John 5 - Introduction
CHAPTER 5. _ Jesus in Jerusalem manifests Himself as the Life by communicating strength to an impotent man_.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 5. _ Jesus in Jerusalem manifests Himself as the Life by communicating strength to an impotent man_.... [ Continue Reading ]
μετὰ ταῦτα, “after this”; how long after does not concern the narrative. ἦν ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. See critical note. Even if the article were the true reading, this would not, as Lücke has shown, determine the feast to be the Passover. Rather it would be Tabernacles, see W.H [52] ii. 76. We are thrown... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔστι δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις. From the use of the present tense Bengel concludes that this was written before the destruction of Jerusalem [“Scripsit Johannes ante vastationem urbis”]. But quite probably John considered the pool one of the permanent features of the city. Its position is more precise... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐκδεχομένων … νοσήματι. See critical note.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἦν δέ τις ἄνθρωπος … ἀσθενείᾳ. “And there was a certain man there who had spent thirty-eight years in his infirmity:” ἔτη ἔχων, _cf._ John 5:6 and John 8:57; and Achil. Tat., 24. How long he had lain by the water is not said. To find in the man's thirty-eight years' imbecility a symbol of Israel's t... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus when He saw the man lying and had ascertained (γνοὺς, having learned from the man or his friends) that already he had passed a long time (in that infirmity) says: θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι; “Do you wish to become whole (healthy)?” This question was put to attract the man's attention and awaken hop... [ Continue Reading ]
The impotent man having declared his helplessness, Jesus says to him, Ἔγειρε, a command to be obeyed on the moment by faith in Him who gave it. _Cf._ John 6:63, and Augustine's “Da quod jubes, et jube quod vis”. ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου, “take up your pallet”. κράββατος is the Latin _grabatus_, and is... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ εὐθέως … Immediately on Christ's word he became strong, and took up his bed and walked: ἦρε aorist of one act, περιεπάτει imperfect of continued action. John 5:10 should begin with the words ἦν δὲ σάββατον, as this is the starting-point for what follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
“It was a Sabbath on that day,” the Jews therefore said to him that had been healed, Σάββατόν ἐστιν, “It is Sabbath”. οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἆραι τὸν κράββατον. The law is laid down in Exodus 23:12; Jeremiah 17:21. “Take heed to yourselves and bear no burden on the Sabbath day;” _cf._ Nehemiah 13:15. The ra... [ Continue Reading ]
The man's reply reveals a higher law than that of the Sabbath, the fundamental principle of all Christian obedience: Ὁ ποιήσας … περιπάτει. He that gives life is the proper authority for its use.... [ Continue Reading ]
As the healed man transferred the blame to another, ἠρώτησαν … περιπάτει. “Who is the man,” rather, “the fellow?” ὁ ἄνθρωπος used contemptuously. As Grotius says: “Quaerunt non quod mirentur, sed quod calumnietur”.... [ Continue Reading ]
But the man could give them no information. He did not know the name of his healer. ὁ γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐξένευσεν, “for Jesus had withdrawn” or “turned aside”. ἐκνεύω, from νεύω, to bend the head, rather than ἐκνέω, to swim out. _Cf._ Judges 4:18 (where, however, Dr. Swete reads ἔκκλινον), John 18:26. See... [ Continue Reading ]
Though the healed man had failed to keep hold of Jesus, Jesus does not lose hold of him, but εὑρίσκει αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, “finds him,” as if He had been looking out for him, _cf._ John 1:44; John 1:46, “in the temple,” where he may have gone to give God thanks. Jesus says to him Ἱδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας … γέ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος. “The man went off and reported to the Jews that the person who healed him was Jesus. He had asked His name, and perhaps did not consider that in proclaiming it he was endangering his benefactor.... [ Continue Reading ]
The consequence however was that “the Jews persecuted Jesus,” ἐδίωκον, not in the technical sense; but, as the imperfect also suggests, they began from this point to meditate hostile action; _cf._ Mark 3:6. καὶ ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι, on the ground that He was a Sabbath-breaker, and therefore wort... [ Continue Reading ]
