PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. John — Volume 1
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 191,919 words · 370 reading sections
JOHN, CHAP. IV. 193
to the uttermost all those that come unto God by Him. But that same Jesus is no less certainly perfect man, — able to sympathize with man in all his bodily sufferings, and acquainted by experience with all that man's body has to endure. Power and sympathy are marvellously combined in Him- who died for us on the cross. …
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heard, we need not be careful to inquire. Possibly He knew it from information obtained by His disciples. We can hardly doubt that some of them kept up intercourse with their old master, John the Baptist, and so learned what was going on at ^non. — It is more probable that He knew it from His om- niscience as God. We a…
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to sLowthat this movement was intended to avciu the vlesicrns of the Pharisees against our Lord. If he had rcmaiue I in Judaea, He would have been cut off, and pat to death before the ap- pointed time. He therefore withdrew into the province of Gali- lee, where He was further off from Jerusalem, and where His ministry …
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Solomor's death, and jrave the answer which rent his kingdoir, in two. (1 Kings, xii. 1.) Here Jeroboam first dwelt, when he was made king of Israel. (1 Kings xii. 25.) And finally, close bv Shechem was the city of Samaria itself, and the two hills of Ebal and Gerizini, where tlie solemn blessings and cur-ings were rec…
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as He was," without any regular scat, without looking for any convenient position, without any pride or formality, not upon a throne, not upon a cushion, but simply upon the ground. Some think, as Doddridge, that " thus " means immediately, and find a parallel for it in Acts xx. 11. Some think, as Calvin, Lightfoot, …
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the day of the crucifixion, at the sixth hour, (John xix. 14,) it was six o'clock in the morning. And finally, they saw thit when Jesus, in the passage before us, sat wearied on flie well a' the sixth hour, it means six o'clock in t!ie evening. Moreover, they plead in support of their view, that it is inhn't ly more li…
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till the woman is converted. Then the froman goes away to the city and tells the men what has happened, and they all come out to the well to see Jesus. Yet by this time, in all reasonable pro- bability, it would be quite dark, and the night would have begun. And yet, after all this, our Lord says to the disciples, " Li…
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Bons in tLe passage for ministers and teachers, which they would do well to ponder. We should mark, firstly, the mingled tact and condescen* sion of Christ in dealing icith a careless sinner. Our Lord was sitting by Jacob's well when a woman of Samaria came thither to draw water. At once He Bays to her, " Give me to …
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that if she had asked, " He would have given her living water." He knew the character of the person before Him perfectly well. Yet He says, "If she had asked, He would have given," — He would have given the living water of grace, mercy, and peace. The infinite willingness of Christ to receive sinners ia a golden truth…
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gate. There is no heart satisfaction in this world, until ♦^^e believe on Christ. Jesus alone can fill up the empty places of our inward man. Jesus alone can give solid, lasting, enduring happiness. The peace that He imparts is a fountain, which, once set flowing within the soul, flows on to all eternity. Its waters ma…
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does in this place. And this avowal, be it remembered, was made not to learned Scribes, or moral Pharisees, but to one who up to that day had been an ignorant, thought- less, and immoral person ! Dealings with sinners, such as these, form one of the grand peculiarities of the Gospel. Whatever a man's past life may hav…
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people. (Judges v. 11.) The insinuation, however, of some writers, as Schottgen, that the Samaritan woman's motives in coming to the well were possibly immoral, seems destitute of any foundation. Bad as her moral character evidently was, we have no right to heap upon her more blame than is warranted by facts. Augustin…
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8. — [His disciples...gone...huy meat] This verse is an insfance of our Lord's general rule not to work a miracle in order to supply his own wants. He who could feed five thousand with a few loaves and fishes when He willed, was content to buy food, like any other man. — It is an instance of His lowly-mindedness. The C…
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ehould be laid ou the word " woman." She was not only sur- prised that a J ewish man asked drink of a Samaritan, but also that he asked it of a woman. [The Jeivs have no dealings.. .Samaritans^] This sentence is generally thought, with much reason, to be the explanatory comment of St. John, and not the words of the Sa…
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Proi.estants," — or "the Lutherans have no dealings with the Calvinists," — or " the Calvinists have no deahngs with the Arminians," — or " the Episcopahans have no deahngs with the Presbyterians,'' — or " the Baptists have no deahngs with those who baptize mfants," — or " the Plymouth Brethren have no deahngs with any…
