent report written out from memory1 though from memory quickened by divine inspiration1 of a discourse very much longer than the report4 ,it embodies in ,john's language the substance of ,christ's thoughts4 #b4 ,the circumstances and connection4 ,after the feeding of the #e1jjj1 the apostles embark in their boat2 ,christ goes up into the hills to pray2 the people linger a while for his return1 then conclude that he has returned to ,capernaum1 and go back to ,capernaum themselves2 on the following ,sabbath morning he enters the synagogue2 their astonishment at his approach is great2 they break out in questioning1 ,how did you get here8 ,his answer diverts them from mere astonishment to a serious consideration of spiritual truth3 8,ye are seeking me1 not because of the evidence ,i have given of my divine commission1 but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled4 ,labor not for the meat that perisheth1 but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life40 ,their response indicates some seriousness of desire3 8,what is the work which ,god would have us to do that we might have this bread of life as our reward80 ,this is the question of all religious aspiration1 and ,christ's answer is the response of ,christianity to the soul-hunger of the ages3 8,this is the work of ,god1 that ye have faith in him whom he hath sent40 ,this ,i believe to be the text of the sermon which follows2 it gives the subject2 it is the key to its mysticism4 ,the object of the discourse is to give ,christ's definition and interpretation of faith4 ,this definition appears and reappears1 first in metaphor1 then in interpretation3 ,my ,father is giving you the true bread1 which is coming down from heaven4 ,i am the bread of life2 he that cometh to me shall never hunger2 he that believeth on me shall never thirst4 ,this coming is not a literal physical coming2 it is a coming of the spirit2 a coming drawn by divine influence2 a coming of those who are taught of ,god4 ,to thus believe in me1 to thus eat my flesh and drink my blood1 is to have everlasting life2 for to thus eat my flesh and drink my blood is to dwell in me and have in me an indwelling life4 ,finally1 to guard his followers against that literalism which has since converted this metaphor into a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence1 ,christ adds to his discourse the decisive words of ver4 #fc1 8,it is the ,spirit that quickeneth1 the flesh profiteth nothing2 the words that ,i speak unto you1 they are spirit and they are life40 #c4 ,meaning of the metaphor4 ,i believe then that the key to the metaphors of this sermon is to be found in the question and answer of verses #bh1 #bi2 that it is ,christ's metaphorical interpretation of the declaration that faith is a condition of spiritual life2 that it is mystical1 because experience is always mystical except to those that know it experimentally2 that it is expressed in metaphor1 because a spiritual experience can never be expressed in any other way2 and that ,christ has emphasized the importance of the metaphor by subsequently making it a permanent symbol in the ,lord's ,supper4 ,to eat his flesh and drink his blood is to have faith in him1 to come unto him2 to partake of his character and imbibe his spirit 7verses #ce1 #dj1 #dg1 #ed1 #eg74 ,faith1 according to ,christ1 is not then merely believing what is revealed in the ,word 7,westminster ,confession72 nor merely receiving what ,god says to be true and resting on it 7,george ,muller72 it is feeding on ,christ4 ,it is interpreted 7a7 by the physical phenomenon of eating and drinking4 ,the food enters into us1 becomes a part of us2 builds us up2 makes us what we are2 different food going to different parts of the body--some to brain1 others to muscle1 etc42 different natures and different avocations needing different food4 ,it is ,christ in us who is the hope of glory4 7b7 ,by our own use of the same metaphor4 ,we recognize in common language a higher than mere physical feeding2 other gateways to the nature than the mouth and the stomach2 other means that modify1 develop1 and make the character4 ,men are made by what they receive through interior faculties4 ,so ,christ's metaphor constantly reappears in the language of our common life2 we drink in a picture2 imbibe ideas2 devour books2 e4 g41 8,my ears have not yet drunk a hundred words ,of that tongue's uttering40--7,shakespeare47 8,longing they look1 and gaping at the sight1 ,devour her o'er and o'er with vast delight40--7,dryden47 7c7 ,by the ,rabbinical use of the metaphor1 common in ,christ's time1 and well understood by the ,jews4 8,there is nothing more common in the schools of the ,jews than the phrases of eating and drinking in a metaphorical sense40--7,lightfoot47 8,to eat of my bread0 was a phrase equivalent to partake of my doctrine4 ,christ borrows a common metaphor to emphasize a deeper truth2 to have faith in him is not to 8eat of my bread10 but to 8eat of my flesh20 that is1 it is to receive not merely the influence of ,christ's teaching1 but yet more that of his life and character itself1 an influence which could be imparted to the world only through his passion and death1 through the literal rending of his flesh and shedding of his blood4 7d7 ,by the experience of faith in a lower sphere1 our faith in each other4 ,the highest faith of a child in his mother is not believing something about her1 nor merely believing what she says2 it includes an intellectual belief that she is his mother1 and a filial trust in her1 but it also includes such a reverence for her1 an uplooking to her1 an admiration of her1 a feeding upon her1 that all her best characteristics are reproduced in the worshipping child4 ,so the character of the best teachers ever reproduces itself in the character of their admiring pupils4 7e7 ,by the actual record of the experience of faith contained in the ,o4 ,t4 and the ,n4 ,t4 7e4 g41 ,ps4 #db3e1 #aa2 #fc3e-h2 #gc3bc-bf2 #b ,cor4 #c3ah2 ,gal4 #b3bj2 ,phil4 #c3h-ad74 7f7 ,by other metaphors in the ,n4 ,t4 in which ,christ is compared to a way on which we walk1 a garment which we are to put on1 a vine on which we are to be engrafted1 a husband to whom we are to be married1 a head from which we as a body are to derive all our life1 the ground in which we are to be rooted1 the foundation on which we are to be built1 and the ,spirit which is to dwell in us as in a temple4 ,faith in ,christ then1 as defined by ,christ himself1 if ,i have rightly interpreted this discourse1 is not belief about him1 nor trust in him1 but appropriation of him4 ,it is not mere belief in what the ,bible teaches respecting him1 though it is certainly founded on historical ,christianity2 it is not mere trust in his word or power or grace1 though it involves the highest personal trust in him as a divine and gracious ,saviour4 ,it is making him the soul's spiritual aliment1 following after him1 coming to him1 dwelling in him1 so drinking in his words1 life1 and spirit as to be conformed to his image4 ,the soul enters into eternal1 that is spiritual life1 not by believing any teaching respecting ,christ1 not by trusting that ,christ will bestow that life1 but by so fastening its love and aspirations and desires upon ,christ that he becomes the ,all and in all to the soul1 and at once the model for and modeler of its future and final character4 #bb ,the day following1 when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there1 save that one whereinto his disciples were entered1 and that ,jesus went not with his disciples into the boat1 but that his disciples were gone away alone2 #bc 7,howbeit there came other boats from ,tiberias1 nigh unto the #badplace where they did eat bread1 after that the ,lord had given thanks27 #bad verse #aa4 #bd ,when the people therefore saw that ,jesus was not there1 neither his disciples1 they also took shipping1 and came to ,capernaum1 seeking for ,jesus4 #bb-bd4 ,the day following1 etc4 ,a part of the people undoubtedly had dispersed to the villages about2 others of them remained1 hoping for the reappearance of ,jesus2 when he did not reappear they thought it possible that he had returned to ,capernaum1 and went thither themselves4 ,the other side of the sea indicates the eastern shore1 i4 e41 the opposite side from ,capernaum4 ,in ver4 #be the same phrase indicates the western shore1 i4 e41 the opposite side from that on which the multitude had left ,christ4 ,the construction of these verses is complicated and involved1 but the original is fairly well rendered in our ,english version4 ,the facts here stated1 together with the surprise of the people 7ver4 #be7 at ,christ's appearance at ,capernaum1 afford an additional though incidental evidence of ,christ's miraculous passing from the eastern to the western shore4--,tiberias4 ,a town on the southwestern shore of the ,sea of ,galilee2 mentioned in the ,n4 ,t4 only by ,john2 built by ,herod ,antipas1 and named in honor of the emperor ,tiberius4 ,the present city1 ,tubanyeh1 contains about two thousand inhabitants4 ,illustration3 ,,tiberias4 #be ,and when they had found him on the other side of the sea1 they said unto him1 ,rabbi1 when camest thou hither8 #be4 ,and when they had found him4 ,the greater part of the discourse which follows was apparently delivered in the synagogue 7ver4 #bi71 and presumptively on the ,sabbath day4 ,maurice supposes that 8the conversation commences on the borders of the lake of ,tiberias1 with the people who had just crossed and found ,jesus there10 and is afterward continued in the synagogue1 and he makes the synagogue discourse commence with ver4 #dc4 ,this is certainly possible1 though ,i should think it more probable1 from the close connection between the beginning and close of the colloquy as reported1 that all occurred at one time and in the synagogue4 ,it is not at all incredible that such interruptions as are here reported should have occurred in the synagogue service4--,rabbi1 when camest thou thither8 8,the question when includes how40--7,bengel47 ,wordsworth's comment on the mysterious manner in which ,christ crossed the sea and presented himself in the synagogue affords a curious illustration of the allegorizing method which he pursues throughout in dealing with this chapter4 8,by walking on the sea1 invisibly to the eyes of the multitude1 and suddenly presenting himself to them in the synagogue at ,capernaum1 in a manner unintelligible to them1 he instructs us that1 though he does indeed come by water in holy baptism1 and is verily and indeed present in the holy eucharist1 yet the manner of his presence is not to be scrutinized by us4 99 99 99 99 ,let us not speculate inquisitively into the time and manner in which he is present in the holy eucharist1 but let us receive him joyfully in our hearts1 as the disciples received him into the ship2 and then we shall soon be at the haven of peace where we would be40 #bf ,jesus answered them and said1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,ye seek me1 not because ye saw the miracles1 but because ye did eat of the loaves1 and were filled4 #bg ,labour not for the meat which perisheth1 but for that#bae meat which endureth unto everlasting life1 which the ,son of man shall give unto you3 for him#baf hath ,god the ,father sealed4 #bae verses #ed1 #eh2 ch4 #d3ad2 ,jer4 #ae3af4 #baf ch4 #h3ah2 ,ps4 #b3g2 #dj3g2 ,isa4 #db3a2 ,acts #b3bb2 #b ,pet4 #a3ag4 #bf1 #bg4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,see ,matt4 #e3ah1 note4--,ye seek me1 not because ye saw the signs1 but because ye ate of the loaves and were satisfied4 ,christ leads the people from the lower to the higher1 from the earthly to the spiritual1 making1 as was his wont1 a simple incident the text of a deeply spiritual discourse4 ,see ,matt4 #aa3g2 #af3f2 ,luke #ac3a2 #ad3g2 ,john #d3aj4 ,the meaning here is this3 ,you are not seeking me because you have seen and recognized the evidences of my divine commission1 and really desire to put yourselves under me as your ,lord and ,master2 you are seeking my gifts1 and because you have eaten and been satisfied4 ,he thus characterizes and impliedly rebukes those who seek not ,christ but ,christ's1 because they want not him1 but something external to himself1 which they think he can give them4--,busy not yourselves about the meat which perishes4 ,it is not literally true that we are not to labor for the meat that perishes 7,acts #ah3c2 ,eph4 #d3bh2 #a ,thess4 #d3aj-ab72 it is true that the meat which perishes is not to be the object of our life-work 7,matt4 #e3bd74 8,if any be idle and gluttonous1 and careth for luxury1 that man worketh for the meat that perisheth4 ,so1 too1 if a man by his labor should feed ,christ1 and give him drink1 and clothe him1 who so senseless and mad as to say that such an one labors for the meat which perisheth1 when there is for this the promise of the kingdom that is to come1 and of those good things8 ,this meat endureth forever40--7,chrysostom47 ,comp4 with ,christ's language here ,isa4 #ee3b1 to which perhaps he refers1 and ,john #d3ac1 #ad1 where an analogous metaphor is used to enforce the same teaching4--,but about the meat which abides unto everlasting life4 ,unto 77 indicates the purpose for which it remains1 namely1 that it may nourish eternal life1 i4 e41 the life which continues unto1 not which begins in1 eternity2 for eternal life is a present possession 7vers4 #dg1 #ed74 ,this food abides in us4 ,chaps4 #e3ch2 #f3ef2 #h3ca2 #ae3d1 #g2 #a ,john #b3f1 #bg2 #d3ab1 #ae2 #b ,john #b indicate both what is the meat and what the abiding of which ,christ speaks4--,which the ,son of man shall give to you4 ,the phrase ,son of man is here1 as everywhere in ,christ's use of it1 equivalent to the ,messiah 7,matt4 #aj3bc1 note71 and would be so understood by his hearers4 ,this food of the spiritual life is the gift of ,god through the ,messiah 7,rom4 #e3ag2 #f3bc74 ,we might well wonder that ,christ's characterization of it here as a gift should not have prevented the question of the multitude in the following verse1 but for the fact that1 despite the explicit teaching of the ,n4 ,t4 that eternal life is given1 even the disciples of ,christ have ever been seeking to earn it as wages by labor4 ,christ says shall give 7future7 because the great sacrifice was not yet offered1 and so the unspeakable gift 7#b ,cor4 #i3ae7 was not yet perfected4--,for ,him hath ,god the ,father sealed4 ,in the ,east the method of authenticating a document is not1 as with us1 by a signature1 but by the impression of a seal 7#a ,kings #ba3h2 ,esther #c3ab2 #h3h1 #aj2 ,jer4 #cb3aj74 ,the meaning here then is that ,jesus' commission as the ,messiah of ,god is authenticated by the ,father1 by the works given him to do 7,john #e3cf74 #bh ,then said they unto him1 ,what shall we do1 that we might work the works of ,god8 #bh4 ,what can we do that we may work the works of ,god8 ,observe can1 not shall2 subjunctive1 not future4 ,the works of ,god are not works wrought by ,god1 but works pleasing to ,god 7,jer4 #dh3aj2 #a ,cor4 #ae3eh74 ,the meaning is not1 ,what are the works of ,god which we shall do8 but1 ,what can we do in order that we may please ,god by our works8 ,this is the question which humanity has ever been asking1 repeated in the pilgrimages and the self-mutilations of the ,oriental religions1 in the penances and appointed prayers of the medival religions1 and in much of the so-called ,christian activity of modern ,protestantism4 ,this was the question which ,loyola asked by his vigils1 and to which ,luther found an answer when1 climbing ,pilate's staircase on his knees1 he heard the words1 8,the just shall live by faith10 and fled from the religion of works to that of faith4 ,that the questioners of ,christ were seeking1 not guidance to devout activity1 but to divine rewards1 is clear from the sequel 7ver4 #ca74 #bi ,jesus answered and said unto them1 ,this#bag is the work of ,god1 that ye believe on him whom he hath sent4 #bag #a ,john #c3bc4 #bi4 ,this is the work of ,god1 that ye have faith in him whom he hath sent4 ,they ask respecting the works of ,god 7plural71 he replies concerning the work of ,god 7singular72 they ask what they shall do1 he replies have faith2 they ask respecting work to be done for ,god by them1 he replies that it is a work of ,god in them that is required4 ,the condition of eternal life is not doing any work for ,god1 it is having a work of ,god done in ourselves4 ,see ,john #c3e2 ,titus #c3e-g4 ,the condition of this work is faith in ,christ4 ,the nature of this faith it is the object of the discourse which follows to explain2 it is certainly not equivalent to belief1 and the use of the word believe is an unfortunate necessity from the poverty of the ,english language1 which contains no verb corresponding to the noun faith4 ,of this faith ,i know no better nor more comprehensive definition than that of ,webster's dictionary1 8,that confiding and affectionate belief in the person and work of ,christ which affects the character and life1 and makes the man a true ,christian40 ,see ,heb4 #aa3a1 and notice that it is there defined not only as the evidence of things unseen1 i4 e41 the power of seeing and realizing the invisible world1 which would include the imagination1 but also as the substance of things hoped for1 which clearly includes the activity of the desires and affections4 ,the germ of all ,paul's subsequent teaching of justification by faith is contained in this one single sentence4 ,the ,epistles are but an amplification of the gospel as proclaimed by ,christ himself4 8,i know not where we can find any passage1 even in the writings of the apostles1 which says more significantly that all eternal life in men proceeds from nothing else than faith in ,christ40--7,schleiermacher47 #cj ,they said therefore unto him1 ,what sign#bah shewest thou then1 that we may see1 and believe thee8 what dost thou work8 #bah ,matt4 #ab3ch2 #a ,cor4 #a3bb4 #ca ,our fathers#bai did eat manna in the desert2 as it is written1#bbj ,he gave them bread from heaven to eat4 #bai ,exod4 #af3ae2 ,numb4 #aa3g2 #a ,cor4 #aj3c4 #bbj ,neh4 #i3ae2 ,ps4 #gh3bd1 #be4 #cj1 #ca4 ,what therefore doest thou as a sign that we may see and believe thee8 ,this response of theirs brings out the contrast between faith and belief4 ,christ has said1 ,believe in him whom ,god hath sent2 the people1 recognizing his reference to himself1 reply1 ,why should we believe you8 or1 as ,norton renders it1 8give you credit40 ,he calls for an affectionate and confiding belief in his person and work1 they decline to give him simple credence4--,what dost thou work8 ,this is not1 as ,maurice seems to interpret it1 the language of a spiritual yearning1 but1 as ,alford1 ,stier1 ,meyer1 the language of unbelief and opposition1 a sarcastic retort of his own words4 8,thou commandest us10 say they1 8to work2 what dost thou work thyself80 ,this demand1 coming so soon after the feeding of the five thousand1 has given rise to some perplexity1 and rationalistic commentators cite it as an evidence that no such miraculous feeding took place4 ,if not1 why should the people refer to the manna8 ,the fact is that1 though the five thousand were fed1 no explanation was made to them of the way in which the food was provided2 they were commanded to take their seats2 the barley cakes1 the bread of the poorest peasantry1 were distributed among them2 they were doubtless astonished2 but no conclusions were drawn for them1 and they were not in the habit of drawing conclusions for themselves4 ,when1 therefore1 on the ,sabbath1 ,christ met in the synagogue some of those who had been fed1 together with others who had not been present1 nothing was more natural than this demand1 impliedly for both a repetition and an explanation of the miracle4 ,this is the significance of the reference to the ,o4 ,t4 account of the miracle of the manna1 8,he gave them bread from heaven to eat0 7,ps4 #gh3bd74 ,it was as if they said1 ,the ,psalmist has explicitly pointed out the way in which the commission of ,moses was confirmed2 leave us not in the dark respecting the feeding of the multitude1 which was1 indeed1 strange1 but which has not been interpreted4--,there is also implied a contrast between the work of ,moses and the work of ,christ2 the manna came down from heaven1 the bread was distributed upon the earth2 the manna was given day by day as needed for forty years1 the bread had been given but once2 the manna was a sweet and delicate food1 8the taste of it like wafers with honey0 7,exod4 #af3ca71 and it was among the rabbinical prophecies that the ,messiah would cause manna to descend which would please all tastes1 8bread for the young men1 honey for the old1 oil for the children20 but the bread which ,christ had distributed was barley bread1 the commonest fare of the poorest people4 #cb ,then ,jesus said unto them1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,moses gave you not that bread from heaven2 but my#bba ,father giveth you the true bread from heaven4 #bba ,gal4 #d3d4 #cc ,for the bread of ,god#bbb is he which cometh down from heaven1 and giveth life unto the world4 #bbb verses #dh1 #eh4 #cb1 #cc4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 not ,moses gave to you that bread from heaven2 but my ,father is giving you that which is the true bread from heaven4 ,the people have referred to the manna as the authentication of ,moses2 though they do not in words refer to him1 the spirit of their response is analogous to that of ch4 #d3ab1 ,art thou greater than our father ,jacob8 ,compare ch4 #h3ec4 ,to this ,christ replies 7#a7 that ,moses did not give the manna2 it was given by ,god2 ,moses had nothing to do with bestowing it2 the ,israelites found it in the morning after the dew had dried off the ground 7,exod4 #af3d1 #ad74 7#b7 ,this manna was not the true bread1 but merely a type or shadow of the spiritual antitype2 so the ,red ,sea1 the rock1 the brazen serpent1 were mute prophets of spiritual verities1 to be fulfilled through ,christ 7ch4 #d3ad1 #ae2 #a ,cor4 #aj3a-aa74 7#c7 ,hence1 the bread of ,god was not a past1 historic gift fulfilled in the days of the wilderness1 but a present and a perpetual gift1 which the ,father is ever giving4 ,the practical contrast suggested is that between the faith which reveres only a past religion1 a providence and an inspiration in the days of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles1 and that which holds fast to a present providence1 an ever-living ,spirit1 and a continuous inspiration1 a living bread ever given throughout all ages4--,for the bread of ,god is that which comes down from the heaven and gives life to the world4 ,christ here lays down a general principle in which he defines the essential characteristics of ,god's spiritual gift4 ,that alone is the true bread 7#a7 which is evermore descending from the heavens1 a perpetual bestowment2 7#b7 which bestows life2 7#c7 which is for the world4 ,the manna did not last over a single day 7,exod4 #af3ai1 #bj71 and finally ceased to fall when the ,israelites entered the ,holy ,land 7,josh4 #e3ab72 they that ate it all died 7ver4 #di72 and it was given only to a single nation4 ,the type was brief in its duration1 limited in its effects1 confined to a few recipients4 ,the antitype is for all mankind1 confers everlasting life1 and is bestowed evermore4 #cd ,then said they unto him1 ,lord1 evermore give us this bread4 #cd4 ,lord1 evermore give to us this bread4 ,comp4 ch4 #d3ae1 note4 ,not spoken ironically 7,calvin71 nor with a definite idea of some miraculous kind of sustenance1 a magic food or means of life from heaven 7,alford1 ,meyer71 nor with a serious comprehension of his spiritual meaning and a sincere desire for his spiritual gift 7,maurice1 ,lucke74 ,the people were shallow and superficial2 without comprehending the meaning of ,christ's words1 they yet saw in them the offer of something desirable1 they knew not what1 and asked for it4 ,in the minds of some there may have been a dim sense of the value of the inner life1 such as is sometimes borne in upon sensual and superficial natures by the mere power of the presence of a great soul4 ,comp4 ,luke #ad3ae4 ,there1 as here1 ,christ by his teaching rebukes the superficial and ignorant desire for an uncomprehended blessedness2 there1 by showing parabolically how the spiritual food is declined by those to whom it is offered2 here1 by interpreting the nature of spiritual food4 ,the rejection of ,christ by the people here1 illustrates the parable uttered by ,christ there4 #ce ,and ,jesus said unto them1 ,i am the bread of life3 he#bbc that cometh to me shall never hunger2 and he#bbd that believeth on me shall never thirst4 #bbc ,rev4 #g3af4 #bbd chaps4 #d3ad2 #g3ch4 #cf ,but ,i said unto you1 ,that ye#bbe also have seen me1 and believe not4 #bbe verse #fd4 #ce1 #cf4 ,i am the bread of life4 ,they say1 ,give us this bread4 ,his reply is1 ,the bread is already given2 it is for you to accept and feed upon it4 ,and this is always the answer of the gospel to every soul that cries out for a ,saviour and a salvation4 ,how the soul is to accept this bread he then goes on to say4--,he that cometh to me shall not hunger1 and he that hath faith in me shall never thirst4 ,it is clear that the 8coming0 and 8believing in0 here are equivalent to the eating and drinking of ver4 #ed4 ,see notes there4 ,the coming is a continuous coming 7present participle with 72 a coming into ,christ's likeness1 and therefore into spiritual unity with him2 a coming perfected only by the process of feeding upon him1 drinking in his spiritual power so as to be transformed by it4 ,it is the coming which ,david describes in ,psalm #fc3h1 8,my soul followeth hard after thee10 and ,paul in ,phil4 #c3ac1 #ad1 8,forgetting those things which are behind1 and reaching forth unto those things which are before1 ,i press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus40 ,comp4 with the promise here ,matt4 #e3f2 ,rev4 #g3af4 ,all spiritual hunger and thirst are not ended when ,christian experience begins1 because in this life we are ever coming toward ,christ1 we have never come fully into him4 ,this coming is consummated when we are one with ,christ as he is one with the ,father 7,john #ag3ba1 #bb72 the promise of the gospel is then fulfilled in the glorious satisfaction of a perfected redemption 7#a ,john #c3b2 ,ps4 #ag3ae74 ,we are not satisfied till we awake in his likeness4--,ye also have seen me and ye have not had faith4 ,see ch4 #bj3bi4 ,the reference here may either be to words actually uttered in this discourse1 but not reported by ,john1 or to what he has said by implication though not by exact words1 or to rebukes uttered on some previous occasion1 e4 g41 ,john #e3ch1 #dj1 #dc4 #cg ,all#bbf that the ,father giveth me shall come to me2 and him#bbg that cometh to me ,i will in no wise cast out4 #bbf verse #de1 ch4 #ag3f1 #h1 etc4 #bbg ,ps4 #ajb3ag2 ,isa4 #a3ah2 #ee3g2 ,matt4 #aa3bh2 ,luke #bc3db1 #dc2 #a ,tim4 #a3ae1 #af2 ,rev4 #bb3ag4 #ch ,for ,i came down from heaven1 not to do mine own will1 but#bbh the will of him that sent me4 #bbh ch4 #e3cj2 ,ps4 #dj3g1 #h4 #cg1 #ch4 ,the all which the ,father has given to me shall come toward me1 and he that comes toward me ,i will in no wise cast out4 ,toward1 not to me4 ,the original 77 indicates the object toward which anything is directed1 not ordinarily the goal actually reached4 ,the promise then is that he who sets out in the direction of ,christ shall not be rejected by him4 ,he does not wait till we have come to him2 he receives us when we start toward him4 ,in this and the next verse all 77 is in the neuter gender1 indicating1 not that the body is included with the soul 7,maurice71 but that the whole is given by the ,father in its totality1 but is received by the ,son separately and individually4 8,in ,jesus ,christ's discourses1 that which the ,father hath given to the ,son himself is termed1 in the singular number and neuter gender1 all2 those who come to the ,son himself are described in the masculine gender1 or even the plural number1 every one1 or they4 ,the ,father has given to the ,son the whole mass1 as it were1 that all whom he hath given may be one2 that whole the ,son develops individually in the execution of the divine plan40--7,bengel47 ,christ's language here indicates his dependence upon the ,father's will and power1 and is analogous to that in many of his discourses1 especially in those reported by ,john4 ,he has come to do his ,father's will2 the works which he does are those which his ,father has given him to do1 and are done by his ,father's power2 the words which he speaks are his ,father's words2 his whole life is represented as the incarnate expression of his ,father's will2 and those whom he saves are saved not by his own independent power1 they are those whom his ,father has given him 7ch4 #aj3bh1 #bi74 ,here then ,i understand ,christ neither to limit his salvation nor to declare it to be without limit4 ,he simply asserts on the one hand that his saving power is efficacious only over those whom the ,father has given unto him1 and on the other that there is nothing lacking in his grace or power which shall cause those thus given to fail of a perfected salvation4 ,as a ,saviour he is the representative of the ,father's gracious love and power4 ,here there is no indication who are the all thus given to him4 ,from other ,scripture1 however1 it appears clear that it includes many among the heathen nations 7,ps4 #b3h with ,matt4 #h3aa71 and that it does not include the entire human race 7ch4 #ag3f1 #i1 #be74 ,this interpretation is confirmed by the verse which follows1 which further expresses the subjection of the ,son in his mediatorial work to the ,father4--,because ,i came down from heaven1 not that ,i might do mine own will1 but the will of him that sent me4 ,the catholicity of ,christ's love is a disclosure of the love of the ,father toward us4 ,in these words ,christ gives us a suggestion of the reason of his receiving sinners and making them companions and associates4 ,his own earthy inclinations1 tastes1 and sensibilities1 had he followed them1 would all have been against such society2 but all were subordinate to1 and overridden by1 his great controlling purpose that the world through him might be saved 7ch4 #c3ag2 #a ,tim4 #a3ae74 ,for every ,christian disciple there is a practical lesson in these words of ,christ4 ,we are all sent into the world as ,christ also was sent into the world 7ch4 #ag3ah72 and it is ours to see to it that no pride1 or social taste1 or moral irresolution1 induce us to cast out those who would otherwise come to us for help2 but we are also to remember that our power to help does not extend beyond those whom the ,father in his own gracious wisdom has seen fit to give to us as the seals to our apostleship 7#a ,cor4 #i3b74 #ci ,and this is the ,father's will#bbi which hath sent me1 that of all which he hath given me ,i should lose nothing1 but should raise it up again at the last day4 #dj ,and this is the will of him that sent me1 that#bcj every one which seeth the ,son1 and believeth on him1 may have everlasting life3 and ,i will#bca raise him up at the last day4 #bbi chaps4 #aj3bh2 #ag3ab2 #ah3i2 ,matt4 #ah3ad2 #b ,tim4 #b3ai4 #bcj verses #dg1 #ed2 ch4 #c3ae1 #af4 #bca ch4 #aa3be4 #ci1 #dj4 ,and this is the will of him that sent me1 that the all which he has given me1 from it ,i should lose nothing1 but shall raise it up in the last day4 ,in omitting the word ,father from verse #ci and inserting it in verse #dj ,i follow the best ,,mss4 ,see ,alford4 ,the resurrection here spoken of is the resurrection of life1 i4 e41 unto eternal life 7ch4 #e3bi71 which is given only through ,christ 7ch4 #aa3be2 ,phil4 #c3aj1 #aa74--;,for this is the will of my ,father1 that every one 71 not 71 masculine1 not neuter2 the whole is given to the ,son2 but each one must come by and for himself to the ,son4--,seeing the ,son4 ,looking unto him1 as those bitten in the wilderness looked unto the brazen serpent 7ch4 #c3ad1 #ae2 ,numb4 #ba3i2 ,isa4 #de3bb74--;,and having faith in him4 ,making ,christ the substance of his hope as well as the object of his faith 7,heb4 #aa3a2 ver4 #bi1 note74--,may have eternal life2 and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,these verses clearly imply 7#a7 that there is nothing in any secret decree or election of ,god1 or in the nature or extent of the provisions of divine grace1 to limit the gift of eternal life or prevent any one from receiving it through faith in the ,son2 7#b7 that the only condition required is one inherent in the nature of the case1 namely1 a sincere belief in1 and desire for1 that spiritual life which alone is eternal and of which ,christ is the supreme manifestation2 7#c7 that whoever has once thus looked to ,christ with living faith has an absolute assurance of preservation from the weakness of his own will1 as well as from external temptation1 an assurance afforded by ,christ's declaration1 8,of all which he has given me ,i shall lose nothing40 ,it does not imply a literal bodily resurrection4 ,the literalism which so reads this promise is akin to that which misinterpreted ,christ's language respecting eating his flesh and drinking his blood4 ,the whole spirit and tone of this discourse is poetic and metaphorical4 #da ,the ,jews then murmured at him1 because he said1 ,i am the bread which came down from heaven4 #db ,and they said1 ,is#bcb not this ,jesus1 the son of ,joseph1 whose father and mother we know8 how is it then that he saith1 ,i came down from heaven8 #bcb ,matt4 #ac3ee2 ,mark #f3c2 ,luke #d3bb4 #da1 #db4 ,the ,jews then murmured at him4 ,the ,jews are in the usage of ,john the ,judeans2 here1 those who had come from ,jerusalem1 or who1 dwelling in ,galilee1 partook of the character of the more bigoted and superstitious dwellers in the southern province4--,because he said1 ,i am the bread1 etc4 ,their reference is to what he has said in verses #cc1 #ce1 #ch4 ,envy was the real cause of their murmuring4 ,this claim to superiority offended their pride4--,is not this ,jesus the son of ,joseph1 etc4 ,comp4 ch4 #g3bg2 ,mark #f3c4 ,the ,christ they knew was the ,christ according to the flesh1 whom ,paul declared he would not know 7#b ,cor4 #e3af72 the ,christ who came down from heaven1 that is1 the divine ,spirit working in him and manifesting itself through him1 they did not know4 ,he is known and only can be known by spiritual apprehension4--,how then saith this fellow 7 74 ,there is implied in the original ,greek a contempt which may fairly be expressed by this translation4 ,the same expression is so translated in ,matt4 #ab3bd2 #bf3fa2 ,luke #bc3b2 ,john #i3bi4 #dc ,jesus therefore answered and said unto them1 ,murmur not among yourselves4 #dd ,no man can come to me1 except the ,father which hath sent me draw#bcc him3 and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 #bcc ,cant4 #a3d4 #de ,it is written#bcd in the prophets1 ,and they shall be all taught of ,god4 ,every man#bce therefore that hath heard1 and hath learned of the ,father1 cometh unto me4 #bcd ,isa4 #ed3ac2 ,jer4 #ca3cd2 ,micah #d3b4 #bce ,matt4 #aa3bg4 #dc-de4 ,jesus therefore answered1 99 99 99 99 ,no one 7not1 no man7 can come unto me except the ,father which has sent me draw him4 ,parallel to this declaration is that of ,matt4 #af3ag2 the true knowledge of ,christ is revealed to the soul by the ,father4 ,there has been much theological discussion as to the proper interpretation of this passage4 ,on the one hand1 ,calvin declares that 8it is therefore a false and profane assertion1 that none are drawn but those who are willing to be drawn1 as if man made himself obedient to ,god by his own efforts2 for the willingness with which men follow ,god is what they already have from himself1 who has framed their hearts to obey him20 on the other hand1 ,adam ,clark1 representing the ,arminian school of theology1 thus interprets the divine drawing3 8,a man is attracted by that which he delights in4 ,show green herbage to a sheep1 he is drawn by it2 show nuts to a child1 and he is drawn by them4 ,they run wherever the person runs who shows these things2 they run after him1 but they are not forced to follow2 they run through the desire they feel to get the things they delight in4 ,so ,god draws man2 he shows him his wants--he shows the ,saviour whom he has provided for him40 ,the true interpretation of the declaration involves the long disputed and yet unsettled problem of the psychology of the will1 what is the nature of and what are the limits to its freedom of action1 a problem which belongs rather to the domain of mental science than to that of theology or ,biblical interpretation4 ,in interpreting this passage1 however1 the student should consider3 7#a7 the literal meaning of the word draw 774 ,this primarily carries with it the idea of force1 and is used by ,homer of carrying one away captive2 by ,luke1 of dragging persons before a court 7,acts #af3ai2 comp4 ,james #b3f72 and by ,john himself of dragging a net 7ch4 #ba3f1 #aa74 ,thus the metaphor involved in the word implies at least a certain resistance to the divine love and a certain difficulty to be overcome by the divine drawing4 7#b7 ,parallel teachings in the ,o4 ,t4 and ,n4 ,t4 7comp4 ,sol4 ,song #d3a2 ,jer4 #ca3c2 ,hos4 #aa3d2 ,luke #ad3bc1 note2 ,john #ab3cb2 #a ,cor4 #a3i71 where the word called is parallel to the word draw here 7,phil4 #b3ab1 #ac74 7#c7 ,christ's own interpretation of the ,father's drawing1 afforded by ver4 #de4 ,they that have learned of the ,father are they that are drawn by him4 7#d7 ,the nature of that coming to ,christ which is the object of the divine drawing4 8,we do not come to ,christ by walking1 but by believing2 not by the movement of the body1 but by the free will of the heart4 99 99 99 99 ,think not that thou art drawn against thy will1 for the mind is drawn by love40--7,augustine47 ,interpreting this passage in the light of these considerations1 ,i understand not that ,god drags the unwilling by an irresistible grace1 nor merely the willing by placing before the will in its natural condition such objects--a sense of its needs and a revelation of its ,saviour--as attract the unsatisfied heart to himself2 but that he makes the soul willing in the day of his power1 working in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure 7,ps4 #aaj3c2 ,phil4 #b3ac74--;,it is written in the prophets 7,isa4 #ed3ac71 ,they shall be all taught of ,god4 ,the all here appears clearly from the reference in ,isaiah to be all the children of ,god1 not all humanity4--,every one1 therefore1 hearing from the ,father and learning1 comes unto me4 ,emphasis is placed by the structure of the sentence in the original ,greek on the word learning4 ,the ,pharisees heard1 but they did not learn4 ,he that does not reverently recognize the divine glory in the life and character of ,christ1 who sees no beauty in him that he should desire him1 does not possess true piety1 has not heard and learned of ,god4 #df ,not#bcf that any man hath seen the ,father1 save he which is of ,god1#bcg he hath seen the ,father4 #bcf ch4 #e3cg4 #bcg ,luke #aj3bb4 #df4 ,not that any one has seen the ,father4 ,the object of this verse1 which is parenthetical1 seems to be to guard the ,jews against an unspiritual interpretation of his words4--,save he which is from ,god4 ,evidently ,jesus refers to himself4 ,comp4 ver4 #ce1 and observe how habitually he distinguishes himself from man1 never classing himself with men4 8,imagine a human creature saying to the world1 #8,i came forth from the ,father--ye are from beneath1 ,i am from above2' facing all the intelligence and even the philosophy of the world1 and saying1 in bold assurance1 #8,behold1 a greater than ,solomon is here'--#8,i am the light of the world'--#8the way1 the truth1 and the life2' publishing to all peoples and religions1 #8,no man cometh to the ,father1 but by me2' promising openly in his death1 #8,i will draw all men unto me2' addressing the ,infinite ,majesty1 and testifying1 #8,i have glorified thee on the earth2' calling to the human race1 #8,come unto me'--#8follow me2' laying his hand upon all the dearest and most intimate affections of life1 and demanding a precedent love3 #8,he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me4'0--7,bushnell47 #dg ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1#bch ,he that believeth on me hath everlasting life4 #bch verse #dj4 #dh ,i#bci am that bread of life4 #bci verses #cc1 #ce1 #ea4 #dg1 #dh4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that hath faith hath eternal life4 ,the words on me are wanting in the best manuscripts1 are omitted by ,tischendorf and ,alford1 and are queried by ,schaff2 internal evidence is against them4 ,the declaration is generic2 faith in the largest sense of that word--the power which lays hold upon the invisible and the hope which reaches after it 7,heb4 #aa3a71 a faith which may be and is exercised by those who have never known ,christ 7,rom4 #b3g71 is the essential condition of spiritual life4 ,this life is not1 as in our ,english version1 merely 8everlasting life10 but life eternal1 i4 e41 the spiritual life which is created in the soul when it is born from above1 which is nurtured in the soul that follows after that it may apprehend ,christ ,jesus 7,phil4 #c3ab71 the fruits of which are love1 joy1 peace1 etc4 7,gal4 #e3bb1 #bc74 ,this eternal life is a present possession2 he that hath faith already hath this life4--,i am the bread of that life4 ,faith may exist without ,christ1 as it did in the ,o4 ,t4 prophets and patriarchs1 and as it does in greater or less measure in some at least of those in heathen lands2 but ,christ is the bread of that life2 by him it is fed1 strengthened1 and made to grow2 by him faith in invisible things is made rich and strong4 ,the universal effect of a pure ,christianity has been to turn the mind away from material things to unseen realities 7#b ,cor4 #c3ah74 #di ,your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness1 and#bdj are dead4 #bdj ,zech4 #a3e4 #ej ,this is the bread which cometh down from heaven1 that a man may eat thereof1 and#bda not die4 #bda verse #eh4 #ea ,i am the living bread which came down from heaven3 it any man eat of this bread1 he shall live for ever3 and the bread that ,i will give is my flesh1#bdb which ,i will give for the life#bdc of the world4 #bdb ,heb4 #aj3e1 #aj1 #bj4 #bdc ch4 #c3af2 #a ,john #b3b4 #di-ea4 ,in these verses ,christ marks the contrast between the bread given in the wilderness through ,moses1 to which the people had referred 7ver4 #ca71 and for a repetition of which they had asked1 and the spiritual bread of which this material manna was but a type4 ,that manna was temporary in its effects1 the fathers were dead1 of this spiritual bread if one eats he shall not die1 it is eternal in its effects2 that bread was material1 dead1 this is a living and immortal bread2 that was given to a few1 the ,jewish nation1 this descends from heaven1 that any one may eat of it1 it is for universal humanity2 that bread was bestowed without suffering1 this bread is a divine sacrifice given for the sake of saving others from suffering4--,this 7fellow7 is the bread4 ,they had said 7ver4 #db71 8,how then saith this fellow80 ,he replies1 repeating their language of contempt1 ,this 7fellow1 7 is the bread which descends from heaven4 ,observe that his language here1 as throughout this discourse1 implies his pre-existence1 if not his supernatural birth4--,in order that any one may eat of it and may not die4 ,not merely 8that one may eat20 his language1 8that any one may eat10 implies the universality of divine grace2 the bread is for whosoever will4--,i am the living bread4 ,not equivalent to life-giving1 for which another ,greek word 7not 1 but 7 would have been used4 ,here1 as in ,john #d3aj1 is signified the spiritual life of the food itself which ,christ affords by the bestowal of himself4 ,it is true that ,christ is life-giving1 but he is so because he is ever-living4 ,he is the life1 therefore he gives life4--,if any one eat of this bread4 ,again the universality of divine grace is implied4 ,comp4 ,acts #b3ch1 #ci1 note and refs4 there4--,he shall live unto eternity4 ,not merely forever4 ,the idea here1 as everywhere throughout the ,n4 ,t41 is not merely an endless existence1 which might be no boon1 but an immortal1 a divine life1 the very life of ,god1 making the new-born soul a true son of ,god4--,and the bread which ,i will give4 ,observe the future tense4 ,he speaks therefore of a gift yet to be perfected by his passion and death4--,is my flesh1 which ,i will give for the sake of 77 the life of the world4 ,comp4 ch4 #c3af4 ,it seems to me that these enigmatical words are added to guard the church from falling into the error of supposing that ,christ's doctrine is the bread of life1 and that to hear and believe his words as a divine teacher is to secure the life eternal of which he speaks4 ,this bread is not merely the teaching nor the example of ,christ2 the sacrifice is an essential principle of that spiritual food which he has provided for the world's life4 #eb ,the ,jews therefore strove among themselves1 saying1 ,how#bdd can this man give us his flesh to eat8 #bdd ch4 #c3i4 #eb4 ,how can this 7fellow7 give us his flesh to eat8 ,the ,judeans here interpret ,christ's words with precisely the literalism with which the church of ,rome has interpreted them since4 ,the rest of the discourse ,christ devotes to guarding his hearers against this misapprehension of literal and prosaic natures1 and to emphasizing the mystical doctrine to the elucidation of which the whole discourse is devoted4 ,verses #ec-ee reiterate and re-emphasize the truth that the soul must feed on ,christ1 receive him1 his life1 his death1 his character1 as the supply of its own spiritual life2 verses #eg-ei and verses #fa-fc interpret what he means by the metaphor4 ,in the interpretation of ,christ's symbolic language here we are to guard ourselves against simplifying it1 either by a literal rendering on the one hand1 or1 on the other1 by that process of rationalism which1 under pretence of interpreting a metaphor1 does away with it altogether4 ,if there were nothing mystical in the doctrine1 we may be sure that ,christ would not have clothed it in language seemingly so full of mysticism4 #ec ,then ,jesus said unto them1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,except#bde ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man1 and drink his blood1 ye have no life in you4 #bde ,matt4 #bf3bf1 #bh4 #ed ,whoso#bdf eateth my flesh1 and drinketh my blood1 hath eternal life2 and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 #bdf verse #dj4 #ee ,for my flesh is meat indeed1#bdg and my blood is drink indeed4 #bdg ,ps4 #d3g4 #ec-ee4 ,therefore ,jesus said unto them4 ,therefore connects what follows with what has preceded2 he emphasizes and explains the eating and drinking1 in response to their interruption in ver4 #ec4--,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,these words give a solemn emphasis to the declaration which follows4--,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man4 ,that is1 of the ,messiah 7,matt4 #aj3bc1 note74--,and drink his blood4 ,the use of animal blood in any form was prohibited to the ,israelites as food 7,gen4 #i3d2 ,lev4 #c3ag2 #g3bf1 #bg2 #ag3aj-ad2 #ai3bf2 ,deut4 #ab3af1 #bc2 #ae3bc71 and was exceedingly odious to the ,jewish thought4 ,moreover1 to touch even the corpse of a man rendered the ,jew unclean4 ,it is not1 therefore1 strange that ,christ's language here should have offended many even of his disciples 7ver4 #fj74--,ye have no life in you4 ,the mere physical life is accounted in the ,n4 ,t4 no life at all4 ,the true life is that of ,god in the soul1 the absence of which is death4--,whoso eateth my flesh4 ,the ,greek verb rendered in both places eat is different from that used above4 ,the word here 77 signifies literally to chew or masticate1 and seems to me to have been substituted by ,christ for the more general one 771 in order to add still further emphasis to the doctrine which he is expounding4--,and drinketh my blood1 hath eternal life4 ,a present possession4 ,see ver4 #dg1 note4--,and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,this is one of the passages on which the advocates of the doctrine of conditional immortality base their belief4 ,the promise of resurrection here certainly is limited to those who through faith have received the gift of eternal life4--,for my flesh is true meat and my blood is true drink4 ,to ,christ the material universe was but a shadow1 and the realities were those things of which the material universe is a type4 8,food and drink are not here mere metaphors2 rather are our common material food and drink mere shadows and imperfect types of this only real reception of refreshment and nourishment into the being40--7,alford47 ,in the interpretation of ,christ's language here1 the student must remember the declaration respecting him1 8,without a parable spake he not unto them0 7,mark #d3cd72 unquestionably the language here is parabolic4 ,it is also true that the phrases eating and drinking were used among the ,jews in a metaphorical sense1 and that bread especially was employed among them as a symbol for doctrine 7,isa4 #c3a2 ,jer4 #ae3af2 ,lightfoot on ,john #f3ea2 ,geikie's ,life of ,christ1 ch4 #dd1 note c74 ,it seems to me1 however1 very clear not only that ,christ here means something more than receiving his doctrines1 but that he employs his peculiar language for the express purpose of emphasizing the truth that it is not merely enough to receive him as a teacher4 ,if this had been his meaning1 it would have been easy to correct the misapprehension of his ,jewish hearers1 and remove the offence which they felt at his discourse4 ,this he does not do4 ,on the contrary1 he declares1 not that they must eat the bread of the ,son of man1 but that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood 7ver4 #ec72 in a slightly different form1 he reiterates this declaration in ver4 #ed2 and finally1 to avoid the possibility of the misinterpretation which substitutes his teaching for his personal presence and influence1 he adds the emphatic declaration of ver4 #ee4 ,if something more than accepting and following the teaching of ,christ is not meant by these verses1 then it would seem that ,christ has embodied a very simple truth in very unnecessarily mystical language4 ,that more than this is meant ,i take to be declared unmistakably by verses #ec-ee2 what more than this is meant it is the object of verses #ef-eh to show4 ,the commentators have discussed at great length the question what relation the solemn assertions of these verses bear to the ,lord's ,supper4 ,there are three general opinions3 7#a7 that no reference to the ,lord's ,supper is intended2 7#b7 that the whole passage exclusively relates to the ,lord's ,supper prophetically2 7#c7 that the idea involved in the ,lord's ,supper1 but not the ordinance itself1 is referred to4 ,for discussion of these opinions1 see ,alford's note4 ,to me it seems clear that ,christ here teaches by a word-parable the same truth which he subsequently embodies in a parable in action in the ordinance of the ,supper2 whether he prophetically refers to it or not is a question of no great importance4 #ef ,he that eateth#bdh my flesh1 and drinketh my blood1 dwelleth#bdi in me1 and ,i in him4 #bdh ,lam4 #c3bd4 #bdi ch4 #ae3d2 #a ,john #c3bd2 #d3ae1 #af4 #eg ,as the living ,father hath sent me1 and ,i live by the ,father3 so#bej he that eateth me1 even he shall live by me4 #bej #a ,cor4 #ae3bb4 #eh ,this is that bread which came down from heaven3 not as your fathers#bea did eat manna1 and are dead3 he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever4 #bea verses #di-ea4 #ef-eh4 ,he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abides 77 in me and ,i in him4 ,this result of the eating and drinking interprets the kind of eating and drinking signified4 ,the same truth is elsewhere interpreted by other metaphors1 ask by that of being engrafted on ,christ 7,john #ae3d1 #e72 being rooted in him 7,ephes4 #c3ag72 being joined to him as the body to the head 7,ephes4 #d3ae1 #af72 being married to him 7,ephes4 #e3bc72 receiving him as a temple receives and is made sacred by the ,spirit of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #c3af72 being clothed with him 7,rom4 #ac3ad2 ,gal4 #c3bg74--;,and ,i in him4 ,as ,christ is in the ,father and the ,father in ,christ1 so the disciples are to be one in them 7,john #ag3ba74--;,as the living ,father hath sent me and ,i live by the ,father1 so he that eateth me1 even he shall live by me4 ,this one verse should have prevented the three current errors of interpretation in this chapter3 7#a7 that spiritual life is dependent on a literal feeding on ,christ's body and blood2 7#b7 that it is dependent on a sacramental feeding on the sacred symbols of his body2 7#c7 that it requires only a belief in him as a religious teacher4 ,how did ,christ live by the ,father8 ,certainly not by any literal eating of the ,father's flesh or drinking of the ,father's blood2 nor by any symbol or ceremonial whatever2 nor yet by any mere hearing and obeying of the ,father's words4 ,the ,father was personally present in ,christ2 ,christ1 by his words and his acts1 manifested the indwelling glory of the ,father2 so ,christ fed on the ,father because the ,father was the source and supply of his spiritual life4 ,in like manner we feed on ,christ1 not when we merely accept and endeavor to follow his precepts1 but when1 under the direct personal influence of his spiritual presence1 we manifest his glory unto the world1 having not merely a spirit like ,christ1 but having the very spirit of ,christ himself in us 7,rom4 #h3i1 #aj74--,this is that bread which came down from heaven4 ,christ thus interprets his own previous metaphor4--,not as your fathers did eat and are dead4 ,again he guards the ,jews against their literal interpretation2 the eating of which he has spoken is not the physical eating for the supply of the body2 this can never give true life4 ,after this chapter had gone to press a remarkable article from the pen of ,dean ,stanley appeared on 8,the ,eucharist0 in the ,nineteenth ,century 7,may1 #ahgh71 in which he arrives at substantially the same conclusions that ,i have arrived at in these notes1 and enforces them with his usual eloquence and learning4 ,he urges that in all religious ordinances we ought to try to get beneath the phrases we use1 and not to rest satisfied with the words1 however excellent1 till we have ascertained their meaning2 that ,christ's words here and in the appointment of the last supper as a permanent memorial ordinance are evidently metaphorical2 that the very strangeness of the metaphor should turn our thoughts from the outward form to the inward essence2 that the body and flesh signify the personality and character of ,christ2 that we must incorporate in ourselves1 that is in our moral natures1 the substance--the moral substance--of the teaching and character of ,jesus ,christ2 that this is the only true transubstantiation2 that the blood of ,christ is his spirit1 the inmost essence of his character1 the self of his self2 and that to drink his blood is to imbibe this inmost spirit2 that this spirit is love or charity1 which is throughout the ,new ,testament represented as the fundamental essence of the highest life of ,god1 and therefore of his children2 and he interprets verses #ec-ef here1 in accordance with these principles1 as follows3 8,this is one of those startling expressions used by ,christ to show us that he intends to drive us from the letter to the spirit1 by which he shatters the crust and shell in order to force us to the kernel4 ,it is as if he said3 #8,it is not enough for you to see the outward face of the ,son of man1 or hear his outward words1 or touch his outward vesture4 ,that is not himself4 ,it is not enough that you walk by his side1 or hear others talk of him or use terms of affection and endearment toward him4 ,you must go deeper than this2 you must go to his very inmost heart1 to the very core and marrow of his being4 ,you must not only read and understand1 but you must mark1 learn1 and inwardly digest1 and make part of yourselves1 that which alone can be part of the human spirit and conscience4' ,it expresses1 with regard to the life and death of ,jesus ,christ1 the same general truth as is expressed when ,st4 ,paul says1 #8,put ye on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ'--that is1 clothe yourselves with his spirit as with a garment2 or again1 #8,let the same mind be in you that was in ,christ ,jesus4' ,it is the same general truth as when our ,lord himself says1 #8,i am the vine2 ye are the branches4'0 #ei ,these things said he in the synagogue1 as he taught in ,capernaum4 #fj ,many therefore of his disciples1 when they had heard this1 said1 ,this is an hard saying2 who can hear it8 #ei1 #fj4 ,in the synagogue4 ,i believe the whole discourse to have been delivered in the synagogue4 ,see ,prel4 ,note above4--,many of his disciples4 ,not of the twelve1 but of those who had been theretofore inclined to accept him as a teacher4--,this is a hard saying4 ,rather1 an impious saying1 or at least hard in the sense of harsh and repulsive1 rather than in that of merely difficult4 ,to the ,jews then1 as to the world ever since1 a system of religion which proposes an amelioration of condition only by a revolution of moral character1 by a new and divine life1 seemed not only not attractive1 but repellent4--,who can hear it8 ,that is1 ,who can stay and listen to such teaching as this8 #fa ,when ,jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it1 he said unto them1 ,doth this offend you8 #fb ,what and if ye shall see the ,son of man ascend#beb up where he was before8 #beb ch4 #c3ac2 ,mark #af3ai2 ,ephes4 #d3h-aj4 #fc ,it#bec is the spirit that quickeneth2 the flesh profiteth nothing3 the words that ,i speak unto you1 they are spirit1 and they are life4 #bec #b ,cor4 #c3f4 #fa-fc4 ,when ,jesus knew in himself4 ,either miraculously or by a subtle sense which the delicately organized often possess4--,doth this offend you8 ,stumble you4 ,see ,matt4 #e3bi1 note2 #aa3f1 note4 ,the teaching of the disciple1 as the teaching of ,christ1 will sometimes be to men a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence4--,what and if ye shall see the ,son of man ascend up where he was before8 ,another admonition that they are not to take his words in a material sense1 for in his glorified body he is to ascend into heaven before their sight4 ,the language is a strong testimony to the historical verity of the ascension4--,the spirit is the life-giver1 the flesh profiteth nothing whatsoever2 i4 e41 ,it is my spirit in your spirit which will give eternal life1 not my flesh in your flesh4 ,this is the natural meaning of these words1 and they are to be taken in their material sense1 not with such qualifications as that of ,augustine1 8,the flesh alone and by itself profiteth not10 i4 e41 without the blessing of the spirit2 or such as that of ,alford1 8,he does not say my flesh profiteth nothing1 but the flesh40 ,the flesh is my flesh2 for it is only of his own flesh that he has spoken at all in this discourse4 ,the flesh of ,christ1 if it could be miraculously reproduced by the benediction of a priest1 would still be of no profit4--,the words which ,i have spoken to you1 they are spirit and they are life4 ,the meaning is not that ,christ's words are themselves life-giving1 though this is true2 but that the words which he has just spoken to them respecting his flesh and his blood relate to the spiritual realm and the eternal life1 and are to be so interpreted4 #fd ,but there are some of you that believe not4 ,for ,jesus knew#bed from the beginning who they were that believed not1 and who should betray him4 #bed ,rom4 #h3bi2 #b ,tim4 #b3ai4 #fe ,and he said1 ,therefore said ,i#bee unto you1 that no man can come unto me1 except it were given unto him of my ,father4 #bee verses #dd1 #de4 #fd1 #fe4 ,but there are some among you who have not faith4 ,such could not receive the teaching of ,christ1 for it is true in spiritual as in physical gifts1 according to one's faith1 so is ,christ's blessing 7,matt4 #i3bi74--;,for ,jesus knew from the beginning1 etc4 ,compare this distinct statement of ,christ's foreknowledge with ,christ's own statement of the limitations of his knowledge in ,mark #ac3cb4 ,the contrast illustrates one of the inexplicable mysteries of ,christ's nature1 whose knowledge transcended that of man1 yet in his earthly condition was less than that of omniscience4 ,to the question1 ,why1 if he foreknew the betrayal of ,judas1 did he ordain him as an apostle8 there is no satisfactory answer4 ,the problem of divine foreknowledge and human free-will1 of that divine law the inflexibility of which science has in these later days so strikingly demonstrated1 and that freedom of moral action to which universal consciousness testifies1 is one which transcends the limits of the human intellect4--,therefore said ,i unto you that no one can come unto me except it were given unto him of my ,father4 ,judas and the withdrawing disciples had1 in a sense1 come unto him2 they had followed him1 accepted him as their ,master1 and had given him for a time their allegiance4 ,yet they had not really come to him1 for no one truly comes except he is drawn by a divine influence4 ,therefore connects the declaration of ver4 #dd with the fact here stated that some of the disciples were without true faith4 ,the practical warning to us here is this1 that we have need to examine ourselves that we may know whether our coming to ,christ has been merely that of a natural inclination or that of obedience to the impulse of the ,spirit of ,god4 #ff ,from that time many of his disciples went back1#bef and walked no more with him4 #bef ,zeph4 #a3f2 ,luke #i3fb2 ,heb4 #aj3ch4 #fg ,then said ,jesus unto the twelve1 ,will ye also go away8 #ff1 #fg4 ,from this many of his disciples went back4 ,from this indicates both1 as the ,english version represents1 the time from which this withdrawal dated1 and also the cause from which it proceeded4 ,observe that faithful preaching will drive some apparent disciples away from ,christ4 ,the minister1 like his ,master1 will ever have the fan in his hand1 and the gospel which he preaches will in some measure separate the chaff from the grain4 ,this was illustrated in the experience of the apostle ,paul4 ,see ,acts #ac3dd-df2 #ad3d2 #ag3ab1 #ac1 etc4 8,it will never be possible for us to exercise such caution that the doctrine of ,christ shall not be the occasion of offence to many2 because the reprobate1 who are devoted to destruction1 suck venom from the most wholesome food and gall from honey4 ,the ,son of ,god undoubtedly knew what was useful1 and yet we see that he cannot avoid offending many of his disciples40--7,calvin47--,then said ,jesus also to the twelve1 ,ye do not also wish to go away8 ,the tone is one of pathetic protest2 the language that of one who felt keenly the desertion1 and yearned for an expression of the fidelity of his immediate friends1 not as an assurance1 for he knew from the beginning who believed not1 and therefore who believed and would endure1 but as an utterance of loyalty and love4 ,at the same time he leads them to a confession which draws them more closely and binds them more tenderly to himself4 #fh ,then ,simon ,peter answered him1 ,lord1 to whom shall we go8 thou hast the#beg words of eternal life4 #beg ,acts #e3bj2 #g3ch4 #fi ,and #behwe believe and are sure that thou art that ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god4 #beh chaps4 #a3bi2 #aa3bg2 ,matt4 #af3af4 #fh1 #fi4 ,then ,simon ,peter answered4 ,as in ,matt4 #af3af1 he speaks quickly1 for all4--,lord1 to whom shall we go8 ,to go away from ,christ is to go out even here into the darkness2 unto loneliness1 hopelessness1 despair4--,thou hast the words of eternal life4 ,as ,martha's utterance of her faith in ,john #aa3bg1 so ,peter's declaration here is not wholly responsive to the discourse that has preceded4 ,he does not fully comprehend the meaning of that personal feeding on ,christ of which the ,lord has been speaking2 but he believes that ,christ's words1 though he does not fully understand them1 are words of1 that is full of1 eternal life1 and that he is the ,messiah and the ,son of ,god4 ,and in this faith he is content to await humbly till the full meaning of ,christ's enigmatical discourse shall be revealed to him1 as it could not be till ,christ's death1 resurrection1 and ascension1 and the descent of the ,holy ,spirit4 #gj ,jesus answered them1 ,have not ,i chosen you twelve1 and one of you is a#bei devil8 #bei ch4 #ac3bg4 #ga ,he spake of ,judas ,iscariot the son of ,simon3 for he it was that should betray him1 being one of the twelve4 #gj1 #ga4 ,have not ,i chosen you twelve8 ,chosen them1 not to be heirs of eternal life1 but to be apostles2 in the inner circle of his disciples2 receiving his most sacred influence and intimate instruction4--,and one of you is a devil4 ,not the devil2 not merely devilish2 but belonging to the kingdom of the devil2 one of his ministers and agents4 ,to ,christ all men belong to either the one or the other kingdom4 ,he here1 as it were1 looks forward to the time when ,judas should have gone to his own place1 forecasts his future1 and characterizes him in the present by what he is to be when the germinal sin1 now in him1 has brought forth its final fruit4 ,on the character of ,judas ,iscariot1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #cjg1 ,note on character and career of ,judas ,iscariot4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,ch4 #g3a-eb4 ,,jesus ,,at ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,tabernacles4 ,,the ,,demand ,,of ,,the ,,unbeliever ,,for ,,an ,,exhibitory ,,christ4--,,the ,,world ,,never ,,ready ,,for ,,its ,,reformers ,,and ,,regenerators2 ,,always ,,ready ,,for ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,for ,,it ,,no ,,message4--,,the ,,true ,,authority ,,and ,,ordination ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,teacher4--,,lay ,,preaching ,,sanctioned ,,by ,,the ,,example ,,of ,,christ4--,,the ,,law ,,of ,,the ,,christian ,,sabbath ,,and ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,christian ,,judgment4--,,whence ,,christ ,,cometh2 ,,whither ,,he ,,goeth4--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,faith3 ,,to ,,receive2 ,,to ,,impart4--,,the ,,moral ,,power ,,of ,,christ ,,illustrated4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,between the close of ch4 #f and the beginning of ch4 #g occurred a period of retirement1 employed by ,christ in giving to his apostles especial instructions concerning the kingdom of ,god4 ,the fullest account of these instructions is afforded in ,matthew1 chaps4 #ae1 #af1 #ag1 #ah4 ,during this time occurred the healing of the ,syrophenician woman's daughter and the transfiguration4 ,the public ministry of ,christ in ,galilee was substantially brought to an end by his sermon in the synagogue at ,capernaum and his consequent rejection by the people4 ,the ministry in ,judea begins with this chapter and continues to ver4 #ci of the tenth chapter1 verses #dj-db affording a concise statement of that ministry in ,perea1 of which ,luke alone gives any extended account4 ,the journey to ,jerusalem mentioned below 7ver4 #aj7 is1 ,i think erroneously1 identified by some harmonists with that described by ,luke1 ch4 #i3ea1 #eb4 ,that journey was immediately before his passion1 and was notably public1 messengers going before his face to prepare the way for him2 this was 8as it were in secret10 and six months of instruction in ,judea and ,perea intervened between it and his death4 ,see ,luke #i3ea-ef1 ,prel4 ,note1 and ,tabular ,harmony1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #de4 #a ,after these things ,jesus walked in ,galilee3 for he would not walk in ,jewry1 because the ,jews sought to kill him4 ,illustration3 ,,booth ,,on ,,the ,,housetop4 #b ,now the ,jews' feast#bfj of tabernacles was at hand4 #bfj ,lev4 #bc3cd4 #c ,his brethren therefore said unto him1 ,depart hence1 and go into ,juda1 that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest4 #d ,for there is no man that doeth anything in secret1 and he himself seeketh to be known openly4 ,if thou do these things1 shew thyself to the world4 #b-d4 ,now the ,jews' feast of ,tabernacles was at hand4 ,this was one of the three greater festivals to be observed by ,israel4 ,it was also called the feast of ,ingathering1 from the fact that it was held at the year's end1 when all the labors of the field were consummated4 ,it thus resembled nearly our own ,thanksgiving ,day4 ,it commenced on the fifteenth of the seventh month1 answering to our ,october1 and lasted seven days4 ,it was instituted to commemorate the dwelling in tents when in the desert2 accordingly1 while the feast lasted the people dwelt in booths or tents placed on the flat roofs of the houses1 in the courts of the temple1 and in the squares and open places1 and the streets when their width allowed4 ,the particular sacrifices to be offered are detailed in ,num4 #bi3a-ch1 and notices of the observance are to be found in ,neh4 #h3ac-ah2 ,hos4 #ab3i2 ,zech4 #ad3af-ai4--;,his brethren4 ,their names are given in ,matt4 #ac3ee4 ,i believe his half brothers1 children of ,joseph and ,mary1 are intended4 ,see ,note on ,brethren of the ,lord1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ahg4--,that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest4 ,this was after the commission1 the missionary tour1 and the return of the twelve 7,matt41 ch4 #aj71 through whose ministry probably many had become in a certain loose sense disciples of our ,lord1 regarding him as a ,jewish rabbi1 and perhaps as an inspired prophet1 who had never seen him personally4 ,the language of ,christ's brothers is that of contempt4 ,leave this province1 said they1 and go up into ,judea1 the religious centre of the ,holy ,land1 and show yourself to those who have heard of you1 and exhibit to them what you can do4 ,additional significance is given to this language if we remember that it was used after a period of retirement of more than six months4 ,see above4--,for no one does anything in secret1 and yet seeks himself to be frank and open 7 74 ,the intimation is that the reason why ,jesus does not make more public exhibition of himself and his work is that he is deceiving the people4 ,his brothers attempt to compel him to adopt their policy by imputing to him1 because of his course1 a lack of frankness and fearlessness4--,if thou do these things1 show thyself to the world4 ,if implies a doubt4 ,in a worldly view the policy of these brothers would seem wise2 but it was really1 in a more subtle form1 the policy suggested by ,satan in the second temptation 7,matt4 #d3e-g74 ,christ would be accepted by faith and love1 not by wonder and fear2 for the sake of his truth1 not because of his miracles4 ,these he persistently refused to show to the world as a means of compelling allegiance4 #e ,for neither did his brethren#bfa believe in him4 #bfa ,mark #c3ba4 #e4 ,for neither had his brethren faith in him4 ,this verse seems to me quite conclusive that none of the brethren here mentioned were among the twelve1 and therefore that ,james1 ,simon1 and ,judas1 the brethren of the ,lord1 cannot be the apostles who bore the same name4 ,they afterward became believers 7,acts #a3ad2 #a ,cor4 #i3e74 ,they may at this time have recognized that ,jesus possessed extraordinary powers1 without recognizing in him the ,messiah1 or even an inspired teacher1 whose instructions they were willing to follow4 8,they expected him to make a startling exhibition of his power to the eye4 ,they did not believe in ,,him2 for faith rests upon that which is not seen2 it confesses an inward vital power40--7,maurice47 #f ,then ,jesus said unto them1 ,my#bfb time is not yet come3 but your time is alway ready4 #bfb verses #h1 #cj2 chaps4 #b3d2 #h3bj4 #g ,the#bfc world cannot hate you2 but me it hateth1 because ,i testify of it1 that the works thereof are evil4 #bfc ch4 #ae3ai4 #h ,go ye up unto this feast3 ,i go not up yet unto this feast2 for my time is not yet full come4 #i ,when he had said these words unto them1 he abode still in ,galilee4 #f-i4 ,my time is not yet2 but your time is always prepared4 ,the context indicates the meaning4 ,they had urged him to show himself to the world2 his answer is1 ,my time to show myself to the world is not yet4 ,this manifestation of himself is gradual and successive2 he partially manifested himself in the discourse delivered in ,jerusalem at this very feast 7see vers4 #af1 #ah1 #bh1 #bi1 #cg1 #ch72 more fully by his subsequent discourses in the temple during the ,passion week 7,matthew1 chaps4 #ba1 #bb1 #bc72 still more fully by his crucifixion1 in which was disclosed that love which is the wisdom and power of ,god unto salvation 7#a ,cor4 #a3bd71 and in which1 even at the time and by the manner of his death1 his divine ,sonship was revealed to the ,roman centurion 7,mark #ae3ci72 yet again by his resurrection from the dead 7,acts #b3cb-cf2 #c3ae72 increasingly in the ages since1 by his personal presence and power in the church 7,matt4 #bh3ah1 #bj2 ,rom4 #a3c1 #d72 a manifestation to be finally consummated when he is revealed from heaven in his second coming 7,matt4 #bd3bg2 ,col4 #c3d2 #b ,thess4 #a3g74 ,for this final coming the church is ever preparing the world1 casting up a highway for him2 and not till this highway is completed and he comes again shall all flesh see the salvation of ,god 7,luke #c3d-f74 ,the time of his brothers was always prepared2 for the world is always ready for him who has no message for it4 8,if ,i10 said ,luther1 8would speak what the ,papists like to hear1 ,i would be very glad1 too1 to take lodgings with the ,bishop of ,magdeburg at ,rome40 8,the ,son of man feels all the difference between those whose time was always ready1 who could go up to the feasts whenever it pleased them1 merely with the expectation of meeting friends and mixing in a crowd1 and him who had the straitening consciousness of a message which he must bear1 of a baptism which he must be baptized with40--7,maurice47--,the world cannot hate you1 etc4 ,comp4 chaps4 #ae3ah2 #ag3ad2 #a ,john #c3ac2 ,luke #f3bf4 ,he that would preach the gospel of salvation to the world must first testify of it that its deeds are evil4 ,the ,holy ,spirit convinces the world of righteousness only after convincing it of sin 7,john #af3h1 #i74 ,for illustrations of ,christ's preaching against the works of the world1 see ,matt4 #e3bj2 #f3a1 #b1 #e1 #af2 #g3bb2 #aa3af-bd2 #ab3ci-ae2 ,luke #f3df2 #aj3ab-af2 #aa3de-ed2 #ab3ed-eg1 etc4 ,a study of the preaching of ,christ and the apostles1 and of the writings of ,paul1 will show that the divine method is always to convince of sin as a preparation for proclaiming the good news of salvation from it4--,i go not unto this feast4 ,the word yet is not in the original1 though it probably correctly interprets the real meaning of ,christ's answer4 ,this was not1 ,i shall not go 7future71 but1 ,i am not now going 7present74 ,perhaps ,christ did not know whether he should go or not2 he who acted constantly under the guidance of the ,divine ,spirit may not have received guidance on this point4 ,it would at all events have defeated his purpose to have gone up with those who were determined that he should make an exhibition of himself and his work4 ,there is no ground for either the reproach that he deceived his brethren1 or that he acted in a fickle manner in subsequently going up to the feast4 #aj ,but when his brethren were gone up1 then went he also up unto the feast1 not openly1 but as it were in secret4 #aa ,then#bfd the ,jews sought him at the feast1 and said1 ,where is he8 #bfd ch4 #aa3ef4 #ab ,and#bfe there was much murmuring among the people concerning him3 for some said1 ,he is a good man3 others said1 ,nay2 but he deceiveth the people4 #bfe ch4 #i3af4 #ac ,howbeit1 no man spake openly of him1 for fear of the ,jews4 #aj-ac4 ,not openly1 but as it were in secret4 ,not secretly1 but as if in secret1 that is1 quietly1 unostentatiously1 incognito1 in contrast to the way in which his brothers wished him to go up4 8,not in the company of a caravan of pilgrims or in any other way of outward observation1 but so that the journey to that feast is represented as made in secrecy1 and consequently quite differently from his last entry at the feast of the ,passover40--7,meyer47 ,the description of this journey to ,jerusalem renders it improbable that it is to be identified with the journey described in ,luke #i3ea1 #eb4 ,see ,prel4 ,note4--,then the ,jews sought him4 ,by the ,jews ,john generally if not invariably means the inhabitants of ,judea1 in contradistinction to the other inhabitants of the ,holy ,land4 ,see ch4 #f3da1 note4--,where is that fellow 778 ,the language is derisive4 8,thus contemptuously can they speak of the man1 that they cannot name him40--7,luther47--,and there was much murmuring4 ,the original 77 implies suppressed discourse4--,some indeed said4 ,the ,greek particle which ,i have rendered indeed 77 implies a concession1 at the same time pointing forward to something antithetic4 ,the implication is that among the ,judeans the believers were a minority4--,no6 but he deceiveth the people4 ,he that is popular with the multitude is generally looked upon with aversion by the hierarchy4--,no one spoke openly4 8,both mistrusted the hierarchy2 even those hostile in their judgment were afraid1 so long as they had not given their official decision1 that their verdict might be reversed4 ,a true indication of an utterly ,jesuitical domination of the people40--7,meyer47 ,hostility to ,christianity fears nothing so much as free discussion2 and it quite accords with human nature that the consideration of ,christ's claims by the people at all should be dreaded by the priesthood4 ,the interpretation of ,alford1 ,godet1 ,tholuck1 and others1 that only the friends of ,christ feared to speak openly1 is in direct conflict with the explicit language of the narrative4 ,maurice pictures the scene well3 8,it is a hum of voices4 ,there is a fear of something1 the people do not well know of what4 ,it is a fear of the ,jews2 the apostle says each fears the other4 ,there is a concentrated ,jewish feeling in the ,sanhedrim1 among the rulers1 which all tremble at4 ,till that has been pronounced--above all1 while there is a suspicion that it will come forth in condemnation--it is not wise for any to commit themselves4 ,brethren1 do we not know that this is a true story8 ,must it not have happened in ,jerusalem then1 for would it not happen in ,london now80 #ad ,now about the midst of the feast1 ,jesus went up into the temple1 and taught4 #ae ,and#bff the ,jews marvelled1 saying1 ,how knoweth this man letters1 having never learned8 #bff ,matt4 #ac3ed4 #ad1 #ae4 ,about the midst of the feast4 ,bengel calculates that on this year the middle of the feast would be the ,sabbath2 the temple would in that case be especially crowded1 and the day would suggest the remarks respecting the ,sabbath4--,jesus went up into the temple and taught4 ,he came to ,judea privately1 he went into the temple publicly2 he would not exhibit himself1 he would not conceal his doctrine4--,and the ,judeans marvelled1 saying4 ,the form of the question which follows indicates a hostile spirit2 but it may have been raised1 not by the scribes or teachers 7,meyer1 ,alford71 but by the people 7,tholuck74--,how knoweth this fellow learning1 never having been taught8 8,a rule analogous to that which still prevails in most church communions forbade any rabbi to teach new truths except he was a regular graduate of one of the theological schools4 ,he might catechise1 but he could not preach4 ,this rule the ,jews cited against ,jesus4 #8,how1' said they contemptuously1 #8does this man know anything of sacred literature1 being no graduate8'0--7,abbott's ,jesus of ,nazareth47 ,letters 77 is here the sacred writings of the ,jews1 i4 e41 the sacred ,scriptures and the comments thereon4 ,this question affords the key to the interpretation of the discourse which follows1 which is upon the authority1 primarily of ,christ1 secondarily of every ,christian teacher1 an authority derived1 not from theological schools or clerical ordination1 but from the indwelling ,spirit of ,god4 ,christ was himself a 8lay preacher20 his example and his precept alike sanction unordained preaching4 #af ,jesus answered them1 and said1 ,my doctrine is not#bfg mine1 but his that sent me4 #bfg chaps4 #h3bh2 #ab3di4 #ag ,if#bfh any man will do his will1 he shall know of the doctrine1 whether it be of ,god1 or whether ,i speak of myself4 #bfh ch4 #h3dc4 #af1 #ag4 ,my teaching is not mine1 but his that sent me4 ,for doctrine read teaching2 for not merely the subject-matter taught1 but the power with which it was presented1 was divine4 ,my teaching is not mine is not a hyperbole4 ,it is not merely equivalent to 8not acquired by any labor on my part in learning0 7,bengel71 or 8not an invention of my own0 7,geikie74 ,neither in origin nor in aim was ,christ's teaching his own4 ,ever about his ,father's business1 he was ever teaching his ,father's words and doing his ,father's works 7ch4 #e3ai1 #cj74 ,in a sense every true ,christian teacher should be able to repeat this saying of ,christ 7chaps4 #ad3bf2 #af3ac74 ,it does not follow that the ,christian teacher need not be a ,christian student2 but it does follow that he should be a student only of those things which enable him better to understand and interpret the ,father's will and nature4 ,only so far as schools of theological thought help him to do this are they truly ,christian schools4--,if any one wills to do his will1 he shall know concerning the teaching1 whether it be of ,god or whether ,i speak of myself4 ,an often misunderstood declaration4 ,the promise is not that if any man does ,god's will all theology shall be made clear to him1 nor even that he shall be brought to a correct apprehension of the most important truths of the ,christian system4 ,the last clause qualifies the first2 the declaration is that if any man purposes to do ,god's will1 makes that his ultimate and supreme choice 7#a ,tim4 #f3aa-af71 he shall know respecting ,christianity whether it is of divine or human origin4 ,the declaration is both a promise and the enunciation of a spiritual law4 ,the purpose to do ,god's will itself clarifies the spiritual sight1 so that the soul recognizes the ,spirit of ,god in the life1 the character1 and the teachings of his ,son4 ,the degree of advancement which one subsequently makes in comprehending the full significance of those teachings will depend partly upon the purity of his spiritual purposes1 but partly upon other conditions4 ,not the mere outward obedience to ,god's commandments1 but a true spiritual purpose1 is declared to be the condition of spiritual light2 and to that purpose is attached1 not a promise of all light1 but only of so much as will enable the soul to know the source from which it may obtain constantly increasing illumination4 ,nevertheless1 the first step toward the solution of any theological difficulty whatever1 is repentance of sin and practical obedience to the voice of ,god in the soul4 ,except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 #ah ,he#bfi that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory3 but he that#bgj seeketh his glory that sent him1 the same is true1 and no unrighteousness is in him4 #bfi ch4 #h3ej4 #bgj ,prov4 #be3bg4 #ai ,did not ,moses#bga give you the law1 and yet none#bgb of you keepeth the law8 ,why go ye about to kill#bgc me8 #bga ,john #a3ag2 ,gal4 #c3ai4 #bgb ,rom4 #c3aj-ai4 #bgc ch4 #e3af1 #ah2 ,matt4 #ab3ad4 #ah1 #ai4 ,he that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory4 ,from 77 represents the remote cause2 out of 77 represents the more immediate cause4 ,the former refers to what is general1 the latter to what is special4 ,see ,rob4 ,lex41 4 ,every ,christian teacher must speak out of himself1 i4 e41 out of his own experience of truth internally possessed and become a part of his nature2 but no ,christian teacher may speak1 from himself1 i4 e41 of his own notions and by his own authority4 ,the inward experience out of which he speaks is powerful only as it is derived from the ,spirit of ,god4 ,egotism is the natural expression of him who speaks from himself1 and has not the rhetorical skill to conceal the inherent weakness4--,but he that seeketh his glory that sent him1 the same is true1 and no unrighteousness is in him4 ,this is a general proposition4 ,in so far as any one seeks the divine glory he is preserved both from error and from unrighteousness 7,rom4 #h3a1 #b2 #a ,john #a3e1 #g2 #c3f74 ,christ is the only one who is absolutely true1 and in whom is no unrighteousness1 because he is the only one in whom there is no self-seeking4--,did not ,moses give you the law1 etc4 ,the connection is well given by ,alford3 8,there is a close connection with the foregoing4 ,the will to do his will was to be the great key to a true appreciation of his teaching2 but of this there was no example among them2 and therefore it was that they were no fair judges of the teaching1 but bitter opponents and persecutors of ,jesus1 of whom1 had they been anxious to fulfil the law1 they would have been earnest and humble disciples0 7ch4 #e3df74--,why go ye about to kill me8 ,the reference is to the purposed assassination at a previous visit to ,jerusalem 7ch4 #e3ah71 a purpose from which the ,pharisees had evidently not relented 7ch4 #g3a74 #bj ,the people answered and said1#bgd ,thou hast a devil3 who goeth about to kill thee8 #bgd ch4 #h3dh4 #ba ,jesus answered and said unto them1 ,i have done one work1 and ye all marvel4 #bb ,moses#bge therefore gave unto you circumcision2 7not because it is of ,moses1 but#bgf of the fathers27 and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man4 #bge ,lev4 #ab3c4 #bgf ,gen4 #ag3aj4 #bc ,if a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision1 that the law of ,moses should not be broken2 are ye angry at me1 because#bgg ,i have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day8 #bgg ch4 #e3h4 #bd ,judge#bgh not according to the appearance1 but judge righteous judgment4 #bgh ,deut4 #a3af1 #ag4 #bj-bd4 ,thou hast a devil2 who goeth about to kill thee8 ,it is evident from ver4 #be that some of his auditors knew the secret design which had been formed for ,christ's assassination4 ,their language here is that of foulest abuse4 ,i judge then that they were startled by ,christ's sudden revealing of the secret designs against him2 and with that inconsistency which is common to the self-condemned1 they in the same sentence denied that his death had been compassed1 and implied that the fact that it was compassed had been disclosed to him by an evil spirit which possessed him4--,jesus answered 99 99 99 99 ,i have done one work1 and ye all marvel4 ,the work referred to is that described in the fifth chapter of ,john1 the only miracle in ,jerusalem up to this time which is described in detail2 not the only one which he had wrought 7chaps4 #b3bc2 #c3b71 but presumptively the last one4 ,they wondered not at the miracle1 but at the fact that he had performed it on the ,sabbath day 7ch4 #e3af74 ,it is not necessary to give to the word wonder here any accessory idea1 as of doubt 7,bengel7 or disquietude 7,chrysostom72 ,christ begins with the mildest characterization of their sentiment as that of mere surprise4 ,here1 as habitually1 he does not proceed to severe language till milder language has proved unavailing4--,moses therefore gave unto you circumcision4 ,there is some doubt whether the word therefore belongs to this or to the preceding verse2 i4 e41 whether ,christ says1 ,i have done one work1 and ye all therefore marvel1 or1 ,moses therefore gave unto you circumcision1 not because it is of ,moses1 but of the fathers4 ,the latter reading is preferred by the later scholars1 e4 g41 ,bengel1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 against ,olshausen1 ,tholuck4 ,either is grammatically possible2 and the purely grammatical considerations appear to me to be about equally balanced4 ,the latter interpretation is preferable1 because it gives a better meaning to the sentence4 ,accepting this rendering1 the meaning appears to be1 ,moses gave unto you circumcision for this reason1 viz41 because it was patriarchal1 not because it originated with him4 ,and this statement of the reason of the ,mosaic law respecting circumcision affords a basis for the argument which follows4 ,it was a saying of the rabbis 8that circumcision drives away the ,sabbath10 and they held that the rite1 notwithstanding the work which it necessarily entailed1 might be performed on the ,sabbath day1 because it was of patriarchal origin1 and so antedated the ,mosaic institution of the ,sabbath4 ,christ1 referring to this fact1 convicts the ,jews of inconsistency in being angry with him for placing the law of mercy above the law of the ,sabbath4 ,for the law of mercy was older than either2 it belongs to the eternal law of ,god's nature4--,that the law of ,moses should not be broken4 ,that law prescribed that circumcision should be performed on the eighth day 7,lev4 #ab3c72 to allow that day to pass by1 therefore1 without circumcision would be a breach of the law4--,because ,i have made an entire man 7 7 well on the ,sabbath day4 ,we can hardly suppose1 with ,bengel and ,olshausen1 that the entire man here signifies the healing of both soul and body2 for there is no evidence in the original account that the physical was accompanied with a spiritual healing1 and no likelihood that ,christ's auditors would have understood him here to refer to spiritual healing4 ,the contrast rather seems to be between circumcision as an act of wounding1 which brought only ceremonial cleanness1 and the miracle at the pool of ,bethesda1 which gave relief from the consequences of sin 7ch4 #e3ad71 and gave health to the whole body4--,judge not according to appearance1 but judge righteous judgment4 ,see ,zech4 #g3i4 ,one of ,christ's ,sabbath laws2 we are ourselves to avoid1 but we are not to condemn in others1 the appearance of evil4 ,what is ,sabbath observance and what ,sabbath transgression is to be determined1 not by the external act1 but by the inward motive and the ultimate end4 #be ,then said some of them of ,jerusalem1 ,is not this he1 whom they seek to kill8 #bf ,but1 lo1 he speaketh boldly1 and they say nothing unto him4 ,do#bgi the rulers know indeed that this is the very ,christ8 #bgi verse #dh4 #bg ,howbeit#bhj we know this man whence he is3 but when ,christ cometh1 no man knoweth whence he is4 #bhj ,matt4 #ac3ee4 #be-bg4 ,then said some of them of ,jerusalem4 ,residents of ,jerusalem1 who were therefore more likely than the pilgrim strangers to know the designs of the hierarchy4--,whom they seek to kill4 ,see chaps4 #e3ah2 #g3ai1 #cb4--,surely 77 the rulers do not know that this is indeed the ,messiah8 ,the form of the sentence is an inquiry1 strongly implying a negative answer4--,howbeit as to this fellow1 we know whence he is2 but when the ,messiah cometh1 no man knoweth whence he is4 ,it is true that prophecy foretold that the ,messiah should be born in ,bethlehem 7,micah #e3b2 ,matt4 #b3f72 but according to the ,rabbinical teaching he was straightway to be snatched away by spirits and tempests1 lie hidden for a while1 and unexpectedly and supernaturally reappear to enter upon his miraculous mission 7,lightfoot on ,matt4 #b3a74 ,the people here bore an unconscious testimony to the ,messiahship of ,jesus2 for they neither knew his earthly nor his heavenly origin4 ,they believed him who was born in ,bethlehem to be a native of ,nazareth1 and the ,son of ,god to be the son of a carpenter4 #bh ,then cried ,jesus in the temple as he taught1 saying1 ,ye both know me1 and ye know whence ,i am3 and#bha ,i am not come of myself1 but he that sent me#bhb is true1 whom#bhc ye know not4 #bha ch4 #e3dc4 #bhb ,rom4 #c3d4 #bhc chaps4 #a3ah2 #h3ee4 #bi ,but#bhd ,i know him3 for ,i am from him1 and he hath sent me4 #bhd ch4 #aj3ae2 ,matt4 #aa3bg4 #bh1 #bi4 ,then ,jesus cried aloud teaching in the temple1 and said1 ,ye do indeed know me1 and ye know whence ,i am2 and ,i am not come of myself1 but it is the ,true ,one who hath sent me2 him ye do not know4 ,i know him1 for ,i have come from him1 and he it is that hath sent me forth4 ,as ,i read it1 this is one of those outbursts of indignation with which we occasionally meet in the teachings of ,christ4 ,the obduracy and resoluteness in evil of the ,jews aroused his indignation and elicited his stern rebuke4 ,comp4 chaps4 #h3da1 #dd2 #i3da2 ,matthew1 ch4 #bc4 ,i understand then his language to be neither ironical nor interrogative1 but affirmative1 and not to refer to his human nature and origin1 but to his divine character and mission4 ,in his miracles and his instructions they had seen and heard enough to assure them that he was from ,god 7chaps4 #c3b2 #aa3dg1 #dh74 ,their contemptuous declaration1 ,we know this fellow1 he transformed into an indictment against them4 ,they had whispered it2 he proclaimed it aloud4 8,ye do know me10 he says1 8and ye know whence ,i am1 for the authentication of my divine mission is ample4 ,ye do know that ,i am not come of myself1 for my whole life is a conclusive demonstration that ,i am not a self-seeker40 ,the ,true ,one is not equivalent to the ,truthful ,one nor the ,really ,existent ,one merely1 but the ,one ,true ,god 7#b ,chron4 #ae3c2 ,jer4 #aj3aj2 ,john #ag3c2 #a ,thess4 #a3i2 #a ,john #e3bj74 ,him they did not and could not know1 because the knowledge of ,god is only for the pure in heart 7,matt4 #e3h74 ,jesus knew him1 for he had been his companion from eternity4 ,in a sense we are all from ,god1 but not in the sense in which ,christ here indicates that he is from ,god4 ,the preposition used 77 has the sense of from beside1 from near1 ,french de chez 7,rob4 ,lex474 ,the declaration is interpreted by ch4 #a3a2 ,phil4 #b3f4 ,the public exposure of their whispered contempt1 the equally public exposure of the secret thought of their own hearts1 which they had not themselves read as clearly as ,christ read it for them1 and the tone of fearless assumption in which he at once claimed to be the companion of the ,only ,true ,god and declared that they did not even know ,him1 whose peculiar people it was their peculiar boast to be1 angered the ,judeans1 and especially the hierarchy1 and led to the unsuccessful attempt to arrest ,jesus recorded in the succeeding verse4 #cj ,then#bhe they sought to take him3 but no man laid hands on him1 because his hour was not yet come4 #bhe ch4 #h3cg2 ,mark #aa3ah2 ,luke #bj3ai4 #ca ,and many#bhf of the people believed on him1 and said1 ,when ,christ cometh1 will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done8 #bhf ch4 #d3ci4 #cj1 #ca4 ,they sought therefore to arrest him4 ,an arrest for the purpose of bringing him before the authorities1 not a mere lawless act of a mob1 is indicated by the original 774 ,the attempt1 however1 was probably made by some of the people1 acting without special authority2 this is implied by the account of the official action subsequently taken 7ver4 #cb74--;,because his hour was not yet come4 ,the hour appointed in the divine counsel for his passion and death4 ,the immediate cause of the failure to arrest may have been a fear of the ,galileans and others with whom ,christ was popular2 but ,john passes this wholly by to speak of the real reason in the divine counsels4 ,predestination is quite as strongly marked in ,john as in ,paul4--,but of the multitude many believed on him4 ,the degree of faith is not indicated4 ,its spirituality may have been very slight2 yet the rest of the sentence certainly indicates that they were inclined to think that this might be the promised ,messiah4--,more miracles than these which this one hath done4 ,to those which had been wrought in ,jerusalem were probably added1 in their thought1 those which had been wrought in ,galilee2 some of these had doubtless been witnessed by many of the ,galileans present4 #cb ,the ,pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him2 and the ,pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him4 #cc ,then said ,jesus unto them1 ,yet#bhg a little while am ,i with you1 and then ,i go unto him that sent me4 #bhg chaps4 #ac3cc2 #af3af4 #cd ,ye#bhh shall seek me1 and shall not find me3 and where ,i am1 thither ye cannot come4 #bhh ch4 #h3ba2 ,hos4 #e3f4 #cb-cd4 ,the ,pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him4 ,this was an official act on the part of the ,sanhedrim or its officers1 carrying out the design of certain of the people1 as indicated in ver4 #cj2 and it is the first official endeavor to arrest him1 the beginning of a course of action consummated in his final arrest1 trial1 and crucifixion4--,therefore said ,jesus unto them4 ,a break evidently occurs between verses #ca and #cb4 ,the discourse up to ver4 #ca is continuous1 and took place about the middle of the feast1 that is1 the third or fourth day2 the discourse in verses #cg-ci was on the last day of the feast2 between the two the orders for ,christ's arrest were given4 ,verses #cc1 #cd are founded on ,christ's knowledge of those orders1 and it is a reasonable surmise that the presence of the officers suggested it to him and interpreted its meaning to some at least of his auditors4--,yet a little while am ,i with you4 ,about six months after this address he was crucified4--,and ,i go unto him that sent me4 ,with this explicit statement of his meaning1 interpreted as it was by the previous declaration that it was the true ,god who had sent him1 it is difficult to understand how the ,jews could have been perplexed respecting his meaning4 ,de ,wette's explanation that they knew not the ,one who had sent him1 and therefore that this saying was a dark one to them1 is not wholly satisfactory1 for surely they did know who was meant by the phrase1 he that sent me1 and as surely they could not fail to understand that going to ,god was equivalent to death4 ,meyer supposes that the words him that sent me in this verse were not a part of ,christ's discourse1 but added1 perhaps by ,john himself2 but they are not wanting in any of the manuscripts2 and that is both a doubtful and a dangerous kind of criticism which removes a difficulty by the summary process of removing the difficult words1 without any external authority for so doing4 ,i believe therefore that ,christ was explicit1 that he was understood1 and that the assumed perplexity of his hearers was a piece of hypocrisy4 ,see on verses #ce1 #cf4--,ye shall seek and shall not find me2 and where ,i am ye cannot come4 ,the key to the true interpretation of this passage1 is afforded by ,luke #ag3bb2 ,john #h3ba2 #ac3cc4 ,christ does not refer to an inimical seeking2 the search here is the same as the desire to see one of the days of the ,son of man in ,luke #ag3bb2 i4 e4 the ,jewish desire for a manifestation of the ,messiah4 ,he does not refer to a true spiritual seeking1 for in ch4 #h3ba he declares1 to the same ,jewish auditors1 ,ye shall seek me and ye shall die in your sins4 ,eusebius declares that many ,jews in consequence of the judgments of ,god on ,jerusalem became believers2 such did indeed seek ,christ1 but they found him4 ,the meaning then is that in the coming days of travail and sorrow1 when many should go out after false ,christs 7,matt4 #bd3bc1 #bd71 the ,jews would earnestly desire a ,messiah for their deliverer1 whom1 however1 they could not have1 because with their own hands they had put him to death4 ,they would seek1 but theirs would be a temporal1 not a spiritual seeking2 the seeking of fear and self-interest1 not of repentance1 faith1 and love4 ,this verse affords no authority whatever for the opinion that any earnest spiritual soul ever seeks ,christ in vain4 #ce ,then said the ,jews among themselves1 ,whither will he go1 that we shall not find him8 will he go unto the dispersed#bhi among the ,gentiles1 and teach the ,gentiles8 #bhi ,isa4 #aa3ab2 ,james #a3a2 #a ,pet4 #a3a4 #cf ,what manner of saying is this that he said1 ,ye shall seek me1 and shall not find me2 and where ,i am1 thither ye cannot come8 #ce1 #cf4 ,then said the ,jews among themselves4 ,their utterance has been by some regarded as the utterance of a genuine perplexity4 ,so apparently ,maurice3 8,he had broken down the barriers between different classes of ,israelites--between ,galileans1 ,samaritans1 and ,jews4 ,why might he not carry his designs further8 ,why might he not go to the dispersed tribes in heathen lands8 ,why might he not preach to the heathen themselves80 ,by others it is regarded as the language of scorn and contempt4 ,so ,meyer3 8,an insolent and scornful supposition1 which they themselves1 however1 do not deem probable 7therefore the question is asked with 71 regarding the meaning of words to them so utterly enigmatical4 ,the bolder mode of teaching adopted by ,jesus1 his universalistic declarations1 his partial non-observance of the law of the ,sabbath1 would lead them1 perhaps1 to associate with the unintelligible statement a mocking thought like this1 and all the more because much interest was felt among the heathen1 partly of an earnest kind1 and partly 7comp4 ,st4 ,paul in ,athens7 arising from curiosity merely1 regarding the ,oriental religions1 especially ,judaism40 ,the latter view seems to me the more probable1 because 7#a7 it is inconceivable that the ,jews should have misapprehended ,christ's meaning 7ver4 #cc1 note72 7#b7 his analogous language in the next chapter they clearly did understand to refer to his death 7ch4 #h3bb72 7#c7 the fact that what was said was 8among themselves0 indicates that it was not an honest perplexity1 in which case they would have asked ,christ for an explanation1 but of the same quality as the murmuring reported in verses #bf1 #bg4 #cg ,in the last#bij day1 that great day of the feast1 ,jesus stood and cried1 saying1 ,if#bia any man thirst1 let him come unto me1 and drink4 #bij ,lev4 #bc3cf4 #bia ,isa4 #ee3a2 ,rev4 #bb3ag4 #cg4 ,in the last day1 that great day of the feast4 ,the feast of the ,tabernacles proper lasted for seven days 7,lev4 #bc3cd1 #da1 #db71 but on the eighth day a solemn assembly kept as a feast-,sabbath was directed to be held 7,lev4 #bc3cf2 ,numb4 #bi3ce2 ,neh4 #h3ah72 and though the people dwelt in the booths only the seven days1 this eighth day was reckoned by the ,jews as a part of the feast4 ,whether the seventh or the eighth is intended here by the 8last day of the feast0 is a little uncertain1 as it also is whether the drawing of water from the brook ,siloah1 which was a characteristic ceremonial of the other days of the feast1 took place also on the eighth day4 ,this ceremonial recalled the miraculous supply of water in the wilderness from the riven rock2 it was connected by the more superstitious of the people with the notion that at this time ,god determined the amount of rain which should fall during the year2 and the more spiritual saw in it a symbol of the time when the promised gift of the ,holy ,spirit should be bestowed upon ,israel 7,isa4 #ab3c74 ,whether the words of ,christ were uttered1 as ,dr4 ,geikie supposes1 during this ceremonial1 or1 as ,alford supposes1 the day after this service had come to an end1 the reference to it is unmistakable4 ,dr4 ,geikie's supposition certainly makes this reference more striking1 and gives1 if not peculiar significance1 at least peculiar force1 to ,christ's words4 8,the last day of the feast1 known as #8the ,hosanna ,rabba' and the #8,great ,day1' found him1 as each day before1 doubtless1 had done1 in the temple arcades4 ,he had gone thither early1 to meet the crowds assembled for morning prayer4 ,it was a day of special rejoicing4 ,a great procession of pilgrims marched seven times round the city1 with their lulabs1 music1 and loud-voiced choirs preceding1 and the air was rent with shouts of ,hosanna1 in commemoration of the taking of ,jericho1 the first city in the ,holy ,land that fell into the hands of their fathers4 ,other multitudes streamed to the brook of ,siloah1 after the priests and ,levites1 bearing the golden vessels with which to draw some of the water4 ,as many as could get near the stream drank of it amidst loud shouting of the words of ,isaiah--#8,ho1 every one that thirsteth1 come ye to the waters1' #8,with joy shall we draw water from the wells of salvation'--rising in jubilant chants on every side4 ,the water drawn by the priests was1 meanwhile1 borne up to the temple1 amidst the boundless excitement of a vast throng4 ,such a crowd was1 apparently1 passing at this moment4 ,rising as the throng went by1 his spirit was moved at such honest enthusiasm1 yet saddened at the moral decay which mistook a mere ceremony for religion4 ,it was burning autumn weather1 when the sun had for months shone in a cloudless sky1 and the early rains were longed for as the monsoons in ,india after the summer heat4 ,water at all times is a magic word in a sultry climate like ,palestine1 but at this moment it had a double power4 ,standing1 therefore1 to give his words more solemnity1 his voice now sounded far and near over the throng1 with soft clearness1 which arrested all3 ,if any man thirst1 let him come unto me and drink40--7,geikie47--,if any man thirst4 ,this is not an unconditional promise2 it is conditioned1 not merely on desire1 but on a fervent desire4 ,comp4 ,isa4 #ee3a2 ,matt4 #e3f2 ,rev4 #bb3ag4 8,none are called to obtain the riches of the ,spirit but those who burn with the desire of them4 ,for we know that the pain of thirst is most acute and tormenting1 so that the very strongest men1 and those who can endure any amount of toil1 are overpowered by thirst40--7,calvin47 ,an illustration of this spiritual thirst is afforded by ,david in ,psalms #db1 #dc1 and by ,paul in ,phil4 #c3h-ad4--,let him come unto me4 ,if one can imagine these words spoken to the throng while the procession is marching into the temple1 or even just after the solemn service is over and the minds of the people are still full of it1 he will form a faint conception of the divine assumption implied in them2 and if he further considers the effect produced1 both on the multitude 7verses #dj1 #da7 and on the officers sent to arrest ,jesus 7ver4 #df71 he will form a faint conception of the divine dignity with which those words were uttered4 #ch ,he that believeth on me1 as the scripture hath said1 out#bib of his belly shall flow rivers of living water4 #bib ch4 #d3ad2 ,prov4 #ah3d2 ,isa4 #eh3aa4 #ch4 ,he that hath faith in me4 ,as in ch4 #f to eat the flesh and drink the blood of ,christ is to have faith in him and live by him1 so here1 to come unto him and drink is to come with the affections and receive him into the soul4--,as the ,scripture hath said4 ,there is no passage in the ,o4 ,t4 which directly sustains this citation1 and no reason to suppose that ,christ refers to any lost book4 ,alford refers to ,ezek4 #dg3a-ab1 where the river of the water of life is described as flowing from under the temple1 which ,alford regards as a symbol of the believer2 similarly ,olshausen2 but both this reference and that to ,zech4 #ad3h are remote and unnatural4 ,we are either to suppose that the phrase 8as the ,scripture hath said0 refers only to the preceding clause1 8he that believeth on me10 so that the meaning is1 ,he that according to the ,o4 ,t4 believeth on me2 or else we are to suppose that ,john by the following verse 7#ci7 not only interprets the meaning of ,christ's promise1 but also the meaning of his reference1 and that we are to look for the ,scripture in those passages which refer to and promise the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the former of these interpretations is that of ,chrysostom1 the latter that of ,meyer1 who refers to ,isa4 #dd3c2 #ee3a2 #eh3a2 ,joel #c3ah2 ,zech4 #ac3a4--,shall flow rivers of living water4 ,this declaration is not to be limited so that it shall be simply equivalent to the promise in ,john #d3ad1 8,whosoever drinketh of the water that ,i shall give him shall never thirst40 ,the language out of his belly clearly implies something received that it may flow from the recipient unto others4 ,the water which he drinks becomes in him a spring from which living waters flow1 as the light which illuminates him makes him in turn one of the lights which illuminate the world 7,matt4 #e3ad2 ,phil4 #b3ae74 ,that this is the meaning is clear1 not only from the language here1 but from ,john's interpretation in the succeeding verse4 8,the mutual and inspired intercourse of ,christians from ,pentecost downwards1 the speaking in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs1 the mutual edification in ,christian assemblies by means of the charismata even to the speaking with tongues1 the entire work of the