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q ver. 28.
Eph. ii. 1, 5:
v. 14. Col.

ii. 13.

[ton] him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and a shall p1 John iii. 14 not come into condemnation: P but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when 9 the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to a the Son to have life in himself; 27 and bhath san. vii. 18, given him authority to execute judgment [© also], $ because ■ render, cometh not into judgment.

r ver. 22.

Acts x. 42: xvii. 81.

14.

t omit.
render, hath passed out of death into life.
Z render, gave he.
b render, gave.

y render, have heard.

a render, the Son also.

-

ver. 10, we have the same expression, "he that believeth not God," even in the A. V. hath everlasting life: so 1 John v. 12, 13. The believing, and the having everlasting life, are commensurate:-where the faith is, the possession of eternal life is-and when the one remits, the other is forfeited. But here the faith is set before us as an enduring faith, and its effects described in their completion (see Eph. i. 19, 20). cometh not into judgment] Judgment being the separation,-the effect of which is to gather out of the Kingdom all that offendeth; -and thus regarding especially the damnatory part of judgment, he who believes comes not into, has no concern with, judgment. Compare Ps. cxliii. 2. The reckoning which ends with "Well done, good servant," is not judgment: the reward is of free grace. In this sense, the believers in Christ will not be judged according to their works: they are justified before God by faith, and by God-God is he that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? Their 'passage over' from death into life has already taken place, from the state of spiritual death into that everlasting life, which in their believing state they have already. It is to be observed that our Lord speaks in very similar terms of the unbelieving being condemned already, in ch. iii. 18.

The perfect sense of the word hath passed must not be weakened nor explained away. 25.] This verse continues to refer to spiritual awakening from the dead. The words The hour is coming, and now is are an expression used of those things which are to characterize the spiritual Kingdom of Christ, which was even now begun among men, but not yet brought (until the day of Pentecost, Acts ii.) to its completion. Thus it cometh, in its fulness, and even now is begun.

S

comit.

the dead,-in reference to the words "out of death" of the preceding versethe spiritually dead::-see below on ver. 28. the voice of the Son of God] His call to awake, in its widest and deepest sense-by His own preaching, by His Apostles, His ministers, &c. &c. In all these He speaks to the spiritually dead. Not merely, "and when they have heard it, they shall live:" but, and THEY WHO have heard it (or, who hear it) shall live. This determines the verse to be spoken of spiritual, not bodily awakening. they that have heard are the persons to whom the Lord cried so often "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear?”

We

the persons who stand opposed to those addressed in ver. 40. shall live is explained in the next verse. 26, 27.] We have here again vivifying and judging bound together as the two great departinents of the Son's working ;—t ;-the former, as substantiating the word "shall live" just uttered; the latter, as leading on to the great announcement of the next verse. But the two departments spring from two distinct sources, united in the Person of the Incarnate Son of God. The Father hath given Him to have life in Himself, as He is THE SON OF GOD. have none of us life in ourselves: in Him we live and move and have our being. But He, as the Father is, is the source of Life. Then again the Father hath given Him power to pass judgment, because He is THE SON OF MAN; man is to be judged by Man,-by that Man whom God hath appointed, who is the inclusive Head of humanity, and to whom mankind, and man's world, pertain by right of covenantpurchase. This executing judgment leads the thought to the great occasion when judgment shall be executed; which accordingly is treated of in the next verse.

1 Cor. xv. 52. 1 Thess. iv. 16.

u Dan. xii. 2.

32, 33, 46.

he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 t and shall come forth; "they that sex 19. have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of a damnation. 30 x I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of [the Father] which [hath] sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 a There is another that beareth witness of me; and John V.

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28.] Marvel not at this, as in 'ch. iii. 7, introduces a matter of even greater wonder to them;-the astounding proof which shall be given in the face of the universe that this is so. the hour cometh, but not "and now is " this time,--because He is now speaking of the great day of the resurrection: when not merely "the dead," but all that are in the graves, shall hear His voice, and "they that have heard" are not specified, because all shall hear in the fullest sense. Observe that here, as elsewhere, when the judgment according to works is spoken of, it is the great general resurrection of Matt. xxv. 31-46, which (and the notes) compare. So here we have not "they that have believed," and "they that have not believed," but the descriptions reach far wider, including indeed in this most general form the first resurrection unto life also-and the two great classes are described as they that have done (wrought) good and they that have done (practised, see on ch. iii. 20, 21) evil (vain, worthless things). Observe that life and judgment stand opposed here, as in ver. 24:-not that there is no such thing as a resurrection of death, but that it is involved in this judgment. Olshausen observes that this, and Acts xxiv. 15, are the only direct declarations in the N. T. of a bodily resurrection of the unjust as well as of the just. It is implied in some places, e. g. Matt. x. 28, and less plainly in Matt. xxv. 34 ff.: Rev. xx. 5, 12, and directly asserted in the O. T., Dan. xii. 2. In 1 Cor. xv.,-as the object was to convince believers in Christ of the truth of the resurrection of their bodies,no allusion is made to those who are not believers. 30.] Here begins the second part of the discourse, but bound on most closely to the first (ver. 23),—

