PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2
Henry Robert Reynolds [1825-1896] · 490,594 words · 512 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 1
THE PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BY TIil! VEHY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOUOll:8TEll; AND BY THE ItEV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A. TH1◄) GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN. Jfnttobuctfon anb @xpo1ftion Bv REV. H. R. REYNOLDS, D.D., 1'!11".BIDEN'l', AND PBOFE!ISOB OP THEOLOGY, OBESJIUNT OOLLEGE ; FELLOW Oi' UlllVEBl!lTY C…
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were still the lhC'mc uppormost in his own less ihnn the typo of n cona-enito.l bio.s to ruirnl. We know tlint the discourse, etc., took evil, of herc<litnry ,lnnll\go d~me to hum"u place on a sol,lmth, and the result of the nature. Unless Christ con pour li"ht upon hcnling relRtes itsdf most closely to the dis- tho…
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edr,o," and mointained with freat and The supposition of some (Tholuck), that the pousionato e11rnestnese, "The sou that sin- d_iRciples ma.y have thought that the man's neth, it shall clio." This m11y h11ve led the ems were foreknown, e.nd that the blindness clisciples to put the conjectural solution, was pnnishmen…
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le,tion of Pnnlua, "Chl'ist must h11ved11,ylight light. The spiritunl world ■lands rovel\lcd for n ,lelicate op,,ration,'' is too puerile to fully to Christ's own gnzo. But mnnklnd deser.c refnte,tion. The suggestion of the hBtes the light, loves darkness on these Gr<'!'k Fn1hers (Ohrysostom, Thcophylact, ml\ttere m…
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(eco Tholuck, Wettstein, Lnnge, in loc.). moo, e.n,I that the proceeding of Hezekiah, 'l'heso 1dee.s mo.y hove hnd eomo truth in referred to in 2 Chron. xxxii. 30, when ho them, nnd for the blind mnn to find the ~iverted the we.ter from Gihon, and brought procoee described, applied to himself by One 1t to the west s…
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intric·MiP• of this problrm it ie nnneceesary of the miracle, the a11tagoni'8tn of the I'hari• to ent<•r. The pools of Siloe.m e.?e etill to be ,eeB, and the pereeo1ttion of the healed man. seen near the mouth of the Tyropsion ve.lley. Ver. 8.-The neighbolll"I therefore, and The point of connection with the Founte.i…
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wntor do not cure birth-blindneee. He ie in religinns gni,Janr,e actuated their nppeal to 8 mnze, ns well ho might be. '.rhe lzvl/31\•>/,a. the PharisP,es. Why should the he,tlrd man eboulcl be renclorecl, nccorcling to Meyer, "I he taken to the Pharisees, or the eynngogue- loolcecl up" (see Mark x,i. 4). It cannot b…
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previous contro'l'ersy (oh. v.) had produoed Ver. 17.-They ; i.e. the Ph1Lrisees, divide1l no effect upon Jesus. Ho continued, in in opinion, though probably united in their their opinion, to invalid11te e.ll his cle.ime by interrogation. Those, on the one hand, who violating the enbbe.th le.we, which they had belie…
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eviilcnce of the f11ot. The 1ew1 then did not made a lfuv9~""' had pledged each other and believe, or rofueecl to believe, oonoerning him, made it snfficiently known even to such that he had been blind, and received hie person~ 118 the poverty-stricken parents of sight, until they called the parents of him the bhnd…
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1o thP prnphptfr rank and even Messianic What did he to thee T how opened he tb..lae clnims c,f Jp~n•. by indueing him to reeant. eyea t They 80Ught to draw from him the Give glory to God, PAid thev. M&ny hnvo explicit proof thnt Jesus had b1,,lrnn the nr/!"<l (P<>e Calvin, De Wetto,' Lange LUcke, sabbRth, or possih…
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Thon art the diaoiple of that Man ( l1t,lvov)- Ver. 30,---'fhe man :i.nawered e.nd ea.id to bGtwccn whom 1tnd ue there ie o.n impass- them, Why I herein I is the I marvellous thing. ablo oho.am. Here is one of the strongest Le.nge translateR," With respect to this man, lnclico.tions of the Irreversible breach be- thie …
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they ruik from the ground of thei~-llin, to M- thee. Thus they admit the ohl\nge that hu cure their mrn sinful purpose; but if a.ny man come o,·er him by reverting to the peculiar be a worshipper of God (the word li!J,ocr,/',~• ie depravity which had been stl\mped upon an 8,.-a.! ,.,.,,&,nvov, and occurs nowhere else…
