John 16 - Introduction
CHAPTER 16.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 16.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν, I have warned you of persecution, and have told you of the encouragements you will have, ἵνα μὴ σκανδαλισθῆτε, “that ye be not staggered,” or stumbled, _i.e._, that the troubles that fall upon you may not induce you to apostatise. See Thayer and Parkhurst, and Wetstein on Matthe... [ Continue Reading ]
to John 16:11. _The conquest of the world by the Spirit_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀποσυναγώγους ποιήσουσιν ὑμᾶς. For the word ἀποσυν. see John 9:22; John 12:42; “they will put you out of their synagogues,” they will make you outcasts from their synagogues. ἀλλʼ, “yea,” or “yea more”; used in this sense Romans 7:7; 2 Corinthians 7:11, where it occurs six times. _Cf._ Acts 19:2. ἔρ... [ Continue Reading ]
This fanatical blindness is traced to its source, as in John 15:21, to their ignorance of God and of Christ: καὶ ταῦτα … ἐμέ. And He forewarns them that they might not be taken unawares.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα … ὑμῖν. This repeats John 16:1, but He now adds an explanation of His silence up to this time regarding their future: ταῦτα δὲ ὑμῖν … ἤμην. ἐξ ἀρχῆς = ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς of John 15:27, Holtzmann. If there is a difference, ἐξ ἀρχῆς indicates rather the point of time (_cf._ its only other occurrence... [ Continue Reading ]
νῦν δὲ, “but now,” in contrast to ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ὑπάγω, “I go away,” in contrast to μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἤμην, πρὸς … με, “to Him that sent me,” as one who has discharged the duty committed to Him. καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν … ὑπάγεις, “and no one of you asks me, Where are you going?” They were so absorbed in the thought o... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ … ἀπέλθω. “But,” or “nevertheless I tell you the truth,” I who see the whole e ent tell you “it is to your advantage” and not to your loss “that I go away”. This statement, incredible as it seemed to the disciples, He justifies: ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἀπέλθω … ὑμᾶς. The withdrawal of the bodily presenc... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος … “and when He” (with some emphasis, “that person”) “has come, He will reprove,” or as in R.V [89], “convict the world” “Reprove,” reprobare, to rebut or refute, as in Henry VI., iii., l. 40, “Reprove no allegation if you can,” is no longer used in this sense. The verb ἐλέγξει expr... [ Continue Reading ]
In detail, new convictions περὶ ἁμαρτίας are to be wrought, ὅτι οὐ πιστεύουσιν εἰς ἐμέ. Each of the three clauses introduced by ὅτι is in apposition with the foregoing substantive, and is explanatory of the ground of the conviction, “Concerning sin, because they do not believe on me”. Unbelief will... [ Continue Reading ]
περὶ δὲ κρίσεως, “and concerning judgment (between sin and righteousness, and between Christ and the prince of this world, John 12:31; John 14:30), because the ruler of this world has been judged,” or “is judged”. The distinction between sin and righteousness was, under the Spirit's teaching, to bec... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἔτι πολλὰ ἔχω λέγειν ὑμῖν, “I have yet many things to say to you”; after all I have said much remains unsaid. There is, then, much truth which it is desirable that Christians know and which yet was not uttered by Christ Himself. His words are not the sole embodiment of truth, though they may be its... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Spirit will complete the teaching of Jesus_.... [ Continue Reading ]
What was now withheld would afterwards be disclosed, ὅταν … ἀλήθειαν. The Spirit would complete the teaching of Christ and lead them “into _all_ the truth”. ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς “shall lead you,” “as a guide leads in the way, by steady advance, rather than by sudden revelation”. Bernard. This function of t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐκεῖνος ἐμὲ δόξασει, “He will glorify me”. The fulfilment of this promise is found in every action and word of the Apostles. Under the Spirit's guidance they lived wholly for Christ: the dispensation of the Spirit was the Christian dispensation. This is further explained in ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήψεται …... [ Continue Reading ]
There is no need that the Spirit go beyond Christ and no possibility He should do so, because πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ Πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστι, “all things whatsoever the Father has are mine,” _cf._ John 17:10 and John 13:3; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Hebrews 2:8. The Messianic reign involved that Christ should be trul... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sorrow occasioned by Christ's departure turned into joy at His return_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Μικρὸν καὶ οὐ θεωρεῖτέ με καὶ πάλιν μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ με. The first “little while” is the time till the following day; the second “little while,” the time till the resurrection, when they would see Him again. The similar expression of John 14:19 has induced several interpreters to understand our Lor... [ Continue Reading ]
