CHAPTER V. _The man who had been diseased thirty-eight years healed on_ _the Sabbath day_, 1-9. _The Jews cavil, persecute Christ, and seek to kill him, because_ _he had done this cure on the Sabbath_, 10-16. _Our Lord vindicates his conduct, and shows, from the testimony_ _of the Father, the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:2. _THERE IS_] This is thought by some to be a proof that John wrote his Gospel _before_ the destruction of Jerusalem; and that the pool and its porticoes were still remaining. Though there can be little doubt that Jerusalem was destroyed many years before John wrote, yet this does not... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:3. _BLIND, HALT, WITHERED_] To these the _Codex Bezae_, three copies of the _Itala_, and both the _Persic_, add παραλυτικων, _paralytic_; but they are probably included among the withered. _WAITING FOR THE MOVING OF THE WATER._] This clause, with the whole of the fourth verse, is want... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:4. _ANGEL_] "Of the Lord," is added by AKL, about 20 others, the _AEthiopic, Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, Anglo-Saxon_, and six copies of the _Itala_: _Cyril_ and _Ambrose_ have also this reading. If this reading be genuine, and the authorities which support it are both _ancient_ and _r... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:5. _HAD AN INFIRMITY THIRTY AND EIGHT YEARS._] St. Chrysostom conjectured that _blindness_ was the infirmity of this person: what it was, the inspired writer does not say - probably it was a _palsy_: his case was deplorable - he was not able to go into the pool himself, and he had no on... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:6. _WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE?_] Christ, by asking this question, designed to excite in this person faith, hope, and a greater desire of being healed. He wished him to reflect on his miserable state, that he might be the better prepared to receive a cure, and to value it when it came. Add... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:7. _SIR, I HAVE NO MAN_] Ναι, Κυριε - "Yes, sir; but I have no man:" - this is the reading of C*GH, _fourteen_ others, both the _Syriac_, later _Persic, Arabic_, and _Chrysostom_. Reader, be thankful to God for health and outward comforts. When _long_ affliction has been allied to _deep... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:8. _RISE, TAKE UP THY BED, AND WALK._] Jesus speaks here as God. He speaks in no name but his own, and with an authority which belongs to God alone. And what is the consequence? The man became whole immediately; and this sudden restoration to health and strength was an incontestable pr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:9. _THE SAME DAY WAS THE SABBATH._] Mr. Toynard supposes that this miracle was wrought on the 11th of Nisan, the sabbath before the passover, which was celebrated the 14th of Nisan, or 28th of March. But why did our Lord command this man to carry his bed on the sabbath, as the law prohi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:11. _HE THAT MADE ME WHOLE_, c.] The poor man reasoned conclusively:- He who could work such a miracle must be at least the _best_ of _men_: now a good man will neither _do evil_ himself, nor _command_ others to _do_ it: but he who cured me ordered me to carry my bed therefore, there ca... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:13. _JESUS HAD CONVEYED HIMSELF AWAY_] Or, _had withdrawn_ _himself_. And this he might easily do, as there was a _crowd in the_ _place_. Some think the words indicate, that Jesus withdrew on seeing a multitude in the place, i.e. _raising a tumult_, because of the man's carrying his bed... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:14. _JESUS FINDETH HIM IN THE TEMPLE_] The man being conscious that it was through the mercy of God that he was restored, (though he did not as yet know distinctly who Christ was,) went to the temple to return thanks to God for his cure. Whether this was on the same day, or some other,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:15. _THE MAN DEPARTED, AND TOLD THE JEWS_] He did not say it was Jesus who had ordered him to carry his bed, but it was Jesus who had _cured him_; and he left them to draw the inference, viz. That this Jesus must be the miraculous power of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:16. _AND SOUGHT TO SLAY HIM_] This clause is omitted by BCDL, some others, and several ancient _versions_. _Griesbach_ has left it out of the text; and Professor _White_ says, _certissime_ _delenda_: but it does not appear to me that it should be omitted. However, it was true of the Je... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:17. _MY FATHER WORKED HITHERTO, AND I WORK._] Or, As _my_ _Father worketh until now_, c., καθως being understood. God created the world in _six days_: on the _seventh_ he rested from all _creating_ acts, and set it apart to be an everlasting memorial of his work. But, though he rested f... