1-33 CHAPTER 16 VER. 1. _These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended._ (1.) Some think that this refers to Matt. xxvi. 31, _All ye shall be offended because of Me this night._ And that the meaning is, I have foretold you, that ye would flee away, when ye shall see Me taken: a... [ Continue Reading ]
_They shall put you out of the synagogue._ The assembly of the Jews was called a synagogue, as was also the place of the assembly. For God had ordained that there should be only one Temple in Judea, where sacrifices were to be offered. And this could not contain all the Jews, nor could they all atte... [ Continue Reading ]
_And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor Me._ He says this not to excuse the persecutors, but rather to comfort the Apostles. "The reason why Jews and Gentiles will persecute you, He would say, is because they refuse to acknowledge Me as the Son of God the... [ Continue Reading ]
_But these things have I told you, that when the hour shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them_. (1.) S. Cyril (x. 13) supplies the connection thus. I have not said these things to enervate you, but that, remembering I told you them before, your faith may be more firm and established in t... [ Continue Reading ]
_But because I have said these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart_. Maldonatus explains "but" by "for," _i.e._, This (your sorrow) is the reason why ye ask Me not. But Toletus explains it by "Nay, rather," meaning "Ye not only do not ask Me, but more than this, ye are overwhelmed with sorr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Nevertheless I_ _tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away._ (1.) S. Chrysostom _(Hom._ lxxvii.) explains it thus, "I say not this to please you, but though you will be made more sorrowful, you must hear what is expedient. Ye indeed would wish Me to be near, but utility demands the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of sin, because they believed_ (_believe_, Greek and Syriac version) _not in Me._ He will convict My enemies, both Jewish and Gentile unbelievers, both of the great sin of unbelief (S. Chrysostom and Augustine), and of every other sin (S. Cyril), for refusing to believe in Me, after the many reason... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged._ (1.) S. Chrysostom and Euthymius explain it thus, "The Holy Spirit will prove that the judgment of the world is false in saying that I work miracles by the power and craft of the devil; for He will prove that the devil has been condemned, ca... [ Continue Reading ]
. _have yet many things to say unto you_ (of the mysteries of the faith, of the conversion of the Gentiles, of the foundation and government of the Church, of the institution of priests and bishops, and the whole ecclesiastical hierarchy), _but ye cannot bear them now._ Your mind cannot take in such... [ Continue Reading ]
_Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth_ (see above xiv. 17), shall come, He will teach you all truth, which it is fitting you should know in this life, both for guiding yourselves and all nations into the way of salvation. So S. Cyril, Theophylact, Euthymius. For He would not teach them all truth in... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus answering said_, Why do not the nine, equally with this Samaritan, return and acknowledge their cure, and give Me thanks? In truth the nine were rejoiced at their cure, and went to the priests, that they might be declared to be clean, and restored to the society of men, thinking wholly of... [ Continue Reading ]
_There are not found that returned._ By confessing and declaring themselves cured by God through Christ of their leprosy, which was a great glory to God. _Save this stranger._ That is, except this Samaritan, who was a stranger to the nation and religion of the Jews. For the Samaritans were Babylonia... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith._ Faith, by which you have believed that I am able to save you, nay that I will do so, if you obey Me, and go to the priests. For this faith has worked with your healing, even though I be the primary author. Hence very likely the prompting of God e... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when He was demanded of the Pharisees._ The Kingdom of Israel, which had now indeed fallen, but which was to be raised up again by the Messiah. _The kingdom of God cometh not with observation._ "Cometh," that is, will come. It is a Hebraism, in which the present is put for the future. Observe t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said unto His disciples, The days will come._ That is, the time will come and is now at hand, when for My faith and the preaching of the gospel you will suffer many adversities, persecutions, and distresses; the errors and heresies, moreover, of the innovators; and be oppressed by straits of... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they shall say to you._ False prophets shall come feigning themselves to be Christ or sent from Christ. Go not out, neither follow those deceivers or their rumours. The Arabic has, "See them not, nor hasten to them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For as the lightning._ The Syriac has, "As the lightning shines from heaven and lightens all things under heaven." As the lightning most suddenly, swiftly, and openly descends from heaven and shines out, so shall I suddenly and unexpectedly return to judgment. There will be no need of watching for... [ Continue Reading ]
_But first must He suffer many things._ The Arabic has, "Before this He shall endure much suffering, and be rejected by this generation." "That is," says Euthymius, "by this nation of a few Jews. He said this firstly, lest the Apostles, seeing Him suffering and being put to death on the cross, shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
_Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed_. "Well does Christ say," says Bede, "that He shall be revealed as one who, not being seen, sees all things, and then appearing, shall judge all things.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember Lot's wife._ She perished because she looked back. "Lest," says S. Ambrose, "as she looked back on the burning Sodom, against the command of the angel, and was changed into a pillar of salt, so you also, against these commandments of mine, may return to the life of the world, and perish wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_In that night there shall be two men in one bed._ By the word night it may be thought that the universal judgment of Christ will take place at night, for the greater terror of men. But I reply, That which in verse 31 is called day, is here called night. First, Because the day of judgment will be to... [ Continue Reading ]