PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. John — Volume 2
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 168,104 words · 353 reading sections
54 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
not exactly tally with our own, or to set them down as not in the narrow way at all, because they cannot run as fast as ourselves. "We must beware of hasty judgments. It is not always the fastest runner that wins the race. It is not always those who begin suddenly in religion, and profess themselves rejoicing Christian…
397 wordsSECTION 62JOHN, CHAP. VII. 55
rendered, " This man is truly and really the Prophet. " These speakers meant that He must be " the Prophet " like unto Moses, foretold in Deuteronomy. (Dent, xviii. 15, 18.) 41. — [Others said, TJiis is the Christ.'] These speakers saw in our Lord the Messiah, or Anointed Saviour, whom all pious Jews were eagerly expec…
542 wordsSECTION 6356 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
they might kill Him, for they feared the people." (Luke xxil. 2.) Again : "They said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people." (Mark xiv. 2, and Matt. xxvi. 5.) 45. — [Then came the officers, etc.~\ It is not clear what interval of time elapsed between verse 32nd, where we read that the offi- cers…
510 wordsSECTION 64JOHN, CHAP. VII. 57
gant question was doubtless meant to be an unanswerable proof that our Lord could not possibly be the Messiah :—" Can a person be deserving of the least credit, as a teacher of a new religion, if those who are the most learned and highest in posi- tion do not believe Him?" — This is precisely the common argu- ment of h…
1,510 wordsSECTION 6560 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
had arisen from Galilee. According to this view they made an ignorant assertion, and said what was not true. I find it very difficult to receive this third opinion. To me it seems quite preposterous to suppose that men so thoroughly familiar with the letter of Scripture, as the Pharisees were, would venture on such a …
488 wordsSECTION 66JOHN, CHAP. VIII.
61 they dispersed in consequence of Nicodemus' interference. Even one man may do something against many, when God is on his side. Besser quotes a saying of Luther's : " Much as the Pharisees before had blustered, they dared do nothing to Jesus : they be- came still and silent. He goes up to the feast meek and silent,…
108 wordsSECTION 67JOHN VIII. 1—11.
1 Josus went unto the Mount of Olives. 2 And early in the morning he came again to the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woma…
670 wordsSECTION 68JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 63
woman to our Lord had gone out from His presence , " con victed by their own conscience," He dismissed the guilty sinner with the solemn words, " Neither do I condemn thee : go and sin no more." — That she did not deserve pun- ishment He did not say. But He had not come to be a judge. Moreover, in the absence of all wi…
359 wordsSECTION 6964 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Conscience is a most important part of our inward man, and pla}Ts a most prominent part in our spiritual history. It cannot save us. It never yet led any one to Christ. It is blind, and liable to be misled. It is lame and powerless, and cannot guide us to heaven. Yet conscience is not to be despised. It is 'the ministe…
343 wordsSECTION 70JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 05
Notes. John VIII. 1— II. These eleven verses, together with the last verse of the pre- ceding chapter, form perhaps the gravest critical difficulty in the New Testament. Their genuineness is disputed. — It is held by many learned Christian writers, who have an undoubted right to be heard on such matters, that the pass…
454 wordsSECTION 7166 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
(5) That the moral tendency of the passage is somewhat doubtful, and that it seems to represent our Lord as palliating a heinous sin. B ] The arguments in favour of the passage are as follows : — (1) That it is found in many old manuscripts, if not in the very oldest and best. (2) That it is found in the Vulgate Lat…
963 wordsSECTION 7268 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
and enemies of the Christian faith, insomuch that, afraid of its giving their wives impunitj^ of sinning, they struck out of their copies of the Gospel this that our Lord did in pardoning the woman taken in adultery; as if He granted leave of sinning, when he said, " Go and sin no more." Augustine, be it re- membered, …
491 wordsSECTION 73JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 69
the Pharisees twenty times — sixteen times alone, and four timea In conjunction with the chief-priests. This fact is thought by some to be an argument against the genuineness of the passage, but without just cause. St. Mark, in his Gospel, speaks twelve times of the Pharisees, and only twice mentions the Scribes in co…