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w118 11 the Holy One of Goel," who he.cl "the fact th11t the Messiah of the nation's hope words of eternal life." Coneeqnently, it is has come? Art thou believing in him? It enough to say the.t, when the authorities of would be,more natural that the more current appellation BO'TI of God, rather than the more the Jowis…
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l'ri>sp<'l). Nowhere does our Lord more Meyer, eto.), hut tho pmotically blind-the op,•nly Rdmit that h<' \V&s the Christ, the Sou µ~ fjJ,.nrov-ru, those who aro sitting iu do.rk- of God. The disoiplee scarcely rise beyond ness, wit~ tho capacity for eight, but not tho ihe climax of this revelation even on the oppor…
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Loou Llinclocl by the very light the.t shines Tho very iclea. WBB a.n a.beurdity, o.nrl so Jesus up11n them, Lut thoy a.ro in cloubt with e.dcled, But now ye BBY, "\Ire eee. You even re ferenco to their own ea.so. boa.et that you a.re " instructors of the Ver. 41.-The reply of our Lorcl is not ignorant, and lee.ders o…
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(2) The moments were precious, because the work of his human activity was rapidly coming to an end. Our working season is at best a :1hort season. "The night cometh " tu end all. (3) His function as being " the Light of the world" imposed this incessant activity upon hi:m. "As long as I am in the world, I am the Liu…
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III. Tm: WITNESS OF THE DEGGAR HIMSELF. "They say unto the blind man agBin, What BByest thou of him, that he hath opened- thine eyes? He said, He is B Prophet." 1. IIe does not hesitate to oppose the judgment of the Pharisees in words that bespeak the firmest conviction. 2. lie recognizes in the miracle the energy o…
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act) ncknowledging the rea.lity of a miracle they had all along tried to eva,ie or dony, (b) They are aghast at the assumption of a person under God's curse undertaking to teach theology to the recognized guides of Israel, (c) They expel him with an impatient contempt from their presence. Vers. 35-38.-The moral result…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere, 1-41,-.The passage of a soul from, darkness into light. This graphic and dramntic narrativo begins with the healing of a bodily privation by the exercise of Christ's miraculous power. But its chief interest lies in the spiritual process which it unfolds. It relates how a young man, p…
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Ver. 3.-Thefinal, came of human su.ffering. No man, with an eye to observe nnd a heart to feel, can look a.broad upon human life without being impressed nnd saddened by the spectacle presented to his view. There is so much of privation, of pain of weariness, of disappointment, of distress, that it sometimes seems as…
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Ver. 4:.-The day is/or labour. Very instructive e.nd very encouraging is tue way in which, in this pnssnge, our Divine Lord associates his people wit.h himsell: In assuming our nntnre he ncccpted the ordinary conditions of our life, its duties and its limitations. Oencrnlly epenking, what no man could do he would no…
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nnd at the ~ame time more precious, than this. We all, when we think upon the matter, feel this declaration to be eo inrlisputably true. Yet we are all prone to over- look. sometimes almost anxious to forget it. 1. ConRider this reflection ns beariug upou Chri~t himself. He knew that the end of his earthly life and …
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lack epiritunl vision. 2. The power that effects this marvellous change. The poor man upon whom Christ wrought this miracle justly argued that his Benefactor must possess Divine o.uthority. Spiritual enlightenment is the prerogative of Goel. He "h11th shined into our henrt~." And we are justified in attributing to a Di…
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ciples?" It is m,t tho first time this question has been put to the hearers of tho gospd; it is urged once ag11.in. It is not too e11.rly for any to begin discipleship. And it is not too late for any who may h11.ve delayed hitherto, now to respond to the summons. 2. .A qu{!Stion to propose to others. 'l'his is the invi…