apostles1 of a ,stephen and so on1 furnish an abundant historical commentary upon this text40--7,meyer47 #ci 7,but this spake he of the#bic ,spirit1 which they that believe on him should receive3 for the ,holy ,ghost was not yet given2 because that ,jesus was not yet glorified47 #bic ch4 #af3g2 ,isa4 #dd3c2 ,joel #b3bh2 ,acts #b3ag1 #cc4 #ci4 ,but this spake he of the ,spirit4 ,this declaration of ,john makes the second chapter of ,acts and the succeeding history of the ,church of ,christ the true commentary on ,christ's promise4--,for the ,spirit was not yet4 ,the meaning cannot of course be that the ,holy ,spirit had no existence1 for 8this would be not only in flat contradiction to chaps4 #a3cb1 #cc2 #c3e1 #h1 #cd1 but to the whole ,o4 ,t41 in which the agency of the ,spirit in the outward world is recognized even more vividly than in the ,n4 ,t40 7,alford47 ,and it is not only in the outward world that the ,o4 ,t4 recognizes the ,holy ,spirit1 but also in the hearts of individual prophets1 who thus became the ministers of divine grace to others 7,gen4 #da3ch2 ,exod4 #d3aa1 #ab2 #ca3c2 #b ,chron4 #ae3a2 ,ps4 #ea3aa2 ,isa4 #fc3aa1 #ad74 ,nor does the addition by the translators of the word given adequately represent the meaning1 for the ,holy ,ghost was given before the glorification of ,christ1 but not to all men2 he was not a universal gift4 ,the meaning is that the dispensation of the ,holy ,ghost had not yet begun2 he had not yet been so given that whoever had faith in the ,son of ,god received the gift of the ,holy ,ghost and became one of the ,lord's prophets 7,acts #b3ch74 ,see ,acts #b3d1 note4--,because ,jesus was not yet glorified4 ,the death and resurrection of ,christ were the conditions precedent of the outpouring of the ,holy ,ghost 7ch4 #ad3af1 #ag2 #af3g2 ,acts #a3g-i74 #dj ,many of the people therefore1 when they heard this saying1 said1 ,of a truth this is the ,prophet4#bid #bid ch4 #f3ad2 ,deut4 #ah3ae1 #ah4 #da ,others said1 ,this is the#bie ,christ4 ,but some said1 ,shall#bif ,christ come out of ,galilee8 #bie chaps4 #d3db1 #f3fi4 #bif verse #eb2 ch4 #a3df4 #db ,hath not the scripture said1 ,that ,christ#big cometh of the seed of ,david1 and out of the town of ,bethlehem1#bih where ,david#bii was8 #big ,ps4 #acb3aa2 ,jer4 #bc3e4 #bih ,micah #e3b2 ,luke #b3d4 #bii #a ,sam4 #af3a-d4 #dc ,so there was a division among the people because of him4 #dd ,and some of them would have taken him2 but no man laid hands on him4 #dj-dd4 ,these verses give the impressions produced on different auditors by ,christ's discourses at the feast4 ,the word many is wanting in the best manuscripts1 and is omitted by ,lachmann1 ,tischendorf1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 ,schaff2 for it read some4 ,some regarded ,jesus as the prophet foretold in ,deut4 #ah3ae 7comp4 ch4 #a3ba2 ,matt4 #af3ad72 others thought that he might even be the ,messiah4 ,see ver4 #ca4 ,the opponents of ,christ based their opposition not upon his character or that of his teaching1 but upon their ,jewish prejudice to his supposed ,galilean origin4 ,there is no good ground for the conclusion1 arrived at by some rationalistic critics from ,john's language here1 that he did not know that ,jesus was born in ,bethlehem4 ,writing his ,gospel many years after the main facts of ,christ's birth1 life1 and death were known throughout the church1 he here simply narrates as an historian the objections which the ,judeans made to the claim that ,jesus was the ,messiah2 to have pointed out their mistake would have been a work of supererogation4 ,alford's note on this point is quite conclusive3 8,de ,wette's #8probability that ,john knew nothing of the birth at ,bethlehem' reaches much further than may appear at first4 ,if ,john knew nothing of it1 and yet the mother of the ,lord lived with him1 the inference must be that she knew nothing of it--in other words1 that it never happened40 ,illustration3 ,,officers ,,of ,,the ,,chief ,,priests4 #de ,then came the officers to the chief priests and ,pharisees2 and they said unto them1 ,why have ye not brought him8 #df ,the officers answered1 ,never#cjj man spake like this man4 #cjj ,luke #d3bb4 #de1 #df4 ,then came the officers4 ,not ,roman soldiers1 but temple police1 answering to the modern constable or the ,roman lictor or the ,english beadle4 ,they had been directed by the officers of the ,sanhedrim to arrest ,jesus 7ver4 #cb74 ,presumptively this return of the officers occurred several days after their commission to make the arrest4 ,they had been watching him during the feast4--,never man spake like this man4 ,they were not overawed by the multitude1 but by the words of ,christ himself4 ,there is no stronger testimony1 even in the ,gospels1 to the marvellous moral power of ,christ's personality and words than this declaration of the temple police1 who were probably ignorant but also simple men1 without the culture1 but also without the religious prejudices1 of the rulers4 ,in the life of ,whitefield are several illustrations of analogous moral power over roughs who had come to the preaching to break it up1 but who remained spell-bound under its influence4 ,to have elicited such testimony as this from such men as these1 ,jesus must have possessed the power of a true oratory4 #dg ,then answered them the ,pharisees1 ,are ye also deceived8 #dh ,have any of the rulers#cja or of the ,pharisees believed on him8 #cja ch4 #ab3db2 ,jer4 #e3d1 #e2 #a ,cor4 #a3bf4 #di ,but this people1 who knoweth not the law1 are cursed4 #dg-di4 ,the language of the ,pharisaic rulers is that of unbounded scorn for ,jesus and for the multitude4 ,the latter are declared to be under divine wrath and cursed with moral blindness because they have an admiration for such a ,sabbath-breaker4 8,all here is wonderfully living and characteristic4 ,the faint effort of the officers to execute the command of their masters2 the awe which held them back2 their simple confession of the power which they found in the words of ,jesus2 the surprise of the ,sanhedrim that the infection should have reached even their servants2 their terror lest there might be traitors in the camp1 lest any ,pharisee or lawyer 7probably some eyes were turned on ,nicodemus7 should have been carried away by the impulse to which the crowd1 naturally enough1 had yielded2 their scorn of the people1 as wretched1 #8accursed' men1 utterly ignorant of the law--who does not feel as if he were present in that convocation of doctors8 as if he were looking at their perplexed and angry faces8 as if he were hearing their contemptuous words80--7,maurice47 #ej ,nicodemus saith unto them1 7he#cjb that came to ,jesus by night1 being one of them17 #cjb ch4 #c3b4 #ea ,doth#cjc our law judge any man before it hear him1 and know what he doeth8 #cjc ,deut4 #ag3h2 ,prov4 #ah3ac4 #eb ,they answered and said unto him1 ,art thou also of ,galilee8 ,search and look3 for out of ,galilee#cjd ariseth no prophet4 #cjd ,isa4 #i3a1 #b4 #ej-eb4 ,on the character of ,nicodemus1 see notes on ch4 #c4 ,the impression which ,jesus had made upon him in that interview was an abiding one4 ,there is a covert sarcasm in his question here1 ,doth our law judge the man except it first hear him and know what he doeth8 ,they themselves knew not the law1 and were openly disregarding it4 ,the ,rabbinical laws explicitly required that every accused person should have a hearing1 with an opportunity to confront the witnesses against him and to cross-examine them4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bih4 ,that ,nicodemus' rebuke was felt by the ,pharisees is shown by the tone of their answer4 ,they replied1 not by argument1 but by a sneer1 ,art thou also of ,galilee8 and by a falsehood1 ,out of ,galilee hath arisen 7perfect1 not present7 no prophet4 ,jonah was of ,galilee 7#b ,kings #ad3be71 ,elijah very probably so 7#a ,kings #ag3a2--;,alford71 and ,nahum either of ,galilee or of ,assyria1 a heathen land 7,nahum #a3a74 ,the prejudices of the ,pharisees led them to forget their history as well as their law4 ,in lieu of doth our law judge any man8 read the man1 i4 e41 this man2 ,nicodemus refers specifically to ,jesus4 ,in lieu of ariseth read hath arisen2 though there is some uncertainty4 ,alford gives the present tense1 ariseth2 ,lachmann1 ,tischendorf1 and ,meyer1 with greater probability1 the past tense1 hath arisen4 ,with either reading the meaning is substantially the same2 not1 as ,godet1 ,the promised prophet is not now arising1 but1 as ,meyer and ,alford1 ,no prophet ever ariseth from ,galilee4 #ec ,and every man went unto his own house4 #ec4 ,this verse belongs with the next chapter4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,ch4 #g3ec to #h3aa4 ,,the ,,woman ,,taken ,,in ,,adultery4--,,illustrates3 ,,the ,,tact ,,of ,,christ--,,the ,,precept1 ,,judge ,,not1 ,,that ,,ye ,,be ,,not ,,judged--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,conscience--,,the ,,christian ,,treatment ,,of ,,the ,,fallen4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,verse #ec of ch4 #g belongs unquestionably with the first eleven verses of ch4 #h4 ,whether the whole passage is really a part of ,john's ,gospel or no is one of the most difficult and doubtful questions in ,biblical criticism4 ,the weight of critical authority is against it2 the weight of internal evidence is in its favor4 ,for a complete discussion of the considerations pro and con1 the student must be referred to the commentaries of ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,luthardt1 and ,godet1 the last being1 of the three1 the most comprehensive in its treatment4 ,here ,i give briefly 7#a7 the facts1 7#b7 the different opinions1 7#c7 my own conclusion4 ,i4 ,the facts4 7#a7 ,the passage in question is wanting in many if not most of the best ,,mss42 pre-eminently the ,alexandrian1 the ,vatican1 the ,ephraem1 and the ,sinaitic4 ,of the great manuscripts1 the ,cambridge alone contains it4 7#b7 ,it is transposed in some documents2 one places it in ,john after #g3cf2 ten at the end of ,john2 four in the ,gospel of ,luke1 at the close of ch4 #ba4 7#c7 ,in those ,,mss4 which contain it there are great variations4 ,griesbach distinguishes three entirely different texts2 the ordinary text1 that of the ,cambridge ,,ms41 and that resulting from a collection of other ,,mss4 ,alford gives these three in his ,greek ,testament4 ,sixty various readings are found in these twelve verses4 8,no genuine apostolic text has ever undergone such alterations40--7,godet47 7#d7 ,the style and character of the narrative is strikingly unlike ,john4 ,these differences are partly verbal1 and are apparent only to the ,greek scholar4 ,ten expressions are given by ,meyer as non-,johannean4 ,they are partly structural1 and as easily recognized by the ,english reader as by the ,greek scholar4 ,such are the propounding of a question concerning the law to tempt ,christ1 and the departure of ,christ at night from the temple1 both of which agree rather with the ,synoptics' account of the last sojourn in ,jerusalem than with ,john's account of this period of ,christ's ministry4 ,if the account is omitted altogether1 the discourse in ch4 #g and that in ch4 #h appear to be in close connection2 the interruption of this incident is not very clearly cognate to either discourse2 and it is not ,john's habit to narrate incidents that are not connected with and do not lead to some discourse of the ,lord4 7#e7 ,among the fathers ,origen1 ,chrysostom1 ,theophylact1 and ,tertullian are altogether silent about the passage2 ,jerome1 ,ambrose1 and ,augustine recognize it as authentic2 among critical scholars ,lucke1 ,tholuck1 ,olshausen1 ,de ,wette1 ,luthardt1 ,hengstenberg1 ,schenkel1 ,godet1 ,lachmann1 ,tischendorf1 ,alford1 and ,schaff apparently agree in regarding it as an addition by some other hand to ,john's ,gospel2 ,bengel and ,hilgenfeld are the only scholars of widely recognized reputation who defend its ,johannean authorship4 7#f7 ,but though the narrative is unlike ,john1 the act is very like ,jesus4 ,the whole scene possesses an air of historic reality3 the arrest of the woman1 the demand on ,jesus1 the ,pharisaic contempt for public morality in obtruding the crime and the criminal on public attention in the temple courts2 the attempt to entrap ,jesus2 the skill of his reply2 the subtle recognition of the woman's shame and despair1 and the gentle avoidance of adding to it1 in turning the public gaze from her to himself by writing on the ground2 the final confusion of the ,pharisees and release of the woman4 ,it is impossible to believe that any monkish mind conceived of this and added it to the narrative4 ,the deed is the deed of ,christ1 whether or no the record is the record of ,john4 ,,ii4 ,opinions4 ,these are three3 7#a7 ,that the narrative belongs here2 was written by ,john1 and was expunged from the ,gospel at an early date because it was feared that an immoral use would be made of it4 ,this was ,augustine's opinion4 ,but this hypothesis does not account for the variety of readings1 nor for peculiarities in character and diction which make it unlike ,john's ,gospel4 7#b7 ,that it is an interpolation of a later age1 for a purpose1 by some early copyist4 ,but the copyist who could have conceived this incident must have possessed the moral genius of ,christ himself4 8,it is eminently ,christlike1 and full of comfort to penitent outcasts4 ,it breathes the ,saviour's spirit of holy mercy1 which condemns the sin and saves the sinner4 ,it is parallel to the parable of the prodigal1 the story of ,mary ,magdalene1 and that of the ,samaritan woman1 and agrees with many express declarations of ,christ that he came not to condemn1 but to save the lost 7,john #c3ag2 #ab3dg2 ,luke #i3ef2 #ai3aj2 comp4 ,john #e3ad2 ,luke #g3cg1 etc474 ,his refusal to act as judge in this case has a parallel in a similar case related in ,luke #ab3ac-ae40--7,schaff47 7#c7 ,that it is a tradition of the apostolic age1 and was incorporated in the present evangelical narratives1 probably in the second or third century1 but in different forms and in different places4 ,it may have been originally part of one of the lost ,gospels4 ,eusebius relates that the work of ,papias contained 8the history of a woman accused before the ,lord of numerous sins1 a history contained also in the ,gospel of the ,hebrews40 ,this opinion1 which is substantially that of ,godet1 ,meyer1 ,luthardt1 and ,alford1 accounts for the existence of the narrative1 the apparent truthfulness of it1 the variations of form1 and the non-,johannean characteristics of style4 ,it seems to me inherently the most probable4 ,on internal grounds it seems to me clear that the narrative is historical2 on critical grounds that it is not ,john's2 who was its author and how it became incorporated in ,john's ,gospel is a matter only of conjecture4 #a ,jesus went unto the mount of ,olives4 #b ,and early in the morning he came again into the temple1 and all the people came unto him2 and he sat down1 and taught them4 ,ch4 #g3ec to #h3a1 #b4 ,every man went unto his own house2 ,jesus went unto the ,mount of ,olives4 ,the force of the contrast is impaired by the unfortunate and unnatural break between the two clauses of what should be printed as a single sentence4 ,the auditors had homes2 ,jesus had no where to lay his head2 and if1 as is probable1 this incident belongs to the ,passion week1 it was not safe for him to spend a night within the city walls4 ,he either spent it on the mount or went beyond it to ,bethany1 the home of his friends ,martha and ,mary4--,he sat down and taught them4 ,one of the indications that this passage is not from ,john2 for 8it is not in ,john's manner to relate that ,jesus taught them1 without relating what he taught0 7,alford74 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,mount ,,of ,,olives4 7,from the wall of ,jerusalem47 #c ,and the scribes and ,pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery2 and when they had set her in the midst1 #d ,they say unto him1 ,master1 this woman was taken in adultery1 in the very act4 #e ,now#cje ,moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned3 but what sayest thou8 #cje ,lev4 #bj3aj4 #c-e4 ,brought unto him a woman4 ,there was no reason why they should have brought her to him1 except for the purpose of involving him in difficulty4--,when they had set her in the midst4 ,this public exposure to shame was itself a terrible punishment1 and aroused the pity1 the shame1 and the indignation of ,jesus4 ,it was not done in the interest of public morals4 ,they were flagrantly disregarded in this obtrusion of a public scandal into the midst of the temple worship1 by accusers who cared not for her1 nor for the general public1 if they could but involve in perplexity and bring into disrepute the ,rabbi whom they so bitterly hated4--,in the very act4 ,the man was equally amenable under the ,mosaic law to the death penalty 7,lev4 #bj3aj2 ,deut4 #bb3bb74 ,but the man they had let go2 for then1 as now1 society punished the guilty woman1 but not the guilty man4--,that such should be stoned4 ,stoning was only commanded by ,moses for unfaithfulness in a betrothed virgin 7,deut4 #bb3bc1 #bd74 ,but infidelity in a wife is made by the preceding verse punishable with death1 and perhaps1 by implication1 the same form of death4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,woman ,,and ,,her ,,accusers4 8,he that is without sin among you let him first cast a stone at her40 #f ,this they said1 tempting him1 that they might have to accuse him4 ,but ,jesus stooped down1 and with his finger wrote on the ground1 as though he heard them not4 #f4 ,this they said tempting him4 ,the commentators have been needlessly puzzled to explain how ,christ's answer to this question could have furnished matter for accusation4 ,the ,pharisees would have accused him to the people1 not to the ,roman government4 ,the law of ,moses was a dead letter4 ,there is no authentic instance in post-,mosaic history of an execution under it4 ,divorce was easy1 and the injured husband generally avoided public disgrace by simply separating from his unfaithful wife4 ,could ,christ refuse to adjudge the case8 ,he had claimed to be ,king of ,israel1 in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 had put his own precepts above those of ,moses1 and had proclaimed a far more stringent law of purity than ,moses ever enacted 7,matt4 #e3bg-cb74 ,could he acquit her1 and so set aside the ,mosaic law8 ,he had declared that not one jot or tittle of it should pass away till all was fulfilled1 and that whoever relaxed the least of its precepts should be least in his kingdom4 ,could he condemn her8 ,he would thus revive an obsolete statute1 and enforce it against a hapless and defenceless woman--he who had come to seek and to save the lost1 who had received the publican and harlot among his disciples1 and had accepted the homage of a notorious woman of the town 7,luke #g3cf-ci74 ,it often happens that people are unwilling to have a teacher set aside in theory a law which they are equally unwilling to see enforced in practice4 ,only a small minority is willing in our own day to abolish capital punishment2 but only rarely is a jury willing to inflict it4 ,there are comparatively few persons who are willing to live according to the ,sabbath law which they wish their minister to preach4--,but ,jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground4 ,the words as though he heard them not are an addition of the translators1 though at least one manuscript contains the idea4 ,what was the meaning of this action8 ,various opinions have been suggested1 e4 g41 a usual act signifying preoccupation of mind 7,alford72 to hide his own confusion1 the shock to his own moral sensibility by the grossness of the ,pharisees' public abuse of the woman 7,geikie72 as a judge1 for a judicial sentence is not only pronounced1 but written 7,godet72 as a refusal to interfere1 a sign that he paid no attention to their question 7,meyer1 ,luthardt74 ,his object in this writing seems to me to be interpreted by its result4 ,it turned all eyes from the wretched woman1 in an anguish of shame and terror1 to himself4 ,she stood alone and forgotten2 all eyes were then and have ever since been fixed on the figure of ,christ1 wondering what and why he wrote in the dust4 ,it is not fanciful to note the contrast between this writing and that prescribed in case of the trial of a suspected adulteress by the ,mosaic law 7,numb4 #e3bc74 ,the priest was to write certain curses in a book1 then wash them with bitter water1 which the accused was required to drink1 that the curses might enter into her if she were guilty4 ,christ1 on the contrary1 writes his sentence on the sand1 where1 in a moment1 it will be effaced by the pardon1 8,neither do ,i condemn thee2 go1 and sin no more40 ,what he wrote has been made a matter of ingenious rather than profitable conjecture4 ,the most probable conjecture is that he wrote the sentence1 8,he that is without sin amongst you10 etc41 thus enabling the ,pharisees1 if they had not been too passionately intent on their design1 to avoid his public rebuke4 #g ,so when they continued asking him1 he lifted up himself1 and said unto them1 ,he that is without sin among you1#cjf let him first cast a stone at her4 #cjf ,deut4 #ag3g2 ,rom4 #b3a1 #bb4 #h ,and again he stooped down1 and wrote on the ground4 #i ,and they which heard it1 being convicted by their own conscience1 went out one by one1 beginning at the eldest1 even unto the last3 and ,jesus was left alone1 and the woman standing in the midst4 #g-i4 ,so when they continued asking4 ,they would not take the rebuke of his quiet contempt4 ,had they stopped to think1 conscience would have answered their inquiry2 but they were too eager2 they did not hear what it had to say to them2 ,christ must interpret its voice2 and he did so with a poignant rebuke4--,he that is without sin among you1 let him first cast a stone at her4 ,christ puts on them the problem with which they had sought to perplex him4 ,in their vindictive haste they had forgotten the provision of the law that the witnesses on whose testimony the accused was condemned should cast the first stone 7,deut4 #ag3e-g74 ,they had also forgotten the provision of the ,rabbinical law that1 in case of accusation1 if the husband was not guiltless1 the wife could not be condemned 7,lightfoot74 ,christ recalls these two principles1 and leaves them to solve their own problem4 ,go on1 he says in effect1 and try and condemn the accused according to your own law4 ,let the sinless cast the first stone4 ,but a deeper meaning is in his words4 ,unchastity was a universal sin in the first century4 ,its extent in ,palestine is illustrated by the licentious lives of the ,herods1 father and sons4 ,nowhere was this vice more flagrant and unrestrained than among the priests1 whose licentiousness was no secret to the common people 7see ,matt4 #ab3ci2 ,james #d3d74 ,it was this revelation of their own guilt1 implied in the words and easily understood by the people1 which stung them1 and drove them1 self-condemned1 one by one1 from the presence of both the accused and the judge4--,and again he stooped down4 ,to give conscience in them an opportunity to assert itself1 with as little resistance as possible from pride4 ,he gave them no opportunity to answer2 he did not look to see who was first to withdraw4--,beginning with the elders4 ,the word rendered eldest 77 is almost universally rendered elders1 generally as an official designation1 and frequently in connection with the word ruler 7e4 g41 ,matt4 #ae3b2 #af3ba2 ,mark #h3ca2 #ae3a2 ,luke #g3c2 #bb3eb74 ,here it seems to me more probably to designate rank 7,lucke1 ,de ,wette7 than age 7,luthardt1 ,godet74 ,the leaders in the accusation were the first to withdraw4 ,the words 8even unto the last0 are wanting in most ,,mss4--,jesus was left alone4 ,the circle of accusers had all withdrawn4 ,the people and the disciples may have still remained2 hence the woman is described as 8standing in the midst20 that is1 of the auditors who1 before this interruption1 had been listening to the teaching of ,jesus 7ver4 #b74 ,the woman remains waiting1 as if to receive the sentence of ,jesus4 ,the people remain waiting to hear the end of this strange episode4 #aj ,when ,jesus had lifted up himself1 and saw none but the woman1 he said unto her1 ,woman1 where are those thine accusers8 hath no man condemned thee8 #aa ,she said1 ,no man1 ,lord4 ,and ,jesus said unto her1 ,neither do ,i condemn#cjg thee3 go1 and sin#cjh no more4 #cjg ch4 #c3ag4 #cjh ch4 #e3ad4 #aj1 #aa4 ,hath no man condemned thee8 ,they had then allwithdrawn8-- ,neither do ,i condemn thee4 ,he contrasts himself with the accusers2 they could not1 he will not4 ,he does not1 however1 pronounce her forgiven4 ,there is no evidence of repentance or of faith1 as1 for example1 in the case of the woman that was a sinner in ,luke #g3cg4 ,his language condemns the sin1 and it gives opportunity for repentance to the sinner4 8,it is a declaration of sufferance1 not of justification40--7,godet47--,go1 and sin no more4 ,comp4 ch4 #e3ad4 ,the object of divine forgiveness is a divine life in the forgiven4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #h3ab-bj4 ,,christ',s ,,discourse ,,concerning ,,himself4--,,he ,,is ,,light1 ,,liberty1 ,,life4--,,he ,,gives ,,light ,,to ,,those ,,that ,,follow ,,his ,,example1 ,,liberty ,,to ,,those ,,that ,,obey ,,his ,,word1 ,,life ,,to ,,those ,,that ,,put ,,their ,,faith ,,in ,,him4--,,he ,,is ,,attested ,,by ,,his ,,own ,,character ,,and ,,by ,,his ,,father',s ,,witness4--,,he ,,is ,,made ,,known ,,in ,,and ,,by ,,his ,,passion ,,and ,,death4--,,his ,,father ,,is ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,his ,,teaching1 ,,his ,,works1 ,,and ,,his ,,character4--,,his ,,characterization ,,of ,,wilful ,,oppugners ,,of ,,the ,,truth3 ,,children ,,of ,,the ,,world2 ,,children ,,of ,,the ,,devil4--,,christ',s ,,short ,,method ,,with ,,deists 7ver4 #df74 ,see note at end of chapter4 ,the exact chronology of the events from this point to the close of the tenth chapter is very uncertain and quite unimportant4 ,one characteristic feature of the feast of the ,tabernacles was the illumination of the temple2 the two great candelabra of the ,court of the ,women were lighted1 and it is said in the ,rabbinical hooks that the light shone all over ,jerusalem4 ,since ,christ was accustomed to take his text from passing events1 it is a not improbable surmise that this illumination afforded the suggestion for the discourse on the divine light which follows4 ,the illumination of the temple commemorated the pillar of fire1 as the ceremony of drawing water 7see ch4 #g3cg1 etc41 notes7 commemorated the striking of the rock in ,horeb and the gift of water from it1 and the dwelling in booths recalled the time when ,israel dwelt in tents and booths in the wilderness4 ,we may therefore see in ,christ an antitype of the fiery cloud that guided ,israel in their pilgrimage1 and in the ,shechinah filling the ,tabernacle 7,exod4 #dj3cd1 #ce71 an illustration of the light which ,christ imparts to those that follow him4 #ab ,then spake ,jesus again unto them1 saying1 ,i#cji am the light of the world3 he that#caj followeth me shall not walk in darkness1 but shall have the light of life4 #cji chaps4 #a3d2 #i3e4 #caj ch4 #ab3ce1 #df4 #ab4 ,i am the light of the world4 ,the illumination of the temple lighted ,jerusalem2 that of the fiery cloud1 ,israel4 ,christ is the light1 not merely of his disciples1 or of the ,jewish nation1 but of the world1 a word which here1 as always in the ,n4 ,t41 stands for the whole human race4 ,comp4 ch4 #a3d1 #i1 notes4 ,he is the light as well as the life1 coming to instruct as well as to revive2 a ,saviour from ignorance as well as from wilful sin4 ,therefore no ignorance or doubt need keep the soul that desires light away from ,christ4 ,he need not wait for instruction1 any more than for reformation1 before he comes to ,christ4--,he that follows me need not walk in darkness4 ,the best reading is subjunctive1 not indicative4 ,following ,christ1 not believing something about him1 is the way out of darkness into light4 ,comp4 ch4 #g3ag1 and note the fact that in no single instance did ,christ call on any one of his disciples to form correct opinions about him before becoming his follower4 ,they followed first and learned afterward4 ,even he who doubts whether ,christ is not a myth can still follow the ideal life4--,but shall have the light of life4 ,that is1 the light which guides and nourishes the true1 the spiritual life4 ,comp4 ch4 #f3dh1 8bread of life40 ,see ,ps4 #aai3aje1 where the ,bible is compared to a lantern carried to light the path on a dark night4 ,he is a light not for the illumination of doubtful questions in science or metaphysics or abstract theology1 but for the solution of practical problems in the moral and spiritual life4 #ac ,the ,pharisees therefore said unto him1 ,thou#caa bearest record of thyself2 thy record is not true4 #caa ch4 #e3ca4 #ad ,jesus answered and said unto them1 ,though ,i bear record of myself1 yet my record is true3 for ,i know whence ,i came1 and whither ,i go2 but#cab ye cannot tell whence ,i come1 and whither ,i go4 #cab chaps4 #g3bh2 #i3bi1 #cj4 #ac1 #ad4 ,thou bearest record of thyself2 thy record is not true4 ,see ch4 #e3ca1 note2 perhaps the ,pharisees here refer to ,christ's declaration there4--,though ,i bear record of myself1 yet my record is true2 for ,i know whence ,i have come 7my origin7 and whither ,i go 7my destiny74 ,in general no man can bear testimony of himself1 however truthful he may be1 for no man understands his own mission4 ,he may faithfully do from day to day the work which ,god gives him to do1 and yet not comprehend the relation which that work bears to the great problems of life and destiny which the ,eternal ,spirit is working out in the race4 ,but ,christ could bear record of himself1 for he knew himself2 he knew the ,father2 he knew his own origin and his own destiny2 and he knew the relation which his life and death sustained to the world's life4--,ye know not 7not merely cannot tell7 whence ,i am coming and whither ,i am going4 ,christ knew whence he had come 71 past tense71 i4 e41 from the glory he had with the ,father from the beginning of the world 7chaps4 #a3a2 #ag3e72 the ,pharisees did not know whence he was ever coming 71 present tense71 i4 e41 they had no spiritual sense to perceive and appreciate that divine grace of which he was ever the recipient1 and that constant communion with the ,father from which he was ever bringing divine light and life wherewith to bless his followers4 #ae ,ye judge after the flesh2 ,i#cac judge no man4 #cac chaps4 #c3ag2 #ab3dg4 #af ,and yet if ,i judge1 my#cad judgment is true3 for#cae ,i am not alone1 but ,i and the ,father that sent me4 #cad #a ,sam4 #af3g2 ,ps4 #de3f1 #g2 #gb3b4 #cae verse #bi2 ch4 #af3cb4 #ae1 #af4 ,ye judge according to the flesh4 ,they therefore rejected ,jesus ,christ as the ,messiah1 because he did not come with the earthly pomp1 or bring the earthly deliverance1 which they had expected4--,i judge no one4 ,yet his fan is in his hand2 and even while he lived he was sifting the wheat from the tares4 ,he judges not2 the world is self-judged and self-condemned4 ,every soul that rejects the light doth thereby write its own condemnation4 8,light is come into the world1 and men loved darkness rather than light1 because their deeds were evil0 7,john #c3ai74--,yet if ,i judge1 my judgment is true2 for ,i am not alone1 but ,i and the ,father that sent me4 ,comp4 ch4 #e3cj4 ,the ,spirit of the ,father1 given without measure to ,christ1 makes his spiritual judgments absolutely without error4 ,in the measure in which this spirit is received and followed by the disciple1 it similarly makes the disciple's judgments true4 ,see ,matt4 #af3ai1 note2 ,john #bj3bb1 #bc4 #ag ,it is also written#caf in your law1 that the testimony of two men is true4 #caf ,deut4 #ag3f2 #ai3ae4 #ah ,i am one that bear witness of myself1 and the ,father#cag that sent me beareth witness of me4 #cag ch4 #e3cg4 #ai ,then said they unto him1 ,where is thy ,father8 ,jesus answered1 ,ye#cah neither know me1 nor my ,father3 if#cai ye had known me1 ye should have known my ,father also4 #cah verse #ee2 chaps4 #af3c2 #ag3be4 #cai ch4 #ad3g1 #i4 #bj ,these words spake ,jesus in the treasury1#cbj as he taught in the temple3 and no man laid hands on him2 for#cba1 his hour was not yet come4 #cbj ,mark #ab3da4 #cba ch4 #g3cj4 #ag-bj4 ,also in your own law4 ,not in our law2 ,christ never classes himself with the ,jews1 nor counts himself as under their law4 ,he obeys it1 not because it is binding1 but by a voluntary subjection1 for example's sake 7,matt4 #c3ae2 #ag3bg74 ,the reference here is to ,deut4 #ag3f2 #ai3ae4--;,i am one that bear witness concerning myself4 ,not merely nor mainly by words2 for ,christ said comparatively little in public concerning his character2 but by his life and works4 ,see ,john #ad3aa4--;,and the ,father that sent me beareth witness of me4 ,by direct declarations to his divine character and mission 7,matt4 #c3ag2 ,john #ab3bh72 by the testimony of prophets and apostles1 especially of ,john the ,baptist 7,luke #b3bh-cb1 #ch2 ,john #a3cb-cd1 #cf72 by the voice of angels 7,luke #b3i-ad72 by the miracles wrought 7,john #aa3db72 but still more by that manifestation of the divine presence which made itself felt in many ways in ,christ's person1 as in his attraction of publicans and sinners to himself1 his expulsion of the traders from the temple1 his passing through the mob at ,nazareth1 etc4 ,godet tells a story in illustration of the power of this witness of the ,spirit4 ,about #affj1 ,hedinger1 chaplain to the ,duke of ,wurtemberg1 took the liberty of censuring his sovereign1 at first in private1 but afterward in public1 for a serious fault4 ,the latter1 much enraged1 sent for him1 resolved to punish him4 ,hedinger1 after seeking strength by prayer1 repaired to the prince1 the expression of his countenance betokening the peace and the presence of ,god4 ,the prince1 after looking at him for a moment1 asked1 in agitation1 8,why did you not come alone80 and dismissed him unharmed4 ,the vital communion of this servant of ,god with his ,god was a sensible fact1 even to one whom anger had exasperated4 ,comp4 ,acts #d3ac2 #f3ae4--,who is your ,father8 ,asked1 not in perplexity1 for ,christ's reference to ,god as his ,father had been so frequent at ,jerusalem that they could not have misunderstood his meaning1 but in scorn4 ,christ's reply is adapted to the spirit of their inquiry4--,ye neither know me nor my ,father4 ,they gloried in being the peculiar people of ,god2 but they as little apprehended him as they did ,christ his ,son4--,if ye had known me ye would have known my ,father also4 ,for the ,son is the way to the ,father4 ,the converse of this proposition is also true1 ,he that knows the ,father will know the ,son4 ,both are known by the spiritual sense2 and the same faculty which appreciates the divine qualities resplendent in the ,son will answer to and be ready to receive and be impressed by the divine qualities in the invisible ,spirit1 the ,father whom no one hath seen or can see4--,in the treasury4 ,see ,luke #ba3a1 note4 ,the thirteen trunks or chests placed for the reception of the gifts of the worshippers1 and properly called the treasury1 were in the ,court of the ,women4 ,each bore an inscription1 indicating the use to which the money placed therein was devoted4 ,probably either that part of the ,women's ,court where these chests stood1 or1 more probably1 an adjoining apartment used in connection with them1 perhaps where the money was kept1 was also designated the treasury1 and it is this apartment that is indicated by the word here4--,for his hour was not yet come4 ,see ch4 #g3cj1 note4 #ba ,then said ,jesus again unto them1 ,i go my way1 and ye#cbb shall seek me1 and#cbc shall die in your sins3 whither ,i go1 ye#cbd cannot come4 #cbb ch4 #g3cd4 #cbc ,job #bj3aa2 ,ps4 #gc3ah-bj2 ,prov4 #ad3cb2 ,isa4 #fe3bj2 ,ephes4 #b3a4 #cbd ,luke #af3bh4 #ba4 ,i go away4 ,not my way1 a translation for which there is no authority whatever in the original4--,and ye shall seek me1 and shall die in your sins4 ,in your sins means not1 by reason of your sins1 but1 while continuing in a state of sin4 ,this verse is not to be taken as an evidence that a sincere and contrite seeking of ,christ as a pardoning and redeeming ,saviour will ever be in vain4 ,it is interpreted by many a so-called death-bed repentance1 in which deliverance from a future penalty is sought1 without any real contrition of heart for past sins4 ,but1 coupled with the next clause1 it seems to me strongly opposed to the doctrine of a universal restitution4--,whither ,i go ye cannot come4 ,compare ch4 #g3cd1 8,ye shall seek me and shall not find me2 and where ,i am1 thither ye cannot come10 and contrast ch4 #ad3c1 8,i will come again and receive you unto myself1 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also40 ,see also ch4 #ag3bd4 #bb ,then said the ,jews1 ,will he kill himself8 because he saith1 ,whither ,i go1 ye cannot come4 #bc ,and he said unto them1 ,ye are from beneath2 ,i am from above3 ye are of this world2 ,i am not of this world4 #bd ,i said#cbe therefore unto you1 that ye shall die in your sins3 for#cbf if ye believe not that ,i am he1 ye shall die in your sins4 #cbe verse #ba4 #cbf ,mark #af3af4 #bb-bd4 ,will he kill himself8 ,this they said to each other1 partly in perplexity1 partly in scorn4 ,contrast their different interpretation but similar spirit in ch4 #g3ce4 ,christ1 in his reply1 repels the idea that he had referred to his death2 they cannot come where he is going1 because he is going to that heaven from which he first came1 and they are of the earth earthy4 ,comp4 #a ,cor4 #ae3ej1 8,flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of ,god40--,ye are from beneath1 ,i am from above4 ,this statement is interpreted by the clause which follows4--,ye are of 7from1 7 this world1 ,i am not of 7from1 7 this world4 ,man is born of the flesh1 and therefore is flesh1 needing to be born anew and from above in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven 7ch4 #c3e1 #f74 ,christ was born1 even in his earthly nature1 of the ,spirit 7,luke #a3ce71 was from his birth the ,son of ,god1 and therefore did not need to experience the new birth4 ,though ,john does not describe his supernatural birth1 he recognizes it4 ,christ's language here would be incomprehensible but for the interpretation afforded by the narratives of his advent in ,matthew and ,luke4 ,the declaration 8,ye are from beneath0 here is not equivalent to the declaration of ver4 #dd1 8,ye are of your father the devil40 ,here he speaks only of the earthly nature inherited2 there of the wilful sin superadded4--,if ye believe not that ,i am1 ye shall die in your sins4 ,in the phrase 8,i am0 there is a reference to ,exod4 #c3ad1 and the language implies the divinity of ,christ1 and would be so understood by his ,jewish auditors1 and was so understood by them4 ,see ver4 #ch and note4 ,but it is not equivalent to a general statement that belief in the divinity of ,jesus ,christ is essential to salvation4 ,it was addressed to men who had abundant reason to believe that ,christ was the divine ,messiah of prophecy1 and who were wilfully ignorant of the truth4 ,we must not give the words any wider application than our ,lord gave to them himself4 ,to reject ,christ is fatal2 to be ignorant of him is not4 #be ,then said they unto him1 ,who art thou8 ,and ,jesus saith unto them1 ,even the same that ,i said unto you from the beginning4 #be4 ,who art thou8 ,a question asked possibly partly in perplexity and partly in scorn1 but more for the purpose of evoking an answer which would give them a point for an attack upon ,christ4--,even the same that ,i said unto you from the beginning4 ,the grammatical difficulties in the correct rendition of this passage are almost insuperable1 and no two scholars give exactly the same shade of meaning to it1 while none of the interpretations afforded are altogether satisfactory1 even to the interpreter4 ,the principal interpretations are3 7#a7 ,what ,i from the beginning am teaching you8 do you ask that8 ,an interrogative expression of surprise4 ,according to this view ,christ does not answer the question at all4 7#b7 ,why indeed do ,i still speak to you at all8 ,a language of reproach4 7#c7 ,even the same that ,i said unto you from the beginning1 the rendering of our ,english version4 7#d7 ,essentially that which also ,i discourse to you2 i4 e41 ,you are to ascertain my nature by a study of my discourses4 ,neither one of these interpretations1 it will be seen1 affords a direct answer to the question4 #bf ,i have many things to say and to judge of you3 but#cbg he that sent me is true2 and ,i speak to the world those things which ,i have heard of him4 #cbg ch4 #g3bh4 #bg ,they understood not that he spake to them of the ,father4 #bf1 #bg4 ,many things ,i have which ,i might say1 and many sentences which ,i might pronounce concerning you4 ,the meaning and the connection is obscure1 and the translation which ,i have given is not so literal as that of the ,english version4 ,but ,christ elsewhere declares that he has not come to judge the world 7ver4 #ae2 chaps4 #c3ag2 #ab3dg71 and to understand him here to assert the contrary makes his utterances contradictory4 ,moreover1 if we interpret his declaration as the ,english version does1 it is difficult to see any connection with the preceding or the subsequent clause4 ,i understand therefore that he means that he has many things to say1 and many judgments formed in his own mind1 which he might pronounce1 but that he will only speak those things which he has been commissioned by the ,father to speak2 and his commission at this time is not to judge1 but to save the world4--,they understood not that he spake to them of the ,father4 ,strange6 ,less strange1 perhaps1 than it now seems to us1 for we read this discourse in the light of eighteen centuries of ,christianity4 ,so far1 too1 ,christ had not designated by any title the ,one who had sent him4 ,he had veiled his meaning1 as he did in the parables1 that he might not be fully understood at once2 for he could hope to get lodgment for the truth only by gradually unfolding it4 8,there is no accounting for the ignorance of unbelief as any minister of ,christ knows by painful experience40--7,alford47 #bh ,then said ,jesus unto them1 ,when ye have lifted up#cbh the ,son of man1 then shall ye know that ,i am he1 and that ,i do nothing of myself2 but as my ,father hath taught me1 ,i speak these things4 #cbh chaps4 #c3ad2 #ab3cb4 #bi ,and he that sent me is with me3 the ,father hath not left me alone2 for ,i do always those things that please him4 #cj ,as he spake these words1 many#cbi believed on him4 #cbi ch4 #aj3db4 #bh-cj4 ,when ye have lifted up the ,son of man4 ,the phrase ,son of man was used by the rabbis1 who borrowed it from ,david1 for the ,messiah 7see ,matt4 #aj3bc1 note74 ,the ,greek verb here rendered lifted up 77 is used by ,john only with reference to the crucifixion 7chaps4 #c3ad2 #h3bh2 #ab3cb1 #cd71 but everywhere else in the ,n4 ,t4 is used in the sense of exalted1 and is so translated except in ,james #d3aj4 ,see ,matt4 #aa3bc2 ,luke #a3eb2 ,acts #b3cc2 #e3ca1 etc4 ,this fact is of itself an indication that ,john's ,gospel was written after the cross had been seen to be the means by which ,christ was himself exalted1 his glory1 not his shame4 ,it is the cross which has led to his recognition among men as the ,son of ,god 7,mark #ae3ci2 #a ,cor4 #a3bc1 #bd72 to his exaltation by the ,father 7,phil4 #b3h-aj72 to his adoration in heaven 7,rev4 #e3ab74--,ye shall know that ,i am4 ,see on ver4 #bd4 ,the passion and death of ,christ is the attestation of his divinity 7,mark #ae3ci74--;,i do nothing of myself2 but as the ,father hath taught me ,i speak these things4 ,in ,christ's time the things done1 i4 e41 the miracles1 were recognized as signs of divine presence and power2 more and more the words spoken are recognized as still greater signs of the divine presence and power4 ,the word is more than the external work1 the truth is greater than the miracle4--,he that sent me is with me4 ,the ,son is a manifestation of the ,father1 because the ,father is ever in and working and speaking through the ,son4 ,he is not merely an ambassador sent by1 he is a tabernacle in which dwells1 the ,eternal ,king4 ,so ,christ1 who sends forth his disciples 7ch4 #ag3ah71 is ever with them 7ch4 #ad3ag1 #bc2 ,matt4 #bh3bj74--,the ,father hath not left me alone2 for ,i do those things that please him always4 ,always is emphatic4 ,in this uniformity of obedience to the ,father's will is the secret of the abiding of his presence2 it is true for us1 as for ,christ1 that doing the ,father's pleasure secures the divine fellowship 7chaps4 #ad3ba2 #ae3aj74--,many believed on him4 ,comp4 ch4 #ab3db4 ,faith1 like knowledge1 is of different degrees1 and the quality of this faith is not indicated4 ,it may have been like the seed received on stony places 7,matt4 #ac3bj1 #ba74 ,but beware of understanding here1 or anywhere1 by this phrase a mere intellectual belief in ,christ as either ,rabbi1 ,prophet1 or ,messiah4 ,to believe on always signifies an emotion or heart action4 8,our ,lord's words did not appeal to the understanding2 they were not argumentative2 we cannot account for their influence by any processes of logic4 ,so far as we can judge from a very simple statement1 they went straight to the heart2 the faith which they called forth was a faith of the heart40--7,maurice47 #ca ,then said ,jesus to those ,jews which believed on him1 ,if ye continue#ccj in my word1 then are ye my disciples indeed2 #ccj ,rom4 #b3g2 ,col4 #a3bc2 ,heb4 #aj3ch1 #ci4 #cb ,and ye shall know#cca the truth1 and the truth shall make you free4#ccb #cca ,hos4 #f3c4 #ccb ch4 #ag3ag2 ,ps4 #aai3de2 ,rom4 #f3ad1 #ah1 #bb2 ,james #a3be2 #b3ab4 #cc ,they answered him1 ,we be ,abraham's seed1 and were never in#ccc bondage to any man3 how sayest thou1 ,ye shall be made free8 #ccc ,lev4 #be3db4 #ca-cc4 ,if ye continue in my word1 then are ye my disciples indeed4 ,a promise and a condition4 ,the thing promised is discipleship4 8,they should be--what8 ,saints8 divines8 doctors8 ,no2 but what is much better than any of the three--what all the three should wish to be raised into--disciples4 ,they will then be learners1 learners sitting continually at the feet of the true ,teacher40--7,maurice47 ,the theology of ,christ is a progressive theology2 the promise to his followers is not that they shall be learned1 acquiring the truth once for all1 but learners1 ever acquiring it more and more4 ,this promise is conditioned on--what8 ,receiving his word8 defending his word8 ,no2 but abiding in his word1 i4 e41 living1 moving1 and having their being in it4 ,the word of ,christ cannot be accepted once for all2 the soul1 to be nourished on it1 must abide in it1 as the body abides in and is nourished by the atmosphere 7comp4 chaps4 #e3ch2 #f3ef2 #ae3d-aj2 #a ,john #b3f1 #aj1 #ad1 etc42 #c3f74 ,to be ,christ's disciples indeed1 we must continue 7,matt4 #ac3bj1 #ba2 ,john #f3ff2 ,col4 #a3bc2 ,heb4 #aj3ch2 ,rev4 #b3g-aa1 #ag7 in 7,john #ae3a-g2 ,rom4 #h3i2 ,gal4 #b3bj2 ,col4 #a3bg7 the word of ,christ 7,matt4 #aa3bi1 #cj2 #a ,cor4 #c3aa2 ,gal4 #a3h74--;,and ye shall know the truth4 ,living according to the word of ,christ is the condition precedent to a true apprehension of the truth4 ,christ teaches that life precedes creed2 the church has too often reversed this1 making the creed precede life4 ,but a creed that does not grow out of spiritual experience is dead4 ,there is no virtue in the doctrine of native depravity except as an outgrowth of personal humility2 nor in belief in a personal ,god1 except as it is rooted in a living experience of faith in him4--,and the truth shall make you free4 ,this1 too1 the church has often reversed1 bringing men into bondage unto a creed1 instead of using the creed as an instrument to enlarge their intellectual independence4--,we be ,abraham's seed1 and were never in bondage to any one4 ,this is the language of pride1 and it is not more true than the language of pride is ordinarily4 ,politically the nation had been in bondage to ,babylon1 ,persia1 ,greece1 ,rome4 ,spiritually it had been in bondage to idolatries in past times1 e4 g41 the reign of ,manasseh1 and was now in bondage to the rabbis1 literalists in interpretation1 and without spirituality or sympathy 7,matt4 #bc3d74 ,christ1 however1 rarely enters into argument2 he makes no attempt to refute their statement1 pays no heed to their interruption1 but goes on with his discourse4 #cd ,jesus answered them1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,whosoever#ccd committeth sin is the servant of sin4 #ccd ,rom4 #f3af1 #bj2 #b ,pet4 #b3ai4 #ce ,and the servant#cce abideth not in the house for ever3 but the ,son abideth ever4 #cce ,gal4 #d3cj4 #cf ,if#ccf the ,son therefore shall make you free1 ye#ccg shall be free indeed4 #ccf ,isa4 #fa3a4 #ccg ,rom4 #h3b2 ,gal4 #e3a4 #cd-cf4 ,whosoever committeth sin 7lives in the commission of sin7 is the slave 7not servant7 of sin4 ,he is in bondage to sin4 ,for action forms habit1 and habit becomes second nature4 ,thus every sinful act tends to bring the soul into bondage to the law of evil habit4 ,striking illustrations of this law of human nature are afforded by self-indulgence in appetite2 but the same principle is involved in all evil-doing--it tends to fasten evil habits on the soul4 ,see ,rom4 #f3af-ah2 #g3i-bd4 ,and this law belongs to human nature2 it is equally operative in ,jew and ,gentile1 in church-member and in man of the world4 ,every sin helps to weld a chain4--,the slave abideth not in the house forever1 but the ,son abideth ever4 ,the language is parabolic2 the meaning seems to me to be this3 ,the world is in bondage2 it seems to be under ,satan2 his promise to ,christ1 8,all these things will ,i give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me10 appears not like a vain promise4 ,but this bondage is short-lived4 ,the kingdoms of the world are in truth the kingdoms of the ,lord and of his ,christ4 ,he shall reign forever and forever 7,rev4 #aa3ae74 ,he1 therefore1 who yields to the yoke of bondage by conforming to the world gets only a brief advantage1 for the period of bondage to sin and ,satan will soon be over4 ,he that accepts ,christ as his ,lord1 and acknowledges allegiance to him1 will have an eternal freedom in the house which ,god has built1 and over which ,christ is to have eternal rule 7,heb4 #c3b-f74 ,the world is ,god's house1 not ,satan's4--,if the ,son therefore shall make you free4 ,from past penalty1 by himself bearing it for us2 from the bondage of sin1 by giving us power to become the sons of ,god2 from the law1 by imparting to us a new spiritual life4 ,see ,paul's ,epistle to the ,galatians1 especially chaps4 #d and #e1 which may be regarded as his sermon on this text4--,ye shall be free indeed4 ,made free by the truth 7ver4 #cb7 as it is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,for freedom is not independence of all law--that never is and never can be2 ,god himself is not thus free2 it is the comprehension and the right use of law4 ,we are free when we perfectly comprehend the laws of nature1 i4 e41 of ,god1 perfectly and cheerfully comply with them1 and so know how to get the advantage and profit of them4 ,all progress in material civilization has been attained by increasing knowledge of the divine laws1 and consequently an increased use of them4 ,we have yet to learn the gain that there is in a similar comprehension of and obedience to the intellectual and the spiritual laws of the universe4 ,thus it is that the truth makes free 7ver4 #cb74 #cg ,i know that ye are ,abraham's seed3 but ye seek to kill me1 because my word hath no place in you4 #ch ,i#cch speak that which ,i have seen with my ,father3 and ye do that which ye have seen with your father4 #cch ch4 #ad3aj1 #bd4 #cg1 #ch4 ,i know that ye are ,abraham's seed4 ,not equivalent to ,i know that ye regard yourselves as ,abraham's seed4 ,the reference is to the covenant with ,abraham 7,gen4 #ab3a-c2 #ag3d-h71 which involved a promise of divine protection and blessing to the nation4 ,the ,pharisees adhere to the idea of political freedom4 ,christ assents to their declaration that they are the seed referred to in that covenant1 but returns to the spiritual idea which underlies his discourse1 and emphasizes the extent to which1 in character1 they have wandered from the pattern set by ,abraham4--,nevertheless 71 notwithstanding you are ,abraham's seed7 ye seek to kill me 7chaps4 #g3a1 #ai1 #cb2 #h3ei2 #aj3ca1 #ci74 ,to whom were these words spoken8--to the believing ,judeans mentioned in ver4 #cj1 or to enemies8 ,the true answer is that believers and unbelievers were intermixed in the crowd1 and that it is as little possible for the reader now as it would have been for the observer then to distinguish between them4--,because my word makes no progress in you4 ,they heard it--nay1 crowded round him to hear it1 were willing and interested listeners4 ,but the truth did not get entrance into their hearts1 nor permeate their character4 ,it was not like the leaven hid in three measures of meal4 ,they were thus a type of many modern hearers who listen to the truth1 but in whom the truth does not work4 ,the words rendered hath no place 7 7 signify1 literally1 does not work1 spread1 go forward4--,i do that which ,i have seen with my ,father1 and ye do that which ye have heard with your father 71 heard1 not 1 seen1 is the better reading74 ,christ approaches a truth whose depths1 in our ignorance of the spirit world1 we cannot sound4 ,this is that every soul draws its inspiration from an invisible world--either belongs to the kingdom of light and is taught of ,god1 or belongs to the kingdom of darkness and is taught of evil spirits4 ,the unseen companions of the soul are the most influential4 ,demoniacal possession is only an exceptional fruitage of a universal demoniacal inspiration4 ,see below1 on ver4 #dd4 #ci ,they answered and said unto him1 ,abraham#cci is our father4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,if#cdj ye were ,abraham's children1 ye would do the works of ,abraham4 #cci ,matt4 #c3i4 #cdj ,rom4 #b3bh1 #bi2 #i3g2 ,gal4 #c3g1 #bi4 #dj ,but now ye seek to kill me1 a man that hath told you the truth1 which ,i have heard of ,god3 this#cda did not ,abraham4 #cda ,rom4 #d3ab4 #ci1 #dj4 ,abraham is our father4 ,they recognize1 as we all recognize1 that there is a source from which are drawn the ideas and the influences which mould our character4 ,this fountain is1 according to their conception1 ,abrahamic4 ,it is true that character is moulded by national influences2 but these are not the profoundest nor the most potent4--,if ye were ,abraham's children ye would do the works of ,abraham4 ,seed they are1 children they are not4 ,descendants8 yes6 disciples8 no6 ,they do not do that which they have heard from ,abraham4 ,we are the children of a noble ancestry1 the ,reformers1 the ,puritans1 and the like1 only as we show their spirit in dealing with the men and the problems of our own time4--,this did not ,abraham4 ,called of ,god to leave his country1 and his kindred1 and his father's house1 he did not resist1 but left all to go out1 not knowing whither he went4 ,abraham obeyed the divine message2 the seed of ,abraham would kill the divine messenger4 #da ,ye do the deeds of your father4 ,then said they to him1 ,we be not born of fornication2 we#cdb have one ,father1 even ,god4 #cdb ,isa4 #fc3af2 #fd3h4 #db ,jesus said unto them1 ,if#cdc ,god were your ,father1 ye would love me3 for ,i proceeded forth and came from ,god2 neither came ,i of myself1 but#cdd he sent me4 #cdc ,mal4 #a3f2 #a ,john #e3a4 #cdd ch4 #ag3h1 #be4 #da1 #db4 ,ye do the deeds of your father4 ,a generic truth2 the spiritual paternity of any soul may be known by its deeds2 the source of its life is witnessed by the life itself4--,we be not born of fornication4 ,it is a ,jewish legend to this day that ,jesus was born of adultery4 ,this is the ,jewish explanation of his premarital birth4 ,i believe that this legend had been invented in ,christ's own time to account for his supernatural birth1 and that the expression here is a scornful allusion to this dishonoring report4 ,this1 at least1 though ,i do not find it suggested by any of the commentaries1 seems to me the most natural explanation of the language of the ,pharisees1 which has given the scholars no little difficulty4 ,other explanations suggested--e4 g41 that ,sarah was not an adulteress1 and therefore the ,jews were certainly children of ,abraham 7,meyer71 or that1 unlike the ,samaritans1 there was no taint of heathen blood in their veins 7,alford1 ,godet7--seem to me unnatural and far-fetched1 and are apparently not very satisfactory even to those who suggest them4--,we have one ,father1 even ,god4 ,they abandon their claim to have derived their life from ,abraham1 and substitute a claim to derive it from the ,god of ,abraham4 ,or we may suppose that1 the first interlocutors being silenced1 others make this assertion4--,if ,god were your ,father ye would love me4 ,the practical and present application is that every soul whose life is truly rooted in ,god will be drawn toward ,christ by spiritual sympathy4--,for ,i came forth and am here from ,god4 ,the first verb 77 indicates ,christ's coming forth from the glory which ,christ had with the ,father from the beginning of the world 7,john #ag3e72 the second verb 71 present formed from a perfect7 indicates the perpetual presence of the ,father with ,christ1 and ,christ's continuous manifestation of the ,father to the world4--,neither came ,i of myself4 ,therefore that phase of theology which represents the ,son as interceding to make a just ,god merciful1 and thus induce him to forgive the sinful1 is thoroughly false4 ,the mercy of ,christ originated with the ,father2 the mission of ,christ was wrought out by the ,father4 ,christ came not of his own will1 but of the ,father's4 ,see chaps4 #c3af1 note2 #f3ch1 note4 #dc ,why do ye not understand my speech8 even because ye cannot hear my#cde word4 #cde ,isa4 #f3i4 #dd ,ye#cdf are of your father the devil1 and the lusts of your father ye will do4 ,he was a murderer from the beginning1 and abode#cdg not in the truth1 because there is no truth in him4 ,when he speaketh a lie1 he speaketh of his own3 for he is a liar1 and the father of it4 #cdf ,matt4 #ac3ch2 #a ,john #c3h4 #cdg ,jude #f4 #dc1 #dd4 ,why do ye not understand my speech8 ,he has thus far spoken parabolically1 as though reluctant to characterize them openly as children of the devil4 ,he now abandons the dark saying1 and speaks plainly4--,even because ye cannot hear my word4 ,word is the doctrine taught1 speech is the form in which it is clothed2 to hear is to receive with the heart1 as in ,matt4 #ac3af1 #bj2 ,john #e3bd2 #h3dg1 etc42 to understand is to comprehend intellectually4 ,the implication then is that he who is unwilling to receive and act upon the doctrine of ,christ in his heart and life cannot comprehend the forms in which it is couched4 ,the declaration is thus the converse of ch4 #g3ag4--,ye are from your father the devil4 ,god is the ,father of ,christ1 and of all those who through faith in ,christ are born again2 they become by adoption his children 7,rom4 #h3ae-ag71 are sent into the world by their ,father 7ch4 #ag3ah71 and manifest their ,father unto the world 7,phil4 #b3ae74 ,in like manner they that resist the truth are children1 by their own choice1 of the devil1 commissioned by him1 serving him1 and manifesting his spirit1 in their selfishness1 cupidity1 malice1 and all uncharitableness4 ,in each case the soul derives its spirit from its own chosen father4 ,the whole contrast would be almost meaningless if by the devil ,christ understood only a poetic personification of evil in human nature4 ,there are two households1 one of ,god1 the other of ,satan2 two churches1 one of truth and love1 the other of falsehood and malignity4 8,this verse is one of the most decisive testimonies for the objective personality of the devil4 ,it is quite impossible to suppose an accommodation to ,jewish views1 or a metaphorical form of speech1 in so solemn and direct an assertion as this40--7,alford47-- ,the will 7lusts is too narrow a word2 the original signifies earnest desire1 but generally of a bad sort7 of your father ye are determined to do4 ,literally1 will to do4 ,resolute determination to evil is clearly indicated by the form of the sentence 7 74 ,the language of ,christ here1 therefore1 does not apply to sins of ignorance and inattention4 ,he is speaking to wilful opposers of the truth4--,he was a murderer from the beginning4 ,not because he inspired ,cain's murder of his brother ,abel1 but because1 from the very outset1 he endeavored to seduce into disobedience1 and so to destroy1 the human race4 ,his declaration 8,ye shall not surely die0 7,gen4 #c3d7 was not merely a lie1 but a lie having for its object the death of mankind4--,stood not in the truth4 ,it seems to me that there is here a reference to the fall of the devil4 ,so ,augustine and the ,roman ,catholic commentators generally2 contra1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 and the moderns4 ,satan was in a high position1 but he did not stand1 because truth was not his foundation1 and--,because truth is not in him4 ,no definite article is appended to truth here4 ,satan did not stand on the truth of ,god1 because in him1 in his inner character1 truth found no place4 ,we can only stand by the truth when truth is in our inward parts 7,ps4 #ea3f71 i4 e41 in our desires and our affections4 ,the truth must be in us to be under us4--,he speaketh of his own4 ,out of 77 his own treasury of evil things4 ,so the evil man1 out of the evil treasure1 bringeth forth evil things 7,matt4 #ab3ce74--;,for he is a liar1 and the father of it4 ,or of him2 either the father of lying or the father of the liar4 ,either rendering is grammatically possible4 ,the latter better fits the context4 #de ,and because#cdh ,i tell you the truth1 ye believe me not4 #cdh ,gal4 #d3af2 #b ,thess4 #b3aj4 #df ,which of you convinceth#cdi me of sin8 ,and if ,i say the truth1 why do ye not believe me8 #cdi ,heb4 #d3ae4 #dg ,he that is of ,god heareth ,god's words3 ye therefore hear them not1 because ye are not of ,god4 #de-dg4 ,but because ,i tell you the truth ye believe me not4 8,a thoroughly tragical because2 it has its ground in the alien character of the relation between that which ,jesus speaks and their devilish nature1 to which latter a lie alone corresponds40--7,meyer47 ,truth has not always its evidence in human nature2 for human nature may be so warped as to be more ready to believe a lie than the truth 7,rom4 #a3ba2 ,ephes4 #d3ah2 #b ,thess4 #b3aa74 ,if ,christ had told a lie they would have believed him1 just as many of those who now rejected him did subsequently believe the false ,christs of a later date4--,which of you convinceth me of sin4 ,not of error 7,calvin71 but of sin 7,alford1 ,godet1 ,meyer74 ,indeed1 error in ,christ's teaching in this matter would be sin2 for if his declaration respecting himself1 that he came not from the earth but from above1 from the ,father1 and was the long-anticipated ,messiah1 was not true1 it would have been false and fraudulent--not merely a mistake1 but a lie4 ,by this question he asserts1 by implication1 his sinlessness2 he defies his opponents to point out a single sin in his life1 a single flaw in his character4 ,and they were speechless1 as scepticism has been ever since1 before his incomparable character4 ,the argument is this3 ,if ,i am not the ,son of ,god1 find out some human defect that indicates a human origin and kinship4 ,and this has never been done4 ,i imagine a pause1 a moment's expressive silence1 no answer from the ,pharisees1 and then the crushing words that follow1 calmly uttered3--,if ,i say the truth1 why do ye not believe8--,he that is of ,god--as the ,pharisees had claimed to be 7ver4 #da7--;heareth 7receiveth7 ,god's words2 ye therefore hear them not1 because ye are not of ,god4 ,this is ,christ's method with deists4 ,point out a single flaw in his stainless character4 ,you cannot8 ,then at least listen with reverent attention to the words of the sinless man4 ,to refuse a hearing to such an one demonstrates hostility to purity and truth1 and so to ,god4 #dh ,then answered the ,jews1 and said unto him1 ,say we not well that thou art a ,samaritan1 and#cej hast a devil8 #cej ch4 #g3bj4 #di ,jesus answered1 ,i have not a devil2 but ,i honour my ,father1 and ye do dishonour me4 #ej ,and ,i#cea seek not mine own glory3 there is one that seeketh and judgeth4 #cea ch4 #e3da4 #dh-ej4 ,say we not well thou art a ,samaritan and hast an evil spirit8 ,the ,jews take to the common resort of men silenced and convinced against their will2 they reply to argument by calling names4 ,devil is an unfortunate translation1 giving the ,english reader the impression that they use the same word which ,christ has used in ver4 #dd4 ,their word is demon 771 and signifies primarily1 in classic usage1 a tutelary demon or genius2 in ,n4 ,t4 usage1 an evil spirit4 ,these spirits are represented as fallen angels 7#b ,pet4 #b3d2 ,jude #f71 subject to ,satan 7,matt4 #i3cd2 #be3da2 #b ,cor4 #ab3g2 ,rev4 #ab3i71 possessing the power of working miracles 7,rev4 #af3ad71 dwelling in the idols of the heathen and uttering the heathen responses and oracles 7,acts #af3ag2 #a ,cor4 #aj3bj2 ,rev4 #i3bj71 and the authors of evil to mankind 7#b ,cor4 #ab3g2 #a ,tim4 #d3a74 ,see ,rob4 ,lex41 art4 4 ,the charge had before been made by the ,pharisees that ,christ cast out devils by ,beelzebub the prince of devils 7,matt4 #ab3bd74 ,it is not necessary to trace any connection between the two epithets a ,samaritan and possessing a demon4 ,passion is never coherent4 ,the language is wild1 bitter1 passionate1 but illogical and inconsequential4--,i have not a devil 99 99 99 99 ye do dishonor me4 ,he passes by the charge of being a ,samaritan in silence1 for the author of the parable of the ,good ,samaritan refuses to recognize opprobrium in it2 he calmly denies the charge of having a demon1 and declares that by the discourses which they attribute to a demon he honors the ,father1 while they dishonor him4 ,peter's declaration 7#a ,pet4 #b3bc71 8,who1 when he was reviled1 reviled not again1 but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously10 is illustrated by ,christ's response here4 ,contrast his indignation at the wrong done to others 7,matt4 #bc3ad1 #ae1 #bc1 etc47 with his mildness when wrong is done to himself4 ,and the next verse gives the secret reason of his calmness4--,i am not seeking my own glory4 ,therefore he is comparatively indifferent to public abuse and dishonor4--,there is one who seeks and judges4 ,because ,god cares for the honor of his children1 they can well be unconcerned respecting it2 because ,god judges them righteously1 they can well disregard the unrighteous judgments of men4 #ea ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,if a man keep my saying1 he shall never see death4 #ea4 ,verily1 verily4 ,with ,calvin and ,godet1 ,i regard ,christ's discourse to his opponents as ended with the preceding verse4 ,recognizing the fact that some of his auditors have been inclined toward him1 though with but a feeble faith1 he addresses them in the words that follow1 that he may strengthen their faith4 ,the connection which ,alford and ,meyer endeavor to trace between this and the preceding verse ,i cannot perceive3 e4 g41 8,ye are now the children of the devil2 but if ye keep my word ye shall be rescued from that murderer40--7,alford47 ,the very words with which ,christ begins the sentence1 8,verily1 verily0 71 7 indicate a new topic4--,if any one4 ,emphasis is put on the pronoun4 ,the promise is universal2 it embraces ,jew and ,gentile4--,keep my word4 ,keep1 as a guard his prisoner1 with watchfulness 7,matt4 #ai3ag1 note71 against all seductions and assaults2 ,christ's word1 that which he had taught1 and therefore pre-eminently that faith in him as a divine ,saviour which had been the pre-eminent theme of his teaching4 ,we are to keep not merely the sayings in memory1 or the teaching in the heart1 but1 with sentiments of reverence and affection1 the truth in our life1 both in the inward experience and in the outward conduct4--,shall not see death for ever4 ,not1 ,shall not see eternal death1 but1 ,shall never see death4 8,the death of the body is not reckoned as death1 any more than the life of the body is life1 in our ,lord's discourses4 ,see ch4 #aa3be1 #bf40--7;,alford47 ,christ puts himself in contrast with the devil1 whose slaves1 by evil-doing1 the ,jews have become 7ver4 #cd74 ,the devil is a murderer1 a life-taker 7ver4 #dd72 ,christ is a life-giver1 even to those that are dead in trespasses and sins 7,ephes4 #b3a74 #eb ,then said the ,jews unto him1 ,now we know that thou hast a devil4 ,abraham is dead1#ceb and the prophets2 and thou sayest1 ,if a man keep my saying1 he shall never taste of death4 #ceb ,zech4 #a3e4 #ec ,art thou greater than our father ,abraham1 which is dead8 and the prophets are dead3 whom makest thou thyself8 #eb1 #ec4 ,the ,judeans4 ,not the believers of ver4 #cj4 ,the opponents of ,christ reply to words which were not addressed to them4--,abraham is dead4 99 99 99 99 --,art thou greater than our father ,abraham8 99 99 99 ,whom makest thou thyself8 ,their argument is1 as ,chrysostom interprets it3 8,they who have heard the word of ,god are dead1 and shall they who have heard thee not die80 ,their perplexity was real1 for the unspiritual never comprehend either spiritual natures or spiritual teaching4 ,they are literalists1 and understand ,jesus to speak of natural death4 ,they are dull and will not comprehend his declaration that he is the ,messiah in hope of whom ,abraham and the prophets had lived4 ,compare with their question here that of the ,samaritan woman 7ch4 #d3ab71 8,art thou greater than our father ,jacob80 but contrast their spirit with hers4 ,she is in doubt2 they are scornful4 ,see also ,christ's declaration in ,matt4 #ab3db1 8,behold1 a greater than ,solomon is here40 #ed ,jesus answered1 ,if#cec ,i honour myself1 my honour is nothing3 it is my ,father#ced that honoureth me2 of whom ye say1 that he is your ,god3 #cec ch4 #e3ca1 #da4 #ced ch4 #ag3a4 #ee ,yet ye have not known him2 but ,i know him3 and if ,i should say1 ,i know him not1 ,i shall be a liar like unto you3 but ,i know him1 and keep his saying4 #ef ,your father ,abraham rejoiced to see my day3 and he#cee saw it1 and was glad4 #cee ,gen4 #bb3ac1 #ad2 ,heb4 #aa3ac4 #ed-ef4 ,if ,i glorify myself my glory is nothing4 ,to honor or glorify 77 is to attribute honor1 generally by words4 ,christ's reply to the question1 ,whom makest thou thyself8 is that he makes nothing of himself2 he leaves others to interpret his character from his life and teachings4 ,and this is singularly true2 ,christ is to each soul what its spiritual sight is able to discern in him4 ,he does not declare himself4--,it is my ,father that glorifieth me4 ,he leaves his reputation in the hands of his ,father1 an example to his followers when belied and misrepresented4 ,see on ver4 #ah4--,ye have never learned him1 but ,i know him4 ,there is a double contrast in the two verbs 7 and 71 the one signifying acquired1 the other direct intuitive knowledge2 and in the tenses1 the one signifying a past act1 never have known1 the other a perpetually present possession1 ,i always know4 ,the sense may be expressed3 ,ye have never acquired any knowledge of ,god1 but ,i am always in fellowship with him4--,i should be a liar like unto you4 ,to boast of one's spiritual experience is to glorify one's self2 such glory is nothing4 ,to deny it1 under pretence of humility1 is to become a liar4 ,there may be hypocrisy in disavowing the sense of ,god's presence and love1 as well as in falsely pretending to it4 ,the true method is that of ,christ1 who showed it by his life1 not by his professions4--,your father ,abraham exulted that he might see my day 7i4 e41 that it was promised to him72 and he has seen it and was glad4 ,there is some difficulty in the interpretation of this passage1 to which ,i have given a literal translation4 ,some scholars regard it as wholly prophetical1 8,abraham rejoiced in anticipation of ,christ's advent20 others as historical but typical1 8,he rejoiced1 seeing in the birth of ,isaac a type of the advent of the ,messiah10 and they even suppose that ,christ refers to ,abraham's laughter 7,gen4 #ag3ag72 still others interpret it as partly prophetic and partly historical1 8,he rejoiced in anticipation of the promised advent2 he has since seen it from his home in paradise1 and was glad40 ,the latter view seems to me best to accord with the original and with the context4 ,so ,godet1 ,meyer1 ,alford4 ,for a statement of different views1 see ,meyer4 ,the declaration is responsive to the question1 ,art thou greater than our father ,abraham8 ,the answer is1 ,your father ,abraham rejoiced because he was promised that he should see my advent1 and the realization of his hope has given him new joy in the heavenly kingdom4 ,if this interpretation be correct1 the language incidentally confirms the doctrine that the saints in heaven are cognizant of what passes upon earth4 #eg ,then said the ,jews unto him1 ,thou art not yet fifty years old1 and hast thou seen ,abraham8 #eh ,jesus said unto them1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,before ,abraham was1 ,i#cef am4 #cef ch4 #a3a1 #b2 ,exod4 #c3ad2 ,isa4 #dc3ac2 ,col4 #a3ag2 ,rev4 #a3h4 #ei ,then took they up stones to cast at him3 but ,jesus hid himself1 and went out of the temple1 going through the midst of them1 and so passed by4 #eg-ei4 ,the ,judeans therefore said to him1 ,thou art not yet fifty years old4 ,no indication of his actual age4 ,the fifty years was specified because this was the age of a perfected maturity1 according to ,jewish notions 7,numb4 #d3c1 #ci2 #h3bd--,lightfoot74--,and hast thou seen ,abraham8 ,he did not say that he had1 but that ,abraham had seen him4 ,they pervert his words1 partly through stupidity1 partly through wilfulness4--,verily1 verily4 ,the precursor of a specially solemn declaration4--,before ,abraham was born1 ,i am 7-74 ,two ,socinian explanations are afforded of this passage3 7#a7 ,before ,abraham was born ,i 7,christ7 existed in the divine counsels1 i4 e4 ,i was purposed by ,god and foretold by him2 7#b7 ,before ,abram can become ,abraham1 a spiritual father of nations1 ,i 7,christ7 must be sent forth as the ,messiah4 ,they both seem to me to be shifts devised to accommodate ,scripture to a theological preconception4 ,all independent ,greek scholars 7,meyer1 ,luthardt1 ,alford1 ,godet1 ,tholuck1 etc47 agree substantially in their interpretation of the language4 ,its meaning is made clear by a consideration of the original ,greek1 in which the contrast is strongly marked between ,abraham1 who began to be1 and ,christ1 who eternally is2 by the context1 in which the pre-eminence of ,christ above ,abraham is clearly implied2 by the unexpressed but hardly doubtful reference to the appellation given by the ,o4 ,t4 to ,jehovah as the ,i ,,am 7,exod4 #c3ad2 comp4 ,matt4 #ad3bg2 ,mark #f3ej2 #ad3fb2 ,john #h3bd1 #be72 and by the interpretation which was put upon ,christ's words by his auditors1 who understood them as a claim of divinity1 and took up stones to stone him as a blasphemer4 ,christ1 then1 by these words1 as ,i understand him1 identifies himself1 as the ,n4 ,t4 manifestation of the unseen ,god1 with the ,i ,,am of the ,o4 ,t41 the ,one who had manifested the ,invisible to ,israel in all their history4--,then took they up stones to cast at him4 ,the building of the temple was still going on1 and stones were probably lying about in the temple court4 ,stoning was the ,o4 ,t4 punishment for blasphemy1 but it could not be lawfully inflicted without trial and judgment4--,jesus hid himself4 ,there is no good ground to suppose any miraculous escape1 either here or in ,luke #d3cj4 ,and there is good reason to believe that there was not a miraculous interposition1 for ,christ never availed himself of any miracle for his own benefit4 ,see ,matt4 #d3f1 note4 ,the clause 8going through the midst of them1 and so passed by10 is wanting in the best ,,mss41 and is omitted by ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,godet1 ,luthardt4 ,the latter traces a curious analogy between this typical expulsion and the final crucifixion of ,christ4 ,he hides himself from the eyes of those whom the ,god of this world has blinded2 he leaves the ,pharisees apparent victors and in possession of the field2 in taking up stones to stone him they show themselves to be murderers at heart1 as they afterward became in outward act4 ,in this discourse1 or these discourses1 for it is not quite clear whether it is one or more1 the connection is sometimes obscure1 and the meaning accordingly difficult4 ,the student must remember 7#a7 that ,christ addresses a very different audience from that in ,galilee4 ,there he spoke to willing but ignorant disciples2 in ,jerusalem he speaks to obstinate and perverse enemies4 7#b7 ,hence the difference in spirit4 ,in ,galilee gentleness is predominant1 in ,jerusalem severity4 7#c7 ,the continuity of the discourse is affected by the sudden transitions of feeling in ,christ1 which are great1 as in all natures of deep and ready sympathy4 ,he speaks now with great pathos1 as in the question1 a semi-soliloquy1 ,why do ye not understand my speech8 7ver4 #dc71 then with indignation1 ,ye are of your father the devil 7ver4 #dd72 now with self-abnegation1 ,i judge no man 7ver4 #ae71 ,if ,i honor myself my honor is nothing 7ver4 #ed71 again with divine self-assertion and the power of an unconcealed divinity1 ,i am from above 7ver4 #bc71 ,before ,abraham was ,i am 7ver4 #eh74 7#d7 ,the continuity of his speech is constantly broken in upon by rude interruptions 7verses #ai1 #bb1 #ci1 #da1 #dh1 #eb1 #ec1 #eg71 and by changes in the direction of his discourse1 which is sometimes addressed to his disciples 7ver4 #ca71 and sometimes to his opponents 7verses #db1 #di1 etc474 7#e7 ,nevertheless we may say generally that the discourse embodies ,christ's teaching respecting himself1 and embraces the following points3 ,he is 7a7 the light1 i4 e41 the moral and spiritual illuminator1 of the world 7ver4 #ab72 7b7 superhuman in his origin 7ver4 #bc72 7c7 the manifestation of the ,father1 because the tabernacle 7ch4 #a3ad7 in which the ,father dwells 7ver4 #bi72 7d7 the emancipator of all those that accept and obey the truth as manifested by him 7verses #ca-cf72 7e7 sinless 7ver4 #df72 7f7 the life-giver 7ver4 #ea72 7g7 the great ,i ,,am 7ver4 #eh74 ,to receive the benefit of the light which he confers1 we must follow his example 7ver4 #ab72 to receive the benefit of the freedom he brings1 we must live habitually in the truth which he teaches 7verses #ca1 #cb72 to receive the life which he bestows1 we must be born from above 7ch4 #c3c7 by faith in him as our ,messiah 7ver4 #bd74 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,ch4 #i3a-da4 ,,the ,,healing ,,of ,,the ,,man ,,born ,,blind4--,a ,,miracle ,,of ,,christ ,,attested ,,by ,a ,,judicial ,,investigation4--,a ,,parable ,,of ,,redemption4--,a ,,lesson ,,in ,,faith4 ,see note at ver4 #ch4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,this miracle is reported only by ,john4 ,there is nothing peculiar in this1 since ,john alone reports ,christ's ,judean ministry1 in which it occurred4 ,the place was ,jerusalem2 the time is uncertain2 it was on a ,sabbath 7ver4 #ad71 in the fall of ,a4 ,d4 #bi 7,vol4 ,i1 p4 #de71 between the feast of ,tabernacles in ,october 7ch4 #g3b7 and the feast of ,dedication in ,december 7ch4 #aj3bb74 ,some identify it with the last day of the former feast 7ch4 #g3cg71 which was a ,sabbath1 supposing ch4 #g3ec to #h3aa to be an interpolation4 ,it is not probable that it occurred at the time which seems to be indicated by its place in the report furnished by the ,evangelists4 ,that ,christ stopped on escaping from a mob who threatened to stone him1 in order to work this miracle1 is not probable2 that under such circumstances his disciples should have asked him the abstruse question of ver4 #b is still more improbable4 ,i put it therefore at some other time in his ,judean ministry1 which lasted a little over two months4 ,see ch4 #g1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,in studying this chapter the student will do well to observe its natural division into three parts3 7#a7 the miracle 7verses #a-g72 7#b7 the investigation 7verses #h-cc72 7#c7 the result 7verses #cd-ch74 #a ,and as ,jesus passed by1 he saw a man which was blind from his birth4 #a4 ,and passing by1 he saw a man blind from birth4 ,to the ordinary reader the connection of this verse with the last verse of the preceding chapter indicates that this miracle was wrought as ,jesus passed from the temple driven by the mob4 ,but the latter clause of that verse is of doubtful authenticity4 ,the phrase 8passing by0 appears to be used here simply to indicate that the miracle of mercy was called forth by the occasion1 not by the blind man's petition nor by any previously formed purpose4 8,it was he who saw the blind man1 not the blind man who came to him2 and so earnestly did he look upon him that even his disciples perceived it40--7,chrysostom47 ,compare this case with that in ,luke #ah3ce-dc4 ,there the blind man appeals to ,christ1 here ,christ heals without being appealed to4 ,there1 in the stillness of the country1 the noise of the multitude awakens the attention of the blind man4 ,here1 in the crowded city1 there is nothing to announce to the blind man a healer until ,christ speaks to him4 ,there1 therefore1 he awaits the petition2 here he does not4 ,congenital blindness is incurable by modern science4 ,how it was known to the ,evangelist that this man was blind from his birth has been questioned4 ,the man appears1 from the following narrative1 to have been a well-known mendicant4 ,perhaps he proclaimed the nature and extent of his misfortune as a means of awakening charity4 #b ,and his disciples asked him1 saying1 ,master1 who did sin1 this man1 or his parents1 that he was born blind8 #b4 ,who did sin8 ,it was not only a ,jewish opinion that such afflictions were a divine punishment for sin1 it is the teaching of experience that special diseases are frequently the natural consequence of sin either in the sufferer or in his ancestry1 and the teaching of ,scripture that all disease1 and even death itself1 is the fruit of sin4 ,this truth ,christ had already recognized in at least two instances 7,mark #b3e2 ,john #e3ad71 and it is enforced both by warnings and by historical illustrations in the ,o4 ,t4 7,lev4 #bf3af2 ,deut4 #bh3bb2 ,numb4 #ab3aj2 #b ,kings #e3bg74 ,the ,jewish error consisted in believing that all special afflictions were divine visitations for special sins 7,job #d3g2 #h3f71 an opinion which was not confined to the ,jews 7,acts #bh3d74 ,this error ,christ here corrects4 ,the form of the disciples' question has given rise to some needless perplexity4 ,how could they1 even in imagination1 attribute a blindness from birth to the blind man's own sin8 ,all such explanations as that some among the ,jews believed in the transmigration of souls and others in a pre-existent state1 and therefore in sins committed in a previous life1 and still others in the possibility of sin committed by the unborn babe in the womb1 a doctrine deduced by the rabbis from such passages as ,gen4 #be3bb and ,psalm #ea3e1 are inadmissible1 because these refinements in theology1 even if actually entertained among the ,jewish rabbis1 certainly were not accepted among the common people1 from whom ,christ drew his disciples4 ,the question appears to be in spirit this3 ,what is the explanation of this man's blindness8 his own sin8 ,that cannot be1 for he was born blind4 ,is he then punished for his parents' sin8 #c ,jesus answered1 ,neither hath this man sinned1 nor his parents3 but that#ceg the works of ,god should be made manifest in him4 #ceg ch4 #aa3d4 #c4 ,neither hath this man sinned1 nor his parents4 ,that is1 his blindness is not a punishment for his or their sin4--,but that the works of ,god should be made manifest in him4 ,manifest to us by his miraculous cure2 but this is not all4 ,the work of ,god is to believe on him whom he hath sent 7ch4 #f3bi71 and to this belief the blind man was brought by his cure 7ver4 #ch74 ,thus the work of ,god was made manifest1 not only through him to us1 but in him4 ,thus ,christ gives the key to the ,christian doctrine of suffering4 ,it is inflicted sometimes as a special punishment for special sins 7see references above71 but more frequently it is a means of grace1 inflicted either that by our endurance we may manifest the grace of ,god to others 7#b ,cor4 #ab3i71 or may be taught of ,god ourselves 7,heb4 #ab3f1 #aa74 ,compare with ,christ's language here his declaration concerning the sickness and death of ,lazarus 7ch4 #aa3d74 #d ,i must work the works of him that sent me1 while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work4 #e ,as long as ,i am in the world1 ,i#ceh am the light of the world4 #ceh chaps4 #a3e1i2 #h3ab2 #ab3ce1 #df4 #d1 #e4 ,while it is day2 the night cometh4 ,the day is life2 the night is death4 ,christ in his human estate was subject to the law under which all his disciples are placed4 ,death cut short his human work4 ,the day for work is short1 the night is at hand2 therefore the greater need of earnest and urgent labor4 ,sleep is a parable of death 7,ps4 #ajd3bc7 that should perpetually remind us that our day is short4--,the light of the world4 ,it was prophesied that the ,messiah should open the eyes of the blind 7,isa4 #bi3ah2 #ce3e2 #db3g74 ,the direct reference is to ,christ's fulfilment of these prophecies 7,luke #d3ah1 #ba74 ,but it is true1 in a larger sense1 that just so far as ,christ is in the world1 and accepted by the world1 he becomes its light1 intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual 7ch4 #a3i1 note74 #f ,when he had thus spoken1 he spat#cei on the ground1 and made clay of the spittle1 and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay1 #cei ,mark #h3bc4 #g ,and said unto him1 ,go1 wash in the pool of ,siloam1#cfj 7which is by interpretation1 ,sent47 ,he#cfa went his way therefore1 and washed1 and came seeing4 #cfj ,neh4 #c3ae4 #cfa #b ,kings #e3ad4 #f1 #g4 ,spat on the ground 99 99 99 99 and he anointed the eyes with the clay4 ,clay and spittle were both believed in ancient times to possess curative properties4 ,why ,christ used them here is a matter only of conjecture4 ,certainly not as remedies1 for one blind from birth could not be cured by a remedy so simple1 and he who healed the blind men at ,jericho by a touch 7,matt4 #bj3cd7 had no need here to resort to other means4 ,not to conceal the miracle1 as may have been the case in analogous instances 7see ,mark #g3cc2 #h3bc1 notes71 for here his object was to manifest the works of ,god1 and the result was a public and protracted investigation of his own character4 ,it is noticeable1 however1 that ,christ never cured without giving the healed something to do1 as a test of his faith and obedience4 ,even in the three cases of raising from the dead he called on the mourners1 to indicate by their obedience to his direction their faith in him 7,matt4 #i3bd1 #be2 ,luke #g3ad2 ,john #aa3ci1 #dj74 ,when he was asked to heal1 the simple request served as an indication of faith2 when1 as here1 he volunteered the cure1 he seems always to have required some act as an evidence of faith4 ,comp4 ch4 #e3f-h4--;,go1 wash in the pool of ,siloam4 ,one of the pools in the vicinity of ,jerusalem1 entitled also ,siloah or ,shiloah 7,neh4 #c3ae2 ,isa4 #h3f74 ,it is identified with a pool or tank still found in the vicinity of ,jerusalem1 which stands to the south of the ,temple mount1 and consists of an oblong tank1 partly hewn out of the rock and partly built of masonry1 measuring about fifty-three feet in length1 eighteen feet in width1 and nineteen feet in depth1 with a flight of steps leading down to the bottom4 ,several columns stand out of the side walls1 extending from the top downward into the reservoir1 the design of which it is now difficult to conjecture4 ,the water passes out of this reservoir through an open channel cut in the rock1 which is covered for a short distance1 and a few yards off is partly dammed up by the people of the adjoining village of ,siloam1 for the purpose of washing their clothes1 and then divided into small streams to irrigate the gardens below4 ,the water flows into this reservoir from an artificial cave or basin under the cliff4 ,this cave is entered by a small archway hewn in the rock4 ,it is irregular in form1 and decreases in size as it proceeds from about fifteen to three feet in height4 ,it is connected with what is known as the ,fountain of the ,virgin by a remarkable conduit cut through the very heart of the rock in a zigzag form1 measuring some seventeen hundred and fifty feet1 while the distance in a straight line is only eleven hundred feet4 ,this remarkable fact was discovered by ,dr4 ,edward ,robinson1 who had the hardihood to crawl through the passage4--,which is by interpretation ,sent4 ,the meaning of this addition has been doubted1 but does not seem to me to be doubtful4 ,the pool1 by its very name1 was a symbol of ,him who was sent into the world to work the works of ,god 7ver4 #d71 and who gives light to the world by providing a fountain in which not only all uncleanness is washed away1 but all ignorance and blindness of heart4--,he went therefore1 etc4 ,compare with the cure of ,naaman 7#b ,kings #e3aa1 #ac71 who was in like manner bid to wash in ,jordan1 and only reluctantly and after angry resistance consented4 ,observe how great the trial to this blind man's faith1 directed to take so considerable a walk1 in his blindness1 as a condition of cure4 ,observe1 too1 in the miracle a parable of redemption4 ,the whole world lieth in darkness from the beginning 7,ps4 #ajg3aj2 ,matt4 #d3af2 #a ,john #e3ai72 ,christ1 the light of the world1 comes to call us out of darkness into marvellous light 7,acts #bf3ah2 #b ,cor4 #d3f2 ,col4 #a3ac2 #a ,pet4 #b3i72 the condition of receiving that light is faith1 exemplified by obedience1 without which the soul remains in darkness 7chaps4 #a3e2 #c3ai72 and he often calls us to prove our faith by walking1 in obedience to his direction1 in the darkness for a while1 in order that we may come into the light 7,mark #h3bb-bf1 notes74 #h ,the neighbours therefore1 and they which before had seen him that he was blind1 said1 ,is not this he that sat and begged8 #i ,some said1 ,this is he3 others said1 ,he is like him3 but he said1 ,i am he4 #h1 #i4 ,the neighbors therefore1 and they which before had seen him that he was a beggar4 ,the best manuscripts have beggar1 not1 as in our ,english version1 blind4 ,so ,alford and ,tischendorf4--,is not this he that sat and begged8 ,apparently he was a well-known beggar1 like the one described in ,acts #c3b1 #aj4 ,comp4 ,luke #ah3ce4 ,he is described as one that sat and begged1 in contrast with such as beg from door to door4 ,beggars of this description having a regular place1 where they may always be found soliciting alms1 are a not uncommon sight in the ,east4--,some said1 ,this is he4 ,others1 ,no6 but he is like him4 ,he himself said1 ,i am he4 ,this is the correct rendering of the best reading2 it varies slightly from our ,english version4 ,his own response seems to have settled the question of his identity among the common people4 ,that some should have at first doubted is not strange1 considering the alterations in appearance made by the clear eye in place of the sightless eyeballs1 and the fact that he was no longer to be found in his accustomed place1 begging4 #aj ,therefore said they unto him1 ,how were thine eyes opened8 #aa ,he answered and said1 ,a man that is called ,jesus made clay1#cfb and anointed mine eyes1 and said unto me1 ,go to the pool of ,siloam1 and wash2 and ,i went and washed1 and ,i received sight4 #cfb verses #f1 #g4 #ab ,then said they unto him1 ,where is he8 ,he said1 ,i know not4 #aj-ab4 ,the first investigation is made informally1 and without prejudice1 by the common people4 ,it is curiosity alone which inquires1 and it is easily convinced of the facts in the case4--,the man's reply to his questioners is more laconic in the original than in our ,english version4 ,it is literally1 8,and going and washing1 ,i saw40 ,it reminds one of ,csar's famous report1 8,i came1 ,i saw1 ,i conquered40 ,the verb rendered ,i saw or ,i received sight 77 is literally1 ,i saw again4 ,sight being the prerogative of humanity1 he speaks as though it were really once his prerogative 7though in fact he never possessed it71 had been lost1 and was now recovered to him again4--,the question1 ,where is he8 appears to be asked1 not in a spirit of enmity1 but simply from a natural curiosity and interest to see him who had wrought the cure4 ,christ's escape from the blind man and the multitude is analogous to his course on other occasions 7comp4 ch4 #e3ac71 and is characteristic of one who ordinarily avoided all occasions of public triumph and enthusiasm 7ch4 #f3ae2 ,matt4 #h3d2 #i3cj2 ,mark #e3dc74 #ac ,they brought to the ,pharisees him that aforetime was blind4 #ac4 ,verses #ac-cd report a semi-official investigation by the ,pharisees1 instigated not by a sincere desire to ascertain the truth1 nor by mere curiosity1 but by a determination to break the force of the miracle that had been wrought4 ,for this purpose they first examine the man 7verses #ae-ag7 and his parents 7#ah-ba71 in hope to prove an imposture2 next they subject the man to a further cross-examination in an unsuccessful endeavor to break down his testimony 7verses #bd-cc72 failing in that1 they do what they can to discredit his testimony by excommunicating him 7ver4 #cd74--,the ,pharisees4 ,it is generally supposed that this phrase indicates the ,jewish court formally assembled1 either the ,sanhedrim1 i4 e41 the supreme court of the nation1 or the lesser ,sanhedrim1 i4 e41 one of the local courts in ,jerusalem4 ,but the passages cited to show that ,john uses the term 8,pharisees0 to designate a court rather indicate the opposite4 ,in both ,john #g3cb1 #de-dg and ,john #aa3df1 #dg1 he distinguishes between the 8chief-priests and ,pharisees0 who constituted the council1 and the ,pharisees who constituted not a body1 but a party4 ,i judge then that the investigation which follows is an informal one4 ,it must be remembered that in that age1 and even to the present time in that country1 no such clear line was drawn as with us between an official and an unofficial trial4 #ad ,and it was the sabbath day when ,jesus made the clay1 and opened his eyes4 #ae ,then again the ,pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight4 ,he said unto them1 ,he put clay upon mine eyes1 and ,i washed1 and do see4 #af ,therefore said some of the ,pharisees1 ,this man is not of ,god1 because he keepeth not the sabbath day4 ,others said1 ,how#cfc can a man that is a sinner do such miracles8 ,and#cfd there was a division among them4 #cfc verse #ca2 ch4 #c3b4 #cfd ch4 #g3ab1 #dc4 #ad-af4 ,the ,sabbath day4 ,for analogous case of ,sabbath healing1 see ch4 #e1 notes4--,then again the ,pharisees also asked him4 ,not that they had asked him before2 the 8again0 refers to the question by the people in ver4 #aj4--,some said 99 99 99 99 ,others said4 ,it is a mistake to suppose that all the ,pharisees were hypocrites4 ,among them were such men as ,nicodemus1 ,joseph of ,arimathea1 ,gamaliel1 ,saul of ,tarsus4 ,see ,matt4 #c3g1 note4 ,but the honest ,pharisees were timid1 and were easily overborne by their opponents4 ,for account of a similar conflict1 see ch4 #g3dg-eb4 ,observe the inherent vice of ,pharisaism1 ancient and modern2 it puts the ceremonial above humanity2 it is of the essence of ,christianity that it regards all ceremonials and observances as for humanity 7,mark #b3bg2 note on ,matt4 #ab3h74 #ag ,they say unto the blind man again1 ,what sayest thou of him1 that he hath opened thine eyes8 ,he said1 ,he is a prophet4#cfe #cfe ch4 #d3ai4 #ah ,but the ,jews did not believe#cff concerning him1 that he had been blind1 and received his sight1 until they called the parents of him that had received his sight4 #cff ,isa4 #bf3aa4 #ai ,and they asked them1 saying1 ,is this your son1 who ye say was born blind8 how then doth he now see8 #bj ,his parents answered them and said1 ,we know that this is our son1 and that he was born blind3 #ba ,but by what means he now seeth1 we know not2 or who hath opened his eyes1 we know not3 he is of age2 ask him3 he shall speak for himself4 #ag-ba4 ,what sayest thou of him because he hath opened thine eyes8 ,they ask for the man's opinion1 each party perhaps hoping to get support for its own views4--,he is a prophet4 ,at first to the blind man ,christ was only 8a man that is called ,jesus0 7ver4 #aa74 ,the discussion has not only deepened1 it has clarified his convictions4--,but the ,jews did not believe 99 99 99 99 until they had called the parents4 ,the ,pharisees make a twofold endeavor to break the force of the miracle1 first by questioning the identity of the man1 second by questioning the method of his cure4--,so they ask the parents if this is their son1 and how he was cured4--,his parents answered them1 etc4 ,the answer of the parents was probably literally true1 but it was evasive4--,their knowledge of the cure was probably derived from their son2 hence they justify themselves in referring the inquirers to him4 ,but duty1 both to truth and to their son1 required that they should have sustained his testimony by their own expressed belief in the miraculous cure4 #bb ,these words spake his parents1 because they#cfg feared the ,jews3 for the ,jews had agreed already1 that if any man did confess that he was ,christ1 he#cfh should be put out of the synagogue4 #cfg chaps4 #g3ac2 #ab3db2 ,prov4 #bi3be4 #cfh verse #cd2 ch4 #af3b4 #bc ,therefore said his parents1 ,he is of age2 ask him4 #bb1 #bc4 ,because they feared the ,jews4 ,the term 8,jews10 as ,john uses it1 generally means the ,judeans1 i4 e41 the inhabitants of ,judea1 as distinguished from the ,galileans or other dispersed ,israelites4 ,living in the vicinity of ,jerusalem1 they were most attached to its ritual1 and most intolerant of any departure from ,jewish ceremonials or any fellowship with the ,gentiles4 ,through their influence the ,sanhedrim had resolved that any one who acknowledged ,jesus as the ,messiah should be excommunicated4 ,when this resolution was arrived at does not appear4 ,it clearly indicates that even in ,judea there was growing a feeling1 if not a faith1 that ,jesus of ,nazareth was the ,promised ,one4--,he should be put out of the synagogue4 ,that is1 excommunicated4 ,according to the ,jewish scholars1 there were three kinds of discipline known in the ancient synagogues1 all of which are entitled excommunication or cutting off4 ,excommunication in the slightest degree involved separation from the synagogue1 and the suspension of intercourse with all ,jews whatever1 even with one's wife and domestics4 ,a person who had exposed himself to excommunication was not allowed to approach another nearer than a distance of four cubits4 ,this separation was continued for thirty days2 and in case the excommunicated person did not repent1 the time might be doubled or tripled1 even when the transgression1 by means of which it was incurred1 was of small consequence4 ,the second degree of excommunication is denominated the curse1 and was more severe in its effects4 ,it was pronounced with imprecations1 in the presence of ten men1 and so thoroughly excluded the guilty person from all communion whatever with his countrymen1 that they were not allowed to sell him anything1 even the necessaries of life4 ,the third degree of excommunication was more severe in its consequences than either of the preceding4 ,it was a solemn and absolute exclusion from all intercourse and communion with any other individuals of the nation2 and the criminal was left in the hands1 and to the justice of ,god4 ,it is probable that in the time of ,christ the second degree of excommunication was not distinguished from the third4 ,it is uncertain what degree of excommunication was here threatened2 but it is quite unimportant1 since the first was sure to be succeeded by the others1 unless the condemned repented1 and made confession of his wrong-doing2 in this case retracted his confession of ,jesus as the ,messiah4 #bd ,then again called they the man that was blind1 and said unto him1 ,give ,god#cfi the praise3 we know that this man is a sinner4 #cfi ,josh4 #g3ai2 ,ps4 #ej3ad1 #ae4 #be ,he answered and said1 ,whether he be a sinner or no1 ,i know not2 one thing ,i know1 that1 whereas ,i was blind1 now ,i see4 #bd1 #be4 ,the ,pharisees attempt to overawe the blind man4 ,the conference with his parents has been held in his absence4 ,they then summon him into their presence with the declaration that they have discovered the imposture1 and call on him to confess it4--,give ,god the praise is not equivalent to ,give to ,god the glory of your cure2 they do not admit that any cure has been wrought4 ,it is a solemn form of adjuration to confess the fraud which they pretend to have discovered 7,josh4 #g3ai74--,we know that this man is a sinner1 indicates that their investigation has discovered the imposture4 ,the man's reply is shrewd and wise4 ,he will not undertake to dispute the conclusion which these doctors of the law pretend to have reached2 but neither will he abate in the slightest his testimony to the miraculous cure4--,one thing ,i know1 that being blind1 now ,i see4 ,no testimony to ,christ is more pertinent or potent than this personal experience of his grace4 ,comp4 ,gal4 #a3bc2 #a ,tim4 #a3ab-ah4 #bf ,then said they to him again1 ,what did he to thee8 how opened he thine eyes8 #bg ,he answered them1 ,i have told you already1 and ye did not hear3 wherefore would ye hear it again8 will ye also be his disciples8 #bf1 #bg4 ,defeated in an attempt to overawe the blind man1 the ,pharisees resort to the common artifice of cross-examination2 they call on him to repeat his story1 in the hope of detecting some real or imaginary discrepancy in his two accounts1 by which they may discredit him4 ,he refuses to be cross-examined2 grows impatient at their manifest injustice2 answers defiantly4--,ye will not hear4 ,equivalent to1 ,ye will not heed1 will not accept4 ,it is useless to repeat testimony which they have resolved to reject4 ,he thus illustrates ,christ's precept1 ,neither cast ye your pearls before swine 7,matt4 #g3f74--,will ye also be his disciples8 ,ironical4 ,the man affects to misunderstand their object1 and to think that they are inquiring for the purpose of becoming ,christ's disciples4 ,the mere suggestion elicits an indignant disclaimer1 and so brings out clearly that they are not honestly seeking to get at the truth respecting ,jesus1 but are attempting to discredit him4 ,the word also scarcely indicates1 as some suppose1 that the man is resolved to become ,christ's disciple4 ,we know too little concerning him1 as yet1 to come to that conclusion 7ver4 #cf74 #bh ,then they reviled#cgj him1 and said4 ,thou art his disciple2 but we are ,moses' disciples4 #cgj #a ,pet4 #b3bc4 #bi ,we know#cga that ,god spake unto ,moses3 as for this fellow1 we#cgb know not from whence he is4 #cga ,ps4 #ajc3g2 ,heb4 #c3e4 #cgb ch4 #h3ad4 #bh1 #bi4 ,a curious illustration of the inconsistency of bigotry is afforded by a comparison of the language of the ,pharisees here and in ch4 #g3bg4 ,there1 because they suppose they know the parentage of ,jesus1 they say he cannot be the ,messiah2 here1 the pretence that he is an unknown1 affords an equally satisfactory reason for rejecting him4 #cj ,the man answered and said unto them1 ,why#cgc herein is a marvellous thing1 that ye know not from whence he is1 and yet he hath opened#cgd mine eyes4 #cgc ch4 #c3aj4 #cgd ,ps4 #aai3ah2 ,isa4 #bi3ah1 #ai2 #ce3e2 #b ,cor4 #d3f4 #ca ,now we know that ,god#cge heareth not sinners3 but if#cgf any man be a worshipper of ,god1 and doeth his will1 him he heareth4 #cge ,job #bg3i2 ,ps4 #ff3ah2 ,prov4 #bh3i2 ,isa4 #a3ae2 ,jer4 #aa3aa2 ,ezek4 #h3ah2 ,micah #c3d2 ,zech4 #g3ac4 #cgf ,ps4 #cd3ae2 ,prov4 #ae3bi4 #cj1 #ca4 ,the argument of these verses is1 7#a7 founded on the ,pharisees' doctrine that man is made acceptable to ,god by his good works4 ,the ,pharisees could furnish no reply to it1 because they believed that ,god only heard the prayers of the pious 7see ,neh4 #ac3ad1 #bb1 #ca2 #b ,sam4 #bb3ba74 ,the doctrine that he hears and answers the prayers of the penitent1 though abundantly taught in the ,o4 ,t4 7,ps4 #be3aa2 #cb3e2 ,isaiah #ee3f1 #g71 they wholly ignored2 7#b7 ,it is founded on the ,scriptural doctrine that ,god does not hear the prayer of deliberate1 willful and persistent sinners1 while continuing in their sins4 ,if this 8man that is called ,jesus0 was the impostor that the ,pharisees declared him to be1 ,god would not accompany his ministry with such manifestations of divine blessing 7,isaiah #a3aa-ae2 #ei3a1 #b2 ,prov4 #ae3h1 #bi2 #ba3bg2 #bh3i2 ,jer4 #ad3aa1 #ab2 ,amos #e3ba-bc2 ,micah #c3d72 7#c7 ,it accords in fact with the ,n4 ,t4 doctrine of prayer1 which teaches us to pray in the name and for the sake of ,jesus ,christ1 in and through whom we are heard1 though sinners 7chaps4 #ad3ac1 #ad2 #ae3af2 #af3bc1 #bd74 ,observe the double condition of prayer1 as indicated by this man3 7#a7 a true reverence of ,god1 7#b7 a sincere practical obedience to his will4 ,comp4 ch4 #ae3ag2 ,heb4 #aa3f2 ,james #e3af4 ,in the failing of one or the other of these conditions we may find one principal reason why so many prayers are not answered4 #cb ,since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind4 #cc ,if this man were not of ,god1 he could do nothing4 #cb1 #cc4 ,it was prophesied of the ,messiah that he should restore sight to the blind 7ver4 #e1 note74 ,this peculiar form of miraculous cure is not narrated to have been performed by any one except ,christ1 unless #b ,kings #f3ah1 #bj be regarded as an instance2 it was performed by ,christ on several occasions 7,matt4 #i3bg-cj2 #aa3e2 #ab3bb2 #bj3cj-cd2 ,mark #h3bb-be72 but this is the only case of the cure of one blind from birth4--,if this man was not from ,god he could do nothing4 ,the man now openly confesses his conviction1 which in his previous answer he has concealed4 ,observe that he enunciated the same principle as ,nicodemus1 and in almost the same words4 ,the declaration is spiritually true of ,christ 7ch4 #e3ai-cj7 and of every one of ,christ's disciples 7ch4 #ae3e2 comp4 ,phil4 #d3ac74 #cd ,they answered and said unto him1 ,thou#cgg wast altogether born in sins1 and dost thou teach us8 ,and they cast him#cgh out4 #cgg verse #b4 #cgh ,isa4 #ff3e4 #cd4 ,failing in their attempt to break the force of the man's testimony1 the ,pharisees endeavored to discredit it by excommunicating him4 ,religious persecution is generally the last resort of intellectual weakness and defeat4 ,their declaration ,thou wast altogether born in sins is a reference to the fact that he was born blind4 ,thus they become themselves unconscious witnesses to the miracle2 for their language here shows their belief that he was born blind1 and the man himself affords ocular demonstration of the cure4 ,the declaration ,they cast him out means1 not they drove him out of the court-room1 as interpreted by ,chrysostom1 ,tholuck and others1 but they excommunicated him1 in conformity to the resolution previously taken 7ver4 #bb74 #ce ,jesus heard that they had cast him out2 and when he had found him1 he said unto him1 ,dost thou believe#cgi on the ,son of ,god8 #cgi #a ,john #e3ac4 #cf ,he answered and said1 ,who is he1 ,lord1 that ,i might believe on him8 #cg ,and ,jesus said unto him1 ,thou hast both seen him1 and#chj it is he that talketh with thee4 #chj ch4 #d3bf4 #ch ,and he said1 ,lord1 ,i believe4 ,and he worshipped him4#cha #cha ,matt4 #ad3cc4 #ce-ch4 ,when ,jesus heard that they had cast him out4 ,perhaps he purposely waited1 that the man's fidelity to the truth might be fully tested4 ,this trial of the blind man symbolizes the trial to which ,christ subjects his church 7#a ,pet4 #a3g74 ,when men cast the faithful witness out1 ,christ comes to him 7,ps4 #bg3aj74 ,thus the man realizes the promise of ,luke #f3bb4--;,dost thou believe on the ,son of ,god4 ,there is an emphasis on ,thou in the original1 which cannot well be repeated in the ,english4 ,christ contrasts his belief with the disbelief of the ,pharisees4 8,believest thou1 whilst so many others