John 15:22

22 and 24. εἴχοσαν for εἶχον (more usual form).

The general subject still continues from John 13:31—CHRIST’S LOVE IN KEEPING HIS OWN. This is still further set forth in this chapter in three main aspects: 1. Their union with Him, illustrated by the allegory of the Vine (1–11); 2. Their union with one another in Him (12–17); 3. The hatred of the world to both Him and them (18–25).

22. εἰ μὴ … ἐλάλησα. He had spoken as man had never spoken before (John 7:16), in words sufficient to tell unprejudiced minds Who He was. Their hatred was a sin against light: without the light there would have been no sin. Ἔχειν ἁμαρτίαν is peculiar to S. John (John 15:24; John 9:41; John 19:11; 1 John 1:8): they would not have sin (John 19:11; Romans 7:7). Πρόφασιν is excuse rather than ‘cloke.’ The notion is not of hiding, but of excusing what cannot be hid: ‘colour’ (Acts 27:30) is better than ‘cloke’ (1 Thessalonians 2:5).

νῦν δέ here and in John 15:24 introduces a sharp contrast: the two verses exhibit the parallelism so frequent in S. John. For περὶ τῆς ἁμ. comp. John 8:46; John 16:8.