476 wordsSECTION 7470 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Ecolampadius thinks the Pharisees were especially sore and irritated because our Lord had said that " publicans and harlots '* would enter the kingdom of God before Pharisees. (Matt. xxi. 31.) 6. — [ This they said, tempting... accuse Mm.~\ la what did this temp- tation cousist ? How did the Jews hope to find ground f…
487 wordsSECTION 75JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 71
(2) Some think, as Lightfoot and Burgon, that onr Lord meant to refer to the law of Moses for the trial of jealousy, in which an accused woman was obliged to drink water into which dust from the floor of the tabernacle or temple had been put by the priest. (Num. v. 17.) The action would then imply, " Has the law for tr…
509 wordsSECTION 7672 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
7: " The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death." — It sent their minds home to their own private lives. " Whatever the woman may deserve, are you the people to find fault with her? " — It neither condemned nor justified the adulteress, and yet showed our Lord's reverence for the law of Mose…
1,038 wordsSECTION 77EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
sin? Not so, assuredly. Mark what He says : Go, henceforth sin no more. You see then that the Lord condemned, but He condemned siu, not man. For were He a favourer of sin, He would say, neither will I condemn thee, go, live as thou wilt." The remark of Euthymius that our Lord considered the pub- lic shame and exposure…
184 wordsSECTION 78JOHN VIII. 12-20.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of m…
622 wordsSECTION 7976 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Let us notice, secondly, in these verses, what the Lord Jesus says of those that folloio Him. He promises, "He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." To follow Christ is to commit ourselves wholly and entirely to Him as our only leader and Saviour, and to submit ourselves to H…
695 wordsSECTION 8078 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
Notes. John VIII. 12—20. Before beginning the notes on this section, I will ask any one who doubts the genuineness of the first eleven verses of the chapter, to consider how very awkwardly the twelfth verse would come in if it immediately followed the 52nd verse of the seventh chapter. — The omission of the disputed p…
1,018 wordsSECTION 8180 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
shall possess living light. He shall have spiritual light, as much superior to the light of any lamp or even of the sun, as the living water offered to the Samaritan woman was superior to the water of Jacob's well." The spiritual light that Christ gives is indepen- dent of time or place, — is not affected by sickness o…
477 wordsSECTION 82JOHN, CHAP. VIH. 81
world." None could truly say this but One, who knew that He was very God. No Prophet or Apostle ever said it. (c) We should note how our Lord says that He is " the light of the world." He is not for a few only, but for all mankind. Like the sun He shines for the benefit of all, though all may not value or use His ligh…
487 wordsSECTION 8382 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
meant by these words that even if He did testify of Himself, and make assertions about His own office and mission, His testimony ought not to be despised and disregarded as not trustworthy. Whether His enemies would hear it or not, what He said deserved credit, and was worthy of all acceptation. — " The testimony that …
510 wordsSECTION 84JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 83
Calvin thinks that "flesh" is here used in opposition to< " spirit," and that the meaning is, " You judge on carnal wicked principles," and not "You judge after the outward appearance." Most commentators think that the expression refers to our Lord's humble appearance. [J judge no man.'] In these words onr Lord puts i…
501 wordsSECTION 8584 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
17.— [It is also written, etc.~\ Our Lord, in this verse, reminds cne Jews of an admitted principle of the law of Moses,— that the testimony of two witnesses deserved credit. (Deut. xvii. 6; xix. 15.) " You will admit that the testimony of two witnesses deserves credit at any rate, although one witness alone may prove …
488 wordsSECTION 86JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 85
being, for so He and His Father are one; but in respect of His office, as He was sent, and His Father was He who sent Him." 19. — [Then said tliey...Wliere is thy Father?] This question of the Jews was probably not asked in a tone of serious inquiry, or from real desire to know. It was more likely sneering and sarcast…
481 wordsSECTION 8786 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
as that in the words spoken to Philip, when in reply to Philip's question, "Lord, show us the Father," Jesus said, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." (John xiv. 8, 9.) I think this is at least doubtful. The thing that Philip needed to know was the precise relation between the Father and Son. The thiug that th…
424 wordsSECTION 88JOHN VIII. 21—30.