are disbelievers0 7,trench74--,who is he1 ,sire1 that ,i might believe on him4 ,the word translated lord 77 is only a general term of respect4 ,it is sometimes translated ,sir 7,matt4 #ba3cj2 chaps4 #d3aa1 #ae1 #ai1 #di2 #e3g2 #ab3bj2 #bj3ae74 ,it does not imply here that the man recognized in ,jesus the ,son of ,god4 ,but his language1 ,that ,i might believe on him1 indicates that he was ready to believe when the ,messiah should be made known to him4 ,this spirit of desire always brings the answer of disclosure 7,matt4 #e3f2 ,acts1 ch4 #aj74--,thou hast both seen him4 ,a reminder of the benefit which has been conferred upon the man4--,and it is he that talketh to thee4 ,to no one did ,christ disclose his divine nature more clearly than to this blind man1 whose fidelity to truth showed him worthy to receive the disclosure of further truth1 and one which even the disciples but imperfectly apprehended4--,sire1 ,i believe4 ,and he reverenced him4 ,not necessarily worshipped4 ,the original does not necessarily signify anything more than a form of salutation paid by an inferior to a superior1 by falling upon the knees and touching the forehead to the ground4 ,for meaning of both words1 8lord0 and 8worshipped10 see ,matt4 #h3b1 note4 ,it is clear1 however1 that the man accepted fully ,christ's declaration respecting himself1 though not so clear that he fully comprehended his meaning4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,cure ,,of ,,the ,,man ,,born ,,blind4 ,it is safe to assume that ,john has narrated no event at such length as this miracle and its subsequent investigation without a definite purpose4 ,the general lessons taught by this account1 apart from those incidentally conveyed in single utterances1 appear to me to be three4 7#a7 ,this is the only one of ,christ's miracles which was subjected to a judicial or quasi judicial investigation4 ,that investigation originated not with the disciples1 but with the people1 and was carried on before a hostile tribunal4 ,the identity of the blind man was established by his own testimony and corroborated by that of his parents4 ,that he was born blind was established by the same indisputable evidence4 ,that he was cured was ocularly demonstrated4 ,the cure necessarily involved a miracle1 since congenital blindness is not curable by natural means4 ,the value of the evidence is increased by the facts that the parents were reluctant witnesses2 that the man himself had no interest to further the cause of ,christ1 since he did not even know who he was2 that the ,pharisees themselves were forced to the unconscious admission that a miracle had been wrought 7ver4 #cd1 note72 and that1 defeated in their attempt to browbeat the witness1 they endeavored to discredit his testimony by excommunicating him4 7#b7 ,there is an instructive contrast in the characters so briefly but graphically portrayed4 7a7 ,the people1 moved by mere wonder1 investigate curiously but not earnestly1 reach no conclusion1 and so learn nothing of ,christ2 7b7 ,the ,pharisees1 instigated by malice and religious bigotry1 investigate thoroughly1 and are compelled to adopt the conclusion that a miracle has been wrought1 but refuse to accept the ,worker as even a man sent from ,god1 and so learn nothing of ,christ4 7c7 ,the parents1 honest but timid1 accept the facts1 but are unwilling to risk persecution for truth's sake1 and so learn nothing of ,christ4 7d7 ,the man himself1 who is faithful to his convictions1 and whose convictions grow by reason of his fidelity1 is brought to a knowledge of ,jesus as the ,messiah1 the ,son of ,god4 ,thus is illustrated the principle that to find the truth as it is in ,christ ,jesus it is not enough to investigate curiously1 earnestly1 honestly2 it is necessary also to confess fearlessly the truth so far as it is apprehended4 7#c7 ,the history of the blind man illustrates the growth of faith1 as well as its conditions4 ,at first he knew nothing of ,jesus2 but without knowledge or definite hope he obeys ,christ's direction1 goes to the pool of ,siloam1 washes1 sees4 ,he still knows nothing of the ,healer but that he is 8a man that is called ,jesus40 ,despite the timidity of his parents1 and the threatening of the ,pharisees1 he maintains the truth1 defends the unknown1 asserts him to be a prophet1 and a man of ,god4 ,finally1 he finds in him the ,messiah1 the ,son of ,god4 ,fidelity1 in that which is least1 is the condition of receiving larger gifts in knowledge and faith4 #ci ,and ,jesus said1 ,for#chb judgment ,i am come into this world1 that they which see not#chc might see2 and that they which see might be made blind4#chd #chb ch4 #e3bb1 #bg2 #ab3dg4 #chc #a ,pet4 #b3i4 #chd ch4 #c3ai2 ,matt4 #ac3ac4 #ci4 ,for judgment am ,i come into this world4 ,contrast chaps4 #h3ae2 #ab3dg4 ,christ does not hesitate to state truths at different times in forms which make his statements apparently contradictory4 ,he does not come to announce judgment or condemnation1 but to provide mercy2 nevertheless1 he has come for judgment1 since he draws to himself all that love the divine character and the divine life1 and repels all that are worldly and selfish4 ,he does not condemn1 but they that reject him are self-condemned1 testifying that they love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil4--,that they which see not might see1 and that they which see might be made blind4 ,the meaning is not1 ,that they which see not their own blindness might be made to see it2 this interpretation makes the second clause of the sentence either a mere repetition of the first1 ,and that they which think they see might be made aware that they are blind1 or unmeaning4 ,nor is it to be rendered1 ,that they which see not spiritual things might be made to see them1 and they which see the world might be made blind to that as a preparation for seeing ,christ2 for though this would be in analogy with ,paul's metaphor 7,rom4 #f3aa2 #g3i71 it would not interpret ,christ's declaration that he has come for judgment4 ,the two clauses of the sentence are to be interpreted alike4 ,christ's coming gave moral and spiritual sight to the publicans who were without moral culture1 but opened their hearts to receive ,christ's instructions2 and it darkened such moral sense as the ,pharisees already possessed1 since they closed their eyes to the clear revelation which ,christ brought4 ,thus ,christ is both savor of life unto life and of death unto death 7#b ,cor4 #b3af71 both the corner-stone and the stone of stumbling 7#a ,pet4 #b3f-h2 comp4 ,matt4 #c3ab1 note74 #dj ,and some of the ,pharisees which were with him heard these words1 and said unto him1 ,are we#che blind also8 #che ,rom4 #b3ai2 ,rev4 #c3ag4 #da ,jesus said unto them1 ,if#chf ye were blind1 ye should have no sin3 but now ye say1 ,we see3 therefore#chg your sin remaineth8 #chf ch4 #ae3bb1 #bd4 #chg ,is4 #e3ba2 ,luke #ah3ad2 #a ,john #a3h-aj4 #dj1 #da4 ,some of the ,pharisees which were with him4 ,that is1 who happened to be present4 ,but their presence as auditors1 coupled with their question1 perhaps implies that they were of that class which were inclined to regard ,jesus as a prophet 7ver4 #ag2 ch4 #aj3ba74--;,are we blind also8 ,the form of the original implies a strong expectation of a negative reply4 ,it might be rendered1 ,surely we are not blind also4--,if ye were blind ye should have no sin4 ,this is not to be interpreted away1 as equivalent to1 ,your sin would be less4 ,it is literally true1 that sin is in the proportion of knowledge1 so that one who is1 by no fault of his own1 absolutely ignorant of moral distinctions1 is absolutely free from moral responsibility4--,ye say1 ,we see2 therefore your sin remains4 ,they had the law and the prophets which foretold the ,messiah 7ch4 #e3ci71 and they had the knowledge of his works and the moral capacity to judge them1 and did adjudge that ,god was with him 7ch4 #c3b71 and that he could not be a sinner 7ch4 #i3af74 ,this was enough to render them guilty in not following out their convictions by a public confession of ,christ as a prophet1 which they really saw him to be4 ,comp4 ch4 #ae3bd2 and with the entire passage 7vers4 #ci-da71 ,rom4 #b3ag-bd4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,ch4 #aj3a-ba4 ,,the ,,parable ,,of ,,the ,,sheepfold ,,and ,,the ,,shepherd4--,,the ,,church ,,of ,,christ ,,as ,,one ,,flock4--,,to ,,this ,,flock ,,there ,,is ,,but ,,one ,,door1 ,,jesus ,,christ4--,,this ,,door ,,is ,,opened ,,to ,,the ,,soul ,,by ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,of ,,god4--,,every ,,one ,,who ,,enters ,,in ,,by ,,this ,,door ,,is ,,saved4--,,and ,,becomes ,a ,,minister ,,of ,,grace 7,a ,,shepherd7 ,,to ,,others4--,,the ,,pattern ,,is ,,jesus ,,christ1 ,,the ,,good ,,shepherd4--,,every ,,true ,,shepherd ,,lives ,,for ,,the ,,flock4--,,he ,,who ,,does ,,not ,,is ,a ,,hireling1 ,,and ,,is ,,recreant ,,in ,,time ,,of ,,danger4--,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,flock ,,is ,,assured ,,by ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,good ,,shepherd4--,,that ,,death ,,was ,,not ,,compelled2 ,,it ,,was ,,voluntary4 ,this parable was probably uttered in ,judea1 and in the immediate vicinity of ,jerusalem4 ,the figure is drawn from the spectacle1 likely at any evening to be witnessed on the hillsides of ,judea1 a flock of sheep gathered from the different fields in which they had been wandering1 and following their shepherd1 who conducts them to the sheepfold1 which they enter1 one by one1 for protection1 the shepherd going before and leading them in4 ,to understand aright its meaning1 two facts1 often forgotten1 must be borne in mind3 7#a7 that the metaphor is used in the ,o4 ,t41 and for a double purpose2 sometimes the shepherd is the religious teacher of ,israel1 whose unfaithfulness is rebuked in the prophets 7,jer4 #bc3a-d2 ,ezek41 ch4 #cd72 sometimes the shepherd is the ,lord1 who leads1 defends1 and feeds the soul which trusts in him 7,ps4 #bc2 ,isaiah #dj3aa72 7#b7 the parable is closely connected with the discourse concerning blindness1 growing out of the cure of the blind man1 and is given for the purpose of emphasizing and carrying out the warnings therein contained against the ,pharisees as blind leaders of the blind 7,matt4 #ae3ad74 ,i understand1 then1 that it is a parable with a double application4 ,first1 ,christ compares the ,pharisees to shepherds1 himself to the door1 and declares that they alone are true shepherds who enter into ,israel through1 i4 e41 under command from1 and with the authority of1 ,christ as the ,messiah--all others are thieves and robbers 7vers4 #g-aj72 he then changes the application1 retaining the figure1 declares himself to be the shepherd1 whose praises ,david and ,isaiah sang1 and indicates the nature of the service which he will render to his sheep1 namely1 giving his life for them4 ,the parable itself embraces verses #a-f2 the first application1 a lesson against the false ,pharisaical teachers1 verses #g-aj2 the second application1 a lesson concerning himself as the good shepherd1 verses #aa-ah4 ,the first application is interpreted by ,ezekiel1 ch4 #cd2 the second1 by ,psalm #bc and ,isaiah #dj3aa4 ,the ordinary interpretation1 which regards ,christ as referring to himself throughout as shepherd1 necessarily supposes that he employs a mixed metaphor1 in which1 without any apparent reason1 he alternately represents himself as the door and the shepherd4 #a ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1#chh ,he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold1 but climbeth up some other way1 the same is a thief and a robber4 #chh ,rom4 #aj3ae2 ,heb4 #e3d4 #a4 ,he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold4 ,sheepfolds1 as usually constructed in the ,east1 are low1 flat buildings1 erected on the sheltered side of the valleys1 and when the nights are cold1 the flocks are shut up in them1 but in ordinary weather they are merely kept within the yard4 ,during the day1 of course1 they are led forth to pasture by the shepherds4 ,the folds are defended by a wide stone wall1 crowned by sharp thorns which the wolf will rarely attempt to scale4 ,the leopard and panther1 however1 when pressed with hunger1 will overleap the thorny hedge1 and make havoc of the flock4 ,in ,greece1 folds are sometimes built merely of a parapet of bushes or branches1 placed at the entrance of caves1 natural or made for the purpose1 in the side of hills or rocky ledges4 ,a porter guards the door of the larger sheepfolds4 ,see ,thompson's ,land and ,book1 ,i1 #bii1 and ,smith's ,bible ,dict41 ,art4 ,sheepfold4 ,the sheepfold1 in this parable1 answers primarily to ,israel1 the then visible and organic church of ,god1 but secondarily to the church of ,christ in all ages1 the visible and external organization1 in which the professed disciples of ,christ1 his sheep1 are gathered for better protection4 ,he that enters not by the door1 but furtively climbs up some other way1 marks himself thereby as evil disposed4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,eastern ,,sheepfold4 #b ,but he that entereth in by the#chi door is the shepherd of the sheep4 #chi ,verse #g1 #i4 #b4 ,he that entereth in by the door the same is a shepherd of the sheep4 ,not1 as in our ,english version1 the shepherd4 ,the definite article is wanting4 ,christ does not declare that the evidence that he is the ,shepherd consists in the fact that he entered through the door1 for he is himself the door4 ,he declares to the ,pharisees1 who reject him as their ,messiah1 that there is a double test of the religious teacher3 7#a7 he must enter into the church by the way by which he directs the sheep to enter4 ,there is not one salvation for the teacher and another for the taught2 the door is the same to all2 and 7#b7 he must enter by the one only door1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,whoever comes in the name and with the authority of ,jesus ,christ is a shepherd of the sheep2 whoever comes to preach any other ,gospel1 comes to rob the sheep of their ,saviour and salvation 7,gal4 #a3h1 #i2 #b ,john1 ver4 #aj74 #c ,to him#cij the porter openeth2 and the sheep hear his voice3 and he calleth#cia his own sheep by name and leadeth#cib them out4 #cij ,rev4 #c3bj4 #cia ,ezek4 #cd3aa2 ,rom4 #h3 #cj4 #cib ,isa4 #dj3aa4 #c4 ,to him the porter openeth4 8,the ,holy ,spirit is especially ,he who opens the door to the shepherds2 see frequent uses of this symbolism by the apostles 7,acts #ad3bg2 #a ,cor4 #af3i2 #b ,cor4 #b3ab2 ,col4 #d3c72 and instances of the porter shutting the door 7,acts #af3f1 #g740--7;,alford47 ,there is the implication here of a truth elsewhere abundantly taught in ,scripture1 that the teacher has access to the heart of the church only through the influence of the ,spirit of ,god1 who opens and closes the heart of the hearer 7#a ,thess4 #a3e2 #b3a71 and the door of opportunity 7,acts #d3g1 #h2 #af3i2 #ag3aj1 #aa74--;,and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out4 ,this figure exactly corresponds with the actual facts of shepherd life in the ,east4 8,as we eat and looked1 almost spell-bound1 the silent hillsides around us were in a moment filled with life and sound4 ,the shepherds led their flocks forth from the gates of the city4 ,they were in full view1 and we watched them and listened to them with no little interest4 ,thousands of sheep and goats were there1 grouped in dense1 confused masses4 ,the shepherds stood together until all came out4 ,then they separated1 each shepherd taking a different path1 and uttering1 as he advanced1 a shrill1 peculiar call4 ,the sheep heard them4 ,at first the masses swayed and moved1 as if shaken by some internal convulsion2 then points struck out in the direction taken by the shepherds2 these became longer and longer1 until the confused masses were resolved into long1 living streams1 flowing after their leaders4 ,such a sight was not new to me1 still it had lost none of its interest4 ,it was1 perhaps1 one of the most vivid illustrations which human eyes could witness of that beautiful discourse of our ,lord recorded by ,john40--7,porter47 #d ,and when he putteth forth his own sheep1 he goeth before them1 and the sheep follow him3 for they know his voice4#cic #cic ,cant4 #b3h2 #e3b4 #e ,and a stranger will they not follow1 but will flee#cid from him3 for they know not the voice of strangers4 #cid #b ,tim4 #c3e2 ,rev4 #b3b4 #d1 #e4 ,and when he putteth forth his own sheep1 he goeth before them1 and the sheep follow him4 ,the true pastor is an example and leader as well as a teacher of his people 7#a ,cor4 #aa3a2 ,gal4 #d3ab2 ,phil4 #c3ag2 #a ,thess4 #a3f74--;,a stranger will they not follow4 ,the stranger is not the shepherd of another flock1 but one who is a stranger and a foreigner1 outside the fold and separated from the great flock of the ,israel of ,god4 ,the true ,christian is never a stranger to the disciples of ,jesus ,christ 7,ephes4 #b3ai74--,they know not the voice of strangers4 ,the shepherd knows his own sheep by name1 and they know his voice2 but the stranger's voice they do not know4 ,the figure is all true to the life4 8,the shepherd calls sharply to them from time to time to remind them 7the sheep7 of his presence4 ,they know his voice and follow on2 but if a stranger calls1 they stop short1 lift up their heads in alarm1 and if it is repeated1 they turn and flee1 because they know not the voice of a stranger4 ,this is not the fanciful costume of a parable2 it is a simple fact40--7,thompson's ,land and ,book1 ,i1 #cja47 ,this personality of relation between the true religious teacher and the taught1 abundantly illustrated by ,christ's personal love for his disciples1 and by ,paul's love for the converts gathered under his ministry1 is in strong contrast to the distance which was maintained between the ,pharisees and the common people4 ,it is not then a fanciful deduction that1 under ordinary circumstances1 the pastor should have a personal acquaintance with his people1 should not have so large a charge that he cannot know his people by name1 and should ordinarily depend for his influence upon his personal acquaintance with them1 and their personal confidence in him4 #f ,this parable spake ,jesus unto them3 but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them4 #f4 ,this parable spake ,jesus unto them4 ,rather allegory or obscure saying4 ,the original word 77 is different from that in the other ,evangelists translated parable1 and the structure of the teaching is somewhat different from that of the parables narrated by the other ,evangelists4 ,see on the nature of the parable1 ,matthew1 ch4 #ac1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,this1 however1 more nearly approximates a true parable than any other of ,christ's instructions reported by ,john4--,but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them4 ,that is1 the ,pharisees to whom he was speaking did not understand the meaning and application of his imagery4 8,they did not feel the application of it2 they did not see what shepherds and sheepfolds had to do with them4 ,they could hardly have given a greater proof how little they understood the things which were written in the books they prized most--how their worship of the divine letter had destroyed all commerce between their minds and the realities which it set forth40--7,maurice47 #g ,then said ,jesus unto them again1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,i#cie am the door of the sheep4 #cie ,eph4 #b3ah4 #g4 ,verses #g-aj inclusive1 contain the first application of the parable1 primarily to the ,pharisees as religious teachers of ,israel1 and secondarily to all that claim to be shepherds of ,god's people1 then or now4--,i am the door4 8,that is1 through me all the truths and blessings of religion are to be communicated to the flock1 or people of ,god4 ,whoever addresses them as an authorized teacher must enter through me40--7,norton47 ,it is the ,holy ,spirit 7the porter1 ver4 #c7 who opens ,christ to the heart and the heart to ,christ1 and makes it possible for either the sheep 7the learners7 or the under-shepherd 7the teacher7 to enter into the fold through him 7chaps4 #f3cg1 #dd2 #ad3bf2 #ae3bf74 #h ,all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers3 but the sheep did not hear them4 #h4 ,all whosoever came before me are thieves and robbers4 ,this verse is declared by ,tholuck to be 8one of the most difficult sentences in the ,n4 ,t40 ,if before 77 be taken as an adverb of time1 as is generally done1 then ,christ's declaration is that all religious teachers who preceded him were thieves and robbers1 and this would on its face include the long line of prophets from ,moses to ,malachi2 or if the sentence is modified1 as some propose1 by the fact that the verb is in the present tense1 are thieves and robbers1 so that ,christ embraces only the then living teachers1 still this would include such instructors as ,gamaliel and ,nicodemus1 if not ,john the ,baptist1 who belonged to that generation4 ,the qualification of this1 by the supposition that ,christ did not include true teachers but only the false1 not only falsifies his declaration which points out the way in which the true may be distinguished from the false1 but reduces the sentence to a truism1 viz41 ,all false religious teachers who came before me1 are thieves and robbers1 i4 e41 teachers of falsehood1 depriving men of the truth4 ,the other proposed qualification1 ,all who have come claiming to be ,messiah1 are thieves1 etc41 not only adds an important qualification to ,christ's declaration1 but is historically an anachronism1 inasmuch as there is no historical evidence that any false ,messiah preceded the time of ,christ4 ,i am inclined1 therefore1 to take before 77 as an adverb signifying precedence in rank or authority1 as it does in ,col4 #a3ag1 ,james #e3ab1 and #a ,pet4 #d3h1 and to understand the passage1 ,all whosoever come claiming precedence above me are thieves and robbers4 ,the verb come 77 is in the aorist tense1 and does not necessarily indicate a coming in the past only1 but would be properly used for the enunciation of a general principle4 ,the prophets of the ,o4 ,t4 claimed no such precedence above ,christ2 on the contrary1 they were but his heralds2 and ,john the ,baptist distinctly disavowed such precedence 7,matt4 #c3ad2 chaps4 #a3bf1 #bg2 #c3cj74 ,the ,pharisees1 on the other hand1 denied ,christ's right to teach1 because he did not belong to their schools 7ch4 #g3ae71 and in their conference with the blind man had put themselves above ,christ 7ch4 #i3af1 #bd74 ,where there is no general agreement among scholars1 ,i hesitate to offer an interpretation which differs from all1 but this appears to me on the whole more consistent with the context1 and with the teaching of the ,n4 ,t4 elsewhere1 than any other1 and not inconsistent with the original4 ,if this be a correct interpretation1 ,christ's claim here is directly antagonistic to those who would make an eclectic religion1 by selecting truth from all the world's religious teachers1 including ,christ among the rest4 ,for he declares all to be robbing the world of truth1 not imparting it1 who deny him the pre-eminent rank as a religious teacher4 ,on the other hand1 he does not stigmatize genuine moral teachers1 such as ,buddha or ,socrates1 as thieves and robbers1 for they had no knowledge of ,christ1 and claimed no precedence above him4--,but the sheep did not hear them4 ,this has been eminently true of all teachers in the church who have put themselves above ,christ2 it is the preachers of ,christ who alone have secured the world's attention4 ,this is illustrated by the history of ,paul 7#b ,cor4 #d3e71 ,luther1 ,wesley1 and in our own times ,spurgeon1 ,moody1 and others4 #i ,i am the door3 by me if any man enter in1 he shall be saved1 and shall go in and out1 and find pasture4 #i4 ,i am the door2 by me if any enter in1 he shall be safe4 ,christ is not only the door by whom the shepherd 7the teacher7 can alone enter in to feed the flock1 he is also the door by which alone the sheep 7the disciples7 can enter into the church and into security 7,acts #d3ab74 ,the extent and assurance of this safety is expressed below 7vers4 #bh1 #bi74 ,and observe1 the promise is not merely shall be saved in the future1 but shall be safe1 i4 e41 from the time of entering the door 7ch4 #c3ah1 #cf2 ,rom4 #h3a1 #bh1 #ca1 etc47--,and shall go in and out and find pasture4 ,to 8go in and out0 was a common ,hebraistic phrase to denote the whole life and action of man 7,deut4 #bh3f2 ,psalm #aba3h74 ,here1 therefore1 the meaning is that he who thus enters the door1 shall be blessed in all his ways4 ,his pasture is the bread of life and water of life1 promised in chaps4 #d3ad2 #f3dh-ea4 ,so that ,christ is at once the door1 the shepherd1 and the pasture2 the entrance1 the guardian and guide1 and the food of the disciple4 #aj ,the thief cometh not1 but for to steal1 and to kill1 and to destroy3 ,i am come that they might have life1 and that they might have it more abundantly4 #aj4 ,the thief cometh not but for to steal 99 99 99 99 ,i am come that they might have life1 etc4 ,a contrast between false religion and the true1 heathenism or ,pharisaism and ,christianity4 ,the false religion comes to deprive men of their liberty1 their property1 their earthly happiness1 to kill their natural and free life1 and to destroy1 finally1 the soul4 ,the true religion comes first to give this present life more abundant development1 and then through that to give eternal life4 ,hence1 whatever form of religion tends to deprive mankind of its free1 natural1 and joyous life is anti-,christian2 the constant tendency of ,christ's teaching and influence is to make the whole life1 social1 intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual1 more abundant4 #aa ,i#cif am the good shepherd2 the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep4 #cif ,heb4 #ac3bj2 #a ,pet4 #b3be4 #ab ,but he that is an hireling1 and not the shepherd1 whose own the sheep are not1 seeth the wolf coming1 and leaveth#cig the sheep1 and fleeth3 and the wolf catcheth them1 and scattereth the sheep4 #cig ,ezek4 #cd3b-f2 ,zech4 #aa3ag4 #aa1 #ab4 ,with these verses ,christ gives a new direction to the preceding parable4 ,he has thus far spoken of religious teachers in general1 and of himself as the door by which they alone can enter in to feed the flock1 and by which alone the flock can enter in to find safety4 ,he now speaks of himself as the ,great ,shepherd and ,bishop of souls 7#a ,pet4 #b3be71 under whom are all the shepherds1 and in contrast with whom are the hirelings4--,i am the ,good ,shepherd1 more literally the beautiful ,shepherd2 but this word 771 though strictly speaking esthetic1 was used by the ,greeks to designate moral beauty1 and referred to the most symmetrical and perfect goodness4 ,throughout the ,o4 ,t4 the church of ,god is regarded as a fold1 ,israel as a flock1 and ,jehovah himself as the ,shepherd 7,ps4 #bc2 ,isa4 #dj3aa2 ,ezek41 ch4 #cd2 ,jer41 ch4 #bc2 ,micah #e3c2 ,zech41 ch4 #aa74 ,it is impossible but that ,christ's auditors should have understood him as claiming to be this ,shepherd of ,israel4 ,observe the difference between the phraseology here and in verse #b2 here the good ,shepherd2 there a ,shepherd4--,the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep4 ,this is not a prophecy1 equivalent to1 ,i am about to die for my sheep2 it is the enunciation of a general principle by which every good shepherd can be distinguished from the hireling2 for every good shepherd is ready to sacrifice his life for his sheep because they are his2 the hireling flees when danger threatens1 because he is an hireling and has no real interest in the sheep4 ,neither is the expression to lay down the life a circumlocution for die4 ,christ rarely uses circumlocution of any kind4 ,the good shepherd may or may not be called on to die for his sheep2 but he always lays down his life for them4 ,to lay down the life is to consecrate it1 devote it to the flock2 as a mother1 who is always ready to die for her children1 but who1 living or dying1 belongs to her children and surrenders herself to them4 ,so we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren 7#a ,john #c3af71 though comparatively few are ever called on to die for them4 ,wickliffe and ,luther as truly laid down their lives for the flock as ,huss and ,tyndale4 ,the sacrifice of ,christ consisted not merely in his death--which was indeed in its mere physical aspects the least part of it--but in his whole incarnation4 ,his entire life from his advent to the grave was laid down for his sheep4 ,this laying down of his life includes his death2 but it includes much more4 ,the whole thirty years was a living sacrifice for sinful humanity 7,phil4 #b3e-h74--;,but he that is an hireling1 not being a shepherd1 whose own the sheep are not1 seeth the wolf coming1 and leaveth the sheep and fleeth4 ,every clause in this sentence must be carefully weighed by the student2 for every clause is full of weighty significance4 ,there is nothing in the sentence1 if the whole be considered1 adverse to a paid ministry4 ,not every one who is hired is an hireling 7#a ,tim4 #e3ah72 only he who serves for hire1 whether emoluments or reputation2 who accordingly is not a shepherd1 i4 e41 has none of the shepherd's instincts and none of the shepherd's love for his flock2 whose own the sheep are not1 i4 e41 who has none of that sense of ownership in his flock which ,paul experienced and expressed 7#a ,cor4 #d3ad1 #ae2 #a ,thess4 #b3aa2 #a ,tim4 #a3b2 ,titus #a3d2 ,philemon #aj72 who1 therefore1 careth not for the sheep 7ver4 #ac71 but only for himself4 ,here1 as everywhere in ,christ's instructions1 it is the evil spirit which he condemns and the right spirit which he exalts4 ,the hirelings of ,christ's day were those among the chief rulers and the priests1 the religious teachers of ,israel1 who believed on ,jesus1 but would not confess their faith for fear of the hierarchy 7ch4 #i3bb2 #ab3db1 #dc2 #ai3ch74 ,the hirelings ever since have been those in the church1 whether paid preachers or no1 who have feared to withstand falsehood and danger1 and have suffered popular sins to pass unrebuked lest they should bring obloquy upon themselves1 or loss of friends1 or personal peril1 or any martyrdom1 large or small4 ,the hireling1 too1 does not merely flee2 the true shepherd has sometimes to do this 7,matt4 #aj3bc72 ,christ himself did this repeatedly 7,matt4 #ad3ac2 ,luke #d3cj2 ,john #h3ei2 #aj3ci74 ,it is characteristic of the hireling that he leaveth the sheep and fleeth4 ,caution may lead the true pastor to avoid a conflict which will bring greater disaster on the flock than battle2 but his caution is always to be exercised for the sheep1 not for himself4 ,it is caring for one's self more than for the church that marks the hireling4--,the wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep4 ,any and every willful and determined opponent to truth and righteousness is a wolf2 whether he is a persecuting power like that of pagan and papal ,rome1 or a false teacher1 a wolf in sheep's clothing 7,matt4 #g3ae2 ,acts #bj3bi74 ,the wolf at this particular juncture was the ,pharisaic party1 which was ravaging the church of ,god1 and binding heavy burdens on the people1 whom ,christ denounced1 and in battle with whom he suffered death4 #ac ,the hireling fleeth1 because he is an hireling1 and careth not for the sheep4 #ad ,i am the good shepherd1 and#cih know my sheep1 and am known#cii of mine4 #cih #b ,tim4 #b3ai4 #cii #a ,john #e3bj4 #ae ,as#djj the ,father knoweth me1 even so know ,i the ,father3 and#dja ,i lay down my life for the sheep4 #djj ,matt4 #aa3bg4 #dja ch4 #ae3ac2 ,isa4 #ec3d1e4 #ac-ae4 ,the hireling 99 99 99 careth not for the sheep 99 99 99--,i know my sheep4 ,christ reiterates the contrast between the hireling and the good shepherd2 and indicates anew points of distinction between the two4 ,the hireling careth not for the sheep2 he cares only for his wages2 the good shepherd knows his sheep and is known by them4 ,in a limited way this is true of the good pastor or shepherd2 he knows his flock personally and sympathizingly2 he is not merely a preacher to them2 he is their best friend and adviser 7ver4 #c1 note74 ,but this knowledge is never perfect1 and never can be1 in the under shepherd4 ,his insight is imperfect2 his sympathy is partial4 ,it is only ,christ who can say ,i know my sheep4 8,if you would think rightly of the ,son of ,man1 think of the ,person who knows thoroughly everything that each one of you is feeling1 and cannot utter to others or to himself--every temptation from riches1 from poverty1 from solicitude1 from society1 from gifts of intellect1 from the want of them1 from the gladness of the spirit1 from the barrenness and dreariness of it1 from the warmth of affection and from the drying up of affection1 from the anguish of doubt and the dulness of indifference1 from the whirlwind of passion and the calm which succeeds it1 from the vile thoughts which spring out of fleshly appetites and indulgences1 from the darker1 more terrible suggestions which are presented to the inner will4 ,believe that he knows all these1 that he knows you4 ,and then believe this also1 that all he knows is through intense1 inmost sympathy1 not with the evil that is assaulting you1 but with you who are assaulted by it4 ,believe that knowledge1 in this the ,scriptural sense of it--the human as well as the divine sense of it--is absolutely inseparable from sympathy40--7,maurice47--,and am known of mine4 ,christ's knowledge of the ,christian is the basis of the ,christian's knowledge of ,christ4 ,both are sympathetic and personal1 the knowledge of love4 ,it is because the ,good ,shepherd knows his sheep that he is known of them4 ,it is because by his knowledge he is able to enter into our innermost experience1 and to give us comfort and strength when all human helpers fail1 that we come to know him as our ,helper and our ,strength4 ,we know him as the ,good ,shepherd only as we follow his guidance1 accept the food and water he gives us1 are restored by him when wandering1 and delivered by him from danger and death4--,as the ,father knoweth me1 even so know ,i the ,father2 and ,i lay down my life for the sheep4 ,the connection is not very clear between this sentence and the preceding one1 or between the different clauses of this sentence4 ,it seems to me1 however1 that ,christ refers to this knowledge between himself and the ,father1 not merely to illustrate the knowledge between himself and his disciples1 but to turn their thoughts from himself to the ,father4 ,christ has been accused of blasphemy by the ,jews2 that is1 of endeavoring to deflect the reverence and allegiance of the people from ,god to himself4 ,it must be confessed that there has often been a tendency in his disciples to substitute the ,saviour for the ,father1 to believe in the sympathy of ,christ1 but not in the sympathy of ,god1 to believe in the love of the ,redeemer1 but to attribute justice and wrath to ,jehovah4 ,christ guards against this tendency1 and refutes this accusation1 by the declaration that he knows perfectly every wish and will of the ,father1 and in the whole course of his self-sacrifice1 in all the laying down of his life for humanity1 he is carrying out that will4 ,thus the declaration of this verse leads one to that of verse #ag3 8,therefore doth my ,father love me because ,i lay down my life40 #af ,and#djb other sheep ,i have1 which are not of this fold2 them also ,i must bring1 and they shall hear my voice2 and#djc there shall be one fold1 and one shepherd4 #djb ,isa4 #di3f2 #ef3h4 #djc ,ezek4 #cg3bb2 ,ephes4 #b3ad4 #ag ,therefore doth my ,father love me1 because#djd ,i lay down my life1 that ,i might take it again4 #djd ,isa4 #ec3g-ab2 ,heb4 #b3i4 #ah ,no man taketh it from me1 but#dje ,i lay it down of myself4 ,i have power to lay it down1 and ,i#djf have power to take it again4 ,this#djg commandment have ,i received of my ,father4 #dje ,phil4 #b3f-h4 #djf ch4 #b3ai4 #djg ch4 #f3ch4 #af-ah4 ,other sheep ,i have which are not from 77 this fold4 ,not1 ,which are in other worlds2 for the ,bible does not anywhere recognize this world as the fold of ,god3 nor1 ,others from among the dispersed ,jews scattered among the ,gentiles2 for these were already in 8this fold10 none the less belonging to ,israel because they were geographically separated from their brethren4 ,the reference is to those whom ,christ has among the ,gentiles1 and1 as ,i believe1 still has among the heathen 7,acts #aj3ce2 #ah3aj74 ,they are not1 however1 in a flock or fold1 but scattered 7ch4 #aa3eb74 ,observe1 ,christ does not say ,i am to have--the present is not used in lieu of the future4 ,he already has them2 they are his sheep2 he recognizes as his own those whose spirit is akin to his1 though they do not recognize him as theirs 7,matt4 #be3cg-dj74--,them also ,i must lead4 ,not bring1 i4 e41 to the ,jewish nation1 but lead as a shepherd4 ,he must be leader to all who will follow him1 whether ,jew or ,gentile4--,and there shall be one flock1 one ,shepherd4 ,not one fold1 as unfortunately translated in our ,english version 7 1 not 74 8,not one fold1 but one flock2 no one exclusive enclosure of an outward church--but one flock1 all knowing the one ,shepherd1 and known of ,him40--7,alford47 ,and one flock because one ,shepherd2 one not in creed1 or organization1 or method of worship1 but one in ,christ ,jesus 7see ver4 #cj74--,therefore doth my ,father love me because ,i lay down my life4 ,not because ,i have laid it down1 as though the love of the ,father were caused by the earthly love and sacrifice of ,christ1 but because ,i lay it down4 ,that is1 because ,christ's ,spirit is one of self-sacrificing love1 manifested by1 but not alone embodied in the incarnation1 he is loved by the ,father4 ,see ,phil4 #b3i2 ,heb4 #a3i4--;,in order that ,i may take it again4 ,beware of understanding this1 as many of the commentators seem to do1 as equivalent to1 ,i die in order that ,i may rise from the dead4 ,the meaning is interpreted by ,christ's declaration to his disciples3 8,he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it40 ,christ lays down his life by his humiliation1 his incarnation1 his passion and his crucifixion1 that he may take it again in the life of the myriads whom he has redeemed from death by his own death4 ,he takes it again when he sees of the travail of his soul and is satisfied 7,isa4 #ec3aa71 which he does when those who have been washed and made white in the blood of the ,lamb stand before him 7,rev4 #g3ad1 #ae74 ,so every mother1 laying down her life in continued self-sacrifice for her children1 takes it again in their developed manhood and womanhood4--,no one taketh it from me1 but ,i lay it down of myself4 ,no one is not equivalent to no man1 a translation which weakens if it does not destroy the sense4 ,the sacrifice of ,christ1 the whole experience of humiliation and suffering1 commencing with the laying aside of the glory which he had with the ,father and culminating in the crucifixion1 was not imposed upon him by any one1 neither by man1 nor by ,satan1 nor even by the ,father2 it was self-assumed4 ,this fact is the answer to all those objections to the ,n4 ,t4 doctrine of the atonement1 which misrepresent it as portraying a ,god who inflicts on an innocent victim the punishment which was deserved by others4--,i have power to lay it down and ,i have power to take it again4 ,this commandment have ,i received of my ,father4 ,the word rendered power 771 includes both power and right 7see ch4 #a3ab1 note72 the word rendered commandment 771 is not equivalent to authority2 the original word always means law or command4 ,christ's disciples have no authority to frame self-sacrifices for themselves2 doing this is always characteristic of a corrupt and quasi pagan religion4 ,they are to bear with cheerful heroism whatever self-sacrifice the providence of ,god may lay upon them4 ,so also they have never a right to seek death1 but are always to seek to live to the glory of ,god and for their fellow-men4 ,but ,christ voluntarily chose his life of humiliation and cross-bearing2 voluntarily sought its privations2 and finally went1 not to an inevitable death1 but to one which he might easily have avoided by flight1 if he had acted according to the directions which he gave his followers1 and on which the apostle subsequently acted4 ,he might have fled from ,jerusalem on the fatal night of his arrest1 as he had done before1 and this without leaving his sheep to be seized or scattered by the wolf2 or he might have been protected by supernatural power 7,matt4 #bf3ec74 ,he did not because he had a peculiar authority given to him1 which his followers do not possess1 to lay down his own life1 both in the self-assumed humiliation of the incarnation1 and in the final tragedy of his death4 ,and this peculiar authority he possessed because in all his incarnation and passion and death he was carrying out the will and obeying the command of his ,father4 ,to us the divine command is interpreted by providence2 ,christ needed no such interpreter1 for he knew the ,father's will1 knowing the ,father even as he was known by the ,father4 #ai ,there was a division therefore again among the ,jews for these sayings4 #bj ,and many of them said1 ,he#djh hath a devil1 and is mad2 why hear ye him8 #djh ch4 #g3bj4 #ba ,others said1 ,these are not the words of him that hath a devil4 ,can a devil open#dji the eyes of the blind8 #dji ch4 #i3f1 etc4 #ai-ba4 ,there was a division therefore again among the,jews4--,christ's fan was in his hand4 ,his teachings were tests of the character of his auditors4--,he hath a devil4 ,rather an evil spirit 7see ch4 #h3eb1 note74--,why hear ye him8 ,why listen to him at all8 ,the words were addressed by the opponents of ,jesus to those who were inclined to believe on him1 and indicate the uneasiness with which the ,pharisees observed the impression which ,christ was making on the less prejudiced and better disposed among the people 7comp4 ch4 #g3df-di74--,these are not the words of one possessed by an evil spirit4 ,a pregnant saying4 ,infidelity must afford some explanation of the teachings and life of ,christ2 and they are not the teachings and life of either a fanatic or a deceiver4--,can an evil spirit open the eyes of the blind8 ,these words show that the whole discourse of this chapter was not distant in time from the healing of the blind man narrated in ,chapter ,,ix1 and was probably closely connected with it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #aj3bb-db4 ,,discourse ,,at ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,dedication4--,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,christ3 ,,eternal ,,life4--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,christ3 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,father4--,,the ,,contrast ,,between ,,the ,o4 ,t4 ,,prophets ,,and ,,christ4--,,the ,,evidence ,,of ,,christ',s ,,divinity2 ,,his ,,works4 ,there is no reason to suppose that ,christ left ,judea during the time which elapsed between the feast of ,tabernacles 7ch4 #g3b7 and the feast of ,dedication2 on the contrary1 the intimate connection between the discourse here reported and the preceding parable of the ,good ,shepherd 7see vers4 #bf1 #bg71 indicates that this discourse followed almost immediately after that one2 certainly while the latter was still fresh in the minds of the people4 ,i believe that the ministry in ,judea1 reported in ,john1 chapters #g1 #h1 #i and #aj1 was a continuous one1 unbroken by any departure into ,galilee or ,perea4 #bb ,and it was at ,jerusalem the feast of the dedication1 and it was winter4 #bc ,and ,jesus walked in the temple in ,solomon's porch4#daj #daj ,acts #c3aa2 #e3ab4 #bd ,then came the ,jews round about him1 and said unto him1 ,how long dost thou make us to doubt8 ,if thou be the ,christ1 tell us plainly4 #bb-bd4 ,the feast of the ,dedication4 ,a ,jewish feast instituted by ,judas ,maccabeus1 in commemoration of the cleansing of the second temple and altar1 after they had been polluted by ,antiochus ,epiphanes4 ,the profanation took place ,b4 ,c4 #afg1 the purification ,b4 ,c4 #afd4 ,the festival commenced on the #beth day of the ninth month1 ,kislev1 answering to our ,december1 and lasted eight days4 ,it was also called the feast of ,lights1 from the fact that the ,jews illuminated their houses as long as the feast lasted4 ,instituted by the ,maccabean dynasty1 and observed chiefly by the more rigid ,judeans1 it afforded to ,christ an audience only of the more narrow-minded and bigoted of the ,jews1 a fact which must be borne in mind in studying his teaching on this occasion4--,it was winter4--,the fact is stated to explain our ,lord's walking in ,solomon's portico4 ,for description and illustration of this portico1 see ,acts #e3ab1 note4 ,this minute detail1 the exact locality where he gave this instruction1 is one of the many indications which this ,gospel affords of being written by an eye-witness4--,the ,judeans therefore surrounded him4 ,the verb 77 is generally used in a hostile sense1 e4 g41 of armies encompassing a city 7,luke #ba3bj2 ,heb4 #aa3cj2 ,rev4 #bj3i74 ,this is the meaning here2 an excited and threatening crowd hedged about ,jesus as he was quietly walking in the porch4 8,their fixed design was1 not to leave him at liberty till he should have uttered the decisive word40--7,godet47 ,this was the earliest manifestation of that design which was finally accomplished when the oath was administered to ,jesus by the ,high ,priest1 and he was adjured to say whether he was the ,son of ,god 7,matt4 #bf3fc1 note74--,how long dost thou keep our souls in suspense8 ,this ,english idiom almost literally answers to the ,greek idiom 7 71 which is still more exactly1 ,how long dost thou keep our souls lifted up8 i4 e41 with expectation and uncertainty4 ,commingled and contradictory feelings in the crowd were probably represented by this question2 some hoped that ,jesus was the ,messiah and desired to compel him to declare himself2 others were enraged with him1 and desired to extort some utterance which would give them the opportunity to condemn him for blasphemy1 or to excite the mob against him4 #be ,jesus answered them1 ,i told you1 and ye believed not2 the#daa works that ,i do in my ,father's name1 they bear witness of me4 #daa ch4 #e3cf4 #bf ,but#dab ye believe not1 because ye are not of my sheep1 as ,i said unto you4 #dab ch4 #h3dg4 #bg ,my#dac sheep hear my voice1 and ,i know them1 and they follow me3 #dac verse #d4 #be-bg4 ,i told you 99 99 99 the works 99 99 99 bear witness of me4 ,he had told them 7ch4 #e3ai2 #h3cf1 #ef1 #eh1 etc471 not it is true as plainly as he had told the ,samaritan woman 7ch4 #d3bf71 but more plainly than he had told his own disciples previous to ,peter's confession of faith1 8,thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god0 7,matt4 #af3af72 and he now answers them as he answered ,john the ,baptist1 who1 in a very different spirit1 preferred the same request for a definite answer to the question1 8,art thou ,he that should come80 7,matt4 #aa3b-f47 ,he refers them to his works4 ,the evidence of ,christ's divinity is not in his declaration about himself1 nor in the declarations made concerning him by others1 but in his life1 his character1 and the work which he has done and is still doing in the world4 ,works 77 includes his miracles but is not equivalent to miracles4 ,see ch4 #ad3ab1 note4 ,the reason why he did not answer more directly is well given by ,godet3 8,he could not answer #8,i am1' for the meaning which they attached to the word ,christ had1 so to speak1 nothing in common with that in which he used it4 ,still less could he reply1 #8,i am not2' for he was indeed the ,christ provided by ,god1 and in that sense he whom they expected40--,because ye are not of my sheep1 as ,i said to you4 ,the reference is either to the implied teaching of the parable of the ,good ,shepherd1 or to some specific statement not reported by the ,evangelist4 ,the genuineness of the words as ,i said to you is doubted by some1 but they are regarded as authentic by most critics4 ,what does he mean by ye are not of my sheep4 ,if we look back we shall see that the sheep of ,christ are those that hear 7i4 e41 accept and obey7 his voice1 and follow him 7i4 e41 imitate his life and example74 ,see verses #c1 #d1 #ad1 #af1 #bg4 ,the declaration1 then1 ,ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep1 is that those who do not spiritually recognize the beauty of ,christ's teaching1 and do not attempt to follow his incomparable example1 are not to be expected to be convinced of his divinity by purely intellectual arguments4--,the answer to the skeptic is generally1 ,you cannot believe in ,christ as your personal ,saviour till you begin to recognize and to follow his teaching and example as a prophet and a man4 ,the declaration is the converse of ,john #g3ag4 ,comp4 #b ,peter #a3e-h1 where the possession of the ,christian virtues is declared to be the efficient cause of a sound ,christian knowledge4 ,the creed does not precede but follows spiritual life4 #bh ,and ,i give unto them eternal life2 and they#dad shall never perish1 neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand4 #dad ch4 #ag3ab2 #ah3i4 #bi ,my#dae ,father1 which gave#daf them me1 is greater than all2 and no man is able to pluck them out of my ,father's hand4 #dae ch4 #ad3bh4 #daf ch4 #ag3b4 #cj ,i#dag and my ,father are one4 #dag ch4 #ag3aa1 #bb4 #bh-cj4 ,and ,i give unto them eternal life4 ,life is the gift of ,god through ,jesus ,christ 7ch4 #a3ab2 #d3aj1 #ad2 #f3bg1 #cb1 #ea2 ,rom4 #e3ag2 #f3bc2 ,eph4 #a3ag71 but the necessary condition of receiving it is faith in his ,son1 i4 e41 the ability to appreciate spiritual life in its highest and most perfect manifestation1 and a readiness to follow after it1 by leaving all things else to attain it1 as did ,paul 7,phil4 #c3ac1 #ad74--;,and they shall never perish1 neither shall any pluck them out of my hand4 ,the word rendered perish is literally destroy themselves 71 middle voice72 and this seems to me to be the meaning here2 otherwise there would be a repetition1 the second clause of the promise only reiterating the first clause4 ,the word man is not in the original2 any includes all powers1 human and superhuman4 ,i1 then1 understand ,christ's declaration to be that the souls which trust in him shall never destroy themselves1 and no one shall pluck them out of his hand2 i4 e41 he promises to protect his disciples both against their own weaknesses and also against the strength of assailants2 from fears without and foes within2 from treachery in the soul1 and from assaults on the soul4 ,see #a ,cor4 #aj3ac2 #ae3aj2 ,phil4 #d3ai2 ,col4 #a3aa1 etc4--,my ,father which gave them to me1 is greater than all4 ,there is some uncertainty as to the reading1 but the best critics agree in sustaining the received text4--,no one is able to pluck them out of my ,father's hand4 ,i and my ,father are one4 ,without entering into any doubtful disputations respecting the relation of the ,father and the ,son1 a problem which ,i believe transcends human knowledge1 it is evident that the connection here requires us to understand ,christ as declaring himself one with the ,father1 not merely in will or desire1 as the disciple is to be one with his ,lord1 but also in spiritual power4 ,the argument is1 8,my sheep shall never perish1 since my ,father who gave them into my hand is greater than all1 and ,i who hold them1 am one with him40 ,this argument would be without force if the meaning was not that ,christ's power is equal to that of the ,father4 ,his will might be perfectly in harmony with the divine will1 he still could not be trusted as a divine ,saviour unless his power was commensurate with his will4 ,so all the best expositors1 ,alford1 ,godet1 ,meyer1 ,luthardt1 ,tholuck4 #ca ,then#dah the ,jews took up stones again to stone him4 #dah ch4 #h3ei4 #cb ,jesus answered them1 ,many good works have ,i shewed you from my ,father2 for which of those works do ye stone me8 #cc ,the ,jews answered him1 saying1 ,for a good work we stone thee not2 but for blasphemy2 and because#dai that thou1 being a man1 makest thyself ,god4 #dai verse #cj2 ch4 #e3ah2 ,ps4 #hb3f2 ,rom4 #ac3a4 #ca-cc4 ,the moral power of ,christ is singularly illustrated by the manner in which he restrains the mob by his voice and compels them to answer his question4 ,that question implies that punishment is due only to wrong actors1 and he asks them before they execute sentence1 to designate any wrong that he has done4 ,the question is thus analogous to that of ch4 #h3df1 8,which of you convinceth me of sin40--,blasphemy was a regularly recognized crime under ,jewish law2 it consisted in any endeavor to draw away the allegiance of the people from the one true ,god1 and answered to treason with us1 ,jehovah being under the theocracy1 the ,supreme head of the nation 7see ,matt4 #ab3cb1 note74 ,the reply of the ,jews to ,christ's question plainly shows how they regarded his declaration1 8,i and my ,father are one10 not as indicating mere unity in spirit and purpose1 but also in power and essential being4 ,this is not indeed conclusive1 for the ,jews constantly misunderstood ,christ2 but it is an indication of his meaning4 ,one practical lesson of the unity of the ,godhead1 of ,christ and the ,spirit with the ,father1 is eloquently presented by ,maurice3 8,the unity of the ,father and the ,son is the only ground of the unity between the ,shepherd and the sheep2 undermine one and you undermine both 99 99 99 994 ,do you think sects would last even for an hour1 if there was not in the heart of each of them a witness for a fellowship which combinations and shibboleths did not create1 and which1 thanks be to ,god1 they cannot destroy4 ,the ,shepherd makes his voice to be heard through all the noise and clatter of earthly shepherds2 the sheep hear his voice and know that it is calling them to follow him into a common fold where all may rest and dwell together2 and when once they understand the still deeper message which he is uttering here1 and which the old creeds are repeating to us1 #8,i and my ,father are one2' when they understand that the unity of the church and the unity of mankind depends on this eternal distinction and unity in ,god himself1 and not upon authority or decrees of any mortal pastor1 the sects will crumble to pieces1 and there will be in very deed1 one flock and one ,shepherd40 #cd ,jesus answered them1 ,is it not written in your law1 ,i said1 ,ye are gods8 #ce ,if he called them gods1 unto whom the word of ,god came1 and the scripture cannot be broken2 #cf ,say ye of him1 whom the ,father hath sanctified1#dbj and sent into the world1 ,thou blasphemest2 because ,i said1 ,i am#dba the ,son of ,god8 #dbj ch4 #f3bg2 ,isa4 #aa3b1 #c2 #di3a1 #c4 #dba ,phil4 #b3f4 #cd-cf4 ,is it not written in your law4 ,he does not say in our law1 nor in the law1 but in your law4 ,christ does not identify himself with the ,jews1 nor regard himself as subject to the law1 though made under it1 and yielding himself to it for a season4 ,comp4 ch4 #g3ai2 #h3ag4 ,the reference is to ,psalm #hb3f4 ,there is no passage in the law1 i4 e41 in the ,pentateuch1 which corresponds exactly to ,christ's words here1 or to those of the ,psalmist2 but in ,exodus #bb3bh1 the title of 8gods0 is given to the judges4 ,the ,psalm in question is believed to have been written on the occasion of ,jehosaphat's reform of the courts and re-establishment of the law 7#b ,chron41 ch4 #ai71 and it contrasts the unjust judges of ,israel1 who had been called gods in the law1 with ,god the ,judge of all the earth4--,unto whom the word of ,god came4 ,the word of ,god is not the mere saying1 8,i have said ye are gods0 7,meyer72 it is never used in the ,n4 ,t4 in so limited a sense1 to signify merely a particular phrase or utterance4 ,it is either1 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 i4 e41 ,god revealing himself to and through the prophet1 as in ch4 #a3a 7see note there7 and ,heb4 #d3ab2 or it is the word given to the prophets by the ,holy ,spirit and by them repeated to the nation1 i4 e41 nearly equivalent to the ,o4 ,t4 ,scripture1 as in ,mark #g3ac2 ,luke #e3a1 etc4--,and the ,scripture cannot be broken4 ,literally loosened 7,matt4 #e3ai1 note74 ,this parenthetical declaration is a very significant testimony to the inspiration of the ,o4 ,t4--,whom the ,father hath sanctified4 ,the original 77 may be rendered either made holy1 in the sense of made clean and pure in character1 or made holy in the sense of set apart to a holy use4 ,it is evidently in the latter sense that it is employed here4--,and sent into the world4 ,the sanctifying of ,christ preceded the sending into the world4 ,evidently1 therefore1 the reference is not to any act recorded in the life of ,christ1 as the descent of the ,holy ,spirit at the baptism1 but to a consecration in the will of ,god to the work of redemption1 and which preceded the ,advent4--,thou blasphemest4 ,that is1 art guilty of diverting the allegiance of the people from ,god to thyself4--,because ,i said ,i am a ,son of ,god4 ,the article is wanting in the ,greek1 and ought not to be added in the translation4 ,these verses 7#cd-cf7 have been sometimes regarded as a partial retraction1 or at least a material modification of the declaration1 8,i and my ,father are one20 as indicating that ,jesus ,christ is a ,son of ,god only as every obedient soul is a child of ,god 7#a ,john #c3a74 ,if this passage stood alone1 such an interpretation might possibly be given to it2 but if the audience1 the circumstances1 the effect1 and the other utterances of the speaker be taken into account1 it cannot be fairly so understood4 ,this sentence is spoken to a mob for the purpose of checking their rage4 ,they have understood ,christ to claim divinity4 ,he does not in terms explicitly disavow it4 ,on the contrary1 when his explanation is ended1 they resume their design 7ver4 #ci71 and he is obliged to flee for his life4 ,we should not look in such an utterance for a disclosure of the profoundest truths respecting ,christ's character1 not because ,christ would conceal or modify the truth to save his life1 but because an angry mob is not the sort of an audience to whom he would choose to reveal it1 or indeed could reveal it1 a certain receptiveness of soul being necessary to the comprehension of spiritual truth4 ,the argument of these verses seems to me to be this3 ,he to whom the ,spirit of ,god comes1 and who receives it and becomes in so far an exponent and manifestation of ,god1 is in a sense divine2 he becomes partaker of the divine nature2 a sharer of the divine life 7,rom4 #h3bi2 ,heb4 #ab3aj2 #b ,pet4 #a3d74 ,this is the testimony of the ,scriptures which cannot be set aside4 ,he1 then1 who is not of this world but from above 7ch4 #h3bc71 and whom the ,father consecrated above and sent down into this world1 is not guilty of blasphemy in calling himself a ,son of ,god4 ,in other words1 ,christ compares himself with inspired men only to contrast himself with them2 he shows that1 even according to the principles of the ,o4 ,t4 ,scriptures1 by which the ,jews pretended to condemn him1 he was not guilty of blasphemy1 even if1 being but a man1 he had made himself a son and so a representative of ,god1 while he1 at the same time1 clearly claims to be other and higher than the ,o4 ,t4 prophets and judges4 ,but for the full disclosure of ,christ's character1 we must look to his quiet conferences with his own disciples1 who were at least willing1 if not able1 to understand him4 #cg ,if#dbb ,i do not the works of my ,father1 believe me not4 #dbb ch4 #ad3aj1 #aa2 #ae3bd4 #ch ,but if ,i do1 though ye believe not me1 believe the works3 that ye may know1 and believe1 that the ,father is in me1 and ,i in him4 #cg1 #ch4 ,if ,i do not the works of my ,father1 put no faith in me4 ,works which show forth his power and glory and are in accordance with his will and character 7ch4 #ag3d74--;,but if ,i do1 though ye put no faith in me1 put faith in the works4 ,beware of understanding faith1 rendered in our ,english version by believe1 as a mere intellectual act4 ,the idea is1 ,if prejudice against the person of ,christ prevents an affectionate regard for him1 the soul may still have respect and reverence for the work he has done1 and is doing in the world4 ,that ye may perceive and know 7 7 is the best reading4--,alford1 ,meyer4 ,to perceive1 or recognize1 denotes the outward act2 to know denotes the permanent state4--,that the ,father is in me and ,i in the ,father4 ,a spiritual unity1 such as cannot be predicated of any other son of ,god4 ,the ,father is in the ,son because he lives and moves in him2 is the spirit which animates and controls and makes divine the man ,jesus4 ,the ,son is in the ,father because his thoughts1 wishes1 purposes1 desires1 all centre in ,him4 ,the argument of these verses is substantially the same as that addressed by ,christ to the ,jews in verse #be 7see note there71 and that addressed to his own disciples in ch4 #ad3aa4 ,the best evidence of the divinity of ,christ is his own character2 next is a consideration of the divine work which he has done and is doing in the world4 #ci ,therefore they sought again to take him3 but he escaped out of their hand2 #dj ,and went away again beyond ,jordan into the place#dbc where ,john at first baptized3 and there he abode4 #dbc ch4 #a3bh4 #da ,and many resorted unto him1 and said1 ,john did no miracle3 but all things that ,john spake#dbd of this man were true4 #dbd ch4 #c3cj-cf2 ,matt4 #c3aa1 #ab4 #db ,and many believed on him there4 #ci-db4 ,they sought again to take him4 ,to arrest him4 ,their passion had time to cool1 and they abandoned the idea of mob violence1 which would have brought1 as in ,paul's case 7,acts #ba3ca1 #cb71 the interference of the ,romans4 ,instead1 they endeavored to seize ,christ and bring him before the authorities for trial4--,but he escaped out of their hand4 ,there is no reason to suppose a miracle4 ,in the throng were some at least who believed in him1 and under cover afforded by them he could have escaped4--,where ,john at first baptized4 ,see ch4 #a3bh1 note4--,all things that ,john spake of this man were true4 ,being dead he yet spake4 ,gave his testimony to ,christ4 ,see ch4 #a3ae-cd4 ,this was the end of ,christ's ,judean ministry proper1 which had lasted three months4 ,it had been one of continuous storm4 ,twice during this period he had been mobbed 7ch4 #h3ei2 #aj3ca72 once an attempt was made to arrest him 7ch4 #g3cb1 #de72 secret plans for his assassination were laid 7ch4 #g3ai1 #be2 #h3cg74 ,all that we know of this ministry is contained in ,john1 chapters #g1 #h1 #i and #aj2 though it is not improbable that the parables of the ,good ,samaritan and the ,pharisee and the ,publican1 and the incidents at the house of ,mary and ,martha belong to the same era 7,luke #aj3be-db2 #ah3i-ad74--;,and many believed on him there4 ,a period of a little over three months1 from some time in ,december to the first of ,april1 intervened between the retreat of ,christ from ,judea and his final entry into ,jerusalem at the ,passover week4 ,i believe that this time was devoted to his ministry in ,perea1 the district beyond ,jordan2 a ministry of which ,john here gives a hint1 to which ,matthew and ,mark also refer 7,matt4 #ai3a1 #b1 etc42 ,mark #aj3a1 etc471 but of which ,luke alone gives any full account4 ,see ,luke1 ch4 #aj1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,many thronged his ministry there 7,luke #aa3bi2 #ab3a2 #ad3ae1 #be2 #ae3a74 ,this ministry was broken in upon by the message from the sisters of ,lazarus1 as recorded in the next chapter4 ,see ,prel4 ,note there4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,ch4 #aa3a-dd4 ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,lazarus4--,,the ,,divine ,,object ,,in ,,all ,,seeming ,,evil3 ,,not ,,human ,,death ,,but ,,divine ,,glory 7#d74--,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,silence ,,in ,,our ,,sorrow ,,illustrated ,,and ,,partially ,,interpreted 7#f1 #ab74--,,the ,,conditions ,,of ,,divine ,,protection ,,and ,,the ,,christian',s ,,safety 7#i1 #aj74--,,the ,,christian',s ,,death ,a ,,sleep 7#aa74--,,the ,,anguish ,,of 8,,if0 7#ba1 #cb74--,,the ,,pharisaic ,,creed ,,and ,,the ,,christian',s ,,faith ,,concerning ,,death ,,and ,,the ,,resurrection ,,contrasted 7#bc-bg74--;,,christ',s ,,indignation ,,at ,,human ,,falsehood 7#cc1 #ch74--;,,christ',s ,,sympathy ,,with ,,human ,,sorrow 7#ce74--,,the ,,resistance ,,of ,,faithlessness2 ,,the ,,obedience ,,of ,,faith 7#ci1 #da74--,,the ,,prayer ,,of ,,assurance ,,of ,,faith 7#db74--,,the ,,resurrection ,,and ,,the ,,life 7#dc1 #dd74--;,a ,,parable ,,of ,,human ,,sorrow ,,and ,,divine ,,comfort4--,a ,,parable ,,of ,,human ,,sin ,,and ,,divine ,,redemption4 ,see ,supplementary ,note4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,there is nothing in ,john to indicate the time at which this miracle took place2 and there is no general agreement among harmonists respecting it4 ,robinson places it immediately at the close of ,christ's ,judean ministry and prior to his ministry in ,perea2 ,andrews and ,ellicott place it at the close of the ,perean ministry and immediately preceding the ,passion week4 ,the reasons for so doing are3 7#a7 ,it seems the immediate occasion both of the triumphal procession accorded to ,jesus by the spontaneous action of the common people1 and of the more deliberate determination on the part of the ecclesiastics of ,jerusalem to put him to death4 ,it does not seem reasonable1 therefore1 to suppose that a long period of active service in another part of the ,holy ,land intervened between this the greatest miracle wrought by ,christ and the effects which it produced1 both upon the church party and upon the common people4 7#b7 ,immediately after this miracle1 and in consequence of the excitement produced by it1 ,christ retired into the wilderness1 and is said by ,john to have continued there with his disciples2 and the implication is that he remained in this retirement until after the ,passover 7vers4 #ed1 #ee74 ,to suppose that the ,perean ministry1 which lasted something like three months1 was interjected into this period of retirement1 which is ,robinson's supposition1 breaks into the continuity of ,john's narrative1 and does violence to its order and symmetry1 without any adequate reason4 7#c7 ,jesus was at a considerable distance from ,bethany at the time when ,lazarus was taken sick4 ,the sisters sent unto him at once2 after receiving their message1 he remained where he was two days2 but when he reached ,bethany1 ,lazarus had been four days dead 7comp4 vers4 #f and #ci74 ,presumptively1 therefore1 he was at least one day's journey from ,bethany1 even if we assume that ,lazarus had died before the messengers had reached ,jesus2 more probably he was two days' journey distant1 for verse #aa indicates that the death of ,lazarus took place after ,jesus had received word of his sickness4 ,thus the narrative of this miracle tallies with the supposition that ,christ was carrying on his ministry in the region beyond the ,jordan1 rather than with the supposition that he was anywhere in ,judea2 the more so that we have no intimation in the ,gospels of any ministry in ,judea except in and about ,jerusalem1 of which ,bethany was practically a suburb4 7#d7 ,in ,luke #ac3cb1 ,christ uses the following language3 8,behold ,i cast out devils and ,i do cures to-day and to-morrow1 and the third day ,i shall be perfected40 ,this occurs in the ,perean ministry1 and the 8two days0 here referred to1 have been hypothetically identified with the 8two days0 during which1 according to ,john's narrative here1 ,jesus tarried where he was after receiving the message of ,lazarus's sickness4 ,the coincidence between the two passages is at least curious1 though it may be nothing more than a coincidence4 ,these reasons make the chronology of ,andrews and ,ellicott more probable than that of ,robinson4 ,i believe1 then1 that the resurrection of ,lazarus took place in the latter part of ,february or the early part of ,march ,a4 ,d4 #cj1 and that it was followed1 after the brief retirement at ,ephraim1 by the triumphal march of ,christ and his disciples up to ,jerusalem1 and by his ,passion and his death there4 ,see ,tab4 ,har41 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #de2 for some general considerations respecting this miracle1 see ,sup4 ,note1 ver4 #dd4 #a ,now a certain man was sick1 named ,lazarus1 of ,bethany1 the town of#dbe ,mary and her sister ,martha4 #dbe ,luke #aj3ch1 #ci4 #b 7,it was that ,mary which#dbf anointed the ,lord with ointment1 and wiped his feet with her hair1 whose brother ,lazarus was sick47 #dbf ch4 #ab3c2 ,mark #ad3c4 #a1 #b4 ,now a certain one was sick named ,lazarus4 ,the only historic person of this name mentioned in the ,bible2 the indications are that he was a younger brother4 ,from the incident in ,luke #aj3ch-db1 we judge that ,martha was the head of the household4 ,simon1 probably the father1 though possibly the husband of one of the sisters1 was a leper2 he had probably died or been banished by the law1 because of his leprosy 7,matt4 #bf3f74 ,the family appear to have been one of wealth and social distinction2 this is indicated by the facts that they owned their house1 had their tomb in their garden1 and were able to give three hundred dollars worth of ointment as a costly token of honor to ,jesus 7,john #ab3e74 ,i say three hundred dollars worth because the penny1 or denarius1 was a day's wages1 and therefore equivalent to our dollar4 ,how and where the household first became acquainted with ,jesus1 we do not know4 ,an ingenious writer in ,smith's ,bible ,dictionary endeavors to identify ,lazarus with the rich young ruler who had great possessions1 and went away from ,christ sorrowful because he was bid to sell all that he had to give to the poor 7,matt4 #ai3af-bb72 but this ingenious hypothesis has only its ingenuity to commend it4 ,of ,lazarus's life after his resurrection1 nothing whatever is known2 there are traditions respecting him1 and his bones were discovered by some of the credulous relic-worshippers of the ninth century in the island of ,cyprus2 but the traditions are as little to be trusted as the relics4--,of ,bethany4 ,this village lies on the eastern slope of the ,mount of ,olives1 less than two miles 7ver4 #ah1 note7 southeast of ,jerusalem4 ,see for description and illustration1 ch4 #ab3a1 #b1 note4 ,its present name is ,el-,azarieh1 derived from1 and memorializing the resurrection of ,lazarus4 ,of course1 the house of ,simon and of ,lazarus1 and the tomb of the latter are pointed out to the traveler by the accommodating monks1 and of course1 nothing is known about either of these sites1 except that the tomb cannot possibly be the real one4 ,it is a deep vault partly lined with masonry1 entered upon by a long1 winding1 half-ruined staircase2 the masonry is comparatively modern1 and the situation of the tomb in the centre of the village is inconsistent with the ,gospel narrative2 the genuineness of the site is repudiated by ,porter1 ,robinson1 ,thompson1 and defended by no scholar4--,the town of ,mary and her sister ,martha4 ,it is so characterized because their home served as a retreat to ,jesus during his ministry in ,jerusalem1 and it is thus distinguished from the ,bethany beyond the ,jordan mentioned in ch4 #a3bh1 note4 ,there is no reason whatever for identifying this ,mary with ,mary ,magdalene or with the 8woman which was a sinner10 or the anointing referred to here and described in ch4 #ab3a-h with the anointing performed by that unnamed woman and described in ,luke #g3cf-ej2 see note there4--,the designation of ,bethany as the town of ,mary and her sister ,martha1 whom ,john has not before mentioned1 as well as his incidental reference in the parenthetical sentence following1 to the anointing of the ,lord by ,mary1 are indications that ,john wrote not only with a knowledge of the other ,gospels1 or at least with the main facts1 incidents1 and characters described in the other ,gospels1 but also with the assurance that they were familiar to most of his readers4 ,the fact that ,mary's name is mentioned first1 would1 taken by itself1 imply that she was the elder sister1 and the head of the household2 but the fact that ,martha took the responsibility of providing for the guests in the two instances recorded in ,luke #aj3ch-db and ,john #ab3a-h1 indicates that ,martha was the elder sister and the housekeeper4 #c ,therefore his sisters sent unto him1 saying1 ,lord1 behold1 he#dbg whom thou lovest is sick4 #dbg ,heb4 #ab3f2 ,rev4 #c3ai4 #d ,when ,jesus heard that1 he said1 ,this sickness is not unto death1 but#dbh for the glory of ,god1 that the ,son of ,god might be glorified thereby4 #dbh verse #dj2 ch4 #i3c4 #c1 #d4 ,lord1 behold whom thou lovest is sick4 ,they have complete confidence in the sympathy of their ,lord2 they do not urge him to come2 they do not present any petition2 they simply report their trouble to him4--,he said1 ,this sickness is not unto death4 ,that is1 has not death for its object2 7 with the accusative1 marks strictly the object towards which anything is directed47 ,christ does not say that ,lazarus will not die1 but that death is not the end for which this sickness is ordained of ,god4--,but for the glory of ,god1 that the ,son of ,god might be glorified thereby4 ,comp4 ch4 #i3c1 note4 ,he was glorified1 7#a7 perhaps by the development of a higher spiritual life in ,lazarus through his sickness1 death and resurrection 7,trench71 though of this the ,evangelist gives us no hint2 7#b7 by the manifestation of the divine power of ,jesus ,christ1 as one whom the ,father always hears 7ver4 #db72 7#c7 by the ,passion and death of ,jesus ,christ1 to which the resurrection of ,lazarus directly led 7vers4 #dg-ec74 ,this saying of ,christ seems to have been uttered not merely to his disciples2 it was apparently his message to the sisters1 and to it he refers in verse #dj 7see note there74 #e ,now ,jesus loved ,martha1 and her sister1 and ,lazarus4 #f ,when he had heard therefore that he was sick1 he abode two days still in the same place where he was4 #g ,then after that saith he to his disciples1 ,let us go into ,juda again4 #e-g4 ,now ,jesus loved ,martha1 etc4 ,this statement is made in explanation of verse #f1 that the reader may not fall into the error of supposing that ,christ's delay was due to any indifference or unconcern on his part4--,he abode two days in the same place where he was4 ,why8 ,either because this delay was necessary to complete the work in which he was engaged1 and from which he would not suffer himself to be drawn away even by considerations of personal sympathy1 he himself acting on the principle 8,let the dead bury their dead1 but go thou and preach the kingdom of ,god0 7,luke #i3fj72 or because this delay was necessary to the consummation of the miracle of the resurrection of ,lazarus in such form as to forever prohibit the impression that death had not really taken place4 ,the former is the better hypothesis1 since in no case does ,christ seem to have wrought a miracle for the mere purpose of producing by it a profound impression1 and it is therefore hardly consistent to believe that he would have delayed merely for the purpose of making the miracle more startling and marvelous4--,let us go into ,judea again4 ,this plainly implies that ,jesus and his disciples were not then in ,judea1 and thus incidentally confirms the supposition 7see ,prel4 ,note7 that the resurrection of ,lazarus was subsequent to the close of the ministry in ,perea1 and that he was summoned from ,perea4 #h ,his disciples say unto him1 ,master1 the ,jews of late#dbi sought to stone thee2 and goest thou thither again8#dcj #dbi ch4 #aj3ca4 #dcj ,acts #bj3bd4 #i ,jesus answered1 ,are there not twelve hours in the day8 ,if#dca any man walk in the day1 he stumbleth not1 because he seeth the light of this world4 #dca ch4 #ab3ce4 #aj ,but if a man walk in the night1#dcb he stumbleth1 because there is no light in him4 #dcb ,eccles4 #b3ad4 #h-aj4 ,the disciples say to him1 ,master1 the ,judeans were just now seeking to stone thee4 ,on the chronological hypothesis adopted above1 the mob in ,jerusalem had threatened the life of ,jesus about three months previous4 ,but he had not been in ,judea since4 ,the disciples attributed ,christ's remaining in ,perea to the fear of the ,jews1 and remonstrated against his again braving them4--,jesus answered1 ,are there not twelve hours in the day1 etc4 ,in interpreting ,christ's enigmatical saying here1 the student must remember that it was his habit to speak in parables1 and that he rarely gave any interpretation of them4 ,this is to be regarded as a condensed and uninterpreted parable4 ,john has himself given us the key to its interpretation by his use of the same metaphor in his ,epistle 7#a ,john #a3e-g74 ,god is the light4 ,as he has appointed the hours of activity for the human race1 the twelve hours of the day1 so he has appointed the hours of service for each individual man4 ,what was true of ,christ is true of every one2 he cannot die until his time has come 7,john #g3f1 #h1 #cj2 #h3bj74 ,he therefore who walks with ,god in the path of duty1 fulfilling the divine will1 cannot stumble2 no harm can come to him2 not a hair of his head can be injured 7,psalm #ia2 ,matt4 #aj3bi-ca2 ,luke #aj3ai2 #ba3ah74 ,he may and must come to his death2 but not until his twelve hours have passed away4--,but if a man work in darkness1 i4 e41 not with ,god1 not in the path of duty1 not endeavoring to fulfil the divine will1 for him there is no assurance of protection2 he is always liable to stumble and fall4 ,this is the general principle which ,christ parabolically asserts2 its immediate application here is that to ,christ there is no danger in going into ,judea1 for he will not die until his appointed time has fully come4 ,comp4 ch4 #i3d1 note4 #aa ,these things said he3 and after that he saith unto them1 ,our friend ,lazarus sleepeth3#dcc but ,i go1 that ,i may awake him out of sleep4 #dcc ,deut4 #ca3af2 ,acts #g3fj2 #a ,cor4 #ae3ah1 #ea4 #ab ,then said his disciples1 ,lord1 if he sleep1 he shall do well4 #ac ,howbeit ,jesus spake of his death3 but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep4 #aa-ac4 ,our friend ,lazarus sleepeth4 ,an interval is indicated as having taken place between the previous discourse and the present declaration1 by the words1 after that he saith unto them4 ,our friend1 implies that ,lazarus was loved by the disciples as well as by their ,lord4 ,this language1 coupled with that of verse #c1 indicates that he possessed a peculiarly lovable character4 ,sleep is used both in the ,o4 ,t4 and ,n4 ,t4 as a metaphor of death 7#b ,chron4 #ad3a2 ,ps4 #ac3c2 ,jer4 #ea3eg2 ,job #ad3ab2 ,dan4 #ab3b2 ,matt4 #bg3eb2 ,acts #g3fj2 #ac3cf2 #a ,cor4 #g3ci2 #aa3cj2 #ae3f1 #ah1 #bj1 #ea2 #a ,thess4 #d3ac1 #ad1 #ae74 ,some of the rationalistic critics think that the disciples were extraordinarily stupid1 not to understand ,christ's metaphor2 and yet they are guilty of a similar but greater stupidity4 ,thus1 the author of ,supernatural ,religion says 7,vol4 ,,ii1 #dfj73 8,the disciples reply with the stupidity with which the fourth ,evangelist endows all those who hold colloquy with ,jesus3 7,lord1 if he has fallen asleep he will recover270 and yet1 on the immediately preceding page1 he interprets ,christ's similar declaration respecting the daughter of ,jairus 7,matt4 #i3bd73 8,the maid is not dead but sleepeth10 as 8an express declaration0 that the case is 8one of mere suspension of consciousness40 ,the misapprehension of the apostles here was not extraordinary2 certainly not more so than that afforded by some analogous instances in the first three ,gospels 7see ,matt4 #af3g2 ,luke #bb3ch74 ,they had understood from verse #d1 that ,lazarus was to be restored2 they had interpreted ,christ's words as a promise of healing2 they had witnessed cases of miraculous healing in at least two instances1 wrought by a word on an absent patient 7,luke #g3aj2 ,john #d3ej-ec72 so when ,jesus said1 8,lazarus is sleeping10 they thought the crisis of the disease had passed1 and that there was no reason why their ,master should brave the dangers of a ,judean mob to go to the bedside of a convalescent friend4 #ad ,then said ,jesus unto them plainly1 ,lazarus is dead2 #ae ,and ,i am glad for your sakes that ,i was not there1 to the intent ye may believe2 nevertheless let us go unto him4 #af ,then said ,thomas1 which is called ,didymus1 unto his fellow-disciples1 ,let us also go1 that we may die with him4 #ad-af4 ,then ,jesus said unto them plainly 774 ,that is1 dropping all metaphor4--,and ,i am glad for your sakes that ,i was not there4 ,he accompanies the declaration of the friend's death with words of consolation and inspiration4 ,plain as those words are to us1 they must have been inexplicable to the disciples4 ,they did not forecast the resurrection2 how could they understand why ,christ should not have been present to prevent so great a sorrow4 ,the sympathy of ,christ with us in our sorrow does not prevent him1 who sees the end from the beginning1 from rejoicing even when he sees our tears4 ,he sees the sheaves brought home with joy even while the seed is sown in tears1 and rejoices at the tears because of the harvest4 ,to him1 faith wrought in the soul is worth immeasurably more than all the sorrow which soul-culture involves 7,rom4 #e3a-e2 #h3ah74--,then said ,thomas which is called ,didymus1 that is1 the twin4--,let us also go that we may die with him4 ,with ,christ1 not with ,lazarus4 ,the little that we know about ,thomas shows him to have been a man of strong passions and of little faith and hope2 to such a man life is full of pathos4 ,he could not believe that ,christ could with safety go into ,judea again2 in this1 indeed1 he really forecast the result1 which was the crucifixion of his ,lord2 but neither could he bear to be separated from him4 ,chrysostom notes the power of ,christ on this timid nature3 8,the very man who dared not to go in company with ,christ to ,bethany1 afterwards traveled with him through the inhabited world1 and dwelt in the midst of nations that were full of murderers desirous to kill him40 ,on the character of ,thomas1 see further1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #adi2 ,john #bj3bd1 note4 #ag ,then when ,jesus came1 he found that he had lain in the grave four days already4 #ah ,now ,bethany was nigh unto ,jerusalem1 about fifteen furlongs off3 #ag1 #ah4 ,he had lain in the grave four days already4 ,various explanations are made respecting these four days2 they are given in detail in ,andrews' ,life of ,our ,lord4 ,since1 however1 we do not know definitely where ,christ was1 except that it was some point apparently beyond ,jordan1 and we do not know at all what engagements and duties detained him there1 surmises as to the way in which these four days were taken up are decidedly unprofitable4 ,the narrative seems to me clearly to imply that ,lazarus was not dead when the messengers first reached ,jesus4 ,probably of these four days1 two were occupied by ,christ in completing his ministry where he was when he received the message1 and two1 or part of two days1 in a leisurely journey to the home of ,lazarus4--,bethany was nigh unto ,jerusalem4 ,the use of the past tense was1 not is1 indicates that ,bethany had ceased to exist at the time when ,john wrote his ,gospel2 it thus incidentally confirms the opinion that he wrote a considerable time after the destruction of ,jerusalem1 and when that city and its environs were lying waste4--,about fifteen furlongs off4 ,literally1 stadia4 ,the stadium1 is about six hundred feet2 fifteen stadia or furlongs were1 therefore1 about nine thousand feet1 or a little less than two miles4 #ai ,and many of the ,jews came to ,martha and ,mary1 to#dcd comfort them concerning their brother4 #dcd #a ,chron4 #g3bb2 ,job #b3aa2 #db3aa2 ,rom4 #ab3ae2 #a ,thess4 #d3ah4 #ai4 ,and many of the ,judeans came to ,martha and ,mary4 ,the word ,jews1 as used by ,john1 indicates always the inhabitants of ,judea1 as distinguished from those of other provinces in the ,holy ,land1 and therefore generally those who were prejudiced against1 if not absolutely hostile to ,jesus4 ,the fact that most of those who were present at the scene about to be described were these ,judeans1 is an important one1 and must be borne in mind by the student1 for it gives a peculiar color and significance to the entire narrative4--,to comfort them concerning their brother4 ,the ,jewish mourning rites were most carefully defined by the ,rabbinical law2 they included rending the clothes1 dressing in sackcloth1 sprinkling of ashes or dust on the person1 fasting1 loud lamenting4 ,professional mourners were employed to increase the noisy demonstrations of grief 7see ,mark #e3ch1 note74 ,the days of mourning were thirty1 which were divided into three for weeping1 seven for lamentation1 and twenty for less demonstrative mourning4 ,during the first three days the mourners were forbidden to wear their phylacteries or to engage in any servile work1 or to bathe or anoint themselves2 during the seven days they fasted or ate nothing but an occasional egg or some lentiles4 ,after the funeral services were over 7for account of which see ,luke #g3ab1 note71 friends and professional mourners came and sat with the afflicted ones upon the ground1 no one speaking until the bereaved ones had done so1 but every sentence of theirs was followed by some word of sympathy and comfort or by the wail of the mourners4 ,everything was done according to a prearranged system2 in ,phariseeism there was no liberty1 even in the hour of grief4 #bj ,then ,martha1 as soon as she heard that ,jesus was coming1 went and met him3 but ,mary sat still in the house4 #ba ,then said ,martha unto ,jesus4 ,lord1 if thou hadst been here1 my brother had not died4 #bb ,but ,i know1 that even now1 whatsoever#dce thou wilt ask of ,god1 ,god will give it thee4 #dce ch4 #i3ca4 #bj-bb4 ,then ,martha 99 99 99 went and met him4 ,jesus did not enter into the village1 but stopped without and sent some one to let the sisters know that he had come4 ,geikie supposes that he thus remained without from fear of the ,jews2 but ,christ never stopped in the performance of a duty from considerations of fear2 his reply to the remonstrances of his disciples 7vers4 #h-aj7 should have prevented this prosaic interpretation of ,christ's action4 ,to him the conventional mourning customs of ,oriental society were exceedingly distasteful4 ,he who put all the noisy mourners out of the room in which the daughter of ,jairus lay dead 7,mark #e3dj71 and who so gently rebuked the noisy and ostentatious lamentations of the women of ,jerusalem at the time of his own crucifixion 7,luke #bc3bg-ca71 might naturally be expected to decline to enter into the circle of formal mourners1 with the alternative of either violating the precedents and rules of good society1 or of submitting himself in such an hour to the bondage which they imposed4--,but ,mary sat still in the house4 ,it would appear from verse #bi1 that she did not know that ,jesus had come2 yet the contrast between the two sisters1 the one of whom with bustling activity waited upon her ,lord1 the other of whom1 in the quieter offices of love1 sat at his feet to listen to his words1 or anoint those feet with precious ointment 7,luke #aj3ch-db2 ,john #ab3a-h71 reappears here4 ,martha1 who was probably the head of the household1 was naturally the first to hear of ,christ's coming1 and even in her grief found comfort in activity2 to ,mary1 in the solitude of her sorrow1 no one at first reported ,christ's approach4--,lord1 if thou hadst been here1 my brother had not died4 ,this is the language both of reproach and of lamentation1 though the reproach is implied rather than asserted4 ,her language expresses the very essence of soul torture at such times4 ,we are slow to believe that our sorrow is 8for the glory of ,god that the ,son of ,god may be glorified thereby10 and in our affliction continually echo ,martha's 8if10 saying to ourselves1 if we had not done this1 or if we had not done that1 if it had not been for our blunder or that of our friends or our physician1 our beloved would not have died4 ,chance is the ,god of ,atheism1 and is a comfortless ,god in the time of our trouble4--,but ,i know that even now whatsoever thou shouldst ask of ,god1 ,god will give it thee4 ,this is interpreted by ,meyer and ,godet as an expression of ,martha's faith that ,jesus is able to raise even the dead to life again2 but in order to sustain this interpretation1 they are obliged to depart from a natural and simple interpretation of ,christ's declaration in vers4 #be1 #bf1 to suppose that ,martha desired or was anticipating her brother's resurrection1 and yet was so obtuse as to entirely miss the meaning of ,christ in that declaration1 and1 finally1 to suppose that the faith which she possessed when she first beheld ,christ disappeared when she reached the tomb1 where she remonstrated against opening it that the resurrection might be accomplished4 ,i understand ,martha's utterance here to be that simply of an undefined hope4 ,she had counted so much on ,christ2 he had not come in the hour of her need2 all was over now2 and yet now that he had come1 although too late1 she went out to him with a vague1 restless hope of some succor or consolation1 she knew not what4 ,in our own experience in the unreasonableness of grief1 like vague and delusive hopes are not uncommon4 ,calvin's interpretation of ,martha's experience better accords both with what we elsewhere know of her character and with the narrative here1 than does that of those who eulogize her extraordinary faith3 8,when she assures herself that her brother would not have died if ,christ had been present1 what ground has she for this confidence8 certainly it did not arise from any promise from ,christ4 ,the only conclusion1 therefore1 is that she inconsiderately yields to her own wishes1 instead of subjecting herself to ,christ4 ,when she ascribes to ,christ power and supreme goodness1 this proceeds from faith2 but when she persuades herself of more than she had heard ,christ declare1 that has nothing to do with faith4 99 99 99 ,martha's faith1 mixed up and interwoven with ill-regulated desires1 and even not wholly free from superstition1 could not shine with full brightness2 so that we perceive but a few sparks of it in these words40 #bc ,jesus saith unto her1 ,thy brother shall rise again4 #bd ,martha saith unto him1 ,i know that he shall rise again in the#dcf resurrection at the last day4 #dcf ch4 #e3bi4 #bc-bd4 ,thy brother shall rise again4 ,evidently these words were not understood by ,martha to contain a promise of immediate resurrection1 and therefore we are not justified in saying that they were so intended by ,jesus4 ,they are vague1 and are intended to be vague and suggestive1 in order to lead on the mind of ,martha1 and to evoke an expression of her faith4 ,this method of calling out the experience of his pupil was a customary one with ,jesus in all his instruction4--,i know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day4 ,this statement of ,martha's faith is to be interpreted by the belief of the orthodox ,jews4 ,this was that all the dead departed to ,hades or the ,under-world1 where they dwelt in a shadowy prison-house2 the righteous in ,paradise2 the wicked in ,hell2 and awaited the coming of the ,messiah1 who would call all the righteous from the ,under-world1 while the wicked would be thrust back into it again4 ,martha believed that her brother had gone to this abode of the dead1 and there was awaiting a day of judgment and of resurrection2 but she found in this faith very little consolation4 ,her brother1 to her thought1 was as if he were not1 and dwelt among the dead4 ,a vague hope of a far-distant revival did not comfort her4 ,it is in contrast to1 and in correction of this creed1 that ,christ utters the declaration of verses #be1 #bf4 #be ,jesus said unto her1 ,i am the#dcg resurrection1 and the life2#dch he that believeth in me1 though#dci he were dead1 yet shall he live2 #dcg ch4 #f3dj1 #dd4 #dch ch4 #ad3f2 ,isa4 #ch3af2 #a ,john #a3b4 #dci ,job #ai3bf2 ,isa4 #bf3ai2 ,rom4 #d3ag4 #bf ,and whosoever#ddj liveth and believeth in me shall never die4 ,believest thou this8 #ddj chaps4 #c3ae2 #d3ad4 #be1 #bf4 ,i am the resurrection and the life4 ,he that believeth in me even if he could die 7 7 yet he should live1 and every one that liveth and believeth in me never can die4 ,the various and conflicting interpretations afforded by the commentators of this declaration of ,christ agree only in being complicated and abstruse4 ,it is essential to comfort that it should be simple truth simply expressed2 and that ,christ should offer as a consolation to ,martha a truth so subtle and involved in so much mystery that skillful scholarship can scarce unlock its meaning1 seems to me utterly incredible4 ,i understand these words as an embodiment of ,christ's creed respecting life and immortality4 ,jesus is the source of the resurrection1 and the fountain of life4 ,whoever1 therefore1 by faith in ,christ1 has ,christ in him the hope of glory1 never knows death2 to him there is no ,hades1 no dark and dismal abode of the dead1 no long and weary waiting for a final great jail delivery--a judgment and an acquittal4 ,he passes at once from the lower to the higher state2 he has already come to the general assembly and church of the first-born 7,heb4 #ab3bb-bd74 ,what we call death summons him simply to depart and be straightway with ,christ 7,phil4 #a3bc2 ,luke #bc3dc74 ,the eternal life which ,christ here and now gives to those who are by faith united to him 7,john #e3bd71 is never suspended4 ,so immortal and potent is this life principle which ,christ offers to those who have received him1 that1 if it were possible that one having died should receive it1 he would by it be made to live again4 ,against the conception1 common now as then1 of death as a long sleep or a long and dreary waiting for a final resurrection1 is ,christ's teaching here that 8,there is no death2 what seems so is transition40 ,in confirmation of this view1 observe1 7#a7 ,that ,christ's declaration is present1 not future3 8,i am the resurrection10 not1 ,i shall by-and-by become so4 7#b7 ,the conditional clause though he were dead1 is literally even though he should die1 and is fairly rendered by the phrase adopted above1 even if he could die4 7#c7 ,thus interpreted1 ,christ's declaration is responsive to ,martha's confession of faith1 and leads on to and agrees with the event which follows1 the restoration of ,lazarus to his earthly life4 7#d7 ,it accords with the general teaching of the ,n4 ,t41 in which ,christ is represented as the source of eternal life1 and the death of the saints as a doorway into his immediate presence 7,acts #g3ei2 ,rom4 #ad3h2 #b ,cor4 #e3h2 #a ,thess4 #e3aj2 #b ,tim4 #d3h2 #b ,peter #a3aa1 etc474 ,it is not necessary to give here other interpretations1 for they are complicated1 incongruous1 and almost impossible to classify4 ,they are the results of various and unsuccessful endeavors to bring ,christ's declaration into accord with the ,pharisaic faith1 which still lingers in the ,christian church1 of a resurrection and an eternal life postponed to the future1 and an abode in death1 meanwhile1 in some sort of an intermediate state4 #bg ,she saith unto him1 ,yea1 ,lord2 ,i believe that thou art the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 which should come into the world4 #bg4 ,yea1 ,lord2 ,i have believed that thou art the ,messiah1 the ,son of ,god1 he who was to come unto the world4 ,i have believed 771 the perfect tense1 indicates the expression of a well-established faith2 perhaps of one which ,christ well knew that she had entertained4 ,martha still adheres to her ,pharisaic creed2 we do not give up our religious beliefs easily4 ,at ,christ's question1 8,believest thou that ,i am the ,resurrection and the ,life1 and that they that believe in me shall never die80 she replies in effect3 8,yea1 ,lord2 ,i believe that thou art the ,messiah of the prophets at whose word all the dead shall come forth from ,hades unto judgment40 ,and in this faith she does have some comfort1 because she supposes this day of general resurrection cannot1 in the nature of the case1 be far distant4 #bh ,and when she had so said1 she went her way1 and called ,mary her sister secretly1#dda saying1 ,the ,master#ddb is come1 and calleth#ddc for thee4 #dda ch4 #ba3g4 #ddb ch4 #ac3ac4 #ddc ,mark #aj3di4 #bi ,as soon as she heard that1 she arose quickly1 and came unto him4 #cj ,now ,jesus was not yet come into the town1 but was in that place where ,martha met him4 #bh-cj4 ,she went her way and called ,mary her sister secretly4 ,evidently1 from her words ,the ,master calleth for thee1 she did this in obedience to ,christ's direction4 ,she went secretly because she did not desire the presence of the ,judeans at the quiet conference between ,jesus ,christ and herself and sister4--,the ,master is come and calleth for thee4 ,she represses the name1 perhaps because she does not desire it to be overheard by those who are present4 ,the general designation1 however1 the ,master or the ,teacher is enough4 ,to ,mary there is no one else worthy to be called the ,teacher4--,as soon as she heard that1 she rose quickly4 ,therefore presumptively1 ,mary had not before heard that ,jesus had arrived4--,jesus 99 99 99 was in that place where ,martha met him4 ,not at the grave where ,lazarus was buried 7ver4 #cd71 but at some point a little outside the village4 #ca ,the ,jews#ddd then which were with her in the house1 and comforted her1 when they saw ,mary1 that she rose up hastily and went out1 followed her1 saying1 ,she goeth unto the grave to weep there4 #ddd verse #ai4 #cb ,then when ,mary was come where ,jesus was1 and saw him1 she fell down at his feet1 saying unto him1 ,lord1 if#dde thou hadst been here1 my brother had not died4 #dde verses #ba1 #cg2 ch4 #d3di4 #ca1 #cb4 ,she goeth unto the grave to weep there4 ,it was the custom of ,jewish women often to visit the graves of their dead1 especially during the first days of mourning4 ,these too obtrusive mourners could not comprehend that ,mary might desire solitude in her sorrow4 ,they would not allow her to retreat from them4 ,thus the private interview which ,jesus desired with the two sisters was denied him4 ,consequently there was no real conference between ,jesus and ,mary2 as soon as she came he asked to be shown the grave4--,she fell down at his feet4 ,with a more passionate nature than that of ,martha1 her action and her attitude were both more strongly indicative of her uncontrollable emotion4 ,possibly she threw herself prostrate at his feet in the form of salutation ordinarily paid by an inferior to a superior in the ,east2 yet1 with her face upon the ground1 she could hardly have carried on any conference whatever4 ,more probably1 therefore1 she flung herself at first at his feet1 then partially raised herself again to break forth in her reproachful complaint4--,lord1 if thou hadst been here my brother would not have died4 ,her language is nearly the same as that of ,martha1 but she adds no expression of hope2 her profounder nature refuses to entertain a hope for which she can give herself no reason4 ,illustration3 ,,fell ,,at ,,his ,,feet4 #cc ,when ,jesus therefore saw her weeping1 and the ,jews also weeping which came with her1 he groaned in the spirit1 and was troubled1 #cd ,and said1 ,where have ye laid him8 ,they said unto him1 ,lord1 come and see4 #ce ,jesus wept4#ddf #ddf ,isa4 #fc3i2 ,luke #ai3da2 ,heb4 #b3af1 #ag4 #cc-ce4 ,when ,jesus therefore saw her lamenting and the ,judeans also lamenting which came with her4 ,the word translated in the ,english version weeping1 but which ,i have rendered lamenting1 is not the same as that employed in the declaration of verse #ce1 8,jesus wept40 ,it implies not only the shedding of tears but also every external expression of grief--the loud outcries1 the rending of garments1 and the whole vociferous and ostentatious manifestation of mourning4--,he groaned in the spirit and was troubled4 ,there seems to be no doubt that the ,greek word rendered groaned1 necessarily involves in it the idea of anger or indignation2 it is so rendered in the ,vulgate and in ,luther's translation4 8,the words brimaomi 77 and embrimaomi 77 are never used otherwise than of hot anger in the classics2 the ,septuagint and ,n4 ,t4 7,matt4 #i3cj2 ,mark #a3dc2 #ad3e71 except where they denote snorting or growling proper40--7,meyer47 ,with this agree both the lexicons and the critics generally4 ,what was the cause of this indignation8 ,according to some of the older commentaries1 ,christ was indignant with himself for his weakness in yielding to his emotions2 his divinity was irritated at the emotion of his humanity1 and violently repressed it4 ,this opinion needs no refutation with those who believe that ,christianity tends to intensify1 not to suppress the natural affections--that ,christian sympathy weeps with those that weep as well as rejoices with those that rejoice2 and who find in the tears of ,christ at the grave of ,lazarus1 not a manifestation of human weakness1 but an expression of divine sympathy which draws ,god very near to every sorrowing heart4 ,others suppose that ,christ saw in this scene a type of the woe that sin has wrought in the world2 seeing its effects his indignation was aroused4 ,thus ,trench3 8,he beheld death in all its dread significance1 as the wages of sin2 the needs of the whole world1 of which this was but a little example1 rose up before his eyes2 all its mourners and all its graves were present to him40 ,we may certainly believe that this profound sense of the significance of this scene of sorrow affected ,christ and intensified his sympathy2 that the tears that he shed were tears of sympathy1 not only with ,mary and ,martha1 but also with all sorrowing households4 ,this1 however1 interprets rather his sorrow than his indignation4 ,a simple and natural interpretation of this indignation is afforded by a consideration of the circumstances and surroundings4 ,he was indignant at the display of the affected grief of those who were bitter enemies of the truth1 and who would1 as he well knew1 make use of this very miracle to promote his death1 and would even join with those who would seek to put ,lazarus himself to death again 7ch4 #ab3aj74 ,he was indignant when he saw the ,jews also lamenting1 and again when he heard the sneer uttered by them 7see ver4 #cg1 note74 ,to this effect is ,meyer3 8,he was angered1 then1 at the ,judeans1 when he saw them lamenting with the deep-feeling ,mary1 and professing by their cries 7of condolence7 to share her feelings1 whilst at the same time aware that they were full of bitter hostility to him who was the beloved friend both of those who mourned and of him whom they mourned40--,and was troubled4 ,literally1 he troubled himself4 ,the words 8indicate a physical emotion1 a bodily trembling1 which might be perceived by the witnesses of this scene40--7,godet47--,lord1 come and see4 ,they did not anticipate his purpose2 they simply invited him to come to the grave1 as would be natural in such circumstances4--,jesus wept4 ,the ,greek 77 signifies simply shedding of tears1 weeping silently4 ,this silent dropping of the tears from his eyes is in contrast with the weeping over ,jerusalem 7,luke #ai3da1 74 ,that was a public lamentation of a prophet2 this was the expression of the personal sympathy of a friend4 ,beware of that false philosophy which represents ,christ as weeping only as a man4 ,in this1 as in every utterance of his nature1 he was ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,by his tears at the grave of ,lazarus he interprets to us the divine sympathy which shares all our sorrows1 however much the great ,sympathizer1 with his clear view of final results1 may1 like ,christ1 be glad of the brief experience of grief that is soon to produce so much joy 7ver4 #ae74 #cf ,then said the ,jews1 ,behold1 how he loved him6 #cg ,and some of them said1 ,could not this man1 which#ddg opened the eyes of the blind1 have caused that even this man should not have died8 #ddg ch4 #i3f4 #cf1 #cg4 ,then said the ,judeans1 ,behold how he loved him2 but some of them said1 ,could not this fellow who opened the eyes of the blind have caused that even this man should not have died8 ,some1 touched by ,christ's genuine though silent sorrow1 in striking contrast with the noisier demonstrations of grief of the less sincere mourners1 expressed their sense of the ,rabbi's love for his friend2 others replied with a sneer4 ,this is indicated in the original by the ,greek particle 771 which our ,english version renders and1 but which should be rendered but2 and by the phrase ,this fellow1 which fairly represents the spirit of the original 7see ch4 #f3db1 note74 ,they referred1 not to previous resurrections1 for these had taken place in ,galilee1 and with them they were not familiar1 but to the healing of the blind man1 which had only a little previously taken place in ,jerusalem1 and which had led to a formal investigation by the ,sanhedrim1 and no little public excitement 7ch4 #g74 #ch ,jesus therefore1 again groaning in himself1 cometh to the grave4 ,it was a cave1 and a stone lay upon it4 #ch4 ,jesus therefore1 again indignant in himself4 ,he is indignant at the sneer1 and his manner gives some expression to his indignation1 though it is not uttered in words4--,cometh to the grave4 ,it was a cave1 and a stone lay upon it4 ,the grave was sometimes cut perpendicularly in the rock1 but the declaration that it was a cave implies that the tomb of ,lazarus was in a horizontal chamber4 ,the phrase ,a stone lay upon it1 may as well mean that a stone was laid against the open doorway as upon a perpendicular opening4 8,the family vaults of the ,jews were sometimes natural 7,gen4 #bc3i71 sometimes1 as was this1 artificial1 and hollowed out from a rock 7,isa4 #bb3af2 ,matt4 #bb3fj71 in a garden 7,john #ai3da71 or in some field1 the possession of the family 7,gen4 #bc3i1 #ag-bj2 #ce3h2 #a ,kings #b3cd71 with a recess in the sides 7,isa4 #ad3ae71 wherein the bodies were laid1 occasionally with chambers one beyond another4 ,sometimes the entrance to these tombs was on a level2 sometimes1 as most probably here1 there was a descent to it by steps4 ,the stone which blocked up the entrance and kept aloof the beasts of prey1 above all the numerous jackalls1 which else might have found their way into these receptacles of the dead and torn the bodies40--7,trench47 ,for further description and illustration of ,jewish tomb1 and the manner of closing it with a circular stone1 see ,mark #af3b-d1 note4 ,presumptively1 in this case1 the stone was rolled away from the door of the cave1 and ,jesus and the friends stood in the doorway1 while from the inner chamber or recess where the body of ,lazarus had been laid1 he issued forth at the word of the ,lord4 ,the accompanying illustration 7p4 #adf7 better represents the nature of the scene than it is possible to do by description only4 #ci ,jesus said1 ,take ye away#ddh the stone4 ,martha1 the sister of him that was dead1 saith unto him1 ,lord1 by this time#ddi he stinketh3 for he hath been dead four days4 #ddh ,mark #af3c4 #ddi ,ps4 #di3g1 #i2 ,acts #b3bg4 #dj ,jesus saith unto her1 ,said#dej ,i not unto thee1 that1 if thou wouldest believe1 thou shouldest see the glory of ,god8 #dej verses #d1 #bc4 #ci1 #dj4 ,martha 99 99 99 saith unto him1 ,lord1 already he stinketh4 ,this is taken by ,alford as the statement of the plain fact1 and he apparently believes that it was made sensible by the ill odor which proceeded from the cave4 ,trench objects that this supposition gives to the miracle almost 8a monstrous character40 ,the text seems to me to determine the question4 ,martha asserts the decomposition of the body1 not as a fact known1 but as a conclusion deduced from the length of time that had passed since the death4 ,with her it clearly was an opinion--whether correct or not is purely a matter of surmise4 ,apparently the body had not been embalmed2 no explanation is offered of this singular fact4 ,in the ,east it was usual to embalm the corpse at once4--,for he hath been four days 7dead74 ,we may supply either the word dead1 as the translators have done1 or the word buried2 it will make little difference1 for burial in the warm climate of the ,east usually took place on the day of the death4 ,it was a ,jewish notion that for three days the spirit wandered about the sepulchre hoping that it might return unto the body2 but on the fourth day it abandoned this expectation and left the body to itself4 ,thus ,martha's expression involves the idea that all hope of resuscitation was past1 and negatives the interpretation of ,meyer that her language in verse #bb implies her hope of a present resurrection4--,said ,i not unto thee4 ,the reference is probably to the message sent to the sisters as reported in verse #d4--;,if thou wouldst believe1 thou shouldst see the glory of ,god4 ,the faith of the sisters was to be displayed1 not in any definite expectation of the work which their ,lord was about to accomplish1 but in obedience to his directions2 and in fact ,martha tacitly withdraws her remonstrance1 and the stone is rolled away from the grave4 ,the performance of the miracle was itself dependent on the fulfillment of the condition1 ,if thou wouldst believe4 ,the ,new ,testament throughout treats faith as the power of moral and spiritual discernment1 and therefore the fundamental condition of receiving the divine blessing4 8,to unbelieving ,martha1 ,jesus could no more have restored the dead brother1 than to the unbelieving ,jairus his child 7,luke #h3ej71 or to the widow of ,nain her son1 if her attitude toward his compassion and his injunction #8,weep not' 7,luke #g3ac71 had been one of unbelief40--7,meyer47 ,observe the order in which ,christ put seeing and believing4 ,men are always desirous to see in order to believe4 ,martha is called upon to give an example of the contrary course3 to believe that she may see4 #da ,then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid4 ,and ,jesus lifted up his eyes1 and said1#dea ,father1 ,i thank thee that thou hast heard me4 #dea ch4 #ab3bh-cj4 #db ,and ,i knew that thou hearest me always3 but because of the people which stand by ,i said it1 that they may believe that thou hast sent me4 #da1 #db4 ,they took away therefore the stone4 ,the words where the dead man was laid are wanting in the best manuscripts4--,and ,jesus lifted up his eyes4 ,toward heaven2 not because ,god is in heaven more truly than upon earth 7,ps4 #aci3g-ab71 but because the visible heaven is ever suggestive to the human mind of the invisible ,god2 and ,jesus thus quickened his own faith in the ,father1 as we may well do4 ,he prayed toward the heavens as the devout ,jew prayed toward the temple 7#a ,kings #h3cj2 ,dan4 #f3aj74--;,father1 ,i thank thee that thou hast heard me4 ,it is not necessary to suppose1 as ,alford does1 a reference to some previously uttered prayer1 in ,perea1 for example1 when the message respecting ,lazarus's sickness was brought to ,jesus4 ,the language is that of the assurance of faith--faith in a ,god who hears the desire before it is expressed in prayer1 who teaches the believing soul how and for what to pray1 and who thus continually answers our prayers by anticipation4 ,christ regards his prayer as answered before it is presented4--,and ,i knew that thou hearest me always4 ,alike when the prayer is granted and when it is denied2 at the grave of ,lazarus and in the agony in ,gethsemane4 ,god hears us when his providence says ,no to our petition none the less than when it says ,yes4 ,the true ,christian's faith1 like ,christ's faith1 rests not on the answer but on the direct personal consciousness of spiritual communion with ,god4--,but because of the people which stand by ,i said it4 ,thus ,christ on occasion violates the letter of his own rule which prohibits men to pray 8that they may be seen of men0 7,matt4 #f3e1 #f71 just as in ,gethsemane he seemed to violate the letter of his rule against repetitions in prayer 7comp4 ,matt4 #f3g with ,matt4 #bf3dd74 ,here his prayer was public in order that men might know that he did pray1 and that his resurrection power was not his own but was given to him by his ,father1 and thus might glorify not him1 but the ,father in him4--,that they may have faith that thou hast sent me4 ,not merely that they might believe intellectually that he was a messenger or representative sent by the ,father1 but that their thoughts might be turned from him1 who was but the instrument1 the voice of ,god1 to the invisible ,father himself1 who spoke in him and wrought through him4 ,this prayer of thanksgiving is in instructive contrast with the prayer of ,elijah when he raised the dead 7#a ,kings #ag3bj1 #ba74 ,there was the earnestness of an anxious faith2 here is the assurance of a restful faith2 there the importunity of request intensified by a fear of denial2 here the calmness of thanksgiving already assured of a favorable response4 ,the simple grandeur of this prayer has not prevented it from being criticised as artificial 7,supernatural ,religion71 8a show prayer0 7,weisse71 8a sham prayer0 7,baur74 ,if prayer were only petition there would be ground for this criticism2 but if prayer is the frank and free communion of the soul with its ,father1 there is none4 ,it will seem artificial only to those who are unable to comprehend the filial relation between a ,son and his heavenly ,father4 #dc ,and when he thus had spoken1 he cried with a loud voice1 ,lazarus1 come forth4 #dd ,and#deb he that was dead came forth1 bound hand and foot with graveclothes2 and his face#dec was bound about with a napkin4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,loose him1 and let him go4 #deb #a ,kings #ag3bb2 #b ,kings #d3cd1 #ce2 ,luke #g3ad1 #ae2 ,acts #bj3i-ab4 #dec ch4 #bj3g4 #dc1 #dd4 ,he cried with a loud voice4 ,the previous prayer had been spoken in a subdued voice2 apparently1 this is implied by the suggested contrast1 was only heard in ,christ's immediate vicinity4 ,the others knew that he was praying1 and thus recognized the miracle as a result of his appeal to his ,father2 but they did not hear the words of the prayer4 ,the 8loud voice0 was a type1 a suggestion of that voice like the sound of many waters 7,rev4 #a3ae71 at which all who are in their graves shall come forth 7,john #e3bh2 #a ,thess4 #d3af74--,lazarus1 come forth4 ,literally ,here6 out6 8,the simplicity of these two words1 are in glorious contrast with their efficacy40--7,godet47--,and he that had been dead came forth1 bound hand and foot with grave-clothes4 ,literally swathing-bands 774 ,the supposition of ,chrysostom1 ,lightfoot and others that this coming forth bound necessitated a new miracle is entirely unnecessary4 ,it was the ,jewish custom to wrap the dead comparatively loosely in a winding sheet or shroud1 which would have impeded though not prevented arising and walking4 ,the exact nature of the swathing-bands does not appear to be known4 ,the word occurs nowhere else in the ,n4 ,t4 ,there is1 however1 no reason to suppose that the limbs were so tightly bound that motion would be impossible4 ,the same word is used in classic literature to signify a flounce worn about the bottom of the dress of the living4 ,the accompanying cut1 which in its representation of the tomb and grave-clothes1 is produced from a careful study of the best archological authorities1 illustrates the probable appearance of ,lazarus better than descriptive words could do4 --,his face was bound about with a napkin4 ,a handkerchief2 probably1 as sometimes with us1 to prevent the falling of the lower jaw4--,loose him and let him go4 ,christ gives them something to do4 ,this is partly to recall them from their speechless and dazed astonishment1 partly to prevent the too great and dangerous revulsion of feeling1 partly because he has done his work and would bid them to do what in them lies to be sharers with him in the restoration of the loved one to life and liberty4 ,in this is a moral significance2 we cannot raise the spiritually dead2 but we can bring ,christ to their grave by our prayers1 and we can aid in their perfect liberation when the divine voice has called them from their sleep of death4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,lazarus4--,this miracle is recorded only by ,john4 ,why8 ,it was not only the climax of all ,christ's wonderful works1 but it also led directly on the one hand to the triumphal procession into ,jerusalem1 which is recorded by all1 and on the other to the final plans for ,christ's arrest and crucifixion4 ,several explanations have been suggested for the silence of the synoptists3 7#a7 ,that the miracle aroused hostility to ,lazarus and his sisters1 and involved them in danger 7ch4 #ab3aj71 and that therefore all mention of it was omitted 7,godet1 ,olshausen74 ,but this hostility could hardly have continued to threaten any real danger to ,lazarus for twenty-five or thirty years2 and if it did1 we can hardly think that he or his sisters would have shrunk from being designated as living witnesses to the resurrection power of their ,lord4 ,they would rather have gloried in being permitted to suffer for him4 7#b7 ,that the narration of the resurrection would have made the household 8the focus of an intense and irreverent curiosity0 7,farrar74 ,but it would also have made them the focus of an intense and reverent desire to know something with greater certainty respecting ,jesus and his work4 ,and if the miracle were wrought for the glory of ,god1 to keep silence respecting it was to weaken if not to destroy its intended effect4 7#c7 ,that the ,synoptists confine themselves to a narrative of ,christ's ,galilean ministry and exclude all the events in ,judea prior to the ,passion week 7,meyer74 ,but this does not explain the omission of this miracle2 it simply reiterates the fact1 and leaves the perplexing problem unsolved4 ,why should the ,synoptists avoid all mention of miracles and teachings in ,judea1 especially one so notable as this8 ,i agree with ,trench in saying that to this question it is now difficult to find a satisfactory answer4 ,possibly ,peter1 from whom ,mark is believed to have derived all his information1 and ,matthew were not present1 and each may have limited himself to facts actually witnessed by them4 ,this still leaves ,luke's omission of the miracle unexplained4 ,illustration3 ,,resurrection ,,of ,,lazarus4 ,the significance of this miracle as an evidence of ,christ's divine character1 authority and mission has always been felt1 even by the more resolute unbelievers in historic ,christianity4 ,thus ,spinoza declared that 8could he have persuaded himself of the truth of the raising of ,lazarus1 he would have broken in pieces his whole system1 and would have embraced without repugnance the ordinary faith of ,christians40 ,various rationalistic explanations have been attempted1 of which the chief are the following3 7#a7 ,the mythical 7,strauss71 i4 e41 that the story is a myth which grew up out of some slight foundation1 assumed its present form in the second or third century1 and then was embodied in this narrative by an ecclesiastical forger1 who used ,john's name to give sanction to his story4 7#b7 ,that the story was created by the writer for the purpose of illustrating the truth that ,christ is the resurrection and the life1 and that it was developed by him out of some conversation of ,jesus1 or perhaps out of the parable of ,lazarus and the rich man1 or possibly out of some incident in the life of ,lazarus4 ,it is even suggested that ,nain is an abbreviation of ,bethany1 and that the narratives of the resurrection of ,lazarus and of the widow of ,nain's son have a common origin 7,schenkel74 ,to such straits is naturalism reduced in dealing with the miraculous4 7#c7 ,that the death of ,lazarus was apparent1 not real2 that the resurrection was a fraud contrived by the friends of ,jesus in order to give eclat to his anticipated entry into ,jerusalem1 and that to this fraud he lent himself1 in a moment of intense fanatical enthusiasm 7,renan74 ,the various explanations are stated more in detail by ,meyer1 but may all be reduced to these three3 a denial that ,john wrote the account2 a suggestion that he invented it1 building on a very slight foundation2 and a suspicion that it was a fraud perpetrated by ,lazarus and the sisters and acquiesced in by ,jesus4 ,the only alternative is belief in the miracle4 ,the evidence of ,john's authorship of the ,fourth ,gospel 7see ,introduction7 refutes the first hypothesis2 the simplicity of the narrative and the character of ,john1 the second2 the character of ,christ himself1 the third4 ,the narrative itself is neither ideal nor dogmatic1 neither an artistic picture nor a concealed argument4 ,it is a perfectly colorless narrative of events concerning which there was no possible room for mistake4 ,the writer does not draw from the narrative any conclusion2 he does not say that any miracle was wrought or even that the dead was raised4 ,he simply tells his readers what he saw and heard1 and leaves them to draw their own conclusions4 ,he was with ,jesus beyond ,jordan2 word came to them that ,lazarus was sick2 ,jesus remained where he was two days2 then he told the disciples that ,lazarus was dead2 when they reached ,bethany they found a scene of mourning2 the friends had come according to ,jewish custom to console the sister's family2 both sisters stated impliedly and reproachfully that ,lazarus was dead2 when they arrived at the grave1 one of them said that he had been dead four days1 and that corruption--though this apparently was only her presumption--had already commenced2 ,christ directed the stone to be rolled away1 commanded in a loud voice1 8,lazarus1 come forth10 and he came forth bound in his grave-clothes4 ,a scientific commission could not have reported the facts with more absolute impartiality4 ,the writer expresses no opinion whatever respecting the occurrence4 ,this is not the method of an idealist who has invented the occurrence for the purpose of glorifying his ,master1 or of a dogmatist who has written it to prove a doctrine2 it is the language of a pre-eminently honest1 fair-minded and impartial witness4 ,and upon this narrative the great mass of readers and students have come to but one conclusion--that to which both friend and foe came at the time--that it was a genuine resurrection of the dead1 a great and notable miracle4 ,an instructive parallel may be traced between the experience of these sisters in their sorrow and that of many a ,christian household since4 7#a7 ,the burden of grief4 ,when the sisters first sent for ,christ to come1 he delayed4 ,still he often delays to answer our petitions4 ,the house of mourning is sometimes a ,christless house1 not only because of our infirmity 7,psalm #gg3aj71 but also because of his will4 ,we1 like our ,master1 seem sometimes to be forsaken of our ,god 7,matt4 #bg3df74 7#b7 ,the aggravation of grief4 ,both sisters approach ,christ with an 8if03--8,if thou hadst been here my brother had not died40 ,but his death was not the result of an 8if10 but for the glory of ,god4 ,there is no 8if02 nothing ever happens4 ,even the cup which ,judas1 ,caiaphas1 ,herod and ,pilate mingle for ,christ is the cup which his ,father gives him 7ch4 #ah3ad2 ,acts #b3bc2 #d3bg1 #bh74 7#c7 ,the sympathy of ,christ4 ,the tears of ,jesus are a witness to the breadth and depth of the divine sympathy4 ,he feels the anguish of our present sorrow though he stands by a grave so soon to be opened1 perceives prophetically the resurrection so soon to take place1 and knows that weeping is but for the night and joy cometh in the morning4 ,see ,heb4 #d3ae1 #af4 7#d7 ,the true and false conception of death4 ,we too often imagine1 as ,martha1 the believer awaiting in ,hades a future resurrection and a remote restoration to life4 ,our hearts are dead because buried in the grave of our loved ones4 ,to us ,christ declares here that the believer never dies1 but steps at once from the lower to the higher life1 through the grave into heavenly companionship 7,luke #bc3dc2 ,phil4 #a3bc74 7#e7 ,the power of ,christ4 ,this scene is a witness to the truth that all the dead shall hear his voice and come forth in resurrection4 ,death is but a sleep2 from it he will awaken all that sleep in him 7,dan4 #ab3b2 ,john #e3ba-bi2 #f3ci2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bf1 #ed2 #b ,cor4 #d3ad2 ,col4 #c3d2 #a ,thess4 #d3ad-ag2 ,rev4 #a3ah2 #bj3ad74 7#f7 ,a parable of redemption4 ,sin a spiritual death2 ,christ the spiritual life-giver4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #aa3de-eg4 ,,the ,,effect ,,of ,,the ,,miracle4--,,it ,,produces ,,faith ,,in ,,some2 ,,it ,,intensifies ,,enmity ,,in ,,others4--,,an ,,unprincipled ,,man ,,an ,,unconscious ,,prophet4--,,christ',s ,,sacrifice3 ,,vicarious2 ,,for ,,sinners2 ,,for ,,all ,,people4--,,christ ,,fears ,,neither ,,to ,,flee ,,from ,,nor ,,to ,,face ,,danger4--,,false ,,seeking ,,for ,,christ ,,illustrated4 #de ,then many of the ,jews which came to ,mary1 and had seen#ded the things which ,jesus did1 believed on him4 #ded chaps4 #b3bc2 #aj3da1 #db2 #ab3aa1 #ah4 #df ,but some of them went their ways to the ,pharisees1 and told them what things ,jesus had done4 #de1 #df4 ,many of the ,jews 99 99 99 believed on him4 ,not necessarily were spiritually converted4 ,they recognized in him a prophet1 perhaps even the ,messiah4--,but some of them went to the ,pharisees4 ,but 7adversative7 marks the contrast between the two classes1 and indicates their hostile purpose4 ,the term ,pharisees here1 as frequently with ,john1 indicates the rulers of the ,jews1 the ,jewish hierarchy4 #dg ,then#dee gathered the chief priests and the ,pharisees a council1 and said1 ,what#def do we8 for this man doeth many miracles4 #dee ,ps4 #b3b4 #def ,acts #d3af4 #dh ,if we let him thus alone1 all#deg men will believe on him3 and the ,romans shall come and take away both our place and nation4 #deg ch4 #ab3ai4 #dg1 #dh4 ,a council4 ,a meeting of the ,sanhedrim4 ,on its constitutional character and methods of procedure1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bih4 ,geikie gives us no good reason for accepting his dogmatic statement that the ,sanhedrim had before this time been broken up by ,herod4--,what do we8 for this man doeth many miracles4 ,not1 ,what shall we do8 but1 ,what are we doing8 ,they reproach themselves for their inaction4 ,there is an ellipsis in the sentence2 the meaning is1 ,something must be done1 for this man1 etc4 ,for similar instance of perplexity see ,acts #d3af4 ,it always exists where conscience gives a clear command which ambition and selfishness refuse to obey4--,if we let him thus alone4 ,this was a causeless self-reproach2 for they had already condemned him without trial 7ch4 #g3cj1 #ej1 #ea71 and determined to excommunicate all his followers 7ch4 #i3bb74 ,it indicates a purpose which the speaker dared not put in words1 to proceed to more extreme measures4--,the ,romans shall come and take away both our place and our nation4 ,our place1 it seems to me1 designates neither the city1 the land1 nor the temple2 but the office of these rulers4 ,they were placemen1 and feared the loss of their dignities and authority in the utter overthrow of the nation1 which did1 indeed1 subsequently take place4 ,but why should they fear this from any increase of ,christ's popularity8 ,not1 as ,augustine interprets1 because he would persuade all men to live peaceful lives1 and so prevent any successful revolt against the ,roman government4 ,in common with all the ,jews1 they expected in the ,messiah a temporal king2 the people had already attempted to crown ,christ as king 7ch4 #f3ae72 the council did not believe that he was the ,messiah1 did not believe that any attempt by him to emancipate the nation would succeed2 and yet his popularity was such1 and the popular movement which they anticipated was likely to be such1 as to provoke from the ,romans the destruction of what little national life was left4 ,their selfishness blinded them utterly to the true nature of ,christ's mission4 #di ,and one of them1 named#deh ,caiaphas1 being the high priest that same year1 said unto them1 ,ye know nothing at all1 #deh ch4 #ah3ad2 ,luke #c3b2 ,acts #d3f4 #ej ,nor consider that it is#dei expedient for us1 that one man should die for the people1 and that the whole nation perish not4 #dei ,luke #bd3df4 #di1 #ej4 ,caiaphas puts boldly into words thoughts which others less unscrupulous dared not phrase4 ,he overrules all scruples1 whether those of conscience against the murder of an innocent man and evident prophet1 or those of the ,pharisaic party against appealing to the ,roman government to put a prophet to death1 which was necessary to carry out their purpose 7,matt4 #bg3a1 #b1 note74--,this he does by a ,jesuitical casuistry3 ,it is better that one innocent man should die than that the nation should be destroyed4 ,thus a pretended patriotism is made to cover a proposed judicial murder4 ,the argument is that of an unprincipled politician3 the end justifies the means4 ,the signification here and in verse #ea of the phrase 8high priest that year0 is somewhat uncertain4 ,caiaphas1 the son-in-law of ,annas1 really held the office from ,a4 ,d4 #bg to ,a4 ,d4 #cf or #cg4 ,the high priesthood was originally a life office4 ,it was now bestowed and taken away by the ,romans at their will4 ,in #ajg years there were twenty-seven appointees4 ,i am inclined to think the language here a sarcastic reference to the degenerate nature of the office2 ,john refuses to give to ,caiaphas the honor once but no longer due to the high priesthood4 ,prof4 ,fisher 7,beginnings of ,christianity7 explains it 8on account of the supreme importance which #8that year' of the trial and crucifixion of ,jesus had in his 7,john's7 mind40 ,the language of ,caiaphas here agrees with his course in ,matt4 #bf3fb1 #fg4 ,he was an unscrupulous1 vehement1 and self-seeking ecclesiastical politician1 such a leader as is often produced by a degenerate and turbulent era4 #ea ,and this spake he not of himself3 but being high priest that year1 he prophesied that ,jesus should die for that nation2 #eb ,and not#dfj for that nation only1 but that also he should gather together in one the children of ,god that were scattered#dfa abroad4 #dfj ,isa4 #di3f2 ,rom4 #c3bi2 #a ,john #b3b4 #dfa ch4 #aj3af2 ,ephes4 #b3ad-ag4 #ea1 #eb4 ,the meaning of the ,evangelist is plain4 ,it is not merely that by accommodation a prophetic reference to ,christ's sacrifice can be put upon the words of ,caiaphas1 but that1 unwittingly1 he prophesied of that death and its signification4 ,so ,balaam prophesied blessing to ,israel despite himself 7,numb41 ch4 #bc74 8,he who believed in no angel or spirit was compelled to be the spokesman of the ,divine ,word1 even when he was plotting his death4 ,strange and awful reflection6 ,and yet so it must be--so experience shows us continually that it is4 ,our words are not our own2 we are no lords over them whatever we may think40--7,maurice47 ,observe the two truths connected with the atonement here indicated3 7#a7 that ,jesus ,christ dies for the nation which by its constitutional rulers is plotting his death2 he dies for sinners1 not for the righteous 7,rom4 #e3f-h72 7#b7 by his death he gathers into one1 i4 e41 into one nation or kingdom 7see ,matt4 #ba3dc1 note7 the children of ,god from every nation under the heavens 7,matt4 #h3aa2 ,john #aj3af2 #ag3bj1 #ba2 ,ephes4 #b3af-ah2 ,col4 #c3aa2 ,rev4 #e3i74 8,the cross was emphatically a message to mankind1 to all tribes and races within the circle of the empire that had appointed this punishment for rebels and slaves4 ,it is a thought which possessed the minds of all the apostles--of none more than ,st4 ,john4 ,the cross was to do what the eagle had tried to do4 ,it was to bind men in one society40--7,maurice47 #ec ,then from that day forth they took counsel together#dfb for to put him to death4 #dfb ,ps4 #aji3d1 #e4 #ec4 ,the speech of ,caiaphas was successful2 it united ,pharisee and ,sadducee in an agreement to do whatever might be necessary to compass the death of ,jesus4 ,the effect of this agreement is seen in their subsequent course 7,matt4 #bb3ae1 #af1 #bc2 #bg3a1 #b74 #ed ,jesus therefore walked no more openly#dfc among the ,jews3 but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness1 into a city called ,ephraim1#dfd and there continued with his disciples4 #dfc chaps4 #g3a2 #ah3bj4 #dfd #b ,sam4 #ac3bc2 #b ,chron4 #ac3ai4 #ed4 ,the site of ,ephraim is involved in some uncertainty4 ,the 8wilderness0 probably designates the wild uncultivated hill country northeast of ,jerusalem1 lying between the central towns and the ,jordan valley4 ,dr4 ,robinson identifies ,ephraim with the ,ophrah referred to in ,josh4 #ah3bc2 #a ,sam4 #ac3ag1 the ,ephraim or ,ephram referred to in #b ,chron4 #ac3ai1 and the modern et-,taiyibeh1 and ,ewald supposes it to be the same ,ephraim near which occurred the murder of ,amnon 7#b ,sam4 #ac3bc74 ,taiyibeh is four or five miles east of ,bethel and sixteen from ,jerusalem1 is situated on a conspicuous conical hill1 and commands an extended view over the whole eastern slope1 the valley of the ,jordan and the ,dead ,sea4 ,but the identification with ,taiyibeh is only hypothetical4 ,see ,andrews' ,life of our ,lord1 p4 #che4 ,christ must have returned to this place immediately after the resurrection of ,lazarus1 and his place of retirement was evidently unknown to the public 7ver4 #eg74 ,the 8disciples0 who abode there with him undoubtedly included the twelve1 but may have also included others4 ,the length of his stay is uncertain4 ,if the chronology which ,i have adopted 7see ch4 #aa1 ,prel4 ,note71 be the correct one1 it could only have been for two or three weeks1 not five or six weeks as supposed by ,andrews and ,ellicott4 ,it is not improbable that the special instructions concerning prayer1 reported by ,luke1 were given during this period of retirement 7,luke #aa3a-h3 #ah3a-ad74 ,there is nothing in ,luke to fix the time or place of these instructions2 but as ,christ was accustomed to draw his illustrations from circumstances and events occurring about him1 it is probable that at least the parable of the ,pharisee and the publican was given in or near ,judea4 ,from ,ephraim ,christ went up to ,jerusalem to attend the last ,passover1 and to his passion there4 ,see ch4 #ab1 ,prel4 ,note4 #ee ,and#dfe the ,jews' passover was nigh at hand3 and many went out of the country up to ,jerusalem before the passover1 to purify themselves4 #dfe chaps4 #b3ac2 #e3a2 #f3d4 #ef ,then#dff sought they for ,jesus1 and spake among themselves1 as they stood in the temple1 ,what think ye1 that he will not come to the feast8 #dff ver4 #h2 ch4 #e3af1 #ah4 #eg ,now both the chief priests and the ,pharisees had given a commandment1 that1 if any man knew where he were1 he should shew it1 that they might take him4 #ee-eg4 ,out of the country4 ,from different parts of the country3 not only from ,palestine1 but from remote provinces where the dispersed ,jews were scattered4 7,see ,acts #b3i-aa47--,to purify themselves4 ,no special purifications were required by the ,o4 ,t4 before the ,passover1 but the people were commanded to purify themselves before any important event 7,gen4 #ce3b2 ,exod4 #ai3aj1 #aa71 and were accustomed to go through certain special rites of purification prior to the ,passover 7#b ,chron4 #cj3ac-bj74--,then sought they for ,jesus1 etc4 8,verse #ef graphically describes the restless curiosity of these country people1 who were collected in groups in the temple and discussing the approaching arrival of ,jesus40--7,godet47 ,his miracles and teachings in ,galilee and ,perea1 and above all the resurrection of ,lazarus1 led his friends and quasi disciples to expect his immediate revelation of himself as the ,messiah 7,luke #ai3aa72 while the fact that the ,sanhedrim had pronounced against him and given orders for his arrest coupled with his sudden disappearance1 led others to think that he had fled from the country1 or at least would for the present conceal himself 7comp4 ,john #g3aa1 #ab74--;,but the chief priests and the ,pharisees1 etc4 7 42 the first is spurious74 ,this is stated as an explanation of the doubt of the people whether ,christ would appear or no4 ,godet's suggestions that the order was given to intimidate ,christ and his disciples is reasonable2 for it could not have been difficult to ascertain ,christ's place of retreat1 and when he emerged from it1 and came up with peculiar publicity to the feast1 no attempt was made to arrest him4 ,according to a ,hebrew tradition1 as reported by ,lightfoot1 an officer of the ,sanhedrim1 during the forty days preceding this ,passover1 8publicly proclaimed that this man1 who by his imposture had seduced the people1 ought to be stoned1 and that any one who could say aught in his defence was to come forward and speak4 ,but no one doing so1 he was hanged on the evening of the ,passover40 ,to some such public proclamation ,john here perhaps refers4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,ch4 #ab3a-aa4 ,,anointing ,,of ,,jesus ,,by ,,mary4--,a ,,costly ,,expression ,,of ,a ,,fervent ,,love ,,is ,,not ,,waste4--,,hypocrisy ,,sets ,,philanthropy ,,and ,,piety ,,in ,,contrast4--,,none ,,are ,,so ,,deaf ,,as ,,they ,,that ,,will ,,not ,,hear4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,this anointing is not to be confounded with that of which ,luke 7#g3cf-ej7 gives an account4 ,the reasons for distinguishing it from that anointing ,i have stated in the preliminary note there4 ,this anointing is not mentioned by ,luke4 ,it is reported by ,matthew 7#bf3f-ac7 and ,mark 7#ad3c-i74 ,it is true that some harmonists have supposed two distinct anointings in ,bethany1 but that opinion is entertained by very few scholars and by none of the moderns1 and is not a reasonable hypothesis2 the differences between ,john's account and those of ,matthew and ,mark are not greater than might have been expected in accounts given by independent witnesses4 ,matthew and ,mark say that ,mary anointed ,jesus' head1 ,john that she anointed ,jesus' feet2 but certainly she may have anointed both the head and the feet4 ,the principal difference lies in the fact that ,matthew and ,mark impliedly place the anointing two days before the ,paschal feast 7,matt4 #bf3b2 ,mark #ad3a71 while ,john impliedly places it six days before the feast 7ver4 #a74 ,the chronology is uncertain2 some scholars adopt that of ,matthew and ,mark 7,robinson1 ,geo4 ,w4 ,clark1 ,hackett7--others1 that of ,john 7,townsend1 ,andrews1 ,alford74 ,the former of these opinions appears to me the more probable for reasons stated in the note on ,matthew #bf3f-af4 ,in such a case as this1 where there appears to be a conflict in the chronology of the evangelists1 neither of whom puts any emphasis upon chronological data or gives what may properly be called a date1 we may reasonably allow the order of events to be determined by a consideration of the probable way in which one event leads on to another4 ,in this case the discourses of ,jesus in the temple and the overthrow of the ambitious hopes of ,judas ,iscariot naturally led to his complaint at this anointing1 and ,christ's sharp rebuke of his spirit here naturally led in turn to his final act of treachery4 ,the note of time afforded by ,john in verses #a and #ab1 though they certainly indicate that the anointing took place prior to the triumphal procession1 are not conclusive2 for verses #b-i may be regarded as parenthetical4 ,thus ,dr4 ,hackett3 8,john is the only one of the evangelists who speaks of the ,saviour stopping at ,bethany on the way between ,bethany and ,jerusalem4 ,hence1 this feast being the principal event which ,john associates with ,bethany during these last days1 he not unnaturally inserts the account of the feast immediately after the speaking of the arrival at ,bethany4 ,but having 7so to speak7 discharged his mind of that recollection1 he then turns back and resumes the historical order1 namely1 that on the next day after coming to ,bethany ,jesus made his public entry into ,jerusalem as related by the ,synoptists40 ,we suppose1 then1 that after the tarry in ,ephraim ,christ came up to the ,passover2 stopped at ,jericho1 where occurred the healing of the blind man1 the conversion of ,zaccheus1 and the parable of the ten pounds 7,luke #ah3ce to #ai3bh72 from ,jericho proceeded to ,jerusalem1 stopping on the way at ,bethany1 where1 perhaps1 he spent the ,sabbath2 entered ,jerusalem in triumph on the following day1 and drove from the temple the traders 7,luke #ai3bh-dh71 and there gave the instructions recorded more or less by all the ,synoptists1 but most fully by ,matthew 7chaps4 #ba3ab to #be3df72 and thence retreated to ,bethany1 where this supper1 made for him by ,martha and her sister ,mary1 led directly to the conspiracy of ,judas ,iscariot for his betrayal 7,matt4 #bf3ad-af74 ,see ,tabular ,harmony1 page #de4 ,illustration3 ,,bethany4 #a ,then ,jesus1 six days before the passover1 came to ,bethany1 where#dfg ,lazarus was which had been dead1 whom he raised from the dead4 #dfg ch4 #aa3a1 #dc4 #b ,there they made him a supper1 and ,martha#dfh served3 but ,lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him4 #dfh ,luke #aj3ch-db4 #a1 #b4 ,six days before the passover4 ,this note of time is quite inconclusive1 because it is uncertain whether the day of ,christ's arrival and the first day of the passover should be excluded or included1 or one should be excluded and the other included1 and also because it is uncertain on which day of the month the passover is to be considered as having begun4 ,for various chronological views1 see ,andrews' ,life of our ,lord1 page #cig4 ,the most probable hypothesis1 and the one commonly accepted1 makes ,christ arrive at ,bethany on ,friday night1 spending there the ,sabbath and going on to ,jerusalem on the following day1 the first day of the week4--,came to ,bethany4 ,a well known village about fifteen stadia 7ch4 #aa3ah71 that is1 about a mile and a half1 east of ,jerusalem1 on the eastern slope of the ,mount of ,olives1 not far from the point at which the road to ,jericho begins its more sudden descent toward the valley4 ,fruit and other trees growing around--olive1 almond1 and oak--give the spot an air of seclusion and repose4 ,it is not mentioned in the ,o4 ,t41 but is intimately associated with the life of our ,lord4 ,here ,lazarus was raised from the dead2 here ,christ found a secluded retreat and the refreshment of friendship during the stormy periods of his ministry in ,jerusalem2 thence he ascended when the cloud received him from the side of his disciples4 ,the present village1 ,el-,azariyeh1 is a ruinous and wretched hamlet of some twenty families1 the inhabitants of which display even less than the ordinary ,eastern thrift and industry4--,they made him a supper4 ,the word supper 77 represents the chief meal of the ,jews and also of the ,greeks and ,romans1 taken at evening after the labors of the day were over1 and sometimes prolonged into the night4 ,the same word is sometimes used to signify a banquet or feast 7,matt4 #bc3f2 ,mark #f3ba2 ,luke #ad3ab2 #bj3df2 ,rev4 #ai3i74 ,who made the supper is not directly stated1 by either ,john or the other ,evangelists4 ,it was in the house of one ,simon the leper 7,matt4 #bf3f2 ,mark #ad3c74 ,godet supposes that he was a leper who had been healed by ,jesus and who claimed the privilege of entertaining1 in the name of the rest of the inhabitants of ,bethany1 ,jesus1 who had conferred on their town so great a favor by raising ,lazarus from the dead4 ,this seems to me a wild hypothesis on the part of a very sober and cautious scholar4 ,the fact that ,martha served is at least an indication that the supper was given at the house of ,martha and ,mary1 who were certainly ,christ's most intimate friends in the village4 ,there is nothing to indicate that ,simon was present or had been cured4 ,the common hypothesis is more reasonable1 that he was the father of the sisters1 or possibly the husband of ,martha1 and was either dead or through his leprosy exiled from his home1 and that the house is described by the two ,synoptists as his house because he was a well-known resident1 and also because they wished to avoid concentrating the attention of the ,pharisees1 who had already determined upon the death of ,lazarus1 on him and his two sisters4 ,they are not mentioned by name in the ,synoptical narratives4 ,the difference in character between ,martha and ,mary1 as indicated both by their conduct here and the incident narrated in ,luke #aj3ch-db1 is one of those incidental coincidences which attest the historic truth of the ,gospels4 ,illustration3 ,,anointing ,,of ,,feet4 #c ,then#dfi took ,mary a pound of ointment of spikenard1 very costly1 and anointed the feet of ,jesus1 and wiped his feet with her hair3 and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment4 #dfi ch4 #aa3b2 ,matt4 #bf3f1 etc42 ,mark #ad3c1 etc4 #d ,then saith one of his disciples1 ,judas ,iscariot1 ,simon's son1 which should betray him1 #e ,why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence1 and given to the poor8 #f ,this he said1 not that he cared for the poor2 but because he was a thief1#dgj and had#dga the bag1 and bare what was put therein4 #dgj #b ,kings #e3bj-bg2 ,ps4 #ej3ah4 #dga ch4 #ac3bi4 #c-f4 ,a pound of ointment of spikenard4 ,mark and ,john both add a word characterizing this ointment1 which is not elsewhere found1 in either ,biblical or classic ,greek 774 ,commentators disagree in their translation of this word1 and the ,english translators seem to have avoided the difficulty by omitting it altogether4 ,some scholars derive it from a ,greek verb 77 meaning to drink1 and suppose it to indicate that the ointment was liquid1 perhaps drinkable4 ,by other scholars it is derived from the verb 77 to believe1 and is supposed to signify a trustworthy or a reliable ointment2 that is1 one that was pure or unadulterated4 ,this is the more probable meaning4 ,spikenard was liable to all kinds of adulteration4 ,pliny enumerates nine plants with which it might be mixed in preparing it for the market4 ,the spikenard appears to have been procured from an ,indian plant of the family of valeriana1 and to have been imported from ,india by way of ,arabia4 ,it was highly prized among the ancients4 ,horace1 writing to ,virgil1 asks his guests to bring as contribution to the feast a little spikenard1 and by way of equivalent he would match it with a cask of wine4 ,the use of fragrant oils and ointments were very common among the ancients1 who anointed themselves twice or three times a day in order that the delicious fragrance might not be dissipated4 ,the wealthier classes carried their ointments and perfumes in small boxes of costly material and beautiful workmanship4 ,this ointment was contained in an alabaster box 7,matt4 #bf3g2 ,mark #ad3c74 ,this box ,mary broke1 pouring the ointment first on ,christ's head and then on his feet4 ,there is doubt as to the meaning of the expression 8she brake the box20 some suppose that she simply broke the seal2 others1 that she broke off the neck of the box with a sharp blow1 so pouring out the whole ointment as an offering to ,christ1 a very little of which would have sufficed for the purpose of an ordinary anointing4 ,for an illustration of alabaster boxes see ,luke #g3ch1 note4--,very costly4 ,a pound was an enormous quantity to lavish on a single anointing4--,wiped his feet with her hair4 ,so did the woman who was a sinner 7,luke #g3ch74 ,but there is this characteristic difference between the two cases3 the unknown woman in ,luke washed his feet with her tears1 and it was the tears which she wiped off with her hair4 ,here there are no tears2 all is joy and gladness4--,and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment4 ,the service rendered to ,christ did not stop with him alone4 ,such service never does2 it becomes fragrant to all who are within the reach of its influence4--,one of his disciples4 ,the objection was started by ,judas ,iscariot4 ,the others1 however1 shared this feeling2 they too had indignation 7,matt4 #bf3h2 ,mark #ah3d71 and regarded ,mary's action as wasteful4 ,to prosaic natures the expression of love always seems a waste1 but to ardent natures nothing seems too costly to express the enthusiasm of love4--,for three hundred denarii4 ,the denarius1 or1 as the word is translated in the ,new ,testament1 penny1 was a coin of about seventeen cents in value1 but at that time was a day's wages 7,matt4 #bj3aj74 ,thus1 this offering of ,mary was practically equivalent to an offering in our time of three hundred dollars4--,and given to the poor4 ,a pretended regard for the poor is often made a cloak for an attack upon the ,christian church1 and especially upon ,christian worship4 ,in the case of ,judas1 as in many other cases1 it was but a cover for a more sordid motive1 but it served its purpose4--,but because he had the bag4 ,possibly a box2 more probably a money bag or purse 7,latin1 sacculus71 in which the funds of ,jesus and his disciples were carried4 ,these funds were doubtless small and were made up of gifts from other disciples 7,luke #h3c74 ,this is implied by the language here1 8what was put therein10 signifying literally what had been cast therein2 that is1 by friends of ,jesus4--,and bare what was put therein4 ,the original is capable of being translated 8purloined what was put therein40 ,this is the significance given to it by most of the scholars 7,meyer1 ,alford1 ,de ,wette1 ,godet74 ,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,money ,,bag4 #g ,then said ,jesus1 ,let her alone3 against the day of my burying hath she kept this4 #h ,for#dgb the poor always ye have with you2 but#dgc me ye have not always4 #dgb ,deut4 #ae3aa2 ,matt4 #bf3aa2 ,mark #ad3g4 #dgc verse #ce2 chaps4 #h3ba2 #ac3cc2 #af3e-g4 #g1 #h4 ,if we combine the reports of the three ,evangelists1 it will appear that ,christ's words were substantially as follows3 8,let her alone4 ,why trouble ye the woman8 for she hath wrought a good work upon me2 she hath done what she could2 against the day of my burying hath she kept this1 and is come beforehand to anoint my body for the burial4 ,the poor always ye have with you1 and whensoever ye will ye may do them good2 but me ye have not always40 ,let her alone is the language of sharp rebuke4 ,christ was indignant at the hypocrisy which made a pretended consideration of the poor an excuse for attacking and condemning an act of love towards himself4 ,why trouble ye the woman8 indicates that ,mary was herself abashed and downcast by the criticism of the twelve4 ,perhaps1 as ,maurice says1 8she could not herself have answered ,judas ,iscariot's complaining question40 ,for she hath wrought a good work upon me1 is a strong expression of approbation of an act which was service only as it was an expression of love4 ,the word rendered good is literally beautiful2 but with the ,greeks1 who were an sthetic race1 the word expressive of moral beauty was one of the highest commendation4 ,to express love to ,christ is to render a good work unto ,christ4 ,she hath done what she could1 commends ,mary in the same spirit in which the poor widow was commended 7,mark #ab3dd74 ,whether her act was wise or not was not to be questioned4 ,it was the outpouring of a heart full of love1 and there is no condemnation to those who are thus in ,christ ,jesus4 ,there is some question respecting the reading of the phrase ,against the day of my burying hath she kept this4 ,some critics 7,meyer1 ,alford7 understand its meaning to be1 ,against the day of my burying let her preserve this4 ,and ,meyer supposes that only a part of the ointment was used in the anointing1 and that ,christ expresses the idea that the rest is not to be sold for the poor1 but to be preserved to complete ,mary's unfinished act4 ,but there is no question respecting the reading of the text in ,matthew4 ,that the anointing was treated by ,christ as a prophetic act is more in accordance both with the reports of the other ,evangelists and with the spirit of the entire narrative4 ,christ's declaration then is1 not that ,mary should reserve the rest of the ointment for the anointing of his corpse1 nor that she had deliberately and intentionally preserved it for a prophetic anointing1 but that it was in accordance with a divine purpose that she had poured it upon him while he lived4 ,his body was not anointed at the time of his death1 the completion of the funeral honors being prevented by his resurrection 7,mark #af3a1 #b74--,the poor always ye have with you1 and whensoever ye will ye may do them good1 is founded upon the great principle that philanthropy needs no special emotion1 only opportunity1 and that is never wanting2 while the expression of love can only be made when the love itself burns ardently in the heart1 and that must of necessity be occasional and exceptional2 in other words1 philanthropy may always exhibit itself in acts of charity1 but emotion can only occasionally exhibit itself in acts of reverence and love4 ,matthew and ,mark add the declaration by ,christ1 that ,wheresoever this ,gospel shall be preached in the whole world over1 shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memorial for her4 ,see ,matt4 #bf3ac1 note4 #i ,much people of the ,jews therefore knew that he was there3 and they came not for ,jesus' sake only1 but that they might see ,lazarus also1 whom he had raised from the dead4 #aj ,but the chief priests consulted that they might put ,lazarus also#dgd to death2 #dgd ,luke #af3ca4 #aa ,because that#dge by reason of him many of the ,jews went away1 and believed on ,jesus4 #dge verse #ah2 ch4 #aa3de4 #i-aa4 ,much people of the ,jews therefore knew that he was there4 ,this is an indication that he tarried there at least over one day1 probably the ,sabbath preceding the passion4 ,see ,prel4 ,note4--,but that they might see ,lazarus also4 ,they were drawn together by curiosity4--,but the chief priests consulted that they might put ,lazarus to death4 ,that is1 they were at this time consulting4 ,while the people were drawn to ,lazarus by curiosity1 and others were led by the story of his resurrection1 confirmed by himself1 to believe that ,jesus was the ,messiah1 the chief priests in ,jerusalem were consulting how they might get rid both of ,jesus and of the witness to his divine power4 ,thus they demonstrate the truth of ,christ's saying1 8,neither will they believe though one rose from the dead0 7,luke #af3ca74--;,believed on ,jesus4 ,that is1 they believed that he was the ,messiah4 ,nor was this a mere intellectual opinion4 ,it involved attachment to ,christ and hope in him2 a looking forward to a revelation of himself in some miraculous and decisive display of divine power against the ,romans4 ,the period was one of a brief but great popularity1 which accounts for the triumphal entry into ,jerusalem1 and the ,pharisees' fear of the people which kept them from openly arresting ,christ during his teaching in the temple on the eventful days that immediately followed4 #ab ,on#dgf the next day much people that were come to the feast1 when they heard that ,jesus was coming to ,jerusalem1 #dgf ,matt4 #ba3h1 etc42 ,mark #aa3h1 etc42 ,luke #ai3cf1 etc4 #ac ,took branches of palm trees1 and went forth to meet him1 and cried1#dgg ,hosanna6 ,blessed is the ,king of ,israel that cometh in the name of the ,lord4 #dgg ,ps4 #aah3be1 #bf4 #ad ,and ,jesus1 when he had found a young ass1 sat thereon2 as it is#dgh written1 #dgh ,zech4 #i3i4 #ae ,fear not1 daughter of ,sion2 behold1 thy ,king cometh1 sitting on an ass's colt4 #af ,these things#dgi understood not his disciples at the first3 but when ,jesus was glorified1#dhj then remembered#dha they that these things were written of him1 and that they had done these things unto him4 #dgi ,luke #ah3cd4 #dhj ch4 #g3ci4 #dha ch4 #ad3bf4 #ag ,the people therefore that was with him when he called ,lazarus out of his grave1 and raised him from the dead1 bare record4 #ah ,for#dhb this cause the people also met him1 for that they heard that he had done this miracle4 #dhb verse #aa4 ,ch4 #ab3ab-ah4 ,,the ,,triumphal ,,entry ,,into ,,jerusalem4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #ba3a-ag2 ,mark #aa3a-aa2 ,luke #ai3bi-dd4 ,the account is on the whole the fullest in ,luke4 ,see notes there4 ,the statement that some from ,jerusalem took palm branches and came out to meet the procession as it approached the city is peculiar to ,john4 ,so also is his account of the effect produced on the ,pharisees 7ver4 #ai74 ,the statement in ,luke #ai3ci1 that some of the ,pharisees called on ,jesus to rebuke his disciples is equally indicative of their feeling1 which was one of intense though suppressed hostility4 ,the next day1 verse #ab1 might mean the day after the anointing1 but ,i believe means the day after the visit to ,bethany1 the account of the anointing being parenthetical4 ,see ,prel4 ,note4 ,those who came out to meet ,jesus are not described as ,jews1 and may have been1 as ,meyer surmises1 unprejudiced pilgrims who had come to the feast and had there heard the fame of the ,messiah4 ,for account of how the young ass was found1 see ,matthew #ba3b-g4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #ab3ai-ej4 ,,greeks ,,visit ,,jesus--,,his ,,discourse ,,thereon4--,,death ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,life 7#bd1 #be74--;,,following ,,christ ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,companionship ,,with ,,him 7#bf74--,,the ,,soul ,,conflicts ,,of ,,christ ,,illustrated 7#bg-cj74--,,the ,,achievements ,,of ,,the ,,cross ,,of ,,christ2 ,,it ,,judges ,,the ,,world2 ,,defeats ,,of ,,the ,,world',s ,,false ,,prince2 ,,draws ,,all ,,men ,,to ,,the ,,true ,,king 7#ca-cc74--;,,disobedience ,,of ,,the ,,inner ,,light ,,of ,,the ,,soul ,,quenches ,,it2 ,,faith ,,in ,,and ,,following ,,of ,,that ,,light ,,nourishes ,,and ,,perfects ,,it 7#cd-dj74--,,the ,,crime ,,of ,,cowardice ,,illustrated 7#db1 #dc74--;,,christ ,a ,,guide ,,to ,,the ,,father 7#dd-df74--;,,christ',s ,,words ,,man',s ,,judge 7#dg1 #dh74--,,the ,,source ,,of ,,christ',s ,,authority ,,and ,,power 7#di1 #ej74 #ai ,the ,pharisees therefore said among themselves1 ,perceive#dhc ye how ye prevail nothing8 behold1 the world is gone after him4 #dhc ch4 #aa3dg1 #dh4 #bj ,and there were certain#dhd ,greeks among them that#dhe came up to worship at the feast3 #dhd ,acts #ag3d2 ,rom4 #a3af4 #dhe #a ,kings #h3da1 #db4 #ba ,the same came therefore to#dhf ,philip1 which was of ,bethsaida of ,galilee1 and desired him1 saying1 ,sir1 we would see ,jesus4 #dhf ch4 #a3dd4 #bb ,philip cometh and telleth ,andrew3 and again ,andrew and ,philip tell ,jesus4 #ai-bb4 ,the ,pharisees therefore said among themselves4 ,some among the ,pharisees were friendly to ,jesus1 but dared not come out openly in his favor4 ,of this number was ,nicodemus4 ,to the same class belonged the lawyer that answered ,christ discreetly and the ruler whom it is said ,jesus loved 7,mark #aj3ba2 #ab3cd74 ,chrysostom supposes that the ,pharisees here referred to were of this sort1 and that their language is that of remonstrance against the endeavors of the rest to destroy him4 ,the language seems to me rather that of approval of ,caiaphas' counsel4 ,they point to the fact that the cautious methods have availed nothing4 ,so ,bengel and most modern critics4--,the world is gone out after him4 ,literally are departing after him2 that is1 are leaving us1 the old and acknowledged teachers1 to go after him1 this new and unordained rabbi4 ,the world signifies the multitude1 not especially the wicked2 but it is a term of reproach4--,but there were certain ,greeks4 ,but1 not and4 ,the particle 77 is adversative1 and indicates a contrast between the persons mentioned in the previous sentence and those here referred to4 ,so do the terms ,pharisees1 who were ,hebrews of the ,hebrews1 and ,greeks who were1 not ,jews dispersed in ,greece and coming up thence to the feast1 but men who belonged to the ,greek nationality and had adopted the ,hebrew religion1 i4 e41 ,greek proselytes4 ,on the character of these proselytes from foreign nations1 see ,matthew #bc3ae1 note4 ,that these were ,greeks1 not ,grecian ,jews1 is evident from the word employed to describe the ,greeks 771 which is one signifying nationality1 not location2 that they were proselytes is evident from the characterization as among them which were accustomed 7present participle signifying habit--,meyer7 to come up to worship at the feast4 ,they were of the same character as the centurion whose son ,christ healed1 the ,cornelius who sent for ,peter1 and the ,eunuch to whom ,philip preached 7,matt4 #h3g-aj2 ,acts #h3bg-dj2 ch4 #aj74 ,the pilgrims to ,jerusalem were increased considerably in the increasing decay of the polytheistic worship of ,greece and ,rome1 with such converts to the simple and sublime monotheism of ,judea4--,the same came therefore to ,philip4 ,why to ,philip is purely a matter of conjecture4 ,in fact1 ,philip and ,andrew are both ,greek names1 and the only names of ,greek origin among the twelve4--,sir 774 ,the term is the same one translated lord when used in addressing ,christ4 ,its fair equivalent in the ,english language is ,sire4 ,they address ,philip with marked respect4--,we would see ,jesus4 ,rather1 we have desired to see him4 ,they assume that a private interview will be readily granted them4 ,that this is what they desire is evident1 because ,christ was publicly teaching in the temple during the four days preceding his arrest1 and therefore it was very easy for them to both see and hear him in public4 ,the motive of this request may probably have been a mixed one2 partly a curiosity to see and hear more of this extraordinary ,rabbi1 partly a real moral and spiritual appreciation of and drawing to him2 possibly a dim and unconfessed wonder whether he might possibly be the promised ,messiah4 ,stier compares this visit to that of the ,magi at the birth1 one a coming to the cradle1 the other to the cross4 ,godet refers to the tradition narrated by ,eusebius1 that an embassy was sent by the king of ,edessa1 in ,syria1 to invite ,jesus to take up his abode with him1 and to furnish him such a royal welcome as should compensate him for the obstinacy with which the ,jews rejected him4--,andrew and ,philip tell ,jesus4 ,the two were of the same city 7ch4 #a3dd74 ,the fact that ,philip takes ,andrew with him is one of the not unfrequent indications of the awe with which1 despite the fullness and even familiarity of his love1 ,christ inspired his most intimate disciples 7,luke #i3de2 ,mark #i3cb1 etc474 ,so ,bengel3 8,philip feared to introduce the ,greeks alone2 with a friend he ventured to do so40 ,it is to be remembered1 however1 that the request would seem a doubtful one to them1 since the ,rabbinical theology forbade to teach the truth to a ,gentile1 who was regarded as unworthy of it1 and ,jesus himself had confined his ministry to the lost sheep of the house of ,israel 7,matt4 #aj3e2 #ae3bd74 #bc ,and ,jesus answered them1 saying1 ,the hour is#dhg come1 that the ,son of man should be glorified4 #dhg chaps1 #ac3cb2 #ag3a4 #bd ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1#dhh ,except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die1 it abideth alone3 but if it die1 it bringeth forth much fruit4 #dhh #a ,cor4 #ae3cf4 #be ,he#dhi that loveth his life shall lose it3 and he that hateth his life in this world1 shall keep it unto life eternal4 #dhi ,matt4 #aj3ci2 #af3be2 ,mark #h3ce2 ,luke #i3bd2 #ag3cc4 #bf ,if#dij any man serve me1 let him follow me2 and where#dia ,i am1 there shall also my servant be3 if#dib any man serve me1 him will my ,father honour4 #dij ch4 #ad3ae2 ,luke #af3df2 #a ,john #e3c4 #dia chaps4 #ad3c2 #ag3bd2 #a ,thess4 #d3ag4 #dib #a ,sam4 #b3cj2 ,prov4 #bg3ah4 #bc-bf4 ,but ,jesus answered them4 ,but 77 not and2 the adversative particle indicates that the request was refused4 ,so also does the word 77 rendered answered1 literally to distinguish1 then to reject after inquiry2 then to make response2 but primarily a negative response4 ,so also1 it appears to me1 does the discourse which follows4 ,neither1 however1 is conclusive4 ,tholuck apparently thinks the request granted2 ,meyer supposes that ,christ intended to grant the request1 but was interrupted by the voice from heaven2 a quite improbable conjecture4 ,whether the interview was granted or refused1 is a point on which ,john lays no emphasis4 ,he narrates the request only because it leads to a brief utterance by ,jesus1 called out by it1 and which he could not intelligibly report without reporting the incident which led to it4--,the hour is come that the ,son of man should be glorified4 ,hour is here equivalent to the more general word time or era4 ,the prophets of the ,o4 ,t4 foretell the ingathering of the ,gentiles through the ,messiah4 ,this is both his glory and the glory of the ,jewish nation in him 7,psalm #b3h2 ,isaiah #ec3aa74 ,in this application of these ,greek proselytes1 ,christ sees a prophetic indication of the time when1 with a profounder meaning1 the ,gentile world will everywhere put forth a request to see ,jesus1 when1 being lifted up1 he will draw all men unto him1 when they will come from the north and the south1 the east and the west1 to sit down with ,jesus in his kingdom 7,matt4 #h3aa71 when he will break down the partition wall between ,jew and ,gentile 7,ephes4 #b3ad71 and gather into one nation the dispersed children of ,god 7,john #aa3eb2 ,col4 #c3aa2 ,rev4 #g3i74 ,the term ,son of man is here1 as always when used by ,christ in reference to himself1 equivalent to the ,messiah4--,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you4 ,a customary prelude to an important saying 7,matt4 #e3ah1 note74 ,here it is used by ,christ to emphasize a truth which the disciples had already proved themselves so loth to receive that they were practically unable to understand it 7,mark #i3cb2 ,luke #ah3cd71 namely1 that the ,messiah's death must precede this ingathering of the ,gentiles and prepare the way for it1 and itself become the instrument for its accomplishment4 ,he states this truth1 first under a figure drawn from nature 7ver4 #bd71 then as a general law1 alike applicable to the ,master and his disciples 7ver4 #be74--;,except a kernel of wheat fall into the ground and die1 it abideth alone4 ,in the granary it is safe1 but useless4 ,its death is the precursor of its usefulness4 ,paul employs the same figure in a different connection in #a ,cor4 #ae3cf4 ,christ embodies it in the ,lord's ,supper1 which reminds us of this law of self-sacrifice4 ,it is the wheat ground to powder that makes the bread1 and the body bruised that makes the bread of life2 it is the grape crushed that makes the wine1 and the blood poured out as a libation that makes the wine of life4 ,this truth of self-sacrifice symbolized by nature is one of the universal laws of spiritual life4--,he that loveth his life shall lose it4 ,the life or soul 7the same ,greek word1 1 is indiscriminately rendered by both ,english words in our ,english version7 is the sthetic and intellectual part of man in contrast with the spiritual nature 7 74 ,if one gives himself to the saving of this soul or life he destroys it2 for this is but the adjunct of the spiritual nature1 and perishes if that is left to perish4 8,lange points out that this saying involved a condemnation of ,hellenism4 ,for what was ,greek civilization but human life cultivated from the view-point of enjoyment1 and withdrawn from the law of sacrifice40--7,godet47 ,the same judgment ,paul re-affirms in #a ,cor4 #a3ah-ba2 and it is equally applicable as a judgment of modern unreligious culture4 ,culture without religion destroys what it would preserve4--,he that hateth his life in this world shall guard it unto life eternal4 ,two different ,greek words 7 and 7 are rendered by the same ,english word life in the two clauses of this sentence4 ,yet if we were to render it1 ,he that hateth his soul shall guard it unto life eternal1 the rendering would be at least equally liable to misapprehension4 ,if the reader understands soul to mean the earthy side of human nature1 in contrast with the spiritual1 as explained above 7and this is the ,n4 ,t4 use of the term71 this substituted rendering will give him the true meaning of the original4 ,beware of understanding hate to mean merely does not love1 or guard as merely equivalent to keep1 as it is rendered in our ,english version4 ,the meaning is that he who finds no satisfaction in earthly sources of enjoyment1 who turns away from them with a sense of satiety that1 at least at times1 becomes a generous contempt and a noble loathing1 toward the higher spiritual life which mere intellectual and sthetic culture does nothing to satisfy1 is by that very hate protected from the excesses and the demoralization which of necessity inheres in a life contented with the provisions for the earthly nature4 ,the hate inspired in a noble nature by every unworthy thing is the best protection against subtle temptations4--,if any man would serve me1 let him follow me4 ,this is ,christ's answer to the request of the ,greeks4 ,service of ,christ is to be sought1 not by secret interviews1 not by sacred and saintly communings1 which he gives to whom he will1 but by practical following of him in a life of daily self-sacrifice for others4--,and where ,i am1 there shall my servant be4 ,this practical following is the way that leads to intimate fellowship4 ,the sacred conversations of ,christ with the twelve1 recorded in ,john1 chaps4 #ac-af1 did not come till for three years they had followed him1 forsaking all things for the sake of his companionship4 ,this following has the promise both of heavenly companionship with ,christ on earth 7ch4 #ad3ba-bc71 and eternal companionship with him in heaven 7,rom4 #h3ag2 #b ,tim4 #b3aa1 #ab74--;,if any man serve me1 him will my ,father honor4 ,for it is with the ,father1 not with the ,son1 to determine who shall sit at his right hand and his left 7,mark #aj3dj71 who are to receive the honors1 what is to be the allotment of rank in the kingdom of ,god4 ,the ,christian's ambition1 therefore1 is to be ,christ-like in the life of earthly service1 and leave all else to the will of the ,father concerning him4 #bg ,now#dic is my soul troubled3 and what shall ,i say8 ,father1 save me from this hour3 but#did for this cause came ,i unto this hour4 #dic ch4 #ac3ba2 ,matt4 #bf3ch1 #ci2 ,luke #ab3ej4 #did ch4 #ah3cg4 #bh ,father1 glorify thy name4 ,then came there a voice#die from heaven1 saying1 ,i have both glorified it1 and will glorify it again4 #die ,matt4 #c3ag4 #bi ,the people therefore that stood by1 and heard it1 said that it thundered3 others said1 ,an angel spake to him4 #bg-bi4 ,now is my soul troubled4 ,literally1 stirred up1 in conflict4 ,in #aa3cc it is said that ,jesus was indignant in spirit1 here that his soul is in conflict4 ,see note on #aa3cc1 and on this contrast between soul and spirit1 see above on verse #be2 the one links man to ,god1 the other to the animal4 ,at the grave of ,lazarus the higher spiritual nature was indignant at the exhibition of formalism and false pretence2 here the lower and earthly nature was in conflict between the instincts of self-preservation and the impulse of love and duty4 8,a horror of death and an ardor of obedience concurred40--7,bengel47 ,it was a real struggle2 the narration of it refutes the rationalistic hypothesis that ,john omitted the agony at ,gethsemane because he desired to portray a ,son of ,god superior to all trial and conflict4 ,it illustrates and is interpreted by ,heb4 #b3ah2 #d3ae2 #e3g2 see ,notes on ,temptation of ,christ1 ,matt4 #d3a-aa2 and on ,lessons of ,gethsemane1 ,matt4 #bf3cf-df4--;,and what shall ,i say8 ,father1 save me from this hour8 ,this is to be taken not affirmatively but interrogatively4 ,christ does not first pray to be delivered from his passion and then change his mind1 recall the prayer and put up another and a different one4 ,nor is it uttered didactically1 to teach his disciples4 ,the contrast between the two petitions is explained by the precedent declaration1 8,now is my soul in conflict20 the nature of that conflict is hinted at in the twofold prayer1 the first hypothetical1 the second final3 ,shall ,i ask my ,father to save me from this hour8 7,that is the suggestion of the natural instincts47 ,no6 for this cause came ,i unto this hour4 ,rather1 ,father1 glorify thy name4 7,that is the victory of the spiritual nature47 8,the struggle is like one of those fissures in its crust1 which enables science to fathom the bowels of the earth4 ,it lets us read the very inmost depths of the ,lord's being40--7,godet47 ,beware of understanding this conflict as one between the ,god and the man in the ,god-man4 ,the spirit is in every child of ,god1 increasingly dominant1 though in none absolutely1 unquestionably and always supreme as in ,jesus ,christ4 ,this hour is the hour of the passion toward which ,christ had steadfastly set his face 7,luke #i3ea7 in coming up for the last time to ,jerusalem4--,for this cause came ,i unto this hour4 ,in order to be a sacrifice he had both come from heaven to earth1 and also1 at this very moment1 from the safety and comparative popularity of ,perea to ,jerusalem4--,father1 glorify thy name4 ,comp4 ,matthew #bf3ci4 ,in both cases there is not merely resignation to a superior will1 an invincible fate1 but a real and supreme desire to fulfil that will whatever it may entail4--,then came there a voice from heaven4 ,the critics since1 as the people then1 have discussed whether this was really an articulate voice1 speaking words1 or only a sound of thunder which ,christ interpreted as a divine response to his prayer4 ,the word voice 77 is not conclusive1 because it signifies sometimes an inarticulate sound1 as of a trumpet1 chariots1 waters1 thunder1 and the like 7,matt4 #bd3ca2 #a ,cor4 #ad3g1 #h2 ,john #c3h2 ,rev4 #i3i2 #f3a2 #ad3b2 #ah3bb1 etc474 ,but the plain implication of the narrative is that this was an articulate voice1 the words of which were understood by others than ,jesus1 though not by all4 ,so at ,paul's conversion his companions heard the sound1 but understood not the words of the voice that spake to him 7,acts #i3g with #bb3i1 notes74 ,this is the view of nearly all evangelical scholars1 e4 g41 ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,godet1 etc4 ,the latter's illustration is apt3 8,the whole multitude heard a noise2 but the meaning of the voice was only perceived by each in proportion to his spiritual intelligence4 ,thus the wild beast perceives only a sound in the human voice2 the trained animal discovers a meaning1 a command1 for example1 which it immediately obeys2 man alone discerns therein a thought40--,here the multitude 7 1 the people7 did not comprehend2 but some 71 others71 a smaller number1 did4--,i have both glorified it and will glorify it again4 ,the ,father had glorified his name by giving ,jesus daily and hourly the power to do and to bear all that had been laid on him up to that moment2 and he would glorify it by continuing to give him the power to do and to bear all that should be laid on him to the end4 ,the prayer and the promise are both for us4 ,in our passion-hour true prayer will be the cry1 not of the soul1 but of the spirit2 a cry1 not to be saved from our ,calvary1 but to be enabled to glorify our ,father's name in and through it4 ,and the answer is interpreted by our experience in the past 7,psalm #gg3aj-ab72 the grace that has been sufficient will be sufficient to the end4 #cj ,jesus answered and said1 ,this voice came not because of me1 but#dif for your sakes4 #dif ch4 #aa3db4 #ca ,now is the judgment of this world3 now shall#dig the prince of this world be cast out4 #dig ch4 #af3aa2 ,luke #aj3ah2 ,acts #bf3ah2 ,ephes4 #b3b4 #cb ,and ,i1 if ,i be lifted#dih up from the earth1 will draw all#dii men unto me4 #dih ch4 #h3bh4 #dii ,rom4 #e3ah4 #cc ,this he said1 signifying#ejj what death he should die4 #ejj ch4 #ah3cb4 #cj-cc4 ,not for me but for you4 ,if there were no articulate words1 if ,christ simply imputed to the sound of thunder the meaning1 there would have been in it no value to the bystanders4 ,this declaration1 therefore1 seems to me conclusive that a voice spoke comprehensible words2 and even to indicate that the hypothetical explanation 8,it thundered10 was not an honest one4--,now is the judgment of this world4 ,the language is anticipative4 ,christ speaks as though the passion on which he was entering were already accomplished4 ,that passion he declares will be characterized by a threefold result3 the world will be judged1 the devil conquered and cast out1 and the all-conquering ,christ brought in4 ,the judgment of the world has already begun4 ,it 8dates from ,good ,friday0 7,godet74 ,while ,christ came not to judge the world but that the world through him might be saved1 his cross is in fact a judgment-seat1 and men are discriminated morally and spiritually by their reception of the suffering1 self-sacrificing ,redeemer4--,now the prince of this world is cast out4 ,the ,prince of this world was a phrase much used by ,jewish writers to designate the spiritual monarch of the ,gentiles in opposition to the one true ,god whom they regarded as in a peculiar sense the ,god of ,israel4 ,christ employs their language2 he sees in the application of the ,greeks for an interview with him a prophecy of the time when ,satan will be cast out and all the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our ,lord and of his ,christ4 ,this he regards as accomplished now1 that is1 by the sacrifice of ,calvary4 ,the world's battle was fought and the victory won there4 ,the second coming is not to redeem the world1 but to realize for the world the fruits of redemption1 in an established and eternal kingdom of righteousness1 after1 by the cross1 humanity has been judged1 the devil cast out1 and the redeemed race lifted up into oneness with ,christ ,jesus4 ,the passages of the ,n4 ,t41 which imply the continuing influence of the devil 7,rom4 #af3bj2 #b ,cor4 #d3d2 ,ephes4 #b3b2 #f3ab1 etc47 are not inconsistent with ,christ's language here1 because it is prophetic2 he speaks of that as already accomplished which is absolutely certain to be accomplished by the power of that divine sacrifice so soon by him to be consummated4--,and ,i if ,i be lifted up will draw all men toward myself4 ,if is not to be rendered as equivalent to when4 ,the language is sympathetic with that of verse #bg2 it is the last trace of that soul-storm4 ,his crucifixion was contingent2 it was made1 to the last1 dependent on his own voluntary submission4 ,even in the hour of his arrest the way of deliverance was open to him 7,matt4 #bf3ec74 ,he is still1 as it were1 arguing with himself4 ,the whole language is that of quasi soliloquy4 ,the phrase lifted up from the earth certainly does not refer to his ascension1 as ,meyer interprets it4 ,john's own interpretation in the next verse is conclusive on that point4 ,apart from inspiration1 he1 as a sympathetic ear-witness1 is to be trusted as a correct interpreter4 ,nor does it refer to the mere physical elevation from the ground of a foot or two in the crucifixion4 ,the ,n4 ,t4 use of the original word rendered lifted up 77 as well as the added words from the earth1 is conclusive on that point4 ,to give a physical interpretation to the phrase is to belittle and degrade it4 ,the word here rendered lifted up is generally rendered exalted 7,matt4 #aa3bc2 #bc3ab2 ,luke #a3eb2 #ad3aa71 and is used in reference to ,christ's divine exaltation in consequence of his voluntary sacrifice 7,acts #b3cc2 #e3ca74 ,the crucifixion is exaltation because self-sacrifice is divine glory 7#a ,cor4 #a3bc1 #bd74 ,from the earth is added to mark the contrast between the kingdom of the ,prince of this world which is to be overthrown and that of the ,prince of ,light which takes its place4 ,the one is of the earth earthy2 the other is not of this world 7ch4 #ah3cf71 but over it1 a kingdom lifted up from the world but dominating it4 ,in each individual soul the kingdom of ,god begins1 as it began in the world of humanity1 in crucifixion4 ,when we take up our cross and follow ,christ1 we are lifted up from the earth and in us the ,prince of this world is cast out 7,mark #i3di1 #ej2 ,luke #ad3bg1 notes74 ,the word drawing here refers not primarily to the influence of the ,holy ,spirit winning men to ,christ 7ch4 #g3ci2 #ad3ah1 #ai2 #af3g71 certainly not to what theologians call effectual calling1 but to the attractive power of the cross itself4 ,self-sacrifice always draws us toward the sacrificed one1 the soldier1 the martyr1 the mother2 and has drawn all hearts toward ,christ as the pre-eminent martyr4 ,this is not1 however1 a promise that all men shall be actually brought to ,christlikeness of disposition4 ,the original does not imply this4 ,the preposition to 77 should rather be rendered towards2 for it indicates direction1 not result1 the place or person toward which anything moves or an affection is directed1 not that to which anything comes or upon which an affection is finally centered4 ,all men must not be rendered with ,calvin as equivalent to 8all the children of ,god20 nor does it merely mean men of both ,gentile and ,jewish origin1 i4 e41 all classes of men4 ,christ's words need no mending4 ,all men to whom the simple story of the cross is told are drawn toward him who gave himself for us2 whether they follow him and become like him through a like voluntary cross-bearing is another question4 ,of that ,christ says nothing here4 ,the whole sentence1 then 7vers4 #ca1 #cb71 may be paraphrased thus3 ,already is the judgment of this world beginning to take place2 already is the ,prince of this world beginning to be cast out2 and ,i1 if ,i am faithful to the end in enduring that cross for which ,i came into this hour1 will draw all hearts toward me1 even as now these stranger hearts are drawn toward me4 #cd ,the people answered him1 ,we have heard#eja out of the law#ejb that ,christ abideth for ever3 and how sayest thou1 ,the ,son of man must be lifted up8 who is this ,son of man8 #eja ,ps4 #hi3cf1 #cg2 #aaj3d2 ,isa4 #i3g4 #ejb ,rom4 #e3ah2 ,ps4 #gb3ag-ai4 #ce ,then ,jesus said unto them1 ,yet a little while is the light#ejc with you4#ejd ,walk while ye have the light1 lest darkness come upon you3 for he#eje that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth4 #ejc ch4 #h3ab4 #ejd ,jer4 #ac3f4 #eje ch4 #aa3aj4 #cf ,while ye have light1 believe in the light1 that ye may be#ejf the children of light4 ,these things spake ,jesus1 and departed1 and did hide himself from them4 #ejf ,ephes4 #e3h4 #cd-cf4 ,we have heard out of the law that the ,messiah abideth forever4 ,they evidently understand ,christ's language to refer to his death1 at least to his departure from the earth1 and are really perplexed4 ,for the idea of an earthly ,messianic kingdom was so firmly fixed in the public mind that they were absolutely incapable of receiving any other2 and the ,o4 ,t4 in many passages does describe that kingdom as an everlasting one 7,ps4 #hi3cf2 #ade3ac2 ,isaiah #i3e1 #g2 ,dan4 #g3ac1 #ad74--,who is this ,son of man8 ,the language is that of sneer4 ,what strange sort of a ,messiah is this1 that must die in order to draw all nations unto him1 and enter into his kingdom8--,then ,jesus said unto them4 ,his reply is not responsive to their question4 ,he rarely if ever replied to sneers4--,yet a little while is the light with you4 ,the commentators generally regard the phrase the ,light as ,christ's designation of himself4 ,so ,alford1 ,godet1 ,meyer1 among the moderns1 and ,chrysostom and ,calvin among the older commentators4 ,but this interpretation entangles the whole sentence4 ,christ then bids his auditors to walk1 i4 e41 8be not slothful but spiritually active0 7,meyer71 for the two or three days that intervene before his death2 for his death will bring darkness on them1 and make it impossible for them to walk intelligently thereafter4 ,the direction is thus deprived of all significance to us1 and is contradicted by history2 for the death of ,christ brought light1 not darkness1 and was itself the necessary precursor of highest spiritual activity in all that believe on him4 ,the light here1 as in ,matthew #f3bc1 is the moral and spiritual nature of man1 that which links him to the divine and makes it possible for him to become a child of ,god4 ,god is the ,light of the world 7#a ,john #a3e7 because he is the fountain1 the central sun which supplies and keeps alive this moral and spiritual nature in men4 ,christ is the ,light of the world 7ch4 #i3e71 because in him this spiritual nature shone out without any dimness from sin or moral infirmity4 ,christians are lights in the world 7,matt4 #e3ad71 because this spiritual nature in them is their guide1 illuminating them and through them others4 ,if one follows this inner light it grows brighter and brighter unto perfect day 7,prov4 #d3ah72 if he disobeys it he quenches it and goes into moral darkness1 losing the very power of moral and spiritual discrimination 7#a ,john #b3h-aa74 ,i understand ,christ's meaning then to be this3 ,you have yet for a little while longer the light of conscience2 it is not utterly quenched4 ,beware4 ,walk according to such light as you possess1 lest utter moral darkness come upon you4 ,and he who walks in such darkness knows not the future fate that awaits him4 ,walk while ye have the light should rather be rendered1 ,walk as ye have the light 7 not is the best reading1 so ,alford1 ,meyer1 etc472 that is1 ,according to the light ye possess4 ,the phrase ,come upon you is hardly forcible enough to express the meaning of the original 77 which is literally to seize or take violent possession of4 ,see ,mark #i3ah2 ,john #h3c2 #a ,thess4 #e3d4 ,knoweth not whither he goeth indicates the awful mystery which hangs about the final fate of those who refuse to follow the light of their own better nature1 and so to accept the light which comes from ,god through ,jesus ,christ his ,son4--,as ye have the light1 have faith in the light1 that ye may become the children of light4 ,observe the difference between this rendering1 which accurately follows the original1 and that of the ,english version1 from which it differs in three important particulars4 ,christ does not say while ye have the light1 but according as ye have the light1 that is1 faith is to be exercised according to the opportunity2 he does not say believe1 a word which indicates an intellectual act1 but have faith1 a word which indicates a spiritual habit2 he does not say may be the children of light1 as though a single act of belief perfected the soul in sonship1 but may become the children of light1 faith in such light as the soul possesses being the way unto a final perfection in the divine life4 ,faith is the evidence of things unseen 7,heb4 #aa3a71 that is1 the power of the soul by which it appreciates unseen moral qualities2 hence the divine qualities in ,christ3 hence1 by direct1 immediate communion1 the invisible spirit of ,god4 ,the direction here is the natural outcome of the preceding warning1 and may be paraphrased thus3 8,as you have moral and spiritual illumination1 exercise faith toward it1 apprehend1 appreciate1 obey the sacred inner monitions of your moral nature2 so shall you be led constantly into clearer light1 and shall at last become children of light1 wholly possessed and pervaded by it40 ,this of course includes the exercise of faith in ,christ according to the measure in which he is revealed to the soul2 but it certainly is much more than a mere exhortation to the ,jews to believe in ,jesus as the ,messiah while he remained in the flesh among them4 ,both the warning against quenching this inner light by disobedience1 and the exhortation to nourish it by appreciating and following it are applicable to all men and for all time4--,and departed and hid himself from them4 ,the very fact that these were among ,christ's last words1 and that immediately on uttering them he departed into a concealment from which apparently he did not issue till the time for his passion1 should have sufficed to prevent the common but unspiritual interpretation controverted above4 8,this was the farewell of ,jesus to ,israel4 ,he then retired and did not reappear on the morrow4 ,this time it was no mere cloud which obscured the sun2 the sun itself had set40--7,godet47 ,this statement fixes the time of this incident2 it was concurrent with his farewell to ,jerusalem1 that is1 on the same day with1 and probably just subsequent to the discourse recorded in ,matthew1 ch4 #bc4 ,in the discourses of which that was the culmination1 ,christ plainly foretold the destruction of ,jerusalem and the dispersion of the ,jews1 and indicated the calling of the ,gentiles 7,matt4 #ba3dc2 #bc3cg-ci74 ,it may be that those prophecies led to this application of the ,greeks for a more private interview with the prophet who thus foretold the ingathering of the ,gentiles4 #cg ,but though he had done so many miracles before them1 yet they believed not on him3 #ch ,that the saying of ,esaias the prophet might be fulfilled1 which he spake1#ejg ,lord1 who hath believed our report8 and to whom hath the arm of the ,lord been revealed8 #ejg ,isa4 #ec3a4 #ci ,therefore they could not believe1 because that ,esaias said#ejh again1 #ejh ,isa4 #f3i1 #aj4 #dj ,he hath blinded their eyes1 and hardened their heart3 that they should not see with their eyes1 nor understand with their heart1 and be converted1 and ,i should heal them4 #da ,these things said ,esaias1 when#eji he saw his glory1 and spake of him4 #eji ,isa4 #f3a4 #db ,nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him2 but#eaj because of the ,pharisees they did not confess him1 lest they should be put out of the synagogue3 #eaj ch4 #i3bb4 #dc ,for#eaa they loved the praise of men more than the praise of ,god4 #eaa ch4 #e3dd2 ,rom4 #b3bi4 #cg-dc4 ,these words are ,john's comments on the whole incident and teaching4 ,the passages from ,isaiah 7#f3i1 #aj2 ,isaiah #ec3a7 illustrate ,christ's warning1 and ,christ's warning interprets ,isaiah's prophecy4 ,the blinding and hardening are here attributed to ,god because they take place in accordance with the divine law which ,christ has enunciated1 namely1 that disobedience to the light quenches and destroys it4 ,in ,matthew #ac3ac-ae1 the ,jews are represented as blinding their own eyes1 etc41 because they have done so by their disobedience4 ,see notes on ,matthew4 ,to those who recognize the authority of ,john1 his language here is conclusive that ,isaiah spoke as a prophet1 and under divine inspiration4 ,observe that ,isaiah1 though living seven centuries before ,christ1 saw his glory1 which the blinded eyes of the ,pharisees1 though they were his contemporaries1 could not see4 ,putting out of the synagogue1 that is1 excommunication1 was in those days a very serious matter4 ,see ch4 #i3bb1 note4 ,i make no attempt to follow other commentators in a discussion here respecting the relation of divine decrees and human free agency2 that belongs not to the commentator but to the metaphysician and theologian4 ,taking the whole passage together with its context1 it seems to me clear 7against ,alford7 that the statement of ,john ,therefore they could not believe1 refers not backwards to the precedent prophecy of ,isaiah1 so that the meaning is that they could not believe 8because it was otherwise ordained in the divine counsels10 but forward to the subsequent prophecy of ,isaiah1 so that the meaning is that they could not believe because their eyes were blinded and their hearts hardened4 ,either interpretation is grammatically possible2 this one makes ,john's comment germane to ,christ's discourse respecting the light1 and the effect of refusing obedience to it2 the other does not4 ,an interpretation which represents ,god as blinding the eyes and hardening the heart1 so as to prevent the exercise of faith1 and this in order that a prophecy may be fulfilled1 cannot be reconciled with the divine righteousness1 much less with the divine infinite mercy4 #dd ,jesus cried and said1 ,he#eab that believeth on me1 believeth not on me1 but on him that sent me4 #eab ,mark #i3cg2 #a ,pet4 #a3ba4 #de ,and he that seeth me seeth him that sent me4 #df ,i#eac am come a light into the world1 that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness4 #eac chaps4 #a3e2 #c3ai4 #dd-df4 ,but ,jesus cried and said4 ,what follows1 to the end of the chapter1 is not to be regarded as a report of a further discourse by ,jesus1 but as a summary furnished by ,john1 of his ,lord's previous discourses4 ,this view is required by the context1 what follows being closely connected with ,john's previous comments1 by the structure of the discourse1 which is substantially a repetition of previously reported discourses 7see notes71 and by the consideration that1 not only no time or place is indicated1 but that none is allowed1 since it is expressly asserted1 immediately before1 that ,christ departed and hid himself from the people 7ver4 #cf74 ,this view is taken by all the moderns 7,alford1 ,meyer1 ,godet1 ,luthardt74 ,bengel is hardly self-consistent4 ,in his ,grammar he characterizes this as 8the peroration and recapitulation1 in ,john's ,gospel1 of ,christ's public discourses20 in his ,harmony he suggests that ,christ 8spake in the very act of departure1 when he was now at a considerable distance from the men2 wherefore he is said to have cried1 in order1 doubtless1 that those very persons with whom he had spoken might hear20 an hypothesis which ,luthardt justly characterizes as artificial1 unwarranted by the ,gospel account1 and disagreeable4--,he that hath faith in me1 hath faith not in me but in him that sent me4 ,in 77 indicates the ultimate end or object of the faith4 ,the negative is not to be omitted or reduced to a mere rhetorical expression1 or read as though it was equivalent to 8hath not faith in me alone40 ,true scriptural faith in ,christ does not stop with him1 but finds in him the way to the ,father1 the ,spirit who is to be worshipped in spirit as well as in truth1 and whom no man hath seen at any time4 ,hence ,paul's declaration1 8,yea1 though we have seen ,christ after the flesh1 yet now henceforth we know him no more40 8,christ descended to us that he might unite us to ,god4 ,until we have reached that point1 we are1 as it were1 in the middle of the course4 ,we imagine to ourselves but a half ,christ1 and a mutilated ,christ1 if he do not lead us to ,god40--7,calvin47 ,for parallel teaching of ,christ1 see ch4 #e3bd1 #cj1 #ch1 #dc2 #h3ai1 #db2 #aj3ch2 #ad3aj1 #aa4--;,and he that seeth me seeth him that sent me4 ,see is here used not of external but of spiritual perception1 as in chaps4 #d3ai2 #f3dj2 #ad3ai2 #ag3bd4 ,he that has a spiritual perception and appreciation of the glory of ,christ's character has a perception and appreciation of the divine glory2 for the ,son is the express image of the ,father's person and the brightness of his glory 7,heb4 #a3c74 8,jesus' essence does not consist in his merely external appearance1 but in his internal relation to the ,father40--7,luthardt47 ,comp4 ch4 #ad3i1 where the language is almost precisely the same4--,i am come a light into the world4 ,a light to lead to the ,father1 and to the divine life which is lived only by communion with the ,father through the ,spirit4--,in order that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in darkness4 ,the object of ,christ's incarnation and atonement is that through faith in him we may be delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of ,god's dear ,son 7,col4 #a3ac71 and thus walk no longer in the darkness but in the light1 by walking in fellowship with ,god 7#a ,john #a3e-g2 #b3h-aa74 ,this light is the illumination and inspiration of the moral and spiritual nature afforded by faith in and a life of following after ,jesus ,christ4 ,comp4 ch4 #h3ab2 #i3e4 #dg ,and if any man hear my words1 and believe not1 ,i judge him not3 for ,i came#ead not to judge the world1 but to save the world4 #ead ch4 #c3ag4 #dh ,he that rejecteth me1 and receiveth not my words1#eae hath one that judgeth him3 the word that ,i have spoken1 the same shall judge him in the last day4 #eae ,deut4 #ah3ai2 ,luke #i3bf4 #di ,for ,i have not spoken of myself2 but the ,father which sent me1 he gave me a commandment1 what ,i should say1 and what ,i should speak4 #ej ,and ,i know that his commandment#eaf is life everlasting3 whatsoever ,i speak therefore1 even as the ,father said unto me1 so ,i speak4 #eaf #a ,john #c3bc4 #dg-ej4 ,i judge him not 99 99 99 99 ,the word that ,i have spoken the same shall judge him4 ,this declaration is not inconsistent with other passages of the ,n4 ,t4 which declare that ,jesus ,christ shall judge the world 7ch4 #e3be-bg72 but it interprets them4 ,that judgment shall not be an arbitrary one2 nor one pronounced by a judge after trial1 like a human judgment1 in which questions of law and fact are involved4 ,the book of each man's life shall be opened1 and compared with the life of ,christ which is the pattern2 and the life and teaching of ,christ will itself be the judgment2 the comparison will be conclusive2 there will be no need of investigation or of sentence4 ,hence every man is judging and condemning himself1 and if unrepentant and unpardoned is condemned already4 ,comp4 ch4 #c3ah1 #ai2 #e3de4--;,he that rejecteth me 774 ,literally1 displaces me4 ,to reject ,christ does not necessarily involve a deliberate decision against him4 ,simply putting him one side as of no practical importance is a rejection of him4--,and receiveth not my words4 ,we receive them only by obeying them4 ,see ,matthew #ac3bc4--;,because ,i have not spoken out of myself4 ,christ is not the ultimate source of his own authority4 ,his words are divine because they are ,god-given4 ,the ,father is the reservoir from whom ,christ draws4 ,compare ch4 #e3cj2 #g3af-bh2 #h3bf1 #bh1 #ch4--,what ,i should say and what ,i should speak4 8,the former is to be understood of the contents and the latter of the external act of speaking40--7,luthardt47 ,to the same effect ,meyer4 ,the double expression indicates that not only the substance but also the form and method of expression of ,christ's teaching are ,god-given4--,and ,i know that his commandment is life eternal4 ,it has for its aim to produce life eternal2 it has for its subject-matter the conditions and nature of life eternal2 it is1 in other words1 the law of the spiritual life4 ,as science has to do with the laws of the external1 so ,christianity with the laws of the internal or spiritual world4 ,comp4 ch4 #f3fc1 #fh4 ,there is a weighty significance in the words 8,i know40 ,by his own acceptance of and obedience to the ,father's commands ,christ made1 as it were1 trial of them1 and spoke out of his own personal experience of their value and effect4 ,it is only as the ,christian thus knows and speaks that his testimony is effective 7#b ,cor4 #d3ac74 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,ch4 #ac3a-cj4 ,,christ ,,washes ,,his ,,disciples' ,,feet ,,and ,,foretells ,,his ,,betrayal4--,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,humility ,,illustrated3 ,,not ,,self-,,abasement ,,but ,,self-,,abnegation 7#c1 #d74--,,trust ,,and ,,obedience ,,here2 ,,knowledge ,,hereafter 7#g74--,,the ,,double ,,cleansing ,,wrought ,,by ,,christ3 ,,the ,,washing ,,of ,,the ,,whole ,,nature ,,in ,,regeneration2 ,,the ,,washing ,,away ,,of ,,specific ,,sins ,,in ,,sanctification 7#aj74--;,,christ',s ,,designation ,,of ,,himself3 ,,master ,,and ,,lord 7#ac74--,,the ,,utility ,,and ,,the ,,inutility ,,of ,,ceremonial4--,,christ ,,our ,,example ,,in ,,the ,,spirit ,,and ,,in ,,the ,,letter 7#ad1 #ae74--,,the ,,office ,,of ,,prophecy 7#ai74--;,,christ ,,seen ,,bearing ,,the ,,sin ,,of ,,the ,,sinner 7#ba74--;,,christ',s ,,endeavor ,,to ,,reclaim ,,the ,,irreclaimable 7#bf-bi74 99 99 99 99 99 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,john alone of the ,evangelists gives no account of the institution of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,but he alone gives us a report of the last words of ,christ1 and his last prayer with his disciples at the time of the institution of the ,supper4 ,this report occupies chapters #ac-ag4 ,this most sacred legacy which the ,lord has left to his disciples can never be interpreted except by the heart which enters into the secret place of the ,most ,high4 ,all that the commentator can hope to do is to point out the significance of the original1 and the connection between the various parts of this uninterpretable disclosure of divine love4 ,that the supper referred to in ver4 #b here is the same described in ,matthew #bf3bf-bi1 ,mark #ad3bb-be1 and ,luke #bb3ai1 #bj1 ,i think is beyond question1 and is indeed questioned by few if any of the scholars except ,lightfoot1 who endeavors to identify it with the supper at which ,mary anointed the feet of ,jesus 7,matt4 #bf3a-af2 ,john #ab3b-h74 ,the time when the ,last ,supper was celebrated1 whether it was a true ,paschal feast or one which ante-dated and anticipated it1 is confessedly one of the most difficult questions in ,biblical chronology4 ,if we had only the ,synoptical ,gospels no one would doubt that the ,last ,supper was the real ,jewish ,passover2 if we had only ,john1 few would question that it was previous to the ,passover4 ,this question ,i have stated and discussed in the notes on ,matthew 7note on ,lord's ,supper1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #bhf71 and to the discussion there refer the student4 ,i have no doubt1 on a careful comparison of the four accounts1 that the four ,evangelists refer to the same supper1 and that it was taken at the time of and was for them the true ,passover ,supper4 ,in that case ,christ's act here receives new significance from a comparison with the events recorded by ,luke 7ch4 #bb3bd-cj and notes74 ,the disciples sat down to the meal without washing their feet1 after a hot and dusty walk4 ,there was no servant to perform the menial act for them2 and no one would volunteer to do it for the rest4 ,they quarreled as to which should have the pre-eminence at the table4 ,christ said nothing1 waited till the quarrel was over and they had taken their seats1 and then rose from the table1 and girding himself as a servant1 performed the slave's office in washing their feet4 ,this was his answer to their unseemly strife for the post of honor at the table4 #a ,now#eag before the feast of the passover1 when ,jesus knew that his hour#eah was come that he should depart out of this world unto the ,father1 having#eai loved his own which were in the world1 he loved them unto the end4 #eag ,matt4 #bf3b1 etc4 #eah ch4 #ag3a1 #aa4 #eai ,jer4 #ca3c2 ,ephes4 #e3b2 #a ,john #d3ai2 ,rev4 #a3e4 #a4 ,now before the feast of the ,passover4 ,that is1 immediately before2 just as he was about to sit down with his disciples to the ,paschal feast4--,jesus knew that his hour was come4 ,in the full consciousness of his approaching agony and passion4 ,at the time when above all others he needed that friends should sustain him1 he carried them in his heart2 their burdens were his own4--,having loved his own which were in the world1 he loved them unto the end4 ,the end both in time and in accomplishment2 that is1 he loved them till death broke in on his life of love2 he loved them till love had finished its purpose in them by their redemption--loved them despite their quarrels and contentions1 that by love he might brood and perfect the new life in them4 ,properly the word 71 7 signifies not merely end but also completion4 ,so in #a ,thess4 #b3af3 8,wrath is come upon them to the uttermost0 7 71 i4 e41 till it has accomplished its purpose2 and #a ,tim4 #a3e1 8,the end of the commandment is love10 i4 e41 love is the purpose which the commandment is designed to accomplish4 ,the phrase his own which were in the world1 does not imply a limitation of love1 as though his love were for a limited number2 but it is only in his own that his love accomplishes its designs4 ,the language does imply that he has others who are his own who are not in this world2 either the ,o4 ,t4 saints who had died in hope of him1 or inhabitants of some other world who belong to him by the purchase of his love1 who are his own because redeemed by his blood 7,acts #bj3bh2 ,rev4 #e3i74 #b ,and supper being ended1 the#ebj devil having now put into the heart of ,judas ,iscariot1 ,simon's son1 to betray him2 #ebj ch4 #f3gj2 ,luke #bb3c1 #ec4 #c ,jesus knowing#eba that the ,father had given all things into his hands1 and that#ebb he was come from ,god1 and went to ,god2 #eba ,matt4 #bh3ah2 ,heb4 #b3h4 #ebb ch4 #ag3aa4 #d ,he riseth from supper1 and laid aside his garments2 and took a towel1 and girded himself4 #e ,after that he poureth water into a bason1 and began to wash the disciples' feet1 and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded4 #f ,then cometh he to ,simon ,peter3 and ,peter saith unto him1 ,lord1 dost#ebc thou wash my feet8 #ebc ,matt4 #c3ad4 #b-f4 ,and supper being in progress4 ,not being ended2 for 7ver4 #ab7 he sat down to supper again2 nor does the original require the translation given to it in our ,english version 7see ,godet1 ,alford1 ,meyer74 ,christ waited till all contention was over1 all had taken their seats and were ready to begin the meal1 before he rose to wash their feet4--,the devil having already dropped into the heart of ,judas ,iscariot to betray him4 ,the devil was the sower1 but the soil was ready to receive the seed4 ,a past suggestion is indicated4 ,the time when and the way in which this suggestion was made is reported by ,matthew4 ,it was at the time when ,christ rebuked ,judas for complaining of the anointing of her ,lord by ,mary at ,bethany 7comp4 ,john #ab3d-g with ,matt4 #bf3ad74--;,jesus knowing that the ,father had given all things into his hands4 ,see ,col4 #a3af4 ,he acted in the full consciousness of his divine power and majesty4 ,humility consists not in a low estimate of one's powers1 but in a willingness to use them in a lowly service4--,that he was come from ,god and went to ,god4 ,this divine sense shone out in him1 so that it was seen and felt by the apostles1 perhaps most of all by ,john1 who was the most susceptible to such spiritual impressions4 ,for illustration of other times in which the divinity of our ,lord thus shone out upon men1 see ,matt4 #ba3ab2 ,mark #i3ae2 #aj3cb2 ,luke #d3bj1 #cj2 ,john #g3dd-df2 #ah3f4--;,he laid aside his garments 774 ,his outer mantle or cloak 7see note on ,matt4 #bd3ah74 ,then the inner tunic was girded about the loins with a towel1 used partly in lieu of a girdle1 partly to wipe the feet4 ,thus ,christ put on the ordinary habit of a servant for a servant's work4 ,in this feet-washing the feet were not put into the basin2 the water was poured over the feet and then they were wiped by the servant4 ,the accompanying cut1 from an original sketch by ,mr4 ,a4 ,l4 ,rawson1 shows the manner of feet-washing1 dress of servant1 etc41 as observed to-day in the ,east4--,and began to wash the disciples' feet4 ,some of the commentators suppose that he came first to ,simon ,peter 7,alford72 but ,i see no ground in the narrative for this supposition1 which indeed seems to me to be negatived by the natural reading of the original4 ,the objection of ,peter was an unexpected episode and interruption4 ,so ,meyer1 ,chrysostom1 and others4 ,feet-washing did not rise to the dignity of a ritualistic observance1 except in connection with the service of the sanctuary 7,exod4 #cj3ai-ba74 ,it held a high place1 however1 among the rites of hospitality4 8,immediately after a guest presented himself at the tent door1 it was usual to offer the necessary materials for washing the feet 7,gen4 #ah3d2 #ai3b2 #bd3cb2 #dc3bd2 ,judges #ai3ba74 ,it was a yet more complimentary act betokening equally humility and affection1 if the host actually performed the office for his guest 7#a ,sam4 #be3da2 ,luke #g3ch-di2 ,john #ac3e-ad2 #a ,tim4 #e3aj74 ,such a token of hospitality is occasionally exhibited in the ,east either by the host or by his deputy4 ,the feet were again washed 7,sol4 ,song #e3c7 before retiring to bed40--7,smith's ,bible ,dictionary47--,dost thou wash my feet8 ,there is an emphasis on the word thou4 ,dost thou1 my ,lord and ,master1 act as my menial8 8#8,with those hands1' he saith1 #8with which thou hast opened eyes1 and cleansed lepers1 and raised the dead6'0--7,chrysostom47 ,illustration3 ,,washing ,,of ,,feet4 #g ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,what ,i do thou knowest not now2 but thou shalt know hereafter4 #h ,peter saith unto him1 ,thou shalt never wash my feet1 ,jesus answered him1 ,if#ebd ,i wash thee not1 thou hast no part with me4 #ebd #a ,cor4 #f3aa2 ,ephes4 #e3bf2 ,titus #c3e4 #g1 #h4 ,thou knowest not now2 but thou shalt know hereafter4 ,the meaning is not merely that he would explain to them the significance of his act1 nor that they would understand it and him in the future kingdom1 though both may be indicated4 ,but spiritual truth is only spiritually discerned 7#a ,cor4 #b3ad1 #ae71 and the most significant acts and teachings of ,christ can be comprehended only as the character is conformed to his character 7#b ,pet4 #a3e-h74 ,the meaning for ,peter was that he must submit to ,christ's authority and wait till time and spiritual development enabled him to understand it2 the meaning for us is that if ,christ is our ,master1 we must accept in his word1 his life and his providence much that is now incomprehensible1 and wait for the future to make it plain4 ,but if this implies a limit to our present knowledge1 it also promises revelation hereafter4 8,thou shalt know0 assures that all will be made plain by-and-by4--,thou shalt never wash my feet4 ,literally1 ,thou shall not wash my feet to eternity4 ,pride in ,peter could not comprehend humility in ,christ4 ,he thought the act1 which was a manifestation of the true glory of the ,lord1 dishonored him4 ,the same spirit in our day accounts the declaration of the incarnation and of the atonement dishonorable to ,god2 it sees no glory in the humiliation of love4--,if ,i wash thee not1 thou hast no part with me4 ,the phrase to have part with another signifies to share in his riches and glory 7,josh4 #bb3be2 #b ,sam4 #bj3a74 ,here it includes the idea of a partnership in the divine nature of ,christ 7#b ,pet4 #a3d7 as well as in the glory of ,christ which he has with the ,father 7,john #ag3bb-bf2 ,rev4 #bj3f74 ,washing was1 it must be remembered1 a symbolical act1 recognized so among the ,jews1 and signifying purification from uncleanness4 ,christ's act in rising from the table and washing the feet of the disciples was the severest rebuke to their pride4 ,see ,prel4 ,note4 ,peter's refusal to be washed was a resistance to this rebuke4 ,that ,christ's language was understood by ,peter to signify a spiritual cleansing is indicated by his reply4 #i ,simon ,peter saith unto him1 ,lord1 not my feet only1 but also my hands and my head4 #aj ,jesus saith to him1 ,he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet1 but is clean every whit3 and ye are clean1 but not all4 #aa ,for#ebe he knew who should betray him2 therefore said he1 ,ye are not all clean4 #ebe chap4 #f3fd4 #ab ,so after he had washed their feet1 and had taken his garments1 and was set down again1 he said unto them1 ,know ye what ,i have done to you8 #i-ab4 ,not my feet only1 but also the hands and the head4 ,this is generally regarded as the expression of an impulsive revulsion of feeling in ,peter4 8,we have here the same ,peter who one minute rushes into the water1 and the next calls out #8,i perish'2 who now smites with the sword and now flees2 who goes even into the high priest's palace and who denies his ,lord40--7,godet47 ,i should rather regard it as the language of argument and remonstrance still continued4 8,if10 he says in effect1 8this is the reason of your washing1 why stop with the feet8 why not go on and wash the rest1 the hands and the head80 i4 e41 the face and neck4 ,to this argument ,christ replies--,he that is bathed needeth not save to wash the feet1 but is wholly clean4 ,in the original there is a distinction between bathing of the whole person and washing of the feet which our ,english translation ignores1 but which is important4 ,the meaning is1 ,as he that has been once bathed1 and so cleansed1 needs only to wash what has become soiled in his walk1 so he who by the washing of regeneration has been once cleansed of his sins 7,titus #c3e71 needs only to come to ,christ hereafter for partial cleansing1 i4 e41 for forgiveness and redemption from those sins which are in some sense the product of his daily walk and life4 ,he does not need to come again and again for the washing of regeneration1 but only for the cleansing of special faults4 ,but even he who has been bathed still needs to be constantly washed by ,christ 7#a ,john #a3h1 #i74--,ye are not all clean4 ,not all that seem to have come to ,christ and to have entered his service1 are really cleansed by him 7,matt4 #g3ba-bc74--;,he knew who should betray him4 ,among those whose feet were washed was ,judas4 ,no love can touch or change the heart resolutely set to do evil4--,know ye what ,i have done to you8 ,that is1 do you comprehend the reason why it is done1 and the meaning of the action4 ,the disciples are silent4 ,in the following verses ,christ goes on to explain its significance4 #ac ,ye#ebf call me ,master and ,lord3 and ye say well2 for so ,i am4 #ebf ,matt4 #bc3h-aj2 ,phil4 #b3aa4 #ad ,if ,i then1 your ,lord and ,master1 have washed your feet2 ye also ought to wash one another's feet4 #ae ,for#ebg ,i have given you an example1 that ye should do as ,i have done to you4 #ebg #a ,pet4 #b3ba4 #af ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,the servant is not greater than his lord2 neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him4 #ag ,if#ebh ye know these things1 happy are ye if ye do them4 #ebh ,james #a3be4 #ac-ag4 ,ye call me the ,master 7literally ,teacher7 and the ,lord4 ,observe the definite article1 not merely a teacher1 or your teacher1 but the teacher and the ,lord4 ,for instances in which they had done so1 see ver4 #f1 #i1 #be1 #cf1 #cg2 ch4 #ad3e1 #h1 #bb4 ,stress is perhaps not to be laid on the fact that the phrase the ,lord 7 7 is used in the ,septuagint 7,greek ,o4 ,t47 for ,jehovah2 but it certainly is here more than a mere title of respectful address2 and the declaration of ,christ here1 coupled with the declaration of ,matthew #bc3h1 ,one is your ,master 7,teacher71 and all ye are brethren1 distinguishes him clearly from his disciples1 as not merely the chosen leader among them1 but having a divine authority over them4--,ye say well2 for ,i am4 ,the humble office of feet-washing had been done by one who was not only fully conscious of his supremacy1 but who in the very act claimed that supremacy4 ,this divine authority ,christ never abdicated2 his divine consciousness he never lost4--,if ,i then1 the ,lord and the ,master4 ,the ,lord1 not merely your ,lord4 ,he might have been their ,lord and teacher by their selection2 he was the ,lord and teacher by divine appointment1 and by virtue of his own character4--,ye also ought to wash one another's feet4 ,if we are to interpret literally the commands of ,christ1 the command of feet-washing as a perpetual observance is even more explicit than that for the observance of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,that is in form a simple request3 8,do this in remembrance of me20 this is a request thrice repeated3 8,ye ought also to wash one another's feet20 8,i have given you an example that ye should do as ,i have done to you20 8,if ye know these things1 happy are ye if ye do them40 ,nevertheless feet-washing has never been generally practised by the ,christian church4 ,there is no indication of its introduction into the apostolic church4 ,the only reference to it in the ,n4 ,t4 is #a ,tim4 #e3aj1 and the probability is that the reference there is to a rite of hospitality1 not to a religious or symbolical service4 ,we first meet with feet-washing in ecclesiastical history in the fourth century4 ,it was practised in connection with baptism1 on the catechumens in some parts of the early church1 especially in ,gaul1 possibly in ,africa and ,spain4 ,it is practised in some of the ,greek convents of to-day2 by the ,r4 ,c4 church once a year on ,maunday-,thursday1 when the ,pope washes the feet of twelve pilgrims in ,rome2 and by the ,brethren 7popularly known as ,dunkards71 a sect of ,german ,baptists chiefly found in ,pennsylvania2 the ,mennonites1 a sect of ,dutch ,anabaptists1 chiefly confined also to the eastern district of ,pennsylvania in this country2 and possibly by some other minor sects4 ,with these exceptions1 it has never been attempted to maintain feet-washing as a religious observance in the ,christian church4 ,this apparent disregard of ,christ's seemingly explicit command can be defended only on the general ground that no ceremonial is of the essence of ,christianity2 that the thing symbolized1 not the symbol1 here the spirit of self-sacrifice and serving love1 not the form by which it is typified1 is the essential thing2 that as eating the bread and drinking the wine1 not discerning the ,lord's body 7#a ,cor4 #aa3bi71 is not a true observance of the ,lord's ,supper1 so1 on the other hand1 the spirit that is willing to serve others to their cleansing1 in humbleness of love1 is a true observance of the rite of feet-washing1 though the rite