Εἶπον οὖν ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. A pause is implied; during which some of the disciples (τινές understood, as in John 7:40; see Simcox, _Gram. of N.T._, p. 84) expressed to one another their bewilderment. They were alarmed, but could not attach their alarm to any definite object of dread.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus, perceiving their embarrassment, and that they wished to interrogate Him ὅτι ἤθελον αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾷν said to them: Περὶ τούτου … “Are you inquiring among yourselves?” μετʼ ἀλλήλων, not as in John 16:17, πρὸς ἀλλήλους, “about this that I said,” etc.?... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀμὴν … ὅτι κλαύσετε καὶ θρηνήσετε ὑμεῖς, “ye shall weep and lament”; θρηνέω is commonly used of lamentation for the dead, as in Jeremiah 21:10, μὴ κλαίετε τὸν τεθνηκότα, μηδὲ θρηνεῖτε αὐτόν; 2 Samuel 1:17; Matthew 11:17; Luke 7:32. Here it is weeping and lamentation for the dead that is meant. ὁ δὲ... [ Continue Reading ]
He adds an illustration of the manner in which anxiety and dread pass into joy: ἡ γυνή “the woman,” the article is generic, _cf._ ὁ δοῦλος, John 15:15, Meyer, ὅταν τίκτῃ, “when she brings forth,” λύπην … αὐτῆς, “hath sorrow because her hour” the critical or appointed time of her delivery “is come”.... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ὑμεῖς … ὑμῶν, “and you accordingly,” in keeping with this natural arrangement conspicuous in the woman's case, “have at present sorrow”. This is the time when the results are hidden and only the pain felt: “but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no one takes from you”... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρα, “and in that day” of the Resurrection and the dispensation it introduces, see John 14:20, in contrast to this present time when you wish to ask me questions, John 16:19, “ye shall not put any questions to me”. _Cf._ John 21:12. He was no longer the familiar friend and visible... [ Continue Reading ]
_Future accessibility of the Father_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἕως ἄρτι οὐκ ᾐτήσατε οὐδὲν ἐν τ.… “Until now ye have asked nothing in my name.” They had not yet realised that it was through Christ and on the lines of His work all God's activity towards man and all man's prayer to God were to proceed. αἰτεῖτε … πεπληρωμένη, “ask and ye shall receive, that your jo... [ Continue Reading ]
Another great change would characterize the economy into which they were passing. Instead of dark figurative utterances which only dimly revealed things spiritual, direct and intelligible disclosures regarding the Father would be made to the disciples: ταῦτα ἐν παροιμίαις … ὑμῖν. παροιμία. See John... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. “In that day,” in which I shall tell you plainly of the Father (John 16:25, ἔρχεται ὥρα), “ye shall ask in my name”; this is the natural consequence of their increased knowledge of the Father. καὶ οὐ λέγω … ἐξῆλθον “And I do no say to you that I will ask the Father concerning you... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξῆλθον … πατέρα. “I came forth from the Father and am come into the world; again (reversing the process) I leave the world and go to the Father.” There is a sense in which any man can use these words, but it is a loose not an exact sense. The latter member of the sentence “I leave the world and go... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord's last utterance, John 16:25-28, the disciples find much more explicit than His previous words: Ἴδε νῦν παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖς, “Behold, now (at length) Thou speakest plainly,” explicitly, καὶ παροιμίαν οὐδεμίαν λέγεις, “and utterest no obscure saying,” John 16:25. Almost universally νῦν, in John... [ Continue Reading ]
_Last words_.... [ Continue Reading ]
νῦν οἴδαμεν … ἐρωτᾷ. The reference is to John 16:19, where they manifested dissatisfaction with the obscurity of His utterances. Here in John 16:30 two things are stated, that Jesus has perfect knowledge, οἶδὰς πάντα, and that He knows how to communicate it, οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις ἵνα τίς σε ἐρωτᾷ. Convinc... [ Continue Reading ]
To this enthusiastic confession Jesus makes the sobering and pathetic reply: Ἄρτι πιστεύετε; Do ye now believe that I am God's Representative? Is this your present attitude? ἰδοὺ, ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐλήλυθεν, “Behold, the hour is coming and is come,” so imminent is it that the perfect may be used.... [ Continue Reading ]
ταῦτα … κόσμον. ταῦτα embraces the whole of the consolatory utterances from John 14:1 onwards. His aim in uttering them was “that in me” (_cf._ Paul's use of “in Christ”) “ye may have peace”. ἐν ἐμοί ανδ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ are the two spheres in which at one and the same time the disciples live, John 17:15... [ Continue Reading ]