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Some think that it means " God's gift, and especial!}^ His gift of grace," which is now being proclaimed and made manifest to the world by the appearing on earth of His Son. (See Eom. V. 15.) This seems to be the view of Cyril, Lampe, Theophylact, Zwingle, and Calvin. Of these four views the last seems to me, on the w…
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to come. (S<3e Isai. xii. 3 ; xliv. 3 ; Ezek. xlvii. 1, &c. ; Zech. xiii. 1 ; xiv. 8.) A sprinkling of clean water was particularly men- tioned as one of the things Messiah was to give. (Isai. lii. 15 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 25.) To an intelligent reader of the Old Testament the mention of " living water," would at once raise u…
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the woman carefully claimed relationship with Jacob, and called him our father, though after all the intermixture of the Samaritan3 with heathen nations, the relationship was not very easy of proof. But it is common to find people shutting their eyes to difficulties, when they want to prove a connection or relationship…
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pleiely falling- away, and being lost, can be reconciled with any natural interpretation of this verse. Zwingle thinks, with much probability, that the words " a fountain in him," point to the benefits which grace once received makes a man impart to others, as well as enjoy himself. See John vii. 38. Rollock remarks …
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our Lord gave to the Samaritan woman was conviction of sin. That fact is a lesson for all who desire to benefit ignorant and careless sinners. The first thing to be taught to such persons, when once we have got their attention, is tlieir own sinfulness, and their cons(^quent need of a Saviour. No one values the physici…
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the five husbands five different dispensations, and him with whom she now lived the Mosaic Law I This seems to me simply- absurd. Origen says much the same. It is well to know what patristic interpretation is I [He luhom... hast. .not thy husband.'] These words show plainly that the Samaritan woman was living in adult…
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siah was to be David's Lord and also David's Son. (Mark xii. 37.) "20. — [Our fathers worshipped, tfrc.] To see the full dtiffc of tliia ver.-e, we must carefuKy remember the state of the Samaritan woman's mind at this moment. I think that she spoke under spiritual anxiety. She was alarmed by having her sins suddenly …
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set forth, that she was truly impres-ed by oar Lord's exposure of her wickedness, and made a serious inquiry about the things needfal to salvatioc . She was aroused to seriousness, and asked what was true religion. Her own nation said one thing. The Jews said another. What was truth ? In short, her words were only anot…
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woman had mentioned, and to convey this instruction, that God will be a common Father to all, so that He will be generally worshipped without distinction of place or nation." 22. — [Ye ivorship...know not what] In this verse our Lord unhesi- tatingly condemns the religious system of the Samaritans, aa compared with th…
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commei ded in religion, as the mother of devotion, is strongly condemned in this verse. Christ would have Christians " know what they worship." The testimony borne to the general truth of the religious sys- tem of the Jews in this place is very striking. Corrupt and wicked as Scribes and Pharisees were, Jesus declares…
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Christ's deafb, then, and not till then, men "worshipped in truth." Before Christ, they worshipped throush types, and shadows, and figures, and emblems. After Christ they wor- shipped in truth. — Spirit is opposed to " flesh ;" truth to *' sha- dow." " Spirit," in short, is heart-service, contrasted with lip worship an…
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ness of resting on any formal membership of the Samaritan Church, and the necessity of spiritual and heart-worshiji of God. And now what can she say ? It is all trae, she feels, — she cannot gainsay it. But what can she do? To whom is she to go? Whose teaching can she follow? All she can do is to say that " she knows M…
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Quesnel observes, " It is a great mistake to suppose that the knowledge of the mysteries of religion ought not to be imparted to women by the reading of Scripture, considering this instance of the great confidence Christ reposed in this woman by His manifestation of Himself. The abuse of the Scriptures and the sin of h…
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religion, may see nothing particular in these verses. To all who desire to know something of the experience of a converted person, they will be found full of food for thought. We see, firstly, in this passage, how marvellous in the eyes of man are ChrisVs dealings with soids. We are told that the disciples "marvelled …