itself is disused4 8,it is not the act itself1 but its moral essence which1 after his example1 he enjoins upon them to exercise4 ,this moral essence1 however1 consists not in lowly and ministering love generally1 in which ,jesus by washing the feet of his disciples desired to give them an example1 but1 as ver4 #aj proves1 in that ministering love which1 in all self-denial and humility1 is active for the moral purification and cleansing of others40--7,meyer47--,i have given you an example4 ,it is the inward spirit of ,christ1 not the mere outward act1 that is an example for us to follow2 the cleansing love1 not the girded garment and the washing of feet1 that is our pattern4 ,for the spiritual signification of this declaration1 see ch4 #ag3ah2 #a ,john #c3af4--,the servant is not greater1 etc4 ,the repetition of this seemingly self-evident truth indicates that ,christ apprehended for his followers that spiritual pride which has been in the history of the church almost their greatest danger4 ,see ch4 #ae3bj2 ,matt4 #aj3bd2 ,luke #f3dj4--;,if ye know these things4 ,this language itself should have sufficed to guard against the literalism which would maintain feet-washing as a perpetual ceremonial4 ,know what things8 ,that he had washed their feet8 ,of course they knew that4 ,the meaning clearly is1 ,if ye understand the meaning of my act1 happy are ye if ye exemplify the same spirit in your lives4 ,per contra1 he that does not know1 that does not comprehend the spirit1 is not blessed in going through the mere form1 and this is equally true respecting all ceremonials4 ,he only is blessed in them who comprehends their spiritual significance4 #ah ,i speak not of you all3 ,i know whom ,i have chosen3 but that the#ebi scripture may be fulfilled1 ,he that eateth bread with me1 hath lifted up his heel against me4 #ebi ,ps4 #da3i4 #ai ,now ,i tell#ecj you before it come1 that1 when it is come to pass1 ye may believe that ,i am he4 #ecj ch4 #ad3bi2 #af3d4 #bj ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1#eca ,he that receiveth whomsoever ,i send receiveth me3 and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me4 #eca ,matt4 #aj3dj4 #ah-bj4 ,i speak not of you all4 ,the highest service of ,christ is serviceable only to those who will receive it4 ,the fact that ,christ washed the feet of ,judas1 and broke bread with him1 added to the blackness of his treachery and the enormity of his guilt4 ,the church1 the ,bible1 the ,sabbath1 the ,lord's ,supper will rise up in judgment against those who have participated in them but have not imbibed the spirit of ,christ from them4--,i know whom ,i have chosen4 ,couple this with the declaration of ch4 #ae3af1 8,ye have not chosen me1 but ,i have chosen you40 ,the meaning is that ,christ comprehended the character of those whom he had selected for his work2 he was not deceived2 and he is not now deceived by false professions1 however they may deceive the church1 the world1 and even the false professor himself4 ,why ,christ should have chosen ,judas is one of the unsolved enigmas of ,n4 ,t4 history4 ,we can see 7#a7 that there was in every apostle the same conflict between the spiritual and the earthly nature which there was in ,judas ,iscariot1 though the final issue was so different4 7#b7 ,we cannot say that there was not a possibility that it might have been different in the case of ,judas ,iscariot4 ,in other words1 we cannot say what are the limits to the freedom of the will1 what the possibility of good for the evil soul1 what the possibility of evil for him who is preserved from it by accepting the grace of ,god and so becoming his child4 7#c7 ,the case of ,judas ,iscariot has been full of warning to the church in all ages2 thus the development of his character in the apostolate has been made a means of service to mankind4 ,his spirit was that of the ,pharisee2 his position simply gave that spirit an opportunity to exhibit itself4--,but that the ,scripture might be fulfilled1 ,he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me1 now ,i tell you before it come4 ,observe the difference in the punctuation1 from that of the ,english version4 ,the meaning is not1 ,i have chosen ,judas that the ,scripture might be fulfilled1 for 7#a7 this interpretation1 though that of ,alford and ,meyer1 requires us to supply or imagine a most important hiatus in the text4 ,christ says nothing about his choice of ,judas2 he lays emphasis on the fact that all the twelve were chosen by him1 and therefore all were known to him4 ,nor is the meaning1 ,i speak not of you all1 in order that the ,scripture may be fulfilled1 which would make ,christ withhold a blessing for the purpose of fulfilling a prophecy1 an incredible interpretation4 ,but that the ,scripture 7which he parenthetically quotes7 may be fulfilled1 i4 e41 that the disciples may recognize its fulfillment in the events soon to take place1 ,i now tell you before it is come to pass4 ,thus the particle but 77 connects this sentence not with the declaration which precedes1 but with that which follows4 ,the ,scripture is ,psalm #da3i4 ,the ,psalm is clearly not1 in strictness of speech1 a prophetic ,psalm1 uttered as by the ,messiah1 for ver4 #d contains a confession of sin and a prayer for redemption4 8,i said1 ,lord be merciful unto me and heal my soul2 for ,i have sinned against thee40 ,in that ,psalm1 ver4 #i1 8,yea mine own familiar friend in whom ,i trusted1 which did eat of my bread1 hath lifted up his heel against me10 primarily refers to some treachery displayed towards the ,psalmist1 perhaps that of ,ahithophel to ,david 7#b ,sam4 #ae3ca2 #af3bc74 ,but events as well as words are prophetic2 and the treachery of ,ahithophel towards ,david was itself a prophecy of the treachery of ,judas towards ,david's greater ,son4 ,to eat bread with another is1 in the ,east1 the highest possible confirmation of a sacred covenant with him4 ,to lift up the heel is a figure taken from the kick of a horse1 who turns suddenly upon one who has been feeding him4 ,this seems to me a better interpretation than that of ,canon ,cook1 who sees in it a figure taken from the act of a conqueror putting his heel on the neck of a prostrate foe4--,that when it is come to pass ye may believe that ,i am4 ,the office of prophecy is here intimated4 ,it is not designed to give us in the present a definite knowledge of future events4 ,the most spiritually minded among the ,jews did not comprehend the ,o4 ,t4 prophecy of ,christ1 and did not understand the nature of his advent4 ,it is rather so to depict the future as 7#a7 to awaken hope or serve as a warning2 and 7#b7 to serve as an evidence of the inspiration of the writer of the book after the fulfillment of the prophecy has demonstrated the prescience of the author4 ,on the phrase ,i am1 see ch4 #h3eh1 note4--,he that receiveth you1 etc4 ,see ,matt4 #aj3dj1 note1 where the same declaration is made in a different connection4 ,here ,christ1 in order to encourage the disciples1 reiterates a principle with which they were already familiar4 ,although1 he says1 you are to serve in humble ways1 as ,i have served you1 and although you will meet with many a discouraging rebuff from without and with treachery from among your own number1 yet you are not to forget that you are sent into the world as your ,master was sent into the world1 so that to receive you will be to receive me4 #ba ,when#ecb ,jesus had thus said1 he was troubled in spirit1 and testified1 and said1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 that one of you shall betray me4 #ecb ,matt4 #bf3ba2 ,mark #ad3ah2 ,luke #bb3ba4 #bb ,then the disciples looked one on another1 doubting of whom he spake4 #ba1 #bb4 ,an account of this prophecy of the betrayal is given by all the ,evangelists 7,matt4 #bf3ba-be2 ,mark #ad3ah-ba2 ,luke #bb3ba-bc74 ,see notes on ,matthew4 ,there is some difficulty in determining the exact nature and order of the events1 though not more than we might expect in a comparison of four independent accounts of circumstances involved in so great confusion4 ,the fullest account is that of ,john4 ,he alone mentions ,judas' departure from the room4 ,matthew declares that ,christ replied directly in the affirmative to ,judas' question1 ,is it ,i8 ,john1 on the other hand1 asserts that no one in the room knew why ,judas went out 7comp4 ,matt4 #bf3be with vers4 #bh1 #bi here74 ,the differences are not irreconcilable4 ,comparing the four accounts1 it would appear that ,christ's declaration1 8,one of you shall betray me10 produced the utmost consternation and excitement2 that all the disciples eagerly asked1 8,is it ,i80 8,is it ,i80 that ,peter asked ,john to tell him who it was1 assuming that ,john knew1 or could ascertain 7see ver4 #bd72 that at the same time ,judas1 thunderstruck at the disclosure of his treachery1 which had been already planned 7,matt4 #bf3ad-af71 asked1 perhaps somewhat tardily1 the question1 8,is it ,i80 to hide his confusion2 that ,jesus replied in an aside to him1 8,thou hast said0 7,matt4 #bf3be71 a reply that in the confusion either was not heard or was not heeded2 that ,john1 turning toward ,jesus so as to rest upon his bosom 7ver4 #be71 asked who the betrayer should be2 that ,jesus seemed to give the information1 but really refused to do so1 in his reply1 8,he it is to whom ,i shall give a sop0 7ver4 #bf71 since he gave a sop in turn to all2 so that when a moment or two later ,judas went out angered by what he erroneously believed to be a public disclosure of his treachery before all the disciples1 no one1 not even ,john1 knew why he had gone4 ,the question whether ,judas was at the ,lord's ,supper has been greatly discussed4 ,the question seems to me of no practical importance2 and it is one impossible to answer with positiveness1 for ,john1 who alone mentions his going out1 gives no account of the institution of the ,lord's ,supper4 ,i believe1 however1 on a comparison of the four accounts1 that he was not at the ,last ,supper1 but went out immediately before its institution4 ,according to ,matthew1 the prophecy of the betrayal preceded the institution of the ,supper2 according to ,john1 ,judas went out immediately after receiving the sop 7comp4 ,matt4 #bf3be1 #bf with ver4 #cj here74 ,and the explanation of ,christ's course1 as described by ,john1 appears to me to be his desire to have1 in this last sacred conference1 only those who were really his friends1 and measurably in spiritual sympathy with him4 ,this ,i believe to be the explanation of the direction to ,judas in ver4 #bg4 ,for an elaborate discussion of this question1 see ,andrews' ,life of our ,lord2 for a fuller harmonic account of the events1 ,lyman ,abbott's ,jesus of ,nazareth4--,he was troubled in spirit4 ,compare ch4 #aa3cc2 #ab3bg4 ,our own experience helps to interpret this1 which ,alford calls a 8mysterious troubling of spirit40 ,the presence of an uncongenial soul often suffices to destroy the sympathy of a sacred circle2 the presence of a known traitor might well have prevented ,christ from an outpouring of his soul in confidential converse which renders the #adth1 #aeth1 #afth and #agth chapters of ,john the most sacred in the ,bible to the disciples of ,christ4--,one of you shall betray me4 ,christ had before foretold his betrayal1 ,matt4 #ag3bb2 #bj3ah2 #bf3b1 etc41 but now for the first time he declares that he should be betrayed by one of the twelve4 ,no wonder that they were startled4--,the disciples looked one on another doubting of whom he spake4 ,and asking one another 7,luke #bb3bc7 and eagerly asking ,christ 7,matt4 #bf3bb2 ,mark #ad3ai74 ,not one of them ventures to question the truth of the ,lord's prophecy1 and each asks the personal question1 8,is it ,i80 ,no one accuses1 even by implication1 his neighbor4 ,is not this a pattern for us in that self-examination which should always precede our seasons of sacred communion with our ,lord 7#a ,cor4 #aa3bh78 an examination which should look forward rather than backward2 prepare for the future rather than attempt to measure the past2 and always be a self examination4 #bc ,now there was leaning on ,jesus' bosom one#ecc of his disciples1 whom ,jesus loved4 #ecc ch4 #bj3b2 #ba3g1 #bj4 #bd ,simon ,peter therefore beckoned to him1 that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake4 #be ,he then lying on ,jesus' breast saith unto him1 ,lord1 who is it8 #bc-be4 ,there was leaning on ,jesus' bosom4 ,the party were reclining at the table according to the ,greek and ,roman fashion4 ,for illustration1 which better than any description shows the manner1 see ,matt4 #bf3bj1 note4 ,john was lying next to ,jesus4--,whom ,jesus loved4 8,here1 out of the recollection of that sacred and by him never-to-be-forgotten moment1 there first breaks from his lips this nameless1 and yet so expressive designation of himself40--7,meyer47 ,the phrase 8whom ,jesus loved0 occurs seven times in ,john's ,gospel2 twice as a designation of ,martha1 ,mary and ,lazarus 7,john #aa3c1 #e72 five times as the designation of one of the disciples 7,john #ac3bc2 #ai3bf2 #bj3b2 #ba3g2 #ba3bj74 ,it has been almost universally regarded as a designation of ,john1 the author of the ,fourth ,gospel1 who is accordingly known in the church as the 8beloved disciple10 though this designation is not found in the ,gospels themselves4 ,the main reasons for this opinion are two4 7#a7 ,john is not once named in the ,fourth ,gospel1 while an unnamed disciple is frequently referred to 7,john #a3ce1 #dj2 #ah3ae2 #ai3bg2 #ba3c1 #d1 #h2 #ba3bc2 and see refs4 above74 ,it is not easy to conceive of any reason why the author should leave unnamed any other disciple1 but it is not at all strange that he should use a circumlocution to designate himself4 7#b7 ,his character1 so far as we know it1 corresponds with his designation as the 8beloved disciple40 ,see ,introduction4 ,it has been1 indeed1 objected that there is a certain appearance of egotism in his singling himself out as the disciple whom ,jesus loved1 a designation never given to him by either of the other ,evangelists4 ,the reply to this is1 or at least may be1 that the designation was employed by ,john1 not because he desired in any sense to claim or imply a supremacy above the other disciples1 but because the wonder of his life was that ,jesus should love such an one as he1 and by love should transform him4 ,all facts in his life sink into insignificance in his thought by the side of this fact1 that he was beloved of ,jesus1 chosen to be the witness of his transfiguration1 his nearest companion at the ,last ,supper1 the sympathizing sharer in his agony at ,gethsemane1 and the guardian of his mother after the death of her son 7,matt4 #ag3a2 #bf3cg2 ,john #ac3bc2 #ai3bf1 #bg74--,simon ,peter therefore beckoned to him and said1 ,tell us who it is4 ,this is the true reading1 adopted by all critics1 ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,lachmann1 ,tischendorf1 etc4 ,the expression has been altered to that of the ,received ,text in order to adapt ,peter's question to ,john's account as described in the next verse4 ,the ,sinaitic manuscript has the ,received ,text1 8,that he should ask who it should be10 as an explanatory gloss or comment alongside the original expression1 8,tell who it is40 ,peter seems to have assumed that ,john would know4 ,possibly in the general tumult the latter preserved his composure1 and conscious of his own supreme love for his ,lord1 did not join in the general exclamation1 8,is it ,i80--,he then throwing himself back on ,jesus' breast4 7,see ,robinson's ,lexicon1 47 ,the language of the ,english version is inadequate and incorrect1 since it merely repeats the phrase used in verse #bc1 as though to identify the person2 whereas the original implies an action on ,john's part1 by which he turned and rested more closely than before on ,christ's bosom4 ,he had before been reclining next to ,jesus in the manner indicated in the illustration on page #bhb of ,vol4 ,i of this ,commentary4 ,he now raises himself1 and turns so as to rest upon ,jesus' breast and whisper in his ear4 ,the graphic details of this entire narrative are unmistakably those of an eye-witness4 ,illustration3 ,,dipping ,,the ,,sop4 #bf ,jesus answered1 ,he it is1 to whom ,i shall give a sop1 when ,i have dipped it4 ,and when he had dipped the sop1 he gave it to ,judas ,iscariot1 the son of ,simon4 #bf4 ,he it is to whom ,i shall give a sop4 ,this reply1 and ,christ's accompanying action1 is generally regarded as a designation1 at least to ,john1 of the traitor4 ,i think this is a mistake4 ,it is no uncommon act in an ,eastern meal for the host1 as a special act of consideration1 to dip a piece of bread or meat in the sauce or gravy and pass it to a special guest1 or even put it into his mouth4 ,in the ,passover feast1 the head of the house habitually took from the passover cake a piece1 dipped it in the sauce of bitter herbs 7,exod4 #ab3h71 and passed it in turn to the persons at the table4 ,christ's answer to ,john1 therefore1 was simply a more solemn reiteration of the declaration of ver4 #ah1 8,he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up the heel against me40 ,he dipped the piece of bread in the sauce1 and passed it to the disciples in turn4 ,in doing so he gave it first to ,judas4 ,john may have understood the significance of the act2 but it is plain from ver4 #bh that none of the others at the table did so4 ,i should rather regard the act as a new endeavor on the part of ,christ by love to turn ,judas from his evil purpose4 ,he has answered without designating him4 ,he now endeavors to draw him to himself by singling him out for a manifestation of special love4 ,in the same spirit are the last words he addressed to the apostate--words not of angry rebuke1 but of pathetic remonstrance3 8,friend1 wherefore art thou come8 ,betrayest thou the ,son of man with a kiss80 7,matt4 #bf3ej2 ,luke #bb3dh47 #bg ,and after the sop ,satan#ecd entered into him4 ,then said ,jesus unto him1 ,that thou doest1 do quickly4 #ecd ,luke #bb3c4 #bh ,now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him4 #bi ,for some of them thought1#ece because ,judas had the bag1 that ,jesus had said unto him1 ,buy those things that we have need of against the feast3 or1 that he should give something to the poor4 #ece chap4 #ab3f4 #cj ,he then1 having received the sop1 went immediately out3 and it was night4 #bg-cj4 ,satan entered into him4 ,it is a mistaken literalism which interprets this phrase as indicating that ,judas was from this time demoniacally possessed4 ,nor1 on the other hand1 is it to be regarded as a merely figurative expression1 indicating that ,judas gave himself up wholly and unreservedly to evil4 ,the ,n4 ,t4 teaching assumes the existence of evil spirits and their influence over human beings 7,matt4 #ac3ai1 #ch2 ,luke #d3f2 #bb3ca2 ,john #ad3cj2 ,acts #e3c2 #bf3ah2 #b ,cor4 #b3aa2 ,ephes4 #b3b2 #d3bg2 #f3aa2 #b ,tim4 #b3bf2 ,jas4 #d3g2 #a ,john #c3h2 #e3ah71 and the language here is in accordance with its spiritual philosophy4 ,it simply indicates that ,judas' determined resistance to the warning words and the winning love of ,christ gave to the ,evil ,one a new advantage and influence over him4 ,the solemn lesson for us is that1 as every faithful performance of known duty opens our heart to the incoming of ,god 7ch4 #ad3bc71 so every determined resistance of sacred influences and every persistence in sin1 opens our nature to the incoming of unknown but tremendous ,satanic influences4 ,it has before been said of ,judas that ,satan entered into him 7,luke #bb3c74 ,there is growth in the kingdom of darkness as in that of light4 ,as ,god enters by successive manifestations of himself into his saints1 so ,satan into those that give themselves up to him4--,that thou doest1 do quickly4 ,literally1 more quickly 772 i4 e41 hasten it4 ,this is not to be regarded as merely permission1 as ,adam ,clarke3 8,what thou art determined to do1 and ,i to permit1 do directly2 delay not2 ,i am ready20 nor yet as mandatory1 and involving the utterance of a divine decree1 as ,alford3 8,the course of sinful action is presupposed1 and the command to go on is but the echo of that mysterious appointment by which the sinner in the exercise of his own corrupted will becomes the instrument of the purposes of ,god20 but as the expression of ,christ's desire to be rid of the oppressive proximity of the traitor1 as ,ambrose and ,tholuck4 ,he sees that the purpose of ,judas is fully fixed2 he will not have him remain there1 contaminating the very atmosphere1 and increasing his own guilt by his dissembling4 ,we are apt to judge men by the external act2 no wonder then that ,christ has been accused of pushing ,judas over the precipice4 ,but he who judged by the heart1 and accounted him already a murderer who has murder in his heart 7,matt4 #e3bb71 would not have the resolute apostate increase the guilt of betrayal by that of hypocrisy4 ,moreover1 ,christ wishes the few minutes that remain for sacred converse with his faithful friends2 and that he cannot have in the presence of the hypocrite and traitor4 ,so he bids him begone4 8,play the hypocrite here no longer10 he says to him2 8but since you are determined on treason1 go on and consummate it40--,now no one at the table knew why he thus spake to him4 ,perhaps the writer himself1 that is ,john1 is to be excepted from this general statement4 ,this is the opinion of most of the commentators4 ,yet it is not at all impossible that not even ,john comprehended the significance of ,christ's act in handing the sop to ,judas first of the disciples4--,because ,judas had the bag4 ,being treasurer of the little band4 ,see ch4 #ab3f1 note4--,buy those things we have need of against the feast4 ,from this phrase it is argued by ,alford and ,meyer that the supper at which our ,lord was sitting with his disciples could not have been the ,passover ,supper4 8,had it been the night of the ,passover1 the next day being hallowed as a ,sabbath1 nothing could have been bought40--7,alford47 ,but ,tholuck has shown that according to ,rabbinical rules a purchase could be made on the ,sabbath by leaving a pledge and afterwards settling the account4 ,the feast lasted for the week2 therefore the disciples may well have supposed that a purchase for a later period of the feast was contemplated4 ,and the fact that ,christ hastened ,judas would have been better understood if the following day was the ,sabbath1 when the shops would be shut4--,or that he should give something to the poor4 ,evidently this little band carried out the precepts of ,christian love which their ,master inculcated4 ,small as was their store1 it is clear that out of it they were accustomed to bestow alms on the more needy4--,went out immediately4 ,there was then1 clearly1 no opportunity for the institution of the ,lord's ,supper during his presence1 unless it was instituted either before the feet-washing1 which the order of the narrative and its probable connection with the contest about places described in ,luke1 makes exceedingly improbable1 or between verses #bj and #ba1 which seems from the connection to be also very improbable4 ,i believe it is to be regarded as occurring between the departure of ,judas and the beginning of ,christ's discourse in ch4 #ad4 ,matthew and ,mark both put it immediately after the prophecy of the betrayal2 ,luke before4--,and it was night4 ,a graphic addition to the picture2 significant of the fact that the narration is that of an eye-witness in whose memory every detail was indelibly impressed2 and suggestive of the darkness of the deed about to be consummated1 and of the traitor's heart4 ,it is always night when a deed of determined sin is entered upon4 8,the night which this miserable wretch has in his heart is1 without comparison1 blacker and darker than that which he chooses for his work of darkness40--7,quesnel47 #ca ,therefore when he was gone out1 ,jesus said1 ,now#ecf is the ,son of man glorified1 and ,god#ecg is glorified in him4 #ecf ch4 #ab3bc2 #ag3a-f4 #ecg ch4 #ad3ac2 #a ,pet4 #d3aa4 #cb ,if ,god be glorified in him1 ,god shall also glorify him in himself1 and shall straightway glorify him4 #ca1 #cb4 ,when he was gone out ,jesus said4 ,the departure of ,judas is a relief4 ,now for the first time ,christ can speak freely1 unoppressed by the presence of a traitor and a hypocrite4--,now has the ,son of man been glorified1 and ,god has been glorified in him 71 aorist74 ,if ,god has been glorified in him1 ,god also shall glorify him in himself1 and shall straightway glorify him4 ,the significance of this utterance has been1 it seems to me1 misapprehended by the commentators1 from a failure to consider the mental attitude and expectation of the disciples4 ,the phrase ,son of man was a common ,jewish designation of the ,messiah1 borrowed from ,daniel1 and would have been so understood by the disciples 7,matt4 #aj3bc1 note74 ,they had come up to ,jerusalem anticipating the coronation of the ,messiah as ,king of the ,jews4 ,they had entered ,jerusalem in triumph1 hailing him as such 7,matt4 #ba3a-aa74 ,two of the disciples on the way had come to him privately for the best offices 7,matt4 #bj3bj1 #ba74 ,the twelve even had quarreled for pre-eminence as they were sitting down at the table 7,luke #bb3bd74 ,the immediate object of ,christ in the discourse which follows is to prepare them for the terrible revulsion of feeling1 the shock of disappointment and despair which the morrow had in store for them4 ,he begins1 therefore1 with the declaration that the glory of the ,messiah is an already accomplished fact4 ,he has been glorified2 by his incarnation1 his life of loving self-sacrifice1 his patience1 courage1 fidelity1 love2 and in his life and character1 ,god has been glorified4 ,the disciples have beheld already the glory of the only begotten of the ,father1 full of grace and truth 7ch4 #a3ad74 ,then he adds a prophecy of further glory2 not that of the death2 not that of the resurrection2 not that of the ascension2 but that of being again one with the ,father4--,the ,father shall glorify him1 in himself4 ,he foresees and foretells the answer to be given to the prayer 8,glorify thou me1 with thine own self1 with the glory which ,i had with thee before the world was0 7ch4 #ag3e74 ,and for this there is to be no waiting2 no delay for an earthly coronation4 ,there must be a long interval of redeeming work before he can see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied2 before every knee will bow and every tongue confess him ,lord2 before he can reign ,king of kings and ,lord of lords2 but for this the ,father will not wait4 ,immediately that his work of suffering and self-sacrifice is over1 he will return to the bosom of the ,father1 to share with him the glory which he had from the foundation of the world4 #cc ,little children1 yet a little while ,i am with you4 ,ye shall seek me3 and#ech as ,i said unto the ,jews1 ,whither ,i go1 ye cannot come2 so now ,i say to you4 #ech chaps4 #g3cd2 #h3ba4 #cd ,a new#eci commandment ,i give unto you1 ,that ye love one another2 as ,i have loved you1 that ye also love one another4 #eci ch4 #ae3ab1 #ag2 ,lev4 #ai3ah2 ,ephes4 #e3b2 #a ,thess4 #d3i2 ,jas4 #b3h2 #a ,pet4 #a3bb2 #a ,john #b3g1 #h2 #c3aa1 #bc2 #d3bj1 #ba4 #ce ,by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples1 if ye have love one to another4 #cc-ce4 ,little children4 ,the only place where this phrase is used by ,christ in addressing his disciples4 ,but we find it more frequently in the ,epistles of ,paul 7#a ,cor4 #d3ad1 #ag2 #b ,cor4 #f3ac2 #a ,tim4 #a3b2 #b ,tim4 #b3a74 ,it 8affectingly expresses his1 not only brotherly1 but fatherly love 7,isa4 #i3f7 for his own1 and at the same time their immature and weak state1 now about to be left without him40--7,alford47--,and as ,i said to the ,jews 7ch4 #h3ba71 ,whither ,i go ye cannot come1 so now ,i say to you4 ,but though they could not go to him1 he would come to them1 and abide with them 7ch4 #ad3ah1 #bc74 ,the longing to depart and be with ,christ is to be gratified only by our having ,christ with us1 until the time of final departure comes4 ,it is one thing to desire him here1 willing to fill up the measure of his suffering in our own life1 if he is in us and with us 7#b ,cor4 #ab3aj72 it is another and very different thing to desire to depart and be with him that we may escape the suffering4 ,the first is a ,christian longing2 not so the second4--,a new commandment ,i give unto you1 ,that ye love one another2 as ,i have loved you1 that ye also love one another4 ,the commandment to love is not new 7,lev4 #ai3ah74 ,but ,christ's life gives to it a new interpretation and makes it new4 ,love has1 ever since the life and death of ,christ1 taken on a new signification4 ,to forgive is now to bless those that curse us1 and do good to those that despitefully use us4 ,the language here is parallel to and interpreted by ch4 #ag3ah1 8,as thou 7,father7 hast sent me into the world1 even so have ,i also sent them into the world40 ,it is the interpretation of the direction1 8,follow me40 ,we are to be followers of his spirit1 especially of his love4 ,this general definition includes other special definitions that have been given1 e4 g41 it is new because with it there comes a new motive power1 the love of ,christ experienced in the heart1 which becomes in turn the fountain of love to all others 7,meyer72 a renewed commandment1 rejuvenated1 cleansed of the overlay of ceremonialism which ,pharisaism had put upon it 7,calvin72 new to the disciples1 unexpected by them1 who were looking for a new disclosure of divine glory in a very different direction 7,semler quoted in ,meyer72 new because love is ever new1 never can grow old 7,olshausen72 new because the law of the new covenant1 the firstfruits of the ,spirit in the new dispensation 7,gal4 #e3bb74 ,it is notable how this one law of love runs through and colors all this last sacred discourse of ,jesus4 ,comp4 ch4 #ad3ae1 #bd2 #ae3i1 #aj1 #ag4 ,the last words of ,jesus are words full of the comfort and inspiration and exaltation of love4--,by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples4 ,not by professions1 or creeds1 or ceremonials1 or religious services1 but by love one towards another4 ,love is the ,christian water-mark1 the ,christian uniform4 ,the banner over ,christ's church is love 7,sol4 ,song #b3d74 #cf ,simon ,peter said unto him1 ,lord1 whither goest thou8 ,jesus answered him1 ,whither ,i go1 thou canst not follow me now2 but#edj thou shalt follow me afterwards4 #edj ch4 #ba3ah2 #b ,pet4 #a3ad4 #cg ,peter said unto him1 ,lord1 why cannot ,i follow thee now8 ,i will#eda lay down my life for thy sake4 #eda ,matt4 #bf3cc1 etc42 ,mark #ad3bi1 etc42 ,luke #bb3cc1 etc4 #ch ,jesus answered him1 ,wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake8 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 ,the cock shall not crow1 till thou hast denied me thrice4 #cf-ch4 ,prophecy of ,peter's denial4 ,this is probably identical with the prophecy of ,luke #bb3ca-ch1 see notes there2 but distinct from that of ,matt4 #bf3ca-ce2 ,mark #ad3bg-ca4 ,thou canst not follow me now4 ,because it was not the divine will that the apostles should share in their ,master's death4--,but thou shalt follow me afterwards4 ,peter1 according to tradition1 was crucified2 thus he followed ,christ in death1 and through death into glory4 ,comp4 ,john #ba3ah4--,the cock shall not crow4 ,the second crowing at dawn is intended4 ,see ,matt4 #bf3cd1 note4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,ch4 #ad3a-ca4 ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,,christianity--,,the ,,divine ,,immanence4--,,the ,,promise ,,of ,,the ,,comforter3 ,,invisible1 ,,indwelling1 ,,abiding4--,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,the ,,promise3 ,,the ,,obedience ,,of ,,love4--,,the ,,result3 ,a ,,fruitful1 ,,spiritual ,,life1 ,,comfort1 ,,instruction1 ,,peace1 ,,joy1 ,,love4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,the #adth1 #aeth1 #afth and #agth chapters of ,john are the ,holy of ,holies of the ,bible4 ,christ is about to depart from his disciples2 the cloud of the coming trouble casts its shadow on their hearts2 he sees clearly1 they feel vaguely the impending tragedy4 ,they are to behold their ,master spit upon1 abused1 execrated2 they are to see him suffering the tortures of a lingering death upon the cross2 they are to be utterly unable to interfere for his succor or even for his relief2 they are to see all the hopes which they had built on him extinguished in his death4 ,it is that he may prepare them for this experience1 that he may prepare his disciples throughout all time 7ch4 #ag3bj7 for similar experiences of world-sorrow 7ch4 #af3cc71 and that he may point out to them and to the church universal the source of their hope1 their peace1 their joy1 and their life--moral and spiritual--that he speaks to the twelve1 and through them to his discipleship in all ages1 in these chapters1 and finally offers for them and for us that prayer which we may well accept as the disclosure of his eternal intercession for his followers4 ,the discourse is sympathetic1 not philosophical or critical2 it is addressed to sympathetic friends1 not to a cold or critical audience2 and it is to be interpreted rather by the sympathies and the spiritual experience than by a philosophical analysis4 ,it sets forth the source of all comfort1 strength1 guidance and spiritual well-being in the truth of the direct personal presence of a seemingly absent but really present1 a seemingly slain but really living1 a seemingly defeated but really victorious ,lord and ,master4 ,this truth appears and reappears in various forms in these chapters1 like the theme in a sublime symphony4 ,now it is plainly stated1 8,i will come to you0 7ch4 #ad3ah72 now it is interpreted by a metaphor1 8,ye are the vine1 ,i am the branches0 7ch4 #ae3e72 now it is a promise of the ,spirit's presence1 now of ,christ's1 now of the ,father's 7ch4 #ad3af1 #ah1 #ba1 #bc72 now the disciples are bid to turn their thoughts toward this spiritual presence1 this ,divine ,immanence1 for their own sake 7ch4 #af3g71 now they are appealed to by the love they bear the ,master 7ch4 #ad3bh74 ,the conditions of this personal experience of the unseen spiritual presence of their ,god and ,saviour is declared to be obedience in the daily life to the law of love 7ch4 #ad3ba1 #bc2 #ae3aj72 the result is declared to be a constant growth in the knowledge of divine truth 7ch4 #ad3bf2 #af3ab1 #ac72 a sacred peace and joy 7ch4 #ad3bg2 #ae3aa72 a supernatural strength in sorrow 7#af3bj-bb74 ,these truths are not logically arranged2 the structure of the discourse is not that of a sermon1 but that of a confidential conversation1 in which in different forms the same essential truth is repeated and re-repeated1 because the heart is so full that a single utterance does not suffice1 and the truth is so transcendent that no logical statement is adequate4 ,after the conversation is closed and the disciples rise to depart1 ,christ recurs to the theme in a new form1 and continues the discourse1 while the disciples wait standing for a new signal to go out 7ch4 #ad3ca2 ch4 #ae1 ,prel4 ,note72 and1 finally1 when for a second time he draws his discourse to a close1 he re-embodies the same consolatory and inspiring truth in a prayer1 breathing the aspiration that the reward and secret and source of his own power may be given to his disciples1 sent into the world to complete the mission which he has but inaugurated 7ch4 #ag3ah74 ,thus these chapters of ,john contain a disclosure of the very heart of ,christianity1 the personal knowledge of a living ,god by direct communion with him1 as a teacher1 a comforter1 an inspirer1 the one and only true source of faith1 hope1 love4 ,the commentator must point out the connection of the verses and the meaning of the words2 his work must be in a measure critical and cold2 but only the devout heart1 which knows by experience that love of ,christ which passes the knowledge of the intellect1 can interpret the spiritual meaning of the truth1 since the condition of understanding it is not a critical knowledge of words or an intellectual apprehension of theology1 but a love for ,christ that keeps ,christ's words1 that recognizes ,christ's mission to be also the mission of the ,christian1 and that abides in ,christ in the spirit that it may follow ,christ in the life4 ,without this spirit the student in vain addresses himself to the study of this 8wisdom of ,god in a mystery10 hidden except to the soul to whom ,god hath revealed it by his ,spirit 7#a ,cor4 #b3g-aj74 #a ,let#edb not your heart be troubled3 ye believe in ,god1 believe#edc also in me4 #edb verse #bg2 ,isa4 #dc3a1 #b2 #b ,thess4 #b3b4 #edc ,isa4 #ab3b1 #c2 ,ephes4 #a3ab1 #ac2 #a ,pet4 #a3ba4 #b ,in my ,father's house are many mansions3 if it were not so1 ,i would have told you4 ,i go#edd to prepare a place for you4 #edd ,heb4 #f3bj2 #i3h1 #bd2 ,rev4 #ba3b4 #c ,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i will#ede come again1 and receive you unto myself3 that#edf where ,i am1 there ye may be also4 #ede ,heb4 #i3bh4 #edf ch4 #ab3bf2 #ag3bd2 #a ,thess4 #d3ag4 #a-c4 ,let not your heart be troubled4 ,in this hour of unparalleled sorrow1 with ,gethsemane1 the betrayal1 the denial1 the mock trials and the crucifixion full in view1 ,christ thinks not of himself1 but of his disciples4 ,he does not seek comfort1 but imparts it4 ,we may well imagine a momentary silence after the prophecy of the preceding verses4 ,the disappointment of the ,judaic expectation of temporal and political deliverance1 the prophecy of treason1 the sudden and unexpected departure of ,judas1 the prophecy of ,peter's denial1 and of the abandonment of their ,lord by the other disciples1 have all tended to sober and sadden them4--,ye have faith in ,god1 have faith also in me4 ,the forms of the indicative and the imperative are the same 774 ,some critics read both verbs indicative1 ,ye have faith in ,god1 ye have faith also in me2 some both imperative2 treating both as an exhortation1 ,have faith in ,god2 have faith also in me2 and some1 as our ,english version1 which makes the statement of the first clause the ground of the exhortation of the second clause1 ,ye have faith in ,god1 have faith also in me4 ,either rendering is grammatically legitimate2 the latter seems to me preferable4 ,as ,jews they had faith in the one only true and living ,god2 a faith which1 in the experience of patriarchs and prophets1 trial and trouble had not been able to shake 7,hab4 #c3ag1 #ah74 ,christ urges them to a like faith in him1 a faith strong enough to survive the brief though terrible separation of death4 ,theism is the foundation of ,christianity2 faith in one only living and true ,god precedes and prepares the way for faith in ,christ his ,son1 the living and true way to the ,father4 ,to believe in him is not to believe anything about him1 nor merely to trust in him1 but to have such a spiritual apprehension of his character1 that when he is crucified the disciples shall not lose their confidence in him as the ,messiah4 ,he warns them against that doubt which augmented and intensified their distress when they saw him whom they had trusted should have redeemed ,israel put to an open shame and a cruel death 7,luke #bd3ba74 ,they were trusting in themselves4 ,peter's declaration1 8,i will lay down my life for thy sake10 expressed the common confidence of all 7,mark #ad3ca74 ,christ first demolished this false confidence1 then seeks to build up a new and better confidence in himself4--,in my ,father's house are many dwelling-places4 ,the phrase 8my ,father's house0 is generally regarded as a circumlocution for heaven2 ,christ's declaration as tantamount to the general statement that in heaven there is room enough for them all 7,alford1 ,meyer1 etc472 and in support of this view such ,o4 ,t4 passages as ,ps4 #bc3ac1 #ad2 ,isaiah #fc3ae1 are quoted1 which refer to the heavens as ,god's habitation4 ,i would rather regard the universe as ,god's house according to the spirit of ,isaiah #ff3a1 8,heaven is my throne1 and earth is my footstool10 and the declaration that in it are many dwelling-places1 as a new light thrown upon the abode of the dead who die in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the ancients regarded ,hades1 or the abode of the dead1 a deep and dark abode in the under-world1 fastened with gates and bars1 a ghostly abode1 a prison-house of the disembodied 7,job #aj3ba1 #bb2 #aa3h2 ,ps4 #hh3f2 #hi3dh2 ,eccles4 #i3d2 ,isa4 #e3ad2 #ad3i-bj1 #ch3aj2 ,ezek4 #ca3ag2 #cb3ba74 ,the ,o4 ,t4 thought of death and the abode of the dead was hardly more hopeful than that of the ancient ,greeks and ,romans4 ,homer makes the dead ,achilles declare3 8,i would be ,a laborer on earth and serve for hire ,some man of mean estate1 who makes scant cheer1 ,rather than reign over all who have gone down ,to death40 ,parallel to this1 in some respects more gloomy1 were the ancient ,hebrews' thoughts of ,hades4 ,dying was bidding farewell to ,god4 8,wilt thou show wonders to the dead8 ,shall the dead arise and praise thee8 99 99 99 ,shall thy righteousness be known in the land of forgetfulness80 7,ps4 #hh3aj-ab74 8,in death there is no remembrance of thee0 7,ps4 #f3e74 ,comp4 ,isaiah1 ch4 #ch1 and ,job1 ch4 #ad4 ,the hope of better things is but an occasional gleam in a night of great darkness and almost despair4 ,see ,job #aj3ba1 #bb2 ,ps4 #hi3de-di2 ,eccles4 #i3d2 ,isaiah #e3ad1 #ae2 #ad3i-bj2 ,ezek4 #ca3af1 #ag2 and especially ,isaiah1 ch4 #ch1 and ,job1 ch4 #ad4 ,in contrast with this gloomy view of death is that of the ,n4 ,t41 the germ of which is afforded by ,christ's declaration here1 which may be paraphrased thus3 8,the earth is not the only abode of ,god's children2 in my ,father's house 7the universe7 are many dwelling-places for them2 and ,i1 in leaving you1 am not going to the dark abode of the voiceless dead1 but to prepare for you a place1 and to return again to take you to myself1 that you may witness and share the glory which ,i have with the ,father40 ,out of this declaration grows1 as a fruitful tree out of a seed1 the whole of the discourse contained in this and the two following chapters4 ,out of it grows1 too1 the ,christian's conception of and experience in death4 ,see for example #b ,cor4 #e3a-d4 ,it should be added that the word house 77 is never used in the ,n4 ,t4 as a designation of heaven1 but with the analogous word 77 household1 is used of the world 7,john #h3ce71 the temple 7,john #b3af71 and the whole kingdom of ,god 7,heb4 #c3b-f72 so that ,n4 ,t4 usage confirms the interpretation here given4 ,the word rendered mansions 77 occurs nowhere else in the ,n4 ,t41 but is derived from a verb 77 signifying to abide1 and here unquestionably indicates not a mansion1 but simply a permanent dwelling-place4 ,this was indeed the original meaning of the ,english word mansion 7,fr4 maison74--,if not1 would ,i have told you that ,i go to prepare a place for you8 ,the reference is to some previous statement not preserved in our ,gospels4 ,the argument is this3 ,i could not have assured you1 as ,i have done1 that ,i am going to prepare a place for you1 if the place of the dead were the dark abode which you have imagined it to be4 ,this1 which is the interpretation of the ,french translation1 seems to me1 notwithstanding the objection of the modern writers 7,meyer1 ,godet1 ,tholuck1 etc471 better than the construction of our ,english version1 though either is grammatically admissible4 ,if we take the other construction1 the connection is as ,godet gives it3 8,if our separation was to be an eternal one1 ,i would have forewarned you2 ,i would not have waited for this last moment to declare it unto you40--,and if ,i go and prepare a place for you4 ,the implication of this entire passage is not merely 8heaven large enough for all10 but a heaven with various provisions for various natures4 ,in the ,father's house is not merely a large mansion1 but many mansions2 and there is prepared a place not merely for all but for you1 a personal preparation in glory for each child as by grace in each child2 a room1 a house for each nature adapted to its needs4 ,but how does ,christ prepare a place for us8 ,to that question revelation makes no answer4 ,we can only say that redemption did not end with ,christ's death1 that he is still carrying on his work of redeeming love for us as well as in us4 ,in every death of a friend he lays up treasure in heaven for us2 those that have gone before and entered into their rest1 and await our coming1 are a part of this divine preparation4 ,the sorrow here is a part of the preparation of unmeasured joy hereafter4--,i will come again and receive you unto myself4 ,in order to understand this1 we must bear in mind what ,stier well calls the perspective of prophecy4 8,the coming again of the ,lord is not one single act--as his resurrection1 or the descent of the ,spirit1 or his second personal advent1 or the final coming in judgment--but the combination of all these1 the result of which shall be his taking his people to himself to be where he is4 ,this coming is begun 7ver4 #ah7 in his resurrection2 carried on 7ver4 #bc7 in the spiritual life 7see also ch4 #af3bb1 etc471 the making them ready for the place prepared2 further advanced when each by death is fetched away to be with him 7,phil4 #a3bc72 fully completed at ,his coming in glory when they shall be forever with ,him 7#a ,thess4 #d3ag7 in the perfected resurrection state40--7,alford47--,that4 ,in order that 774 ,the going1 the preparing1 the returning are all for the sake of them1 his disciples4--,where ,i am there ye may be also4 ,death is no longer 8farewell to ,god20 it is going home to be forever with the ,lord 7ch4 #ag3bd2 ,phil4 #a3bc2 #a ,thess4 #d3ag74 #d ,and whither ,i go ye know1 and the way ye know4 #e ,thomas saith unto him1 ,lord1 we know not whither thou goest2 and how can we know the way8 #d1 #e4 ,and whither ,i go 7ye know and7 the way ye know4 ,there is some doubt as to the reading2 most critics 7,meyer1 ,alford1 ,tischendorf1 ,lachmann7 either omit or doubt the words ,i put in brackets4 ,but their omission obscures without changing the sense2 the meaning is undoubtedly that conveyed by our ,received ,version4 ,while in form a statement1 it is in fact an inquiry2 its object is to provoke questioning1 as it does from ,thomas4 ,whither he goes is to the ,father 7ch4 #bj3ag72 the way he goes is the way of death and resurrection1 already foretold them 7,matt4 #af3ba2 #ag3bb1 #bc2 #bj3ag-ai74--,thomas saith unto him1 ,we know not1 etc4 ,on the character of ,thomas1 see ch4 #bj3bf4 ,the few indications of his character afforded by the ,gospels 7,john #aa3af2 #bj3bd-bi7 show him to have possessed an affectionate but unimaginative nature1 desiring much1 hoping little1 and easily given to despair4 ,such a nature takes nothing for granted2 it wants every statement explained1 nothing left to the imagination1 nothing to the interpretation of the future4 8,the heavenly whither1 however distinctly ,jesus had already designated it1 ,thomas did not yet know clearly how to combine with his circle of ,messianic ideas2 but he desired to arrive at clearness40--7,meyer47 #f ,jesus saith unto him1 ,i am the#edg way1 and the truth1#edh and the life3#edi no#eej man cometh unto the ,father1 but by me4 #edg ch4 #aj3i2 ,isa4 #ce3h1 #i2 ,heb4 #aj3ai1 #bj4 #edh ch4 #a3ag2 #ae3a4 #edi ch4 #a3d2 #aa3be4 #eej ,acts #d3ab4 #g ,if ye had known me1 ye should have known my ,father also3 and from henceforth ye know him1 and have seen him4 #f1 #g4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,i am the way1 the truth1 and the life4 ,this is not directly responsive to the implied question of ,thomas4 ,that is theoretical2 this is practical4 ,the disciples desire to understand the way by which ,christ is to depart1 and the place to which he is going2 ,christ's answer points out the way in and by which the disciple can follow his ,lord and be with him where he is4 ,there is here1 therefore1 not merely a play upon the word 8way10 though ,christ uses it in one sense in ver4 #d and in a different sense in ver4 #f2 but the same word is used to turn the thoughts of the inquirer from a purely theoretical question about ,christ to a practical truth concerning himself4 ,it was always the habit of ,christ to answer questions in theoretical theology by directions helpful to the spiritual life 7see ver4 #bb-bd2 ch4 #c3d-f2 #d3ai-bd74 ,the phrase1 ,i am the way1 the truth1 and the life1 may be interpreted1 according to ,lightfoot1 as a ,hebraism equivalent to the true and living way2 but it is better to take the two latter phrases as explanations of the former4 ,christ is the way unto the ,father1 not because he points out the way1 but because he is the truth concerning the ,father1 and possesses in himself the divine life1 and has power to impart it to us4 ,he does not merely reveal the truth2 he is the truth2 the truth incarnated in a living form2 the truth of ,god1 whom he manifests to the world 7,matt4 #aa3bg2 ,john #a3a1 #b1 #ad2 #aj3cj2 ,phil4 #b3f2 ,col4 #b3i2 ,heb4 #a3ac71 and the truth of life1 which he illustrates more forcibly by his example than by his words1 so that all his precepts are summed up in the one command1 8,follow me40 ,he is the life1 having life in himself 7ch4 #e3bf71 imparting it to others 7ch4 #aj3aj71 and so giving them power to become sons of ,god 7ch4 #a3ab7 by the possession of that divine life without which no man can ever see ,god 7ch4 #c3c2 ,heb4 #ab3ad74 ,to come to the ,father by ,christ as the way is not1 then1 merely to accept him as an inspired teacher respecting the ,father1 nor merely as an atoning sacrifice1 whose blood cleanses away the sins which intervene between the soul and the ,father 7,heb4 #aj3bj72 it is to be conformed to him as to the truth1 and to be made partaker of his life 7,phil4 #c3h-ad74--,no one cometh to the ,father but by me4 ,he now says 8to the ,father10 not to the ,father's house1 because1 as ,godet well says1 8,it is not in heaven that we are to find ,god1 but in ,god that we are to find heaven40 ,by me is equivalent to1 by me as the way1 the truth1 and the life4 ,this does not necessarily require a knowledge of1 still less a correct theological opinion concerning ,christ4 ,the conception of ,god's character may be really derived from ,christ's teaching1 the life may be conformed to ,christ's example1 and the soul may be partaker of his spirit1 and yet the individual may be unconscious of the source from which he has derived his knowledge of ,god1 his ideal of life1 and his inspiration4 ,this declaration is inclusive rather than exclusive2 it is equivalent to that of ch4 #a3i 7see note there71 8,that was the true ,light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world40 ,all spiritual life comes through ,christ1 but not necessarily through a clear and correct knowledge about ,christ4--,if ye had known me ye should have known my ,father also4 ,comp4 ch4 #h3ai4 ,the practical lesson for us clearly is that the way to come to a true spiritual knowledge of the ,father is by a study of the life and character of ,christ1 and above all by a sympathetic and personal spiritual acquaintance with him4 ,his disciples had not known ,christ4 ,they had up to this time believed in him as a temporal ,messiah4 ,of a ,messiah crucified1 the power of ,god and the wisdom of ,god unto salvation to ,gentile as well as ,jew 7#a ,cor4 #a3bd71 they had known nothing1 and hence of ,god as their ,father and their ,friend they knew nothing4--,from henceforth ye have known him and have seen him4 ,from this time4 ,he refers to what he has already disclosed of the divine nature1 in the washing of the disciples' feet1 in the prophecy of his own betrayal and death1 and in what he is about to tell them of the spiritual presence of himself and the ,father1 through the ,holy ,spirit1 in their hearts4 ,from the time of this disclosure it will indeed be their own fault if they fail to comprehend1 at least in some measure1 8the breadth and length and depth and height1 and to know the love of ,christ 7and so the love of the ,father revealed in and through ,christ71 which passeth knowledge0 7,ephes #c3ah1 #ai74 #h ,philip saith unto him1 ,lord1 shew us the ,father and it sufficeth us4 #i ,jesus saith unto him4 ,have ,i been so long time with you1 and yet hast thou not known me1 ,philip8 he#eea that hath seen me hath seen the ,father2 and how sayest thou then1 ,shew us the ,father8 #eea ,col4 #a3ae4 #h1 #i4 ,philip saith unto him1 ,shew us the ,father and it sufficeth us4 ,on ,philip's life and character1 see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #adi4 ,compare the request of ,moses 7,exod4 #cc3ah74 ,philip has in mind the ,o4 ,t4 appearances of ,god2 he wants such a manifestation of the ,deity1 a seeing of ,god4 8,one such sight of ,god would set at rest all these fears1 and give him perfect confidence40--7,alford47 ,he wants to walk by sight1 and not by faith4 ,he expresses the universal longing of humanity for a vision of the unknown4 ,this request furnishes the text on which the following discourse is founded4 ,christ replies that the unknown ,father is manifested to the world in his ,son 7ver4 #i-aa71 and in the spiritual life1 the inward experience1 of those that love him and keep his commandments 7ver4 #ae-ba72 he points out the way to secure this inward experience1 namely1 by loving the ,son and keeping his commandments 7ver4 #bb-bf72 he declares that this indwelling of the ,father in the soul of the believer brings abundant peace 7ver4 #bg-ca72 it is more than a vision1 it is an abiding1 by which the life of ,god flows into the soul of man1 making it partaker of the divine nature and fruitful in works of divine love 7ch4 #ae3a-h72 this love1 patterned after and imbibed from ,christ1 extends to the world that hates both the ,lord and his disciples 7ch4 #ae3i-bg72 this love1 born and kept alive by the indwelling of the unseen ,father1 is the illuminator1 the instructor1 and the inspirer of him who possesses it1 and gives him assurance of the divine love and intimacy of spiritual communion with the divine ,being 7ch4 #af74 ,see1 further1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,there is a real connection in this discourse1 though not that of an oration2 the unity is spiritual rather than intellectual2 but it all circles about a single central truth1 the provision which divine love has made for satisfying the soul-hunger for a vision of the unseen and invisible ,god4 ,in a sense ,philip is right1 though the sight1 if the sight of a spirit was possible1 would not satisfy2 but we see ,god only as we become like him1 and we shall be satisfied when we awake in his likeness and so see him as he is 7,ps4 #ag3ae2 #a ,john #a3b74--;,have ,i been so much time with you1 and yet hast thou not known me1 ,philip8 ,not merely the length of time is indicated2 it had been but about three years1 probably a little less2 but during that three years he had been constantly with his disciples2 they had eaten1 slept1 journeyed1 lived together2 the companionship was most intimate1 the opportunity for familiar acquaintance perfect4--,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father2 and how sayest thou then1 ,show us the ,father8 ,there is a physical and there is a spiritual sight4 ,the disciples had known ,jesus after the flesh2 but ,christ according to the spirit they did not know till after the descent of the ,holy ,spirit at ,pentecost4 ,to admire the ,son of man is one thing2 to receive the ,spirit of ,god manifested in and through him is quite different4 ,he that has a spiritual discernment of ,christ will recognize the spiritual character of the unknown ,father1 the truth1 mercy1 love of ,god1 shining in and through the ,son4 ,there is and can be no physical vision of ,god2 he is a spirit1 and is to be spiritually known1 to be worshipped in spirit as well as in truth 7ch4 #d3bd74 ,the language of ,christ here1 and indeed throughout this whole discourse1 is utterly inconsistent with the conception of him as a mere human or superhuman ambassador of ,god4 ,he represents not merely the divine government1 but the divine ,being4 ,the ,father is so in him that whoever looks within the tabernacle beholds the glory as of the only begotten of the ,father 7ch4 #a3ad74 ,he is the manifestation in the flesh1 not of the divine government1 but of ,god 7#a ,tim4 #c3af74 ,it is impossible to refer this answer to the mere union in sympathy and purpose of ,jesus with ,god4 8,no ,christian1 even if perfected1 could say1 #8,he that has seen me has seen ,christ4' ,how much less1 then1 could a ,jew1 though perfect1 have said1 #8,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father4'0--7,godet47 #aj ,believest thou not that ,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in me8 the words that ,i speak unto you ,i speak not of myself3 but the ,father that dwelleth in me1 he doeth the works4 #aa ,believe me that ,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in me3 or else believe me for the very works' sake4 #aj1 #aa4 ,believest thou not that ,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in me8 ,god is in everything which he has made2 the ,all and in ,all 7,jer4 #bc3bd2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bh74 ,we also are intended to be temples in which he is to dwell 7,ps4 #ia3a2 ,rom4 #h3aa2 #a ,cor4 #c3af2 #b ,tim4 #a3ad74 ,but sin1 which has been admitted to dwell in us 7,rom4 #g3ag71 has driven out the ,spirit of ,god1 so that the temple is destroyed by defilement 7#a ,cor4 #c3ag1 marg472 it ceases to be the temple of ,god4 ,he dwells no longer in it4 ,in ,christ ,jesus there was no sin2 in ,christ ,jesus1 therefore1 dwells all the fullness of the ,godhead bodily 7,col4 #b3i72 and it is by union with him1 and a new life received in and by and from him1 that the fullness of the divine indwelling is to be at length restored to all that are his 7ch4 #ag3ba-bc2 ,ephes4 #c3ag74--,the words that ,i speak to you ,i speak not of myself4 ,from myself 7' 74 ,from signifies the fountain or source2 the source of ,christ's authority is not in himself1 but in the ,father1 who dwells in and speaks through him4 ,see ch4 #e3ai1 note4--,but the ,father1 he who abides in me1 he doeth the works4 ,some read1 doeth his own works4 ,so ,tischendorf and ,meyer4 ,the ,received reading is preferable1 but the meaning is much the same4 ,whether we read1 ,he that dwelleth in me doeth his own works 7 71 or1 ,he that dwelleth in me1 he it is who doeth the works 7 71 the emphasis is equally put upon the ,father as the ,one who1 abiding in the ,son1 does all things through him4 ,the works are here1 not merely the miracles1 but the whole range of beneficent action of the ,son1 including certainly the miracles1 but those only as a part of the whole service of love4 ,this word work 77 is rarely1 ,i think never1 used in the ,n4 ,t4 as equivalent to miracle 774--,have faith in me1 that ,i am in the ,father4 ,beware of understanding this as equivalent to1 ,believe me1 on my mere personal assurance2 this is apparently the interpretation of our ,english version1 and is sustained by even so eminent an authority as ,meyer4 ,it is grammatically possible2 but it neither accords with ,jesus' use of the word believe 771 which he habitually uses to signify a spiritual apprehension1 not merely an intellectual opinion2 nor with the spirit of this discourse1 which1 beginning with ver4 #a1 is throughout addressed1 not to the formation of correct opinions1 but to the building up of a right spiritual apprehension of ,christ1 and through him of the eternal ,father4 ,the meaning is1 ,have faith in me that ,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in me2 i4 e41 ,look beneath the surface1 the flesh2 behold in the inward grace1 manifesting itself in the outward speech and action1 the lineaments of the divine character2 so have faith in me as one in whom the ,father dwells1 and through whom the ,father is made manifest4 ,but if this spiritual sense is lacking1 then--,through 7by reason of1 7 the works themselves believe4 is omitted by ,godet1 ,meyer1 ,lachmann1 and ,tischendorf1 on the authority of the ,sinaitic1 ,cambridge1 and ,vatican manuscripts4 ,christ places his own character in the front rank1 as the principal evidence of the divine origin and authority of ,christianity4 ,he is his own best witness4 ,but1 for those who cannot discern the divinity of his life and character1 he appeals to the works wrought by him and by the religion of which he is the founder1 and which was more powerful after his death than during his life4 ,the evidence from the miracles1 and from the whole miraculous history of ,christianity1 is secondary to the evidence from the character and person of ,christ himself4 #ab ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he#eeb that believeth on me1 the works that ,i do shall he do also2 and greater works than these shall he do2 because ,i go unto my ,father4 #eeb ,matt4 #ba3ba4 #ab4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 99 99 99 greater works than these shall he do2 because ,i go to my ,father4 ,if by works was meant merely miracles1 this declaration would be difficult of interpretation2 for none of ,christ's disciples have ever wrought greater miracles than the ,master1 nor is it easy to conceive of a greater miracle than the resurrection of the dead4 ,but if by works was meant ,christ's whole life of beneficent activity1 then this promise has been abundantly fulfilled4 ,for ,christ worked in a very narrow sphere1 both of time and place2 for three years1 in a province no larger than the ,state of ,vermont4 ,more souls were converted at ,peter's preaching on the day of ,pentecost than during the whole of ,christ's personal ministry4 ,at ,christ's death the whole number of ,christian converts does not seem to have exceeded five hundred1 and ,christianity was utterly unknown outside of ,palestine4 ,at ,john ,wesley's death ,methodism had spread over ,great ,britain1 the ,continent of ,europe1 the ,united ,states1 and the ,west ,indies1 and its communion embraced over eighty thousand members4 ,whitefield1 ,wesley1 ,spurgeon1 ,moody preached during their lives to immensely greater numbers than ,christ ever personally taught2 and probably many ,christian physicians have healed more sick than ,christ ever healed4 ,thus in extent the disciples have already done greater works than their ,master4 ,and this for the reason here assigned1 namely1 because he has gone to the ,father2 and because of that going the ,comforter has come to bless the labors of the disciples with a wider and more powerful divine influence than could1 in the nature of the case1 proceed from ,god incarnate in a single human life 7ch4 #af3g74 ,but we have no right to say that this promise does not await even further fulfillment4 ,when the fullness of time shall have come1 and ,god dwells in all his children in the fullness foreseen in ch4 #ag3ba1 there may be in them a power over nature of which modern science gives possibly a foreshadowing1 and which will be1 in its effects1 much greater than that which ,christ exercised over it1 because they that exercise it will have the whole earth as their inheritance4 ,only thus can ,i understand such promises as that here and in ,mark #aa3bc1 etc4 #ac ,and#eec whatsoever ye shall ask in my name1 that will ,i do1 that the ,father may be glorified in the ,son4 #eec #a ,john #e3ad4 #ad ,if ye shall ask anything in my name1 ,i will do it4 #ac1 #ad4 ,and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name1 that will ,i do4 ,for analogous promises of answers to prayer1 see ,exod4 #bb3bg2 ,deut4 #d3bi2 ,ps4 #cd3ae2 #cg3d1 #e2 ,jer4 #bi3ab1 #ac2 ,joel #b3cb2 ,matt4 #g3g1 #h2 ,mark #aa3bd2 ,john #ae3af2 #af3bc2 ,james #a3e2 #a ,john #c3bb2 #e3ad1 #ae4 ,a comparison of these passages shows clearly that ,god does not give an unconditional promise of affirmative answer to every prayer4 ,this would be to place omnipotence at the command of ignorance and selfishness2 it would be a curse1 not a blessing4 ,the condition here is embodied in the words1 ,in my name2 the promise is only to those petitions asked in the name of ,jesus ,christ4 ,to ask in the name of ,christ is not to introduce his name into the petition1 as in the familiar phrase1 ,for ,christ's sake2 nor is it merely to approach the ,father through the mediatorship of ,jesus2 this1 but much more than this1 is included4 8,in the name0 of any one1 as used in the ,n4 ,t41 generally1 if not always1 signifies representing him1 standing in his stead1 fulfilling his purposes1 manifesting his will1 and imbued with and showing forth his life and glory4 ,with ,john it always has this signification4 ,thus1 8,the works that ,i do in my ,father's name0 7ch4 #aj3be7 is equivalent to1 ,the works that ,i do in my ,father's stead1 for him and by his power and authority2 8,blessed is the ,king of ,israel that cometh in the name of the ,lord0 7ch4 #ab3ac7 is equivalent to1 ,that cometh as the representative and manifestation of the ,lord2 8,the ,holy ,ghost whom the ,father will send in my name0 7ch4 #ad3bf7 is equivalent to1 ,the ,holy ,ghost who comes to represent me1 and teach the truths concerning me1 and implant and keep alive my life in the souls of my disciples2 8,i kept them in thy name0 is equivalent to1 ,i1 as one with thee 7ch4 #aj3bi1 #cj71 have kept them within the circle of thine influence1 because within mine own1 which is thine4 ,comp4 ,acts #c3f2 #d3g2 ,phil4 #b3aj2 ,col4 #c3ag1 and notes4 ,here1 then1 the declaration is that whatsoever we ask1 speaking for ,christ1 seeking his will1 representing him and his interests1 and his kingdom1 not merely our own special and personal interests 7,phil4 #b3ba71 will be granted4 ,so in ,matt4 #f3i 7see note there7 the ,lord makes the petition1 8,hallowed be thy name10 the portico to every prayer--so teaching us that in every prayer the desire for the glory of ,god should be supreme4 ,so again in ,rom4 #h3bf the apostle represents us taught both how and for what to pray by the ,spirit of ,christ within us4 ,but every prayer thus offered in the name of ,christ and with a supreme allegiance to him1 representing his kingdom and imbued by his spirit1 will be in character1 like his prayer at ,gethsemane4 ,it will carry with it the petition1 8,not my will but thine be done10 and thus1 as ,meyer says1 8,the denial of the petition is the fulfillment of the prayer1 only in another way40 ,see #b ,cor4 #ab3h1 #i4--,that the ,father may be glorified in the ,son4 ,when the church is a true representative of ,christ1 filled with his spirit1 manifesting his character and life1 so that it prays in his name1 in his name casts out devils 7,luke #aj3ag71 and in his name suffers1 filling up what is behind of the ,lord's affliction 7,col4 #a3bd71 and doing all in his stead1 as his representative1 and because imbued with his spirit1 then the ,father is glorified in the ,son1 because he is glorified in humanity1 whom he hath redeemed2 for then the glorified and redeemed church is the body of ,christ 7,ephes4 #a3bc71 the visible manifestation of his invisible presence1 his perpetual incarnation4--,if ye shall ask anything in my name1 ,i will do it4 ,the promise is specific2 a promise not merely to provide generally for the wants of the disciples1 but to hear and answer their specific requests4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #g3i1 #aj4 ,observe1 too1 the language1 ,i will do it1 and compare the phraseology here with that of the analogous promise in ch4 #af3bc1 8,whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father in my name1 he will give it you40 ,what inspired prophet or angelic messenger could make such a promise8 8,this ,i already indicates the glory0 7,bengel71 the glory of him who is one with the ,father4 #ae ,if#eed ye love me1 keep my commandments4 #eed ver4 #ba1 #bc2 ch4 #ae3aj1 #ad2 #a ,john #e3c4 #af ,and ,i will pray the ,father1 and he shall give you another ,comforter1#eee that he may abide with you for ever2 #eee ch4 #ae3bf4 #ag ,even the ,spirit of truth2 whom#eef the world cannot receive1 because it seeth him not1 neither knoweth him3 but ye know him2 for he dwelleth with you1 and#eeg shall be in you4 #eef #a ,cor4 #b3ad4 #eeg ,rom4 #h3i2 #a ,john #b3bg4 #ae-ag4 ,if ye love me keep my commandments4 ,the object of the ,gospel is the inspiration of love1 not mere obedience2 but obedience is the test because the manifestation of love4 ,the ,n4 ,t4 recognizes no other test of love to ,christ than compliance in the daily life with his will4 ,see for striking illustration of this1 ch4 #ba3ae-ag4--;,and ,i will pray the ,father4 ,the poverty of the ,english language has prevented our translators from producing in the ,english ,bible the distinction between three ,greek verbs1 which bear different significations1 but are all indiscriminately translated by the word pray4 ,these are to request 771 to ask 771 and to entreat 774 ,christ is said in the ,n4 ,t4 to request the ,father 7,matt4 #ad3bc2 #bf3cf2 ,mark #a3ce1 etc471 and to ask of the ,father 7ch4 #af3bf2 #ag3i2 #ae3bj71 but never to entreat the ,father4 ,here the second of these words is used4 8,our ,lord never uses entreat 7aitein1 aitesthai1 or 7 of ,himself in respect of that which he seeks on behalf of his disciples from ,god2 for his is not the petition of the creature to the ,creator1 but the request of the ,son to the ,father4 ,the consciousness of his equal dignity1 of his potent and prevailing intercession1 speaks out in this1 that as often as he asks or declares that he will ask1 anything of the ,father1 it is always requesting or inquiring 7erotas1 erotaso1 1 71 that is1 as upon equal terms1 never entreating 7aiteo1 aiteso1 or 740--7,trench47 ,see further ch4 #af3bc1 #bd1 note4--,and he shall give you another ,paraclete4 ,the original word1 inadequately rendered in our ,english version by the word ,comforter1 is simply untranslateable4 ,it is composed of two ,greek words 7 71 to call to one's side1 and signifies one who is called to aid another4 ,and this etymological signification of the word indicates the office of the ,holy ,spirit in his relations to us2 he is our present help in every time of need1 the one with whom we walk1 our ,consoler1 our ,strength1 our ,guide1 our ,peace-giver1 our ever present ,god4 ,the word ,comforter must then be taken in its etymological and old ,english sense1 as one who gives not mere consolation1 but strength 7con fortis74 ,he is here called another ,comforter2 yet a little below1 ,christ seemingly identifies him both with the ,father and with himself1 in the declaration 8,i will manifest myself to him 7ver4 #ba71 and we0 7i4 e41 the ,father and ,i17 8will make our abode with him0 7ver4 #bc74 ,in the ,comforter ,christ himself is ever present with his church 7,matt4 #bh3bj71 for the ,comforter is one with ,christ as both are one with the ,father1 so that the presence of one is the presence of all 7,rom4 #h3i1 #aj2 ,gal4 #b3bj2 #d3f74 ,we know too little of the interior nature of the ,deity to be able to draw any clear distinction between the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,we only know that as ,god in the ,father is manifested to us as providing for us1 and in the ,son as making atonement for us1 so in the ,spirit he is manifested by being spiritually ever present with us4 ,the mystery of their diversity in unity defies philosophical analysis4 ,but ,christ is speaking to the experience1 not to the intellect2 and to the spiritual experience the father1 the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,provider1 the ,atoning ,saviour and the ,indwelling ,spirit1 ,god in nature1 in the flesh1 and in our own souls1 are one4--,that he may abide with you forever4 ,in contrast with the ,son1 who came but for a time1 and because he was ,god manifest in the flesh1 could abide only with a few and only for a limited period4 ,to long for the laws of the ,o4 ,t41 or even for the visible presence of the limited and earthly manifestation of ,god afforded by the ,n4 ,t41 is to desire to go back from the broader1 deeper1 fuller manifestation1 to one narrower and more limited4 ,to be governed by precedents or rules of the past is to ignore the perpetually abiding presence of the ,comforter1 the promised guide into all truth4 ,of his office ,christ speaks more fully in ver4 #bf and ch4 #af3g-ae4--,the ,spirit of ,truth4 ,so called1 7#a7 because it is by giving a spiritual knowledge of the truth that he ministers to those that receive him4 ,the ,comforter strengthens1 guides1 liberates1 ,sanctifies by the truth 7ch4 #h3cb2 #af3ac2 #ag3ag1 #ai2 #a ,cor4 #b3d2 #a ,thess4 #a3e74 7#b7 ,because his ministry is perfectly true without any admixture of error4 ,all teaching that is ministered through human language1 even that of ,christ and the apostles1 is subject to the errors and the misapprehensions of the human medium through which it passes4 ,the instruction of the ,spirit1 ministered directly to our spirits1 though still liable to be misapprehended and perverted by us1 is not subject to error in the interpretation4 ,it is perfect truth2 all other teaching is truth with alloy1 from which we must separate it1 as best we may4--,whom the world cannot receive4 ,to be literally understood4 ,cannot is not here equivalent to will not4 ,he that is of the world1 living unto it1 making it his end1 cannot receive spiritual truth or spiritual influences4 ,his mind is blinded by the god of this world 7,isa4 #f3i1 #aj2 #b ,cor4 #d3d74 ,the declaration here is analogous to that of ,christ in ,john #c3c1 8,except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of ,god10 and to that of ,paul in #a ,cor4 #b3ad1 8,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 for they are foolishness unto him2 neither can he know them2 because they are spiritually discerned40--,because it seeth him not1 neither knoweth him4 ,there is no visible manifestation of the ,comforter2 he is not and cannot be discerned by the senses as ,christ could be and during his life was1 by the manifestation of his miraculous power2 and the unspiritual has no inward consciousness of his presence1 no spiritual experience of his comfort1 strength1 or guidance4 ,hence1 since the ,comforter is not discernible by the outward sense1 and the unspiritual have never had developed within them the inward sense of faith1 they cannot receive him4 ,in contrast with the world in this respect is the disciple of ,christ1 in whom the spiritual life has been awakened in the new birth4--,but ye know him because he abides with you1 and shall be in you4 ,there is no hint here that the disciples can see the ,comforter any more than the world4 ,this should have prevented ,godet's misapprehension of this passage1 that 8before receiving they must have seen and known the ,spirit40 ,to see 77 is to recognize with the senses1 or to recognize intellectually by deductions from what is perceived by the senses4 ,neither by sight1 nor by deduction from sight can the ,comforter be known4 ,he is known only by those with and in whom1 as a conscious ,presence1 he abides4 ,some texts read is in you instead of shall be in you4 ,the future is the preferable reading1 and the antithesis between the first and last clauses of the verse indicates a progressive development in the spiritual life4 ,the ,comforter was even then with the disciples1 though they were not yet ready to receive him2 he was in them1 inspiring and moulding their life and character1 after the day of ,pentecost4 ,so he is ever with the church and the individual ,christian2 but he is in the church and in the ,christian only when they wait and watch for his appearing1 as the apostles waited and watched before the day of ,pentecost4 #ah ,i will not leave you comfortless3 ,i#eeh will come to you4 #eeh ver4 #c3bh4 #ai ,yet a little while1 and the world seeth me no more3 but ye see me3 because#eei ,i live1 ye shall live also4 #eei ,heb4 #g3be4 #bj ,at that day ye shall know that ,i am in my ,father1 and ye in me1 and ,i in you4 #ah-bj4 ,i will not leave you orphans4 ,this1 which is the marginal reading1 exactly renders the original4 ,our ,english version1 ,i will not leave you comfortless1 though made sacred by many an association1 deprives the promise of the singular significance involved in the original4 ,an orphan is not a person without parents1 but one who is separated from his parents by death2 memory looks back to them1 hope looks forward to them1 but they are not personally present4 ,christ declares that he will not thus leave his disciples4 ,their ,saviour shall be more than a memory1 more than a hope2 he will be their personal present ,god4--,i will come to you4 ,he refers here not to his reappearance in the resurrection1 for that was followed by his disappearance in the ascension1 so that if on this the disciples alone depended they were left more than ever before in orphanage4 ,nor did he then make his abode with the disciples2 he vouchsafed them only brief and transient appearances of himself4 ,he does not refer to his second coming2 for the world1 as well as his own disciples1 will then see him 7,rev4 #a3g2 #f3ae-ag74 ,he refers to that spiritual manifestation which he makes of himself1 and of the ,father through him1 by the gift and indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit1 whom the ,father sends in his name4 ,this is clear from vers4 #ai1 #bj1 #bc1 #bf1 etc4--,yet a little while and the world seeth me no more2 but ye see me1 because ,i am living and ye shall live also4 ,according to the punctuation of our ,english version there is here a double promise1 first that the disciples shall again see their ,lord1 secondly that they shall share his life4 ,according to the punctuation which ,i have adopted1 the second promise is implied rather than asserted1 and is made the basis of the first4 ,either is grammatically possible2 the second rendering is preferable1 because the whole of ,christ's teaching here refers not to the life of the disciple1 but to the manifestation to him of his ,lord1 and because thus the two clauses of the sentence are brought into close connection4 ,the soul's perception of the personal presence of ,christ is then dependent upon sharing his spiritual life2 and this is abundantly taught1 both here and elsewhere4 ,we are changed into the image of ,christ by beholding him 7#b ,cor4 #c3ah71 and we behold him by conforming to his image 7#b ,pet4 #a3e-i74 ,the promise is one of spiritual sight1 dependent upon spiritual life4 ,since the world does not and cannot see him 7ver4 #ag71 arguments based on visible phenomena to prove the reality of that which is a spiritual experience are always in vain4 ,hence the futility of the ordinary methods of arguing with skeptics4 ,they are endeavors to prove to the blind2 whereas the blind must first see1 then learn4--,at that day ye shall know that ,i am in the ,father1 and ye in me and ,i in you4 ,that day was in the history of the church the day of ,pentecost1 when the ,spirit was first revealed with power to the entire body of believers4 ,but each believing soul has also its ,pentecost1 when it first learns the meaning of ,christ's promises in this chapter4 ,this is to it that day1 the one great day of its existence4 ,it is not said that the disciple will understand how the ,father1 the ,son1 and the disciples are in one another1 but he will know it as a fact2 the unity of the ,father and the ,son1 and the indwelling of both in the believer1 will become a part of his experience4 ,this experience1 promised here1 is expressed as a realized fact by ,paul in ,gal4 #b3bj3 8,i am crucified with ,christ3 nevertheless ,i live2 yet not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in me3 and the life which ,i now live in the flesh1 ,i live by the faith of the ,son of ,god1 who loved me and gave himself for me40 #ba ,he#efj that hath my commandments1 and keepeth them1 he it is that loveth me3 and he that loveth me shall be loved of my ,father1 and ,i will love him1 and will manifest myself to him4 #efj ver4 #ae1 #bc4 #ba4 ,having given expression to the mystical truth of the spiritual manifestation of their ,lord to the believers1 ,christ next states the conditions under which it is realized4 ,these are not external2 this spiritual revelation is not made dependent upon retiring from the world and living a life of asceticism and artificial self-denial4 ,they are not intellectual2 this revelation and indwelling of ,christ is not made dependent upon the creed of the disciple4 ,they are moral2 practical obedience to the words of ,christ assures spiritual enjoyment of his presence and companionship4--,he that hath my commandments and keepeth them4 ,these clauses are not to be read as repetitions of the same idea1 made for the sake of emphasis4 ,to have is not the same as to keep4 ,he hath ,christ's commandments not who has a knowledge of them1 so that the promise is conditional upon a certain degree of ,christian education1 but who has a spiritual apprehension of them1 who appreciates their spirit4 ,since all of ,christ's commands are comprised in the one direction 8,follow me10 the first condition of receiving this spiritual manifestation of ,christ as a real and living ,presence in the daily life1 is a spiritual appreciation of his life and character as they are disclosed in the ,n4 ,t41 and therewith a like appreciation of the precepts1 principles1 and spirit of the life which he has inculcated4 ,he keeps ,christ's commandments who carefully guards them in his daily life1 regarding them as a possession which he is in danger of losing4 ,see ,matt4 #ai3ag1 note4--,that one is he that loveth me4 ,the evidence of love which ,christ recognizes is not profession1 or ceremonial1 or emotional experience1 or intellectual opinion1 but spiritual appreciation of his precepts and practical obedience to them4 ,the good ,samaritan is a more acceptable lover than the priest or the ,levite4--,he that loveth me shall be loved of my ,father1 and ,i will love him4 ,every disciple may thus become a 8beloved disciple40 ,for the love here spoken of is not that love of compassion which the ,father and the ,son have for the whole world 7ch4 #c3af71 even while it was dead in trespasses and sins 7,ephes4 #b3d1 #e71 but the love of spiritual fellowship and personal friendship 7ch4 #ae3ad1 #ae2 ,gal4 #d3g74 8,there is between these two feelings the same difference as between a man's compassion for his guilty and unhappy neighbors and the affection of a father for his child or of a husband for his wife40--7,godet47 ,christ is here speaking not of the condition on which men may become his disciples2 he is instructing his disciples1 is pointing out the condition on which each one of them may come into a higher spiritual experience of their ,master's love and spiritual presence4 ,this is indicated not only by the context and general character of the discourse1 but also by the peculiar language here1 ,that one it is who loveth me4 ,that one 77 indicates an exceptional individual1 one among many1 who1 by his course1 becomes the special friend of ,jesus4 #bb ,judas#efa saith unto him1 not ,iscariot1 ,lord1 how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us1 and not unto the world8 #efa ,luke #f3af4 #bc ,jesus answered and said unto him1 ,if a man love me1 he will keep my words3 and my ,father will love him1 and#efb we will come unto him1 and make our abode with him4 #efb #a ,john #b3bd2 ,rev4 #c3bj4 #bb1 #bc4 ,judas saith unto him1 not ,iscariot4 ,the same person called ,lebbeus in ,matt4 #aj3c and ,thaddeus in ,mark #c3ah4 ,in ,luke #f3af1 etc41 and ,acts #a3ac1 he is called 8,judas 7the brother7 of ,james40 ,see ,note on ,twelve ,apostles1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #adi4--,lord1 and what has happened that thou wilt manifest thyself to us1 but not at all 77 to the world8 ,his question is not1 as represented by our ,english version1 the expression of a mere curiosity1 ,in what way wilt thou make this manifestation of thyself8 it is the expression of amazement and perplexity4 ,all the disciples were anticipating that ,christ would manifest his ,messiahship in some unexpected manner1 striking terror into the hearts of all his opponents1 and becoming1 by some miraculous forth-putting of power1 ,king of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,judas1 hastily concluding that there is to be no other manifestation than that of which ,christ is now speaking1 expresses his amazement and perplexity4 ,what has happened to lead to the abandonment of a world manifestation of the ,messiah8 is the meaning of his question4 ,but ,christ has not said that he will not at all be manifested to the world2 only that the world cannot see that manifestation of him of which he is now speaking4--,jesus answered and said unto him4 ,he does not reply to the question of ,judas2 enters into no explanation2 simply reiterates that the condition of receiving the spiritual manifestation of ,christ as a personal ,presence is obedience to his directions4 ,christ never suffers himself to be turned aside from practical instruction by inquiries in theoretical theology4--,if any one loves me1 he will keep my word4 ,word1 not words2 singular1 not plural4 ,his command is but one word3 love4--,my ,father will love him1 and we will come unto him and make our abode with him4 ,this promise is more than the preceding one 7ver4 #ba74 ,there ,christ promises simply that the obedient disciple shall see his ,lord2 here that he shall become a temple in which his ,lord will constantly dwell2 there that ,christ shall manifest himself to the soul2 here that the ,father and the ,son shall dwell in the soul4 8,they shall come like wanderers from their home and lodge with him2 will be daily his guests1 yea1 house and table companions40--7,meyer47 ,thus ,christ by his commandments knocks at the door of the heart2 he that hath those commandments hears the voice2 he that keeps them opens the door 7,rev4 #c3bj74 ,thus1 too1 the ,christian's experience on earth is a foretaste of his experience in heaven4 8,here below it is ,god who dwells with the believer2 above1 it will be the believer who will dwell with ,god40--7,godet47 ,by his language here1 ,we will come unto him1 ,christ identifies himself as the companion of the ,father in the spiritual experience of the disciple4 ,see ver4 #ae-ag1 note4 #bd ,he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings3 and the word which ye hear is not mine1 but the ,father's which sent me4 #bd4 ,in contrast with the disciple who has and keeps the word of ,christ1 our ,lord portrays the opposite character4 ,he loves not ,christ2 he makes no attempt to treasure and guard his instruction2 and in rejecting the word and its ,bearer he rejects the ,father whom the ,bearer represents and by whom the word is given4 ,beware of reading the negative1 8,the word is not mine10 as equivalent to ,the word is not merely mine4 ,christ here1 as in many other passages1 disavows the paternity of his own instructions4 ,they are not his2 they are the ,father's who dwells in him1 and inspires the words and performs the works4 ,see ch4 #ab3di1 note4 #be ,these things have ,i spoken unto you1 being yet present with you4 #bf ,but#efc the ,comforter1 which is the ,holy ,ghost1 whom the ,father will send in my name1 he#efd shall teach you all things1 and bring all things to your remembrance1 whatsoever ,i have said unto you4 #efc verse #af4 #efd ch4 #af3ac2 #a ,john #b3bj1 #bg4 #be1 #bf4 ,these things have ,i spoken unto you1 being yet present with you4 ,that is1 ,as far as this ,i am able to carry my instructions1 but no farther2 the ,spirit shall complete them4 ,christ has already contrasted the work of the ,spirit with his own3 his own dwelling with his disciples is temporary1 the abiding of the ,spirit is forever2 he speaks to his disciples1 the ,spirit speaks in them 7ver4 #af1 #ag74 ,he now indicates a further point in the contrast4 ,his own teaching was partial2 for he had many things to say which they could not bear 7,john #af3ab71 and much which he did say they could not understand till their experience1 developed by the indwelling of the ,spirit of ,god1 had prepared them to comprehend it4 ,but the promised ,spirit shall1 as the ,christian is able to bear the truth1 teach all things4--,but the ,comforter4 ,see above on ver4 #af4--,the ,holy ,spirit4 ,that is1 the ,spirit of holiness4 ,as he is the ,spirit of truth1 because all experience of the higher spiritual truth comes in and through him1 so he is the ,spirit of holiness1 because all holiness of life and character is wrought out by the soul only as the ,holy ,spirit works in and with us the good pleasure of ,god 7,phil4 #b3ab1 #ac2 ,heb4 #ac3bj1 #ba74--,whom the ,father will send in my name4 ,as the disciple is to pray in ,christ's name 7see ver4 #ac1 note71 so the ,father will answer him in ,christ's name4 ,that name is ,jesus1 i4 e41 ,saviour1 because he saves his people from their sins 7,matt4 #a3ba71 and ,christ1 i4 e41 ,the ,anointed ,one1 because he is the ,high ,priest who makes atonement for the sins of his people1 and reconciles them unto ,god4 ,see ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #eg1 ,note1 etc41 on ,names of ,jesus4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is1 then1 sent in his name1 not because he is sent in his stead2 he is not2 the work of the ,spirit and of the ,son are not the one in lieu of the other2 nor because he is sent in answer to the intercessory prayer of the ,son2 the love of the ,father is the cause of the dispensation of the ,spirit1 as of the incarnation and the atonement of the ,son2 but because he is sent to complete the work of the ,son1 to perfect that salvation which is represented by the name ,jesus1 and that atonement and reconciliation which is represented by the word ,christ 7,john #c3e1 #f2 #g3ci2 ,rom4 #h3ad-af1 #bf2 #ad3ag2 ,gal4 #e3af1 #ag2 ,ephes4 #b3ah1 etc474--,he shall teach you all things4 ,that is1 all things respecting the divine life4--,and bring to your remembrance all things whatsoever ,i have said unto you4 8,he will teach new truths by recalling the old1 and will recall the old by teaching the new40--7,godet47 ,in its application to the apostles1 this is a promise of inspiration and a guarantee of substantial accuracy1 both in their reports of events and of the instructions of ,jesus ,christ1 and in their interpretation of the laws and principles of the spiritual life4 8,it is in the fulfillment of this promise to the apostles that their sufficiency as witnesses of all that the ,lord did and taught1 and consequently the authenticity of the ,gospel narrative1 is grounded40--7,alford47 ,but there is no reason to limit this promise to the twelve to whom it was immediately spoken4 ,it occurs in the middle of a discourse which by universal consent belongs to the church universal4 ,there is no consistency in claiming the promise of the manifestation of ,christ in ver4 #ba1 the indwelling of the ,father and the ,son in ver4 #bc1 and the peace of ,god in ver4 #bg1 and rejecting the promise of inspired instruction in ver4 #bf4 ,this promise1 then1 like that of ,matt4 #bh3bj1 is made to the church for all time2 it is a promise of a continually progressive instruction in the spiritual life1 adapted to varying needs and exigencies1 both of the community and of the individual1 carrying on to its consummation the necessarily incomplete instruction of the ,n4 ,t41 as well as making clear to the spiritual apprehension that which preceding generations either imperfectly understood1 wholly failed to understand1 or only partially comprehended4 ,the spiritual guide of the church is not an official hierarchy1 nor ecclesiastical tradition1 but the living experience of those that love ,christ1 have his words and keep them4 ,this promise points to and assures the church of a progressive ,christian theology1 and corresponds with the apostle ,paul's declaration1 8,we know in part and we prophesy in part0 7#a ,cor4 #ac3i1 #aj74 #bg ,peace#efe ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i give unto you3 not as the world giveth1 give ,i unto you4 ,let not your heart be troubled1 neither let it be afraid4 #efe ,ephes4 #b3ad-ag2 ,phil4 #d3g4 #bg4 ,peace ,i leave with you2 my peace ,i give unto you4 ,as the peace of a child depends on the presence of his mother1 so the peace of these disciples on the presence of their ,lord4 ,he speaks to their unuttered forebodings1 and declares that he will leave this peace in his departure as a legacy to them4 ,but he will do more than this4 ,thus far they have had peace in his presence2 he will henceforth impart to them his own source of strength in sending to them the indwelling ,spirit of ,god1 so that they shall have1 as he had1 peace in themselves4 8,my peace0 implies the peace which belongs to himself1 is a characteristic of his own experience and a part of his own nature4 ,so in ,phil4 #d3g the 8peace of ,god0 is that peace which is characteristic of the ,divine ,being4 ,it was this peace which enabled ,christ to stand unmoved and unperturbed in the court of ,caiaphas and the hall of ,pilate4 ,it was the fulfillment of this promise which enabled the apostles to meet in like manner1 unfearing and untroubled1 the threats and persecutions of the authorities in ,jerusalem immediately after the day of ,pentecost 7,acts #d3h1 #ai1 #ca2 #e3bi1 #da72 which gave ,stephen serenity in the storm of stones 7,acts #f3ae2 #g3ei1 #fj72 enabled ,peter to sleep in chains 7,acts #ab3f72 gave to ,paul and ,silas their songs in the night 7,acts #af3be72 kept ,paul unmoved in the midst of the mob at ,jerusalem 7,acts #ba3ca-dj71 and in the peril of shipwreck 7,acts #bg3ba-bf1 #ca-ce74 ,compare also1 for expressions of this peace of ,christ in the ,christian's experience1 ,rom4 #e3a-e2 #h3ce-ci2 #b ,cor4 #d3g-i2 ,phil4 #d3aa-ac2 ,heb41 ch4 #d4 ,this peace is a characteristic of the divine nature 7,phil4 #d3g71 therefore a characteristic of ,christ1 who is called ,prince of ,peace1 because one of the distinguishing characteristics of his kingdom is peace 7,isa4 #i3f2 ,rom4 #ad3ag72 therefore a fruit of the ,spirit in the experience of the followers of ,christ 7,rom4 #h3f2 ,gal4 #e3bb72 therefore the privilege and duty of every disciple1 who because of his peace and his power to bestow it upon others is called a son of ,god 7,matt4 #e3i74 ,it is therefore not the peculiar luxury of a favored few1 but the duty and privilege of all 7,rom4 #b3aj72 not dependent on temperament or circumstances1 but on a faith which receives and recognizes an indwelling ,god 7,rom4 #e3a2 ,ephes4 #b3ad2 ,phil4 #d3i72 not the occasional siesta of the wearied worker1 but the abiding spirit and sacred power of his work 7,phil4 #d3g2 ,col4 #a3aa2 #c3ae74 ,it is not without ,spiritual significance that ,christ's last words1 as of 8one who is about to go away and says goodnight and leaves his blessing0 7,luther71 are a promise of peace4--,not as the world giveth give ,i unto you4 ,the wish of peace was a customary leave-taking among the ,jews 7#a ,sam4 #a3ag2 ,luke #g3ej2 ,acts #af3cf2 #a ,pet4 #e3ad2 #c ,john #ad4 ,compare ,gen4 #dc3bc2 ,judges #f3bc74 ,christ distinguishes his promise here from the salutations1 which were often1 as with us1 mere empty formalities1 and which at best were but wishes or possibly prayers4 ,this salutation is more than a benediction1 it is the promise of an actual gift4--,let not your heart be troubled1 neither let it be afraid4 ,he thus returns to the opening words of his discourse1 words of strength-giving and reassurance 7see ver4 #a74 #bh ,ye have heard how ,i said unto you1 ,i go away1 and come again unto you4 ,if ye loved me1 ye would rejoice1 because ,i said1 ,i#eff go unto the ,father3 for my#efg ,father is greater than ,i4 #eff verse #ab4 #efg #a ,cor4 #ae3bg1 #bh4 #bh4 ,ye have heard how ,i said unto you1 ,i go away 7verses #b1 #c1 #ab74--;,if ye loved me ye would rejoice4 ,there is a gentle rebuke in this language4 ,it does not involve a denial or even a doubt of their love1 but it recalls them from the selfish thoughts fixed wholly on their own sorrow to their allegiance and love to him4 ,it may well be repeated to ourselves in the hour of death--parting from any ,christian friend4 ,their thought of their own future gives them comfort 7ver4 #b and #c72 their thought of ,christ's love for and presence with them gives them peace 7ver4 #bf1 #bg72 their thought of his glory and their love for him gives them joy4 ,thus in the fruit of the ,spirit joy and peace follow because they grow out of love 7,gal4 #e3bb74 ,we1 as well as they1 should rejoice1 not sorrow1 because ,christ no longer dwells incarnate on the earth1 but has gone to the ,father4--,because ,i said ,i go unto the ,father3 for my ,father is greater than ,i4 ,his departure to be with the greater ,father was to be a cause of rejoicing1 not merely to the eleven1 but to his church universal4 ,this is not because he is thus enabled to ensure his disciples a more powerful and perfect protector1 for the protection of the ,father is accorded through the ,son1 and as a protector the ,son is one in power as well as in will with the ,father 7,john #aj3cj1 note74 ,moreover1 it is our love for ,christ1 not the thought of our own interest1 not even our spiritual interest1 which is the secret of the joy which the ,christian should experience in the exaltation of his ,lord4 ,nor is the cause of that joy the fact that ,christ was about to enter into glory and blessedness2 for it is of the greatness1 not of the blessedness of the ,father1 nor of his own heavenly condition1 ,christ speaks2 the phrase1 8,the ,father is greater than ,i10 cannot1 without violation of the meaning1 be rendered1 ,the ,father is more blessed than ,i4 ,it is true that because the ,father is greater than ,christ1 ,christ in going to the ,father went to a condition of greater power for his own redemptive work1 for the up-building of that kingdom to which he and his followers are consecrated4 ,christ is more to his followers1 more powerful in his work of redeeming love1 in the ,spirit than in the flesh1 absent from his disciples and with the ,father than absent from the ,father and with the disciples4 ,but more than this1 more than in our ignorance of both the ,father and ,son we can comprehend1 is meant by the declaration that ,christ's going to the ,father was an exaltation1 and in that exaltation we1 his followers1 ought to rejoice with and in him1 if indeed we love him4 ,the declaration1 8,the ,father is greater than ,i10 is not inconsistent with the preceding declaration1 8,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father10 for that declaration is interpreted by the one which immediately follows1 8,i am in the ,father and the ,father in me20 he that has a spiritual apprehension of ,christ has a spiritual apprehension of the ,father1 who is manifested in and through him4 ,nor is it inconsistent with ,christ's declaration1 8,i and my ,father are one10 for ,christ as the protector of his people may be one with the ,father1 and yet the ,father may be greater than the ,son in the eternal relation between the two4 ,nor is it inconsistent with ,john's declaration that 8,the ,word was ,god10 for the ,word is not ,jesus ,christ 7see ch4 #a3a1 note71 but ,god as manifested to the race1 ,jesus ,christ being the ,word made flesh 7ch4 #a3ad74 ,it is inconsistent with any view of ,christ's character which denies the essential divinity of his nature2 for the creature cannot say of ,god1 without an extraordinarily irreverent egotism1 8,my ,father is greater than ,i40 8,the creature who should say1 #8,god is greater than ,i1' would blaspheme no less than one who should say1 #8,i am equal with ,god4' ,god alone can compare himself with ,god40--7,godet47 ,it accords with ,christ's habitual teaching concerning himself1 as one who is sent forth the ,father1 derives his authority from the ,father1 does all things through the power of the ,father1 in all things obeys the will of the ,father1 and will return to the ,father again 7,matt4 #aa3bf1 #bg2 #bj3bc2 ,john #e3ai1 #bb1 #bf1 #bg2 #f3eg2 #h3ah1 #bi2 #aj3ah1 #cf2 #ae3ae2 #ag3ah72 and with that of the ,n4 ,t4 generally1 which constantly represents ,christ as receiving his divine power as ,creator1 ,redeemer1 and ,judge from the ,father 7,ephes4 #a3bj-bb2 ,phil4 #b3i2 ,heb4 #a3h1 #i2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bh74 ,jesus ,christ is ,god manifest in the flesh1 and ,god in his absolute essence is greater than any manifestation of him is or can be4 ,as the artist is greater than his picture1 the architect than his house1 the orator than his oration1 so ,god is greater than the ,word through which he utters himself to human apprehension4 ,in thus interpreting this much debated passage1 according to the plain and natural meaning of the words1 and1 as it seems to me1 the teachings of ,christ and his apostles1 ,i accept substantially the interpretation of ,meyer1 who sees in this declaration an illustration of 8the absolute monotheism of ,jesus 7ch4 #ag3c71 and of the whole ,n4 ,t41 according to which the ,son1 although of divine essence1 of one nature with the ,father 7ch4 #a3a2 ,phil4 #b3f2 ,col4 #a3ae-ah71 nevertheless was and is and remains subordinated to the ,father1 the immutably higher one1 since the ,son as ,organ1 as ,commissioner of the ,father1 as ,intercessor with ,him1 etc41 has received his whole power in the kingly office from the ,father 7ch4 #ag3e71 and1 after the accomplishment of the work committed to him1 will restore it to the ,father 7#a ,cor4 #ae3bh740 ,to the same effect1 but more concisely1 ,edward ,h4 ,sears 7,heart of ,christ73 8,god as absolute is more than ,god as revealed40 ,similarly ,olshausen and ,ellicott's ,commentary4 ,observe1 however1 that ,christ's language here involves only the relations between the ,son as incarnate and the ,father2 in saying that the ,son was and remains subordinated to the ,father1 ,meyer attributes to the words here a meaning confessedly borrowed from other passages4 ,two other interpretations have been offered from the orthodox point of view3 7#a7 ,that ,christ speaks here of himself as a man4 ,but this ancient interpretation1 invented in the early controversy with the ,arians1 and revived recently by ,ryle1 has not1 ,i think1 despite the authority of ,augustine in its favor1 the sanction of a single modern exegetical scholar of any eminence4 ,it is repudiated by ,schaff1 ,godet1 ,luthardt1 ,meyer1 ,alford1 ,tholuck4 ,this easy method of solving the seeming contradictions of ,christ's mysterious nature is utterly untenable1 for whatever opinion may be entertained respecting his twofold nature as both ,god and man1 no reader is authorized to say what acts and words were manifestations of the human and what of the divine nature4 ,it is utterly inapplicable here1 for 8this interpretation implies a mere platitude4 ,who needs to be told that the human nature is inferior to the divine80--7,schaff47 7#b7 ,that ,christ here compares his present earthly condition with that to which he will attain in going to the ,father4 ,this is ,calvin's interpretation4 8,christ does not here make a comparison between the divinity of the ,father and his own1 nor between his own human nature and the divine essence of the ,father1 but rather between his present state and the heavenly glory to which he is afterwards to be received40 ,to the same effect1 substantially1 are ,alford1 ,luthardt1 and ,tholuck4 ,this is certainly involved in the language2 the return from union with humanity to union with the ,father was a change from a lower and lesser to a higher and greater condition4 ,but much more is involved1 for ,christ by his words institutes a comparison1 not between his earthly and his heavenly condition1 as does ,paul in ,phil4 #b3f-aa1 but between himself and his ,father4 #bi ,and now ,i have told you before it come to pass1 that1 when it is come to pass1 ye might believe4 #cj ,hereafter ,i will not talk much with you3 for the prince#efh of this world cometh1 and hath nothing#efi in me4 #efh ch4 #af3aa2 ,ephes4 #b3b4 #efi #b ,cor4 #e3ba2 ,heb4 #d3ae2 #a ,john #c3e4 #ca ,but that the world may know that ,i love the ,father2 and as#egj the ,father gave me commandment1 even so ,i do4 ,arise1 let us go hence4 #egj ,ps4 #dj3h2 ,phil4 #b3h4 #bi-ca4 ,and now ,i have told you 99 99 99 that when it is come to pass ye might have faith4 ,that is1 before the ,passion he foretells it and directs the thoughts and hopes of his disciples to a point beyond1 to the results which are to be produced by the crucifixion1 so that when the night of darkness comes these words may remain to keep alive their faith in him as one not dead1 but only gone to the companionship of the ,father1 and coming again with the ,father to be the spiritual and indwelling companion of his own4 ,indirectly the office of prophecy is implied in these words2 it is not to give in the present a clear view of the future1 but to sustain faith and hope and courage1 and make it clear to the believer1 when the events themselves take place1 that nothing is unexpected and unprovided for by his ,father and ,saviour4--,the prince of this world is coming4 ,see note on ch4 #ab3ca4 8,jesus sees the devil himself in the agents and executors of his designs 7ch4 #ac3b1 #bg2 #f3gj2 ,luke #d3ac740--7,meyer47 ,and yet the cup which they presented to him he accounts the cup which his ,father giveth him 7ch4 #ah3aa71 for even the prince of this world is not beyond the supreme control of ,god4 ,the language here1 as in ch4 #ab3ca1 plainly implies ,christ's belief in a personal devil1 and the devil's influence over and use of men as his instruments4--,hath nothing in me4 ,satan never succeeds in the accomplishment of his evil designs except when he finds in the tempted something that recognizes him and pays allegiance to him4 ,he that is only in the world but not of the world may be under the power of ,satan1 but cannot be in his power4 ,the declaration here is confirmatory of that implied by ch4 #h3df4--;,but that the world may know that ,i love the ,father1 etc41 99 99 99 arise1 let us go hence4 ,our ,english version is erroneously punctuated4 ,there should be no break in the verse4 ,christ knew that ,judas had gone out to perfect arrangements for the betrayal1 knew the shame and torture that were before him1 knew also the power of the ,father to accomplish the world's redemption by that suffering if it was endured to the end1 and bade his disciples arise that they might go forth with him1 as he went forth to show the world his love for and obedience to the ,father4 ,thus1 as he has just told his disciples that they are to show their love to him by their obedience 7ver4 #ba1 #bc71 he prepares to show his love to the ,father by his obedience4 ,but though they arose1 they did not go immediately out4 ,see ,prel4 ,note to next chapter1 and ch4 #ah3a4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,ch4 #ae3a-bg4 ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,church4--,,christ ,,abides ,,in ,,the ,,soul4--,,the ,,soul ,,is ,,safe ,,only ,,as ,,it ,,abides ,,in ,,christ4--,,this ,,abiding ,,is ,,the ,,condition ,,of ,,successful ,,prayer2 ,,of ,,practical ,,godliness2 ,,of ,,self-,,sacrificing ,,love2 ,,of ,,spiritual ,,joy4--,,christ ,a ,,revealer1 ,,not ,a ,,law-,,giver4--,,the ,,world ,,and ,,the ,,church4--,,the ,,persecution ,,of ,,the ,,world2 ,,the ,,witnessing ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,church4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,some scholars suppose that ,christ1 at the close of the preceding discourse1 arose with his disciples and passed out of the room where they had been at supper into the valley of the ,kedron1 the vicinity of the garden of ,gethsemane1 and that the discourse was continued there1 in or near one of the vineyards which abound in the neighborhood of the city4 ,others suppose that they arose to go2 that1 the heart of the ,master being surcharged with the truth which he was endeavoring to express to them1 the ,divine ,immanence1 he broke forth afresh with the same truth in a new form1 and that the discourse recorded in this and the next chapter1 and the prayer recorded in ch4 #ag1 were uttered in the same room in which the preceding discourse was uttered4 ,both suppositions are purely conjectural2 the latter appears to me the more rational1 because3 7#a7 ,the truths embodied in this and the succeeding chapter are the same as the one embodied in the preceding one2 the form alone varies4 ,the structure and the fibre of the discourse is that of one which flows from a heart burdened with a profound truth which can be expressed only by reiteration1 and even then only inadequately4 7#b7 ,it is hardly credible that such a conversation could have been uttered1 as some have imagined1 while ,jesus and his disciples were on their way out of the city2 and no reason is offered for the hypothesis that it was abruptly broken off and transferred to another and apparently less convenient place4 7#c7 ,ch4 #ah3a