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:18. _MAKING HIMSELF EQUAL WITH GOD._] This the Jews understood from the preceding verse: nor did they take a wrong meaning out of our Lord's words; for he plainly stated that, whatever was the Father's work, his was the same; thus showing that He and the Father were ONE. They had now f... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:19. _THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF_] Because of his inseparable union with the Father: nor can the Father do any thing of _himself_, because of his infinite unity with the Son. _WHAT THINGS SOEVER HE DOETH, THESE ALSO DOETH THE SON_] God does nothing but what Christ does. What God... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:20. _GREATER WORKS THAN THESE_] Two of these he immediately mentions: _Raising the dead_, John 5:21. And _judging the world_, John 5:22. _THAT YE MAY MARVEL._] Or, _So as to make you wonder_. Our Lord sometimes speaks of himself as God, and sometimes as the ambassador of God. As he had... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:21. _AS THE FATHER RAISED UP THE DEAD_] This he did in the case of the widow's son at Sarepta, 1 Kings 17:22, by the ministry of the Prophet Elijah. And again, in the case of the Shunamite's son, 2 Kings 4:32-12, by the ministry of the Prophet Elisha. _THE SON QUICKENETH WHOM HE WILL.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN_] This confirms what he had said before, John 5:17; John 5:19, that the Father acts not _without_ the Son, nor the Son _without_ the Father; their acts are common, their power equal.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _THAT ALL_ MEN _SHOULD HONOUR THE SON_, C.] If then the Son is to be honoured, EVEN AS the Father is honoured, then the Son must be God, as receiving that worship which belongs to God alone. To worship any creature is idolatry: Christ is to be honoured even as the Father is honoured theref... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _HE THAT HEARETH MY WORD_] My doctrine-_and believeth on_ _him that sent me_-he who credits my Divine mission, that I am come to give _light_ and _life_ to the world by my _doctrine_ and _death-hath eternal life_-the seed of this life is sown in his heart the moment he believes - _and shal... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _THE DEAD SHALL HEAR THE VOICE_] Three kinds of death are mentioned in the Scriptures: _natural, spiritual_, and _eternal_. The _first_ consists in the separation of the body and soul. The _second_ in the separation of God and the soul. The _third_ in the separation of body and soul from... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 26. _HATH HE GIVEN TO THE SON TO HAVE LIFE_, c.] Here our Lord speaks of himself in his character of Messiah, or envoy of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 27. _BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN._] Because he is the _Messiah_; for in this sense the phrase, _Son of man_, is often to be understood. But some join this to the next verse thus:- _Marvel_ _not at this, because he is the Son of man_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 28. _MARVEL NOT AT THIS_] I think it quite necessary to follow here, as noted above, the punctuation of _both_ the _Syriac_, the _Armenian, Chrysostom, Damascenus, Theophylact, Euthymius_, and others; which is found also in some very good MSS. _Theophylact_ says that the common method of read... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _I CAN OF MINE OWN SELF DO NOTHING_] Because of my intimate union with God. John 5:19, John 5:19. _I SEEK NOT MINE OWN WILL_] I do not, I cannot attempt to do any thing _without_ God. This, that is, the Son of man, the human nature which is the temple of my Divinity, John 1:14, is perfec... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _IF I BEAR WITNESS_] If I had no proof to bring of my being the Messiah, and equal to God, common sense would direct you to reject my testimony; but the mighty power of God, by which I work my miracles, sufficiently attests that my pretensions are well founded. Bishop Pearce gives a diffe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _THERE IS ANOTHER_] God the Father, who, by his Spirit in your prophets, described my person, office, and miracles. You read these scriptures, and you cannot help seeing that they testify of me:- no person ever did answer the description there given, but myself; and I answer to that descri... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _YE SENT UNTO JOHN_] I am not without human testimony of the most respectable kind:-Ye sent to John, and he bare witness. There are several circumstances in John's character which render his testimony unexceptionable. 