In some informal way these accusations were brought to the ears of Jesus, and His defence was: Ὁ πατήρ μου … ἐργάζομαι. “My Father until now works, and I work”; as if the work of the Father had not come to an end on the seventh day, but continued until the present hour. Nay, as if the characteristic... [ Continue Reading ]
The fundamental proposition is οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδέν. “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” This is not, as sometimes has been supposed, a general statement true of all sons, but is spoken directly of Jesus. δύναται is moral not physical ability though here the one implies the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Son is enabled to see what the Father does, because He loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself does. The Father is not passive in the matter, merely allowing Jesus to discover what He can of the Father's will; but the Father δείκνυσιν, shows Him, inwardly and in response to His own r... [ Continue Reading ]
ὥσπερ γὰρ … ζωοποιεῖ. This is one of the “greater works” which the Father shows to the Son. The Jews believed in the power of God to give life and to raise the dead; see Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; Isaiah 26:19. In our Lord's time there was in use the following prayer: “Thou, O Lord, art mighty... [ Continue Reading ]
But not only does the Son quicken whom He will, but He also judges; οὐδὲ γὰρ … υἱῷ. “For not even does the Father judge any one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” “For since He knows Himself to be the sole mediator of true life for men, He can also declare that all those who will not partake t... [ Continue Reading ]
This extreme prerogative is given to the Son ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν υἱὸν … This is one purpose, though not the sole purpose, of committing judgment to the Son; that even those supremely and inalienably Divine prerogatives of giving life and judging may be seen to be in Him, and that thus Deity may be... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ τὸν λόγον μου ἀκούων; it was through His word Jesus conveyed life to the impotent man, because that brought Him into spiritual connection with the man. And it is through His claims, His teaching, His offers, He brings Himself into connection with all. It is a general truth not confined to the impo... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἀμὴν … introducing a confirmation of the preceding statement, in the form of an announcement of one characteristic of the new dispensation; ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, _cf._ John 4:3. In this already arrived “hour” or epoch, the message of God is uttered by the voice of Jesus, τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ... [ Continue Reading ]
The 26th verse partly explains the apparent impossibility. ὥσπερ γὰρ … ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. “The particles mark the _fact_ of the gift and not the _degrees_ of it” (Westcott). As the Father has in Himself, and therefore at His own command, life which He can impart as He will: so by His gift the Son has i... [ Continue Reading ]
Not only has the Father given to the Son this great prerogative, but καὶ ἐξουσίαν … ἀνθρώπου ἐστί. κρίσιν ποιεῖν, like _judicium facere_, and our _do judgment_, is used by Demosthenes, Xenophon, Polybius, etc., in the sense “to judge,” “to act as judge”. This climax of authority [although καὶ is omi... [ Continue Reading ]
And another reason for restraining surprise is ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα, etc. It has been proposed to render this as if ὅτι were explanatory of τοῦτο, do not wonder at this, that an hour is coming. But (1) τοῦτο usually, though not invariably, refers to what precedes; and (2) when John says “Do not wonder th... [ Continue Reading ]
This judgment claimed by Jesus is, however, engaged in, not in any spirit of self-exaltation or human arbitrariness, nor can it err, because it is merely as the executor of the Father's will He judges. οὐ δύναμαι … οὐδέν. The first statement of the verse is a return upon John 5:19, “The Son can do n... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἐὰν εγὼ μαρτυρῶ … ἀληθής. Jesus anticipates the objection, that these great claims were made solely on His own authority [ἔγνω τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐνθυμουμένους ἀντιθεῖναι, Euthym.]. The Jewish law is given by Wetstein, “Testibus de se ipsis non credunt,” or “Homo non est fide dignus de se ipso,” and _cf... [ Continue Reading ]