plainly implies that ,jesus did not go forth1 i4 e41 from the room where they were gathered1 till the end of this conversation with them and after the prayer with which it was closed4 ,various hypotheses have also been proffered respecting the probable circumstance that suggested to ,christ the metaphor which underlies the first part of this chapter3 ,vineyards on the way to ,gethsemane 7,lampe71 the carved vine on the great doors of the temple 7,rosenmuller71 a vine trained about the window of the great chamber 7,knapp71 the cup so lately partaken 7,meyer1 ,stier71 ,o4 ,t4 symbolism of the vineyard and the vine 7,alford74 ,these are also all conjectural2 it is enough to say that the parable here must be studied in the light of the teachings both of nature and of the ,o4 ,t4 use of nature in the passages below referred to4 ,the use of the vine as a symbol by ,o4 ,t4 prophets was so familiar that it could hardly have been absent from the minds of both ,christ and the apostles4 ,examine with care ,jer4 #b3ba2 ,ezek4 #ae3b1 #f2 and especially ,psalm #hj3h-ai1 and ,isaiah #e3a-g4 ,the truth taught here by a metaphor is the same as that taught in the preceding chapter unmetaphorically1 and in other passages by other metaphors4 7#a7 ,the vine and its branches are a perpetual parable of ,christ and his church4 ,it is not enough to learn of ,christ as from a teacher1 to follow him as an example1 or to accept forgiveness through him as both priest and sacrifice2 we must be personally united to him1 and from him draw our spiritual life1 and so grow into his image4 ,as the branch draws its sap by a continuous flow from the vine1 and becomes identified with it in character1 and bears its fruit1 and dies when separated from it1 so we must abide in a living ,christ1 draw our spiritual sustenance from him1 become more and more ,christlike in our nature1 and bear his fruit in our lives4 ,see ,john #f3ef-eh1 note1 and refs4 there cited4 7#b7 ,in the ,o4 ,t4 imagery the vine planted by the husbandman was the house of ,israel4 ,but despite the divine cultivator it brought forth wild grapes2 it proved to be no true vine4 ,wherefore it was broken down1 laid waste1 burned1 and a new vine was planted in its place4 ,this true vine is ,christ2 not the man ,christ ,jesus1 but the living1 abiding ,christ1 the ,christ who is with his people alway1 even unto the end of the world 7,matt4 #bh3bj71 the ,christ whose true body is his church 7#a ,cor4 #ab3bg71 who is the head from which they all draw their life 7,ephes4 #d3ae2 ,col4 #a3ah71 who reproduces himself in every true disciple1 since only they in whom is the spirit of ,christ are truly his 7,rom4 #h3i71 and who is thus far more widely and potently in the earth to-day than he ever was or could be in the flesh4 ,this living and perpetually incarnate ,christ is in a sense identical with his living church1 as the vine is identical with its branches2 for as there could be no vine without branches1 so neither could this ,christ be without the church which he animates4 ,this ,christ incarnate1 not in the body of a single man1 but in the church universal which is now his body1 is the true ,israel of ,god1 the nation to whom the kingdom of ,god has been given1 that was taken from the old ,israel because it brought not forth the fruits thereof 7,matt4 #ba3dc74 ,this true vine is contrasted with the old ,israel which proved to be no true vine4 ,no longer is there any possibility that the vine shall be broken down and destroyed with fire as the old vine was 7,isa4 #e3e2 ,ps4 #hj3af72 but each branch that abides not in this everlasting vine1 this living1 perpetually incarnate and ever extending ,christ1 is broken off from the vine and destroyed4 ,in brief1 in studying this parable1 the student must not forget1 what the commentators have often forgotten1 that throughout this last discourse with his disciples ,christ speaks of himself not as a man about to die1 but as a living ,christ1 forever incarnate in the hearts and lives of his own1 living on in the world with mightier and wider influence1 and in more intimate communion and companionship with his disciples after his crucifixion than before4 ,it is this ever-living ,christ1 reproduced in all his members1 and spreading over the whole earth1 that is the true vine1 in contrast with the old ,israel1 which proved to be no true vine2 of this vine the ,father is the husbandman2 in this vine each individual disciple is a branch or shoot4 #a ,i am the true vine1#ega and my ,father is the husbandman4#egb #ega ,isa4 #d3b4 #egb ,cant4 #h3ab4 #b ,every branch#egc in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away3 and every branch that beareth#egd fruit1 he purgeth it1 that it may bring forth more fruit4 #egc ,matt4 #ae3ac4 #egd ,heb4 #ab3ae2 ,rev4 #c3ai4 #a1 #b4 ,i am the true vine4 ,so he is the true light 7ch4 #a3i7 and true bread 7ch4 #f3cb1 #cc71 the spiritual being the true1 the external and material being the shadows that are 8figures of the true0 7,heb4 #i3bd74 ,the images of the ,bible1 especially those employed by ,christ1 are not merely poetic figures4 ,the outward world is a real symbol of the invisible world1 physical growths are a parable of spiritual growths1 the kingdom of nature a picture of the kingdom of grace1 because both come from the same creative hand1 are made subject to the same great laws1 and are under the same great ,king4 ,the physical vine is the shadow2 ,christ is the true1 real vine1 whom the shadow symbolizes2 and it will last when the shadow has passed away2 as he is the true priest and sacrifice1 outlasting the apparent priest and sacrifice of the ,o4 ,t4 dispensation4--,my ,father is the husbandman4 ,cultivating the vine1 and superintending its growth4 ,this cultivation has been going on through the centuries1 in all the growth of that invisible but perpetually incarnated ,christ whose body is the church1 and who dwells in and is therefore represented by all his members4 ,the language shows clearly that it is not of the man ,christ ,jesus about to die upon the cross1 but of the ever-living ,christ1 immanent in the ,holy ,catholic ,church1 that he here speaks4--,every branch in me that beareth not fruit4 ,how can a branch be in ,christ and bear no fruit8 ,calvin's explanation that in me is equivalent to supposed to be in me is inadmissible4 ,it does not explain ,christ's words1 but substitutes others for them4 ,alford's explanation is better1 but it labors under the serious disadvantage of substituting for ,christ's declaration 8,i am the vine10 the very different declaration1 ,the visible church is the vine4 8,the vine is the visible church here1 of which ,christ is the inclusive head2 the vine contains the branches1 hence the unfruitful as well as the fruitful are in me40 ,but to be in the visible church and to be in living communion with ,christ are very different things4 ,i should rather say that ,christ here lays down1 in a simile1 the general law that to him that hath shall be given1 and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath4 ,if the soul1 in the measure in which it has knowledge of ,christ1 bears ,christian fruit1 it will grow more and more into oneness with and likeness of ,christ2 if1 on the other hand1 it does not realize the fruits of its knowledge in a life fruitful in ,christian works1 it will gradually lose its knowledge and become separated from ,christ4 ,thus both the grafting into and the separating from the vine are in the spiritual experience gradual processes1 and they depend on the fidelity with which the conscious branch avails itself of its privilege1 and shows itself worthy of larger privilege4 ,thus ,christ gives grace for grace 7ch4 #a3af74--;,he taketh away4 ,the same word 77 is used in #a ,cor4 #e3b of excommunication2 that indicates the meaning here4 ,it is not declared that the fruitless ,christian shall be destroyed1 though later1 in ver4 #f1 destruction is declared to be the final result of cutting off from ,christ4 ,fruitlessness cuts off 7excommunicates7 the soul from communion with and drawing life from ,christ2 this ends in spiritual withering1 death1 and destruction 7ver4 #f74 ,thus this declaration is the converse of that of ch4 #ad3bc1 8,if a man love me he will keep my words 7bear my fruit71 and my ,father will love him1 and we will come unto him and make our abode with him40 ,if he keep not ,christ's words 7bear not ,christ's fruit71 he will not have the abiding of the ,father and the ,son4 ,the fruit of ,christ is the same as the fruit of the ,spirit 7,gal4 #e3bb1 #bc72 and in the measure in which this fruit is borne in the life1 is the soul enriched in the spiritual knowledge of ,christ which enables it to bear still more fruit4 ,thus fruitfulness in the life develops the consciousness of ,christ's indwelling1 and the consciousness of ,christ's indwelling in the soul develops ,christian fruitfulness in the life4 ,the whole truth is well illustrated by #b ,pet4 #a3e-i4--;,and every branch that beareth fruit1 he cleanseth it that it may bring forth more fruit4 ,the word rendered in ver4 #b purgeth and that rendered in ver4 #c clean are radically the same4 ,christ cleanseth the soul 7#a7 by the operation of the law that right doing develops right feeling and opens the heart to higher influences 7ch4 #g3ag72 7#b7 by the sanctifying influences of the ,holy ,spirit1 which is given to each soul in the measure in which each proves itself worthy of and willing to receive him2 7#c7 by the discipline of life1 which is the manifestation of ,god's special love to the soul 7,heb4 #ab3f74 ,the object of all this redemptive work is in order that 77 the soul may bring forth more fruit4 ,thus ,christian fruitfulness in the life is both the condition and the final result of the divine purifying process in the life of the soul4 #c ,now ye#ege are clean through the word which ,i have spoken unto you4 #ege ch4 #ag3ag2 ,ephes4 #e3bf2 #a ,pet4 #a3bb4 #d ,abide#egf in me1 and ,i in you4 ,as#egg the branch cannot bear fruit of itself1 except it abide in the vine2 no more can ye1 except ye abide in me4 #egf #a ,john #b3f4 #egg ,hosea #ad3h2 ,gal4 #b3bj2 ,phil4 #a3aa4 #c1 #d4 ,already ye are clean through the word which ,i have spoken unto you4 ,ver4 #c must be read in connection with ver4 #d1 to which it is introductory4 ,through 77 always indicates the instrument1 never the cause4 ,the spoken word is the instrument in ,god's hand for the cleansing of the soul 7ch4 #ag3ag72 and when received by an obedient faith1 becomes the means of regeneration 7,james #a3ah2 #a ,pet4 #a3bc7 and the power of ,god unto salvation 7,rom4 #a3af74 ,this word is not any particular utterance of ,christ1 but his whole ministry1 both of promise and teaching1 including his gift of pardon and peace1 and his call to ,christian activity4 ,the meaning1 then1 is this3 ,you are already cleansed from past sin through your acceptance of and obedience to my word4 ,but you are not to imagine that my work is done when ,i depart and cease to be visibly present with you4 ,you are still to abide in me spiritually2 for without this spiritual abiding all your past cleansing can accomplish nothing2 without me as a living and life-giving ,saviour you can bear no ,christ-like fruit in your lives4 ,the lesson for us is that ,christ's work was not finished 7though his sacrifice was7 on the cross1 that our work is not finished in accepting forgiveness through him and consecrating ourselves to obedience to his will1 but that the finished work of his death was only preparatory for the entire work of his life in us 7,rom4 #e3aj71 and that our acceptance of pardon is only a preparation for a life continually hid with ,christ in ,god 7,gal4 #b3bj2 ,col4 #c3c74--;,abide in me and ,i in you4 ,this is not a direction and a promise1 equivalent to1 ,if you abide in me ,i will abide in you2 it is a twofold direction3 ,abide in me2 see to it that ,i abide in you4 ,it thus implies that ,christ's indwelling in us is dependent upon ourselves4 ,if any man hear ,christ's voice and opens the door1 ,christ comes in to him and sups with him 7,rev4 #c3bj74 ,he that hungers and thirsts after righteousness is filled 7,matt4 #e3f74 ,by fidelity and obedience we abide in ,christ2 by docility and spiritual obedience we open the door that ,christ may abide with us4--,as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself 7 7 except it abide in the vine1 no more can ye except ye abide in me4 ,so the ,son can do nothing of himself 7ch4 #e3ai1 note71 but does all things abiding in and through the power of the ,father4 ,the disciple abiding in ,christ comes at last to abide with ,christ in the ,father2 and this is the consummation1 when the ,father becomes all in all 7ch4 #ag3ba1 #bd2 #a ,cor4 #ae3bh74 ,thus all spiritual life comes from the ,father by ,christ1 through the instrumentality of the word1 to the soul that abides in and with ,christ as ,christ abides in and with the ,father4 #e ,i am the vine1 ye are the branches2 ,he that abideth in me1 and ,i in him1 the same bringeth forth much fruit3 for without me ye can do nothing4 #f ,if a#egh man abide not in me1 he is cast forth as a branch1 and is withered2 and men gather them1 and cast them into the fire1 and they are burned4 #egh ,matt4 #c3aj2 #g3ai4 #e1 #f4 ,i am the vine1 ye are the branches4 ,note the contrast4 ,no mere teacher or prophet could have spoken thus to his fellow-creatures4--,he that abideth in me and ,i in him1 the same bringeth forth much fruit4 ,this mystical dwelling with a living and present ,christ is the condition of a fruitful ,christian character4--,because apart from me ye can do nothing4 ,rather severed1 as a branch from the vine2 and the negation is intense1 a double negative3 ye can by no means do anything4 ,all ,christless activity counts for nothing2 it harvests 8nothing but leaves40 ,thus moral excellence is not the preparation for and the condition of spiritual life2 spiritual life is the preparation for and the condition of moral excellence4 ,though each promotes the other1 the first step for the reforming soul should be to seek union with ,christ1 without whom we can do nothing4 ,contrast with ,christ's declaration here ,paul's in ,phil4 #d3ac1 8,i can do all things through ,him 7,christ7 that strengtheneth me40 ,no conclusion can be drawn from this utterance respecting the vexed question of the natural ability of the soul to repent of sin and accept ,christ by faith4 ,for ,christ is here speaking to those who have thus accepted him1 and he declares simply the condition of fruitful ,christian activity for all those who are1 at least in avowed purpose1 already his4--,in case any one shall not have abided in me he has been cast out like the branch that is withered1 and they gather them together and they are burned4 ,this translation is ,meyer's1 who thus comments on the significance of the change in the tenses3 8,jesus places himself at the point of time of the execution of the last judgment1 when those who have fallen away from him are gathered together and cast into the fire1 after they have been previously cast out of his communion and become withered1 having completely lost the true life40 ,they that gather the withered branches for the fire are not men1 but the angels 7,matt4 #ac3di1 #ej74 ,the metaphorical language ought not1 however1 to be too far pressed4 ,the parable ends in a tragic consummation1 but ,christ pictures only the end of the fruitless and severed branches1 as a warning to the disciples2 he does not declare that this fate actually impends over any truly new-born soul4 ,hence we cannot deduce from his language the conclusion of ,meyer and ,alford that the verse involves the possibility of falling from grace4 ,the whole teaching is full of warning to every one to make his calling and election sure1 not to rest in a 8finished salvation20 and in this it corresponds with the uniform teaching of the ,n4 ,t4 7,phil4 #b3ab1 #ac2 ,heb4 #d3aa2 #ab3ae2 #b ,pet4 #a3aj74 ,the admonition is somewhat analogous to and may be interpreted by that of ,paul in ,ephes4 #e3f1 #g1 and ,col4 #c3e1 an admonition pertinent to all who substitute a supposed faith in ,christ's perfect work for practical obedience1 a faith that works by love4 ,alford's interpretation 8burneth1 not is burned in any sense of being consumed10 is a striking illustration1 such as ,alford does not often afford1 of modifying the text to escape an unwelcome conclusion4 ,the verb 77 is in the passive tense1 and the figure is certainly one of destruction1 not of torment4 ,but it is not to be taken literally4 ,the essential truth which underlies the metaphor is simply this1 that the soul which is separated from ,christ is separated from the source of spiritual life1 withers away1 and is eventually destroyed4 ,what is soul destruction is a question not here considered4 #g ,if ye abide in me1 and my words abide in you1 ye#egi shall ask what ye will1 and it shall be done unto you4 #egi ch4 #af3bc4 #h ,herein is my ,father glorified1 that ye bear much fruit2 so shall ye be my disciples4 #g1 #h4 ,if ye abide in me and my words abide in you1 ye shall ask what ye will1 and it shall be done unto you4 ,therein is my ,father glorified2 so that ye shall bear much fruit and shall become my disciples4 ,the words of ,christ are his whole teaching1 his commandments1 revelations1 promises2 to be accepted by obedience1 faith1 hope4 ,they are said to abide in the soul only as they spring up and bear fruit in the life 7,matt4 #ac3h1 #bc74 ,thus to have ,christ's words abiding in us is the same as to bear ,christian fruit4 ,to him who thus abides in ,christ and bears his fruit this promise is made1 analogous to and interpreted by that of ch4 #ad3ac1 #ad4 ,the prayers of those who are thus pervaded by the spirit of ,christ are1 like their ,master's1 those of not merely a humble submission to1 but a supreme desire for1 the will of ,god 7,matt4 #f3i1 #aj2 #bf3ci74--;,hence in answering them the ,father is glorified4 ,for the prayer of him in whom ,christ's words abide will always embrace a supreme desire for the ,father's glory4 ,comp4 ,christ's prayer in ch4 #ag4 ,answer to such prayers is given that the praying ,christian may both bear much fruit and become a disciple2 both fruit-bearing in the life and docility of spirit1 i4 e41 both practical obedience to ,christ and the spiritual capacity to appreciate ,christ's instructions1 are the result of this life of prayer1 and are a divine answer to prayer4 ,the translation given in the ,english version1 so shall ye be my disciples1 is possibly legitimate1 but it reverses the true order of the spiritual life1 by representing that fruit-bearing is the condition of becoming a disciple of ,christ2 and the other construction is both more in harmony with the general teaching of the ,n4 ,t4 and also with the original here4 ,that 7 is telic7 is equivalent to in order that1 but the meaning is not that ,god is glorified for the purpose of perfecting ,christian character1 but that prayer in the name and spirit of ,christ is answered for that purpose4 #i ,as the ,father hath loved me1 so have ,i loved you3 continue ye in my love4 #aj ,if ye#ehj keep my commandments1 ye shall abide in my love2 even as ,i have kept my ,father's commandments1 and abide in his love4 #ehj ch4 #ad3ba1 #bc4 #aa ,these things have ,i spoken unto you1 that my joy might remain in you1 and that your#eha joy might be full4 #eha ch4 #af3bd2 #ag3ac4 #i-aa4 ,as the ,father hath loved me1 so have ,i loved you4 ,abide ye in my love4 ,as indicates the quality and character of the love4 ,christ's love for the disciples is1 like the ,father's love for ,christ1 a love personal1 warm1 strong2 but one that does not shield from all temptation1 suffering1 or even injustice4 ,the word rendered continue in ver4 #i is the same rendered abide in ver4 #g4 ,my love is ,christ's love for us1 not our love for him4 ,the meaning then is1 ,i have loved you with the love which the ,father has for me2 so live as to retain this love4 ,and the next sentence indicates how this is to be done4--,if ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love1 even as1 etc4 ,on the meaning of the word keep1 see ch4 #ad3ba1 note4 ,the commandments are all summed up in the one command1 8,follow me10 and this again is interpreted by the command1 8,that ye love one another as ,i have loved you40 ,love is the key to ,christ's character2 to love is to follow ,christ4 ,a life of asceticism or of retirement and meditation is not the way to this indwelling with ,christ4 ,the condition is love in activity of service2 a love and life like that of ,christ1 which was neither one of asceticism nor one of repose4--,these things have ,i spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you1 and your joy might be full4 ,one object of his address 7comp4 ver4 #ag2 ch4 #af3a1 #d1 #cc7 is that he may perfect in them and in us that ,christian joy which is one of the fruits of the ,spirit 7,gal4 #e3bb2 ,rom4 #ad3ag71 joy in the ,lord1 i4 e41 in his companionship1 in fulfilling his will1 in suffering with and for him1 in doing his service 7,acts #e3da2 ,phil4 #b3ag1 #ah2 #d3d72 the joy which ,christ sets before himself1 and for which he endured the cross1 despising the shame 7,luke #bd3bf2 ,heb4 #ab3b74 ,by my joy is meant1 not joy concerning ,christ1 nor joy derived from ,christ1 nor joy of ,christ himself in us1 his disciples1 though this last is a possible interpretation1 but his own joy1 i4 e41 joy like his1 having the same source in ,god and the same quality1 enduring and invincible4 ,and if this joy is in the soul1 the soul is full2 it leaves nothing to be desired4 ,in words there is1 in experience there is not1 a contradiction in the implication that he who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief was also one possessing the most radiant joyfulness4 ,this promise of joy1 uttered by ,christ just before ,gethsemane and ,calvary1 is itself a song in the night1 and a promise of one to every ,christian soul in its own passion hour4 #ab ,this#ehb is my commandment1 ,that ye love one another1 as ,i have loved you4 #ehb ch4 #ac3cd4 #ac ,greater love#ehc hath no man than this1 that a man lay down his life for his friends4 #ehc ,rom4 #e3g1 #h4 #ad ,ye#ehd are my friends1 if ye do whatsoever ,i command you4 #ehd verse #aj4 #ab-ad4 ,this is my commandment1 that1 etc4 ,comp4 ch4 #ac3cd1 note4 ,christ reiterates the commandment which he has before given1 and points to his own life as the true interpreter of that commandment1 in order that he may guard them and us against that ,pharisaic obedience of external rules which selfishness and earthliness are continually substituting for a spiritual obedience to the one interior law of ,christian character1 self-sacrificing love4--,greater love hath no one than this1 that one lay down his life for his friends4 ,beware of reading this as though laying down the life were equivalent to dying4 ,to die for a friend is not the greatest manifestation of love2 to live for him1 by consecrating the whole life to him1 is far greater4 ,see ch4 #aj3aa1 #ag1 notes4--,as ,christ consecrates not only his earthly life1 but1 in his intercession with us and for us1 his eternal life1 to his friends1 so1 if we are his friends1 we shall lay down our lives for him1 not necessarily by dying for him1 but by doing whatsoever he commands us1 that is1 by living for him4 ,thus ,christ points out at once both the perfection of his love for his disciples and the perfection of that love which he desires from his disciples4 ,he does not here say1 however1 that to lay down one's life for one's friends is the highest manifestation of love2 still higher is that manifestation made by laying down the life for enemies4 7,rom4 #e3h2 #a ,john #d3aj47 #ae ,henceforth ,i call you not servants2 for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth3 but ,i have called you friends3#ehe for all things that ,i have heard of my ,father ,i have made known unto you4 #ehe ,james #b3bc4 #ae4 ,henceforth ,i call you not servants2 for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth2 but ,i have called you friends2 for all things that ,i have heard of my ,father ,i have made known unto you4 ,there is a verbal but not a spiritual inconsistency between the language here and that of ver4 #bj4 ,the service which ,christ expects of his disciples is that of love4 ,his declaration here explains his previous language1 which is that of authority4 ,he has said1 8,i am your ,lord and ,master0 7ch4 #ac3ac71 and has reiterated again and again that the condition of their spiritual life is obedience to his commandments 7ch4 #ad3ae1 #bc2 #ae3aj74 ,he now explains the sense in which he is a lawgiver4 ,he does not issue an imperial ukase and demand of his disciples a blind and unquestioning obedience2 he speaks as a divine friend1 interpreting to his disciples those laws of the spiritual life which he has himself learned in the indwelling of the ,father4 #af ,ye#ehf have not chosen me1 but ,i have chosen you1 and ordained#ehg you1 that ye should go and bring forth fruit1 and that your fruit should remain3 that whatsoever#ehh ye shall ask of the ,father in my name1 he may give it you4 #ehf #a ,john #d3aj1 #ai4 #ehg ,ephes4 #b3aj4 #ehh verse #g2 ch4 #ad3ac4 #af4 ,ye have not chosen me1 but ,i have chosen you and ordained you4 ,primarily the reference is to the choice of the twelve from among the disciples of ,christ to be witnesses and apostles 7,luke #f3ac2 ,john #f3gj2 ,acts #i3ae72 and this choice did not prevent one of them from becoming an apostate4 ,it is ,christ who chooses for each one of us his place and work in life4 ,that this is the primary meaning is evident1 not only from the parallel language employed in the passages above cited1 but also from the second clause of the verse here4 ,the word rendered ordained is literally placed2 and that is the meaning in this passage3 ,i have chosen you and appointed you your place in life4 ,so in ,acts #ac3dg2 #bj3bh2 #a ,tim4 #b3ab4 ,but it is also clear from the language of ver4 #ai1 ,i have chosen you out of the world1 that ,christ refers not merely to a choice of the twelve from among the whole discipleship for a particular work1 but also to a choice of them from the world to be followers of him4 ,and as an historic fact1 so far as we know the history of the twelve1 each one was first called by ,christ4 ,see for example ,matt4 #i3i2 ,mark #a3af-bj2 ,john #a3dc4 ,the vine precedes the branches2 the first life flows from the vine into the branches2 the first choice is the choice of the dead soul by the living ,christ1 not the choice of the living ,christ by the dead soul4 ,we love him because he first loves us 7#a ,john #d3aj1 #ai2 ,ephes4 #b3d1 #e71 and choose him because he first chooses us4 ,and1 however difficult it may be for us to reconcile this truth with our a priori conceptions of divine impartiality1 rightly held it is an inspiration to ,christian activity and a source of ,christian humility4 8,even when this doctrine of election has taken a narrow form--even when it has been recognized chiefly as exclusive--it has had a mighty power over the hearts of men4 ,they have given themselves up1 as they never could do when they thought they had selected their own destiny1 or were going on errands of their own4 ,but when it takes the form it has here 99 99 99 there cannot be any principle which is at once so humbling and so elevating1 which so takes away all notion from the disciple that there is any worth in his own deeds or words1 which gives him so confident an assurance that ,god's word1 spoken through him or through any man1 will not return to ,him void40--7,maurice47--,that you should go and bring forth fruit1 and that your fruit should remain4 ,they were chosen that they should go forth as apostles1 everywhere carrying the gospel of reconciliation1 and bringing back to their ,master the fruits1 in sinners converted and saints edified4 ,so every ,christian is chosen that he may go forth out of himself1 out of a life of mere personal enjoyment of religion1 and bring forth fruit that shall abide in other lives after his life comes to its close4 ,and he is bound to take heed that both in his life 7#b ,john1 ver4 #h71 and in other lives 7,rev4 #ad3ac71 there is fruit that abides unto life eternal4--,that whatsoever ye shall ask of the ,father in my name1 he may give it you4 ,both clauses of the verse are dependent on the general declaration1 8,i have chosen you40 ,for analogous construction1 see ch4 #ac3cd4 ,christ chooses his disciples that they may go out into the world and bring forth much fruit1 and also that they may ask of the ,father in his name what they need2 that is1 both for a life of ,christian activity and of ,christian devotion4 ,and the one is necessary to the other4 ,the ,christian brings forth much fruit only as he has power in prayer1 the power of a faith that ,god is able to do much in and through him 7,phil4 #d3ac72 and he has power in prayer only as he brings forth much fruit 7ch4 #i3ca2 #ad3g74 ,besser notes an evidence of emphasis which ,christ lays upon prayer in the fact that prayer in the name of ,jesus is urged in all three chapters of this farewell discourse4 #ag ,these things#ehi ,i command you1 that ye love one another4 #ehi verse #ab4 #ag4 ,these things ,i command you that ye love one another4 ,these things are all the precepts which have preceded from the beginning of this interview1 ch4 #ac3ab4 ,the whole object of ,christ's precepts is to produce a loving spirit and a loving life in his followers4 ,see ,matt4 #bb3cg-dj2 ,rom4 #ac3h-aj2 ,gal4 #e3ad2 #a ,tim4 #a3e4 #ah ,if the world#eij hate you1 ye know that it hated me before it hated you4 #eij #a ,john #c3ac4 #ai ,if ye were of the world1 the world would love his own3 but because ye are not of the world1 but ,i have chosen you out of the world1 therefore#eia the world hateth you4 #eia ch4 #ag3ad4 #bj ,remember#eib the word that ,i said unto you1 ,the servant is not greater than his lord4 ,if they have persecuted me1 they will also persecute you2 if they#eic have kept my saying1 they will keep yours also4 #eib ch4 #ac3af2 ,matt4 #aj3bd2 ,luke #f3dj4 #eic ,ezek4 #c3g4 #ba ,but all#eid these things will they do unto you for my name's sake1 because they know not him that sent me4 #eid ch4 #af3c2 ,matt4 #aj3bb2 #bd3i4 #ah-ba4 ,from this point to the end of the chapter ,christ passes to speak of the relation of the disciples to the world1 and continuing the theme in the next chapter1 points out 7ch4 #af3a-d7 the particular manifestation of the world's enmity which the disciples may expect4--,if the world hates you1 know that it hated me before you4 ,the world1 in ,john's use of the term1 signifies the unspiritual portion of mankind1 those who have not been taken out of an animal and sensual condition by being born from above4 ,see for illustration of his meaning ch4 #a3aj1 #bi2 #c3af2 #d3db2 #ab3ca1 etc4 ,many in the visible church may be of the world2 some without the visible church may not be of the world4 ,it was the church which most bitterly hated ,christ2 the publicans and sinners were drawn to him1 and their enthusiasm for him was his protection against the machinations of the hierarchy 7,mark #ab3ab2 ,luke #bj3ai2 #bb3b74 ,christ does not assert that the world will necessarily hate the disciples4 ,the disciple's life may be so ordered of ,god that it is never brought into direct collision with the self-interest1 the pride1 and the ambition of the world4 ,but if the collision does arise1 and the disciple suffers the world's enmity1 he is to be strengthened and comforted by the reflection that that has befallen him which previously befel his ,master4 ,comp4 ch4 #g3g1 where ,christ declares that the world cannot hate those that act in accordance with worldly policies and principles1 and #a ,pet4 #d3ab1 #ac2 #a ,john #c3ac1 #ad2 #d3d1 #e1 where the apostles employ the same consideration employed by ,christ here1 and for the same purpose4 ,it is better to take know as an imperative than as an indicative1 as an exhortation than as a mere statement of a fact4 ,it is thus analogous to remember in ver4 #bj4--;,if ye were of the world 99 99 99 because ye are not of the world4 ,the ,christian is in but not of the world1 because he is born from above 7,john #c3c71 and so is made a member of a kingdom which1 like its king1 is not of this world 7ch4 #h3bc2 #ah3cf74--,therefore the world hateth you4 ,not merely because the disciple is chosen by ,christ1 but because he is chosen out of the world1 and by his life of nonconformity bears a perpetual testimony against the world4 ,this enmity is illustrated by the case of ,daniel 7,dan4 #f3a-e71 ,peter and ,john 7,acts #d3ba71 and ,christ himself 7,john #aa3di1 #ej74 ,it is aroused whenever ,christian principle comes into collision with worldly interests4--,be mindful of the word which ,i said unto you4 ,bear it in mind as a talisman in time of persecution4 ,see marg4 ref4 ,this truth1 employed here and in ,matt4 #aj3bd for encouragement1 is assigned in ch4 #ac3af as a reason for humility4--,if they have kept my saying they will keep yours also4 ,this is not to be regarded as ironical1 as rendered by ,grotius1 nor is the word keep to be rendered watch with a hostile intent1 a forced meaning given to it by ,bengel1 nor is the language merely general and hypothetical1 which is apparently ,meyer's interpretation4 ,some will persecute1 others will accept and carefully keep1 the gospel4 ,the disciple must anticipate both results1 persecution and glad reception4 ,so it was in ,paul's experience 7,acts #ac3db1 #de1 #dh1 #ej2 #ad3d2 #ag3d1 #e1 etc474 ,the most popular preachers are also the most reviled and persecuted1 from the days of ,christ down through those of ,luther and ,whitefield1 to the present day4--,they will do unto you for my name's sake4 ,as the name of ,christ inspires the ,christian with peculiar courage and devotion1 so it incites in his enemies peculiar hostility4 ,the fact that this hostility is directed against ,christ1 and that in enduring it the disciples are suffering for ,christ and in his stead1 gives them peculiar strength and joy in their sufferings 7,acts #e3da2 #ba3ac2 ,rom4 #e3c2 #b ,cor4 #aa3bc2 #ab3aj1 #aa2 ,phil4 #b3ag1 #ah2 ,gal4 #f3ad2 #a ,pet4 #d3ab1 #ac74 ,thus the declaration here interprets the promise of ,matt4 #e3aa1 #ab4--;,because they know not him that sent me4 ,see ver4 #bc2 ch4 #h3db4 #bb ,if ,i#eie had not come and spoken unto them1 they had not had sin3 but#eif now they have no cloke for their sin4 #eie ch4 #i3da4 #eif ,james #d3ag4 #bc ,he that hateth me hateth my ,father also4 #bd ,if ,i had not done among them the works#eig which none other man did1 they had not had sin3 but now have they both seen and hated both me and my ,father4 #eig ch4 #g3ca4 #be ,but this cometh to pass1 that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law1 ,they hated#eih me without a cause4 #eih ,ps4 #ce3ai2 #fi3d4 #bb-be4 ,if ,i had not come 99 99 99 they had not known sin4 ,the meaning is not1 ,they would not have had the sin of hating me without a cause2 there is no definite article attached to the word sin2 the declaration is general1 as it is rendered by our ,english version4 ,moreover1 to say that men would not have been guilty of the sin of hating ,christ if ,christ had never come to their knowledge is to utter the merest truism4 ,this1 though it is the common interpretation1 and is adopted1 though not defended1 by such scholars as ,meyer and ,alford1 seems to me utterly untenable4 ,nor is the meaning1 ,they would not have had so great sin2 ,christ often uses metaphor1 but he never exaggerates4 ,by his death the ,lamb of ,god has taken away1 not some sins from the world1 but the sin of the world4 ,see ch4 #a3bi1 note4 ,hence the only sin for which men are condemned is that of deliberately rejecting the offer of free forgiveness and a new life through ,jesus ,christ 7ch4 #c3ah1 #ai1 notes74 ,other sins are not reckoned against them 7,acts #ag3cj2 ,rom4 #c3be74 ,they are judged by ,christ1 because they are judged worthy of life if they accept his free offer of it1 and unworthy of life if they put it away when it is offered to them 7,acts #ac3df74 ,hence those to whom ,christ has been offered are not condemned because of their past sins1 which are freely forgiven2 they are measured by their acceptance or rejection of ,him4 8,no man shall die in his sins1 except him who through unbelief thrusts from him the forgiveness of sin1 which in the name of ,jesus is offered to him4 ,this is the real sin which contains all others4 ,for if the word of ,christ was received every sin would be forgiven and remitted2 but since men will not receive it1 this constitutes a sin which is not to be forgiven40--7,luther47--,but now they have no cloak for their sin4 ,no cover or excuse4 ,ignorance is an excuse2 but when the offer of pardon and a new life is refused1 the sin is shown to be deliberately chosen4 ,every man naturally seeks an excuse for his sin 7,gen4 #c3ab1 #ac74 ,christ takes away every excuse and leaves the sinner1 at the judgment day1 to the sentence of condemnation4 8,i would 99 99 99 but ye would not0 7,matt4 #bc3cg74--;,he that hateth me hateth my ,father also4 ,because ,christ is the manifestation of the ,father1 therefore anti-,christ is anti-,god4 ,see ch4 #h3db4--;,if ,i had not done among them works which none other did4 ,not merely miracles2 the whole life-work of beneficent activity is that which attested to the ,jews ,christ's character2 and the whole work of beneficent activity wrought by him in the church universal is the ever-living testimony to the divine nature and authority of ,christianity4 ,the evidence of a divine redemption through ,jesus ,christ is cumulative2 and the sin of hating ,christ1 as embodied in ,christian principles1 truths1 and lives1 is consequently continually enhanced4--,they have both seen and hated both me and my ,father4 ,this was literally true in respect to the hierarchy at ,jerusalem1 who even as these words were spoken were plotting with ,judas for the arrest and execution of ,christ4 ,they determined to slay him1 because in no other way could they countervail his wonderful works 7ch4 #aa3dg-ej74--,they hated me without a cause4 ,see marg4 ref4 ,the language was employed by the original author--whether ,david or not is not quite certain--not with any distinct understanding of its prophetic significance4 ,it is here applied by ,christ to himself1 not by an accommodation1 but because all godly suffering in the ,o4 ,t4 was itself a type of the great sacrifice for ,god and man consummated by the cross of ,christ1 as all suffering in the ,christian church fills up what is lacking of that sacrifice to perfect the world's redemption 7,col4 #a3bd74 8,these 7verses #ba-be7 are perhaps the most terrible words in the ,o4 ,t4 or the ,n4 ,t4 ,no descriptions of divine punishment which are written anywhere can come the least into comparison with them for awfulness and horror4 ,this gratuitous hatred1 this hatred of ,christ by men because they hate ,god1 this hatred of ,god because he has manifested and proved himself to be love1 is something which passes all our conception1 and yet which would not mean anything to us if our conscience did not bear witness that the possibility of it lies in ourselves4 ,do not let us put away that thought1 brethren1 or the one which is closely akin to it1 that such hatred is only possible in a nation which1 like the ,jewish1 is full of religious knowledge and of religious profession40--7,maurice47 #bf ,but when the ,comforter#eii is come1 whom ,i will send unto you from the ,father1 even the ,spirit of truth1 which proceedeth from the ,father1 he#fjj shall testify of me3 #eii ch4 #ad3ag4 #fjj #a ,john #e3f4 #bg ,and ye#fja also shall bear witness1 because ye#fjb have been with me from the beginning4 #fja ,luke #bd3dh2 ,acts #b3cb2 #d3bj1 #cc2 #b ,pet4 #a3af4 #fjb #a ,john #a3b4 #bf1 #bg4 ,but when the ,comforter is come whom ,i will send unto you from the presence of 77 the ,father 7ch4 #ad3af71 even the ,spirit of truth 7ch4 #ad3ag1 note71 which proceedeth from the presence 77 of the ,father4 ,on the meaning of the particle here rendered from1 see ch4 #e3cd1 note4 ,these two clauses are not repetitions2 the one defines the other4 ,the ,comforter whom ,jesus sent at the day of ,pentecost to the church is that ,spirit of truth who ever proceeds from the ,father4 ,christ attributes all blessed redemptive influences in the last instance to his ,father2 as he is himself from the ,father1 so the ,spirit is from the ,father 7ch4 #g3bi2 #h3bf1 #ch2 #aj3ah2 ,gal4 #d3f71 and is sometimes called his 7,christ's7 ,spirit 7,rom4 #h3i2 ,gal4 #d3f2 ,phil4 #a3ai2 #a ,pet4 #a3aa74 ,to trace out from this verse the eternal relations between the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 is to import into this spiritual converse the unspiritual metaphysics of the scholastic period of theology4--,he shall testify of me 7ch4 #af3ac-ae74 ,and ye also shall bear witness1 because ye have been with me from the beginning 7,luke #a3b2 ,acts #a3bb74 ,a double testimony to the truth of ,christianity1 the spiritual and the historical4 ,after ,christ's death and resurrection the ,spirit made clear to the apostles the meaning of the enigma1 interpreted the prophets to them1 and opened unto them the true nature of ,christ's spiritual kingdom1 that they might testify unto others 7,acts #a3h2 #a ,cor4 #b3i1 #aj2 comp4 ,matt4 #aj3bj2 ,mark #ac3aa74 ,the apostles also testified to the facts which they had themselves witnessed in the life1 death1 and resurrection of ,christ1 as evidences of his ,messiahship 7,acts #a3bb2 #c3ae74 ,but1 secondarily1 every ,christian is a witness of ,christ by his own life and conversation1 testifying things which in his own experience he has both seen and heard2 and the ,spirit of truth bears witness both in him and through him to the power of ,god in a devout life 7,rom4 #h3af2 #i3a2 #a ,cor4 #ab3h-aa2 #a ,pet4 #a3aa2 #a ,john #c3bd74 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,ch4 #af3a-cc4 ,,close ,,of ,,christ',s ,,discourse4--,,the ,,presence1 ,,office1 ,,and ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,more ,,fully ,,described4 #a ,these things have ,i spoken unto you1 that ye should not be offended4 #b ,they shall put you out of the synagogues3 yea1 the time cometh1 that whosoever#fjc killeth you will think that he doeth ,god service4 #fjc ,acts #bf3i-aa4 #a1 #b4 ,these things have ,i spoken unto you that ye should not be offended4 ,scandalized2 caused to fall into sin4 ,see ,matt4 #e3bi1 note2 #ae3ab2 #ag3bg2 ,john #f3fa2 #a ,cor4 #h3ac4 ,the object of ,christ's teaching in these chapters is not merely to impart consolation to the apostles in their impending sorrow in his death1 but to impart strength to his disciples throughout all time in their experience of temptation4--,they shall put you out of the synagogues4 ,excommunicate you4 ,this was not in that age a mere ecclesiastical censure2 it involved the most serious consequences1 in exclusion from all business and secular relations with men4 ,see ch4 #i3bb1 note4--,yea1 the hour cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he is offering a sacrifice to ,god4 ,illustrated by ,saul of ,tarsus 7see ,acts #be3i71 and by the proverb found in the ,rabbinical books1 8,whoever sheds the blood of the impious does the same as if he had offered a sacrifice20 not less illustrated by the history of religious persecutions1 in which the persecutor has very generally believed that by slaying the heretic he was appeasing ,god's wrath against the community and the church4 ,such an experience1 if it came without forewarning1 would endanger their faith4 8,it would be a strange result2 fellowship with their brethren destroyed because they proclaimed the ground of fellowship2 death inflicted upon them because they preached that death was overcome4 ,might not poor ,galileans1 conscious of folly and sin1 often say to themselves3 #8,we must be wrong2 the rulers of the land must be wiser than we are4 ,ought we to turn the world upside down for an opinion of ours8'0--7,maurice47 ,this is always a temptation in times when ,christian principle seems counter to public sentiment1 a temptation not merely to abandon ,christian principle in order to conform to public sentiment1 but to think the principle which commends itself to so few and arouses the hostility of so many cannot be sound4 ,the ,greek student will find in ,alford's and ,meyer's interpretation of 1 that1 a curious illustration of the straits to which the commentator is put who insists on giving it always its accurate 7telic71 never its more popular 7ecbatic7 signification4 ,they are compelled1 in order to be consistent1 to read this declaration1 ,the hour cometh in order that whosoever1 etc41 that is1 that which shall happen in the hour is regarded as the object of its coming2 it is ordained for that purpose4 #c ,and these#fjd things will they do unto you1 because they#fje have not known the ,father1 nor me4 #fjd ch4 #ae3ba4 #fje #a ,cor4 #b3h2 #a ,tim4 #a3ac4 #d ,but these things have ,i told you1 that when the time shall come1 ye may remember that ,i told you of them4 ,and these things ,i said not unto you at the beginning1 because ,i was with you4 #c1 #d4 ,and these things will they do unto you because they have not known the ,father nor me4 ,the root of all religious intolerance is a narrow1 false1 pagan conception of ,god4 ,intolerance is impossible in a heart which rightly appreciates ,god as manifested in ,christ ,jesus1 and sincerely seeks to please him by imbibing his ,spirit and imitating his example and method4 ,on the other hand1 a conscience uninstructed by a measurably correct conception of ,god becomes itself an instigator of the most remorseless cruelty4 ,the cause of the wrong is in not receiving as a little child the teaching of ,christ1 and even of nature 7,matt4 #e3de71 respecting the comprehensiveness of the ,divine love4 ,all intolerance is rooted in self-worship1 making a god of our own self-will4--,but these things have ,i told you that when the hour has come ye may call to mind these things1 that ,i have told you them4 ,but these things ,i have not told you from the beginning1 because ,i was with you4 ,what are these things8 ,most commentators understand ,christ to refer to his prophecies in verses #b and #c1 and they understand his meaning to be1 ,i have forewarned you of those persecutions1 that when they come upon you you may remember that ,i did forewarn you of them4 ,but this interpretation is not consistent with the added words1 ,these things ,i have not told you from the beginning2 for the prophecies of future perils which threatened them are quite as clear in ,matt4 #aj3ag-bb1 #bh2 ,mark #ac3i-ac2 ,luke #ba3ab-ag1 as they are here4 ,meyer and ,godet even suppose that ,matthew has inserted the warnings in his ,gospel 7ch4 #aj7 out of their place1 taking them from ,christ's discourse here2 and the explanations given by other commentators1 if they violate the text less1 violate its meaning more4 ,luthardt gives them all briefly4 ,these things1 ,i think1 are not merely the prophecy of the persecutions which are to fall upon the disciples2 they are the whole comforting and inspiring instructions of this discourse respecting the person1 advent1 presence1 and indwelling grace and power of the ,spirit of ,truth and ,holiness4 ,the phrase is used here as in ch4 #ad3be2 #ae3aa1 #ag2 #af3a1 #f4 ,combining these verses1 we get ,christ's object in this whole instruction in the truth of the ,divine ,immanence1 namely1 that the disciples may be prepared for the progressive teaching of the ,spirit of ,truth2 that their ,master's joy in the ,holy ,spirit may be theirs1 and so their joy may be full2 that their lives may abound in the fruits of a love that is nourished only by the indwelling of the ,spirit2 that in trial and persecution they may not be offended and induced to abandon faith in him as their ,master2 and he urges them when this trial hour comes upon them to recall to mind this teaching respecting the indwelling and ever-abiding ,comforter1 teaching not given before except in hints and suggestions1 rudimentary and fragmentary1 because while he was yet with them in the flesh they could and notably did depend upon him4 #e ,but now ,i go my way to him that sent me2 and none of you asketh me1 ,whither goest thou8 #f ,but because ,i have said these things unto you1 sorrow#fjf hath filled your heart4 #fjf verse #bb4 #e1 #f4 ,but now ,i go away4 ,not my way2 the idea of departure simply is conveyed by the original4--,and no one of you asketh me1 ,whither goest thou8 but because ,i have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your heart4 ,the first clause is not literally true4 ,peter directly1 ,thomas indirectly1 had asked1 ,whither goest thou8 7ch4 #ac3cf2 #ad3e74 ,it is to be interpreted by the latter clause4 ,the meaning is1 ,instead of turning your thoughts towards me and my future glory1 and asking after my ,father and my home1 which you would do with rejoicing if you loved me supremely 7ch4 #ad3bh71 your thoughts are on your own loneliness in the future when ,i shall have left you1 and because of it sorrow has completely filled your heart1 that is1 to the exclusion of every other thought4 ,my words should bring you comfort2 they bring you pain4 ,there is a pathetic reproach in ,christ's language1 easily comprehended by every pastor who has attempted to point sorrowing souls to the invisible world1 only to see their grief burst out afresh at the awakened recollection of the earthly loss4 ,notice1 your heart1 not hearts2 the singular is used1 as in ,rom4 #a3ba1 because they are so thoroughly a unit in their common feeling of sorrow4 ,stier notices the contrast between the experience of these same disciples now and at the subsequent parting at the ascension3 8,these are the same disciples who afterwards1 when their risen ,lord had ascended to heaven1 without any pang at parting with him1 returned with great joy to ,jerusalem 7,luke #bd3eb740 ,a practical lesson to every mourner here1 as in ch4 #ad3bh1 is that he should not allow a selfish sorrow to fill his heart so completely that he cannot follow in his thoughts the loved one to his heavenly home4 #g ,nevertheless ,i tell you the truth2 ,it is expedient for you that ,i go away3 for if ,i go not away1 the ,comforter will not come unto you2 but if ,i depart1 ,i will send him unto you4 #g4 ,nevertheless ,i tell you the truth2 it is for your benefit that ,i am going away4 ,the original is stronger than our ,english version2 the implication is plainly1 as ,alford gives it1 8that the dispensation of the ,spirit is a more blessed manifestation of ,god than was even the bodily presence of the risen ,saviour10 and the reasons why it is so are intimated in previous parts of this discourse4 ,see especially ch4 #ad3af1 #ag1 notes4--,for if ,i go not away the ,comforter will not come unto you4 ,he does not say will not come1 but will not come unto you4 ,hitherto the ,spirit had been given only to men especially fitted by their spiritual nature to receive its teachings and to become in turn teachers to others4 ,after the death and resurrection of ,christ the ,spirit was given to the church universal1 to all believers4 ,see ,acts #b3h4 ,the language therefore does not prove1 according to ,alford1 that 8the gift of the ,spirit at and since ,pentecost was and is something totally distinct from anything before that time40 ,the difference consisted in its universal bestowal1 whereas before it was limited to a few4 ,why could not the ,spirit be sent until ,christ had first gone away8 ,because it is impossible for men to live at the same time by faith and by sight4 ,so long as the disciples had a visible manifestation of ,god with them1 they would not and could not turn their thoughts inward to that more sacred but less easily recognized manifestation which could not be seen1 and therefore could be known only by spiritual apprehension4 #h ,and when he is come1 he will reprove the world of sin1 and of righteousness1 and of judgment3 #h4 ,and coming1 that one shall convince the world respecting sin and respecting righteousness and respecting judgment4 ,in this and the three succeeding verses ,christ describes briefly the office and work of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,as the advent of ,christ was itself a preparation for the dispensation of the ,spirit1 and as in his departure he points his disciples to the indwelling of that ,spirit as the source of their hope1 their joy1 their love1 their entire spiritual life1 these verses1 in which he points out specifically the manner in which the ,spirit will develop this spiritual life1 may be regarded as the heart of this discourse4 ,to attempt to give the various opinions of conflicting commentators on this passage would almost inevitably entangle the mind of the student in a mesh of contradictory interpretations1 and would obscure rather than clarify the meaning4 ,i have therefore1 with ,alford1 8preferred giving pointedly what ,i believe to be the sense of this most important passage1 to stringing together a multitude of opinions on it1 seeing that of even the best commentators no two bring out exactly the same shade of meaning1 and thus classification is next to impossible40 ,much depends on the right reading of the five words rendered in our ,english version reprove1 world1 sin1 righteousness1 and judgment1 and ,i believe that very much of the difficulty in interpretation has grown out of imputing to these words a theological and scholastic meaning instead of taking them according to their most simple and natural meaning4 7#a7 ,the word reprove1 which ,i have rendered convince1 properly signifies to convince one of truth in such a way as to convict him of wrong-doing4 ,it is rendered tell him his fault 7,matt4 #ah3ae72 reprove 7,luke #c3ai2 ,john #c3bj72 convict 7,john #h3i72 convince of sin 7,john #h3df2 #a ,cor4 #ad3bd72 rebuke 7,titus #b3ae2 ,rev4 #c3ai74 ,here1 then1 the meaning is that the ,holy ,spirit will so bring to the world's consciousness the spiritual truths respecting sin1 righteousness1 and judgment that the world will stand self-convicted4 7#b7 ,the world is here1 as always with ,john1 the great mass of humanity1 not necessarily excluding believers1 but in contrast with the distinctive body of believers4 ,this world cannot receive the ,spirit of ,truth1 for it seeth him not1 neither knoweth him 7ch4 #ad3ag74 ,nevertheless it is this unseen and unknown ,spirit who can alone convince and convict the world4 ,the disciples 8are to despair of its ever coming from them2 they are to be sure it will come from the ,spirit with which ,he will endue them4 ,not they1 but ,he1 will convince the world2 because1 though the world may not receive ,him neither know ,him1 it has been formed to receive all quickening life from ,him2 it must confess ,his presence1 even if it would hide itself from ,his presence40--7,maurice47 7#c7 ,sin is primarily a miss or wandering1 but in the ,n4 ,t4 only in a moral sense1 that is1 a wandering or turning away from the line of truth and righteousness4 ,it is the first office of the ,holy ,spirit to show the world how this turning away from righteousness is the great folly1 the mistake in comparison with which all other mistakes are as nothing 7,prov4 #a3cb2 #h3cf74 7#d7 ,righteousness is primarily rectitude1 uprightness1 perfectitude of character4 ,john's use of the term is indicated by his employment of it in #a ,john #b3bi2 #c3g1 #aj1 8,he that doeth righteousness is righteous40 ,to understand the language here to refer to any doctrine of an imputed or transferred righteousness is to import into the simple language of the ,master theological ideas born of scholasticism and belonging to a later date4 ,the meaning is that he who convicts the world of having departed from righteousness will also bring to the world's consciousness a realization of the elements of true righteousness of character4 7#e7 ,judgment is primarily moral discrimination1 whether exercised by ,god or man2 its use1 to signify a tribunal1 whether human 7,matt4 #e3ba1 #bb7 or divine1 as in the frequent use of it to signify the day of judgment 7,matt4 #ab3db2 ,luke #aj3ad2 ,heb4 #i3bg71 is secondary4 ,john always uses it in the primary sense of moral and spiritual discernment1 except in #a ,john #d3ag1 where he defines his meaning by employing the phrase day of judgment4 ,the third truth of which the ,holy ,spirit will convince the world will be the true divine canons of moral judgment4 ,the general declaration1 then1 is that the ,holy ,spirit when he comes will convict the world1 by bringing to its spiritual consciousness the truth respecting sin1 or wandering from ,god and his law2 righteousness1 or the divine ideal of character2 and judgment1 or the true principles of spiritual discrimination4 #i ,of sin1#fjg because they believe not on me2 #fjg ,rom4 #c3bj2 #g3i4 #aj ,of righteousness1#fjh because ,i go to my ,father1 and ye see me no more2 #fjh ,isa4 #db3ba2 ,rom4 #a3ag4 #aa ,of judgment1#fji because#faj the prince of this world is judged4 #fji ,acts #ag3ca2 ,rom4 #b3b2 ,rev4 #bj3ab1 #ac4 #faj ch4 #ab3ca4 #i-aa4 ,concerning sin1 because they have not had faith upon me4 ,because indicates1 not the reason why the ,spirit shall convince of sin1 but the nature and evidence of the sin itself4 ,it may be rendered in that4 ,the meaning is not1 ,the ,holy ,spirit will convince of sin because they have not had faith1 but1 ,that they have sinned in that they have not had faith4 ,the fact that the character of ,christ does not call forth the moral and spiritual affections of the soul is the strongest evidence of that soul's insensibility2 and the fact that the offer of free pardon and the impartation of a new spiritual life is not accepted1 demonstrates that continuance under condemnation and in sin is the soul's free choice4 ,thus the sin of the world both consists in and is demonstrated by its rejection of ,christ 7ch4 #c3ah-ba72 not by any intellectual opinion entertained respecting him1 but by the lack of spiritual appreciation and the failure to give to him and his teaching the welcome of an affectionate and obedient faith4--,concerning righteousness1 because ,i go away to my ,father and ye see me no more4 ,christ is himself the ideal of human character1 the divine righteousness interpreted by a human life4 ,but this righteousness was not1 and could not be1 comprehended while ,christ still lived in the flesh among men4 ,the eyes of men were fastened upon the apparent ignominy of his position and circumstances1 and the divine love which is interpreted to us by his humiliation was to his contemporaries obscured by it4 ,it was necessary that he should go away to his ,father before the world could begin to appreciate the sacred meaning of a life which was so wholly laid down for others4 ,so1 habitually1 the world learns the meaning of a life after it has ended1 and honors after death those whom it has despised while living1 and forgets after death those whom it has honored while living4 ,the ,holy ,spirit convinces the world respecting true righteousness of character1 by spiritually interpreting to it1 through the ages1 the glory of one who could only be understood after he had gone away to the ,father and the world saw him no more4 ,to appreciate his righteousness they must look on him by faith and not by sight4 ,the more common explanation 7see ,godet and ,meyer7 that he who was put to death as a sinner was proved to be righteous by his resurrection and ascension is inadmissible1 because ,christ here says nothing of his resurrection or his ascension2 he uses the same phraseology which he has previously employed in this discourse in speaking of his death 7ch4 #ac3cc1 #cf2 #ad3bh2 #af3e72 and because he adds emphasis to the truth that it is his departure from them1 not his visible exaltation or ascension to which he refers1 by adding to the words 8because ,i go to my ,father0 the explanatory clause 8and ye see me no more40--,concerning judgment1 because the prince of this world is judged4 ,comp4 ,john #ab3ca4 ,in the history of the race1 the methods1 principles1 and policies of the world and its prince are being perpetually tried and perpetually proved false by their results4 ,thus the world and its prince are ever being judged1 and humanity1 by the progressive teaching of the ,holy ,spirit1 interpreting the book of ,god's ,providence1 are being taught the divine canons of moral and spiritual judgment4 ,this work is represented here1 as in ch4 #ab3cb1 as being completed in the death of ,christ 71 perf471 because the crucifixion of ,christ1 the consummate work of the ,evil ,one1 was at once his apparent victory and his real defeat4 ,in the crucifixion he pre-eminently had his own way1 and by the crucifixion he is defeated throughout the ages4 ,thus it is in and by the cross that he is pre-eminently judged4 ,on the phrase prince of this world1 see ,john #ab3ca2 #ad3cj2 and comp4 ,ephes4 #b3b4 ,interpreting it to mean ,christ is contrary to all ,n4 ,t4 usage4 ,in all this threefold work the ,holy ,spirit glorifies ,christ 7ver4 #ad72 it convicts the world of sin1 by showing what a ,saviour it has rejected2 it teaches the world of righteousness1 by showing the world in ,christ the divine ideal of sanctified humanity2 and it educates the world in judgment1 by the perpetual contrast between the policies of the world and the enduring and peace-bringing principles of ,christ1 demonstrating in the cross that the weakness of ,christ is stronger than the strength of ,satan1 and the defeat of ,christ is a victory over ,satan4 ,see #a ,cor4 #a3bc-be4 #ab ,i have yet many things to say unto you1 but ye#faa cannot bear them now4 #faa ,heb4 #e3ab4 #ab4 ,i have yet many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now4 ,this was ,christ's last conference with his disciples1 and in his interviews with them after the resurrection he added very little to the instructions previously given to them4 ,clearly1 therefore1 he here implies a progressive teaching to be afforded by him through the ,spirit to the church in the future ages4 ,it is of this future teaching he speaks in this and the next three verses4 ,these truths the disciples could not then bear1 that is1 lift up and take away with them 771 because they had not yet the mental and spiritual strength4 ,among the truths which were thus too much for them1 and which were mercifully concealed from their knowledge1 was the long period which must intervene before the spiritual work of the church could be completed and the world be ready for the ,second ,coming of its ,lord4 ,christ's language clearly implies that he held back phases of truth for which his disciples were not ready1 and thus affords a clear example and divine authority for the religious teacher1 who may never suppress the truth because it is unpopular--this ,christ never did--but who may and should adapt his teaching of the truth to the spiritual capacity of his hearers4 #ac ,howbeit when he1 the ,spirit of truth1 is come1 he#fab will guide you into all truth3 for he shall not speak of himself2 but whatsoever he shall hear1 that shall he speak3 and he#fac will shew you things to come4 #fab ch4 #ad3bf4 #fac ,rev4 #a3a1 #ai4 #ac4 ,howbeit when that one 71 emphatic71 the ,spirit1 is come1 he will guide you into all the truth4 8,the term guide 71 to show the road7 presents the ,spirit under the image of a guide conducting a traveler in an unknown country4 ,this country is truth40--7,godet47 ,this guidance is given to the church throughout all ages1 leading them by gradual processes into ever higher and broader conceptions of divine truth4--,for he shall not speak from himself4 ,from 77 marks the remote or ultimate origin or cause4 ,as ,christ traces all the source of his own authority back to the ,father1 who dwelleth in him 7ch4 #e3ai1 #cj2 #g3bh2 #ad3bj71 so he traces back to the same source the authority of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,thus he guards his disciples against that subtle tritheism which regards the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit as practically three deities4 ,see ch4 #ae3bf4 ,both the ,son and the ,spirit take those things which they receive of the ,father and give to the believer1 and the object of their ministry is to bring the believer into fellowship with the ,father4--,and he will show you things to come4 ,rather the coming things4 ,as the coming one 7 7 7,matt4 #c3aa2 ,rev4 #a3d7 is the ,messiah1 and as the coming world 7,mark #aj3cj7 is the ,messiah's kingdom1 so the coming things 7 7 are those things which are connected with the future advent and the final kingdom of the ,messiah4 ,the ,holy ,spirit shall not merely bring all things which their ,lord has taught them to the disciples' remembrance 7ch4 #ad3bf71 but shall also teach them concerning the things of the future2 he shall inspire their hope as well as clarify their memory4 ,this promise of ,christ was primarily fulfilled in the prophetic hopes and anticipations inspired in the early church1 and in the prophetic character given to many of the apostolic utterances1 e4 g41 ,rom4 #aa3be-cb2 #a ,cor4 #ae3ej-ec2 #a ,thess4 #d3ac-ah2 ,titus #b3aa-ad4 ,but this office of the ,spirit was not consummated in apostolic times2 those who submit themselves to his guidance and instruction will still press forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus1 ever looking for that blessed and glorious appearing of the great ,god and our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 8,he will not allow us to be satisfied with our advanced knowledge or great discoveries1 but will always be showing us things that are coming2 giving us an apprehension of truths that we have not yet reached1 though they be truths which are #8the same yesterday1 to-day1 and forever4'0--7,maurice47 #ad ,he shall glorify me3 for he shall receive of mine1 and shall shew it unto you4 #ae ,all things that the ,father hath are mine3 therefore said ,i1 that he shall take of mine1 and shall shew it unto you4 #ad1 #ae4 ,he shall magnify me4 ,that is1 the office of the ,spirit shall be to magnify ,christ1 his character1 his work4 ,see above on verses #i-aa4 ,any pretended dispensation of the ,spirit which draws the thought of the world away from ,christ to some other and independent authority is spurious1 whether it be that of ecclesiastical tradition as of the ,church of ,rome1 or that of the mysticism which substitutes an inner light for the word and authority of ,christ1 or that of spiritism1 introducing in lieu of that word communications with the spirit world4 ,that only is the message of the ,holy ,spirit which tends to magnify ,christ4--,he shall receive of mine1 and shall it show unto you4 ,to receive of ,christ 77 is to accept1 acknowledge1 and follow his instructions as a teacher4 ,this use of the word is especially marked in ,john's employment of it in respect to ,christ1 e4 g41 ch4 #a3ab2 #e3dc2 #ac3bj4 ,the declaration1 then1 is that the ,holy ,spirit comes not to gainsay or cancel1 and not even1 in strictness of speech1 to add to the instructions of ,christ1 but to accept them1 and accepting1 interpret them1 giving to them in the future apprehension of the church a profounder significance than they had or could have in the apprehension of his own contemporaries4--,all things that the ,father hath are mine2 therefore said ,i1 etc4 ,we are not1 however1 to imagine that ,christ's teaching is confined to the words uttered by him in the flesh and reported to us in the ,gospels4 ,all things that the ,father hath are his2 the book of nature and the book of ,providence are his as truly as the spoken and reported word4 ,and in receiving and spiritually interpreting the testimony of nature and life1 the ,holy ,spirit is receiving from him and showing to us4 ,if we understand his teaching aright1 we shall always see in it ,christ magnified4 ,in these verses 7#g-ae7 ,christ points out more specifically than he has previously done to his disciples1 and through them to us1 the office of the ,holy ,spirit and the nature of his dispensation4 ,it is for our benefit that the manifestation of ,god in the flesh and to the sense has ceased1 in order that the inward manifestation to the faith--profounder1 broader1 and more universal--may take its place4 ,this invisible but indwelling ,spirit comes that he may teach the world the reality and greatness of its sin1 the true conception of righteousness1 and the canons of a divine spiritual discernment4 ,this work of the ,spirit is a perpetually progressive work1 guiding1 by successive steps1 the church into the way of all truth4 ,in it the ,spirit speaks from and by authority of the ,father1 and concerning the future1 turning the thoughts of the believer ever toward a larger knowledge and a higher and diviner life2 albeit in all he acts not as a revealer of a new ,gospel1 but as an interpreter of the teachings of ,christ1 in the written word and in all the things of ,god1 in nature and life1 which are themselves the things of ,christ2 so that the dispensation of the ,spirit is not an addition to but an essential part of ,christianity1 the revealing in its fullness to the ever-growing spiritual apprehension of the church the truth of and from ,christ4 #af ,a little while1 and ye shall not see me3 and again1 a little while1 and ye shall see me1 because ,i go to the ,father4 #af4 ,yet a little while and ye shall not see me 771 and again a little while and ye shall perceive me 771 because ,i go away to the ,father4 ,there is some doubt respecting the last clause1 because ,i go to the ,father2 it is omitted by ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,luthardt1 and ,tischendorf1 queried by ,lachmann1 retained by ,godet4 ,but the fact that the phrase reappears in the disciples' expression of their perplexity1 in the next verse1 seems to me to furnish very nearly conclusive evidence that it belongs here4 ,those who omit it here suppose that the disciples put with what he has just now said1 what he had previously said in ver4 #aj4 ,observe the contrast between the first and second seeing2 two different verbs are both rendered see2 the one signifies properly an external perception by the senses2 the other is also used to indicate a mental or spiritual perception1 and that appears to be its meaning here4 ,in a little while ,christ should be no longer visibly present with his disciples2 a little while more1 and1 in the dispensation of the ,spirit inaugurated at ,pentecost1 they should again perceive him by spiritual apprehension4 ,it is evident that ,christ does not refer to his ,second ,coming1 both because he changes the form of the verb1 so indicating another and unsensuous seeing1 and because not a little but a long while was to elapse between the departure of the ,lord and his ,second ,coming4 #ag ,then said some of his disciples among themselves1 ,what is this that he saith unto us1 ,a little while1 and ye shall not see me3 and again1 a little while1 and ye shall see me3 and1 ,because ,i go to the ,father8 #ah ,they said therefore1 ,what is this that he saith1 ,a little while8 we cannot tell what he saith4 #ai ,now ,jesus knew#fad that they were desirous to ask him1 and said unto them1 ,do ye inquire among yourselves of that ,i said1 ,a little#fae while1 and ye shall not see me3 and again1 a little while1 and ye shall see me8 #fad ch4 #b3bd1 #be4 #fae verse #af2 ch4 #g3cc2 #ac3cc2 #ad3ai4 #ag-ai4 ,the disciples1 however1 had no other thought of any second advent of their ,master than that in which they should sensuously see as well as spiritually perceive him4 ,they therefore ask among themselves what he means by this distinction between seeing and perceiving him4 ,their difficulty was the same as that previously expressed by ,judas1 with the analogous declaration of ,christ that he would manifest himself to them 7ch4 #ad3bb74 ,it was enhanced by ,christ's statement that this new manifestation to the spirit should be in a little while2 for in his discourse on the ,last ,day 7see ,matt41 ch4 #bd1 notes7 he had plainly implied that a long interval of trial and persecution must intervene before his ,second ,coming in power and glory4 ,they therefore inquire in whispers of one another what he means by this1 8,ye shall not see me1 and ye shall perceive me10 and what by 8,a little while40 ,their fear to ask ,christ is one of the many indications of the peculiar awe which his presence inspired in them2 their love was reverential1 not familiar2 the love of a child for an honored teacher1 not that of an equal 7,mark #i3cb2 ,luke #i3de74 ,see further1 note on verses #bi1 #cj1 below4 #bj ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,that ye#faf shall weep and lament1 but the world shall rejoice3 and ye shall be sorrowful1 but your sorrow shall be turned into joy4 #faf ,luke #bd3ag1 #ba4 #bj4 ,ye shall weep and lament 99 99 99 ye shall be sorrowful4 ,these three different words are used to express the same substantial idea2 not to convey different shades of meaning1 but to give emphasis1 and to indicate the largeness and breadth of the impending anguish of the disciples4 ,to weep 77 is a general word including every external expression of grief2 to lament 77 is somewhat more specifically to wail1 and is used respecting the lamentation of hired mourners 7see notes on ,mark #e3ch2 ,luke #bc3bg72 to be sorrowful 77 is more spiritual1 and expresses the feeling of the heart rather than any outward expression4 ,the disciples lamented the death of ,christ at the time of his crucifixion1 and their lamentation was in striking contrast with the malignant joy of the world 7comp4 ,matt4 #bg3ci-dd with ,john #ai3be-bg74 ,they experienced in the apparent shame of their ,master's ignominious death a deep1 heartfelt sorrow1 but it was turned into joy when later they saw in the cross the manifestation of the wisdom and glory of ,god 7#a ,cor4 #a3bc-be74 #ba ,a woman#fag when she is in travail hath sorrow1 because her hour is come3 but as soon as she is delivered of the child1 she remembereth no more the anguish1 for joy that a man is born into the world4 #fag ,isa4 #bf3ag4 #bb ,and ye#fah now therefore have sorrow3 but ,i will see you again1 and your#fai heart shall rejoice1 and your joy#fbj no man taketh from you4 #fah verse #f4 #fai ch4 #bj3bj2 ,luke #bd3da1 #eb4 #fbj #a ,pet4 #a3h4 #ba1 #bb4 ,a woman when she brings forth hath sorrow4 ,the figure of a woman in travail is used in the ,o4 ,t4 to illustrate sudden and great anguish 7,isa4 #ba3c2 #bf3ag2 #ff3g2 ,hos4 #ac3ac2 ,micah #d3i1 #aj74 ,christ lays hold upon this familiar figure and gives it a new signification1 indicating that the pain is but a preparation for and a presage of a greater joy4 ,and this is generally the ,n4 ,t4 use of the figure 7,matt4 #bd3h1 note2 ,rom4 #h3bb74 ,the contrast is an instructive illustration of the difference between the ,o4 ,t4 and the ,n4 ,t4 ,we are not mystically to interpret the figure here by saying that the travail of the ,son of ,god was necessary in order to bring the ,messiah forth as a ,king and lawgiver4 ,however true this may be1 it is not the truth here enforced4 ,christ speaks not of his own suffering for sinners1 but of the suffering of the disciples in and because of him2 and this suffering he declares will be forgotten when it has accomplished its purpose and brought forth its fruits in and for them4 ,see the same general truth illustrated by ,rom4 #e3c-e2 ,heb4 #ab3aa4 ,observe that1 as above1 the sorrow is not merely displaced by joy1 but is turned into joy2 the travail is not merely followed by gladness1 but brings forth that which is the cause of the gladness4 ,comp4 ,rom4 #h3ah1 where the glory is represented as revealed in us because of the sufferings1 and ,heb4 #ab3aa1 where the fruits of chastening are promised only to those that are 8exercised thereby40 ,comp4 ,rev4 #g3ad4--;,i will see you again1 and your heart shall rejoice4 ,but he does not say1 ,ye shall see me again4 ,he is speaking not of his second and visible coming1 but of his spiritual and invisible presence4 ,his words are interpreted to us by history1 and the distinction between the two is plain2 to the apostles they were not so interpreted1 and upon the traditional report of such words as these the apostolic church may have built its hope of ,christ's ,second ,coming in their own time4 ,i will see you expresses ,christ's sympathy for his church in all their experiences1 whether of joy or sorrow4 ,see ,rev4 #a3ab1 #ac2 #b3a4 ,he weeps with those that weep1 and rejoices with those that rejoice2 not a hair of the head perishes1 not a sparrow in the church falls without his knowledge4 ,your heart shall rejoice foretells such experiences as those of ,peter and other apostles 7,acts #e3da71 ,stephen 7,acts #f3ae71 ,paul and ,silas 7,acts #af3be71 etc4--,and your joy no one taketh away from you4 ,because it is ,christ's joy 7ch4 #ae3aa71 a joy in ,god 7,phil4 #c3a2 #d3a71 which is in the new-born soul1 not merely given to it1 and therefore cannot be taken from it by any experience whatever 7,rom4 #h3bh1 #cg-ci74 #bc ,and in that day ye shall ask me nothing4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father in my name1 he will give it you4 #bd ,hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name2 ask1#fba and ye shall receive1 that your#fbb joy may be full4 #fba ,matt4 #g3g1 #h2 ,james #d3b1 #c4 #fbb ch4 #ae3aa4 #bc1 #bd4 ,and in that day ye shall inquire nothing of me4 ,verily1 verily ,i say unto you1 ,whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father he will give it to you in my name4 ,in our ,english version two different ,greek words are rendered by the word ask in this verse1 suggesting a contrast which does not exist in the original4 ,christ does not distinguish between two epochs in ,christian experience2 in the earlier and more imperfect one prayer being offered to ,christ1 in the later and perfected one prayer being offered directly to the ,father4 ,he specifies two distinct blessings which shall attend upon the dispensation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the disciples1 perplexed by ,christ's enigmatical language1 had desired but feared to ask an explanation 7verses #ag1 #ah74 ,christ tells them that when the ,holy ,spirit shall have come with his illuminating and quickening influences1 they shall no longer be perplexed by truths which now they cannot understand4 ,in that day they shall no longer need to interrogate him for an interpretation4 ,then he adds that this dispensation shall be one of great power in prayer3 ,whatsoever ye shall request the ,father he will give it you4 8,there is not in this verse a contrast drawn between asking the ,son1 which shall cease1 and asking the ,father1 which shall begin2 but the first half of the verse closes the declaration of one blessing1 namely1 that hereafter they shall be so taught by the ,spirit as to have nothing further to inquire2 the second half of the verse begins the declaration of a new blessing1 that whatsoever they shall seek from the ,father in the ,son's name1 he will give it them40--7,trench47 ,and in fact one of the first and most notable influences of the descent of the ,spirit was to make clear to the minds of the apostles those spiritual truths concerning the character of ,christ and his kingdom which had theretofore been hidden from their eyes4 ,and ever since1 growth in spiritual life has made clear sayings which are dark and incomprehensible to the unspiritual4 ,the reading1 ,he will give to you in my name1 is preferable to the reading of the ,received ,text1 ,whatsoever ye shall ask in my name1 7,tischendorf1 ,meyer1 ,alford47 ,but the fact that the ,father gives in the name of ,christ1 by whom ,he made1 sustains1 and governs the world 7,col4 #a3af-bj2 ,heb4 #a3a1 #b71 and through whom all his redeeming love is manifested to his earthly children1 presupposes that they present their requests through him as their ,mediator1 that is1 in ,his name4--,until now ye have asked nothing in my name2 ask and ye shall receive1 that your joy may be full4 ,not until the descent of the ,holy ,spirit did the disciples recognize ,christ as a ,divine ,mediator and ,intercessor4 ,prayer out of ,christ is offered to a ,god from whom the soul is separated by a consciousness of sin 7,isa4 #ei3b74 ,such prayer is often one of wrestling and of anguish2 and the deeper the consciousness of sin the greater the mental and spiritual stress4 ,christ lays emphasis here upon the fact that his disciples are to pray in his name1 that is1 standing in his stead1 the prophecies of the ,o4 ,t4 fulfilled and their sins and iniquities blotted out as a thick cloud 7,isa4 #dd3bb71 and they themselves brought into filial relations with the ,father1 reconciled unto ,god1 and receiving the ,spirit of ,adoption whereby they cry ,abba ,father 7,rom4 #h3ae74 ,thus prayer1 which in the ,o4 ,t4 was often characterized by fear and wrestling 7,gen4 #ah3bg1 #cj1 #cb2 ,exod4 #cb3ca1 #cb2 ,psalms #db1 #dc71 is in the ,n4 ,t4 almost always characterized by joy and thanksgiving 7,ephes4 #c3ad-ba2 ,col4 #a3i1 #ab2 #b ,thess4 #a3aa1 #ab74 ,in the reading of this direction of ,christ respecting prayer we are to interpret the direction to ask in ,christ's name and the declaration that the ,father will give in ,christ's name by the experience of the apostolic church1 who did all things in the name of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7,john #bj3ca2 ,acts #b3ch2 #c3f2 #e3bh2 #i3bg2 #aj3dc2 #af3ah2 ,rom4 #a3h2 #a ,cor4 #f3aa2 ,ephes4 #a3ba2 ,phil4 #b3i1 #aj2 ,rev4 #b3c1 #ac2 #bb3d74 #be ,these things have ,i spoken unto you in proverbs3 but the time cometh1 when ,i shall no more speak unto you in proverbs1 but ,i shall shew you plainly of the ,father4 #bf ,at that day#fbc ye shall ask in my name3 and ,i say not unto you1 that ,i will pray the ,father for you3 #fbc verse #bc4 #bg ,for the ,father#fbd himself loveth you1 because ye have loved me1 and have believed that ,i#fbe came out from ,god4 #fbd ch4 #ad3ba1 #bc4 #fbe verse #cj2 ch4 #ag3h4 #be-bg4 ,these things have ,i spoken unto you in figures2 99 99 99 but ,i shall show you plainly of the ,father4 ,in the imperfection of human language all teaching respecting spiritual things is of necessity in figures4 ,christ's teaching1 not only to the multitude1 but to his own disciples1 and in this last interview1 was figurative4 ,see for example ch4 #ad3b1 #af1 #ah2 #ae3a2 #af3ba4 ,but he foretells a time in which these spiritual truths shall be spiritually revealed 7#a ,cor4 #b3i1 #aj74 8,the entire human language is a parable1 as it does not admit of adequate expression concerning some things4 ,the ,lord therefore contrasts with the use of this feeble medium of communication the employment of one more internal and more real4 ,by the impartation of his ,spirit1 the ,lord teaches the knowledge of the nature of ,god freely and openly 771 without any fear of a misunderstanding40--7,olshausen47--,at that day ye shall ask in my name2 and ,i say not to you that ,i will request the ,father on your behalf1 for the ,father himself loveth you1 because ye have loved me and have had faith that ,i come from the presence of the ,father4 ,or from ,god2 there is some uncertainty as to the reading4 ,christ does not say that he will not request the ,father on behalf of his disciples2 but if we take the whole sentence in its connections he does clearly teach1 not only that no intercession is required to win the love of the ,father1 but also that they who have loved ,christ1 and have spiritually recognized the divine life manifested in him1 are thereby brought into direct personal communion with the ,father1 and need no intercessor4 8,while their hearts are the temples of the ,holy ,ghost and they maintain communion with the ,father they will need no other advocate2 but #8,if any man sin we have an advocate with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the righteous' 7#a ,john #b3a740--7,watkins47 ,beware of supposing that this passage impliedly teaches that the ,father's love depends on the prior faith and love of the disciple4 ,the contrary doctrine is abundantly taught in the ,bible1 and nowhere more clearly than in the writings of ,john 7ch4 #c3af2 #a ,john #d3i1 #aj1 #ai74 ,but love has many inflections1 and the fullness of the ,divine love is possible only to those who by love and faith enter into the adoption of the children of ,god4 ,the love of the father to the prodigal in the far country is not the same as the love to the same son1 clothed and in his right mind1 sitting at his father's board4 #bh ,i came forth from the ,father1 and am come into the world3 again1 ,i leave the world1 and go to the ,father4 #bh4 8,this verse10 says ,bengel1 8contains the most important recapitulation20 8a simple and grand summary of ,christ's entire life1 his origin1 his incarnation1 and his destiny10 ,meyer calls it4 ,it is this1 but also more than this4 ,the disciples have believed that ,christ came from the ,father2 ,christ seizes on this belief that he may awaken their hope by leading them to see that in going from the world he must return to the ,father4 ,thus he leads back their minds to the declaration1 8,if ye loved me ye would rejoice because ,i go unto the ,father0 7ch4 #ad3bh74 #bi ,his disciples said unto him1 ,lo1 now speakest thou plainly1 and speakest no proverb4 #cj ,now are we sure that thou knowest all things1 and needest not that any man should ask thee3 by this we believe that thou camest forth from ,god4 #bi1 #cj4 ,these verses clearly show a change in the spirit of the disciples4 ,they had begun the supper by a contention for the first place at the table4 ,they had almost scouted at ,christ's prophecy of their desertion 7,matt4 #bf3cc-ce74 ,the questionings of ,thomas1 ,philip1 and ,judas 7ch4 #ad3e1 #h1 #bb7 indicate not only perplexity1 but a state of semi-skepticism1 removed from absolute disbelief on the one hand and from unquestioning faith on the other4 ,this spirit is abated as the conference proceeds1 and it is because the disciples are ashamed to confess it that they question with bated breath among themselves the meaning of his words1 8,a little while and ye shall not see me1 and again a little while and ye shall perceive me0 7verses #ag-ai74 ,now they declare their doubts allayed2 there is no need to question him further2 they are convinced that he knows all things2 they are willing to take his declarations without questioning2 this absolute credence they declare as the evidence of their faith that he came forth from ,god4 ,they do not profess fully to understand their ,master1 only fully to believe him4 ,augustine's remark1 therefore1 is more epigrammatic than just3 8,they so little understand that they do not even understand that they do not understand4 ,for they were babes40 #ca ,jesus answered them1 ,do ye now believe8 #cb ,behold1#fbf the hour cometh1 yea1 is now come1 that ye shall be scattered1 every man to his own1 and shall leave me alone3 and yet ,i#fbg am not alone1 because the ,father is with me4 #fbf ,matt4 #bf3ca2 ,mark #ad3bg4 #fbg ch4 #h3bi2 ,isa4 #ej3g1 #i4 #ca1 #cb4 ,do ye now believe8 ,most of the commentators take this affirmatively1 ,ye do now believe1 and the original is capable of either construction4 ,our ,english version seems to me preferable4 ,christ does not indeed deny their faith1 but he questions it1 that he may lead them to question themselves4 ,he cautions them that their faith in his divine origin1 sweet as it may be to them in this hour of quiet conference1 is not sufficiently strong to stand in the hour of treachery1 peril1 and death4 ,so many a disciple has had faith in divine principles and truths in the hour of his quiet meditation upon them1 which he has deserted when holding fast to them would involve suffering4--,and ye shall leave me alone2 and yet ,i am not alone1 because the ,father is with me4 ,this sentence is one of those parenthetical asides which give us a glimpse of the inmost heart of ,christ3 his spiritual loneliness1 and the temper of his solitude4 ,see ,robertson's ,sermon on the ,loneliness of ,christ4 #cc ,these things ,i have spoken unto you1 that in me#fbh ye might have peace4 ,in#fbi the world ye shall have tribulation2 but be of good cheer3 ,i have overcome the world4 #fbh ch4 #ad3bg2 ,rom4 #e3a2 ,ephes4 #b3ad4 #fbi ch4 #ae3ai-ba2 #b ,tim4 #c3ab4 #cc4 ,these things ,i have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace4 ,by these things is meant the whole discourse contained in chaps4 #ad1 #ae1 and #af4 ,comp4 ch4 #ad3bg2 #af3d1 notes4--,in the world ye shall have tribulation2 but be of good courage1 ,i have conquered the world4 ,thus ,christ ends as he began this discourse1 with encouragement4 ,in ,christ we have peace1 because in ,christ we are more than conquerors 7,rom4 #h3cg4 ,comp4 #b ,cor4 #d3g2 #f3d-aj74 ,meyer well remarks that ,paul's whole life is a commentary on this verse2 and ,luther1 whose life was a scarcely less eloquent interpretation1 thus paraphrases it3 8,the game is already won4 ,do not be afraid that ,i will send you thither to venture it at your own risk4 ,the victory is already there1 only be undespairing and hold fast to it40 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,ch4 #ag3a-bf4 ,,christ',s ,,intercessory ,,prayer4--,,his ,,prayer ,,of ,,preparation ,,for ,,the ,,passion4--,,his ,,prayer ,,of ,,intercession ,,for ,,his ,,church4--,,his ,,mission ,,and ,,its ,,fulfillment4--,,the ,,mission ,,of ,,his ,,followers4--,,his ,,fourfold ,,petition ,,for ,,them3 ,,preservation2 ,,consecration2 ,,sanctification2 ,,glorification4 ,see on ver4 #bd4 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,we rightly hesitate to analyze or criticise any prayer2 the language of devotion is too sacred4 ,how much more when the prayer is the intimate communing of the only begotten ,son with his ,father1 a prayer which no soul can ever comprehend1 and none can therefore ever interpret4 ,nevertheless1 it would not have been recorded if it had not been intended for our profit2 and it can only be for our profit as it is made the theme of our reverent study4 ,in this exposition of it ,i avoid as far as possible verbal and textual criticism1 giving results rather than discussions4 ,these the student can find in other commentaries1 especially ,tholuck and ,meyer4 ,for the same reason ,i eschew theological polemics4 ,socinian1 ,arian1 and ,trinitarian have fought over the words and phrases of this sacred prayer1 each1 and perhaps the one not more than the other1 evolving from it arguments for his philosophy of the character of ,christ1 and of life here and hereafter4 ,into such conflicts ,i have no heart to enter4 ,the student will find them indicated1 and even illustrated1 in ,alford4 ,i have sought by meditation to enter into the spirit of this1 the most sacred utterance of our ,lord1 and ,i seek with simplicity to aid others in meditating upon it2 if through such meditation the spirit of the believer is brought into unity with the ,spirit of his ,lord1 it is enough4 ,the prayer is not didactic2 certainly not dogmatic4 ,the office of public prayer--and by giving to his church a record of this prayer our ,lord has made it public--is not to teach a system of theology1 but to deepen the springs of spiritual life1 by leading the sympathetic soul into the presence of ,god4 ,this prayer has a twofold aspect4 ,it is a revelation of the communings of the only begotten ,son with the ,father2 it thus presents to the church ,christ as the ,son and ,intercessor1 pleading for his church1 and shows us what are his most secret and sacred desires for us4 ,these are four3 election out of the world and preservation from its evil2 sanctification and consecration unto and in the truth2 the perfect unity of love1 in ,god and with one another2 and spiritual appreciation of and participation in the glory of the ,father and the ,son in the eternal life4 ,but since we are all brought through ,christ into the adoption of the sons of ,god1 this prayer is also an example and inspiration for us4 ,it is1 in a sense1 ,christ's second and fuller answer to the request of his church universal1 8,lord1 teach us how to pray40 ,the ,lord's prayer is given at the outset of our ,lord's ministry to those who are just learning the ,fatherhood of ,god4 ,this prayer of intercession is given at the close of our ,lord's ministry1 to those that had learned from him both what were their own wants and what their heavenly ,father's grace had provided for them4 ,the former is the model for the universal church1 young and old in ,christian experience2 the latter is an inspiration to those who1 through the teachings of their ,lord1 have come into fellowship with ,god and his ,son ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is not without significance that it follows close upon the teaching that ,christ is the vine and we are the branches1 that we see the ,father in seeing the ,son1 that after ,christ is gone and is seen no more1 he will yet be really present and spiritually perceived1 and that we are to ask in his name of the ,father1 who has himself loved us4 ,it is thus the ,holy of ,holies to which the preceding instructions have been as outer courts conducting us4 ,the key to its true interpretation ,i believe will be found in two facts3 7#a7 that it immediately precedes and is a spiritual preparation for the impending ,passion1 which in a measure the disciples shared with their ,master2 and 7#b7 the only glory which the ,n4 ,t4 recognizes is a glory of character1 not of circumstance or condition4 ,thus ,christ's prayer here is that he may be sustained by divine grace in the hour of trial1 so that the character of the ,father may be manifested by him in his patient fidelity to the end1 and that1 through his example and his ,father's influence1 his disciples may be made like the ,father and like the ,son in the glory of their love4 ,see further on ver4 #a4 ,there is some question whether we have the exact words of the ,lord or no4 ,alford goes beyond the declaration or even clear implication of the sacred narrative1 in saying1 in opposition to ,olshausen and the ,german commentators generally1 that we have here 8the very words of our ,lord himself1 faithfully rendered by the beloved apostle1 in the power of the ,holy ,spirit40 ,we can only say that the ,lord has just promised his disciples that the ,holy ,spirit will bring all things to their remembrance which he has said to them 7ch4 #ad3bf72 that on no heart would these sacred words be more deeply impressed than on that of the apostle who was leaning on ,jesus' bosom at the supper2 that we cannot conceive any utterance in the rendering of which that promised inspiration would be more likely to be sought by ,john and vouchsafed by the ,lord2 and that if we cannot be sure that we have the very words of our ,lord1 we can be sure that no modern commentator has the right to sift out the prayer and tell us what were ,christ's words and what were the ,evangelist's4 ,that the ,holy ,spirit did not consider the very words essential to our profit is evident from the fact that1 while the prayer was almost certainly in ,hebrew1 ,john's record is in ,greek1 and our version of it is in ,english2 but that we have in these words the very spirit of the prayer1 expressed as the ,holy ,spirit would have it expressed for the guidance and inspiration of the church universal1 is as certain as the doctrine of inspiration itself4 #a ,these words spake ,jesus1 and lifted up his eyes to heaven1 and said1 ,father1 the hour#fcj is come2 glorify thy ,son1 that thy ,son also may glorify thee3 #fcj ch4 #ab3bc2 #ac3cb4 #b ,as thou hast given him power over all flesh1 that he#fca should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him4 #fca verse #bd2 ch4 #e3bg4 #c ,and this#fcb is life eternal1 that they might know thee#fcc the only#fcd true ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom thou#fce hast sent4 #fcb #a ,john #e3aa4 #fcc ,jer4 #i3bc1 #bd4 #fcd #a ,thess4 #a3i4 #fce ch #aj3cf4 #a-c4 ,and lifted up his eyes to heaven4 ,see ch4 #aa3da1 note4 ,this is not an indication that he and his disciples had gone out from the chamber and were now in the environs of the city1 though ,godet even undertakes to fix the exact location3 8,jesus had spoken the preceding words on the road from ,jerusalem to ,gethsemane2 he was therefore on the point of passing the brook of ,kedron40 ,in fact1 these words indicate nothing as to locality4 8,the eyes may be lifted to heaven in as well as out of doors2 heaven is not the sky1 but the upper region1 above our own being and thoughts1 where we all agree in believing ,god to be especially present1 and which we indicate when we direct our eyes or our hands upward4 ,the ,lord1 being in all such things like as we are1 lifted up his eyes to heaven when addressing the ,father40--7,alford47--,and said1 ,father4 ,not our ,father1 for ,christ never identifies himself with his disciples2 nor my ,father1 for that would too strongly emphasize the separation between him and them2 without identifying himself with his disciples1 he yet uses language on which their spirits too can ascend towards ,god4--,the hour is come4 ,the hour of the ,passion1 to which all prophecy had pointed1 for which all the ,o4 ,t4 dispensation had prepared1 and from which all redemptive influences proceed4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #bf3de2 ,mark #ad3da2 ,john #g3cj2 #h3bj1 etc4--,manifest thine own ,son in his glory1 that thy ,son also may manifest thee in thy glory4 ,the changed position of the words1 in the two clauses1 in the original 7 in the first clause1 in the second71 justifies the rendering thine own ,son4 ,to glorify 77 in ,n4 ,t4 usage nearly if not quite always signifies to manifest glory4 ,the authorities which ,robinson 7,lex41 7 cites in justification of the definition to make glorious are at best of doubtful interpretation4 ,the glory of ,christ is his self-sacrificing love4 ,the noblest manifestation of this glory is his patient and peaceful endurance of the ,passion4 ,in the cross of ,christ alone would ,paul glory 7,gal4 #f3ad72 it is the ,lamb slain that is the glory of heaven 7,rev4 #e3f74 ,christ here prays that the ,father will so enable him to endure the cross that it may become glorious1 and so a manifestation of the ,father's glory2 it is ,jesus ,christ 8lifted up0 who draws all men unto him1 and this in order that through him they may be drawn to the ,father4 ,he prays that every knee may bow and every tongue confess him ,lord1 but only to the glory of ,god the ,father 7,phil4 #b3aa74 ,throughout this prayer the thought is always the same2 glory is of character1 not condition2 the glory of a divine love manifested in self-sacrifice2 making the ,son worthy to receive the peculiar love of the ,father2 making all that1 through ,christ1 become partakers of the same divine nature1 participators also in the same divine love1 sons of ,god1 and therefore one with the ,father and with his ,son4--,inasmuch as thou hast given him power over all flesh1 in order that 7for the very purpose that7 unto the all which thou hast given to him1 to them he should give eternal life4 ,maurice's criticism on our ,english version is just3 8,our translators would have appeared to themselves and to many of their readers to be using an uncouth and strange form of speech1 if they had rendered the words literally4 ,but ,i think they were bound to encounter any apparent difficulty of construction1 rather than to incur the risk of contracting or perverting the sense40 ,christ has authority 7the original implies both power and authority2 see ch4 #a3ab1 note7 not merely over all mankind1 but over all terrestrial life and the earth itself1 the abode of flesh and the realm of his redemptive work 7,col4 #a3ad-ah72 but this authority and power is conferred upon him by the ,father 7ch4 #e3ai1 #cj7 for a purpose1 namely1 that out of the world he may gather a kingdom1 receiving the entire body which ,god has given to him1 and conferring on each individually1 in that body1 eternal life4 ,thus here1 as in ch4 #f3cg 7see note there71 ,christ speaks of the all 71 neuter singular7 as given to him in a body by the ,father1 but of each one as receiving individually 77 the special1 personal gift of eternal life4 ,observe on the one hand that ,christ declares himself1 by implication1 ,lord of all1 not of ,jews1 or elect1 or ,christendom merely2 but on the other hand he also declares1 by implication1 that not all will receive from him the gift of life eternal4 ,there is implied a redemption universal in its offer1 but not in its results4 ,the whole is given to him1 but only that he may impart eternal life to the chosen4 ,who are thus chosen is indicated in ch4 #f3dj1 namely1 every one that seeth 7spiritually7 the ,son and hath faith in him4 ,because the ,father has thus conferred divine authority on the ,son1 for the work of redemption1 the ,son pleads with the ,father to so carry him through the ,passion hour that this redemptive work may be consummated and eternal life imparted to the believer4 ,beware of reading eternal life here as equivalent to everlasting life or age-abiding life4 ,the duration is merely incidental2 spiritual life is everlasting2 but that which is essential is its spirituality1 not its endurance4 ,the nature of this life is indicated in the next sentence4--,but this is eternal life1 that they may know thee the only true ,god1 and him whom thou hast sent forth1 ,jesus the ,messiah4 ,that 77 cannot here be rendered in order that1 and curiously both ,alford and ,meyer1 who insist that it is always telic1 i4 e41 always signifies intention1 here render it without that signification4 8,this knowledge of ,god here desired is the eternal life0 7,meyer72 8is1 not is the way to0 7,alford74 ,spiritual knowledge and spiritual life are in so far the same that neither is possible without the other4 ,we become like ,god only as we know him 7#b ,cor4 #c3ah2 #a ,john #c3b72 we know him only as1 becoming like him1 we become sharers of his life 7,matt4 #e3h2 ,john #c3c2 ,heb4 #ab3ad2 #b ,pet4 #a3e-i74 ,for this knowledge 77 is not intellectual understanding of the truth about ,god1 but a personal and spiritual acquaintance with him2 it is not psychological1 but sympathetic4 ,see ,jer4 #i3bd2 ,ephes4 #c3ai2 ,phil4 #c3aj2 comp4 #a ,cor4 #h3b4 ,the connecting particles are important4 ,christ prays that the ,father will glorify him in the approaching ,passion1 in order that he may be able to give eternal life to those whom the ,father has given to him1 for this life can be given only by giving them a true apprehension of the one ,god1 and he can be made known to them only through him whom he hath sent into the world1 ,jesus the ,messiah4 ,the knowledge of the only true ,god is in contrast with polytheistic paganism2 knowledge of ,jesus as the ,messiah is in contrast with ,jewish pride and prejudice4 ,the first was the burden of ,paul's preaching at ,athens2 the second of ,peter's preaching at ,jerusalem 7,acts #b3bb-cf2 #ag3bb-cd74 ,the use of the third person here1 and the phrase ,jesus ,christ1 often found together in the ,epistles1 but never in ,christ's previous discourses1 have been cited by rationalistic critics as an evidence that this prayer was the work of a later writer1 who with doubtful dramatic license put it into the mouth of ,christ4 ,the answer is 7#a7 that the time had now come for ,jesus to declare in unmistakable language his ,messiahship1 and that no more natural or suitable form could be employed than that of such a prayer2 7#b7 that the very fact that the names appear so frequently in conjunction in the ,apostolic writings1 and in the early church1 is itself a reason for believing that the apostles derived them from their ,master4 #d ,i#fcf have glorified thee on the earth3 ,i#fcg have finished the work which thou gavest me to do4 #fcf ch4 #ad3ac4 #fcg ch4 #ai3cj2 #b ,tim4 #d3g4 #e ,and now1 ,o ,father1 glorify thou me1 with thine own self1 with the glory which ,i#fch had with thee before the world was4 #fch ch4 #a3a1 #b2 ,phil4 #b3f2 ,heb4 #a3c1 #aj4 #d1 #e4 ,i have manifested thy glory on the earth3 ,i have finished the work which thou gavest me to do4 ,by anticipation ,christ regards that as consummated1 the consummation of which is so near at hand4 ,in fact1 not the least part of his work was the endurance of the ,passion of the next twenty-four hours4 ,comp4 ,paul in #b ,tim4 #d3g1 8,i have finished my course10 etc4--,and now glorify thou me1 ,o ,father1 with thyself1 with that glory which ,i have always had with thee before the world was4 ,that is1 ,manifest my glory in and with thee1 that glory which ,i have always possessed4 ,the word glorify is used throughout this prayer1 ,i believe1 always with the one signification1 viz41 to show forth glory1 not to confer it 7see on ver4 #a71 and that the glory of inherent character1 not of circumstance or condition4 ,i have had 71 imperfect7 is1 as above rendered1 equivalent to always or habitually had4 ,the language before the world was clearly implies ,christ's pre-existence with the ,father from the creation of the world4 ,it is not1 and by no candid interpretation can be made1 the language of a merely human experience4 ,god is said to have chosen his saints 7,ephes4 #a3d71 but not to have loved and glorified them1 from before the beginning of the world2 but ,christ's grace was prepared and his glory was manifested before the foundation of the world 7,col4 #a3ag2 #b ,tim4 #a3i2 ,titus #a3b74 ,christ declares that he has manifested the glory of the ,father by the fulfilling of the ,father's work thus far2 and he prays the ,father to remember the glory of love which bound the ,son and the ,father together in the eternal life of the past1 and to so sustain him in the trying experiences of the present1 that this divine glory1 which he has had with the ,father from before the beginning of the world1 may be made manifest4 #f ,i#fci have manifested thy name unto the men which thou#fdj gavest me out of the world3 thine they were1 and thou gavest them me2 and they have kept thy#fda word4 #fci verse #bf2 ,ps4 #bb3bb4 #fdj verses #b1 #i1 #aa2 ,rom4 #h3cj4 #fda ,heb4 #c3f4 #f4 ,christ here passes from the prayer for himself to the intercessory prayer for his disciples1 with whom1 by the request in ver4 #bj1 he includes all who have faith in him1 through all time4--,i have manifested thy name unto the men whom thou entrusted to me out of the world4 ,thine they were1 and thou entrusted them to me2 and they have guarded thy teaching4 ,to manifest is literally to cause to shine 71 from 74 ,the name that was enveloped in darkness1 of him whom no one by searching can find out1 who was1 and apart from ,christ ever is1 the unknown and unknowable1 ,christ has made to shine forth out of the darkness4 ,the name represents all that which lies back of and gives meaning to the name1 here the power and character of ,god4 ,see ,matt4 #bh3ai1 note4 ,especially his name of ,father ,christ has made to shine out upon a before orphaned world1 both by manifesting in himself the character of ,god the ,father1 and by his life1 and notably by this prayer1 manifesting also the relation which may and should subsist between the children and the ,father to whom ,christ gives access 7,rom4 #e3b2 ,ephes4 #b3ah2 #c3ab74 ,the verb rendered gave1 here and below 771 is equally capable of being rendered entrusted or committed 7,rob4 ,lex474 ,this is clearly its meaning in ,matt4 #af3ai2 #be3ae2 ,john #e3bb2 and ,i think represents the meaning here and in ,john #aj3bi better than the word gave4 ,the ,father entrusts his children to the guardian keeping of his ,son1 but will at the end receive them again unto himself when the ,son delivers up the kingdom to ,god1 even the ,father 7#a ,cor4 #ae3bd74 ,they were the ,father's 7thine7 before they were entrusted to the ,son1 not because they were ,israelites2 for ,christ includes all1 ,gentiles as well as ,jews1 in this prayer1 and elsewhere makes it clear that he does not regard any one as of ,god because descended from ,abraham 7ch4 #h3cg1 #ci1 #dj2 comp4 ,luke #c3h72 nor because they were chosen by ,god from the foundation of the world2 for there is no distinct declaration nor any necessary implication of election1 either absolute or conditional1 here4 ,the disciple of ,christ is the ,father's1 because he is born from above1 by the ,spirit of ,god1 before he can see the kingdom of ,god1 certainly therefore before by faith he can enter it4 ,thus he is of the ,father before he hears ,christ's voice2 he is given by the ,father to the ,son before he comes to the ,son 7,john #c3e2 #f3cg1 #dd2 #h3dg74 ,teaching or word 771 a different ,greek word from that rendered words in ver4 #h1 indicates the whole system of divine truth entrusted by the ,father to ,christ and by him taught to his disciples1 and pre-eminently that truth of ,god which was embodied in the ,son's life and death even more than in his verbal instructions 7ch4 #g3af2 #ab3dh1 #di74 ,it is called the ,father's word or teaching because the words of ,christ were not