e read, him.

Matt. xxv.
Matt, xxvi.

X ver. 19.
39. ch. iv.
34: vi. 38.
z See chap
viii. 14.
Rev. ii. 14.
a Matt. iii. 17:
xvii. 5.
ch. viii. 18.

6, 7, 9.

treating of the testimony by which these
things were substantiated, and which they
ought to have received. This verse is,
however, perhaps rather a point of trans-
ition to the next, at which the testimony
is first introduced.
As the Son does
nothing of Himself,-but His working and
His judgment all spring from His deep
unity of will and being with the Father,-
this His great and last judgment, and all
His other ones, will be just and holy (He
being not separate from God, but one with
Him); and therefore His witness given of
Himself ver. 17, and called by them blas-
phemy, is true and holy also.
serve, the discourse here passes into the
first person, which was understood before,
because He had called himself the Son of
God,-but is henceforth used expressly.

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Ob

31.] This assertion is not to be trifled away by an accommodation, or supposed to be introduced by Ye will say to Me:'-see by all means ch. viii. 12—14 and notes. The words are said in all earnestness, and are strictly true. If such a separation, and independent testimony, as is here supposed, could take place, it would be a falsification of the very conditions of the Truth of God as manifested by the Son, Who being the Word, speaks, not of himself, but of the Father. And in this sense ch. viii. 14 is eminently true also, the light being the "brightness of the Father's glory." 32.] This

other can, by the inner coherence of the discourse, be no other than THE Father, of Whom so much has been said in the former part, but Who is hinted at rather than mentioned in this (the word “Father” in ver. 30 being spurious). It cannot be John, from whom (ver. 34) our Lord took not his testimony. Similar modes of alluding to the Father occur ch. viii. 50: see also ch. viii. 18, and, Matt. x. 28 and

b ch. i. 15, 19, true.

27, 32.

c 2 Pet. i. 19. d See Matt.

xiii. 20:

xxi. 26.

Mark vi. 20.

e 1 John v. 9.

fch. iii. 2:

X. 25: xv. 24.

i

I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is 33 Ye 8 sent unto John, and he h bare witness unto the truth. 34 i But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

1

35 He

was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing m for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But en I have greater witness than that of John: for f the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father

render, have sent.

better, yet.

h render, hath borne.

krender, my testimony.

1 render, the lamp lighted and shining.

m render, to rejoice for a season.

n render, the testimony which I have is greater than [that of] John.

• render, gave.

parallel places. and I know ] This is the Son's testimony to the Father's truth: see ch. (iii. 33) vii. 28; viii. 26, 55. It testifies to the full consciousness on the part of the Son, even in the days of his humiliation, of the righteousness of the Father and (for the testimony of the Father to the Son is contained in the Scriptures) also to His distinct recognition and approval (Ps. xl. 6-8) of psalm and type and prophecy, as applied to Himself and His work. 33.] See ch. i. 19. The connexion is,-another testifies of Me (ver. 32)-not John only, although he, when sent to, did certainly testify to the truth; for' &c.

he bare witness

unto the truth, not merely (Grot.) modestly said;-but necessarily. Bare witness to Me would have been asserting what the next verse denies. 34.] 'I receive not my testimony (the testimony to Me of which I have spoken) from man, but I mention John's testimony, that you may make the intended use of it, to be led to Me for salvation.' 35.] This was shews, as Stier rightly observes, that John was now cast into prison, if not executed. the lamp] The article has been taken by some to point to the prophecies concerning John. But we have no passage in the O. T. which designates Elias in such terms. In Ecclus. xlviii. 1 we read of him, " Then stood up Elias the prophet as fire, and his word burned like a lamp," which Stier thinks may be referred to here. We may, as indeed he also suggests, believe that those words represent or gave rise to a common way of speaking of Elias, as certain Rabbis were called The candle of the Law,' &c. De

Wette takes the article as meaning, 'the lamp which was to lead you,' &c. On John as the light lighted not lighting, see note, ch. i. 8. and shining] The description sets forth the derived, and transitory nature of John's light. and ye..