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sion of Christ ! It is now as it was eighteen hundred years ago. The dealings of Christ are still a marvel both to the Church and to the world. If there was more real faith on the earth, there would be less surprise felt at the conversion of souls. If Chris- tians believed more, they would expect more, and if they und…
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out oUl tastes and interests. A converted person no longer cares for what he once cared for. A new tenant is in the house. A new pilot is at the helm. The whole world looks different. All things have become new. It was so with Matthew the publican. The moment that grace came into his heart he left the receipt of custom…
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nothingness of the things of the world ? Do we ever talk to others about God, and Christ, and eternity, and the soul, and heaven, and hell ? If not, what is the value of our faith ? Where is the reality of our Christianity ? Let us take heed lest we awake too late, and find that we are lost for ever, a wonder to angels…
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Lightfoot, Schottgen, and Tholuck quote proverbial sayings from Rabbinical writeis, showing the Jewish feeling about women. The following are instances — "He who instructs his daughter in the law plays the fool." '• Do not multiply discourses wiih a Woman." "Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no not with his o…
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would leave her water-pot. So large a vessel could not be carried quickly, whether empty or full. The mind of the woman in leaving her water-pot seems to mf» clear and unmistakeable. She was entirely absorlDed in the things which she had heard from our Lord's mouth. She was anxious to tell them without delay to her fr…
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this be the Christ?" A similar form of interrosfative sentence is found in thirteen other places in the New Testament. In twelve of them the interrogative is used without " not," viz., Matt. vii. 16; xxvi. 22, 26] Mark iv. 21; xiv. 9; Luke vi. 39; John vii. 31 ; viii. 22; xviii. 35; Acts x. 47 ; 2 Cor. i. 17; James iiL…
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31 In the mean while his dis- ciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat ? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his wo…
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We have, for one thing, in these verses, an instructive pat- tern of zeal for the good of others. We read, that our Lord Jesus Christ declares, " My meat is to do the will of him which sent me, and to finish his work." To do good was not merely duty and pleasure to Him. He counted it as His food, meat and drink. Job, o…
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"field white for the harvest;" and then f^ aid to His dis- ciples, " He that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal." Work for the souls of men, is undoubtedly attended by- great discouragements. The heart of natural man is very hard and unbelieving. The blindness of most men to their own lost…
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which our attention ought to be directed. Our experience may not tally with that of other believers. But that is not the question. Do we feel sin, hate it, and flee from it ? Do we love Christ, and rest solely on Him for sal- vation ? Are we bringing forth fruits of the Spirit in righteousness and true holiness ? If th…
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and drink to Him. Many of His holiest servants in every age, I believe, conld testify much the same. The joy and happiness of spiiitual success has for the time lifted thf-m above all bodily wants, and supplied the place of material meat and drink. I see no reason why this may not have been the case with our Lord. He h…
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proclaimed, and a door of mercy set wide open to the cliief of sinners. " It is my meat," says our Lord, " to do that will, and to proclaim to every one with whom I speak that whosoever be- lieveth on the Son shall not perish." The view that it simply means, " my meat is to obey God's commandments and do what He has to…
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montLs from seed time to harvest. But I tell you that in spiri tiial works the harvest lipens far more quickly. Behold those Samaritans coming out already to hear the word, the very day that seed has been sown among them. The fields are already white for harvest." Either of the above views make good sense and good div…
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of His ministr}. They were so ready and prepared for the preaching- of the Gospel, that they were hke a field white for harvest. The expression, " lift up your eyes," is used elsewhere in Scripture, when mental attention is being called to something rem irkable. See Isai. xlix. 18 ; Ix. 4 ; Gen. xiii. 14, 15. I am dis…
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appeal Id me to refer to the common joy that there will be in heaven among all who have laboured for Christ, when the whole harvest of saved souls is finally gathered in. The Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist, who sowed, will all rejoice toge- ther with the apostles, who reaped. — The results of the spiritual…
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%9.— [Many... Samaritans... believed.] About the exact nature of the belief mentioned here and in the 41st verse, we have no mate- rials for forminpr an opinion. Whether it was only an intellec tual belief that Christ was the Messiah, or whether it was that true faith of the heart which justifies a sinner betore Grod, …