his1 but the ,father's 7ch4 #ad3bd74 ,to keep 77 is to guard watchfully1 as one guards a prisoner2 it therefore includes the idea both of watchful attention to the word and solicitude to preserve it by obedience in the life and heart 7ch4 #h3ea1 note74 ,christ then declares that he has made luminous the name of ,god1 by interpreting the divine ,fatherhood1 not to the whole world1 but to those selected out of the world and entrusted to his guardian keeping2 and that those thus entrusted to him by the ,father1 to whom they owe the first impulse of divine life that sent them to ,christ for light1 have been attentive to hear and careful to preserve the instructions they have received from him4 ,in the succeeding two verses he indicates what was the heart of this divine instruction4 #g ,now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee4 #h ,for ,i have given unto them the words#fdb which thou gavest me2 and they have received them1 and have known surely that ,i came out from thee1 and they have believed that thou didst send me4 #fdb ch4 #f3fh2 #ad3aj4 #g1 #h4 ,now4 ,already2 the word is emphatic4--,they know4 ,assuredly know2 the perfect tense has the present signification1 but indicates completed knowledge2 not that the disciples were perfect in knowledge of ,christian truth1 but they were fully convinced of the fundamental truth of ,christianity1 viz41 that it is a divine revelation1 not an earth-born and human philosophy4--,that all things whatsoever thou hast entrusted to me are bestowed by thee4 ,are of thee 7 7 signifies bestowed by thee2 the former is the more literal1 the latter is the truer translation1 because it renders the ,greek idiom into its ,english equivalent 7see ,rob4 ,lex41 1 ,i3#b74 ,christianity is a gift of the ,father through ,christ4--,that the words which thou hast entrusted to me ,i have entrusted to them4 ,this clause1 like the preceding one1 is dependent on the first clause2 the disciples have assuredly known that whatsoever truths are possessed by ,christ came from the ,father1 and that whatsoever the ,father has entrusted to him he has in turn entrusted to them1 keeping nothing back for fear or favor4 ,comp4 ,acts #bj3bj1 #bg4 ,i see no reason for translating the same ,greek particle 77 that in ver4 #g1 for or because in ver4 #h1 first clause1 and that again in the last clause of the same verse4 ,christ before spoke of doctrine or teaching 771 i4 e41 the system as a whole2 he now speaks of words 771 thus emphasizing the truth that each specific word in his teaching1 whether of promise1 commandment1 or instruction1 is from the ,father4 ,these words were entrusted by the ,father to ,christ1 and now that ,christ is about to leave his disciples he entrusts these words in turn to them1 sending them forth1 as he himself was sent forth1 to teach only what they are commanded4 ,see ver4 #ah2 ,matt4 #bh3bj4 ,he does not merely give these words to us for our own behoof2 he entrusts them to us to be used for others4--,and they have received 7not them1 an addition by the translators which the context does not warrant71 and known assuredly that from thee ,i came forth4 ,they have just declared their reception of this central truth of ,christianity1 that ,jesus ,christ came forth from the ,father 7ch4 #af3bi1 #cj74 ,they not only have known that ,christ has taught only what the ,father imparted to him1 i4 e41 is a teacher sent from ,god 7ch4 #c3b1 note71 but they have gone on from this knowledge to the spiritual reception by faith of the truth that ,christ himself has come forth from the ,father4 ,their faith has laid hold on not only his divine teaching1 but also his divine character4 ,whosoever begins by accepting ,christ as a divine and authoritative teacher1 and holds fast to that faith1 grows into the experience of continuous acceptance of him in his person and character as a manifestation of the ,father from whom not only the words1 but he himself1 came forth4--,and have had faith that thou didst send me4 8,that ,i came out from thee is more a matter of conviction from inference1 hence they have known2 whereas the other side of the same truth1 thou hast sent me forth1 the act of the ,father unseen by us1 is more a matter of pure faith1 hence they have had faith40--7,alford47 #i ,i pray for them3 ,i pray not for the world1#fdc but for them which thou hast given me2 for they are thine4 #fdc #a ,john #e3ai4 #aj ,and all mine#fdd are thine1 and thine are mine2 and ,i#fde am glorified in them4 #fdd ch4 #af3ae4 #fde ,gal4 #a3bd2 #a ,pet4 #b3i4 #i1 #aj4 ,i am praying for them2 ,i am not praying for the world4 ,it is monstrous exegesis to conclude from this that ,christ never prays for the world2 he simply says1 ,i am not now praying for the world1 but for my own disciples4 ,he enjoined on his followers to pray for the unbelieving 7,matt4 #e3dd72 he prayed upon the cross for them1 8,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do0 7,luke #bc3cd72 in this very prayer1 in ver4 #bc1 he prays 8,that the world may know that thou hast sent me10 etc4 ,the tense here is present1 and the above translation accurately represents the original4 ,in asking for those who have accepted him as a manifestation of the glory of the ,father1 that they may be kept even unto the end1 he is praying for his own4 8,the most he asked for the world is that it may be converted1 not that it may be sanctified or kept40--7,luther47 ,to the same effect are ,godet1 ,alford1 ,meyer1 and the modern commentators generally4--,but for those whom thou hast entrusted to me2 for they are thine2 and mine all are thine1 and thine mine1 and my glory is manifested in them4 ,all is emphatic2 the only begotten ,son has nothing in reserve from the ,father4 ,what ,luther says is true3 8,any man may say1 ,what is mine is thine1 but only the ,son can say1 ,what is thine is mine20 nevertheless there are few that can utter with the whole heart1 and without any reserve1 even the first clause1 8,mine all are thine40 ,christ pleads for his own on two grounds3 7#a7 ,they are the ,father's in the ownership of love2 thus the covenant mercy of ,god for his own is plead as one ground of intercession4 ,comp4 ,ps4 #ea3a2 #fi3ac1 #af4 7#b7 ,they are entrusted to the ,son's safe-keeping1 and their preservation and sanctification will manifest the ,son's glory1 i4 e41 the glory of his redeeming love and power2 thus the ,father's love for the ,son is plead as a second ground of intercession4 ,thus also his example indicates what it is to pray to the ,father in the name of the ,son1 viz41 in order that his glory of redeeming love may be manifested4 ,while this declaration1 8,mine all are thine and thine mine10 is to be taken in its more comprehensive sense1 as indicating the unity of the ,son and the ,father in all things1 yet the context gives a peculiar and spiritual significance to it4 ,all that come to ,christ by faith1 so becoming his1 are born from above and are the children of ,god2 and all that are truly born from above and are the children of ,god come to ,christ by faith1 and so become his 7ch4 #f3dd1 #de2 #h3db1 #dg74 #aa ,and now ,i am no more in the world1 but these are in the world1 and ,i come to thee4 ,holy ,father1 keep#fdf through thine own name#fdg those whom thou hast given me1 that they may be one1 as we are4 #fdf #a ,pet4 #a3e2 ,jude #a3bd4 #fdg ,prov4 #ah3aj4 #ab ,while ,i was with them in the world1 ,i kept them in thy name3 those that thou gavest me ,i have kept1 and none of them is lost1 but the son of perdition2 that the scripture#fdh might be fulfilled4 #fdh ,ps4 #aji3h2 ,acts #a3bj4 #aa1 #ab4 ,and now ,i am no more in the world1 and these are in the world1 and ,i am coming to thee4 ,an additional plea for those whom he is leaving behind4 ,he can no longer be with them1 their guide and guardian2 therefore he pleads for the guidance and the guardianship of the ,father4--,o ,holy ,father1 guard them in that name of thine which thou hast entrusted to me1 in order that they may be one in like manner as we are4 ,there is some uncertainty as to the reading2 71 and and are all found in ,,mss47 ,some manuscripts give authority for our ,english version1 ,keep those whom thou hast entrusted to me2 others give as above1 ,keep those in thy name which thou hast entrusted to me4 ,the latter is sustained by the best critics 7,alford1 ,meyer1 ,bengel1 ,groesback1 ,tischendorf74 ,every word in this sentence is weighty4 ,the meaning of holy is pure1 clean1 without blemish4 ,the divine holiness is ever going out of itself1 imparting of itself to others1 aiming to make all other natures holy2 thus by the appellation ,holy ,father ,christ appeals to the cleansing nature of the ,father4 ,to keep is to guard with watchful care4 ,see above on ver4 #f4 ,in 77 is instrumental2 as the life of the flower is preserved in the sunshine1 so the life of the soul in the name of the ,father1 in whom we live and move and have our being4 ,the name stands here1 as above 7ver4 #f71 for all which that name represents3 the paternal ,god4 ,this name was not given to ,christ1 he does not bear it2 but it was entrusted to ,christ1 that he might manifest it to his disciples1 by teaching them the ,fatherhood of ,god2 and it is to this name that ,christ commends his disciples1 for it is by faith in this name1 i4 e41 in the essential fatherly character of ,god1 that the disciple receives the spirit of adoption whereby he becomes a child of ,god 7,rom4 #h3ae-ag71 and it is this faith in his ,father's holy keeping which is a shield to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 7,ephes4 #f3af74 ,in order that may grammatically express either the object for which the ,father's name was entrusted to ,christ1 or the object of the holy keeping which ,christ seeks for his disciples4 ,in fact1 the object of the manifestation and of the fatherly guardianship is the same1 namely1 that the disciples who have by faith received that name1 and are protected by it1 may become partakers of the divine nature1 and so become one with the ,son and the ,father1 not only in general purpose1 but in all essential elements of character 7,heb4 #ab3aj2 #b ,pet4 #a3d74--,while ,i was with them ,i guarded them in that name of thine which thou didst entrust to me4 ,the reading here1 as above1 is involved in some uncertainty1 but this is the better reading4 ,the words in the world are a gloss1 and are needless4--,and ,i preserved them4 ,our ,english version obscures the meaning by rendering two different ,greek words 7 and 7 by the same ,english word 7keep7 in this and the preceding verse4 ,christ declares above that he has kept watch1 here that this watch has been successful1 and that he has preserved those over whom he has watched4--,and no one of them has destroyed himself4 ,this1 which is the sense of the middle voice in ,greek1 it is important to preserve4 8,christ did not lose ,judas1 but he lost himself40--7,alford47 ,but the language implies that every one might have destroyed himself but for the guardian care of ,christ4--,except the son of destruction1 that the ,scripture might be fulfilled4 ,see ,john #ac3ah2 ,acts #a3bj2 ,ps4 #da3i4 ,it was predetermined1 not that one who might have been saved should destroy himself in order to fulfill prophecy1 but that one who would destroy himself should be among the twelve4 ,judas was not lured to destruction in order to fulfill prophecy1 but prophecy was fulfilled in his self-destruction4 ,see ch4 #ai3bh1 note4 8,judas fell that the ,scripture might be fulfilled4 ,but it would be a most unfounded argument if any one were to infer from this that the revolt of ,judas ought to be ascribed to ,god rather than to himself1 because the prediction laid him under a necessity4 99 99 99 ,nor was it the design of ,christ to transfer to ,scripture the cause of the ruin of ,judas1 but it was only intended to take away the occasion of stumbling by showing that the ,spirit of ,god had long ago testified that such an event would happen40--7,calvin47 ,it is a noticeable fact that the phrase son of destruction1 here employed to designate ,judas1 is employed by ,paul in #b ,thess4 #b3c to designate the ,anti-,christ4 #ac ,and now come ,i to thee2 and these things ,i speak in the world1 that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves4 #ad ,i have given them thy word2 and the world#fdi hath hated them1 because they are not of the world1 even as ,i am not of the world4 #fdi ch4 #ae3ah1 #ai4 #ae ,i pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world1 but#fej that thou shouldest keep them from the evil4 #fej ,gal4 #a3d4 #af ,they are not of the world1 even as ,i am not of the world4 #ac-af4 ,but now ,i am coming to thee4 and therefore can no longer be an earthly guardian4 ,as a mother dying entrusts her children to ,god1 so ,christ his disciples4--,and these things ,i speak in the world that they may have my joy filled to overflowing in themselves4 ,these things include not only the prayer now offered for the disciples1 but also the whole course of instruction given to them and immediately preceding the prayer4 ,the object of both instruction and prayer is the same1 that his disciples may be brought into that oneness with the ,father1 that life in him1 and that consequent consecration to his will and service1 which filled the ,son with an abiding peace and joy1 and that so they might be filled to the full with the same joy4 ,see ch4 #ad3bg2 #ae3aa1 notes4--,i have entrusted to them thy teaching4 ,not given1 but entrusted4 ,see above on ver4 #f4 ,the teaching which the ,father entrusted to the ,son1 the ,son in turn entrusted primarily to the apostles1 secondarily to his disciples throughout all time1 that they may become lights of the world as he was the ,light of the world1 teachers of the truth of ,god as he was the ,great ,teacher 7,matt4 #e3ad2 ,phil4 #b3ae74 ,that this is the meaning is indicated by what follows4 ,it is only as the disciples become1 by their life and words1 teachers of the truth1 that the world hates them4--,and the world has hated them1 because they are not from 77 the world1 in like manner as ,i am not from the world4 ,the disciple of ,christ is born from above 7ch4 #c3c2 ,gal4 #f3ae2 #a ,pet4 #a3c71 and thus is spiritually like his ,master 7ch4 #h3bc74 ,the origin of the divine life in ,christ and his followers is the same2 in both it proceeds from the ,father4--,i pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world1 but that thou shouldest guard them from the ,evil ,one4 ,not as ,norton renders it1 and as our ,english version implies1 from what is evil1 though that is included by implication2 but from the ,evil ,one1 i4 e41 ,satan4 ,the original is1 indeed1 capable of either meaning2 but the latter interpretation agrees best with ,john's usage elsewhere4 ,see #a ,john #b3ac1 #ad2 #c3ab2 #e3ah4 ,the ,evil ,one is treated by ,christ as the source1 or at least the representative1 of all that is evil1 as the prince of the kingdom of darkness and sin4 ,compare ,matt4 #ac3be1 #ch1 #ci1 where the tares1 i4 e41 the children of the wicked1 are represented as sown by the enemy1 i4 e41 the devil4--,if ,christ does not desire for us that we should be taken out of the world1 we are not to desire it for ourselves4 ,temporary retreat from the world1 the better to prepare us for it1 is legitimate2 so ,christ sometimes retreated1 seeking strength in solitude and communion with his ,father4 ,but ,christianity is not asceticism4 ,the disciple is sent into the world that he may be a light to the world1 and the measure of his ,christian life is not his experience in hours of retirement from it1 but the fidelity of his life in it4 #ag ,sanctify#fea them through thy truth3 thy word#feb is truth4 #fea ,acts #ae3i2 ,ephes4 #e3bf2 #b ,thess4 #b3ac4 #feb ,ps4 #aai3aea4 #ag4 ,consecrate them in thy truth2 thy teaching is truth4 ,the original 77 may be rendered either consecrate or sanctify4 ,it means both to set apart from a common to a sacred use1 and also to make holy for that use2 in other words1 it may mean to make holy in mission or in character4 ,but the former is evidently the meaning here2 for it cannot be said that ,christ made himself holy in character for the sake of his disciples 7ver4 #ai74 ,christ prays that the ,father will set apart his disciples to a life of divine service1 as priests unto ,god 7,rev4 #bj3f74 ,this consecration of the disciple involves his sanctification2 for the sinner cannot be set apart to a holy work while yet in his sins4 ,it does not involve sanctification in the ,son1 because he had no sins to be cleansed away4 ,this consecration of the disciple is effected both by imparting to him through the ,holy ,spirit the truth of ,god 7ch4 #ad3bf71 and by commissioning him to serve that truth by bearing witness of it unto others 7,matt4 #bh3bj2 ,acts #a3h74 ,in thy truth 71 dative7 expresses the idea that the truth is both the instrument by which and the service to which the disciple is consecrated4 ,we are consecrated unto the truth as we live in the truth2 so ,samuel was consecrated to the temple by being brought while yet a child to live in the temple4 ,christ designates the teaching or word which he has imparted1 and which the ,holy ,spirit will further impart to his disciples1 thy teaching1 because all that comes through the ,son and the ,spirit comes from the ,father 7ch4 #ad3aj2 #af3ac74 #ah ,as thou hast sent me into the world1 even so have ,i also sent them into the world4 #ai ,and#fec for their sakes ,i sanctify myself1 that they also might be sanctified through the truth4 #fec #a ,cor4 #a3b1 #cj4 #ah1 #ai4 ,in like manner as thou hast sent me into the world1 ,i also have sent them into the world4 ,full weight is to be given to the phrase as1 i4 e41 in like manner as 774 ,this is the most weighty and solemn declaration of the mission of the disciple1 ,i think1 in the ,n4 ,t41 albeit it corresponds with the universal teaching of both ,gospel and ,epistle1 viz41 that ,christ is the first-born among many brethren1 and that those who are his disciples are also to be in all things his followers2 like him teachers of the truth2 like him manifesting the life and character of ,god in the world1 by the divine life begotten in them from above2 like him bearing the sins of others in their own person1 and so filling up what is behind of the sufferings ,of ,christ 7,phil4 #c3aj2 ,col4 #a3bd2 #a ,pet4 #d3ac74 ,christ does not merely leave his disciples in the world1 he sends them into it1 as he was sent1 each disciple to be in his narrower sphere a saviour of others1 and the whole discipleship to be the body of an ever living1 ever incarnate1 ever teaching1 and ever atoning ,lord4 ,thus1 too1 not only because they are left alone1 but yet more because they are sent forth to complete his work1 does the ,son ask the ,father to be to them what he has been to their ,lord in his earthly mission4--,and for their sakes ,i consecrate myself1 in order that they also might be consecrated in the truth4 ,as above1 both in1 i4 e41 by means of1 and unto1 i4 e41 to serve the cause of the truth4 ,the definite article is wanting1 and ,meyer reads the phrase consecrated in truth1 as simply equivalent to 8truly consecrated02 but the other interpretation is warranted by ,greek usage1 and better accords with the context4 ,while ,christ identifies himself with his disciples in his prayer that they may become one with him1 in his declaration that they are in the spiritual life born of the same divine ,father1 and in his commission to them to carry out his work1 he distinguishes between himself and them2 for he consecrates himself2 they must be consecrated by a higher power4 ,the consecration which the ,lord made of himself was not made1 though it was consummated1 at ,calvary4 ,his death was a crowning act1 not the whole act4 8,our ,lord possessed a human nature like our own1 endowed with inclinations and dislikes as our own is1 though of such only as are perfectly lawful4 ,of this nature he was continually making a holy offering2 he constrained it to obedience2 negatively by sacrificing it when it was in contradiction with his mission2 positively by devoting to his divinely appointed task all his powers1 all his natural and spiritual talents4 ,it was thus that #8,he by the ,eternal ,spirit offered himself without spot unto ,god' 7,heb4 #i3ad740--7;,godet47 ,so also substantially ,calvin1 ,alford1 ,hengstenberg4 ,comp4 ,john #aj3aa1 note4 #bj ,neither pray ,i for these alone1 but for them also which shall believe on me through their word2 #ba ,that they all may be one2#fed as thou1 ,father1 art in me1 and ,i in thee1 that they also may be one in us3 that the world may believe that thou hast sent me4 #fed ,rom4 #ab3e4 #bj1 #ba4 ,not for these only am ,i praying1 but also for those who have faith upon me through their teaching4 ,the statement is not general1 ,i am accustomed to pray for believers1 but special1 ,it is for all believers that ,i am now praying4 ,his intercessory prayer is for us no less than for them4--,that all may be one2 in like manner as thou1 ,father1 in me1 and ,i in thee1 that also they in us one may be2 that the world may have faith that thou hast sent me4 ,the emphasis of the ,greek is partially represented in this nearly literal rendering4 ,observe the close connection with what has gone before4 ,the burden of ,christ's prayer has been that his disciples may be preserved in the world1 and consecrated for their mission as truth-bearers to the world2 he now adds1 ,i ask this in order that they may be one in us4 ,his prayer is not merely that they may be one1 but that they may be consecrated in and to the truth1 so that they may become one4 ,the implication is that whenever ,christians are thoroughly consecrated to the service of ,christ all differences so disappear that they work together in unity of the spirit and of faith2 and this truth history abundantly confirms4 ,this unity is not in creed1 ceremonial1 or ecclesiastical organization1 but in the ,father and the ,son1 i4 e41 the unity of personal devotion to1 and love for1 and spiritual communion and fellowship with the ,father and his ,son ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,john #a3c74 ,this spiritual union in and with ,god will finally lead to but it is not founded on unity in opinion4 ,it is a union that is apparent as well as real4 ,the world will see it1 and seeing will be led to believe that the ,father has sent the ,son1 i4 e41 that ,christianity is of divine origin1 so marvellous will seem to be the power of love uniting in one kingdom elements1 opinions1 and nationalities so diverse4 ,this spiritual unity of the discipleship of ,christ is almost the consummation of ,christ's prayer4 ,he has only one higher request to prefer for his church1 namely1 that through this unity in him and the ,father who has sent him1 the church may come to a true spiritual appreciation of the ,son's eternal glory with and in the ,father 7ver4 #bd74 #bb ,and the glory#fee which thou gavest me ,i have given them2 that they may be one1 even as we are one3 #fee #b ,cor4 #c3ah4 #bc ,i in them1 and thou in me1 that they may be made perfect in one2 and that the world may know that thou hast sent me1 and hast loved them1 as thou hast loved me4 #bb1 #bc4 ,and the glory which thou gavest me ,i have given them1 that they may be one in like manner as we are one4 ,i is emphatic4 ,the ,father has given glory to the ,son2 the ,son makes all his followers participators in that glory4 ,in what does this glory consist8 ,not in the power of working miracles 7,chrysostom71 for this he has not given to all those that believe in his name4 ,not the glory of the heavenly state 7,meyer71 for this he will give1 but had not given to his disciples when he uttered this prayer4 ,not the glory of unity with the ,father and the ,son 7,hengstenberg71 for the glory is given in order that this unity may be attained2 this unity with the ,godhead is not the glory1 but the result of it4 ,the glory which the ,father gave the ,son was the glory of being the ,son of ,god 7,matt4 #c3ag2 ,john #a3ad2 ,heb4 #a3e2 #c3f74 ,this glory ,christ imparts to his followers1 who through him are received into the adoption of ,god by faith1 and become themselves sons of ,god 7ch4 #a3ab2 #a ,john #c3a74 ,and it is as we become thus sons of ,god that we become one with each other because one in him1 one household of faith only as we are united to one ,father 7,rom4 #h3bi2 ,ephes4 #a3aj2 #b3ai74 ,this glory of sonship involves not only filial relations with the ,father1 but the possession of a divine life begotten by the ,father1 and therefore a nature akin to that of the ,father1 who is love1 and whose children we are only as we dwell in love 7#a ,john #c3i1 #aj2 #d3h1 #af74--;,i in them and thou in me4 ,and therefore the ,father in them through the ,son1 by whom they have access to the ,father4--,that they may be perfected unto unity4 ,this unity of love with the ,father and the ,son1 and therefore with one another1 is the culmination of the divine life1 as well as the disclosure of it4 ,comp4 ,ephes4 #d3aa-ac3 8,till we all come in the unity of the faith of the knowledge of the ,son of ,god1 unto a perfect man40--,in order that the world may know that thou hast sent me forth4 ,it shall no longer have faith merely2 it shall know assuredly the divine origin and authority of the ,christian religion1 and this conviction shall be compelled by the moral and spiritual power of a spiritually united church4--,and that thou hast loved them in like manner as thou hast loved me4 ,comp4 ch4 #af3bg4 ,with a love not merely of compassion1 but now1 all quarrels with one another ended because all separation and estrangement from ,god are at an end1 with a love of cordial approbation4 ,then the voice shall speak to the universal discipleship1 ,behold my beloved sons in whom ,i am well pleased2 and the whole world shall hear and acknowledge him who has wrought this redemption 7,phil4 #b3aj2 ,rom4 #ad3aa74 #bd ,father1 ,i will that they also1 whom thou hast given me1 be#fef with me where ,i am2 that they may behold my glory1 which thou hast given me3 for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world4 #fef #a ,thess4 #d3ag4 #bd4 ,father1 whom thou hast entrusted to me1 ,i will that where ,i am they also may be4 7,the sense is the same whether the reading or be adopted47 ,christ changes his expression2 he no longer says ,i pray1 but ,i will4 8,he demands with confidence as a ,son1 not as a servant40--7,bengel47 ,there are two ,greek verbs which are capable of being rendered ,i will2 the one 77 expresses an inclination1 the other 77 a positive purpose4 ,the latter is the word used here4 ,it might justly be rendered ,it is my will4 ,it is nowhere else used by ,jesus4 ,with the close of his prayer there comes such assurance of his own unity with the ,father that he no longer prefers a request2 he declares his purpose4 ,in this declaration of his purpose he recurs to the promise which he had made at the opening of this most sacred interview1 8,i will come again and receive you unto myself1 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also0 7ch4 #ad3c74 ,in this expression ,i will1 ,christ's prayer can hardly be a model for his followers4 ,we may say to our ,father1 ,i wish2 but we can never be so sure of his gracious purposes and of our union with him in them1 that we can safely say to him1 ,father1 ,i will4--,that they may behold my glory1 which thou gavest me1 because thou lovedst me before founding a world4 ,observe1 not before the foundation of the world1 but before founding any world2 the definite article is not in the original4 ,on the significance of this declaration as a testimony to the pre-existent glory of ,christ1 see on ver4 #e4 ,to behold 77 is primarily to be a spectator of1 and in its primary signification includes the idea of attention1 wonder1 admiration4 ,it is1 however1 here used certainly of spiritual apprehension2 we shall be filled with wonder and surprise when the veil drops from our eyes and we see him as he is4 ,the glory which ,christ had with the ,father from the beginning is the glory of the ,lamb slain from the foundation of the world 7,rev4 #ac3h71 the glory of a character whose radiance is infinite love1 of which the sacrifice of ,christ1 purposed from the remote past1 is the highest manifestation2 and this is the glory which the saints1 redeemed by his blood1 behold in heaven 7,rev4 #e3h2 #g3i2 #ba3bc74 ,christ's will1 then1 for his disciples is that they may be so spiritually exalted that they may be able to apprehend the full glory of that self-sacrificing love which now they look upon with so feeble appreciation1 and which to the unbelieving world is inglorious 7#a ,cor4 #a3bc74 ,this is the consummation of his prayer2 what a climax in what an ascending scale6 ,first that his disciples may be guarded in his absence by the divine care in which he himself has trusted 7#aa-ac72 then that1 guarded in the world1 they may be consecrated to their ,christly mission1 to teach1 to manifest ,god1 to suffer 7#ae-ai72 then that1 with all believers1 they may be brought into spiritual unity with the ,father and his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 being made sons of ,god1 and so sharers in the glory of him whose greatest glory it was and is to be the well-beloved ,son of the ,father 7#bj-bc72 and finally that1 thus preserved1 consecrated1 adopted1 they may be able to realize the glory of that love of self-sacrifice1 to which we all sometimes find it difficult even to submit without rebellion1 and in which only the most consecrated are ever able to rejoice4 #be ,o righteous ,father1 the world hath not known thee3 but ,i have known thee1 and these have known that thou hast sent me4 #bf ,and ,i have declared unto them thy name1 and will declare it3 that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them1 and ,i in them4 #be1 #bf4 ,o righteous ,father4 ,christ first appealed simply to the ,fatherhood of ,god 7ver4 #a71 then to his holiness 7ver4 #aa71 now at last even to his righteousness or justice4 ,for since the ,son has finished the work which the ,father gave him to do1 he may ask of righteousness itself to complete it4 ,thus justice and purity compete with love in pleading for the fulfillment of redemption4 ,so in #a ,john #a3i it is said that 8he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins40--,though 77 the world has not known thee1 ,i have known thee1 and 77 these have known that thou hast sent me forth4 ,the world1 the ,son1 and the disciples stand here in a triple contrast2 to the world ,god is the absolute unknown2 to the ,son he is known2 to the disciples ,god is manifested in the ,son1 who comes forth from ,god and goes to ,god again4--,and ,i have made known thy name to them1 and will make it known4 ,and with the name all that the name represents--the justice1 the holiness1 and pre-eminently the ,fatherhood4 ,see on ver4 #f4 ,these words attest the consciousness in ,christ that an answer has been vouchsafed to his prayer4 ,he began by asking the ,father to glorify the ,son1 that the ,son might glorify the ,father4 ,he closes by declaring1 not only that he has thus far made known the name of the ,father 7ver4 #e71 but that in the impending hour of passion and death he will make the ,father known1 and so will glorify him4 ,it is true that the whole work of the church ever since1 and of ,christ in his church1 has been making known the name of the ,father2 but it has been by interpreting the meaning of the cross of ,christ1 by preaching ,christ and him crucified1 as the wisdom and power of ,god 7,rom4 #a3af2 #a ,cor4 #a3bc1 #bd2 #b3b74 ,thus this prayer ends1 as it began1 with an implied reference to the impending ,passion2 but it begins with petition2 it ends with assurance of victory4--,in order that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them1 and ,i in them4 ,that is1 both that they may possess an experience of the ,father's love for them1 and may possess a love like the ,father's1 being made perfect in love1 even as their ,father in heaven is perfect 7,matt4 #e3dh72 so also that the ,spirit of ,christ may dwell in them1 and that by this indwelling their own spirit may be conformed unto his 7#b ,cor4 #c3ah74 ,in this simple and sublime sentence the ,son embodies the object of his mission as the ,divine ,teacher1 the ,divine ,revealer1 and the ,divine ,sufferer4 ,the object of his teaching1 incarnation1 and atonement is that he may make known the ,father to those that will learn of his ,son2 and this that he may make them one with the ,father and his ,son--one in spiritual fellowship1 because one in spiritual character4 ,it is a shallow criticism which imagines an incongruity between this prayer recorded by ,john and the prayer in ,gethsemane which immediately followed1 and which ,john has not recorded4 ,here ,christ asks that he may be enabled to glorify the ,father's name to the end2 there he asks that the same results may1 if it is possible1 be accomplished without the terrible ordeal of the betrayal1 the desertion1 the mock trials1 the mob1 the crucifixion1 the veiling of the ,father's face4 ,but in the agony of ,gethsemane1 as portrayed by the other three ,evangelists1 the ,son never for a moment wavers from the supreme wish that the ,father's will may be accomplished and the ,father's name made manifest4 ,the power1 not merely to resign himself to the ,father's will1 but affirmatively to pray1 8,not my will but thine be done10 was a part of that very glory with which he besought the ,father to invest him4 ,the devout student will recognize in the prayer of ,gethsemane a partial answer to the prayer in the upper chamber2 for in ,gethsemane1 no less than in the court of ,caiaphas1 the judgment hall of ,pilate1 and the death on ,calvary1 the ,father glorified the ,son and the ,son glorified the ,father4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,ch4 #ah3a-aa4 ,,the ,,betrayal ,,and ,,arrest ,,of ,,jesus4--,,the ,,divine ,,majesty ,,of ,,our ,,lord ,,exemplified4--,narrated by all the ,evangelists3 ,matt4 #bf3dg-ef2 ,mark #ad3dc-eb2 ,luke #bb3dg-ec4 ,as usual where the four ,evangelists narrate the same events1 ,john gives particulars omitted by the others--the falling back to the ground of the guard1 and ,christ's interposition for the disciples 7ver4 #f-i7--;and omits events recorded by the others--the conference between ,jesus and ,judas1 and the traitor's kiss 7,matt4 #bf3di1 #ej2 ,mark #ad3dd1 #de74 ,that ,john wrote with the other accounts before him1 and to supply their omissions1 is the most reasonable explanation of these and like variations in their accounts4 ,he does not describe the agony in ,gethsemane1 because he can add nothing to what is already told2 he narrates of the arrest only what is not already known4 ,even in describing the attempted resistance to the arrest1 this peculiarity is to be seen2 for he alone of the ,evangelists mentions the name of the disciple who drew the sword and of the servant who was wounded by it4 ,the discrepancies in the four accounts of the arrest are such as we should expect in four individual accounts of a scene of such confusion4 ,the probable order of events1 as indicated by a comparison of the accounts1 ,i have given in the notes on ,matthew1 which consult throughout4 ,here ,i treat only what is peculiar to ,john's account4 #a ,when ,jesus had spoken these words1 he went forth with his disciples over the brook ,cedron1#feg where was a garden1 into the which he entered1 and his disciples4 #feg #b ,sam4 #ae3bc4 #a4 ,with his disciples4 ,that is1 with the eleven4 ,judas was with the priests1 consummating arrangements for the arrest of ,jesus4--,beyond the brook of the ,cedars4 ,or the black torrent1 which is the meaning of the ,hebrew1 from which the ,greek is derived4 ,the word rendered brook 77 indicates a winter torrent1 flowing in the rainy season1 but dry in summer4 ,it flowed through a ravine to the east of ,jerusalem1 and between it and the ,mount of ,olives4--,where was a garden4 ,rather an orchard4 ,the original signifies any place planted with herbs and trees4 ,this was called ,gethsemane1 and was a customary resort of ,christ and his disciples4 ,see next verse2 and compare ,luke #bb3ci4 ,on its location1 see ,matt4 #bf3cf and illustration there4 ,on the agony in this garden1 see notes on ,matt4 #bf3cf-df4 ,it occurred between ,christ's entering the garden and the arrival of ,judas and the guard4 #b ,and ,judas also1 which betrayed him1 knew the place3 for ,jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples4 #c ,judas#feh then1 having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and ,pharisees1 cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons4 #feh ,matt4 #bf3dg1 etc42 ,mark #ad3dc1 etc2 ,luke #bb3dg1 etc4 #b1 #c4 ,judas then1 having received the band1 and1 from the chief priests and ,pharisees1 temple officers 771 cometh thither4 ,the band was composed of ,roman soldiers2 the officers were temple police2 the former were armed with swords1 the latter with staves4 ,servants of the priests1 and some of the priests themselves1 accompanied the force4 ,see ,matt4 #bf3dg1 note2 ,luke #bb3eb4--,with lanterns and torches4 8,the fact of its being full moon did not make the lights unnecessary1 as in searching for a prisoner they might have to enter dark places40--7,alford47 ,they appear also to have had a fear of attempted flight or rescue4 ,see ,matt4 #bf3dh1 note4 ,i doubt whether any definite distinction is intended between lanterns and torches4 ,the annexed cuts give illustrations of two kinds of night torches used among the ,romans4 ,the one 7fax71 7,rich41 p4 #bhj7 was made out of a piece of resinous wood1 cut into a point and dipped in oil or pitch1 or of inflammable materials enclosed in a tube4 ,the other 7lampas71 7,rich41 p4 #cfe7 was in the nature of a candlestick1 with a handle beneath and a large disk above1 to protect the hand from the drippings of the pitchy or resinous matter of which the torch consisted4 ,this lampa was carried by the youth of ,athens in a peculiar race1 in which the winner had to outstrip his competitors without extinguishing his light4 ,the ancient ,oriental lantern1 like those still employed in ,egypt 7see ,lane's ,modern ,egypt71 consisted of a wax cloth1 strained over a sort of cylinder of iron rings and a top and bottom of perforated copper4 ,both the ,roman torch and the ,oriental lantern may have been used on this occasion4 ,illustration3 ,,roman ,,torches4 ,,oriental ,,torch4 #d ,jesus therefore1 knowing#fei all things that should come upon him1 went forth1 and said unto them1 ,whom seek ye8 #fei ch4 #aj3ag1 #ah2 ,acts #b3bh4 #e ,they answered him1 ,jesus of#ffj ,nazareth4 ,jesus saith unto them1 ,i am he4 ,and ,judas also1 which betrayed him1 stood with them4 #ffj ch4 #ai3ai2 ,matt4 #b3bc4 #d1 #e4 ,jesus1 therefore1 knowing all things that should come upon him4 ,not merely knowing that the guard had come to arrest him 7,matt4 #bf3de71 but with the full consciousness of all the agony of the morrow 7,matt4 #bj3ag-ai2 ,luke #ah3ca-cd74 ,of his own will he submits to the ,passion 7,matt4 #bf3ec2 ,john #aj3ah74--,went forth4 ,possibly from the shadow of the trees into the moonlight1 or from the garden walls1 or perhaps simply advanced to meet the guards4 ,his object in so doing is indicated by ver4 #h4 ,he put himself between the guards and his disciples to prevent the arrest of the latter4 ,judas preceded the band 7,luke #bb3dg71 and ,christ's questions addressed to the apostate1 and the traitor's kiss 7,matt4 #bf3di1 #ej2 ,luke #bb3dh71 seem to have taken place before ,christ spoke to the guard4--,jesus the ,nazarene4 ,jesus1 or ,joshua--the names are the same--was a common one among the ,jews1 and the term 8,nazarene0 was a customary appellation1 especially by his foes1 to designate our ,lord4 ,its tone1 to the ,judeans1 was one of contempt 7,matt4 #b3bc2 ,john #ai3ai74--;,and there stood ,judas1 he that betrayed him1 with them4 ,if we suppose that ,jesus hurried forth from the garden1 before the three disciples were well awake1 to the spot where the others had been sleeping1 then1 not improbably1 ,john did not see the traitor's kiss1 but1 arriving after1 saw ,judas standing with the guard1 who had meanwhile come to the spot2 thus he narrates only what he personally witnessed4 ,his language1 by its very simplicity1 suggests to the imagination the contrast between ,jesus and ,judas1 the betrayed and the betrayer4 #f ,as soon then as he had said unto them1 ,i am he1 they#ffa went backward1 and fell to the ground4 #ffa ,ps4 #bg3b2 #dj3ad4 #f4 ,they 7the guard7 went backward and fell to the ground4 ,that this states a literal fact will not be questioned by any who believe in the historical trustworthiness of the ,gospel narratives4 ,that it describes a miracle1 that is1 a sign of the superhuman character of ,christ1 is equally certain4 ,whether it is to be regarded as an effect produced by the will of our ,lord1 or by the mere majesty and dignity of his mien1 and his reply1 is the only question which believers in the ,n4 ,t4 have to consider4 ,i think the latter4 ,the scene is interpreted1 though not fully explained1 by similar instances of moral power excited by noble over savage natures4 ,history records several analogous cases1 as when before ,mark ,antony1 ,marius1 and ,coligny1 the murderers recoiled panic-stricken4 ,so ,avidius ,cassius1 8springing to the door of his tent in nightdress1 quelled a mutinous army by his mere presence40--7,farrar47 ,lange cites ,matt4 #bh3d2 ,luke #d3cj2 ,john #g3dd-df2 #h3ei2 #aj3ci2 ,acts #e3e1 #aj1 as partially parallel4 ,the historical cases above referred to illustrate the human power of a noble soul2 this case differs from them in that it shows the divine power of ,him who not only spake as never man spake1 but who carried in his person the evidence that he was in very deed the image of ,god and the brightness of his glory4 ,this view is confirmed by the reflection that he came forth to meet the guard from an hour of sacred and solemn communion with ,god1 of ecstasy unfathomable by us4 8,i regard it10 says ,alford1 8rather as a miracle consequent upon that which ,christ said and did1 and the state of mind in which his enemies were1 than as one in the strict sense wrought by him2 bearing1 however1 always in mind1 that to ,him nothing was unexpected or a mere result1 but everything foreknown40 ,thus interpreted it is a striking testimony1 one of many1 to the personal glory of ,him who was ever full of 8grace and truth10 and gives a solemn significance to such passages as ,matt4 #be3ca2 ,rev4 #a3g2 #f3ae-ag4 8,if he did this when about to be judged1 what shall he do when he shall sit in judgment8 ,if he did this on the eve of death1 what shall he do when reigning80--7,augustine47 #g ,then asked he them again1 ,whom seek ye8 ,and they said1 ,jesus of ,nazareth4 #h ,jesus answered1 ,i have told you that ,i am he3 if therefore ye seek me1#ffb let these go their way3 #ffb ,isa4 #ec3f2 ,ephes4 #e3be4 #g1 #h4 ,i surmise that the attack on the guard followed their sudden terror4 ,the disciples were eager to make it 7,luke #bb3di71 though ,peter was the only one who carried the will into action4 ,only one other disciple was armed 7,luke #bb3ch74 ,the request of ,christ1 8,let these go their way10 was interpreted by the disciples as a direction for them to flee1 which they did4 ,that there was anything cowardly or wrong in this flight is by no means clear4 ,to sanction it1 both ,christ's precept 7,matt4 #aj3bc7 and his example 7,luke #d3cj2 ,john #h3ei2 #aj3ci7 might be quoted4 ,nothing would have been gained for ,christ or his cause by the disciples subjecting themselves to arrest4 #i ,that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake1#ffc ,of them which thou gavest me have ,i lost none4 #ffc ch4 #ag3ab4 #i4 ,that the saying might be fulfilled4 ,the saying is quoted from ,christ's prayer1 ,john #ag3ab4 ,the present deliverance of the eleven from physical danger was not a final fulfillment of the saying1 but was itself a historical prophecy of its further spiritual fulfillment1 as ,god's providential care of us in respect to present and temporal wants is a testimony of the love that provides even more abundantly for every spiritual want4 ,see ,matt4 #b3ae1 note4 #aj ,then#ffd ,simon ,peter1 having a sword1 drew it1 and smote the high priest's servant1 and cut off his right ear4 ,the servant's name was ,malchus4 #ffd ,matt4 #bf3ea2 ,mark #ad3dg2 ,luke #bb3di1 #ej4 #aa ,then said ,jesus unto ,peter1 ,put up thy sword into the sheath3 the cup#ffe which my ,father hath given me1 shall ,i not drink it8 #ffe ,matt4 #bj3bb2 #bf3ci1 #db4 #aj1 #aa4 ,christ follows his rebuke of ,peter by healing ,malchus 7,luke #bb3ea74 ,john alone gives the name of either assailant or assailed4 ,see for reason1 note on ,matt4 #bf3ea4 ,compare ,christ's language here with ,matthew's report4--,observe that the evils brought upon us by wicked men are yet recognized here as given by ,god4 ,the sufferings inflicted by ,judas1 ,caiaphas1 and ,pilate1 and rendered necessary by the sins of the world1 are yet to ,christ's faith the cup which his ,father hath given him4 99 99 99 99 99 #ab-bg4 ,,the ,,preliminary ,,examination ,,of ,,jesus ,,before ,,caiaphas1 ,,and ,,the ,,denials ,,by ,,peter4--,this examination1 narrated by ,john1 is distinctive from the trial reported by the ,synoptists 7,matt4 #bf3eg-fh2 ,mark #ad3ec-fe2 ,luke #bb3fc-ga74 ,for a general consideration of the harmony of the ,gospel narratives1 and of their lessons1 see notes on ,matthew4 ,if ,john is the other disciple referred to in verses #ae1 #af1 he is the only one of the ,evangelists who was an eye and ear witness of these events1 and his order is presumptively the correct one4 ,for reasons appearing partly in the notes on ,matthew1 partly in the notes below1 ,i believe that ,jesus was sent at once from ,annas to ,caiaphas1 though the two may have occupied different apartments in the same palace2 that the preliminary examination was conducted by ,caiaphas2 that while it proceeded ,peter was in the adjoining courtyard1 and there denied his ,lord2 that at its conclusion ,jesus was conducted to the ,sanhedrim1 where the formal trial reported by the ,synoptists took place2 and that this trial is not described by ,john1 perhaps because he was not present1 and wrote only of the events which he personally witnessed4 #ab ,then the band and the captain and officers of the ,jews took ,jesus1 and bound him1 #ab4 ,then the band 99 99 99 bound him4 ,john alone describes the binding4 ,this it was1 probably1 which called forth the remonstrance and rebuke of ,christ recorded in ,matt4 #bf3ee1 #ef2 ,luke #bb3eb1 #ec4 8,to apprehend and bind ,one1 all gave their help3 the cohort1 the chiliarch1 and the ,jewish officers4 ,this the ,evangelist brings prominently forward1 to show how deep the impression of that previous incident still was3 only by the help of all did they feel themselves secure4 ,and thus it was ordered that the disciples might escape with the more safety40--7,luthardt47 #ac ,and led him away to ,annas#fff first2 for he was father in law to ,caiaphas1 which was the high priest that same year4 #fff ,luke #c3b4 #ad ,now ,caiaphas was he1 which gave counsel#ffg to the ,jews1 that it was expedient that one man should die for the people4 #ffg ch4 #aa3di1 #ej4 #ac1 #ad4 ,annas first4 ,annas was appointed ,high ,priest of the ,jews ,a4 ,d4 #g1 but had been removed by the ,roman ,procurator several years previous1 and ,joseph ,caiaphas1 his son-in-law1 had been appointed in his stead4 ,in ,luke #c3b both are designated as high-priests1 and in ,acts #d3f2 #bc3b1 the title is given to ,annas4 ,the probable explanation is that while ,caiaphas held the office1 he was really controlled by his father-in-law1 who may have been regarded by the ,jews as their true high-priest1 notwithstanding his deposition by the ,romans4 ,he seems to have been one of that class of politicians who are willing that others should possess the honors and offices1 provided they may wield the powers of the state4--,caiaphas4 ,see ,matt4 #bf3eg1 note4--,that same year4 ,the high-priest was originally appointed for life1 but the office was now filled by appointees of the ,roman government4 ,there were no fewer than twenty-eight high-priests from the reign of ,herod to the destruction of the temple by ,titus4 ,of these1 five besides ,caiaphas were sons of ,annas4 ,it is possible that there is a delicate sarcasm in ,john's incidental allusion to the transitoriness of the office4 ,this1 at least1 seems to me better than to render the original 77 era instead of year1 though that is a possible translation1 or to suppose1 with ,prof4 ,fisher1 that ,john thus simply emphasizes the supreme importance which that year1 of the trial and crucifixion of ,jesus1 had in his mind4--,which gave counsel4 ,see ,john #aa3di-ea4 #ae ,and#ffh ,simon ,peter followed ,jesus1 and so did another disciple3 that disciple was known unto the high priest1 and went in with ,jesus into the palace of the high priest4 #ffh ,matt4 #bf3eh1 etc42 ,mark #ad3ed2 ,luke #bb3ed4 #ae4 ,another disciple4 ,who this other disciple was is not certainly known1 though ,alford says 8there is no reason to doubt the universal persuasion that by this name ,john intends himself1 and refers to the mention in ch4 #ac3bc of a disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,the notion that it was ,judas ,iscariot is refuted by the language of this verse4 ,judas did not follow ,jesus1 but accompanied the band2 and that ,peter should have entered the palace under the protection of ,judas after the betrayal is incredible4 ,some manuscripts have the reading the other disciple1 which would identify him with ,john 7ch4 #bj3b1 #c1 #d74 ,but it seems more probable that the article was added by some copyist to give definiteness to the expression1 than that it was subsequently omitted4--,was known unto the high-priest4 ,how1 we have no means of ascertaining4 ,john #ai3bg is1 however1 thought to indicate that the apostle ,john had a house in ,jerusalem4--,into the palace of the high-priest4 ,since ,john describes ,caiaphas as high-priest1 this verse clearly indicates that ,jesus was taken at once from ,annas to ,caiaphas4 ,see on ver4 #bd4 #af ,but ,peter stood at the door without4 ,then went out that other disciple1 which was known unto the high priest1 and spake unto her that kept the door1 and brought in ,peter4 #ag ,then saith the damsel that kept the door unto ,peter1 ,art not thou also one of this man's disciples8 ,he saith1 ,i am not4 #af1 #ag4 ,see ,matt4 #bf3fi1 note1 and illustration there4 ,the doorkeeper was not unfrequently a maid 7,acts #ab3ac74 ,the language here1 ,art not thou also one of his disciples8 indicates that ,john was known to her as a disciple1 and that ,peter's first denial was uttered on entering1 and for the purpose of gaining an entrance4 ,observe that it is not being in bad company1 but fellowship in it1 that is dangerous4 ,peter and ,john were both in the same company1 but one concealed his discipleship1 the other did not4 ,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,fire ,,utensils4 #a1 #b4 ,braziers4 #c4 ,fire-hod4 #d4 ,bellows4 #e4 ,tongs4 #ah ,and the servants and officers stood there1 who had made a fire of coals2 for it was cold3 and they warmed themselves3 and ,peter stood with them1 and warmed himself4 #ah4 ,the servants 99 99 99 had made a fire of coals4 ,probably an open fire in a portable stove or brazier1 in the open courtyard around which the ,jewish house was customarily built4 ,it is doubtful whether chimneys were known to the ancients2 they were certainly very rare4 ,fires were built sometimes in a little brazier or chafing-dish1 sometimes in a small portable stove or fireplace4 ,the fire was always carried from one room to another in a fire-basket made of iron1 with perforated sides1 to create a draft of air4 ,bellows and tongs were also in use among them4 ,the accompanying illustrations1 taken from ancient bronzes and paintings1 will give the reader an idea of these articles4 ,peter1 by joining the group around the fire and concealing his true character1 identified himself with the persecutors of ,christ4 #ai ,the high priest then asked ,jesus of his disciples1 and of his doctrine4 #bj ,jesus answered him1 ,i spake#ffi openly to the world4 ,i ever taught in the synagogue1 and in the temple1 whither the ,jews always resort2 and#fgj in secret have ,i said nothing4 #ffi ch4 #g3ad1 #bf1 #bh2 #h3b2 ,luke #d3ae4 #fgj ,acts #bf3bf4 #ba ,why askest thou me8 ask them which heard me1 what ,i have said unto them3 behold1 they know what ,i said4 #ai-ba4 ,the high-priest then asked ,jesus4 ,it was customary among the ,jews to subject an accused person to an examination analogous to that practised at a later day in the ,inquisition4 ,witnesses concealed behind a screen reduced his replies to writing4 ,to such an examination1 preliminary to his formal trial1 ,jesus ,christ was now subjected4--,of his disciples and of his doctrine4 ,the object of the first question was to get evidence against his adherents1 the object of the second to get evidence against ,jesus himself4 ,to the first ,jesus pays no attention2 to the second he interposes a calm and dignified protest4--,i spoke openly4 ,rather freely1 boldly4 ,the original 77 signifies literally speaking out all1 that is1 free-spokenness4 ,observe that boldness and frankness of utterance are essential qualifications of the true preacher4--,in secret have ,i said nothing4 ,some truths he had reserved because they could not be understood 7,john #af3ab1 #be71 and others which he had taught were not understood 7,matt4 #ac3ac2 #a ,cor4 #b3g1 #h72 but there were no mysteries in his religious teaching which he had sought to conceal and for which he was amenable4--,ask them which heard me4 ,not improbably some of the very officers so strangely affected by his preaching were present4 ,if so1 this appeal to their own subordinates would have incensed the priests1 by making manifest their own injustice4 #bb ,and when he had thus spoken1 one of the officers which stood by struck#fga ,jesus with the palm of his hand1 saying1 ,answerest thou the high priest so8 #fga ,job #af3aj2 ,jer4 #bj3b2 ,acts #bc3b1 #c4 #bc ,jesus answered him1 ,if ,i have spoken evil1 bear witness of the evil3 but#fgb if well1 why smitest thou me8 #fgb #a ,pet4 #b3ai-bc4 #bb1 #bc4 ,with the palm of his hand4 ,or with a staff2 either meaning is admissible4 ,contrast with ,christ's calm rejoinder ,paul's response to similar maltreatment 7,acts #bc3c74--,the commentators note in ,christ's course here his own interpretation of ,matt4 #e3ci4 8,an angry man may turn in sullenness the other cheek visibly to the smiter2 better is he who makes a true answer with mildness1 and prepares his heart in peace to endure great sufferings40--7,augustine47 8,christ forbids self-defence with the hand1 not with the tongue40--7,luther47 8,christ's precept does not exclude the remonstrance against unjust oppression1 provided it be done calmly and patiently40--7,alford47 #bd ,now ,annas had sent him bound unto ,caiaphas the high priest4 #bd4 ,now ,annas had sent him bound unto ,caiaphas4 ,some scholars 7so ,alford1 ,lange1 and ,meyer7 render this verse1 ,sent him bound1 and suppose that ,jesus was sent from ,annas to ,caiaphas at this time2 but ,winer 7p4 #bge1 #dj1 #e;a7 and ,buttman 7p4 #bjj1 #acg7 show that the aorist is sometimes used for the pluperfect1 as rendered by our ,english version1 and that the sentence may be accordingly regarded grammatically as parenthetical4 ,i believe 7see ver4 #ae1 note7 that this is the true construction1 and that the parenthesis is introduced at this place for the purpose of showing that ,jesus was still bound when the indignity here described was inflicted upon him4 ,illustration3 ,,denials ,,of ,,peter4 #be ,and ,simon ,peter stood and warmed himself4 ,they said therefore unto him1 ,art not thou also one of his disciples8 ,he denied it1 and said1 ,i am not4 #bf ,one of the servants of the high priest1 being his kinsman whose ear ,peter cut off1 saith1 ,did not ,i see thee in the garden with him8 #bg ,peter then denied again3 and#fgc immediately the cock crew4 #fgc ch4 #ac3ch2 ,matt4 #bf3gd2 ,mark #ad3gb2 ,luke #bb3fj4 #be-bg4 ,peter stood and warmed himself4 ,in apparent indifference to his ,lord2 concerned only for his comfort1 and absorbed in his curiosity4-- ,did not ,i see thee8 ,this question was apparently put to ,peter after he had retreated to the porch4 ,it must be remembered that ,peter's danger was real and imminent2 for his assault on ,malchus had rendered him amenable to legal penalty4 ,on the denial and its lessons1 see notes on ,matt4 #bf3fi-ge4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,,jesus ,,before ,,pilate4 8,art thou the king of the ,jews40 ,ch4 #ah3bh to ch4 #ai3af4 ,,trial ,,of ,,jesus ,,before ,,pilate4--,,the ,,conscience ,,of ,,the ,,ceremonialist 7#bh74--;,,jesus ,a ,,king2 ,,his ,,kingdom ,,truth2 ,,its ,,defences ,,not ,,worldly2 ,,it ,,conquers ,,only ,,the ,,willing 7#cc-ch74--;,,in ,,christ ,,no ,,fault 7#ch2 ch4 #ai3d1 #f74--,,the ,,world ,,chooses ,,barabbas ,,and ,,rejects ,,christ 7#ci1 #dj74--;,,crowned ,,suffering 7ch4 #ai3a-c74--;,,behold ,,the ,,man 7#e74--;,,behold ,,your ,,king 7#ad74--,,the ,,testimony ,,of ,,the ,,jews ,,to ,,the ,,divinity ,,of ,,christ 7#g74--,,the ,,silence ,,of ,,jesus 7#i74--,,the ,,end ,,of ,,rejecting ,,christ ,,is ,,rejecting ,,god3 ,,we ,,have ,,no ,,king ,,but ,c,,sar 7#ae74--,,the ,,crime ,,of ,,cowardice ,,illustrated ,,by ,,pilate4 ,this trial is reported also in ,matt4 #bg3aa-ca2 ,mark #ae3a-bc2 ,luke #bc3a-be4 ,john's account is the fullest1 and has indications of being by an eye and ear witness2 but he does not mention ,pilate's wife's dream and ,pilate's washing of his hands in attestation of his innocence1 recorded only by ,matthew1 nor the accusation preferred by the priests and the sending of ,jesus to ,herod1 recorded only by ,luke4 ,for chronological order of events1 see ,matt4 #bg3aa-ca1 ,prel4 ,note4 ,for a consideration of the character of ,pilate1 the reasons for his vacillating course1 and the practical lessons to be drawn from it1 see note below1 ver4 #af4 ,the place of this trial ,i believe to have been the tower of ,antonia2 the reason for the trial is explained in ver4 #ca 7see note there74 #bh ,then#fgd led they ,jesus from ,caiaphas unto the hall of judgment2 and it was early2 and they themselves went not into the judgment hall1 lest#fge they should be defiled2 but that they might eat the passover4 #fgd ,matt4 #bg3b1 etc42 ,mark #ae3a1 etc42 ,luke #bc3a1 etc4 #fge ,acts #aj3bh4 #bi ,pilate then went out unto them1 and said1 ,what accusation bring ye against this man8 #bh1 #bi4 ,unto the hall of judgment4 ,literally ,prtorium--the name given among the ,romans to the headquarters of the ,roman military governor1 wherever he happened to be2 here it is the residence which ,pilate occupied in ,jerusalem4 ,whether that was the palace of ,king ,herod1 as ,farrar and others have supposed1 or the tower of ,antonia1 is uncertain2 more probably the latter1 which was at the time and long afterwards the citadel of ,jerusalem1 the headquarters of the army1 and the residence of the ,roman governors4 ,it was built upon the same broad platform of solid rock upon which the temple stood1 and so adjoined the walls of the latter that the ,gentile camp seemed a part of the ,jewish sanctuary4 ,four towers at its four corners gave it the appearance of a castle and the strength of a fortress4 ,one of these towers looked down into the broad courts of the temple1 and thus subjected all the gatherings there to the oversight of the hated heathen1 while its gates1 opening directly into those courts1 rendered it easy1 at a moment's notice1 to quell any disturbance which might occur there4--,and it was early4 ,the original 77 properly signifies the period between daybreak and sunrise 7,john #bj3a71 but it is also used in a more general sense to signify the early part of the forenoon 7,matt4 #ba3ah71 and that must be its meaning here1 for this trial before ,pilate occurred certainly after the cock-crowing1 and probably the formal trial of ,jesus before the ,sanhedrim and the subsequent deliberations of the ,sanhedrim to secure the execution of the death-sentence intervened between the cock-crowing and their conducting ,jesus to ,pilate4--,lest they should be defiled4 ,according to the ,pharisaic ideas they could not enter a ,gentile house without defilement1 and this precluded their participation in the passover1 which in such case must be postponed by those who were defiled 7,numb4 #i3f-aa74 ,a curious illustration of the fallibility of conscience is this superstition of the ,pharisees1 who feared defilement from entering the house of a heathen1 but none from the endeavor to secure by fraud and violence the condemnation of their ,lord4--,that they might eat the ,passover4 ,here not the paschal supper1 but the festival which followed it1 and which lasted for seven days4 ,see ,note on the ,lord's ,supper1 ,matt4 #bf3cj4 ,the paschal supper itself ,i believe to have been observed the night before4 ,an incidental confirmation of this opinion is afforded by ,wieseler1 quoted in ,lange1 who asserts that chronological calculations show that in the year #cj1 the #adth of ,nisan1 on the evening of which the supper proper took place1 actually fell on a ,thursday2 and it is certain that the crucifixion of ,christ occurred on ,friday4 ,if ,wieseler is correct1 the ,lord's ,supper must have been the true paschal supper4--,pilate went out unto them4 ,pontius ,pilate was the ,roman procurator or resident governor of ,judea at this time4 ,on his authority1 see ,matt4 #bg3b1 note2 on his character1 career1 and course here1 see note below1 ch4 #ai3af4 ,his going out to them was itself a concession4--,against this man4 ,probably he knew something of ,jesus 7,matt4 #bg3ah1 #ai72 for a guard had been furnished from his headquarters for the arrest of ,jesus 7,john #ah3c1 note74 #cj ,they answered and said unto him1 ,if he were not a malefactor1 we would not have delivered him up unto thee4 #cj4 ,they answered1 etc4 ,it seems to have been their endeavor to secure the ratification of the death-sentence without any hearing1 partly because they knew that the ,roman governor would be indifferent to the charge of blasphemy 7,acts #ah3ad-ag71 and partly because their pride revolted against submitting the decision of their court to the hated ,gentile4 #ca ,then said ,pilate unto them1 ,take ye him1 and judge him according to your law4 ,the ,jews therefore said unto him1 ,it is not lawful for us#fgf to put any man to death3 #fgf ,gen4 #di3aj2 ,ezek4 #ba3bg4 #ca4 ,then said ,pilate1 ,take ye him and judge him4 99 99 99 ,it is not lawful for us to put any man to death4 ,it seems to have been the custom of the ,romans to take into their own hands in conquered provinces the power of life and death1 as one of the principal attributes of sovereignty4 ,there is no good reason to doubt that this had been done in ,palestine1 and that the ,sanhedrim had no longer power to execute the death-sentence4 ,the execution of ,stephen1 though in a certain sense sanctioned by the ,sanhedrim1 was the act of a mob 7,acts #g3eg1 #eh74 ,pilate's answer to the demand of the priests is ironical1 a bitter reminder to them that they had no longer the power of sovereignty4 ,other interpretations1 such as that they had no power to crucify1 or none to execute on the feast-day1 or none to punish crimes against the state1 are both unnecessary and improbable4 #cb ,that the saying of ,jesus might be fulfilled1 which he spake1#fgg signifying what death he should die4 #fgg ,matt4 #bj3ai2 ,luke #ah3cb1 #cc4 #cb4 ,that the saying of ,jesus might be fulfilled1 signifying1 etc4 ,see ch4 #ab3cb1 #cc2 ,matt4 #bj3ah1 #ai1 where ,christ foretold his crucifixion4 ,it was also hinted at in ,o4 ,t4 prophecy 7,numb4 #ba3h1 #i1 with ,john #c3ad2 ,ps4 #bb3af1 #ah2 ,isa4 #ec3h1 #i74 ,death was inflicted under the ,jewish law by stoning 7,deut4 #ac3i1 #aj2 #ag3e-g74 ,calvin observes the indication in this that ,christ's death in all its particulars fulfills the eternal purpose of ,god4 ,comp4 ,acts #b3bc4 #cc ,then ,pilate entered into the judgment hall again1 and called ,jesus1 and said unto him1 ,art thou the ,king of the ,jews8 #cc4 ,then ,pilate entered into the judgment-hall again4 ,meantime the priests had framed and presented their accusation of sedition 7,luke #bc3b74 ,this accusation may well have perplexed ,pilate4 ,christ had claimed to be ,king2 promulgated laws2 organized in the heart of ,csar's province the germ of an imperishable kingdom2 entered ,jerusalem in triumph1 hailed by the throng as ,king of the ,jews2 and his arrest had been forcibly resisted by one of his followers4 ,these facts a wily priesthood could easily pervert and exaggerate so as to give color to their accusation4 ,how unscrupulous they were is evident from a comparison of ,luke #bc3b with ch4 #bj3bb-be4--;,and called ,jesus4 ,for a private examination apart from the priests and the gathering mob4 #cd ,jesus answered him1 ,sayest thou this thing of thyself1 or did others tell it thee of me8 #ce ,pilate answered1 ,am ,i a ,jew8 ,thine own#fgh nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me3 what hast thou done8 #fgh ch #ai3aa2 ,acts #c3ac4 #cd1 #ce4 ,jesus answered him1 etc4--,this question is not asked for information as to the nature of the charge preferred against him and the character of his accusers1 for evidently ,jesus was present when they preferred it2 nor as a means of ascertaining in what sense ,pilate used the title king1 whether in the ,jewish sense1 to signify the promised founder of the kingdom of heaven1 or in a ,roman sense1 to signify a political kingdom antagonistic to ,jewish authority4 ,for he who knew what was in man1 understood ,pilate's character and mind4 ,it was the most forcible possible reply to the accusation4 ,who1 he asks1 has preferred this charge8 ,the ,jews4 ,pilate's mind instantly grasps the conclusion4 8,if it had been preferred by a ,roman centurion1 it would have been worthy of examination4 ,but when was it ever known that the ,jewish priesthood complained of one who sought the political emancipation of the nation8 ,none knew better than ,pilate how uneasy were the people under the ,roman yoke4 ,the voices of the mob before the judgment-seat crying out for ,jesus' blood were unwitting witnesses of his innocence40--7,lyman ,abbott's ,jesus of ,nazareth47--,the reply had the desired effect4 ,pilate's response1 8,am ,i a ,jew8 ,thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me10 shows how quickly he filled out the argument which ,christ by a question suggested to his mind4--,what hast thou done8 ,an honest question4 ,he rejects the testimony of the priesthood to the sedition of the prisoner 7,luke #bc3b71 and appeals to ,jesus himself to explain their enmity4 #cf ,jesus#fgi answered1 ,my#fhj kingdom is not of this world3 if my kingdom were of this world1 then would my servants fight1 that ,i should not be delivered to the ,jews3 but now is my kingdom not from hence4 #fgi #a ,tim4 #f3ac4 #fhj ch4 #f3ae2 ,ps4 #de3c1 #f2 ,isa4 #i3f1 #g2 ,dan4 #b3dd2 #g3ad2 ,zech4 #i3i2 ,luke #ab3ad2 ,rom4 #ad3ag2 ,col4 #a3ac4 #cf4 ,jesus answered4 ,honest perplexity he would not refuse to answer4 ,contrast his silence before ,caiaphas 7,matt4 #bf3fb71 ,herod 7,luke #bc3i71 and later before ,pilate himself 7,john #ai3i74--,my kingdom is not of this world4 ,its origin is not from the earth4 ,the preposition of 77 signifies the source or origin from which anything springs4 ,christ's kingdom is in the world and over the world1 but not from the world nor maintained by worldly means4--,if my kingdom were of this world1 then would my servants fight4 ,not angels1 of which ,pilate knew nothing2 nor the twelve1 of whom it is doubtful whether he knew anything4 ,the argument was one which readily addressed itself to ,pilate's understanding4 ,if ,jesus were an earthly king1 his followers would have defended him from arrest by his enemies and theirs4 ,it is true ,peter had done so 7ver4 #aj71 but he had been rebuked1 and the wound he inflicted had been miraculously healed1 so that the priesthood could not appeal to this resistance in support of their charge1 except by misrepresenting it4--,that ,i should not be delivered to the ,jews4 ,jews generally in ,john means the ,judeans1 the inhabitants of the southern province of ,palestine1 who were ,christ's especial opponents4--,but now is my kingdom not from hence4 ,now is not here a particle of time1 but of connection4 ,that is1 the meaning is not1 ,my kingdom is not now of this world1 as though its temporal power and glory was to come by and by1 but1 ,thus you see my kingdom is not1 etc4 ,the former meaning has been given to the word by some ,roman ,catholic commentators1 to break the force of the declaration as a testimony against the temporal power of the ,pope and the priesthood4 ,for similar connective use of the particle 77 now1 see ,acts #ab3aa2 #bb3af2 #a ,cor4 #ad3f4 ,observe in this verse3 7#a7 ,a distinct declaration of the supernatural origin and character of ,christ's kingdom4 ,christianity is not a development of human thought1 but a gift to man from ,god4 ,comp4 ,john #c3c2 #h3bc2 #ac3c2 ,rev4 #ba3b4 7#b7 ,it is to be defended by spiritual1 not by earthly or physical means4 ,with the spirit of this declaration all attempts to maintain the church or its truth by civil enactment or the power of the sword are inconsistent4 ,how little the spiritual nature of ,christ's kingdom was understood in the middle ages is indicated by the fact that even ,calvin1 on this passage1 argues that kings and princes may 8employ all the power they possess in defending the church and maintaining godliness40 7#c7 ,the strength and permanence of ,christ's kingdom as compared with kingdoms built up on or defended by might of arms4 8,here he sheweth the weakness of kingship among us1 that its strength lies in servants2 but that which is above is sufficient for itself1 needing nothing40--7,chrysostom47 #cg ,pilate therefore said unto him1 ,art thou a king then8 ,jesus answered1 ,thou sayest that ,i am a king4 ,to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world1 that ,i should bear#fha witness unto the truth4 ,every one#fhb that is of the truth heareth my voice4 #fha ,isa4 #ee3d2 ,rev4 #a3e2 #c3ad4 #fhb ch4 #h3dg2 #a ,john #d3f4 #cg4 ,art thou then not a king8 ,or perhaps1 with a touch of irony1 ,thou art then a king4 ,either rendering is admissible 7see ,winer1 p4 #eab74--;,jesus said unto him1 ,thou sayest 7truly72 for ,i am a king4 ,this is truer to the original than our ,english version4 ,the first clause of the sentence1 8,thou sayest10 is a common form of ,jewish affirmation1 and was not confined to the ,jews 7,matt4 #bf3fd1 note74 ,the second clause gives emphasis to this affirmation1 and the reason for it1 for ,i am a king4 ,observe how the solemn testimony of ,christ to his divine ,messiahship before ,caiaphas is here1 in a different form1 reiterated before ,pilate4--,to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world4 ,the first clause does not necessarily imply a pre-existence1 because1 in a sense1 every creature is born to fulfil a divine purpose2 but the second clause would be tautological1 a mere repetition of the first1 if it did not indicate a coming into the world from a pre-existent state and for a particular purpose4 ,and ,pilate seems to have partially1 at least1 so understood it 7ch4 #ai3i1 note74--,every one that is of the truth 7 74 ,proceeding from the truth2 that is1 who has so far come under the influence of truth1 is so far born anew by the power of the truth on his own soul1 as to be a sincere seeker after truth1 and hence1 in a deeper sense1 so far under the influence of the ,spirit of ,god1 who is the ,truth1 as to be seeking to know ,him who is the ,truth incarnate in human life4 ,parallel to this declaration are ,john #f3de2 #h3dg4 ,observe1 7#a7 ,jesus ,christ is not only a teacher1 an example1 and a ,saviour1 but a ,king2 and we can accept him as a ,saviour only as we accept him as our ,king 7,john #ae3aj2 #a ,john #c3bb-bd72 7#b7 the object of his incarnation is to testify to the truth1 which he does by his words1 and yet more by incarnating the truth in living forms1 perfectly in his own life1 imperfectly in the lives of his followers2 7#c7 they only hear 7receive7 him1 in whom the spirit of truth-seeking already exists4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #ac3ac-ae4 #ch ,pilate saith unto him1 ,what is truth8 ,and when he had said this1 he went out again unto the ,jews1 and saith unto them1 ,i find in him no fault at all4 #ch4 ,what is truth8 ,this famous inquiry of ,pilate is certainly not the inquiry of an honest seeker for truth 7,chrysostom71 for he does not even wait for an answer2 nor apparently the disconsolate question of one who despaired of ever arriving at a standard of truth 7,olshausen71 for there is no evidence that he had ever sought to know the truth1 either in philosophy or in religion2 nor the scoffing question of one who believes that truth can never be found 7,alford71 and whose modern type is the positivist who believes that all creeds are false1 and ,god1 immortality1 and the soul are unknowable1 for there is nothing to indicate that such problems had any interest for him4 ,it is rather asked1 half in pity1 half in contempt1 the question of the practical man of the world1 to whom this conception of a kingdom built on truth and maintained without army or exchequer seemed but the baseless phantom of a harmless religious enthusiast 7,ellicott74 #ci ,but ye have a custom1 that ,i should release unto you one at the passover3 will ye therefore that ,i release unto you the ,king of the ,jews8 #dj ,then cried they all again1 saying1 ,not this man1 but ,barabbas4 ,now ,barabbas was a robber4 #ci1 #dj4 ,it is apparently at this point in the trial that ,pilate sends ,jesus to ,herod2 on his return the demand is made by the people for the customary release of a prisoner 7,mark #ae3h71 and in reply to this demand he makes the proposition1 reported by all the ,evangelists1 to release ,jesus4--,on the character of ,barabbas1 see note on ,matt4 #bg3ae-ah4 ,on the contrast between ,barabbas and ,jesus1 see ,acts #c3ad4 ,the origin of the custom here referred to is not known4 ,it is difficult to conceive why ,john should omit the sending of ,jesus to ,herod 7,luke #bc3e-g7 and ,pilate's wife's dream and ,pilate's washing of his hands 7,matt4 #bg3bj-be71 unless he wrote with the other ,gospels before him1 and therefore omitted what they had sufficiently described4--,at the ,passover4 ,not necessarily on the day of the paschal feast1 but during the ,passover week4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 #a ,then#fhc ,pilate therefore took ,jesus1 and scourged#fhd him4 #fhc ,matt4 #bg3bf1 etc42 ,mark #ae3af1 etc4 #fhd ,isa4 #ec3e4 #b ,and the soldiers platted a crown of thorns1 and put it on his head1 and they put on him a purple robe1 #c ,and said1 ,hail1 ,king of the ,jews6 and they smote him with their hands4 #d ,pilate therefore went forth again1 and saith unto them1 ,behold1 ,i bring him forth to you1 that ye may know that#fhe ,i find no fault in him4 #fhe verse #f2 ch4 #ah3ch4 #e ,then came ,jesus forth1 wearing the crown of thorns1 and the purple robe4 ,and ,pilate saith unto them1 ,behold the man6 #a-e4 ,the scourging of ,jesus is recounted by all the ,evangelists except ,luke1 and the mockery more fully by ,matthew than here4 ,see notes on ,matthew4 ,scourging was a common precursor of the death-sentence2 here1 however1 it appears to have been proposed by ,pilate as a compromise 7,luke #bc3af74--;,and said1 ,hail1 ,king of the ,jews4 ,some manuscripts insert the words they came unto him1 and this reading is approved by ,tischendorf and ,alford4 ,it indicates a mock reverential approach as to a crowned king1 with obeisances and pretended homage4--,behold the man4 ,pilate's own sympathies were awakened by the sight of this patient sufferer1 and he made one more attempt to release him by appealing to the sympathies of the people4 ,in this act the commentators see an unconscious symbolical teaching parallel to that of ,caiaphas 7,john #aa3ea1 #eb72 ,jesus is the man1 the only perfect man1 the ideal toward which all aspiration is to strive 7,ephes4 #d3ac74 ,the scene has been a famous one in art1 and the picture of ,christ thorn-crowned receives its customary title1 ,ecce ,homo1 from two ,latin words meaning ,behold the man4 #f ,when the chief priests therefore and officers saw him1 they cried out1 saying1 ,crucify him1 crucify him4 ,pilate saith unto them1 ,take ye him1 and crucify him3 for ,i find no fault in him4 #f4 ,when the chief priests1 therefore1 and attendants4 ,the original here signifies an officer answering to the modern constable or policeman4--,they cried out4 ,the priests mingled in and joined their voices with those of the crowd4 ,the sight of blood1 so far from appeasing1 only whetted their revengeful appetite4--,take ye him and crucify him4 ,this was not a sentence1 but rather an endeavor to cast the responsibility of its execution upon the priesthood4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #bg3bd2 ,luke #bc3be4 ,that they felt the reproach is indicated by their reply4 #g ,the ,jews answered him1 ,we#fhf have a law1 and by our law he ought to die1 because#fhg he made himself the ,son of ,god4 #fhf ,lev4 #bd3af4 #fhg ch4 #e3ah2 #aj3cc4 #g4 ,the ,jews answered him1 ,we have a law1 etc4 ,not because their previous accusation had failed1 and they wished to present a new one 7,lange72 but because1 the death-sentence being already pronounced and ratified by the act of scourging1 they felt safe in disclosing their real animus4 ,the object of their reply is to justify themselves to his rebuke4 #h ,when ,pilate therefore heard that saying1 he was the more afraid2 #i ,and went again into the judgment hall1 and saith unto ,jesus1 ,whence art thou8 ,but#fhh ,jesus gave him no answer4 #fhh ,ps4 #ch3ac2 ,isa4 #ec3g2 ,matt4 #bg3ab1 #ad2 ,phil4 #a3bh4 #h1 #i4 ,he was the more afraid1 99 99 99 and saith unto ,jesus1 ,whence art thou8 ,but ,jesus gave him no answer4 ,pilate's was not a superstitious fear1 but a genuine awe produced by the personal presence of ,jesus1 the power of which was conspicuously manifested on other occasions in his life 7,luke #d3cj2 #e3h2 ,john #g3de1 #df2 #ah3f74 ,it was doubtless enhanced by the report of his wife's dream 7,matt4 #bg3ai74 ,his question1 ,whence art thou8 is to be interpreted by this awe2 not from what province1 for he knew this 7,luke #bc3f1 #g71 nor of what parents1 for this was a matter of indifference4 ,the question indicates that even skeptical ,pilate vaguely felt that the prisoner before him--the ,king of a kingdom of truth--was no ordinary man4 ,christ's silence was a bitter rebuke4 ,pilate was no longer an honest seeker after truth4 ,christ 8kept silent1 in fine1 because he knew as well when to hold his peace as when to speak1 and no word that he ever uttered was fuller of inspiration than that silence2 no1 not even does that lofty declaration to ,pilate1 #8,yes1 ,i am a ,king1 and every true man is my subject1' show a more regal dignity of mind4 ,from every feature1 from his whole person1 it spoke--spoke of a world of power in him1 power to rise above all personal considerations1 and1 under the most terrible circumstances1 to find entire serenity in the perfect possession of himself40--7,furness47 #aj ,then saith ,pilate unto him1 ,speakest thou not unto me8 knowest#fhi thou not that ,i have power to crucify thee1 and have power to release thee8 #fhi ,dan4 #c3ad1 #ae4 #aj4 ,then said ,pilate unto him4 ,his pride is piqued by the silence of the prisoner4 ,he boasts of his power1 and so seeks to extort an answer from the prisoner's fears4 ,observe that power he had1 but right he had not4 8,this very boast was a self-conviction of injustice4 ,no just judge has any such power as this to punish or to loose 7see #b ,cor4 #ac3h71 but only patiently to inquire and give sentence according to the truth40--7,alford47 #aa ,jesus answered1 ,thou#fij couldest have no power at all against me1 except it were given thee from above3#fia therefore he#fib that delivered me unto thee hath the greater#fic sin4 #fij ch4 #g3cj2 ,luke #bb3ec4 #fia ,ps4 #ci3i4 #fib ch4 #ah3c2 ,mark #ad3dd4 #fic ,heb4 #f3d-h2 ,james #d3ag4 #aa4 ,the connection of ,christ's answer here is difficult4 ,it appears to me to be as follows3 ,all civil and political power comes from ,god 7,rom4 #ac3a2 comp4 ,ps4 #ge3f1 #g2 ,dan4 #b3ba74 ,even on earth kings are recognized as the administrators of the divine will 7,isa4 #dd3bh2 #de3a74 ,caiaphas and the priesthood1 therefore1 in delivering ,jesus to ,pilate1 are endeavoring not only to accomplish a deed of injustice1 but to induce a divinely appointed minister of ,god to prove false to the trust reposed in him4 ,therefore their sin is greater than his2 they are the instigators1 he the partially ignorant and unwilling instrument4 ,comp4 ,luke #ab3dg1 #dh4 ,stier observes that ,pilate's ignorance includes him in the ,lord's prayer1 8,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do0 7,luke #bc3cd74 ,that most wonderful declaration of the ,o4 ,t41 8,he knoweth our frame1 he remembereth that we are dust0 7,ps4 #ajc3ad71 receives its most wonderful illustration in ,christ's compassion for the perplexed but guilty ,pilate4 #ab ,and from thenceforth ,pilate sought to release him3 but the ,jews cried out1 saying1 ,if thou let this man go1 thou art not ,csar's friend3 whosoever#fid maketh himself a king1 speaketh against ,csar4 #fid ,luke #bc3b2 ,acts #ag3g4 #ab4 ,from thenceforth4 ,or rather1 on this account4 ,the original is capable of either rendering2 but ,pilate had already sought to release ,jesus2 he now made a new effort1 moved thereto apparently in part by his awe for ,christ1 and in part by ,christ's expression of compassion for him4--,thou art not ,csar's friend4 ,of all the ,csars1 ,tiberius was the most suspicious and exacting2 and of all crimes1 that of indifference to his interests was in his eyes the worst4 ,in these words of the priesthood there is implied a threat of an accusation to ,tiberius against ,pilate if he release ,jesus4 #ac ,when#fie ,pilate therefore heard that saying1 he brought ,jesus forth1 and sat down in the judgment seat1 in a place that is called the ,pavement1 but in the ,hebrew1 ,gabbatha4 #fie ,prov4 #bi3be2 ,acts #d3ai4 #ac4 ,upon the judgment-seat in a place called ,pavement4 ,the judgment-seat was probably a small elevated platform1 such as was used among the ancients1 on which orators stood to address a concourse1 generals to harangue their troops1 or magistrates to hear causes4 ,the accompanying illustration from a bas-relief represents ,trajan sitting on such a judgment-seat to receive the submission of a ,parthian king4 ,the employment of a similar platform both by ,pilate and by ,florus is referred to by ,josephus 7,wars of ,jews1 ,rom4 ,,ii3 #i1 #c2 #ad1 #h74 ,the ,pavement was probably a tessellated or mosaic square in front of the tower of ,antonia1 on which the judgment-seat or bema was placed4 ,illustration3 ,,roman ,,judgment-,,seat4 #ad ,and#fif it was the preparation of the passover1 and about the sixth hour3 and he saith unto the ,jews1 ,behold your ,king6 #fif ,matt4 #bg3fb4 #ad4 ,it was the preparation of the passover4 ,that is1 the preparation for the ,passover ,sabbath4 ,the strictness of the ,mosaic law respecting the ,sabbath necessitated special preparations for it on the previous day1 and in process of time the whole day prior came to be known as the preparation 7,mark #ae3db74 ,if we so understand the passage1 there is nothing in it inconsistent with the fact indicated by the other ,evangelists that the paschal supper was taken by ,christ and his disciples1 in common with the rest of the nation1 on the evening preceding4--,about the sixth hour4 ,but according to ,mark it was the third hour 7,mark #ae3be72 and this is sustained by the whole course of the transactions and the circumstances1 as also by the statements of ,matthew 7#bg3de71 ,luke 7#bc3dd71 and ,mark 7#ae3cc71 that the darkness commenced at the sixth hour1 after ,jesus had for some time hung upon the cross4 ,of this discrepancy many explanations have been proposed1 but only two are worthy of any consideration4 ,one that by an early error in transcription the sixth was substituted for the third hour here2 the other that ,john here only indicates that the sixth hour was approaching1 or1 as ,lange renders it1 it was going on towards the sixth hour2 that is1 the third hour1 which closed the preceding watch into which the day was divided1 had already passed1 and that ,mark's language simply implies that the third hour had already passed before the crucifixion4 ,it is certain that the ancients did not fix the time with as great precision as we do1 and that in particular1 as ,godet says1 8the apostles did not count with the watch in their hands40--,behold your ,king4 ,the previous appeal 7ver4 #e7 had been to the pity of the people2 this was to their national pride4 #ae ,but they cried out1 ,away with him1 away with him1 crucify him6 ,pilate saith unto them1 ,shall ,i crucify your ,king8 ,the chief priests answered1 ,we#fig have no king but ,csar4 #fig ,gen4 #di3aj4 #af ,then#fih delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified4 ,and they took ,jesus1 and led him away4 #fih ,matt4 #bg3bf1 etc42 ,mark #ae3ae1 etc42 ,luke #bc3bd1 etc4 #ae1 #af4 ,we have no king but ,csar4 ,this was true4 ,by this very act they disavowed allegiance to ,jehovah as their ,king 7#a ,sam4 #ab3ab74 ,they were thus emphatically guilty themselves of the crime of blasphemy1 for which they had condemned ,jesus4 ,some of these very men subsequently perished in rebellion against ,csar1 thus by their death testifying to the hypocrisy of their pretended zeal4 ,he who refuses ,christ as his ,king subjects himself to the despotism of worldly authority4--,then delivered he to them to be crucified4 ,giving them a guard of soldiers to execute the decree4 ,thus ,roman and ,jew shared in both decreeing and executing the sentence4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,on ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,pontius ,,pilate4--,concerning ,pilate's life before he became procurator nothing is known1 except that his name indicates a probability that he was a freedman1 or the descendant of a freedman1 connected with the ,pontian house4 ,he succeeded ,valerius ,gratus as procurator of ,judea and ,samaria1 about the year #bf ,a4 ,d41 and he held the appointment for a period of ten years4 ,secular history shows him to have been unscrupulous in the exercise of his authority2 and instances are recorded by ,josephus of his contempt of the ,jews4 ,his behavior was equally tyrannical toward the ,samaritans2 and on their complaint to ,vitellius1 president or prefect of ,syria1 ,pilate was ordered to go to ,rome to answer for his conduct before the emperor4 ,his deposition must have occurred in ,a4 ,d4 #cf1 most probably prior to the ,passover4 ,before he arrived in ,rome1 however1 ,tiberius was dead4 ,according to tradition1 ,pilate was banished by ,caligula to ,vienne1 in ,gaul2 according to ,eusebius1 he died by his own hand4 ,though in the oldest ,christian creed his name is indissolubly linked with the crucifixion1 in the phrase 8suffered under ,pontius ,pilate10 and though he was directly responsible for it1 since it could not have been consummated without his judicial approbation1 yet that approbation was wrested from him by a mob1 and he yielded only when further resistance would have hazarded his office1 if not his life4 ,the story of the trial of ,christ before ,pilate is the story of a conflict between a judge who appealed in vain to the moral sense of the priesthood1 and a priesthood who appealed not in vain to the fears of the judge4 ,first he scornfully bids the ,jews try ,jesus according to their own law1 knowing that they cannot put their prisoner to death 7ch4 #ah3ca72 then catches1 in the clamor1 the word 8,galilee10 and endeavors to rid himself of responsibility by sending the prisoner to ,herod 7,luke #bc3d-ab72 on the return of the prisoner to his custody1 proposes to release him1 as a customary act of good-will1 to the populace 7,matt4 #bg3ai-bc2 ,mark #ae3h-ad72 orders the scourging1 in an idle hope so to satisfy the clamor of the mob 7,matt4 #bg3bf-cj2 ,mark #ae3ae-ai2 ,john #ai3a-c72 having appealed in vain to their pity1 appeals1 also in vain1 to their patriotism 7,john #ai3d-ae72 and finally pronounces sentence of death only under an implied threat of complaint to the jealous ,tiberius ,csar 7,john #ai3ab1 #af74 ,but it would be a mistake to suppose that in this pitiable conflict with a mob1 which it was ,pilate's first duty to quell1 he was influenced by considerations of either humanity or justice4 ,the contempt which a ,roman soldier would naturally feel for the ,jewish priesthood was intensified into a bitter personal hate by the fact that their cunning had twice overmatched his strength--once when1 immediately after his inauguration1 they had compelled him to remove the hated ,roman standards from the city of ,jerusalem to the old-time ,roman military headquarters at ,csarea ,philippi2 once when they had secured orders from ,tiberius ,csar directing him to take down the ,roman shields from the vicinity of the temple4 ,the one sentiment which was strong in a ,roman soldier was that of justice2 to be compelled by a ,jewish mob1 instigated by the ,jewish priesthood1 to assume the judicial robes only to do flagrant injustice in them1 and that in executing the ,jewish will1 angered him4 ,he was a tool in the hands of an unscrupulous and despised hierarchy2 knew it1 and fought against the humiliation weakly1 and therefore in vain4 ,he was also powerfully affected by the personal bearing of ,christ4 8,if there is any power in the human countenance1 in the eye1 in the voice1 in the whole air and manner of a man1 that power must have been manifested in ,jesus in the very highest degree4 99 99 99 ,not that he 7,pilate7 had the slightest insight into the lofty nature of that power4 ,his very ignorance of it served1 by creating a feeling of mystery1 only to heighten the effect of it upon his mind40--7,furness47 ,and this effect was still further increased by the dream of his wife2 for skepticism and superstition are twins1 and the skeptical ,pilate was not above the universal superstitions of his times4 ,all these elements made ,pilate angry with himself and with the hierarchy1 but they did not serve in lieu of a noble resolution1 which alone could have enabled him to resist the threatening danger of an emeute4 ,so he dallied1 argued1 appealed1 yielded4 ,the crime of ,pontius ,pilate was the crime of moral cowardice4 ,it was more appalling in its results1 but it was not different in its nature1 from the many manifestations of that crime which we all often witness1 and which most of us sometimes have experienced4 99 99 99 99 99 ,ch4 #ai3ag-db4 ,,death ,,and ,,burial ,,of ,,jesus4--,a ,,false ,,judge ,,writes ,a ,,true ,,epitaph 7#ai74--;,a ,,weak ,,judge ,,proves ,,himself ,,obstinate 7#bb74--,,the ,,inhumanity ,,of ,,man 7#bd74--,,the ,,sympathy ,,of ,,christ ,,illustrated 7#bg74--,,the ,,fulfillment ,,of ,,all ,,scripture 7#bh74--,,redemption ,a ,,finished ,,work 7#cj74--,,the ,,hypocrisy ,,of ,,ceremonialism 7#ca74--,,the ,,nature1 ,,meaning1 ,,and ,,certainty ,,of ,,christ',s ,,death 7#cd1 #ce74--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,that ,,death ,,to ,,make ,,cowards ,,courageous 7#ch1 #ci74--,,the ,,sepulchre ,,in ,,the ,,garden2 ,,the ,,tomb ,,amid ,,flowers 7#da1 #db74 ,the accounts of all ,evangelists should be compared4 ,for chronological harmony and for full notes on what is common to them all1 see ,matt4 #bg3cb-ef4 ,several incidents are peculiar to ,luke2 some to ,john4 ,the latter gives more fully the division of ,christ's garments among the soldiers 7verses #bc1 #bd72 alone speaks of ,christ's parting words to his mother 7verses #be-bg71 and of the piercing of his side 7ver4 #cd74 #ag ,and he bearing his cross went#fii forth into a place called the place of a skull1 which is called in the ,hebrew1 ,golgotha3 #fii ,numb4 #ae3cf2 ,heb4 #ac3ab4 #ah ,where they crucified him1 and two other with him1 on either side one1 and ,jesus in the midst4 #ag1 #ah4 ,the cross was usually borne by the condemned4 ,in this case it was transferred from ,christ to ,simon the ,cyrene4 ,see ,matt4 #bg3cb1 note4 ,the ,hebrew word ,golgotha is the same as the ,latin word ,calvary 7,calvaria71 and means a skull4 ,the location is uncertain4 ,for statement of different hypotheses and picture of most probable site1 see ,matt4 #bg3cc1 note4--,the two others crucified with ,christ were brigands1 one of whom joined in the taunts of the multitude2 the other rebuked his companion1 and sought and obtained the blessing of the dying ,redeemer4 ,see ,luke #bc3ci-dc1 notes4 #ai ,and#gjj ,pilate wrote a title1 and put it on the cross4 ,and the writing was1 ,,jesus ,,of ,,nazareth ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,the ,,jews4 #gjj ,matt4 #bg3cg2 ,mark #ae3bf2 ,luke #bc3ch4 #bj ,this title then read many of the ,jews3 for the place where ,jesus was crucified was nigh to the city3 and it was written in ,hebrew1 and ,greek1 and ,latin4 #ba ,then said the chief priests of the ,jews to ,pilate1 ,write not1 ,the ,king of the ,jews2 but that he said1 ,i am ,king of the ,jews4 #bb ,pilate answered1 ,what ,i have written ,i have written4 #ai-bb4 ,and ,pilate wrote a title4 ,it was customary to bear before the condemned an inscription which designated his crime2 this was subsequently attached to the cross1 as a warning against similar offences4--,the inscription in this case was written in the three languages of the time--that of the court 7,latin71 that of the ,gentile population 7,greek71 and that of the ,jews 7,hebrew or ,aramaic74--,it really affixed a stigma rather upon the ,jews than upon ,jesus4 ,hence their attempt to have it altered1 and ,pilate's refusal4 ,the ,jews were insulting ,jesus2 ,pilate took a petty revenge upon them for their victory over him by insulting them4 ,the inscription is reported by the four ,evangelists1 in all of them substantially1 in none of them verbally1 the same4 ,thus3 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews4--7,matthew47 ,the ,king of the ,jews4--7,mark47 ,this is the ,king of the ,jews4--7,luke47 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,king of the ,jews4--7,john47 ,apparently there were three inscriptions1 in the three different languages2 some commentators suppose that they differed slightly1 and that the variations in the language of the inscription indicate the variations in the original4 ,see this ingeniously argued in ,townsend's ,n4 ,t4 ,but the better opinion is that the inscription was the same in the three languages1 and that the verbal differences are such as we might expect from individual narrators1 who1 in minor details1 were left to their own recollection4 ,so ,robinson1 ,alford1 ,greenleaf1 etc4 ,analogous verbal differences are to be constantly met with in the ,evangelists3 ,matt4 #c3aa2 ,mark #a3g2 ,luke #c3af2 ,john #a3bg--,matt4 #i3aa2 ,mark #b3af2 ,luke #e3cj--,matt4 #ae3bg2 ,mark #g3bh--,matt4 #af3f-i2 ,mark #h3ag-ai--,matt4 #bj3cc2 ,mark #aj3ea2 ,luke #ah3da--,matt4 #ba3i2 ,mark #aa3i2 ,luke #ai3ch--,matt4 #bf3ci2 ,mark #ad3cf2 ,luke #bb3db--,matt4 #bh3e1 #f2 ,mark #af3f2 ,luke #bd3e1 #f4 ,pilate illustrates the difference between firmness and obstinacy4 ,in yielding the crucifixion of an innocent man1 ,pilate showed a pitiable lack of firmness2 in insisting on retaining an insulting inscription1 he showed a petty obstinacy4 ,in this inscription he was an unconscious prophet of the truth to all on-lookers--,greek1 ,roman1 ,jew4 ,comp4 ,john #aa3ea1 #eb4 #bc ,then the soldiers1 when they had crucified ,jesus1 took his garments1 and made four parts1 to every soldier a part2 and also his coat3 now the coat was without seam1 woven#gja from the top throughout4 #gja ,exod4 #ci3bb4 #bd ,they said therefore among themselves4 ,let us not rend it1 but cast lots for it1 whose it shall be3 that the scripture might be fulfilled1 which saith1#gjb ,they parted my raiment among them1 and for my vesture they did cast lots4 ,these things therefore the soldiers did4 #gjb ,ps4 #bb3ah4 #bc1 #bd4 ,the account of ,john of this incident is fuller and more exact than those of the other ,evangelists4 ,comp4 ,matt4 #bg3ce2 ,mark #ae3bd2 ,luke #bc3cd4 ,there were four soldiers--a quaternion--detailed to watch the execution of the sentence of the procurator4 ,the clothing of the convicted was the perquisite of the soldiers4 ,the outer garments of ,christ were divided among them1 one to each4 ,the inner garment1 or tunic1 was a seamless robe1 woven in one piece1 probably of wool4 ,there is no ground for the fanciful comparison of this robe with those worn by the priests1 as though it indicated a priestly function on ,christ's part4 ,there is more reason in the surmise that it was a gift to him by some of the women who had followed him from ,galilee 7,luke #h3a-c74--;,but this is a mere surmise1 having no other support than the fact that the soldiers seem to have recognized in it a peculiar value1 a garment which it were a pity to destroy4 ,dice were in ,rome what cards are in modern life4 ,one of the soldiers took a set out of his pocket2 the helmet would have served as a dice-box2 and thus1 under the shadow of the cross1 they gambled for this seamless robe4 ,the incident affords a most striking illustration of the inhumanity of man1 and scarcely less of the indurating influence of the passion for gambling4 8,no earthly creatures but gamblers could be so lost to all feeling as to sit down coolly under a dying man to wrangle for his garments1 and arbitrate their avaricious differences by casting dice for his tunic1 with hands spotted with his spattered blood1 warm and yet undried upon them40--7,h4 ,w4 ,beecher47 ,the twenty-second ,psalm1 to the prophecy of which ,john refers1 was regarded by the ,jews1 as it has been universally regarded by all ,christian critics1 as a ,messianic ,psalm4 ,a curious illustration of fanciful interpretation is afforded by ,wordsworth's treatment of this scene1 though he quotes ,augustine as his authority3 ,the parted garments is an emblem of the church in its universality1 to be sent out into the four quarters of the globe2 the unparted garment is emblematic of the church in its unity1 to be kept whole and unparted2 the gambling soldiers are an emblem of those who treat the unity of the church of ,christ as a matter of indifference4 #be ,now there stood by the cross of ,jesus his mother1 and his mother's sister1 ,mary the wife of ,cleophas1#gjc and ,mary ,magdalene4 #gjc ,luke #bd3ah4 #bf ,when ,jesus therefore saw his mother1 and the disciple standing by1#gjd whom he loved1 he saith unto his mother1 ,woman1#gje behold thy son6 #gjd ch4 #ac3bc4 #gje ch4 #b3d4 #bg ,then saith he to the disciple1 ,behold thy mother6#gjf ,and from that hour that disciple took her unto his own#gjg home4 #gjf #a ,tim4 #e3b4 #gjg ch4 #af3cb4 #be-bg4 ,now there stood by the cross of ,jesus his mother1 etc4 ,there is some question whether we are to understand by this verse that there were four women there1 or only three4 ,some scholars read the phrases 8his mother's sister0 and 8,mary of ,cleophas0 as in apposition1 and suppose them to refer to the same person2 but the better opinion regards them as different persons1 the mother's sister being identified with ,salome1 the mother of ,james and ,john1 who1 if this interpretation be correct1 were own cousins to ,jesus4 ,see ,note on the ,twelve ,apostles1 ,matthew1 ch4 #aj1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #adh1 where this question is more fully discussed4 ,it is important only in its bearing on the question of the relationship of ,jesus to ,james and ,john4--,woman1 behold thy son2 99 99 99 behold thy mother4 ,some doubt has been thrown on this incident by rationalistic critics1 who have thought it improbable that these women could have been standing near enough to the cross to hear the words of ,jesus2 or that they could have been willing to do so2 or that the incident1 if it really occurred1 could have escaped the other ,evangelists2 for it is peculiar to ,john4 ,the answer to this criticism is admirably given by ,dr4 ,furness3 8,unquestionably it must have been agonizing to her to witness that awful sight4 ,and it would have been no less agonizing to her to keep at a distance from him4 ,may she not have thought within herself1 #8,it kills me to see him suffer so1 but ,i cannot lose a word that may fall from his lips2 perhaps he may speak to me'8 ,the women friends of ,jesus stood looking on at a distance2 but if there were one among them who stood nearer to the cross than the others1 it must have been his mother4 ,here again the words of ,jesus to his mother and the beloved disciple lose the living truth of nature in our ,common ,version1 which gives them in the form of complete sentences1 #8,woman1 behold thy son1' and to ,john1 #8,behold thy mother4' ,but in the original it is #8,woman6 look6 thy son6' and to ,john1 #8,look6 thy mother6' brief as possible1 ejaculatory1 broken1 and in the fullest accord with the physical condition in which he then was--a state of extreme torture1 admitting only at the moment of such imperfect utterance4 ,his mother was not very near the cross1 but near enough to allow ,jesus1 by a strong effort mastering his agony1 to gasp out these few words1 leaving it to the keen sense of his mother and ,john to make out his meaning4 ,indeed1 if ,i could suspect such an incident as this to be an invention1 ,i should not know what limit to assign to the inventive power of the authors of the ,gospels40--7,notes on ,schenckel's ,character of ,jesus47--,and from that hour that disciple took her to his own4 ,the words from that hour are not to be taken literally1 as though ,john and the mother of ,jesus did not remain till death had brought the lingering tortures of the crucifixion to an end4 ,the words his own are more significant without the addition of the word home1 added by the translators4 ,john took the mother into his own circle1 and as his own mother1 from that time4 ,the language does not imply that he had a fixed domicile in ,jerusalem4 ,this is not inherently probable1 for he was a ,galilean2 and certainly nothing recorded had occurred to make any of the disciples prior to this time inclined to take up a permanent residence in ,jerusalem4 #bh ,after this1 ,jesus1 knowing that all things were now accomplished1 that the scripture#gjh might be fulfilled1 saith1 ,i thirst4 #gjh ,ps4 #fi3ba4 #bi ,now there was set a vessel full of vinegar3 and they filled a spunge with vinegar1 and put it upon hyssop1 and put it to his mouth4 #cj ,when ,jesus therefore had received the vinegar1 he said1 ,it#gji is finished3 and he bowed his head1 and gave#gaj up the ghost4 #gji ch4 #ag3d4 #gaj ,isa4 #ec3aj1 #ab2 ,heb4 #b3ad1 #ae4 #bh-cj4 ,see ,matt4 #bg3dg-di1 notes4 ,the incident is common to all the ,evangelists1 but their accounts are quite different4 ,john alone repeats the utterance1 8,it is finished10 which is to be regarded not merely as a presage of death1 equivalent to1 ,the era of suffering is ended1 the era of joy begins2 but as triumphant and prophetic3 ,the work which thou gavest me to do is finished 7ch4 #ag3d72 and this because ,christ died once for all1 thus perfecting a sacrificing which needs never to be repeated 7,heb4 #i3bh71 and because by it he offers to the believer a redemption which is finished1 and which needs not to be supplemented to make it efficacious4 ,the cry of almost despair1 8,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast thou forsaken me80 was followed by the cry of triumph1 uttered with a loud voice 7,matt4 #bg3ej2 ,mark #ae3cg2 ,luke #bc3df72 and then1 with the prayer1 8,father1 into thy hands ,i commit my spirit0 7,luke #bc3df71 he bowed his head and gave up the ghost4 ,some scholars 7,chrysostom1 ,hengstenberg1 ,godet1 etc47 hold that the reference to prophecy here is to ,psalm #fi3ba1 and that the meaning is that ,christ said 8,i thirst0 in order to fulfill prophecy2 others 7,meyer1 ,luthardt7 make the phrase 8that the ,scripture might be fulfilled0 dependent on the preceding clause1 and the meaning to be that all things were accomplished that the ,scripture might be fulfilled4 ,this seems to me to be the better interpretation4 ,the other makes ,christ utter the expression of thirst for the purpose of calling forth in others the fulfillment of a prophecy4 ,it may be remarked here that the constant use of the phrase that the ,scripture might be fulfilled gives to a casual reader the impression that a multitude of minor incidents were ordered by ,god1 and unimportant acts were performed by ,christ1 merely to fulfill ,o4 ,t4 prophecy4 ,the reader must1 however1 remember that the ,gospels were written primarily for ,jewish readers in large measure1 and that the test by which every ,jew determined whether or no ,jesus was the ,messiah was by asking the question1 ,does he fulfill the ancient prophecies8 ,while1 therefore1 it is true that ,christ's life does fulfill1 even in marvellously minute details1 the prophecies of the ,o4 ,t41 it is also true that these fulfillments are pointed out by the ,evangelists with an emphasis which in our time seems excessive1 but which was not so in their age and for their immediate purpose4 ,compare the apostolic speeches to ,jewish audiences1 as reported in ,acts1 which are almost wholly devoted to proving that ,christ's life and death were in accordance with ancient ,jewish prophecies4 #ca ,the ,jews therefore1 because it was the preparation1#gaa that the bodies should not remain#gab upon the cross on the sabbath day1 7for#gac that sabbath day was an high day17 besought ,pilate that their legs might be broken1 and that they might be taken away4 #gaa verse #db4 #gab ,deut4 #ba3bc4 #gac ,lev4 #bc3g1 #h4 #cb ,then came the soldiers1 and brake the legs of the first1 and of the other which was crucified with him4 #cc ,but when they came to ,jesus1 and saw that he was dead already1 they brake not his legs3 #cd ,but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side1 and forthwith came thereout blood#gad and water4#gae #gad ,heb4 #i3bb1 #bc2 #a ,john #e3f1 #h4 #gae #a ,pet4 #c3ba4 #ce ,and#gaf he that saw it bare record1 and his record is true2 and he knoweth that he saith true1 that ye might believe4 #gaf #a ,john #a3a-c4 #cf ,for these things were done1 that the scripture#gag should be fulfilled1 ,a bone of him shall not be broken4 #gag ,exod4 #ab3df2 ,numb4 #i3ab2 ,ps4 #cd3bj4 #cg ,and again another scripture#gah saith1 ,they shall look on him whom they pierced4 #gah ,ps4 #bb3af2 ,zech4 #ab3aj2 ,rev4 #a3g4 #ca-cg4 ,because it was the preparation4 ,that is1 for the ,sabbath4 ,at first the hours1 then the entire day1 immediately preceding the ,sabbath1 was called by the ,jews the ,preparation4 ,see on ver4 #ad1 and more fully on ,mark #ae3db4 ,the ,jews1 who had no hesitation about compassing by the most unscrupulous methods the death of an innocent man1 were scrupulous about leaving his corpse to hang on the cross over the ,sabbath--a notable illustration of ,sabbatical ceremonialism4 ,it was the ,roman custom to leave the corpse to putrefy2 this was forbidden by the ,jewish law1 which1 partly as a sanitary1 partly as a ceremonial regulation1 required immediate burial4 ,see ,deut4 #ba3bc4--,that their legs might be broken4 ,a barbarous but not uncommon method of accelerating death1 adopted in order to enhance rather than mitigate the horrors of the execution4--,then came the soldiers and brake the legs1 etc4 ,the implication is1 of course1 that this was done under the orders of ,pilate4 ,nor is there anything inconsistent in this account with that in ,mark 7,mark #ae3dd71 that ,pilate was surprised to learn that ,jesus was dead1 and inquired into the certainty of the fact before giving permission to ,joseph of ,arimathea to remove the body4 ,for when the death of ,jesus was reported to him1 the circumstances would also have been reported2 and thus ,pilate would have known that the soldiers found him already dead when they came to break the legs of the three4--,but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side1 and forthwith came thereout blood and water4 ,on the physical significance of this fact1 see below1 ,note on the ,physical ,cause of ,christ's ,death4 ,from it the spiritualizing commentators have drawn many mystical lessons1 most of them of very doubtful profit2 e4 g41 the comparison of the drawing of ,eve from the side of ,adam and the drawing of the church from the side of ,christ2 the necessity of both blood and water to regeneration 7ch4 #c3e72 the use of both as emblems of the sacraments1 etc4 ,all such uses of this incident belong at best to the poet1 not the commentator1 and its use even by the poet must be cautious1 or it becomes unprofitable4 ,the object of the spear-thrust was not to determine whether death had actually taken place so much as to ensure death1 if there were any doubt4 ,the record is given partly to set at rest the ancient ,gnostic skeptical whim that the death took place only in seeming2 it equally does set at rest the suggestion of more modern skepticism that ,christ merely fainted from exhaustion and was subsequently restored by the disciples4--,and he that saw it bare record1 and his record is true1 etc4 ,the use of this phraseology shows the importance which ,john gave to this particular fact2 partly1 perhaps1 because it established the all-important fact of the actual death of the ,lord1 the culmination of his life of self-sacrifice1 and equally the foundation of that proof of his divinity which is afforded by his resurrection from the dead4 ,but ,i believe that it also gives emphasis to the real cause of the death of our ,lord--a broken heart1 broken for the sins of the world1 which he bore on the tree4 ,it is also a water-mark of authorship4 8,the testimony thus declared to be veracious is just the record itself which the narrator was setting down2 and1 as he says it comes from no other than the eye-witness1 he certainly gives us to understand that he1 the ,evangelist1 is also the disciple whom ,jesus loved40--7,james ,martineau47--,the prophetic ,scriptures referred to are ,exod4 #ab3df and ,zech4 #ab3aj4 ,the first passage1 8,a bone of him shall not be broken10 refers primarily to the paschal lamb2 but that lamb was regarded by the ,jews1 and is treated both by the ,old ,testament and the ,new1 as a type of the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sins of the world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,physical ,,cause ,,of ,,christ',s ,,death4--,the immediate cause of ,christ's death is veiled in obscurity2 for a brief statement of various critical opinions on this subject1 see ,meyer's notes on this passage4 ,i believe that there is at least good reason for the opinion that he died of a literally broken heart4 ,crucifixion produced a very lingering death4 ,no vital organ was directly affected4 ,the victim rarely died in less than twenty-four hours4 ,instances are recorded of his lingering a full week4 ,it was customary to dispatch the condemned after a few hours of torture by speedier means4 ,this was done in the case of the thieves4 ,pilate was surprised at the intelligence that ,jesus was already dead4 ,the guard seems to have shared that surprise4 ,up to the last moment there was no sign of weakness1 no decay of power or vitality4 ,jesus conversed with the thief and spoke to his friends4 ,his last cry was not that of exhausted nature2 he cried with a loud--literally great1 i4 e41 strong--voice4 ,his death was instant4 ,there was something remarkable in it--something that attracted the attention of the centurion and his band4 ,it followed immediately after the cry1 8,my ,god6 my ,god6 why hast thou forsaken me80 ,this agony succeeded that of ,gethsemane4 ,in that midnight struggle the heart and blood-vessels were affected4 ,the palpitation of the heart was so intense as to cause bloody sweat--a phenomenon rare1 but not unknown1 and produced by intense mental excitement4 ,that this was a truly bloody sweat1 see ,luke #bb3dd1 note4 ,the heart would probably have been weakened by such an experience4 ,a repetition of the agony then endured might truly rupture the membrane of the heart4 ,such an experience has been known to produce such a result4 ,if it did1 death would instantly ensue4 ,the blood would flow into the pericardium1 an outer sac in which the heart is enclosed2 there it would be liable to separate very rapidly into clots of extravasated blood and water4 ,when the soldier thrust the spear into ,jesus' side1 it was probably with a double purpose3 to ascertain whether ,jesus was dead2 to ensure his death if he were not4 ,for this purpose he would aim at the heart4 ,the spear would pierce1 of course1 the left1 not the right side1 as portrayed in nearly all art representations of the crucifixion4 ,the water1 followed and accompanied by the clots of blood1 would flow from the wound4 ,it is impossible to account for this phenomenon1 not only recorded by ,john1 but evidently regarded by him of considerable importance1 except upon the hypothesis of a broken heart1 or of some organic disease4 ,andrews's hypothesis that it was supernatural has nothing but a devout surmise to sustain it4 ,the reader who desires to investigate this subject more thoroughly will find by far the fullest and ablest discussion of it in ,stroud's ,physical ,cause of the ,death of ,christ1 ,london1 #ahdg1 especially ch4 iv1 pp4 #gc-aef1 and notes iv and v1 pp4 #chi-dbj4 ,if this is not within his reach1 he will find a brief but adequate statement of the argument in ,m',clintock and ,strong's ,biblical ,cyclopdia1 art4 ,crucifixion4 #ch ,and after this ,joseph of ,arimatha1 being a disciple of ,jesus1 but secretly for#gai fear of the ,jews1 besought ,pilate that he might take away the body of ,jesus3 and ,pilate gave him leave4 ,he came therefore1 and took the body of ,jesus4 #gai ch4 #i3bb2 #ab3db4 #ci ,and there came also#gbj ,nicodemus1 which at the first came to ,jesus by night1 and#gba brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes1 about an hundred pound weight4 #gbj ch4 #c3a1 #b2 #g3ej4 #gba #b ,chron4 #af3ad4 #dj ,then took they the body of ,jesus1 and wound#gbb it in linen clothes with the spices1 as the manner of the ,jews is to bury4 #gbb ,acts #e3f4 #da ,now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden2 and in the garden a new sepulchre1 wherein was never man yet laid4 #db ,there#gbc laid they ,jesus therefore because#gbd of the ,jews' preparation day2 for the sepulchre was nigh at hand4 #gbc ,isa4 #ec3i2 #a ,cor4 #ae3d4 #gbd verse #ca4 #ch-db4 ,after this came ,joseph of ,arimathea4 ,of him nothing is known except what may be gathered from the accounts of the ,evangelists concerning him in this connection4 ,mark implies that he was a member of the ,sanhedrim 7,mark #ae3dc71 and ,luke that he had nothing to do with the condemnation of ,jesus2 probably was not present 7see ,luke #bc3ea1 note71 either because he knew what was coming before them and that his resistance would be in vain1 or because the others knew his character1 and did not summon him4 ,luke also describes him as a 8good man and just40 ,his act in requesting the body of ,christ after the crucifixion was one requiring some courage4 ,in later martyrdoms such a request cost men their lives2 in this case it must at least have cost ,joseph much obloquy4 ,the site of ,arimathea is entirely uncertain4 ,the effect of ,christ's death to make the cowardly strong is noticed by all commentators4--,pilate gave him leave4 ,after making sure that ,christ was really dead 7,mark #ae3dd1 #de74 --,took the body of ,jesus4 ,this taking down from the cross was probably done by the loving hands of the disciples2 this is more probable than that it was done by the ,roman soldiers4 ,their last duty was performed when they made sure of the death of the condemned4--,there came also ,nicodemus4 ,it was now even1 that is1 the early evening1 probably between four o'clock and sunset4 ,see ,matt4 #bg3eg1 note4 ,on the character of ,nicodemus1 see ch4 #c3a1 note4--,brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes1 about a hundred pounds weight4 8,myrrh-resin and aloe-wood2 these fragrant materials 7,ps4 #de3h7 were placed1 in a pulverized condition1 between the bandages4 ,but the surprising quantity 7comp4 ch4 #ab3c7 is here explained from the fact that superabundant reverence in its sorrowful excitement does not easily satisfy itself2 we may also assume that a portion of the spices was designed for the couch of the body in the grave0 7,meyer72 or to be burned4 ,see below4--,as the manner of the ,jews is to bury4 ,there is no evidence that the ,hebrews ever practised systematic embalming1 as the ,egyptians did4 ,in the ,o4 ,t4 there is but one mention of any such practice1 that of the case of ,asa1 and he was not properly embalmed1 but laid in the bed which he had prepared for himself 8with perfumes and spices0 7#b ,chron4 #af3ad74 ,it appears to have been the custom in the time of ,christ to wash the body and anoint it1 then to wrap it in fine linen1 with spices and ointments enveloped in the folds1 and afterwards to pour more ointment upon it1 and sometimes to burn spices4 ,in the case of ,christ1 the approach of the ,sabbath hurried the preparations of the body1 which were not yet completed at sunset1 and were left to be finished the day after the ,sabbath4--,comparing the four accounts of the burial1 it appears that the body was wrapped in fine linen1 with some of the spices1 and laid hurriedly away in a rock-hewn sepulchre in a garden near the place of the crucifixion1 one in which no previous burial had ever taken place4 ,according to ,matthew1 it belonged to ,joseph 7,matt4 #bg3ei1 #fj2 ,mark #ae3df2 ,luke #bc3ec1 #ed74 ,for illustration of the body prepared for burial1 see ,acts #e3f1 note2 for illustration of ,jewish tomb1 see ,mark #af3b-d1 notes4 ,for a striking sermon on the ,significance of the ,sepulchre in the ,garden1 sorrow amid flowers1 see ,harper's edition of ,h4 ,w4 ,beecher's sermons4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,ch4 #bj3a-ca4 ,,the ,,risen ,,lord4--,,the ,,testimony ,,of ,,eye-,,witnesses ,,to ,,the ,,resurrection4--,,the ,,intuitions ,,of ,,love 7#h74--,,the ,,consolation ,,of ,,life ,,to ,,grief ,,at ,,the ,,empty ,,tomb4--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,christ',s ,,voice4--,,the ,,commission ,,of ,,christ',s ,,disciples3 ,,sent ,,as ,,christ2 ,,their ,,endowment3 ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost2 ,,their ,,authority3 ,,to ,,save1 ,,to ,,judge4--,,modern ,,unbelief ,,in ,,an ,,ancient ,,experience4--,,christ',s ,,answer ,,to ,,the ,,reluctant ,,skeptic4--,,the ,,object ,,of ,,the ,,fourth ,,gospel4 ,the accounts of the resurrection and the incidents in the life of our ,lord between the resurrection and the ascension given by the four ,evangelists are very different1 and in some respects seemingly inconsistent4 ,the discrepancies have been magnified1 and dwelt upon by rationalizing critics as a reason for regarding the accounts as unhistorical4 ,for a comparison of the four narratives1 a statement of the differences between them1 and a hypothetical harmony1 see ,note on the ,resurrection of ,jesus ,christ1 ,matthew1 ch4 #bh1 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ccj4 ,alford goes too far in saying that all attempts at harmony are fruitless1 though certainly all harmonies are hypothetical1 and perhaps at best only show that there is no radical and essential inconsistency in the four narratives4 #a ,the#gbe first day of the week cometh ,mary ,magdalene early1 when it was yet dark1 unto the sepulchre1 and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre4 #gbe ,matt4 #bh3a1 etc42 ,mark #af3a1 etc42 ,luke #bd3a1 etc4 #b ,then she runneth1 and cometh to ,simon ,peter1 and to the other disciple1 whom#gbf ,jesus loved1 and saith unto them1 ,they have taken away the ,lord out of the sepulchre1 and we know not where they have laid him4 #gbf ch4 #ac3bc2 #ai3bf2 #ba3g1 #bd4 #c ,peter#gbg therefore went forth1 and that other disciple1 and came to the sepulchre4 #gbg ,luke #bd3ab4 #a-c4 ,matthew says the women came 8as it began to dawn10 ,mark 8at the rising of the sun40 ,john is the one most likely to have been well informed1 as he was the first one to whom the women reported the facts2 and his language1 therefore1 is probably the most minutely accurate4 ,the time indicated by a comparison of the three accounts is the early dawn1 before the sun was fairly up4--,with ,mary ,magdalene came ,mary the mother of ,joses1 ,salome1 and apparently ,joanna1 the wife of ,chuza1 ,herod's steward 7,matt4 #bh3a2 ,mark #af3a2 ,luke #bd3a1 #aj74 ,that ,john recognized that there were more than one is indicated by the use of the plural here in the report made to the other disciples of the disappearance of the ,lord's body3 8,we know not where they have laid him40 ,meyer1 indeed1 argues that the reason borrowed from we know1 in verse #b1 for the plurality of the women at the grave1 is outweighed by ,i know1 in verse #ac2 but this is fallacious1 for the fact that ,mary was alone at the grave when ,jesus spoke to her would not prove1 nor even indicate1 that she was alone when she first came to it4 ,on the contrary1 it is evident that she1 with the other women1 returned to the city when they found the grave empty 7ver4 #b2 comp4 ,matt4 #bh3h2 ,luke #bd3i71 and it is probable that she returned again to the tomb1 following ,peter and ,john1 to sorrow there4 ,for illustration of sepulchre and rolling stone door1 see notes on ,mark #af3b-d4 ,for account of the rolling away of the stone1 see ,matt4 #bh3b and note4 ,the report of the women1 ,they have taken away the ,lord out of the sepulchre1 and we know not where they have laid him1 shows that they had no expectation of the resurrection of their ,lord1 such as rationalism has imputed to them in explaining their belief in the resurrection appearances as freaks of a sanguine and excited imagination4 ,they supposed that the grave had been robbed by ,christ's enemies1 and the body hidden2 and1 in fact1 this method of accounting for the disappearance of the ,lord's body is to be found in some of the later ,jewish writings1 though it has never gained credence even among rationalistic critics4 #d ,so they ran both together3 and the other disciple did outrun#gbh ,peter1 and came first to the sepulchre4 #gbh ,luke #ac3cj4 #e ,and he1 stooping down1 and looking in1 saw the linen clothes#gbi lying2 yet went he not in4 #gbi ch4 #ai3dj4 #f ,then cometh ,simon ,peter following him1 and went into the sepulchre1 and seeth the linen clothes lie1 #g ,and the napkin1#gcj that was about his head1 not lying with the linen clothes1 but wrapped together in a place by itself4 #gcj ch4 #aa3dd4 #h ,then went in also that other disciple1 which came first to the sepulchre1 and he saw1 and believed4 #i ,for as yet they knew not the#gca scripture1 that he must rise again from the dead4 #gca ,ps4 #af3aj2 ,acts #b3be-ca2 #ac3cd1 #ce4 #aj ,then the disciples went away again unto their own home4 #d-aj4 ,this narrative bears the unmistakable impress of coming from an eye-witness1 and all the commentators recognize its striking accordance with the well-known characteristics of the two disciples4 ,the information1 which from ,matthew's and ,luke's accounts we should suppose to have been given to all the disciples1 appears from ,john's more minute narrative to have been given only to ,peter and ,john1 for there is little doubt that ,john refers to himself in the phrase 8the other disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,see ch4 #ac3bb1 note4 ,they were both greatly excited by the news of the supposed desecration of the tomb1 and hastened to the spot to see for themselves4 ,mary ,magdalene1 as the sequel shows1 followed them more slowly4--,john1 who there is reason to believe was the younger1 and therefore not improbably the more agile of the two1 reached the sepulchre first1 but was awed at approaching the grave of his ,lord1 and waited without1 simply looking in through the open door to assure himself that the tomb was really empty4--,peter1 who was never hindered by his sense of reverence1 entered the sepulchre boldly as soon as he arrived1 and ,john followed him4 ,they found the tomb empty1 but the winding-sheet in which the body was wrapped 7ch4 #ai3dj1 note71 and the napkin that was about the head1 were folded and laid in so orderly a manner as to negative the opinion that the grave had been rifled4--,the moment ,john saw the contents of the tomb the truth flashed upon his mind4 ,his quick intuitions recalled and interpreted ,christ's misunderstood prophecies of his own resurrection3 he saw and believed4 ,to interpret this phrase as meaning simply 8he saw that the body of ,jesus was not there1 and believed that it had been removed1 as ,mary ,magdalene had said0 7,bengel71 is to do violence to the original1 for ,john habitually uses this word believed 77 of spiritual apprehension4 ,nor is there any boast in the implication that he alone believed2 the fact is important1 for we thus learn when the faith in a risen ,saviour first dawned on humanity2 and ,john could not state it more modestly4 #aa ,but ,mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping3 and as she wept1 she stooped down1 and looked#gcb into the sepulchre1 #gcb ,mark #af3e4 #ab ,and seeth two angels in white1 sitting1 the one at the head1 and the other at the feet1 where the body of ,jesus had lain4 #ac ,and they say unto her1 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 ,she saith unto them1 ,because they have taken away my ,lord1 and ,i know not where they have laid him4 #aa-ac4 ,mary1 who apparently had followed ,peter and ,john to the sepulchre1 remained after their departure1 to weep4 ,she also stooped and looked into the sepulchre1 but she was so preoccupied with the conclusion which she had already hastily formed1 that the orderly arrangement of the grave-clothes produced no effect upon her mind4--,for her some further disclosure of the truth was necessary2 to her1 therefore1 the angels appeared4 ,mary is not startled either at their appearance or their words 7comp4 ,luke #a3bi72 perhaps she is too entirely absorbed in her grief at the disappearance of the ,lord's body4--,in answer to their question she repeats what she had reported to the disciples3 8,they 7the ,lord's enemies7 have taken away my ,lord1 and ,i know not where they have laid him40 ,it is by a very forced accommodation that this text is applied to or used to illustrate that philosophy which denies the divinity and atonement of ,christ2 for here it was the outward crucified tabernacle which had been taken away1 that the victorious ,spirit might be more effectively imparted4 ,the objection of rationalistic critics that the angels had not been seen by ,peter and ,john is well answered by ,godet3 8,angels are not visible and immovable1 like stone statues40 #ad ,and when she had thus said1 she turned herself back1 and#gcc saw ,jesus standing1 and knew not#gcd that it was ,jesus4 #gcc ,matt4 #bh3i2 ,mark #af3i4 #gcd ch4 #ba3d2 ,luke #bd3af1 #ca4 #ae ,jesus saith unto her1 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 whom seekest thou8 ,she1 supposing him to be the gardener1 saith unto him1 ,sir1 if thou have borne him hence1 tell me where thou hast laid him1 and#gce ,i will take him away4 #gce ,cant4 #c3b4 #ad1 #ae4 ,mary turned back from looking into the tomb1 not attracted by any sound of ,christ's approach--at least of this there is no intimation in the narrative--but more probably in the very restlessness of grief4 ,her failure to recognize ,jesus is best explained1 not by any natural cause1 as the dimness of the morning light1 or her inattention to the person of the supposed stranger1 but by the analogous experience of the disciples in their walk to ,emmaus1 when ,christ appeared to them 8in another form0 7,mark #af3ab71 and 8their eyes were holden1 that they should not know him0 7,luke #bd3af74--,mary's surmise that the unknown was the gardener was a natural one4 8,who else could it be in the garden so early in the morning80--7,meyer47 ,the elaborate discussion of the question whether he had on the clothing of a gardener is a somewhat striking illustration of the profitless and wholly fruitless debate which is unhappily only too common in ,biblical interpretation4 ,in the wildness of her grief she surmised that the gardener might know what had become of the body1 might even have taken part in its removal--a wild surmise1 since the tomb and the garden both belonged to a disciple of ,christ 7,matt4 #bg3fj74 ,her assurance1 8,i will take him away10 is made in the strength of a love which promises without reflecting whether it can perform4 #af ,jesus saith unto her1 ,mary4#gcf ,she turned#gcg herself1 and saith unto him1 ,rabboni2 which is to say1 ,master4 #gcf ch4 #aj3c2 ,isa4 #dc3a4 #gcg ,cant4 #c3d4 #ag ,jesus saith unto her1 ,touch me not2 for ,i am not yet ascended to my ,father3 but go to my brethren1#gch and say unto them1 ,i#gci ascend unto my ,father1 and#gdj your ,father2 and to my#gda ,god1 and your#gdb ,god4 #gch ,ps4 #bb3bb2 ,rom4 #h3bi2 ,heb4 #b3aa4 #gci ch4 #af3bh4 #gdj ,rom4 #h3ad1 #ae2 #b ,cor4 #f3ah2 ,gal4 #c3bf2 #d3f1 #g4 #gda ,ephes4 #a3ag4 #gdb ,gen4 #ag3g1 #h2 ,ps4 #dc3d1 #e2 #dh3ad2 ,isa4 #da3aj2 ,jer4 #ca3cc2 ,ezek4 #cf3bh2 ,zech4 #ac3i2 ,heb4 #aa3af2 ,rev4 #ba3c4 #ah ,mary ,magdalene came#gdc and told the disciples that she had seen the ,lord1 and that he had spoken these things unto her4 #gdc ,matt4 #bh3aj4 #af-ah4 ,christ's utterance of her name in well-remembered accents disclosed him to her4 ,she had before but listlessly regarded him2 she now turned fully toward him1 instantly recognized him1 responded to her name with a word full of reverential affection--8,rabboni1 ,master0--and would have thrown herself at his feet and embraced him but for his prohibition4 ,in an instant she was translated from the profoundest grief to the most exalted ecstasy of love1 but her intended expression of that love did not accord with that spiritual communion which the risen ,lord proposed to vouchsafe to his disciples4 ,the original rendered touch 77 signifies literally to hang upon some one4 8,she desired to seize1 grasp1 hold ,jesus1 in order to enjoy his society and to satisfy her love 7comp4 ,luke #g3cf740--7,luthardt47 ,or1 perhaps1 to convince herself that she was not under an illusion1 and to hold fast to the ,christ whom she had already twice lost--once in the crucifixion1 once in the disappearance of the body from the tomb4 ,there appears to be an inconsistency between ,christ's prohibition here and the statement in ,matt4 #bh3i that the women 8came and held him by the feet40 ,i believe the account there to be an imperfect report of the event more accurately reported here4 ,see note on ,matt4 #bh3i1 #aj4 ,why the fact that ,christ had not yet ascended to his ,father should be assigned as a reason for not embracing him has given rise to much discussion among the commentators4 ,an account of the explanations which have been afforded1 some of which are fanciful to the verge of absurdity1 may be found both in ,luthardt and ,meyer4 ,the true interpretation seems to me to be this3 ,christ had promised to his disciples that after he had gone to his ,father he would return to be with them1 that they might be in him and he in them1 as he was in the ,father and the ,father in him4 ,this interpretation of his death as a departure to be with the ,father1 and this accompanying promise to return and be with them1 form the burden of his discourse in ,john1 chaps4 #ad-af4 ,he restrained ,mary from embracing him by declaring that he had not yet gone to the ,father1 that the time for the fulfillment of this promise of his fellowship had not yet come1 and that she must yet look forward to the future for that intimacy of intercourse which he had foretold4 ,he did not stop to enter into fuller explanations1 but his words point to that spiritual acquaintance with ,christ to which ,paul gives expression in the declaration1 8,though we have known ,christ after the flesh1 yet now henceforth know we him no more0 7#b ,cor4 #f3af74 ,but though refusing to allow ,mary to embrace him1 he conferred upon her a far greater honor in commissioning her to be the first preacher of the resurrection4 ,by characterizing his disciples as his brethren1 he indicated that he was still in the flesh4 ,the body with which he had risen was the same in which he was crucified4 ,see ,luke #bd3ci1 note4 ,the language of his message1 8,i ascend unto my ,father and your ,father1 and to my ,god and your ,god10 indicates certainly that the sonship of the disciple is not the same as the sonship of the only begotten ,son of ,god4 ,he does not say our ,father4 ,cyril's interpretation1 8,my ,father by nature2 your ,father by adoption10 is just1 though attributed to rather than found in the words4 ,the ,father is by ,paul called 8the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ0 7,ephes4 #a3ag74 #ai ,then#gdd the same day at evening1 being the first day of the week1 when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the ,jews1 came ,jesus1 and stood in the midst1 and saith unto them1 ,peace be unto you4 #gdd ,mark #af3ad2 ,luke #bd3cf2 #a ,cor4 #ae3e4 #bj ,and when he had so said1 he shewed unto them his hands and his side4 ,then#gde were the disciples glad1 when they saw the ,lord4 #gde ch4 #af3bb4 #ai1 #bj4 ,of this interview ,mark gives a briefer1 ,luke a quite different report 7,mark #af3ad-af2 ,luke #bd3cf-di74 ,as ,john was the only one of the ,evangelists present who has given any account of the interview1 it may be assumed that his is the more accurate4 ,it is possible that ,luke's account of ,christ's eating broiled fish and a honeycomb1 to convince them that he was in the flesh1 may have been derived from the subsequent interview in ,galilee1 reported by ,john in ch4 #ba3ab-ad4 ,the event here recorded took place after the appearance of ,christ to the two disciples in their walk to ,emmaus 7,luke #bd3ac-ce74 ,this was the first appearance of ,christ1 after the resurrection1 to the apostles in a body4 ,the doors were probably not only shut1 but locked1 as a protection2 the fear of the ,jews was natural1 for it was reasonable to expect that the crucifixion of the ,master would be followed by an attempt to pursue and punish the disciples2 and this natural expectation was increased by the prophecies of persecution which formed a part of ,christ's final instructions4 ,the fact that ,jesus entered through the closed door does not indicate that the body was other than the natural body which had been laid in the grave2 and ,christ's language at this very time1 as reported by ,luke1 8,a spirit hath not flesh and bones1 as ye see me have10 appears to be conclusive that his resurrection body was his physical body4 ,it is as futile to ask how1 with a natural body1 he could enter through the closed door1 as to ask how he could walk upon the water4 ,miracles defy explanation4 ,it is to be observed1 however1 that the ,evangelist does not state that ,jesus entered through the closed door4 ,he simply states the two facts which came within his own observation3 the doors were closed1 and while so closed1 suddenly ,jesus was seen standing in the midst of the disciples1 within the room4 ,the greeting1 8,peace be unto you10 was a common ,jewish salutation4 ,like the salutation 8,it is ,i1 be not afraid10 with which ,christ greeted the frightened disciples in the storm-tossed boat on the ,sea of ,galilee 7ch4 #f3bj71 it was addressed to calm their natural perturbation at the sudden apparition4 ,this it must have done the more effectually in that it recalled to their minds the benediction of his final discourse1 8,peace ,i leave with you1 my peace ,i give unto you2 not as the world giveth give ,i unto you0 7ch4 #ad3bg74 ,the showing of his hands and side was further to convince them of his identity2 and it appears probable1 from the language of ,thomas 7ver4 #be71 from the report of ,luke 7,luke #bd3ci71 and from the language of ,john in his ,epistle 7#a ,john #a3a71 that the disciples handled as well as looked upon the body of their ,lord4 #ba ,then said ,jesus to them again1 ,peace#gdf be unto you3 as my ,father hath sent me1 even so#gdg send ,i you4 #gdf ch4 #ad3bg4 #gdg ch4 #ag3ah2 ,matt4 #bh3ai2 #b ,tim4 #b3b2 ,heb4 #c3a4 #ba4 ,this is ,john's report of the commission given by ,christ to his disciples after the resurrection1 and should be compared with that of ,matthew 7#bh3ah-bj71 which1 however1 appears to have been given later4 ,mark's report of the apostolic commission 7,mark #af3ae-ah7 is of doubtful authenticity1 and ,luke's account 7,luke #bd3de-di7 is to be regarded rather as a summary of ,christ's post-resurrection instructions than as the report of any single commission4 ,it is1 as ,meyer well remarks1 significant that the mission of the disciples previously implied was formally and solemnly ratified at the first meeting after the resurrection4 ,on the significance of this commission1 see ch4 #ag3ah1 note4 ,it was his response to their exhibition of gladness upon seeing him again1 and implied that their joy in their ,lord was not to be consummated until they had followed him in his ministry of humiliation and sacrifice4 #bb ,and when he had said this1 he breathed on them1 and saith unto them1 ,receive#gdh ye the ,holy ,ghost4 #gdh ,acts #b3d1 #ch4 #bc ,whose soever#gdi sins ye remit1 they are remitted unto them2 and whose soever sins ye retain1 they are retained4 #gdi ,matt4 #af3ai2 #ah3ah4 #bb1 #bc4 ,he breathed on them and said1 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost4 ,breath is a natural symbol of life2 in the ,bible it is used as a symbol of the divine life4 ,god breathes into man the breath of life 7,gen4 #b3g72 in the vision of ,ezekiel the wind breathes on the dry bones and clothes them with life 7,ezek4 #cg3i1 #aj72 in ,christ's conversation with ,nicodemus the life-giving power of ,god is compared to the breath of wind 7ch4 #c3h72 and it is significant of the extent to which this symbol underlies ,scripture that the ,greek word used for spirit is the one also used for wind1 which is poetically represented as the breath of ,god4 ,here1 by breathing on the apostles1 ,christ symbolically imparted to them that divine life which man never acquires1 which ,god alone can give4 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost is not to be regarded as a promise to be fulfilled at ,pentecost--it is not equivalent to1 ,ye shall receive the ,holy ,ghost2 nor as a full bestowal of the power of the ,spirit1 which came not till ,pentecost2 but as an earnest of the gift yet to be more fully bestowed in successive endowments through all the future ages of the church4 ,this gift of the ,holy ,ghost is to be connected with the commission which precedes3 8,as my ,father hath sent me1 even so ,i send you40 ,it is given to all who accept this ,christian commission1 that is1 who believe in ,christ through the word of the apostles1 and1 believing1 become true followers of him4 ,it is also to be connected with the authority conferred in the verse which follows4 ,see below4 ,there is a possible significance in the omission of the definite article in the original1 which1 if literally translated1 would read1 ,receive ye a holy spirit4 ,we receive a spirit of true holiness only as the divine life is breathed upon us by the inspiration of ,god 7,titus #c3d-f74--,whose soever sins ye put away1 they are put away from them2 whose soever sins ye retain1 they are retained4 ,this passage is confessedly difficult of interpretation4 ,in considering it ,i endeavor1 first1 to put the ,english reader in possession of the exact meaning of the original2 next1 to suggest to him what seems to me to be the true interpretation of the passage2 and finally to give him briefly other interpretations4 7#a7 ,the word rendered remit signifies primarily and properly to dismiss1 put away1 get rid of4 ,as applied to sin in the ,n4 ,t41 it indicates not a mere release from the threatened penalty of transgression1 but redemption from the power of the sin itself4 ,see ,matt4 #f3ab1 note4 ,the divine forgiveness of sins is interpreted by such promises as those of ,micah #g3ai3 8,he will subdue our iniquities1 and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea20 and ,isaiah #dd3bb3 8,i have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions1 and as a cloud thy sins40 ,in the first clause of this verse1 therefore1 there is no hint of any power in apostle or apostolic successor to forgive sins1 or to declare with authority sins forgiven1 or to declare under the inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost to what character and on what terms sins shall be forgiven4 ,there is simply the declaration that when the disciple of ,christ1 acting under his ,master's commission and with the power given by the inbreathed gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 does in fact put away1 dismiss1 get rid of sin1 in the individual or the community1 the work shall not be in vain in the ,lord--the devil so cast out shall not return to find the house swept and garnished and take possession of it again 7,matt4 #ab3dd1 #de74 ,the work shall abide4 ,thus the first clause of this verse embodies a promise like that of ,isaiah #ee3aa1 and is interpreted by its fulfillment in ,paul's experience1 as in #a ,thess4 #a3d-g4 ,the second clause1 ,whose soever sins ye retain shall be retained1 is more difficult of interpretation4 ,the word rendered retain primarily signifies to possess power1 then to exercise it4 ,it is employed both in classic and later ,greek1 with many derivative significations--to rule1 conquer1 subdue1 seize1 keep1 hold fast4 ,it is translated in the ,n4 ,t4 by the terms hold or hold fast1 keep1 lay hand on1 obtain1 take1 and1 here only1 retain4 ,it is sometimes used in a material sense1 that is1 of the exercise of physical power1 as in ,matt4 #i3be1 he took her by the hand1 or ,matt4 #bf3dh1 hold him fast 7comp4 verses #ej1 #ee1 #eg72 sometimes it is used in an immaterial sense1 that is1 of the exercise of a mental power1 as in ,col4 #b3ai of ,christians who fall away from grace not holding the head1 or ,mark #g3c of the ,pharisees who hold the traditions of the elders4 ,but it never loses wholly its primary and germinant significance of the possession and exercise of power4 ,it cannot therefore here be rendered1 without a violation of the original1 ,whose soever sins ye permit to retain their hold on the sinner shall be allowed to be retained2 some real exercise of power on the part of the person receiving the gift of the ,holy ,ghost is indicated4 ,there is also an antithesis apparent in the original1 as in our ,english version1 between the two clauses of the verse1 i4 e41 between remitting or letting go and retaining or not letting go4 ,we have the same antithesis1 between the same words1 though there used in a physical sense1 in ,mark #ab3ab1 ,they sought to lay hold on him1 99 99 99 but they left him and went their way4 ,it seems to me that by this latter clause a power is conferred1 the more awful that it is not clearly1 and perhaps cannot be by any possibility clearly defined--a power to fasten sin on the sinner by sentence of condemnation1 as there is power to put away sin by the proclamation of the salvation4 ,this power is given upon the conditions implied in the commission1 ,as the ,father hath sent me1 even so ,i send you1 and in the gift1 ,receive ye the gift of the ,holy ,ghost2 that is1 it is conferred1 not on the apostles merely1 all of whom were not present 7ver4 #bd72 nor on them and their successors1 for of successors the ,n4 ,t4 furnishes no limit2 nor on an ordained priesthood or ministry2 but on all who accept ,christ's commission1 and in that commission seek and obtain the gift of the ,holy ,ghost2 and it is theirs just in the measure in which they receive and act under his divine influence4 7#b7 ,i read1 then1 in this language of ,christ1 the bestowal of a twofold spiritual power--one of salvation1 the other of judgment4 ,the disciple is sent into the world as his ,master was sent into the world1 like him to become a teacher of divine truth1 an example to others1 a manifestation of the divine character1 a bearer in his own person of the sins of others4 ,see ch4 #ag3ah1 note4 ,but also like him he is to be a judge4 ,the ,master's fan is to be in his hand4 ,he who has power to proclaim salvation has also authority to pronounce condemnation1 and the one declaration no less than the other1 when uttered under the influence of the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 is uttered with divine authority4 ,instances of this judgment against wilful and determined sin are afforded by ,christ's denunciation of the ,pharisees2 by ,peter's condemnation of ,ananias and ,sapphira1 and of ,simon ,magus2 by ,paul's judgment against the offender in the church of ,corinth4 ,illustrations of perversions of this power are afforded by the anathemas of the church of the middle ages1 and perhaps by some of the severe denunciations of the ,puritans4 ,it has been variously illustrated by preachers of judgment from the days of ,jeremiah to those of ,john ,knox4 ,such a sentence1 when uttered1 as it often has been1 under the influence of malign passion1 or of ecclesiastical ambition1 is but an ill-spent breath2 but when it is the voice of a spirit of truth and holiness1 aroused to righteous indignation in the presence of inveterate sin1 and is uttered by a soul acting under the conscious influence of the ,divine ,spirit1 the sentence becomes an awful one1 because it is an echo of the inaudible sentence of ,god himself4 ,i must add emphasis to the statement that1 as ,i read this passage1 this power belongs1 not to a hierarchy1 priesthood1 or ministry1 but to the ,christian soul1 by virtue of its direct life in and with ,god1 and to such soul only when acting in its highest moods and with the direct and conscious influence of the ,spirit of ,god upon it4 ,this authority1 here bestowed on all who are inspired by a divinely imparted spirit of holiness1 interprets and measurably explains the power of a holy soul1 before which often1 in the history of the race1 the most august personages have trembled1 they knew not why4 ,of course this interpretation will be at once rejected by those who would abolish judgment from eternity1 much more from this present life1 and treat sin only as an immaturity or a disease2 but possibly the church would be more efficient in its proclamation of the gospel to penitent sinners1 if its spirit of holiness were sometimes aroused to pronounce the sentence of ,god against persistent sin2 perhaps it would call to the ,lord more of the publicans and sinners1 if it had more of his spirit of judgment against the temple traders and the ,pharisees4 7#c7 ,the principal other interpretations of this passage are the following3 7a7 ,that the ,lord gave power to the apostles to absolve men from sin and fasten sin upon them1 but that this was a purely personal power1 belonging to the apostolic age1 and ceasing with the gifts of miracles1 of tongues1 etc4 ,but this interpretation dissociates the power here conferred from the accompanying commission and gift1 or confines the latter to the apostles1 while the general teaching of the ,scriptures gives both to all believers4 ,see ch4 #ag3ah1 #bj2 ,acts #b3ch1 #ci4 ,it would exclude ,thomas1 who was not present at this interview1 and ,paul1 who was not one of the eleven4 7b7 ,that a power of infallibly absolving and anathematizing is here conferred1 but that it belongs exclusively to the apostles and their successors1 the self-perpetuating hierarchy4 ,this is the ecclesiastical view1 held very generally by the ,roman ,catholic church1 and in a modified form by many among the hierarchical denominations generally4 ,but there is neither here nor anywhere else in the ,n4 ,t4 any hint of any power in the apostles to appoint successors1 nor any hint that they ever did so4 ,and indeed the very nature of their office1 which was to bear personal witness to the facts of ,christ's life and death and resurrection1 was such that in the nature of the case no successors were possible 7ch4 #ae3bg2 ,acts #a3ba1 #bb2 #a ,cor4 #i3a2 #ae3h74 ,on this point the dictum of an ,english dean is significant3 8,this gift belongs to the church in all ages1 and especially to those who by legitimate appointment are set to minister in the churches of ,christ3 not by successive delegation from the apostles1 of which fiction ,i find in the ,n4 ,t4 no trace1 but by their mission from ,christ1 the bestower of the spirit for their office1 when orderly and legitimately conferred upon them by the various churches4 ,not1 however1 to them exclusively1 though for decency and order it is expedient that the outward and formal declaration should be so2 but in proportion as any disciple shall have been filled with the holy spirit of wisdom is the inner discernment his40--7,alford47 7c7 ,the power here promised is one which in a very general way accompanies the preaching of the gospel2 that it is a promise that 8they should be taught by the ,holy ,ghost to declare on what terms1 to what characters1 and to what temper of mind ,god would extend forgiveness of sins40 ,this1 which is ,mr4 ,barnes's interpretation1 seems to me entirely inadequate4 ,it reduces a definite and positive promise of divine ratification of human judgment1 under the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 to a mere enunciation of the general principle that the ministers of ,christ shall be ministers of the truth4 7d7 ,that the two clauses of the sentence are1 the one a promise1 the other a warning2 that ,christians remit sin when1 by their influence1 their example1 or their teaching1 they induce sinners to repent of sin and abandon it2 that they retain sin when1 by their negligence1 their acquiescence1 or their approval1 they directly or indirectly help to fasten sins on the individual or the community2 and that ,christ promises his disciples great results if they are faithful1 and warns them of equally great but terrible results if they are remiss or culpable4 ,the original does not seem to me capable of this rendering1 for it ignores the fundamental meaning of the word rendered retain 771 which always indicates some real exercise of power1 never a failure or a neglect to exercise it4 ,see above4 ,the view which ,i have adopted is not very widely different from that of ,alford1 ,meyer1 ,ryle1 ,calvin1 ,watkins1 and the best of the ,protestant commentators generally1 except that1 with ,godet1 ,i regard the promise as conferring on the moral judgments of the disciple a real efficacy1 while the commentators generally regard it as simply a promise of wisdom spiritually to perceive and declare judgments which shall be in accordance with the divine will4 ,this interpretation is also adopted by some of the more evangelical of the ,roman ,catholic divines1 e4 g41 ,quesnel in modern and ,chrysostom in ancient times1 both of whom regard the priest as an ambassador of ,god1 and as speaking by authority only in so far as he is filled with the ,holy ,ghost4 8,but why speak ,i of priests8 ,neither angel nor archangel can do anything with regard to what is given him of ,god2 but the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost dispenseth all1 while the priest lends his tongue and affords his hand40--7,chrysostom47 8,that such a judgment may be pronounced upon sinners as is fit to be approved of ,god1 and to be confirmed in heaven1 it must be such as is according to the ,spirit of ,god1 who is given for that purpose1 and to the rules prescribed by ,christ to sinners1 of which the priest is only the minister40--7,quesnel47 #bd ,but ,thomas1#gej one of the twelve1 called ,didymus1 was not with them when ,jesus came4 #gej ch4 #aa3af4 #be ,the other disciples therefore said unto him1 ,we have seen the ,lord4 ,but he#gea said unto them1 ,except ,i shall see in his hands the print of the nails1 and put my finger into the print of the nails1 and thrust my hand into his side1 ,i will not believe4 #gea ,ps4 #gh3aa1 #cb4 #bd1 #be4 ,didymus is the ,greek equivalent of ,thomas1 which is of ,hebrew origin4 ,very little of his life is known2 but the two other occurrences recorded in the ,n4 ,t4 7,john #aa3af2 #ad3e7 indicate an affectionate spirit but a skeptical intellect1 a man who loved much1 but believed and hoped but little4 ,he has been well called 8the rationalist0 among the twelve2 but he was a rationalist with a warm heart4 ,the incident here recorded shows that the fact of the resurrection was so attested that it was accepted by one who could only be convinced by the clearest and most convincing proof4 ,the reason of ,thomas's absence is not stated1 nor even implied2 but the conjecture that he had abandoned hope1 and therefore the companionship of the disciples1 is not unreasonable4--,his language1 ,except ,i thrust my hand into his side1 ,i will not believe1 is that not merely of dejection1 but also of defiance4 ,his position is that of modern positivism1 which refuses to believe anything not verified by actual sensuous observation2 his demand is that of ,m4 ,renan1 who1 to substantiate the doctrine of the resurrection1 calls for the successful raising of the dead before a commission composed of physiologists1 physicians1 chemists1 and skilled critics4 ,see ,life of ,jesus1 ,intro4 ,but ,thomas's spirit was very different4 #bf ,and after eight days1 again his disciples were within1 and ,thomas with them3 then came ,jesus1 the doors being shut1 and stood in the midst1 and said1 ,peace#geb be unto you4 #geb ,isa4 #bf3ab4 #bg ,then saith he to ,thomas1 ,reach hither thy finger1 and behold my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1#gec and thrust it into my side3 and be#ged not faithless1 but believing4 #gec #a ,john #a3a4 #ged #a ,tim4 #a3ad4 #bf1 #bg4 ,this meeting after eight days1 i4 e41 on the eighth day1 is the first intimation in the ,n4 ,t4 of a commemoration by the disciples of the resurrection2 and there is nothing to show that the disciples had not kept together in a continuous meeting during the entire week1 which1 it will be remembered1 was the ,passover week4 ,but it is certainly significant that ,christ chose the first day of the week1 on which he rose from the dead1 to make his second appearance to his infant church1 and thus gave an impulse to1 if not a suggestion of1 that apostolic commemoration of the day1 which by insensible degrees led to the transfer of the ,christian's weekly festival from the seventh to the first day of the week4--,christ appears as suddenly and mysteriously as before1 and in his address to ,thomas echoes his words1 a severe yet a tender and loving rebuke4 ,the evidence which he would have refused to the ,pharisee he grants to the disciple2 the inimical demand of the determined skeptic he always disregards2 for the intellectual difficulties of a reluctant skeptic he shows great compassion4 ,but he shows this compassion for unbelief that he may rescue the unbeliever from it1 and bids him become not unbelieving1 but believing4 ,through his doubt of the actual occurrence of the resurrection1 ,thomas was in danger of becoming a disbeliever generally1 and against this danger of lapsing from a state of faith to one of unfaith ,jesus warned ,thomas1 and through him warns the feeble and vacillating believers of all ages4 #bh ,and ,thomas answered and said unto him1 ,my#gee ,lord and my ,god4 #gee ch4 #e3bc2 ,ps4 #aah3bh2 #a ,tim4 #c3af4 #bi ,jesus saith unto him1 ,thomas1 because thou hast seen me1 thou hast believed3 blessed#gef are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed4 #gef #a ,pet4 #a3h4 #bh1 #bi4 ,thomas was overpowered and convinced by the grace of his ,master1 not by the physical evidence which he had demanded1 and which was vouchsafed to him2 not because he handled1 but because he saw1 he believed 7ver4 #bi74 ,in this appears the difference of his spirit from that of the modern rationalists2 his faith finally rested1 not in the sensuous evidence1 but in the invisible love and mercy of his ,lord4 ,the mere fact that ,jesus rose from the dead did not demonstrate his divinity1 nor give ground for ,thomas's appeal2 for ,lazarus1 too1 rose from the dead4 8,it was an evidence addressing itself not to his eyes1 but to his heart1 which forced him to cry1 ,my ,lord and my ,god40--7,maurice47 ,to interpret this utterance as a mere expletory outcry is the shallowest of criticism4 ,it reduces a sublime and exalted confession of faith to an irrelevant and semi-profane exclamation4 ,it is grammatically1 psychologically1 and spiritually untenable2 grammatically1 because it is expressly said that ,thomas addressed the words to ,jesus--he said 8unto him02 psychologically1 because it is equally irrational to suppose that ,thomas1 just convinced of the resurrection of his ,lord and ,master1 should break out into a mere meaningless exclamation1 or that ,john should have reported it if it had been uttered2 spiritually1 because ,christ on the strength of this confession of ,thomas recognizes his faith3 8,thou hast believed40 ,equally untenable is the suggestion of ,norton 7,notes on the ,gospels71 that 8the name ,god was employed by him1 not as the proper name of the ,deity1 but as an appellation1 according to a common use of it in his day10 for no such common use existed1 and its existence would have been utterly inconsistent with the ,hebrew laws against the use of ,god's name in vain4 ,the fact that ,thomas recognized ,jesus as both ,lord and ,god might not of itself be conclusive2 there would be possible ground for ,norton's argument3 8,considering into how great an error he had fallen in his previous obstinate incredulity1 there would be little reason for relying upon his opinion as infallible02 but ,christ not only accepts1 he distinctly approves and ratifies ,thomas's confession1 and the faith of the church rests not on the words of the disciple1 but on their approbation by his ,lord4 ,thomas's words here1 then1 are to be read in the light of ,christ's words in chaps4 #ac-ag2 the disciple accepts in a single sentence ,christ's teaching respecting himself as the one sent from and manifesting to the world the eternal ,father4 ,it is the answer of a suddenly awakened faith to the before ill-comprehended declaration1 ,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father4 ,in his response1 ,blessed are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed1 ,jesus recognizes two kinds of belief1 one which rests on seeing or on the witness of those that have seen1 the other and higher that which rests simply on spiritual apprehension4 ,parallel to the implied contrast here is that in ,john #ad3aa1 8,believe me that ,i am in the ,father1 and the ,father in me2 or else believe me for the very work's sake40 #cj ,and#geg many other signs truly did ,jesus in the presence of his disciples1 which are not written in this book3 #geg ch4 #ba3be4 #ca ,but#geh these are written1 that ye might believe that ,jesus is the ,christ1 the ,son of ,god2 and#gei that1 believing1 ye might have life through his name4 #geh ,luke #a3d4 #gei ch4 #c3ae1 #af2 #e3bd2 #aj3aj2 #a ,pet4 #a3i4 #cj1 #ca4 ,these verses constitute the formal close of ,john's ,gospel1 ch4 #ba being an appendix4 ,see ,prel4 ,note there4 ,the 8many other signs0 referred to are not necessarily only or chiefly those wrought after the resurrection1 but include those recorded by the other ,evangelists1 as well as such as have not been recorded4--,on the object of ,john in his ,gospel as here indicated1 see ,intro41 p4 #aa4 ,that object was threefold3 7#a7 ,that the readers might have faith that ,jesus of ,nazareth is the ,messiah of prophecy2 7#b7 that they might spiritually recognize in this ,messiah the well-beloved ,son of ,god2 7#c7 that1 believing in his ,messiahship and divinity1 they might become partakers of his life4 ,life 77 in ,john's usage always signifies spiritual life1 and the name of ,christ1 in which this life is to be attained1 stands for ,christ himself in all the gracious offices which his names indicate1 as ,jesus or ,saviour1 ,christ or ,messiah1 and ,emmanuel or ,god with us4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,ch4 #ba3a-be4 ,,appendix ,,to ,,john',s ,,gospel4--,,waiting ,,for ,,christ ,,while ,,we ,,work 7#c74--,,the ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,over ,,nature 7#f74--,,love ,,sees ,,most ,,quickly2 ,,zeal ,,acts ,,most ,,quickly 7#g74--;,,christ ,,provides ,,for ,,our ,,simplest ,,wants2 ,,fire ,,for ,,the ,,cold1 ,,food ,,for ,,the ,,hungry 7#i74--;,a ,,true ,,proof ,,of ,,love ,,for ,,christ3 ,,shepherding ,,his ,,sheep 7#ae-ag74--,,service ,,and ,,suffering ,,are ,,both ,,following ,,christ 7#ah74--,,the ,,impertinence ,,of ,,curiosity ,,rebuked 7#ba-bc74--,,the ,,last ,,word ,,and ,,the ,,first ,,word ,,of ,,christ ,,the ,,same1 ,,follow ,,me4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,preliminary ,,note4--,all modern critics agree in regarding this chapter as in the nature of a supplement1 the original ,gospel having been brought to a close in the last verses of the preceding chapter4 ,this opinion is based chiefly upon the formal close afforded by those verses4 ,that this supplemental chapter was written at a very early period1 and probably before the ,gospel itself was given to the public1 is indicated by the fact that it is found in all the manuscripts4 ,whether it was written by ,john himself or by some disciple or friend is not altogether clear1 and certainly not very important2 but the evangelical critics generally agree1 from a careful consideration of its internal characteristics1 in attributing it to ,john himself4 ,thus ,alford3 8,the reader will have perceived in the foregoing comment on the chapter a manifest leaning to the belief that it was written by ,john himself4 ,of this ,i am fully convinced4 ,in every part of it his hand is plain and unmistakable2 in every part of it his character and spirit is manifested in a way which none but the most biassed can fail to recognize4 ,i believe it to have been added some years probably after the completion of the ,gospel2 partly1 perhaps1 to record the important miracle of the second draught of fishes1 so full of spiritual instruction1 and the interesting account of the sayings of the ,lord to ,peter2 but principally to meet the error which was becoming prevalent concerning himself40 ,to the same effect ,meyer3 8,in accordance with all that has been advanced1 the view is justified that ,john1 by way of authentic historical explanation of the legend in ver4 #bc1 some time after finishing his ,gospel1 which he had closed with #bj3ca1 wrote ch4 #ba3a-bd as a complement of the book1 and that this appendix1 simply because its ,johannean character was immediately certain and recognized1 already at a very early period1 whilst the ,gospel had not yet issued forth from the narrower circle of its first readers1 had become an inseparable part of the ,gospel40 ,similarly1 though somewhat more doubtfully1 ,luthardt and ,godet4 ,see also ,ezra ,abbot1 in ,smith's ,bib4 ,dict41 ,vol4 #b1 p4 #adcj1 note b4 #a ,after these things ,jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of ,tiberias2 and on this wise shewed he himself4 #b ,there were together ,simon ,peter1 and ,thomas called ,didymus1 and#gfj ,nathanael of ,cana in ,galilee1 and the sons#gfa of ,zebedee1 and two other of his disciples4 #gfj ch4 #a3de4 #gfa ,matt4 #d3ba4 #c ,simon ,peter saith unto them1 ,i go a fishing4 ,they say unto him1 ,we also go with thee4 ,they went forth1 and entered into a ship immediately2 and that night they caught nothing4 #a-c4 ,the departure of the disciples into ,galilee is not to be regarded as an abandonment on their part of hope2 for ,christ's direction to his disciples after his resurrection was to go into ,galilee and meet him there 7,matt4 #bh3g2 ,mark #af3g74 ,we are rather to regard it1 therefore1 as an evidence that they were convinced by his repeated appearances of the resurrection of their ,lord1 and went into ,galilee in anticipation of meeting him there4 ,for the same reason we are not to regard ,peter's declaration1 ,i go a fishing1 as an indication that he had abandoned his sacred for a secular calling4 ,his restless temperament did not allow him to wait in inactivity1 and he sought relief in work4 ,the response of the other disciples1 ,we also go with thee1 has been rightly used by the homiletical commentators as an illustration of the influence of example4 ,john was one of the sons of ,zebedee4 ,assuming that the #bast chapter is from his pen1 we have in it the description of an eye-witness4 ,there is nothing to indicate who were the two unnamed disciples1 but the fact that they are unnamed has been regarded as an indication that they were not two of the twelve4 ,the ship was1 of course1 simply a fisherman's boat1 probably not very different in shape and size from those to be seen in the ,sea of ,galilee at the present day1 as represented in the accompanying illustration4 #d ,but when the morning was now come1 ,jesus stood on the shore3 but the disciples knew#gfb not that it was ,jesus4 #gfb ch4 #bj3ad4 #e ,then#gfc ,jesus saith unto them1 ,children1 have ye any meat8 ,they answered him1 ,no4 #gfc ,luke #bd3da4 #d1 #e4 ,the night of labor spent in vain might naturally have recalled to the disciples that other night of toil after which ,christ first called some of these disciples to be his followers 7,luke #e3a-aa74 ,in the gray twilight they saw a stranger on the shore2 that they did not recognize him may have been due in part to the dimness of the early light1 but more probably to the fact1 illustrated by other post-resurrection appearances1 that he was recognized only as he chose to reveal himself 7ch4 #bj3ad2 ,luke #bd3af74 ,certainly it indicates that the disciples had no such expectation of his appearance as would lead them1 according to the theory of ,m4 ,renan1 to conjure up a spectre4 ,there is nothing in the words1 and we may presume there was nothing in the tones of ,jesus1 to quicken their perception4 ,his language is that of a fisherman3 ,boys 771 have ye no fish8 ,the word rendered meat 77 is literally what is eaten therewith1 i4 e41 with bread1 and here is equivalent to fish1 which in ,galilee was a common accompaniment of bread in the peasant's meal4 ,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,bread4 #f ,and he said unto them1 ,cast#gfd the net on the right side of the ship1 and ye shall find4 ,they cast therefore1 and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes4 #gfd ,luke #e3d-g4 #g ,therefore that disciple whom ,jesus loved saith unto ,peter1 ,it is the ,lord4 ,now when ,simon ,peter heard that it was the ,lord1 he girt his fisher's coat unto him1 7for he was naked17 and did cast himself into the sea4 #h ,and the other disciples came in a little ship2 7for they were not far from land1 but as it were two hundred cubits17 dragging the net with fishes4 #f-h4 ,there was nothing to the disciples especially suggestive in the direction to cast the net on the right side of the ship4 ,they might naturally suppose that he had perceived indications of a school of fishes there4--,in the effect produced on the two disciples1 ,peter and ,john1 by the miraculous draught of fishes which followed1 the character of each is strikingly illustrated4 ,john1 with his quicker intuitions1 recalling that other fishing scene1 recognized the ,lord first2 ,peter1 with his greater boldness to act1 leaped into the water1 and partly swam and partly waded ashore4 ,comp4 ch4 #bj3f1 #h1 notes4 ,the distance was about two hundred cubits1 that is1 about three hundred feet4 ,the fisher's coat1 which ,peter girt unto him1 appears to have been a sort of loose garment1 like the workmen's blouse of to-day1 which ,peter had laid off during his night's work4 ,this he put on1 counting it unseemly to appear without it in the presence of his ,lord1 at the same time drawing it up and tucking it in about the waist1 that it might not impede his swimming to the shore4--,the accompanying illustration shows the probable style of the fisher's coat1 in contrast with the long robe worn by one not engaged in manual labor4 ,the net itself was so full of fishes1 and they so great1 that the disciples abandoned the attempt to bring them into the boat1 but dragged them in the net to the land4 ,illustration3 ,,he ,,girt ,,his ,,fisher',s ,,coat ,,unto ,,him4 #i ,as soon then as they were come to land1 they saw a fire of coals there1 and fish laid thereon1 and bread4 #aj ,jesus saith unto them1 ,bring of the fish which ye have now caught4 #aa ,simon ,peter went up1 and drew the net to land full of great fishes1 an hundred and fifty and three3 and for all there were so many1 yet was not the net broken4 #i-aa4 ,on coming to the shore the disciples found a fire of coals already kindled1 and some fish laid thereon1 and some loaves of bread--in short1 preparation for a simple meal4 ,there has been some unprofitable discussion among the commentators respecting the manner in which this provision had been made4 ,it is attributed by different commentators to the ministry of angels1 to the activity of ,peter1 to the forethought of ,jesus4 ,alford1 following ,stier and the older commentators1 insists that it was miraculously provided4 ,trench rightly and briefly disposes of this question3 8,by what ministry1 natural or miraculous1 has been often inquired1 but we must leave this undetermined1 as we find it40 ,the provision apparently was not sufficient for the company1 for ,christ bade ,peter add to the stock from the fish just caught4 ,peter went1 therefore1 to aid the others in bringing the net to shore4 ,the fish were counted1 and the exact number is recorded by the ,evangelist4 ,the attempt to draw some spiritual lessons from this number affords a curious illustration of the absurdities into which the allegorizing method is liable to carry the student4 ,the exact enumeration is important only because it is an indication of accuracy in the historian2 in such an enumeration there is no opportunity for the exaggeration of imagination4 ,to me ,augustine's allegorical interpretation of the contrast between this and the analogous yet widely different miracle recorded in ,luke #e3a-aa is scarcely more profitable than the spiritualizing interpretation of the meaning of the one hundred and fifty-three2 the curious in such matters will find it fully reported in ,trench on the ,parables4 ,it might be possible to account for each single feature in this narrative without assuming a miracle2 but in a candid consideration of all the features combined--the fruitless fishing all night1 the sudden and extraordinary success in the morning1 the number of fish1 their size1 the unbroken net1 though dragged full of fish to the shore--it is impossible to doubt that we have here1 what evangelical critics have always seen in the narrative1 the account of a miraculous manifestation of the ,lord's power4 #ab ,jesus saith unto them1 ,come and dine4 ,and none of the disciples durst ask him1 ,who art thou8 knowing that it was the ,lord4 #ac ,jesus#gfe then cometh1 and taketh bread1 and giveth them1 and fish likewise4 #gfe ,acts #aj3da4 #ad ,this#gff is now the third time that ,jesus shewed himself to his disciples1 after that he was risen from the dead4 #gff ch4 #bj3ai1 #bf4 #ab-ad4 ,there is a verbal1 but no real inconsistency in the statement that none of the disciples durst ask him1 ,who art thou8 knowing that it was the ,lord4 8,but seeing that ,his form was altered1 and full of much awfulness1 they were greatly amazed1 and desired to ask somewhat concerning ,it2 but fear1 and their knowledge that ,he was not some other1 but the same1 checked their inquiry40--7,chrysostom47 ,the careful student will observe that the ,evangelist does not characterize this as the third appearance of ,jesus1 but as the third appearance to his disciples1 i4 e41 the apostles4 ,this excludes the appearance to ,mary 7ch4 #bj3af71 and to the two disciples on the walk to ,emmaus 7,luke #bd3ac-ce72 the two preceding appearances referred to were that to the ten on the evening of the day of the resurrection 7ch4 #bj3ai7 and that to the eleven in the week following 7ch4 #bj3bf74 ,without following the allegorizing commentators into any of their extravagances1 we may reasonably see1 with ,alford1 ,trench1 and others1 a spiritual significance in the fact that ,christ provided a meal for the apostles at the same time when1 by this new miraculous draught1 he reminded them of their first call to become fishers of men1 thus suggesting to them the spiritual truth involved in the ,lord's ,supper1 and symbolically represented in the feeding of the five thousand1 that they who minister in the things of ,christ are themselves dependent on ,christ for their spiritual support2 perhaps also suggesting that when the labor of life is over there will be for them that have wrought for ,christ a feast with him in the kingdom of heaven4 ,but certainly ,trench goes too far in saying that 8the character of the meal was sacramental1 and it had nothing to do with the stilling of their present hunger40 ,it is much more reasonable to see in this provision for the disciples' commonest needs--food and a fire at the end of a night of sleepless toil--a new illustration of the tenderness of ,christ's consideration for his own4 #ae ,so when they had dined1 ,jesus saith to ,simon ,peter1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me more#gfg than these8 ,he saith unto him1 ,yea1 ,lord2 thou knowest that ,i love thee4 ,he saith unto him1 ,feed#gfh my lambs4 #gfg ,matt4 #bf3cc1 #ce4 #gfh ,isa4 #dj3aa2 ,jer4 #c3ae2 ,ezek4 #cd3b-aj2 ,acts #bj3bh2 #a ,pet4 #e3b1 #d4 #af ,he saith to him again the second time1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me8 ,he saith unto him1 ,yea1 ,lord2 thou knowest that ,i love thee4 ,he saith unto him1 ,feed my sheep4#gfi #gfi ,heb4 #ac3bj2 #a ,pet4 #b3be4 #ag ,he saith unto him the third time1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me8 ,peter was grieved#ggj because he said unto him the third time1 ,lovest thou me8 ,and he said unto him1 ,lord1 thou#gga knowest all things2 thou knowest that ,i love thee4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,feed my sheep4 #ggj ,lam4 #c3cc4 #gga ch4 #af3cj4 #ae-ag4 ,so when they had dined1 ,jesus saith to ,simon ,peter1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me more than these8 ,he saith unto him1 ,yea1 ,lord1 thou knowest that ,i have affection for thee4 ,he saith unto him1 ,feed my lambs4 ,he saith to him again the second time1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 lovest thou me8 ,he saith unto him1 ,yea1 ,lord1 thou knowest that ,i have affection for thee4 ,he saith unto him1 ,shepherd my sheep4 ,he saith unto him the third time1 ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 hast thou affection for me8 ,peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time1 ,hast thou affection for me8 and he said unto him1 ,lord1 thou knowest all things2 thou knowest that ,i have affection for thee4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,feed my little sheep4 ,this translation will suggest to the ,english reader1 though inadequately1 points of difference in the original which our ,english translation wholly fails to preserve1 possibly through the inattention of the translators1 but more probably through the inadequacy of the ,english language to represent delicate shades of meaning which are represented by the ,greek4 7#a7 ,two different ,greek words are rendered indiscriminately love 7 and 74 ,i have attempted to indicate the difference by rendering the one to love and the other to have affection1 though this rather suggests that there is a difference than indicates in what it consists4 ,the word which ,christ uses in his question1 ,lovest thou me8 771 signifies1 if not the higher1 at least the more thoughtful and reverential affection1 founded on an intelligent estimate of character1 and accompanied by a deliberate and well-considered choice4 ,peter's ,i love thee represents rather the personal instinctive love1 the activity of feeling rather than of will1 the affection which1 being spontaneous and instinctive1 gives no account of itself1 and no reason for its existence4 ,we are bid in the ,n4 ,t4 to exercise the first form of love 77 towards ,god1 but never the second2 while the ,father is said to exercise both forms towards his own ,son4 ,two different ,greek words are also rendered indiscriminately feed4 ,to indicate the difference ,i have rendered one by the rare but indispensable verb shepherd4 ,finally1 three words are used to represent the flock which ,christ commends to ,peter's care--lambs 771 sheep 771 and little sheep 774 ,there is some uncertainty as to the reading1 but the one ,i have followed is accepted by the best critics--,alford1 ,meyer1 etc4 ,to feed the sheep is simply to nourish them2 to shepherd them is not in contrast the ruling activity 7so ,meyer71 but the whole shepherd care of the flock--watching1 tending1 leading--as illustrated in ,psalm #bc and in ,john #aj3a-ah4 ,the term lamb is never used in the ,n4 ,t4 except of ,christ himself 7,john #a3bi2 #a ,pet4 #a3ai2 ,rev4 #e3f1 #h1 #ab1 etc471 or of the followers of ,christ 7,luke #aj3c74 ,by the lambs here1 then1 ,i understand ,christ to mean his professed followers2 ,peter was to show his love for the ,master by teaching them4 ,the term sheep is more general1 and includes in the figurative language of the ,bible those who have wandered away from the fold of ,god 7,matt4 #i3cf2 #ab3aa1 #ab2 #ae3bd2 ,luke #ae3d-f74 ,peter is to show his love for the ,master1 not only by teaching the ,lord's disciples1 but by shepherding the sheep1 whether in the fold or wandering from it1 as a good shepherd going before them1 going after them1 giving his life1 if need be1 for them 7,john #aj3a-ac74 ,the little sheep are the young1 who have not yet wandered away1 and whom he is to keep in the ,master's fold by feeding them there with the herbage of life4 ,christ calls them my lambs1 my sheep1 because the ,father has given all to him1 and he is1 as ,redeemer and ,saviour1 ,lord of all4 ,the most superficial student will not fail to see in this thrice-repeated question an indirect and implied reference to and recall of the thrice-repeated denial of his ,lord by ,peter4 ,in his request for permission to walk on the water1 in his protest against the feet-washing1 in his assertion 8,though all men shall be offended because of thee1 yet will ,i never be offended0 7,matt4 #ad3bh2 #bf3cc2 ,john #ac3h71 there are indications of an overweening self-confidence in his love for the ,lord as greater than that of the other disciples4 ,it was this self-confidence in the strength of his love which had proved his danger4 ,christ addresses him1 not by his new name of ,peter1 but by the old name which he bore before he knew the ,lord1 and asks him1 ,hast thou for me a greater love than these8 ,peter1 saying nothing of the love of the others1 not even venturing to claim for himself the intelligent and deliberate love which rules the life and molds the character1 answers in humility3 ,thou knowest my affection for thee4 ,show it then1 says ,jesus1 not by assuming pre-eminence over my flock1 but by becoming their shepherd 7 servant1 ch4 #ac3ab-ag74 ,he then repeats the question1 ,lovest thou me8 ,peter answers as before3 ,thou knowest my affection for thee4 ,show it then1 says ,christ1 by shepherding my sheep2 by seeking the lost1 restoring the wanderer4 ,a third time he asks the question1 now changing it and adopting ,peter's own language3 ,art thou sure of thine affection for me8 ,peter is grieved1 at the change in the question as well as at its repetition1 8because he said unto him the third time1 ,hast thou affection for me80 and appeals to him as the ,searcher of hearts to witness for himself the depth and reality of his affection4 ,and ,christ finally bids him show his love by feeding the little sheep--the young1 the feeble1 those most needing care4 ,meyer well notes the fact that ,christ does not question ,peter's faith1 but the love which proceeds from faith and shows itself by its work2 and ,godet notes the curious resemblance between the present situation and that of two scenes in the previous life of ,peter with which it is related4 ,he had been called to the ministry by ,jesus after a miraculous draught of fishes2 it is after a similar draught that the ministry is restored to him4 ,he had lost his office by his denial beside a fire of coals2 it is beside a fire of coals that he recovers it4--7,godet47 ,the ecclesiastical commentators see in this scene a reinstatement of ,peter in his apostolic office1 to which ,alford well replies that 8there is no record of his ever having lost it40 ,the ,r4 ,c4 divines find in it a proof-text for their belief in the primacy of ,peter2 to which ,peter himself furnishes a quite adequate reply in #a ,pet4 #e3a-c4 ,the shepherd is not a lord over ,god's heritage1 but one who follows the ,chief ,shepherd1 goes before the flock1 is their example and their leader1 by his own life showing them the way to live1 and1 if need be1 by his own death for their sakes showing them how to die4 ,it must strike one1 too1 as curious that ,peter should be grieved at words which constitute him the head of the church and the vicar of ,god upon earth4 ,the true lesson of this scene is for all the disciples of ,christ4 ,we are all1 through ,peter's experience1 admonished to show our love for our ,master1 not by asking permission to do great things 7as to walk on the waves71 not by refusing to accept his humiliation for us 7as by refusing to allow the feet-washing71 nor yet by professing what we will do in the hour of difficulty and danger 7as by the assurance1 8,i will not deny thee071 nor even by entering into fierce battle against his foes 7as by drawing the sword on ,malchus71 but by laying down the life in quiet1 humble1 self-denying service for the ,master's sheep--the followers of ,christ1 the wanderers from the fold1 and the weakest and feeblest in the fold4 #ah ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1#ggb ,when thou wast young1 thou girdedst thyself1 and walkedst whither thou wouldest3 but when thou shalt be old1 thou shalt stretch forth thy hands1 and another shall gird#ggc thee1 and carry thee whither thou wouldest not4 #ggb ch4 #ac3cf2 ,acts #ab3c1 #d4 #ggc ,acts #ba3aa4 #ai ,this spake he1 signifying by what death#ggd he should glorify ,god4 ,and when he had spoken this1 he saith unto him1 ,follow#gge me4 #ggd #b ,pet4 #a3ad4 #gge ch4 #ab3bf2 ,numb4 #ad3bd2 #a ,sam4 #ab3bj2 ,matt4 #ai3bh4 #ah1 #ai4 ,in this language1 when thou wast young thou girdedst thyself1 there is perhaps a reference to ,peter's act in girding himself and casting himself into the sea 7ver4 #g74 ,the prophecy foretells the manner of his death1 which1 according to an early and apparently trustworthy tradition1 was by crucifixion at about the same time with ,paul1 in the persecutions under ,nero4 ,according to ,origen1 ,peter was crucified with his head downwards1 either by his own request1 because in his humility he was unwilling to suffer the same death as his ,lord1 or by order of ,nero1 as matter of wanton and ingenious cruelty4 ,the contrast between ,peter's experience in his youth and in his old age is one common in ,christian experience1 a contrast between doing and suffering1 between active1 energetic service of the ,lord and the patient endurance of his cross4 ,both are involved in following ,christ4 ,to interpret this command1 ,follow me1 literally1 as ,godet3 8,jesus began to move off1 and commanded ,peter to follow him in the literal sense1 and ,john followed them without any express invitation10 seems to me a shallow interpretation1 which is not helped by supposing it to be a symbolical act1 a sort of childish object-teaching4 ,peter had gone back to his fishing2 in saying ,follow me1 ,christ calls him again to become a fisher of men1 by the same phrase which he had employed three years before on the shore of the same sea and after a similar miracle4 #bj ,then ,peter1 turning about1 seeth the disciple whom ,jesus loved1 following2 which also leaned on his breast at supper1 and said1 ,lord1 which is he that betrayeth thee8 #ba ,peter1 seeing him1 saith to ,jesus1 ,lord1 and what shall this man do8 #bj1 #ba4 ,it is not necessary1 and it is hardly reasonable1 to impute ,peter's question to a feeling of jealousy2 it is rather to be attributed to the natural and almost universal tendency to inquire into the duty and destiny of others4 ,the ,lord's reply indicates what is the answer which he would make to us whenever we1 following ,peter's doubtful example1 pry curiously into his purposes respecting others4 #bb ,jesus saith unto him1 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1#ggf what is that to thee8 ,follow#ggg thou me4 #ggf ,matt4 #be3ca2 ,rev4 #a3g2 #bb3bj4 #ggg verse #ai4 #bc ,then went this saying abroad among the brethren1 that that disciple should not die3 yet ,jesus said not unto him1 ,he shall not die2 but1 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee8 #bb1 #bc4 ,it is curious to see how ,christ's language here1 notwithstanding ,john's interpretation1 has been misconstrued1 even down to the latest time1 as a promise1 or a quasi-promise1 that ,john should tarry until the second coming of ,christ4 ,ancient legends report that after his interment there were strange movements in the earth that covered him1 that when the tomb was subsequently opened it was found empty1 that he was reserved to reappear again in conflict with ,anti-,christ2 so late as the sixteenth century an enthusiast was burned at ,toulouse who gave himself out as ,st4 ,john2 and even so sober a commentator as ,godet submits1 though hesitatingly1 the hypothesis that1 as the primitive epoch of humanity had its ,enoch1 and the theocratic epoch its ,elijah1 neither of whom knew death1 so also the ,christian epoch may have had its deathless representative4 ,two other interpretations are3 7#a7 ,that ,christ refers here to his coming to his own in their death1 and that by the phrase ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come he means1 ,if ,i will that he meet a natural death instead of martyrdom4 ,this interpretation ,alford justly characterizes as frigid and inapplicable here1 since martyrdom is as truly a coming of the ,lord as natural death4 7#b7 ,that by his ,second ,coming1 ,christ refers to the destruction of ,jerusalem1 an interpretation strangely adopted by ,alford4 ,that destruction was an historical prophecy1 but in no wise an historical fulfillment of the promise of the ,lord's ,second ,coming4 ,there is no reason for regarding this language of ,christ as anything else than purely hypothetical1 equivalent to1 ,suppose that ,i were to will that he should remain upon the earth unto the end2 what would that be to thee8 #bd ,this is the disciple which testifieth of these things1 and wrote these things3 and#ggh we know that his testimony is true4 #ggh ch4 #ai3ce2 #c ,john #ab4 #be ,and#ggi there are also many other things which ,jesus did1 the which1 if they should be written every one1 ,i suppose that even the world itself could not contain the#ghj books that should be written4 ,amen4 #ggi ch4 #bj3cj4 #ghj ,amos #g3aj4 #bd1 #be4 ,there is uncertainty respecting the authorship and authenticity of these verses4 ,for discussion of this question1 see ,smith's ,bib4 ,dict41 p4 #adcj1 note b2 ,godet's ,commentary1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 pp4 #cfb1 #cfc4 ,the verses are found in all the manuscripts1 except that ,tischendorf believes that ver4 #be was originally wanting in the ,sinaitic ,,ms42 he thinks that the color of the ink and a slight difference in the handwriting show that it did not proceed from the original scribe1 but was added by a contemporary reviser4 ,but though there is no external evidence for setting either verse aside1 the internal evidence seems to me decisive against verse #be4 8,this inharmonious and unspiritual exaggeration0 7,meyer7 is entirely inconsistent with ,john's scrupulously simple and truthful narrative4 ,the authorship of ver4 #bd is more uncertain4 ,whether written by ,john1 or added almost immediately after by some companion1 it affords a very strong attestation of the apostolic authorship of the ,fourth ,gospel4 ,on a careful examination of the different authorities1 it seems to me that ,godet's conclusion1 though hypothetical1 is in accordance with probabilities1 and his deduction respecting the authenticity of the ,gospel as a whole is irresistible3 8#ast4 ,that the narrative 7verses #a-bc7 is from the hand of the ,evangelist4 #b;d4 ,that ver4 #bd is a declaration emanating from the friends of ,john1 who had called forth the composition of his ,gospel1 and to whom he had committed it after its completion4 #c;d4 ,that ver4 #be is written by one of them1 with whom the work was deposited1 and who thought himself bound to close it thus1 to the glory1 not of the author1 but of the subject of history4 ,by these last words the entire work becomes a whole4 ,accordingly we are shut up to hold either that ,john is the author of our ,gospel1 or that the author is a forger1 who1 #ast1 palmed himself off on the world with all the characteristics of the apostle2 who1 #b;d1 carried his shamefulness so far that he got made out for him1 by an accomplice of his fraud1 a certificate of identity with the person of ,john2 or who1 more simply still1 to save himself the trouble of finding a companion in falsehood1 made out this certificate for himself in the name of another1 or of several others4 ,and he who had recourse to such ways was the author of a writing in which lying is blasted as the work of the devil 7ch4 #h3dd71 and truth glorified as one of the two essential features of the divine character6 ,if any one will believe such a story1 99 99 99 let him believe it0 7#a ,cor4 #ad3ch74 99 99 99 99 99 ,two years have elapsed since the publication of the preceding volume in this series of ,commentaries on the books of the ,new ,testament4 ,a considerable part of the ,commentary on ,john was then already written2 all that part of it which was common to the ,four ,gospels was substantially ready for the printer2 little else remained to be written except that portion which dealt with the larger discourses of our ,lord1 and not all of that2 and a life-long study of the ,four ,gospels1 part of the results of which had been given to the public in a ,life of ,christ1 and others of which were in manuscript notes1 had made me measurably familiar with the ground that lay before me4 ,but the discourses of ,jesus1 as recorded by ,john1 can be studied only meditatively4 ,a certain quiet restfulness of mind is essential to any spiritual apprehension of their meaning4 ,and ,i have believed that those to whom this volume had been earlier promised1 and whose impatience at the delay has reached me in letters that have always been kindly and courteous and full of encouragement1 would easier pardon delay than despoiling haste in preparation4 ,i can ask no leniency of any critic on the ground that time was wanting to do adequately the needful work4 ,i have stated in the introduction the reasons which have led me1 after a careful1 and ,i believe a measurably impartial1 study of the question1 to believe that the ,fourth ,gospel is the work of the apostle ,john1 and that he is the one designated in that ,gospel as 8the disciple whom ,jesus loved40 ,i wish to add here1 emphatically1 that the meditative study of the discourses which ,john has reported has strengthened that conviction4 ,either we have here the truths which ,christ taught1 reported by one who lived after the spiritual and catholic character of ,christianity had begun to show itself by its actual development1 and who therefore comprehended his profounder instructions as they were not comprehended during his lifetime2 or else we must believe that the centuries immediately succeeding the first of the ,christian era produced a spiritual genius whose insight into the profoundest truths of human experience1 when inflamed into more than merely human life by the inbreathing of ,god1 makes him the equal if not the superior of the ,jesus portrayed in the three synoptic ,gospels1 and yet one who has been utterly unknown to fame1 and who has left no other monument to his memory than a document that is a fraud if not a forgery4 ,the skepticism that asserts this lays too heavy a tax on human credulity4 ,it asks us to believe not only in a ,socrates who had no ,plato to reveal his teachings and his influence1 but in one who did not hesitate to employ a petty and useless fraud as a setting for the most transcendent spiritual truth4 ,this truth may be expressed in two words as that of the ,divine ,immanence4 ,around this the whole ,gospel of ,john centres2 to illustrate this the whole ,gospel was written4 ,that there is in man the possibility of a more than merely earthly life2 that in him has been planted the germ of a divine life2 that this life1 when divinely developed1 brings with it a new light and power2 that ,god is in the soul and the soul may live in perpetual consciousness of its ,god2 that ,christ is not merely a ,memory and a ,hope1 but a ,presence2 that the ,supernatural is not a past phenomenon1 but a present and a perpetual experience2 that miracles--that is1 signs of the divine1 ,all-mighty love--are forever going on in human experience1 on a transcendently grander scale in the nineteenth century than they did in the first2 that the evidence of ,christianity is not to be sought in dingy and doubtful records of past events1 but in the personal observation and witness of present occurrences2 that revelation was not completed with the ,apocalypse1 but every devout soul has the promise of an inner light1 and the invisible and ,catholic brotherhood and household of faith1 which is the true church of ,christ1 has in it an everlasting ,shechinah1 which reveals with perpetually increasing clearness the truth of ,god both to it and through it2 and that fidelity to the sacred and sweet duties of love is at once the condition and the result of this living experience of an ever-living ,god1 in the spiritual realm as in nature1 every fruit being the seed vessel of new growths for the future3--this ,i believe to be the ,gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ according to ,john4 ,and ,i believe there is no better protection against that skepticism of the present age1 whose vice is not that it demands a reason for every faith1 but that it denies the witness of the spiritual sight to spiritual things1 than the patient1 meditative study of this ,gospel1 except the patient1 persistent pursuit of the life to which it invites4 ,to those that have no faith in such a life and such a light1 to whom ,christ is only a mist-covered mountain seen across the intervening eighteen centuries1 and ,god only an hypothesis made probable by the ,paleyrian argument from design1 this ,commentary will probably give no aid1 and this ,gospel will even appear to be uninterpretable in its mysticism4 ,to those that have this faith in a perpetually present ,immanuel1 a ,christ who is ever a ,god with us1 however dim the faith may be1 these pages are commended in the prayer and hope that they may help to make the ,gospel clearer1 the faith stronger1 and the ,christ nearer and dearer4 ,,index4 ,,note4--,the abbreviations ,m41 ,mk41 ,l41 and ,j4 refer respectively to the four gospels1 ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john2 the figures refer to the pages4 ,a4 ,adultery1 ,laws against1 ,m41 #ee4 ,anise1 ,m41 #bej4 ,almsgiving1 ,m41 #ih4 ,andrew1 ,m41 #adh4 ,angels3 ,bible doctrine of1 ,m41 #bae1 #cbc2 ,l41 #g4 ,message to the ,shepherds of1 ,l41 #ai1 #bj1 #ba4 ,anointing at ,bethany1 ,mk41 #eh4 ,annunciation1 ,the1 ,l41 #aa1 #ab4 ,antonia1 tower of1 ,j41 #baf4 ,apostles3 ,call of the1 ,mk41 #ad4 ,commission of the1 ,mk41 #bg4 ,office of the1 ,mk41 #ad4 ,b4 ,baptism3 ,ceremony of1 ,m41 #gb4 ,doctrine of1 ,m41 #cbg1 #cbh2 ,j41 #dg4 ,barabbas1 ,m41 #caj4 ,bartholomew1 ,m41 #adi4 ,baskets1 ,m41 #aih2 ,j41 #hj4 ,beatitudes1 ,the1 ,m41 #he-hg2 ,l41 #da1 #db4 ,bed1 ,old ,jewish1 ,mk41 #aj4 ,beelzebub1 ,m41 #aff4 ,bethabara1 ,j41 #bc4 ,bethany1 ,m41 #ea1 #bhj2 ,l41 #abb2 ,j41 #acf1 #aea4 ,bethesda1 ,pool of1 ,j41 #fd4 ,bethlehem1 ,m41 #eb1 #eh4 ,bethphage1 ,m41 #ec2 ,l41 #abb4 ,bethsaida1 ,m41 #ea1 #aeg2 ,mk41 #cj4 ,betrayal1 ,prophecy of the1 ,j41 #afg4 ,blindness1 ,m41 #aca4 ,book1 ,old ,jewish1 ,l41 #cb4 ,book-making1 ,ancient1 ,m41 #be4 ,bread1 ,eastern1 ,mk41 #cf2 ,j41 #bcf4 ,broker1 ,eastern1 ,l41 #aba4 ,burial customs1 ,j41 #bbg4 ,c4 ,csar1 ,concerning tribute of1 ,m41 #bda1 #bdb4 ,csarea ,philippi1 ,m41 #ea1 #aii4 ,caiaphas1 ,m41 #bhj4 ,camel's-hair1 ,m41 #ff4 ,cana1 ,m41 #ea2 ,j41 #bi4 ,candle-stick1 ,an ,eastern1 ,mk41 #af4 ,canon1 ,m41 #ag-be4 ,capernaum1 ,m41 #ea1 #hj2 ,l41 #fb2 ,j41 #cd4 ,care1 ,christ's teaching concerning1 ,m41 #ajh4 ,centurion1 ,m41 #aag4 ,children1 ,christ's blessing of1 ,m41 #df1 #bbe2 ,l41 #aae4 ,chorazin1 ,m41 #ea1 #aeg4 ,christ3 ,activity of1 ,mk41 #f4 ,agony in ,gethsemane1 ,m41 #bij-bie2 ,l41 #ace4 ,anointed by ,mary1 ,m41 #bhj2 ,j41 #aej4 ,anointed by the penitent woman1 ,l41 #dh1 #di4 ,atonement by1 ,j41 #bd4 ,authority questioned1 ,m41 #ec4 ,baptism of1 ,m41 #ga-gd2 ,l41 #ca4 ,betrayal of1 ,m41 #ei1 #bie-big2 ,l41 #acf2 ,j41 #baa-bac4 ,birth of1 ,m41 #ee1 #ef1 #fd2 ,l41 #g2 ,j41 #aad4 ,bloody sweat of1 ,l41 #ace4 ,burial of1 ,m41 #aga1 #cba2 ,mk41 #fa2 ,j41 #bba-bbf4 ,childhood of1 ,l41 #ba-be4 ,church of1 ,j41 #ahe-aij4 ,consecration of1 ,l41 #bb1 #bc4 ,conversation of1 ,j41 #eh4 ,crucifixion of1 ,m41 #bgi-bha1 #cab-cbj2 ,mk41 #fj2 ,l41 #aci-add4 ,death1 ,cause of1 ,j41 #bbe-f4 ,denial by ,peter1 ,m41 #cja-cjd2 ,mk41 #ei2 ,l41 #acf4 ,discourses of1 ,j41 #aa4 ,discourse on the end of the world1 ,l41 #abf-acj4 ,divine nature of1 ,m41 #ac1 #bbf1 #cbg2 ,j41 #ai1 #ci1 #dd1 #fh1 #ij1 #aaa1 #aag1 #acd1 #ahc1 #ahd4 ,education of1 ,m41 #fe4 ,enemies of1 ,l41 #aca4 ,fame of1 ,l41 #aag4 ,first attack on1 ,m41 #bcd4 ,galilean ministry of1 ,mk41 #e2 ,m41 #gi-hc4 ,genealogy of1 ,m41 #ec2 ,l41 #ca4 ,glory of1 ,j41 #bjc-d1 #bji-aj4 ,growth of1 ,l41 #be4 ,herod's interview with1 ,l41 #ach4 ,home of1 ,l41 #ei1 #acj4 ,human nature of1 ,m41 #aah1 #cag2 ,l41 #ah1 #ga4 ,incarnation of1 ,j41 #bb4 ,intercessory prayer of1 ,j41 #bja-b1 #baj4 ,interpreter of ,god's law1 ,j41 #ahi-ij4 ,king1 ,j41 #bah-bbj4 ,life of1 ,m41 #dj-dc4 ,light of the world1 ,the1 ,j41 #ag1 #aji4 ,limitations of his nature1 ,mk41 #ef1 #eg4 ,living ,one1 ,the1 ,l41 #ade4 ,lord of ,nature1 ,the1 ,mk41 #bj4 ,manifestation of the ,father1 ,j41 #agd-e1 #bje4 ,mission of1 ,m41 #abh1 #adf1 #afj1 #aid1 #baf2 ,mk41 #ce1 #di2 ,l41 #ib2 ,j41 #ff1 #abd4 ,mission in ,perea1 ,m41 #bbb2 ,mk41 #df4 ,names of1 ,the1 ,m41 #eg4 ,personality of1 ,j41 #ajd4 ,popularity of1 ,m41 #ad2 ,l41 #gd1 #ia1 #aca4 ,power of1 ,j41 #bjc1 #baa-ac4 ,prayer of1 defined1 ,j41 #agh4 ,prayer in ,gethsemane1 ,m41 #bib4 ,passion of1 ,mk41 #dg2 ,l41 #ef1 #aae4 ,resurrection of1 ,m41 #cbc-ccf1 #ccj-ccc2 ,mk41 #dc1 #dg1 #fb2 ,l41 #aae1 #add-adg2 ,j41 #bbg-bcj4 ,rejection at ,nazareth of1 ,m41 #ahg2 ,mk41 #bf4 ,royal nature of1 ,l41 #abb4 ,sacrifice of1 ,the1 ,j41 #abi4 ,satire used by1 ,l41 #hd4 ,second coming of1 ,m41 #bfe1 #bff2 ,j41 #bh1 #ig1 #agc-d4 ,sepulchre of1 ,m41 #cba1 #cbb4 ,servant1 ,a1 ,l41 #acc4 ,simplicity of ,his life1 ,j41 #gi1 #ajf4 ,son of ,david1 ,the1 ,l41 #aag4 ,son of ,god1 ,the1 ,m41 #aei1 #cjj1 #cbj4 ,son of man1 ,the1 ,m41 #adb1 #adc1 #afb1 #bjj4 ,spiritual presence of 7,see ,holy ,ghost71 ,j41 #agi-aha4 ,subject to the ,father1 ,j41 #ahc-h4 ,supremacy of1 ,j41 #abh4 ,sympathy of1 ,m41 #acc1 #aee2 ,j41 #abd1 #adc4 ,synagogue1 ,preaches in the1 ,l41 #ca4 ,temple1 ,found in the1 ,l41 #bd4 ,temptation of1 ,m41 #gd-gi2 ,l41 #ca4 ,trial of1 ,m41 #big-cja4 ,trial by ,caiaphas1 ,l41 #acf2 ,j41 #bac-baf4 ,trial before ,pilate1 ,m41 #cji-cab2 ,l41 #acf2 ,j41 #baf-bba4 ,tribute demanded of1 ,m41 #baa1 #bab4 ,triumphal entry into ,jerusalem1 ,m41 #bcb1 #bcc2 ,mk41 #ej2 ,l41 #abb2 ,j41 #aed4 ,christian charity1 ,l41 #fg4 ,christian hate1 ,l41 #hi4 ,christian life3 ,conditions for1 ,j41 #da1 #db4 ,nature of1 ,j41 #aec4 ,christ's sermon on1 ,j41 #hd-ic4 ,source of1 ,j41 #ei4 ,suffering of1 ,j41 #aai4 ,christian1 ,mission of1 ,j41 #ahi1 #bje1 #bjh4 ,christian ministry1 ,m41 #ach1 #cbi4 ,christian religion3 ,evidences of1 ,j41 #gd1 #agf-g4 ,nature of1 ,j41 #de4 ,not asceticism1 ,j41 #bjh4 ,power of1 ,j41 #agg4 ,christian spirit1 ,m41 #adj4 ,christian work1 ,m41 #acf4 ,christology1 ,j41 #agd4 ,church3 ,authority of the1 ,m41 #bdf4 ,christ's commission to1 ,m41 #cbf-cbi4 ,dangers of the1 ,m41 #bei4 ,foundation of the1 ,m41 #bja-bjc4 ,unity of1 ,j41 #bji4 ,circumcision1 ,l41 #ae4 ,cleophas1 ,l41 #ade4 ,clothes1 ,jewish1 ,m41 #bfa4 ,coats1 ,jewish1 ,l41 #bh4 ,comforter1 ,nature of the 7,see ,holy ,ghost71 ,j41 #agh4 ,commandment1 ,the great1 ,mk41 #ec1 #ed4 ,commerce1 in the temple1 ,commission of the ,seventy1 ,l41 #fj-fc4 ,commission of the ,twelve1 ,m41 #acc2 ,l41 #ee4 ,corban1 ,rabbinical law of1 ,mk41 #cc4 ,courage1 ,christian1 source of1 ,j41 #bja4 ,courtyard1 ,oriental1 ,m41 #cjc4 ,creeds1 ,necessity of1 ,j41 #aab4 ,crosses1 ,description of1 ,m41 #cae4 ,cyrenius1 governor of ,syria1 ,l41 #ah4 ,d4 ,dalmanutha1 ,m41 #ea2 ,mk41 #cg4 ,dead ,sea1 ,m41 #ea4 ,death1 ,jewish conception of1 ,j41 #agc4 ,decapolis1 ,m41 #ea4 ,dedication1 ,feast of the1 ,j41 #aca4 ,demoniacal possession1 ,m41 #abc-abe2 ,mk41 #f4 ,denarius1 ,value of1 ,m41 #bba1 #bdb2 ,j41 #gi4 ,devil1 ,the1 ,m41 #gf4 ,dining customs in the ,east1 ,l41 #hf4 ,disciples1 ,call of the four1 ,l41 #ce1 #cf4 ,divine presence3 ,condition of enjoying1 ,j41 #ahj1 #ha1 #hf1 #hg1 #hi4 ,power of1 ,j41 #ahg-hh4 ,divorce1 ,christ's law of1 ,m41 #bbb1 #bbe2 ,mk41 #df4 ,e4 ,elders1 ,m41 #bje4 ,election1 ,doctrine of1 ,j41 #hi1 #aij1 #bjc-d4 ,emmaus1 ,m41 #ea2 ,l41 #ade4 ,end of the world1 ,m41 #beh2 ,l41 #abg-acj4 ,enemies1 ,christian treatment of1 ,m41 #if-ih4 ,enon1 ,m41 #ea2 ,j41 #dg4 ,ephraim4 ,m41 #ea2 ,j41 #adi4 ,epistles1 ,nature of1 ,m41 #aa4 ,espousals1 ,jewish1 ,m41 #ee4 ,essenes1 ,m41 #fi4 ,eternal life1 ,j41 #dd1 #ge1 #hc1 #hf1 #bjc-d4 ,ewers1 ,j41 #ca4 ,excommunication1 ,jewish1 ,j41 #abb4 ,f4 ,faith3 ,christ's exhortation to1 ,mk1 #eb4 ,nature of1 ,j41 #hd1 #ade1 #afa4 ,contrasted with right1 ,j41 #bcd4 ,falling from grace1 ,j41 #ahh4 ,fasting1 ,laws for1 ,m41 #aji1 #abi4 ,fasts1 ,l41 #aad4 ,feeding of the five thousand 7,see under ,miracles74 ,feet-washing1 ,ceremony of1 ,j41 #afe4 ,feet-washing1 ,oriental1 ,j41 #afc4 ,fire3 ,biblical mention of1 ,m41 #ahc4 ,utensils1 ,j41 #bai4 ,fishing1 ,oriental1 ,l41 #cg4 ,forgiveness1 ,nature of1 ,l41 #ada4 ,frankincense1 ,m41 #fb4 ,free-will1 ,doctrine of1 ,l41 #ie2 ,j41 #id4 ,funerals of the ,east1 ,l41 #de4 ,future punishment1 ,m41 #ade1 #bgg2 ,j41 #ahh4 ,g4 ,gabriel1 ,l41 #aj4 ,gadara1 ,m41 #ea4 ,galilee3 ,christ's circuit of1 ,l41 #ce1 #eb4 ,sea of1 ,m41 #eg2 ,mk41 #h4 ,gambling at the cross1 ,j41 #bbc4 ,generation1 ,book of the1 ,m41 #ec4 ,gennesaret3 ,lake of1 ,mk41 #h4 ,land of1 ,m41 #aib4 ,gerizim1 ,mount of1 ,j41 #ee4 ,gethsemane3 ,christ's agony in1 ,mk41 #eh4 ,garden of1 ,m41 #bia4 ,gnosticism1 ,j41 #ac1 #ad4 ,god3 ,kingdom of1 ,m41 #ajc1 #bbe2 ,l41 #eg1 #aaj-aab4 ,knowledge of1 ,j41 #age1 #agf4 ,nature of1 ,j41 #ad1 #ae1 #cg1 #gd1 #acj4 ,trinity of 7,see ,christ1 ,holy ,ghost71 ,j41 #ad-af4 ,golgotha1 ,m41 #cad4 ,gospels3 ,the four1 ,m41 #aa4 ,harmony of the1 ,m41 #ch-dj1 #dd-ff4 ,origin of the1 ,m41 #cf-ch4 ,relations of the1 ,m41 #cd-cf4 ,gospel of the ,infancy1 ,l41 #f4 ,gospel of ,john3 ,authenticity of1 ,j41 #c1 #f-h1 #bdj4 ,object of1 ,j41 #ab1 #bcd4 ,supplemental chapter to1 ,j41 #bce4 ,gospel of ,luke1 ,authorship of1 ,l41 #c4 ,gospel of ,mark3 ,authorship of1 ,mk41 #c4 ,characteristics of1 ,mk41 #d4 ,gospel of ,matthew3 ,author of1 ,m41 #di4 ,characteristics of1 ,m41 #di4 ,language of1 ,m41 #di4 ,object of1 ,m41 #di4 ,origin of1 ,m41 #cf-ch4 ,grace1 ,meaning of1 ,j41 #ba4 ,grain1 ,oriental sale of1 ,l41 #dc4 ,grave1 ,jewish1 ,j41 #adc4 ,h4 ,hades1 ,l41 #aje4 ,heathen and the ,gospel1 ,l41 #cc4 ,heaven3 ,christ's teaching concerning1 ,j41 #agc4 ,discourse on1 ,mk41 #dc1 #dd4 ,kingdom of1 ,m41 #ff1 #he1 #ij1 #acg1 #aed1 #aaj-aad4 ,place of1 ,m41 #ajb4 ,hell1 ,m41 #ia1 #aai4 ,herod the ,great1 ,l41 #g4 ,herods1 ,the1 ,m41 #eh1 #ei4 ,herod1 ,death of1 ,m41 #fc4 ,herod ,archelaus1 ,m41 #fd4 ,high-priest1 ,m41 #bhj2 ,l41 #bg4 ,holy ,ghost3 ,bestowal of on disciples1 ,j41 #bcj4 ,blasphemy against1 ,m41 #afi4 ,character and office of1 ,j41 #agi-hj1 #aie-aig4 ,manifestation of1 ,j41 #ahb4 ,relation of to the ,father1 ,j41 #aib4 ,holy of ,holies 7,see ,temple74 ,housetop1 ,eastern1 ,l41 #gd4 ,humility1 ,commendation of1 ,m41 #bad1 #bda4 ,husks1 ,l41 #if4 ,hypocrisy1 ,rebuke of1 ,m41 #aji2 ,l41 #gc4 ,i4 ,idumea1 ,mk41 #ad4 ,incarnation 7,see ,christ74 ,incense1 ,service of1 ,l41 #e4 ,infancy1 ,gospel of the1 ,l41 #f4 ,inn1 ,jewish1 ,l41 #ai4 ,issue of blood1 ,l41 #ed ,j4 ,jacob1 ,well of1 ,j41 #eb4 ,jairus' daughter1 ,l41 #ed4 ,james1 ,m41 #adh4 ,james the son of ,alphus1 ,m41 #adi4 ,joanna1 wife of ,chuza1 ,l41 #ec4 ,jericho1 ,m41 #ea2 ,l41 #aaf4 ,jerusalem3 ,conquest of1 ,l41 #ada4 ,desolation of1 ,l41 #abc4 ,road from ,jericho to1 ,l41 #fe4 ,siege of1 ,m41 #bfa4 ,site of1 ,m41 #bgh4 ,jesus 7,see ,christ74 ,john3 ,the ,apostle1 ,m41 #adh2 ,j41 #d4 ,character of1 ,j41 #e4 ,gospel of 7,see ,gospel of ,john74 ,john the ,baptist3 ,character of1 ,m41 #fe4 ,death of1 ,m41 #ahi2 ,mk41 #bi2 ,l41 #ee4 ,embassy to ,jesus1 ,m41 #aeb4 ,father of1 ,l41 #g4 ,imprisonment of1 ,m41 #aej4 ,message of1 ,l41 #dg4 ,ministry of1 ,m41 #fi2 ,l41 #cj2 ,j41 #ej4 ,jordan1 ,m41 #eb1 #fg4 ,joseph of ,arimathea1 ,j41 #bbf4 ,joy1 ,christian1 ,j41 #ahi4 ,judas ,iscariot3 ,character of1 ,m41 #aej1 #cjg4 ,destruction of1 ,j41 #bjg4 ,death of1 ,m41 #cjg4 ,repentance of1 ,m41 #cjf4 ,treachery of1 ,m41 #eh4 ,judea1 ,m41 #eb1 #fe4 ,judgment3 ,christ's description of the1 ,m41 #bge-bgg4 ,nature of the1 ,j41 #afa4 ,judgment seat1 ,roman1 ,j41 #bba4 ,k4 ,key1 ,description of ancient1 ,m41 #bjc4 ,l4 ,lamps1 ancient4 ,m41 #bgj4 ,lanterns1 ,j41 #bab4 ,law and the ,gospel1 ,m41 #hj4 ,lazarus1 ,j41 #acf4 ,lazarus1 ,resurrection of 7,see ,miracles74 ,lebbus1 ,m41 #adi4 ,lepers1 ,l41 #aji4 ,leprosy1 ,m41 #aah4 ,levi 7,see ,matthew74 ,levite1 ,l41 #ff4 ,lilies1 ,m41 #ajg2 ,l41 #gg4 ,locusts1 ,m41 #fg4 ,lord's ,prayer1 ,m41 #aja-aje4 ,lord's ,supper1 ,the3 ,ceremony of1 ,the1 ,l41 #aca2 ,j41 #ib4 ,institution of the1 ,m41 #bhc-bhh2 ,mk41 #eh2 ,j41 #afb4 ,time of the1 ,m41 #bhf2 ,j41 #afi1 #bag1 #bba4 ,love3 ,commanded1 ,m41 #bdd4 ,test of1 ,m41 #adf4 ,luke1 ,gospel of 7,see ,gospel of ,luke74 ,m4 ,magdala1 ,m41 #eb4 ,magi1 ,the1 ,m41 #ei1 #fj4 ,mammon1 ,m41 #ajf4 ,manger1 ,eastern1 ,l41 #ai4 ,manuscripts1 ,m41 #bg1 #bh4 ,mariolatry1 ,l41 #gj4 ,mark1 ,gospel of 7,see ,gospel of ,mark74 ,marriage3 ,ancient form of1 ,j41 #aah4 ,christ's law of1 ,m41 #bbb-bbe2 ,mk41 #df4 ,eastern ceremony of1 ,m41 #bfi1 #bgb2 ,l41 #gg4 ,jewish ceremony of1 ,m41 #abi4 ,martha and ,mary1 ,l41 #fg1 #fh4 ,mary ,magdalene1 ,m41 #cbj2 ,l41 #ec2 ,j41 #bbh4 ,mary's hymn of praise1 ,l41 #ad4 ,matthew3 ,character of1 ,m41 #adi4 ,call of1 ,m41 #abe2 ,l41 #ch2 ,mk41 #abe4 ,gospel of 7,see ,gospel of ,matthew74 ,meals1 ,jewish1 ,j41 #afh4 ,medicine1 ,mk41 #bb4 ,meekness1 ,nature of1 ,m41 #he4 ,mercy1 ,nature of1 ,m41 #hf1 #bea4 ,messiah1 ,the ,jewish1 ,j41 #ajj4 ,mill1 ,eastern1 ,m41 #bff4 ,minister1 ,meaning of the term1 ,l41 #e4 ,mint1 ,m41 #bhj4 ,miracles3 ,barren fig-tree cursed1 ,mk41 #ej1 #ea4 ,christ stills the tempest1 ,m41 #aba2 ,l41 #ec4 ,cure of the infirm woman1 ,l41 #ha1 #hb4 ,cure of the issue of blood1 ,mk41 #ba-bc4 ,feeding of the five thousand1 ,m41 #aia2 ,mk41 #cj2 ,l41 #ee2 ,j41 #gf-ha4 ,feeding of the four thousand1 ,m41 #aie2 ,mk41 #ce4 ,blind ,bartimeus healed1 ,mk41 #aai4 ,draft of fishes--first1 ,l41 #ce1 #cf4 ,draft of fishes--second1 ,j41 #bcg4 ,healing of the blind man1 ,mk41 #ch2 ,l41 #aae4 ,healing of the centurion's servant1 ,m41 #aag2 ,l41 #dd4 ,healing of the centurion's son1 ,j41 #fa1 #fb4 ,healing of deaf and dumb1 ,mk41 #cd4 ,healing of the demoniac1 ,m41 #aba1 #baa2 ,mk41 #bj2 ,l41 #ce1 #ec4 ,healing of the leper1 ,l41 #cg4 ,healing of the lunatic boy1 ,m41 #dj2 ,l41 #ef4 ,healing of the man born blind1 ,j41 #aah1 #abd4 ,healing of the paralytic1 ,m41 #abe2 ,mk41 #i-ab2 ,l41 #cg4 ,healing of ,peter's mother-in-law1 ,m41 #aai2 ,l41 #ce4 ,healing of the ten lepers1 ,l41 #ajh4 ,healing of the withered hand1 ,m41 #afc4 ,raising of ,jairus' daughter1 ,mk41 #bb1 #bd1 #be4 ,raising of the widow's son1 ,l41 #de4 ,resurrection of ,lazarus1 ,j41 #ace1 #ade-adg4 ,water turned into wine1 ,j41 #cj-cc4 ,walking on the sea1 ,m41 #aia2 ,mk41 #cj2 ,j41 #hb4 ,miracles3 ,christ's use of1 ,j41 #fb4 ,truth of the1 ,m41 #aff4 ,money-changers1 ,m41 #bgd2 ,j41 #cg4 ,mount of ,olives1 ,l41 #abc4 ,mourning3 ,christian rites of1 ,m41 #he4 ,eastern ceremony of1 ,mk41 #bd4 ,rabbinical rites of1 ,j41 #aci4 ,murder1 ,laws against1 ,m41 #ia-ic4 ,myrrh1 ,m41 #fb4 ,n4 ,nain1 ,m41 #eb2 ,l41 #de4 ,nathanael1 ,j41 #bg4 ,nazareth1 ,m41 #eb1 #fd2 ,l41 #aa1 #cd2 ,j41 #bg4 ,new ,testament3 ,authority of1 ,m41 #ac4 ,canon of1 ,m41 #ag-be4 ,composition of1 ,m41 #aa4 ,english version of1 ,m41 #bh-ca4 ,inspiration of1 ,m41 #ad-ag4 ,interpretation of1 ,m41 #ca-cd4 ,nature of1 ,m41 #aa1 #ab4 ,origin of1 ,m41 #ac4 ,text of1 ,m41 #be-bh4 ,nicodemus1 ,j41 #dj4 ,o4 ,obedience1 ,m41 #aab4 ,oven1 ,an ,eastern1 ,l41 #gg4 ,p4 ,palestine1 ,government of1 ,l41 #bg4 ,palsy1 ,mk41 #aj4 ,parables1 ,the3 ,barren fig-tree1 ,the1 ,l41 #hj1 #ha4 ,candle1 ,the1 ,l41 #ec4 ,drag-net1 ,the1 ,m41 #ahe4 ,good ,samaritan1 ,the1 ,l41 #fd-ff4 ,great supper1 ,the1 ,l41 #hg4 ,hid treasures1 ,the1 ,m41 #ahd1 #ahe4 ,householder1 ,the1 ,l41 #dd4 ,laborers1 ,the1 ,m41 #bcj1 #bca4 ,leaven1 ,the1 ,m41 #aha2 ,l41 #hb4 ,lost coin1 ,the1 ,l41 #id4 ,lost sheep1 ,the1 ,l41 #ib1 #ic4 ,mustard seed1 ,the1 ,m41 #ahj2 ,mk41 #ah2 ,l41 #hb4 ,pearl1 ,the1 ,m41 #ahd1 #ahe4 ,prodigal son1 ,the1 ,l41 #ie-ii4 ,rich fool1 ,the1 ,l41 #ge1 #gf4 ,rich man and ,lazarus1 ,l41 #ajc-ajf4 ,seed growing secretly1 ,the1 ,mk41 #ag4 ,sheepfold and shepherd1 ,j41 #abe-aca4 ,sower1 ,the1 ,m41 #age-agi2 ,mk41 #af2 ,l41 #ec4 ,tares1 ,the1 ,m41 #agi4 ,ten pounds1 ,the1 ,l41 #abj4 ,ten talents1 ,the1 ,m41 #bgb-bge4 ,ten virgins1 ,the1 ,m41 #bfh-bgb4 ,two debtors1 ,the1 ,l41 #ej1 #ea4 ,two sons1 ,the1 ,m41 #bce4 ,unclean spirit1 ,the1 ,m41 #agb4 ,unjust steward1 ,the1 ,l41 #ii-ajb4 ,unmerciful servant1 ,the1 ,m41 #bai4 ,vine and branches1 ,the1 ,j41 #ahe-f4 ,wedding feast1 ,the1 ,m41 #bch-bda4 ,wicked ,husbandman1 ,the1 ,m41 #bcf-bch2 ,m41 #ec2 ,l41 #abe4 ,paradise1 ,l41 #adb1 #adc4 ,passover3 ,day of1 ,l41 #aca4 ,feast of1 ,j41 #fc1 #gh4 ,patience1 ,christian1 ,l41 #eh1 #abh4 ,peace1 ,christian1 ,j41 #ahb4 ,penitent thief1 ,l41 #adb1 #adc4 ,penny1 ,value of ,jewish1 ,j41 #gi4 ,pentateuch1 ,authorship of1 ,j41 #gf4 ,pentecost1 ,feast of1 ,j41 #fc4 ,perea1 ,m41 #eb2 ,l41 #fj4 ,persecution3 ,foretold1 ,j41 #aic4 ,how to be borne1 ,j41 #aia-aid4 ,peter3 ,character of1 ,m41 #ace1 #adh2 ,mk41 #g2 ,l41 #acc4 ,commission of1 ,j41 #bch-i4 ,confession of ,christ by1 ,mk41 #ci2 ,l41 #ee4 ,denial of ,christ by1 ,m41 #cja-cjd2 ,l41 #acc4 ,founder of the ,church1 ,m41 #bja-bjc4 ,name changed1 ,j41 #bf4 ,walking on the sea1 ,m41 #cj2 ,j41 #aba4 ,pharisees1 ,the3 ,sect of1 ,m41 #fh4 ,baffled by ,christ1 ,m41 #bde4 ,discourse against1 ,l41 #ga4 ,philip1 ,m41 #adi4 ,phylacteries1 ,m41 #bdg4 ,pontius ,pilate1 ,m41 #cje2 ,j41 #bba-b4 ,poor of the ,east1 ,l41 #hh1 #hi4 ,porter of the ,east1 ,l41 #gb4 ,pound1 ,l41 #aba4 ,prayer3 ,bible doctrine of1 ,l41 #aab-aad2 ,j41 #agg4 ,in the name of ,christ1 ,j41 #agg4 ,necessity of1 ,m41 #aaa1 #ii-aje2 ,l41 #acj4 ,promises to1 ,j41 #agg-h1 #aii-bjj4 ,true spirit of 7,see ,christ71 ,l41 #fh4 ,preachers 7,see ,christian ,ministry74 ,priesthood1 ,the1 ,m41 #fa2 ,l41 #g4 ,prophecy3 ,office of1 ,j41 #ahd4 ,fulfillment of1 in ,n4 ,t41 ,j41 #bbe4 ,proselytes1 ,m41 #bdi4 ,publicans1 ,m41 #ig1 #abf2 ,l41 #bh1 #ia4 ,purification of the ,jewish mother1 ,l41 #bb4 ,purple and fine linen1 ,l41 #ajd4 ,r4 ,rabbi1 ,m41 #bdg4 ,rama1 ,m41 #fc4 ,religion3 ,fruits of1 ,m41 #aac4 ,joyousness of1 ,m41 #bci4 ,test of1 ,m41 #aac4 ,repentance3 ,law of1 ,l41 #if4 ,nature of1 ,m41 #fe4 ,necessity of1 ,l41 #hj4 ,revelation1 ,book of1 ,m41 #aa4 ,resurrection3 ,nature of1 ,mk41 #dg1 #fd2 ,l41 #add2 ,j41 #fi4 ,prophecy of1 ,mk41 #dc1 #dg4 ,revenge1 ,laws against1 ,m41 #id-if4 ,riches1 ,christ's teachings concerning1 ,m41 #bbh2 ,mk41 #dg4 ,ritualism1 ,christ's teachings concerning1 ,mk41 #ca1 #cb4 ,roofs1 ,jewish1 ,mk41 #aj4 ,ruler1 ,the rich young1 ,m41 #bbf2 ,mk41 #df2 ,l41 #aae4 ,s4 ,sabbath3 ,christian use of the1 ,l41 #hd4 ,laws of the ,christian1 ,m41 #afa-afd2 ,mk41 #ac2 ,l41 #ch4 ,pharisaic1 ,the1 ,m41 #abj2 ,j41 #ff4 ,sacrifices1 ,j41 #cg4 ,sadducees1 ,m41 #fh1 #fi4 ,sadducees silenced1 ,m41 #bdc2 ,mk41 #ec4 ,salim1 ,m41 #eb2 ,j41 #dg4 ,salutations of the ,jews1 ,l41 #fa4 ,salvation1 ,conditions of1 ,m41 #bgf2 ,l41 #hc4 ,samaria3 ,history of1 ,m41 #eb2 ,j41 #ea4 ,woman of1 ,the1 ,j41 #ej4 ,samaritans3 ,character of1 ,l41 #ff4 ,christ's visit to1 ,l41 #eg4 ,sanctification1 means of1 ,j41 #ahg4 ,satan3 ,fall of1 ,l41 #fc4 ,nature of1 ,j41 #aeh4 ,personality of1 ,j41 #aae4 ,scorpions1 ,l41 #fi4 ,scourging1 ,m41 #cca4 ,scribes1 ,m41 #fa1 #ij4 ,denunciation of the1 ,mk41 #ed2 ,l41 #abf4 ,self-righteousness1 ,christ's dealings with1 ,l41 #fd4 ,self-sacrifice commanded1 ,m41 #bjf4 ,sepulchre1 ,jewish1 ,j41 #adc4 ,sermon on the ,mount1 ,l41 #dj4 ,servants of the ,east1 ,l41 #ajg4 ,sheba1 ,queen of1 ,m41 #aga4 ,sheep-fold1 ,eastern1 ,j41 #abe4 ,shekel1 ,value of1 ,m41 #bha4 ,shepherds of the ,east1 ,l41 #ai1 #ic2 ,j41 #abf4 ,shoes1 ,jewish1 ,m41 #gj4 ,sidon1 ,m41 #eb4 ,sieve1 ,ancient1 ,l41 #acc4 ,siloam1 ,pool of1 ,j41 #abj4 ,simon the ,canaanite1 ,m41 #aej4 ,simon ,cyrene1 ,m41 #cad4 ,simon the leper1 ,m41 #bhj4 ,sin3 ,christ's laws for the prevention of1 ,mk41 #de4 ,of rejecting ,christ1 ,j41 #aia-ib4 ,power to remit and retain1 ,j41 #bca-cb4 ,skepticism1 ,l41 #ajf4 ,skiff1 ,ancient1 ,m41 #ai4 ,son of ,man 7,see ,christ74 ,sorrow1 ministry of1 ,j41 #aii4 ,soul3 ,distinction of the1 ,j41 #ahh4 ,nature of the1 ,j41 #aeg4 ,sparrows in ,market1 ,l41 #ge4 ,spikenard1 ,j41 #aeb4 ,star of the ,east1 ,m41 #fa4 ,steward1 ,l41 #ajj4 ,swaddling-clothes1 ,l41 #ah4 ,swearing1 ,laws against1 ,m41 #ic4 ,swine1 ,flesh of1 ,m41 #abb4 ,sycamore tree1 ,l41 #ajg1 #aah4 ,sychar1 ,m41 #eb2 ,j41 #ea4 ,synagogues1 ,m41 #ha4 ,synagogue1 ,uppermost seat of the1 ,l41 #gb4 ,syro-,phnician woman1 ,m41 #cd4 ,t4 ,tabernacles1 ,feast of the1 ,j41 #fc1 #ie1 #ajb4 ,talent1 ,value of the1 ,m41 #bbj1 #bgc4 ,tares1 ,m41 #agi4 ,taxation1 ,roman1 ,m41 #abf2 ,l41 #ag4 ,temple3 ,description of1 ,j41 #cd-cg4 ,site of1 ,l41 #abg4 ,pinnacle of the1 ,m41 #gg4 ,veil of the1 ,m41 #cai4 ,temple of ,herod1 ,m41 #bef4 ,thomas1 ,m41 #adi2 ,j41 #acc1 #agd1 #bcc4 ,threshing in the ,east1 ,m41 #ga4 ,tiberias3 ,city of1 ,j41 #hd4 ,sea of1 ,j41 #gh4 ,tithes1 ,l41 #aad4 ,title on the cross1 ,j41 #bbc4 ,tombs1 ,jewish1 ,m41 #abb2 ,mk41 #ba4 #fb1 #fc4 ,traders cast from the temple1 ,mk41 #ea4 ,transfiguration1 ,the1 ,m41 #bjg-baj2 ,mk41 #dj2 ,l41 #ee4 ,treasury1 ,jewish1 ,j41 #aaj4 ,tribute1 ,m41 #baa4 ,triclinium1 ,l41 #he4 ,trinity1 ,doctrine of the1 ,j41 #ad-af1 #acc1 #ahc4 ,twelve ,apostles3 ,commission of the1 ,m41 #acd1 #adg-ej4 ,inspiration of1 ,m41 #ada4 ,tyre1 ,m41 #eb1 #aeg4 ,u4 ,unleavened bread1 ,day of1 ,m41 #bhb4 ,upper chamber1 ,l41 #acb4 ,usury1 ,m41 #bgd4 ,v4 ,vineyards of the ,east1 ,m41 #bcf4 ,w4 ,wailing place1 ,jewish1 ,l41 #adj4 ,water-pot1 ,j41 #ea4 ,well1 ,ancient1 ,j41 #eb4 ,well1 ,jacob's1 ,j41 #eb4 ,wine3 ,bible commands concerning1 ,j41 #cb1 #cc4 ,christ's teachings concerning1 ,j41 #cb1 #cc4 ,winnowing1 ,oriental1 ,l41 #bc4 ,woman1 a ,jewish1 ,l41 #eb4 ,word of ,god1 ,j41 #ac1 #ad4 ,world1 ,end of the 7,see ,end of the ,world74 ,worship1 ,true nature of1 ,m41 #aaf2 ,j41 #ef4 ,writing materials1 ,l41 #ae1 #aja4 ,z4 ,zaccheus1 ,l41 #aah4 ,zacharias1 ,m41 #bec2 ,l41 #g1 #af4 ,zebedee1 ,m41 #ha4 ,zebedee1 ,sons of1 ,mk41 #dg4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,words may have multiple spelling variations or inconsistent hyphenation in the text4 ,these have been left unchanged1 as were obsolete and alternative spellings4 ,misspelled words were corrected4 ,words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores1 like this4 ,those in bold are surrounded by equal signs1 like this4 ,footnotes were renumbered sequentially2 those in the ,preface were moved to the end of the chapter2 footnotes in lines of scripture follow immediately thereafter4 ,obvious printing errors1 such as backwards1 upside down1 or partially printed letters and punctuation1 were corrected4 ,final stops missing at the end of sentences and abbreviations were added4 ,the text was rearranged so that each line of scripture1 its footnotes1 and its commentary are together as a unit4 ,the index includes references to the author's books on the ,gospels of ,matthew1 ,mark1 and ,luke1 as well as those included in this book4 ,in the index1 8,commerce1 in the temple0 has no page reference4 ,the following items were changed3 #ajc 8,john #c3aa0 to 8,john #c3ba0 8ought0 to 8aught0 to eat 444