]See Ezek. xxxiii. 30, 32. 'But you wished only to disport yourselves in his light for a time-came out to him in crowds at first,-and-like silly children who play with the fire till it burns and hurts them, and then shrink from and loathe it,-when he began to speak of deep repentance as the preparation for God's Kingdom, and laid the axe to the root of the trees, you left him.' No one cared, when he was imprisoned and put to death. And even those few who remained true to him, did not follow his direction to Christ. For the mass of the people, and their leaders, his mission was in vain.

36.] Literally, I have my witness greater than John; or, than that of John; --but perhaps this is not needed, for John himself was a testimony. for the works, not His miracles alone, although those principally; but the whole of His life and course of action, full as it was of holiness, in which, and as forming harmonious parts of which, His miracles were testimonies of His divine mission. His greatest work (ch. vi.29) was the awakening of faith, the quickening of which we have heard before, to which the miracles were but as means to an end. the same works that I do] The repetition is to shew that His life and working was an exact fulfilment of the Father's will. The works which the Father hath given me to do, those very works which I am doing.....

hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath
sent me, hath borne witness of me.
g

xvii. 5.

eh. vi. 27: ch. 18.

viii. 18. h Deut. iv. 12.

1 Tim. i. 17.
1 John iv. 12.

Ye have neither g Matt. iii. 17: heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he 39 iq Search the scrip[Phath] sent, him ye believe not. tures; for in them ye think ye they are they which testify of me. come to me, that ye might have life.

Pomit.

27. ch. i. 45.

have eternal life: and
401r And ye will not
41 m I receive not

1 ch. i. 11: iii. 19.

20: xxxiv. 16.

Luke xvi. 29. ver. 46.

Acts xvii. 11.

k Deut. xviii.
15, 18.
Luke xxiv.

m ver. 34. 1 Thess. ii. 6.

a or, Ye search: see note. render, And yet ye are not willing to.

37-39.] The connexion of these verses has been much disputed. I believe it will be found to be this: The works of which I have spoken, are only indirect testimonies; the Father Himself, who sent Me, has given direct testimony concerning Me. Now that testimony cannot be derived by you, nor any man, by direct communication with Him; for ye have never heard His voice nor seen His shape. (Or perhaps, have not heard His voice, as your fathers did from Sinai,-nor seen His visional appearance, as the Prophets did.) Nor (ver. 38), in your case, has it been given by that inward witness (ch. iii. 33; 1 John iv. 13, 14) which those have (and had in a measure, even before the gift of the Spirit-see, among other places, Ps. li. 11), in whom His word abides; for ye have not His word abiding in you, not believing on Him whom He hath sent. Yet (ver. 39) there is a form of this direct testimony of the Father, accessible even to you;"Search the Scriptures," &c.' Chrysostom and others understand the word voice to refer to the voice at our Lord's baptism: but, as Lücke observes, the addition, at any time, forbids this. Observe that the testimony in the Scriptures is not the only, nor the chief one, intended in ver. 37, but the direct testimony in the heart of the believer;-which, as the Jews have not, they are directed to another form of the Father's testimony, that in the Scriptures.

39.] The word Search may be indicative, Ye search: then the sense will be, 'Ye search the Scriptures, for ye believe ye have &c., and they are they that testify of Me: and (yet, ver. 40) ye will not come to Me that ye may have life' or imperative, as in the text, in which case generally a period has been placed after me, and a fresh sentence begins at And yet ye are not willing. Authorities are very divided between these: the Greek Fathers, who should best understand their own lan

....