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Vore. 85-38.-.A lieart made ready for faith. In this interview the purposes of Christ's love with regnrd to this poor man were fully accomplished. The opening of his bodily eyes, the trials to which ho was nrterwards subjected, led up to the con- summation desired by his Benefactor. By gradual stages ho had come to tha…
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ledge wAs very limit':d; bnt it was in his favour that whntevor knowledge he had, ho u~cd aright. The blmdness which befell Saul of 'l'arsus, iu the crisis of his spiritual history, was symboHcal of th~t imperfection of spiritual vision of which he only becnme consc10us when Christ met h~m by the way. Th~so two exam…
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whom to manife8t Divine operations. While fully admitting the law of retributfon, he excludes this case from the category, and at once removes the disciples' question (a) from tbo spcculativo to the practical, (b) from the human standpoint to the Divine. And although the blindness of this man could not be viewed entire…
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nse mcnns, and knew as well what means to use. He never thought that these would bring the man to see outwardly, but they would help him to see inwnrdly. They ~er,.cd best to strengthen his faith and give due publicity to the miracle. He could not go to and return from Siloam without attracting attention. Jesus caus…
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eto. (3) Thie rule of Divine impartation of power was well and generally known. "We know," etc. As if he were to say," Even I know this, much more yon." (4) Ignomnce of the Divine character and origin of Christ was marvellous. "He opened mine eyes." 3. The uniqueness of the miracle. (1) It Wl!.8 unique in relation to t…
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Vers. 35-38.-A hap'PY 'TMeting. We have in this passage- !. JEsus IN SEA.ROH FOR THE OUTCAST. 1. He had lost sight of him for a while. He had not seen him since he went on the path of duty and obedience to the pool of Siloarn. It was well that they should be apart for some time. Important pnrposes were thus answere…
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requires knowlodge, and no sooner ie it born th1m it begins to ask qnestione respecting He object, and the first ie, "Who ie he?" He is worth inquiring after. The choice of the object of faith ie most import1mt; this man very properly prays for li~ht to choose. 8. The prayer is made in the proper spirit. The spirit of …
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Ver. 4.-The S'Upreme Worker and his opportunity. "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." This, like so many of the memorable sayings of our Lord, is an incidental one, arising out of the circum- stances of the hour. On a sabbath day in autumn-the last aut…
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a light over them, the will of cmr Father in heaven? Wo are sent iuto the workl with different gifts and capacities. We find ourselves placed in widely different stations and spheres. llut have wo laid it to heart that God has a purpose in placing us here, and that this mysterious gift of life is not like a freehold-an…
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on the life of Christ's disciples, does this motive lose its foroe P Surely not, You havo learned from your Master the true worth and importance of life, and you have been taught to spend it under the eye of "the Father who, without respect or persons jndgeth according t.o every man's work." Whatever be your station…
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the effect of the same miracle on the Pharisees? Had they known nothing of ,Jesus before, H was surely enough in itself to awe their minds and prepossess them in his fovour. Common generosity, common fairness, would have required this. But, in fact, Jesus had been before them for well-nigh three eventful years, so that…
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for the present open scoffers and presumptuous sinners, who make no secret of it that they bate the light and love the darkness, and who can scarcely keep their tempers wlwn sacred thrngs are mentioned in their presence. There is no need to speak of sue~ as glory in their _shame, and sport themselves with their own …
