John 5:37-40

The connexion of thought in the next few verses is very difficult to catch, and cannot be affirmed with certainty. This is often the case in S. John's writings. A number of simple sentences follow one another with an even flow; but it is by no means easy to see how each leads on to the next. Here there is a transition from the indirecttestimony to the Messiahship of Jesus given by the workswhich He is commissioned to do (John 5:36), to the directtestimony to the same given by the wordsof Scripture (John 5:37-40). The Jews were rejecting both.

which hath sent me, hath borne witness There is a difference of tense in the Greek which should be retained: the Father which sent Me(once for all at the Incarnation) He hath borne witness(for a long time past, and is still doing so) of Me.

Ye have neither, &c. These words are a reproach; therefore there can be no allusion (as suggested in the margin) to the Baptism or the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration had not yet taken place, and very few if any of Christ's hearers could have heard the voice from heaven at the Baptism. Moreover, if that particular utterance were meant, -voice" in the Greek would have had the article. Nor can there be any reference to the theophanies, or symbolical visions of God, in O.T. It could be no matter of reproachto these Jews that they had never beheld a theophany. A paraphrase will shew the meaning; -neither with the ear of the heart have ye ever heard Him, nor with the eye of the heart have ye ever seen Him, in the revelation of Himself given in the Scriptures; and so ye have not the testimony of His word present as an abiding power within you." There should be no full stop at -shape," only a comma or semi-colon. Had they studied Scripture rightly they would have had a less narrow view of the Sabbath (John 5:16), and would have recognised the Messiah.