"We come now to the last great discourse (14 17), which constitutes a striking and peculiar element in the Fourth Gospel … we cannot but recognise a change from the compact lucid addresses and exposition of the Synoptists.… This appears not so much in single verses as when we look at the discourse a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let not your heart be troubled_ There had been much to cause anxiety and alarm; the denouncing of the traitor, the declaration of Christ's approaching departure, the prediction of S. Peter's denial. The last as being nearest might seem to be specially indicated; but what follows shews that -let not... [ Continue Reading ]
_In my Father's house_ Heaven. Comp. -The Lord's throne is in heaven," Psalms 11:4; -Our Father, Which art in heaven" (Matthew 6:9), &c. _are many mansions_ Nothing is said about mansions differing in dignity and beauty. There may be degrees of happiness hereafter, but such are neither expressed nor... [ Continue Reading ]
_And if I go_ The -if" does not here imply doubt any more than -when" would have done: but we have -if" and not -when" because it is the _result_of the departure and not the date of it that is emphasized (see on John 12:32). _I will come again, and receive_ Literally, _I_am coming _again and_I will... [ Continue Reading ]
_whither I go ye know, and the way ye know_ The true text seems once more to have been altered to avoid awkwardness of expression (see on John 13:26). Here we should read, _Whither_ I GO, YE KNOW THE WAY. This it half a rebuke, implying that they ought to know more than they did know they had heard... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thomas_ Nothing is to be inferred from the omission of -Didymus" here (comp. John 11:16; John 20:24; John 21:2). For his character see on John 11:16. His question here has a melancholy tone combined with some dulness of apprehension. But there is honesty of purpose in it. He owns his ignorance and... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am the way_ The pronoun is emphatic; I and no other: _Ego sum Via, Veritas, Vita_. S. Thomas had wished rather to know about the goal; Christ shews that for him, and therefore for us, it is more important to know the way. Hence the order; although Christ is the Truth and the Life before He is the... [ Continue Reading ]
_If ye had known me_ In the better MSS, we have here again two different words for -know" (see on John 7:26; John 8:55; John 13:7), and the emphasis in the first clause is on -known" in the second on -Father." Beware of the common mistake of putting an emphasis on -Me." The meaning is: -If ye had _r... [ Continue Reading ]
_Philip_ For the fourth and last time S. Philip appears in this. Gospel (see notes on John 1:44-49; John 6:5-7; John 12:22). Thrice he is mentioned in close connexion with S. Andrew, who may have brought about his being found by Christ; twice he follows in the footsteps of S. Andrew in bringing othe... [ Continue Reading ]
_so long time_ Philip had been called among the first (John 1:43). _hast thou not known me_ Or, _hast not recognised Me_, as in John 14:7. The Gospels are full of evidence of how little the Apostles understood of the life which they were allowed to share: and the candour with which this is confessed... [ Continue Reading ]
_Believest thou not_ S. Philip's question seemed to imply that he did not believe this truth, although Christ had taught it publicly (John 10:38). What follows is stated in an argumentative form. -That the Father is in Me is proved by the fact that My words do not originate with Myself; and this is... [ Continue Reading ]
_Believe me_ The English obliterates the fact that Christ now turns from S. Philip and addresses all the eleven: -believe" is plural not singular. -You have been with Me long enough to believe what I say; but if not, at any rate believe what I do. My words need no credentials: but if credentials are... [ Continue Reading ]
_Verily, verily_ See notes on John 1:51. _the works that I do shall he do also_ i.e. like Me, he shall do the works of the Father, the Father dwelling in Him through the Son (John 14:23). _and greater works than these_ There is no reference to healing by means of S. Peter's shadow (Acts 5:15) or of... [ Continue Reading ]
_whatsoever ye shall ask in my name_ Comp. John 15:16; John 16:23-24; John 16:26. Anything that can rightly be asked in His name will be granted; there is no other limit. By -in My name" is not of course meant the mere using the formula -through Jesus Christ." Rather, it means praying and working as... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will do it_ -I" is emphatic. In both verses the prayer is regarded as addressed to the Father, but granted by the Son, who is one with the Father. But the most ancient authorities here add -Me;" _if ye shall ask_ ME anything. In John 15:16 and John 16:23 with equal truth the Father grants the pra... [ Continue Reading ]