Before exhibiting the Father's testimony Jesus meets them on their own ground: ὑμεῖς, ye yourselves, ἀπεστάλκατε πρὸς Ἰωάννην, sent, by the deputation mentioned chap. 1, to John; which they would not have done had they not thought him trustworthy (Euthymius). The perfect is used, indicating that the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ … but for my part I do not depend upon a man's testimony. In what sense is this to be taken? In John 3:11 λαμβάνειν τὴν μαρτυρίαν means “to credit testimony,” but this sense does not satisfy the present use. Grotius says, “Hic λαμβάνω est _requiro_, ut infra 41, 44, ubi in opposito membro... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων, “He was (suggesting that now the Baptist was dead) the lamp that burneth and shineth”. ὁ λύχνος; for the difference between λύχνος a lamp and λαμπάς a torch, see Trench, _Synonyms_, p. 154, and _cf._ λαμπαδηδρομία the Athenian _torch_ -race. The article “s... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγὼ δὲ “But I” in contrast to the ὑμεῖς of John 5:33, ἔχω τὴν μαρτυρίαν μείζω, “have the witness which is greater,” _i.e._, of greater weight as evidence than that of John. τὰ γὰρ ἔργα … ἀπέσταλκε, “the works which the Father ἔδωκε [or as modern editors read δέδωκεν] to Him” comprise _all_ that He w... [ Continue Reading ]
But over and above the evidence of the works καὶ ὁ πέμψας με πατήρ, αὐτὸς μεμαρτύρηκε, “And the Father who sent me has Himself also testified”. Where and how this testimony of the Father's separate from the works has been given, is explained, John 5:38; John 5:40 But, first, Jesus states how it has... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ τὸν λόγον … you have not heard His _voice_ as you have heard mine (John 5:25) and His _word_ which you have heard, and which has been coming to you through all these centuries, you do not admit to an abiding and influential place within you. τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ is God's revelation, which the Jews we... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οὐ … ἔχητε. The true function of Scripture is expressed in the words, ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ : they do not give life, as the Jews thought; they lead to the life-giver. God speaks in Scripture with a definite purpose in view, to testify to Christ; if Scripture does that, it does a... [ Continue Reading ]
Δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων οὐ λαμβάνω, not “glory from men I am not receiving,” not quite “glory from men I do not seek,” but rather, that which is in my judgment glory, I do not receive from men: not what men yield me is my glory. Ambition is not my motive in making these claims.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλʼ ἔγνωκα … but I know you, etc.; that is, I know why you do not receive me; the reason is that you have not the love of God in yourselves, and therefore cannot appreciate or understand one who acts in concert with God; if therefore they did offer Him homage, it could not be God in Him they worshi... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγὼ ἐλήλυθα … It is just because I have come in the Father's name that you do not receive me. Not really loving God, they could not appreciate and accept Jesus who came in God's name, that is, who truly represented God. But ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ … λήψεσθε, “if another come in his own name,” and therefore s... [ Continue Reading ]
The Jewish inability to believe arose from their earthly ambition: πῶς δύνασθε … οὐ ζητεῖτε. The root of their unbelief was their earthly idea of glory, what they could win or bestow. This incapacitated them from seeing the glory of Christ, which was divine and heavenly, which men could not give or... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ δοκεῖτε … These words bear in them the mark of truth. They spring from Jesus' own consciousness of His intimacy with the Father. To suppose that the Jews feared He would accuse them, is to suppose that they believed Him to have influence with God. Chiefly in view is the fact that Moses will accus... [ Continue Reading ]
They will be accused by Moses because their unbelief in Christ convicts them of unbelief in Moses, εἰ γὰρ … ἐμοί. Had they believed the revelation made by Moses and understood it, they would necessarily have believed in Christ. “Disbelief in me is disbelief in him, in the record of the promises to t... [ Continue Reading ]
The converse is true, and true with an _a fortiori_ conveyed by the contrast between γράμμασιν and ῥήμασι. If the writings you have had before you for your study all your life, and which you have heard read in the Synagogues Sabbath after Sabbath, have not produced faith in you, and enabled you to s... [ Continue Reading ]