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The singular fulness of the confession made by these Samari' tans deserves special notice. A more full declaration of our Lord's office as " Saviour of the world " is nowhere to be found in the G-ospels. Whether the Samaritans clearly understood what they meant when they spoke of our Lord as " the Saviour," may be reas…
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251 The allegorical and typical meanings which some writera assign to the Samaritan woman and her history, as related in this cliapter, are hardly worth recounting. Some regard the woman as a type of the Jewish synagogue, slavishly bound to the five books of the law, and drawn finally by Christ to drink the living wat…
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passage. Let ns fix them in our memories, aud use ihem continually as we journey through life. We learn, firstly, that the rich have afflictions as well as the poor. We read of a nobleman in deep anxiety because his son was sick. We need not doubt that every means of restoration was used that money could procure. But …
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to the elder. The child draws nigh to the grave before the parent, and not the parent before the child. The lesson is one which we are all slow to learn. We are apt to shut our eyes to plain facts, and to speak and act, as il young people, as a matter of course, never died when young. And yet the grave-stones in every…
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By it He often draws souls away from sin and the worlds which would otherwise have perished everlastingly. Health is a great blessing, but sanctified disease is a greater. Prosperity and worldly comfort, are what all naturally desire ; but losses and crosses are far better for us, if they lead us to Christ. Thousands a…
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il' he saw the book of life, and his own name written in it. If Christ has said, "Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out," and our hearts can testify, "I have come," we need not doubt that we are saved. In the things of this world, we say that seeing is believing. But in the things of the Gospel, believing is…
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in the following manner. They say that the words, " His own country," mus^t mean Jadasa, and Bethlehem, where Christ was born. The sense will then be, '' alter two days Jesus departed from Samaria, and went into Galilee, and not into Judiea, ba cause in Judoea He received no honour, and was not believed.* This solution…
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firms tlie vitw already maintained (Jolm ii. 23), that our Lord did many otlier miracles at Jerusalem at the first passover, when He was there, beside casting the buyers and sellers out of the temple, It is probable that the miracles recorded in the four Gospels are only a selection out of the number that Christ worked…
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In the first chapter of St. John's Grospel we see fishermen con- verted ; in the third, a self-righteous Pharisee; in the beginning of the fourth, a fallen Samaritan woman ; and in the end, a noble- man out of a king's court. Pearce thinks that the nobleman was one of the class called Herodians. (Matt. xxii. 16.) [So…
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appears to refer to the common desire expressed by the Jews to see miracles and signs, as a proof of His Messiahship. " Cannot you believe unless you actually see with your own eyes a miracle worked ? Is your faith so small, that except you see something you cannot believe ?" — No doubt our Lord knew the heart of the m…
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conld heal him at a distance, without even seeing him, was some- thing that he could not yet understand. Chrysostom says, " Observe how thes3 very words show the weakness of (he man. When he ought, after Christ had rebuked his state of mind, to have imagined something great concerning Him, even if he did not before, l…
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and Capernaum are not precisely known at the present day. The exact site of Capernaum is matter of dispute among travel- lers and geographers. All we can glean from the expression before us is, that Cana was probably in the hill country, and Capernaum on the lake of Galilee. Hence a person leaving Cana for Capernaum wo…
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[The fever left him.] Trench remarks, that the words seem to indicate, that there was no^ merely an abatement of the lexer, but that it suddenly fur.sook him. Compaie Luke iv, 9. 53. — [Himself believed.] Beda remarks, on the matter of the noble- man's believing, that "there are three degrees of faith, — the beginning…
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Jewish people, who after the fulness of the Gentiles attain salva- tion. The sick son is the Jewish people fallen from the true religion. — This is patristic interpretation ! Allegoiical expositions like this destroy the whole value of God's word. At this rate the Bible niay be made to mean anything. Chemnitius thinks…
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1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue BeUtic^sda, having five porch ^js. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. …
536 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.