_If ye love me_ The connexion with what precedes is again not quite clear. Some would see it in the condition -in My name," which includes willing obedience to His commands. Perhaps it is rather to be referred to the opening and general drift of the chapter. -Let not your heart be troubled at My goi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I will pray the Father_ -I" is emphatic: -you do your part on earth, and I will do mine in Heaven." Our translators have once more rightly made a distinction but an inadequate one (see on John 13:23; John 13:25). The word for -pray" here is different from that for -ask" John 14:13; but of the t... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Spirit of truth_ This expression confirms the rendering -Advocate." Truth is much more closely connected with the idea of advocating a cause than with that of comforting. Comp. John 15:26; John 16:13; 1 John 5:6. The Paraclete is the Spirit of Truth as being the Bearer of the Divine revelation,... [ Continue Reading ]
_comfortless_ Rather (with Wiclif) FATHERLESS, as the word is translated James 1:27, the only other place in the N.T. where it occurs; or (with the margin) _orphans_, the very word used in the Greek. The inaccurate rendering -comfortless" gives unreal support to the inaccurate rendering -Comforter.... [ Continue Reading ]
_a little while_ Comp. John 13:33; John 16:16. _but ye see me_ In the Paraclete, ever present with you. _because I live, ye shall live also_ i.e. that higher and eternal life over which death has no power either in Christ or His followers. Christ has this life in Himself (John 5:26); His followers... [ Continue Reading ]
_At that day_ Comp. John 16:23; John 16:26. Pentecost, and thenceforth, to the end of the world. They will _come to know_, for experience will teach them, that the presence of the Spirit is the presence of Christ, and through Him of the Father. _ye in me, and I in you_ Comp. John 15:4-5; John 17:21;... [ Continue Reading ]
_hath my commandments, and keepeth them_ Bears them in his mind and observes them in his life. _he it is_ With great emphasis; he and no one else. _will manifest myself to him_ Once more willing obedience is set forth as the road to spiritual enlightenment (see on John 7:17). The word for -manifes... [ Continue Reading ]
_Judas_ Excluding the genealogies of Christ we have six persons of this name in the N.T. _Jesus answered_ The answer is given, as so often in our Lord's replies, not directly, but by repeating and developing the statement which elicited the question. Comp. John 3:5-8; John 4:14; John 6:44-51; John... [ Continue Reading ]
_is not mine_ To be understood literally: see on John 12:44.... [ Continue Reading ]
_being yet present_ Better, WHILE ABIDING; it is S. John's favourite verb (see on John 1:33). With this verse the discourse takes a fresh start returning to the subject of the Paraclete. Perhaps there is a pause after John 14:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the Comforter_ Better, _But the_ ADVOCATE (see on John 14:16). _which is the Holy Ghost_ EVEN _the Holy_ SPIRIT. The epithet -holy" is given to the Spirit thrice in this Gospel; John 1:33; John 20:22, and here (in John 7:39 the -holy" is very doubtful). It is not frequent in any Gospel but the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Peace I leave with you_ "Finally the discourse returns to the point from which it started. Its object had been to reassure the sorrowful disciples against their Lord's departure, and with words of reassurance and consolation it concludes. These are thrown into the form of a leave-taking or farewell... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have heard_, &c. Literally, _Ye_ HEARD THAT _I said to you, I_ AM GOING _away and_ I AM COMING UNTO _you:_comp. John 14:1_; John 14:18_. _because I said, I go_, &c. Omit -I said," which is wanting in all the best authorities: _If ye_ HAD _loved Me, ye would_ HAVE REJOICED THAT I AM GOING _unto t... [ Continue Reading ]
_ye might believe_ Better, _ye_ MAY _believe_. The brevity of the expression makes it ambiguous. It may mean either, -ye may believe _that I am He_" (as in John 13:19), in which case -I have told you" probably refers to the sending of the Paraclete; or, -ye may believe _Me_" (as in John 14:11), in w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hereafter I will not talk much_ Literally, _No longer shall I speak many things:_comp. John 15:15. _the prince of this world cometh_ Better, _the_ RULER _of_ THE _world_ IS COMING. The powers of darkness are at work in Judas and his employers. See on John 12:31. _and hath nothing in me_ Quite lite... [ Continue Reading ]
_But that_ Once more we have an instance of S. John's elliptical use of these words (see on John 13:18), -But (this is done, i.e. Satan cometh) in order that, &c." Some, however, would omit the full stop at -I do" and make -that" depend upon -Arise:" -But that the world may know that I love the Fath... [ Continue Reading ]