guage, took them (with one remarkable
exception, Cyril of Alexandria) as impe-
rative. And I believe the imperative sense
only will be found to cohere with the pre-
vious verses :-see above, where I have given
the context. And no other sense will suit
the word search: which cannot be used, as
in the indicative it would be, with blame
attached to it,-'ye make nice and fri-
volous search into the letter of Scripture;'
but implies a thorough search (see also
1 Pet. i. 11) into the contents and spirit of
Scripture. Ye (emphatic) imagine
that in them (emphatic) ye have eternal
life. We may find testimonies to this
from the Rabbis: "He who acquires the
words of the law, acquires for himself
eternal life," &c. But they, like all
other secondary ordinances, have a spiritual
end in view, and that end is to testify,
from first to last (it is their office); they
are they that testify of ME. 40.] I

would connect these words with the former,
and regard them as describing the incon-
sistency of those who think that they have
life in the Scriptures, and yet will not
come to Him of whom they testify, that
they may have life. Observe, this
command to the Jews to search their
Scriptures, applies even more strongly to
Christians; who are yet, like them, in
danger of idolizing a mere written book,
believing that in the Bible they have
eternal life, and missing the personal
knowledge of Him of whom the Scriptures
testify. The words Ye are not willing
to come here set forth strikingly the free-
dom of the will, on which the unbeliever's
condemnation rests: see ch. iii. 19.
41-44.] The connexion seems to be ;-
the standing-points of our Lord and of the
Jews were not only different, but were
inconsistent with and exclusive of one
another. He sought not glory from below,
from man's praise or report: the Father
testified to Him, in all the ways which have

n ch. xii, 43.

o Rom. ii. 29.

s honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 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 n How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the Os honour that cometh from t God only? 45 Do not think p Rom. ii. 12. that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye a trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: 9 for he Wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how 1.45. Acts shall ye believe words?

q Gen. iii. 15:

xii. 3: xviii.

18: xxi. 18:

xlix. 10.

Deut. xviii.

15, 18. ch.

xxvi. 22.

Brender, glory.

u render, hope.

my

been specified; but this testimony they could not receive, nor discover Him in their Scriptures, because human regards and ambition and intrigue had blinded their eyes, and they had not the love of God (the very first command in their law, Deut. vi. 4, 5) in their hearts. 41.] I receive not, not merely, 'I do not desire,'but I do not receive ;'-'no such praise nor testimony accrues to Me, nor has in Me that on which it can lay hold.' 'My glory is altogether from another source.'

42.] But (nevertheless, howbeit) draws forcibly the distinction, setting Himself and them in strong contrast. I know you] By long trial and bearing with your manners these many generations; and personally also. The words are spoken, not of an ungodly mind in general, but of an absence of that love which God's covenant people should have for Him. They would none of Jesus: for they were not true Israelites.' This love, if they had it, would teach them, the whole heart, and soul, and mind, and strength being given to God, to seek honour only from him,—and thus to appreciate the glory which He hath given to His Son, and His testimony concerning Him. 43.] The first clause is clear. In the latter we have a prophetic declaration regarding the Jews in the latter days. This another is in strong contrast with the "another" of ver. 32. The testimony of that Other, who is greater than I, ye will not receive; but if another come in his own name, him ye will receive.' The words are perhaps spoken primarily of the false or Idol-Messiah, the Antichrist, who shall appear in the latter days (2 Thess. ii. 8-12); whose appearance shall be according to the working of Satan (their father, ch. viii. 44), shewing himself that he is God, 2 Thess. ii. 4;-and doubt

render, the only God. I render, believe.

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less, in that their final reference, embrace also all the cases in which the Jews have more or less received those false Messiahs who have been foreshadowers of the great Antichrist, and indeed all the cases in which such a spirit has been shewn by them, even in the absence of false Messiahs. 44.] How can ye (emphatic) is grounded on ye are not willing"-is the consequence of the carnal regards in which they lived. from the only God, not 'from God only' (A. V.), which is ungrammatical: in contradistinction to the idolatry of the natural heart, which is ever setting up for itself other sources of honour, worshipping man, or self-or even, as in the case alluded to in the last verse, Satan,-instead of God. The words "the only God" are very important, because they form the point of passage to the next verses; in which the Jews are accused of not believing the writings of Moses, the very pith and kernel of which was the unity of God, and the having no other gods but Him. 45.] The work

of Christ is not to accuse, even as He is Judge;-but to judge, by the appointment of the Father. And therefore-though He has said so much of the unbelief of the Jews, and charged them in the last verse with breach of the central law of God-He will not accuse them; nay, it is not needful;-for Moses, whom they disbelieved, while vainly hoping in him (see above on ver. 39), "making their boast in the law," Rom. ii. 17,-already accused them: see Deut. xxxi. 21, 26, and ch. vii. 19. 46. he wrote of me] This is an important testimony by the Lord to the subject of the whole Pentateuch ;-it is concerning Him. It is also a testimony to the fact, of Moses having written those books, which were then, and are still, known by his

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