In the beginning — (Referring to Genesis 1:1, and Proverbs 8:23.) When all things began to be made by the Word: in the beginning of heaven and earth, and this whole frame of created beings, the Word existed, without any beginning. He was when all things began to be, whatsoever had a beginning. The W... [ Continue Reading ]
The same was in the beginning with God — This verse repeats and contracts into one the three points mentioned before. As if he had said, This Word, who was God, was in the beginning, and was with God.... [ Continue Reading ]
All things beside God were made, and all things which were made, were made by the Word. In John 1:1 is described the state of things before the creation: John 1:3, In the creation: John 1:4, In the time of man's innocency: John 1:5, In the time of man's corruption.... [ Continue Reading ]
In him was life — He was the foundation of life to every living thing, as well as of being to all that is. And the life was the light of men — He who is essential life, and the giver of life to all that liveth, was also the light of men; the fountain of wisdom, holiness, and happiness, to man in his... [ Continue Reading ]
And the light shineth in darkness — Shines even on fallen man; but the darkness — Dark, sinful man, perceiveth it not.... [ Continue Reading ]
There was a man — The evangelist now proceeds to him who testified of the light, which he had spoken of in John 1:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
The same came for (that is, in order to give) a testimony — The evangelist, with the most strong and tender affection, interweaves his own testimony with that of John, by noble digressions, wherein he explains the office of the Baptist; partly premises and partly subjoins a farther explication to hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Who lighteth every man — By what is vulgarly termed natural conscience, pointing out at least the general lines of good and evil. And this light, if man did not hinder, would shine more and more to the perfect day.... [ Continue Reading ]
He was in the world — Even from the creation.... [ Continue Reading ]
He came — In the fulness of time, to his own — Country, city, temple: And his own — People, received him not.... [ Continue Reading ]
But as many as received him — Jews or Gentiles; that believe on his name — That is, on him. The moment they believe, they are sons; and because they are sons, God sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.... [ Continue Reading ]
Who were born — Who became the sons of God, not of blood — Not by descent from Abraham, nor by the will of the flesh — By natural generation, nor by the will of man — Adopting them, but of God — By his Spirit.... [ Continue Reading ]
Flesh sometimes signifies corrupt nature; sometimes the body; sometimes, as here, the whole man. We beheld his glory — We his apostles, particularly Peter, James, and John, Luke 9:32. Grace and truth — We are all by nature liars and children of wrath, to whom both grace and truth are unknown. But we... [ Continue Reading ]
John cried — With joy and confidence; This is he of whom I said — John had said this before our Lord's baptism, although he then knew him not in person: he knew him first at his baptism, and afterward cried, This is he of whom I said. &c. He is preferred before me — in his office: for he was before... [ Continue Reading ]
And — Here the apostle confirms the Baptist's words: as if he had said, He is indeed preferred before thee: so we have experienced: We all — That believe: have received — All that we enjoy out of his fulness: and in the particular, grace upon grace — One blessing upon another, immeasurable grace and... [ Continue Reading ]
The law — Working wrath and containing shadows: was given — No philosopher, poet, or orator, ever chose his words so accurately as St. John. The law, saith he, was given by Moses: grace was by Jesus Christ. Observe the reason for placing each word thus: The law of Moses was not his own. The grace of... [ Continue Reading ]
No man hath seen God — With bodily eyes: yet believers see him with the eye of faith. Who is in the bosom of the Father — The expression denotes the highest unity, and the most intimate knowledge.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Jews — Probably the great council sent.... [ Continue Reading ]
I am not the Christ — For many supposed he was.... [ Continue Reading ]
Art thou Elijah? — He was not that Elijah (the Tishbite) of whom they spoke. Art thou the prophet — Of whom Moses speaks, Deuteronomy 18:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
He said — I am that forerunner of Christ of whom Isaiah speaks. I am the voice — As if he had said, Far from being Christ, or even Elijah, I am nothing but a voice: a sound that so soon as it has expressed the thought of which it is the sign, dies into air, and is known no more. Isaiah 40:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
They who were sent were of the Pharisees — Who were peculiarly tenacious of old customs, and jealous of any innovation (except those brought in by their own scribes) unless the innovator had unquestionable proofs of Divine authority.... [ Continue Reading ]
They asked him, Why baptizest thou then? — Without any commission from the sanhedrim? And not only heathens (who were always baptized before they were admitted to circumcision) but Jews also?... [ Continue Reading ]
John answered, I baptize — To prepare for the Messiah; and indeed to show that Jews, as well as Gentiles, must be proselytes to Christ, and that these as well as those stand in need of being washed from their sins.... [ Continue Reading ]
Where John was baptizing — That is, used to baptize.... [ Continue Reading ]
He seeth Jesus coming and saith, Behold the Lamb — Innocent; to be offered up; prophesied of by Isaiah, Isaiah 53:7, typified by the paschal lamb, and by the daily sacrifice: The Lamb of God — Whom God gave, approves, accepts of; who taketh away — Atoneth for; the sin — That is, all the sins: of the... [ Continue Reading ]
I knew him not — Till he came to be baptized. How surprising is this; considering how nearly they were related, and how remarkable the conception and birth of both had been. But there was a peculiar providence visible in our Saviour's living, from his infancy to his baptism, at Nazareth: John all th... [ Continue Reading ]
I saw it — That is, the Spirit so descending and abiding on him. And testified — From that time.... [ Continue Reading ]
They followed Jesus — They walked after him, but had not the courage to speak to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
He first findeth his own brother Simon — Probably both of them sought him: Which is, being interpreted, the Christ — This the evangelist adds, as likewise those words in John 1:38, that is, being interpreted, Master.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah — As none had told our Lord these names, this could not but strike Peter. Cephas, which is Peter — Moaning the same in Syriacts which Peter does in Greek, namely, a rock.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus of Nazareth — So Philip thought, not knowing he was born in Bethlehem. Nathanael was probably the same with Bartholomew, that is, the son of Tholomew. St. Matthew joins Bartholomew with Philip, Matthew 10:3, and St. John places Nathanael in the midst of the apostles, immediately after Thomas,... [ Continue Reading ]
Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? — How cautiously should we guard against popular prejudices? When these had once possessed so honest a heart as that of Nathanael, they led him to suspect the blessed Jesus himself for an impostor, because he had been brought up at Nazareth. But his integrity... [ Continue Reading ]
Under the fig tree I saw thee — Perhaps at prayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
Nathanael answered — Happy are they that are ready to believe, swift to receive the truth and grace of God. Thou art the Son of God — So he acknowledges now more than he had heard from Philip: The Son of God, the king of Israel — A confession both of the person and office of Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
Hereafter ye shall see — All of these, as well as thou, who believe on me now in my state of humiliation, shall hereafter see me come in my glory, and all the angels of God with me. This seems the most natural sense of the words, though they may also refer to his ascension.... [ Continue Reading ]