SECOND PART: THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNBELIEF IN ISRAEL. 5:1- 12:50. UP to this point, decided faith and unbelief have been only exceptional phenomena; the masses have remained in a state of passive indifference or of purely outward admiration. From this time, the situation assumes a more determinate ch... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 1. “ _After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem._ ” The connecting phrase μετὰ ταῦτα, _after these things_, does not-seem to us to indicate, notwithstanding the examples cited by _Meyer_, as immediate a succession as does μετὰ τοῦτο, _after this._ Whatev... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRST SECTION: 5:1-47. FIRST OUTBREAK OF HATRED IN JUDEA. 1. The miracle, occasion of the conflict: John 5:1-16; John 2. The discourse of Jesus, commentary and defense of the miracle: John 5:17-47.... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 2. “ _Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-gate_, _a pool called in Hebrew, Bethesda_, _having five porches._ ” The Sinaitic MS. rejects the words ἐπὶ τῇ, _by the_, and thus makes the adjective προβατικῇ, _pertaining to sheep_, the epithet of κολυμβήθρᾳ : _the reservoir_ or _the pool for sh... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _In these porches lay a great number of sick persons, blind, lame, withered_, [_waiting for the movement of the water._ 4. _For an angel descended from time to time into the pool and troubled the water; whosoever then first entered in after the troubling of the water, was healed of whatever diseas... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _There was a man there_, _held by his sickness for thirty-eight years._ 6. _When Jesus saw him lying_, _and knew that he had been already sick for a long time, he said unto him: Dost thou wish to be healed?_ 7. _The sick man answered him: Sir_, _I have no one, when the water is troubled, to put me... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Jesus saith unto him: Arise_, _take up thy bed_, _and walk._ 9. _And immediately the man was healed_, _and he took up his bed, and walked. Now that day was a Sabbath._ ” The word κράββατος comes from the Macedonian dialect (_Passow_); it is written in different ways. The imperfect _he walked_ dr... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _The Jews therefore said unto him who had been healed: It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed._ 11. _He answered them: He that healed me said unto me: Take up thy bed, and walk._ 12. _They asked him therefore: who is the man who said unto thee: Take up thy bed and walk?_ 13.... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Afterward, Jesus finds him in the temple and said to him: Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee._ 15. _The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him._ ” The sick man had, undoubtedly, come into the temple to pray or offer a thank- off... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 16. “ _For this cause did the Jews persecute Jesus_, _because he did these things on the Sabbath day._ ” Διὰ τοῦτο (_for this cause_), resumes what precedes, and, at the same time, is explained by the phrase which closes the verse: _because_...The word διώκειν (_persecute_), indicates the seeki... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 17. “ _Jesus answered them: My Father worketh until now, and I work._ ” The aorist middle ἀπεκρίνατο is found only here and in John 5:19; perhaps also John 12:23. Its use may be occasioned by the personal, apologetic character of the following discourse. This utterance, like that of John 2:19... [ Continue Reading ]
II. THE DISCOURSE OF JESUS: JOHN 5:17-47. In this discourse which is designed to vindicate the act which He has just performed, the three following thoughts are developed: 1. Jesus justifies His work by the _perfect subordination_ which exists between His activity and that of His Father: John 5:17... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 18. “ _For this reason the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but called God his own Father, making himself equal with God._ ” The διὰ τοῦτο (_for this reason_), is explained by the ὅτι (_because_), which follows. We have seen, that according to the genuine... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 19. “ _Jesus therefore answered and said unto them: Verily, verily_, _I say unto you: the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing. For the things which he doeth, these doeth the Son also in like manner._ ” The interpreters who find a speculative idea in John 5:17, such... [ Continue Reading ]
ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR. XXVIII. Vv. 19-29. 1. The reference in John 5:19 ff., to the union between the Son and the Father is to the complete union in working, which is founded upon love, and upon the immediate seeing of what the Father does which is connected with this love, and... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 20. The relation of the Father to the Son: _For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that he himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel._ ” The co-operation of the Son in the divine work rests (_for_) upon the infinite love of the Father, w... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 21. “ _For, as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, so doth the Son also make alive whom He will._ ” To raise the dead is a greater work than to heal an impotent man; hence the _for._ This work, as well as the particular miracles, is the reproduction of the Father's work. The grea... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _For also the Father judgeth no man; but he hath committed all power of judging unto the Son_, 23, _to the end that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who sent him._ ” Two particles connect John 5:22 with the preceding: γάρ, _for_,... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 23. And what is the Father's will in transferring to Jesus the two highest attributes of divinity, _making alive, judging?_ He wills that the homage of adoration which humanity renders to Him should be extended to the Son Himself. “The Father loveth the Son” (John 3:35); this is the reason why... [ Continue Reading ]