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acknowledge your poverty and ignorance, and thankfully accept his grace, it is a righteous thing that ho should leave you to become blinder than before. HiH glorious gospel cannot leave you as it found you. It must be the savour of life unto life, or the savour of death unto death. And hence the solemn words which Jesu…
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Yer. 4.-Thc limit~ of opport1mity. Here is a universal illustration, ,vo need no invl1stigntio(1 of the local and the ancient to comprehend its meaning. We all under- ~tand the ~11fe_ren:e between night and day in respect of opportunity for work. Not J,nt what c1nlumt10n has made considerable encroachments on the re…
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is from the spirit of the false ones I The prie8ts of superstition have to use every availnble menns to keep their dupes under control. II. THE BUCOESS OF TIIESE SPIRITUAL THREATENINGB. While we have to deplore the bindrnnces to the gospel which come from these erroneous instructions and tradi- tions, we must also rej…
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Zeolrnrio.h (xi. 4-17) of similar imagery from the eyo. The shepherds towards even- to denoto the contrast between the true ing were probably gathering their scattererl and falso shepherds, o.nd the anticipation by flocks, according to Oriental custom, into the prophets of a time when the true and their well-known encl…
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VGics. "11<'n 11, shepherd 11pproachee the violenco of hie love, or even compelled them dunr to f<'lch the folded sheep which belong to go fort~ from o. fold iu which t.hcy may to hi 111. the porter opens that door for him; find secunty, but not pn.stul'O; l\ud when ho i.e. n true shepherd who has e.t heart the bes …
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healing, advanced etep by etop from a bll,fe tho shephercla, but the sheep, enter into tho Jmowlcdgo of "a man Jceua" to a confes- fold, e.ncl go forth thence to pe.sture. sion of him ns one ompowered by God ; to e. Ver. 8.-All the.t ea.me before me 1 e.ra belief tho.t he wo.a n "Prophet," able to relax thieves e.nd ro…
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ArchrlPMon Wut.kins emphasizes the present cities nhout it-beauty, f'rngroncr, strength, tense.•· are thieves," eto., mal..ing Christ's growth, \'nrioty, reproduction, rcsistnnce to rPfrreacc ohdous to the lawyera and scribes death, continuity, eternity. In thc Loo-os 0 is of his own dny, who were closing the door.…
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Vor. 12.-Ho I tho.t la a hireling, and he is a hiroling, and oa.reth not for the not a shephord, whose own the aheep are sheep. lie only cares for himself. Ho is not, aeeth tho wolf ooming, and leaveth the no mntch for the wolf of tempto.tion, or dis. sheep, and fleeth (tho worrl µ,u8orrb1 oc- ease, or dea.tll. He wu…
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C'Wn" in,-oh-es him in saorifioo. Wbercas eione, carefully warned his dieoiplee ngainel in ,-er. 11 this is attributed to the "good such narrowness, aud hero he declaiee tho.t Sh.-puerd," now he drops the first part of the aheep, independently of the fold or fold~, t.he figure, and says, "I am laying down may yet form …
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this muoh, he might have joined the greRt and the best researches into what is called ma.jority, nnd been their Head and Chief, "the physical cause of the death of Christ " o.nd left hie work to be commented on hy (see Dr. 8troud's valuable work on that others. But suoh n coneummntion would have subject), all confirm t…
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mime le which haJ just taken plooe, which Judns i.raccabmue after the grose profanntion prMcs thRt his friends on this ooCBBion were of it by ~n liochus Epiph11ues (I !\for<', i. ..-er_,- rar fro 11, the ru:td wickeuness of those 20-60: 1v._ ~6-57), It occupied eight wlinse moral sPn~e Juul been eo perverted B8 d,iy…
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ference to the eimllilude and allegory of the rejected by powerful argumentR, anil com- first pnrt of this ohl\pter is removed by the mento.tore ceaeo to rliscuee whether it belongs eimplcsupposition thnt be saw in this group to the previous or following clause. In of his interrogators ml\ny of those who had neither ca…