1. He is consulted by the very enemies of Christ, as a very holy and ex... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _BUT I RECEIVE NOT TESTIMONY FROM MAN_ [only.] I have no need of John's testimony: the works that I do bear sufficient testimony to me, John 5:36. _BUT THESE THINGS I SAY_, c.] You believed John to be a prophet - a prophet cannot lie: he bore testimony that I am the Lamb of God, that bear... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _HE WAS A BURNING AND A SHINING LIGHT_] Ην ὁ λυχνος ὁ καιομενος και φαινων, should be translated, _He was a burning and a_ _shining LAMP_. He was not το φως του κοσμου, _the light of the_ _world_, i.e. the _sun_; but he was ο λυχνος, _a lamp_, to give a clear and steady light till the su... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _BUT I HAVE GREATER WITNESS_] However decisive the judgment of such a man as John may be, who was _the lamp of Israel_, a miracle of grace, filled with the spirit of Elijah, and more than any prophet, because he pointed out, not the Messiah who _was_ _to come_, but the Messiah who was alre... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _THE FATHER HIMSELF - HATH BORNE WITNESS_] That is, by his prophets. _YE HAVE NEITHER HEARD HIS VOICE_] I make these words, with Bp. Pearce, a parenthesis: the sense is-"Not that my Father ever appeared visibly or spake audibly to any of you; but he did it by the mouths of his prophets.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _YE HAVE NOT HIS WORD ABIDING IN YOU_] Though ye believe the Scriptures to be of God, yet ye do not let them take hold of your hearts-his word is in your mouth, but not in your mind. What a miserable lot! to read the Scriptures as the true sayings of God, and yet to get no salvation from t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 39. _SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES_] ερευνατε τας γραφας. This should be translated, not in the _imperative_, but in the _indicative_ mood-thus, _Ye search the Scriptures diligently_. That these words are commonly read in the _imperative_ mood is sufficiently known; but this reading can never accord w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 40. _AND YE WILL NOT COME TO ME_] Though ye thus search the Scriptures, in hopes of finding the _Messiah_ and _eternal life_ in them, yet _ye will not come unto me_, believe in me, and be my disciples, though so clearly pointed out by them, that ye may have that eternal life which can only com... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 41. _I RECEIVE NOT HONOUR FROM MEN._] I do not stand in need of you or your testimony. I act neither through self-interest nor vanity. Your salvation can add nothing to me, nor can your destruction injure me: I speak only through my love for your souls, that ye may be saved.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 42. _BUT I KNOW YOU, THAT YE HAVE NOT_, c.] Don't say that you oppose me through zeal for God's honour, and love for his name, because I make myself equal to him: no, this is not the case. I know the dispositions of your souls and I know ye have neither _love_ for his name, nor _zeal_ for his... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 43. _I AM COME IN MY FATHER'S NAME_] With all his influence and authority. Among the rabbins, it was essential to a teacher's credit that he should be able to support his doctrine by the authority of some eminent persons who had gone before. Hence the form, _Coming in the name of another_. _I... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 44. _HOW CAN YE BELIEVE, WHICH RECEIVE HONOUR_, c.] The grand obstacle to the salvation of the scribes and Pharisees was their _pride, vanity_, and _self-love_. They lived on each other's praise. If they had acknowledged Christ as the _only teacher_, they must have given up the good opinion of... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:45. _DO NOT THINK THAT I WILL ACCUSE YOU_] You have accused me with a breach of the Sabbath, which accusation I have demonstrated to be false: I could, in return, accuse _you_, and substantiate the accusation, with the breach of the whole law; but this I need not do, for _Moses, in whom... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:46. _HE WROTE OF ME._] For instance, in reciting the prophecy of Jacob, Genesis 49:10. _The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from_ _between his feet, until SHILOH come; and unto him shall the_ _gathering of the people be_. And in Deuteronomy 18:18: _I will raise them... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse John 5:47. _BUT IF YE BELIEVE NOT HIS WRITINGS_, c.] If you lay them not to heart - if you draw not those conclusions from them which their very letter, as well as their spirit, authorizes you to draw, _how shall ye believe my words_, against which ye have taken up the most ungrounded prejudi... [ Continue Reading ]