First phase: the _spiritual_ resurrection and _moral_ judgment of humanity by the Son.... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 24. “ _Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life; and he cometh not into judgment, but is passed from death into life._ ” Divine things are present to the mind of Jesus; He speaks that which He sees (John 3:11); hence this energe... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 25. “ _Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is,when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God_, _and they that hear_ _shall live._ ” A new affirmation, which Christ draws from the depths of His consciousness. An immense perspective opens before Him. The great act of... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 26. “ _For, as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he also given to the Son to have life in himself._ ” The emphasis is on the twice-repeated words ἐν ἐαυτῷ (_in himself_), which terminate the two clauses. The Son not only has a _part_ in life, like the creature: He possesses it in Himself... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 27. “ _And he hath given him power also to execute judgment, because he is son of man._ ” Jesus had said in John 5:22, in an indefinite way, that _all_ judgment is committed to Him. This word _all judgment_ included, of course, both the present moral, internal judgment and the final, external j... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice and shall come forth_, 29, _those who have done good, unto a resurrection of life, those who have done evil, unto a resurrection of judgment._ ” The Lord reaches here the more outward domain, both as to... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 30. “ _I can do nothing of myself; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him who sent me._ ” Can John 5:30 be connected with what immediately precedes, by the idea of judgment which is common to this verse and John 5:29 ? But the _present... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true._ 32. _There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true._ ” Perhaps John 5:31 is the answer to an objection which was actually made to Jesus, in consequence of the preceding words. Simila... [ Continue Reading ]
II. THE TESTIMONY OF THE FATHER, IN SUPPORT OF THAT WHICH THE SON RENDERS TO HIMSELF: JOHN 5:31-40. Jesus had just ascribed to Himself marvelous works. Such declarations might provoke an objection among His hearers: “All that which thou affirmest of thyself has no other guaranty than thine own word... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth._ 34. _But the witness which I receive, is not from man; and what I say unto you here, is to the end that ye may be saved._ 35. _He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light._ ”... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 36. “ _But I have the witness which is greater than [that of] John: for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, these very works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me._ ” The passage relating to John the Baptist was only a remark thrown in in a passing way,... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 37. “ _And the Father who sent me, himself hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form._ ” It is clear, whatever _Olshausen, Baur_ and others may say, that Jesus here speaks of a _new_ testimony of the Father: otherwise, why should He substitute for... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _And his word ye have not abiding in you, for ye believe not him whom he hath sent._ 39. _Ye search the Scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me._ 40. _And ye will not come to me that ye may have life._ ” The written word might hav... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _I receive not my glory from men._ 42. _But I know you, [and I know] that ye have not the love of God in yourselves._ 43. _I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive._ 44. _How can ye believe, ye who receive your glory from one... [ Continue Reading ]
III. THE CONDEMNATION OF JEWISH UNBELIEF: JOHN 5:41-47. In John 5:41-44, Jesus unfolds the cause of the moral antipathy which keeps them away from Him; in John 5:45-47, the terrible consequences of this refusal to believe.... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 43. The result of this contrast between His moral tendency and theirs. While they reject Him, the Messiah, whose whole appearance bears the seal of dependence on God, they will receive with eagerness every false Messiah who will act from his own wisdom and his own force, glorifying man in his p... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you_, _Moses, on whom ye have set your hope._ 46. _For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me._ 47. _But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words._ ” After having unveiled to th... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 47. On the other hand, unbelief towards Moses carries naturally in its train the rejection of Jesus. The essential antithesis is not that of the substantives, _writings_ and _words_, but that of the pronouns, _his_ and _my._ The former is only accidental; it arises only from the fact that the J... [ Continue Reading ]