CHAPTER XVI. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORLD (John 16:1-33) 1. These things have. spoken unto you, that you should not be offended. "These things" may refer generally to all that the Lord has spoken in these discourses, as some have urged, but, in my judgment, refers more particularly to what he has... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL PUT YOU OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUES. The first persecutions shall come from the Jews, and hence the Lord speaks of these. The first punishment shall be excommunication.. have pointed out (chapter 9:22, note) the nature of this punishment. It was more than spiritual. It made its subject outcast... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS THEY WILL DO... BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THE FATHER OR ME. This ignorance of God and Christ lies at the root of all spirit of persecution. Could the tender love of God as revealed in the Son, his long suffering and compassion, be known, it would end all intolerance. The hard-hearted,... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS HAVE. TOLD YOU... THAT YE MAY REMEMBER. When the hour of trial would come there would come also the remembrance that the Lord had foreseen it from the beginning, had promised to be with them, and even to give to them what they should say to their accusers. THESE THINGS. SAID NOT IN TH... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW. GO MY WAY TO HIM THAT SENT ME. To the Father, by way of the Cross, the Sepulcher, the Resurrection and the Ascension. NONE OF YOU ASKETH ME, WHITHER GOEST THOU? They had asked this question, but in the stupefaction of their sorrow they had ceased to ask. Their thoughts were fixed more upon t... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS EXPEDIENT FOR YOU THAT. GO AWAY. What seemed then. crushing sorrow was. real blessing. His mission could never be accomplished unless he went away. These same apostles who were now so overwhelmed with sorrow, forty days later, saw the Lord depart, and. cloud receive him from their sight, and... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL REPROVE THE WORLD OF SIN, OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND OF JUDGMENT. The Revision more correctly renders, "Will convict the world of sin." There are three points concerning which the world would be convicted, concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit would effect these important resu... [ Continue Reading ]
OF SIN, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE NOT ON ME. In naming sin, the chief of all sins is singled out. All sin springs from unbelief. There was. lurking unbelief in the heart of Judas when he sold his Master; in Peter's when he denied him; in that of Ananias when he lied to the Holy Spirit. It was unbelief t... [ Continue Reading ]
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE. GO TO MY FATHER. Human tribunals convicted him of blasphemy because he said he was the Son of God, and put him to death. God exalted him to. throne, thereby showing that the condemnation was wrong and that he was righteous. Of this the Holy Spirit bore witness in words an... [ Continue Reading ]
OF JUDGMENT, BECAUSE THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD IS JUDGED. In chapter 14:30, he declared, "the prince of this world cometh." It was the prince of this world, the spirit of the world, Satan as the ruler of the world, who slew him. When he rose from the dead and all power was given into his hands, this... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE YET MANY THINGS TO SAY.. BUT YE CANNOT BEAR THEM NOW. All wise teachers give out truth as the minds of people are prepared for it. Jesus did not at once announce himself as the Christ, nor that he would be crucified. He added new lessons as the minds were prepared. Even yet there were lessons,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH. He is about to go away and his own personal teachings will be ended, but those things that he desires them to know will be taught them still. The Spirit of truth will guide them into all truth; the Holy Spirit will not be sent to t... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL GLORIFY ME. "All things that the Father hath are mine," and the Spirit "shall receive of mine and shew it to you." "These three are one;". striking illustration of the unity of the Godhead. They are so united that what proceeds from one proceeds from all.... [ Continue Reading ]
LITTLE WHILE, AND YE SHALL NOT SEE ME: AGAIN,. LITTLE WHILE, AND YE SHALL SEE ME. On the morrow he would die at the ninth hour; that evening he would be buried, and for "a little while," three days and nights, they would not see him; then he would rise, and for another "little while,". space of for... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT IS THIS THAT HE SAITH? They were so awed and amazed by the mysteries that were gathering around them that they hesitated to ask, but the Lord, observing their whispered words, took up their question.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL WEEP AND LAMENT, BUT THE WORLD SHALL REJOICE. This was, in. few hours, fulfilled. How sad were the broken-hearted disciples, as they wept at the tomb! "We trusted that he would restore the kingdom to Israel," is the wail of buried hopes. At the same time their enemies were gloating over th... [ Continue Reading ]
WOMAN WHEN SHE IS IN TRAVAIL HATH SORROW,... FOR JOY THAT. MAN IS BORN. The figure of. woman in travail is one of frequent occurrence in the Old Testament to illustrate sudden sorrow and great anguish (Isaiah 21:3; Hosea 13:13; Micah 4:9). The Lord gives the figure. new application by showing that j... [ Continue Reading ]
YE NOW THEREFORE HAVE SORROW. It was because the hour had come. The "therefore" shows that there was something in their position analogous to that of. suffering mother, something more than the mere change from sorrow to joy. The figure is that of suffering endured and comforted by the thought that... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT DAY YE SHALL ASK ME NOTHING. When the new revelation is fully realized and they enjoy the fulness of the Lord's glorified presence. "That day" refers directly to Pentecost when the new era of joy began. "Ye shall ask me nothing" does not refer to prayer, for the apostles always continued to... [ Continue Reading ]
HITHERTO YE HAVE ASKED NOTHING IN MY NAME. When he taught his disciples what we are wont to style the Lord's Prayer, he did not direct that the petition should be in his name, for his relation to the Father was not yet unfolded. It was only as the end of his earthly sojourn approached that he direct... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS HAVE. SPOKEN TO YOU IN PROVERBS. All that he said from the beginning of chapter XV. The term translated "proverbs" would be more correctly rendered "figures." The revelations had been partly veiled in figures, such as that of the True Vine, and the Woman in travail.. deeper meaning lay... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT DAY, the day when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, and from that time on, YE SHALL ASK IN MY NAME. This fulness of knowledge is connected with fulness of prayer. For days before the descent of the Holy Spirit "the apostles, disciples and brethren of the Lord, continued... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE FATHER HIMSELF LOVETH YOU. This declares the reason why it is not needful for him to pray the Father for them, and should be read in immediate connection with the preceding verse. It must be borne in mind that Christ does not say that he will not pray the Father, but teaches that no interce... [ Continue Reading ]
CAME FROM THE FATHER,... INTO THE WORLD;.. GO TO THE FATHER. Meyer says that this verse contains "a simple and grand summary of Christ's entire life, his incarnation, and his destiny." The disciples now fully believed that he came from the Father. In order to awaken their hopes he declares that he... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS DISCIPLES... NOW SPEAKEST THOU PLAINLY. The last words uttered seemed to the disciples plain and simple. They thought that they gave the key to all the "proverbs" before spoken. He had come from God, into the world, now he would leave the world, and return to God. That seemed plain. Yet the dis... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ARE WE SURE THAT THOU KNOWEST ALL THINGS. A little before he had read their thoughts and interpreted them (verse 18). The fact that he had discerned them and answered their questionings so plainly as in verse 28, confirmed their faith and they declare, "by this we believe that thou comest forth... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE HOUR COMETH, YEA, IS NOW COME. The answer of the Lord shows that he recognized the incompleteness of the faith of his disciples. The words, "Do ye now believe?" question the power of the faith they had just affirmed. In the very hour that was now at hand it would be tried. Instead of cl... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS HAVE. SPOKEN. All the preceding discourse, especially from the beginning of chapter 14, was spoken to the end that they might have peace. "In this world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer." Though the world may afflict them it will only be for. season, for the world in. conquere... [ Continue Reading ]