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olaime; thPir active trust ie rewarded by hie own Personality as dietinct from thnt of the gre,,tt>st gift; their indefMeible birthright is Father, and yet ho asserts a fundomontnl guaranteed by hie limitless authority and unity. But what kiud of unity is it? Is power to prot.ect them. It would be gross it a unity of w…
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reminds the rco.der tho.t this was o. second nical judges of the old covonnnt. 1esna nncl more desperate atto.ck upon the life of answered them, Is it not written in your Jeans. Lo.wl The Psalms are here spoken of as Ver. 82.-Jesna answered them, Many good "the Law," ehowiug that they did form pllrt (,caAo. )works …
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nnd he ,ms morcm·er (as tboee old judges with the FBther, a Binner of sinners or Son did) "to die like nien," to lay down thflt of God, on the evidence of hie works-on tbo life in orrlc>r thnt he might take it ngnin ; God-like, Father-like cha.meter of hie entire <'oneequcntly, he I\Bks, with sublime self- ministry …
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conviction, they must come to e. conolneion th,re he e.bode. 1 How long, we know not. which the gre11t assertion," I e.nd the Father The repose was i,oon broken. are one," finally confirms. Vere. 41, 42.-"The posthumous fruit of Ver. 89.-(Therefore 1) they sought ( a.gain 1) John's laboill's" (Bengel). Many oame to to…
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(1) as" Tsrncl after the flesh" and "Israel after the Spirit," (2) and "the Je1v out- wardly" and "the Jew inwardly." II. THE DOOR INTO THE SHEEPFOLD. There is n divinely instituted method or entering the sbeeplold. It is the Messianic office. Jesus is the 1.Jentre of the Old Testament thN,,racy. III. THE TWO 0LAB…
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Vere. 11-21.-Allegory of the good Shepherd. There is a ;progress of thought in ench nllegory. I. Tm~ 0HARACTER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, "I am the good Shepherd : the good Shepherd giveth his life for the shPep." 1. Heis himself" the great Shepherd of the sheep" of wlwm the prophets .~poke. (Ezek. xxxiv. 23; Gen. xlix. 2…
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Vel"B. 22-----31.-Anotwt,isit to JfJf'U8ahma,nd a,nother addfflls. Jesus left tho city Cor two mouths, and, after ministering in Perre,1, retm ned for the Fea1t of Dedice.Liou, which commemonted the purification of the temple, in the time of the Maccabees, from the pro- fane.tion of Antioch us Epipbanes. It was held…
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tatlon of his language was perfectly just. When he said, "I and my Father are one," he asserted hie truo Deity. 'fhe Jews saw in the words more than our modt1rn oritics. 2, Our Lord's declarali(J11, wa, duigned lo set j01'th his distinctness from the Father as against Babellianism, and, his co-ordination with tl~ Fathe…
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Ver. 9.-Chri,st the Door. A homely and simple metaphor; yet how full of meaning, how precious, how suggestive, to every hearer of the gospel! '!'here may be a door to a sheepfold, to a house, to a palace, to a fortress. There may be a door to a dungeon, to a church, to a torture-chamber, to a royal trea.,ury. A door…
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III. CnmsT, AB A Doon, IIAB CERTAIN QUALITIES WRICH MAY AWAKEN OUR GRATITUDE, 1. lie iH a strong Door. His strength is used to resist the incursiou or any invader or foe, cm<l thus to proted tho members of the fold. Christ. i~ to his people a b11lwark ngninst every evil. 2. He is to those who wiHh to enter into the enj…
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Ver. 14.-Mut-ual knowledge. If the Lord Jesus came to earth to seek and to save the lost sheep of the flock, it is not wonderful that he should know those in whom he has displayed an interest so compassionate and deep. If the members of the flock owe to the great and good Shepherd their safety, their pastnre, their …
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The Gospel record makes it manifest that from the early days of his ministry Jesus knew how thnt ministry would end. In his conversations with his disciples he gave them to understand thnt his life of service was to be crowned by a death of sacrifice. II. Tms OFFERING WAS VOLUNTARILY RENDERED, There had been times whe…
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.