21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. 22 Then said tho Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. 23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of…
450 wordsSECTION 8988 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
vently, exhibit a strong spiritual feelings, and profess for a season to " seek Christ," and be a different man. And yei all this time his heart may never be touched at all ! Take away the peculiar circumstances that affected him, and he may possibly return at once to his old ways. He sought Christ " in vain," because …
354 wordsSECTION 90JOIIN, CHAP. VIII. 89
unbelieving Jews, — " Ye are from beneath, I am from above : ye are of this world, I am not of this world." These words, no doubt, have a special application to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In the highest and most literal sense, there never was but One who could truly say, " I am from above, — I am not of this world…
360 wordsSECTION 9190 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
can bring man. Our Lord sa}'s to his enemies, " If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." These solemn words are invested with peculiar solemnity when we consider from whose lips they came. Who is this that speaks of men d}Ting " in their sins," unpardoned, unforgiven, unfit to meet God, — of men goi…
357 wordsSECTION 92JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 91
Finally, let us never forget that unbelief is the special sin that ruins men's souls. Had the Jews believed on our Lord, all manner of sin and blasphemy might have been forgiven them. But unbelief bars the door in mercy's face, and cuts off hope. Let us watch and pray hard against it. Immortality slays its thousands, b…
449 wordsSECTION 9392 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
finished the work of man's redemption. To this a wicked maw cannot come. Unbelief shuts him out. It is impossible in the nature of things that an unforgiven, unconverted, unbelieving man can go to heaven. The words in Greek are emphatic, — " Ye cannot come." The notion of Augustine and others that " ye shall seek Me" …
553 wordsSECTION 94JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 93
with, "Ye shall not find Me," and "Ye shall die in your sins." In the last, it evidently means the temporary separation be- tween Christ and His disciples which would be caused by His ascension. Melancthon observes that nothing seems to bring on men such dreadful guilt and punishment as neglect of the Gospel. The Jews…
489 wordsSECTION 9594 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
cannot come whore I go, and will die in your sins. Unless your hearts are changed, and you learn to be of one mind with Me, you are totally unmeet for heaven, and must at last die in your sins." The expressions "from beneath" and "from above" nrc strong figurative phrases, intended to put in contrast earth and heaven.…
1,007 wordsSECTION 9606 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
interpretations. The difficulty arises chiefly from the word " beginning." (a) Some think, as our own English version, Chrysostom, Calvin, Bucer, Glial ter, Cartwright, Rollock, and Lightfoot, that "beginning" means the beginning of our Lord's ministry. " I am the same person that I told you I was from the very first …
496 wordsSECTION 97JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 97
to say what I have said ; and I might say much more, because I am not a common prophet, but am commissioned and sent as the Word of the Father." The frequency with which our Lord speaks of Himself as " sent by the Father," in St. John's Gospel, should be carefully noticed. When our Lord speaks of Himself as " hearing…
485 wordsSECTION 9898 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
toll you that then ye shall most surely know that I am, by reason of the miracle of my resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusa- lem. When ye have been driven away from your place of wor- ship, and it is not even allowed you to serve God as hitherto, then ye shall know that He doth this to avenge Me, and because He …
462 wordsSECTION 99JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 99
The expression, " as my Father hath taught Me I speak these things," again bears special reference to the divine commission of our Lord and the perfect union between Himself and His Father. " I do not speak the things I speak of Myself and by My own authority only. I speak nothing but what My Father has taught, commiss…
835 wordsSECTION 100JOHN VIII. 31-36.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And yo shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free ? 34 Jesus an…
128 wordsSECTION 101JOIIX, CHAP. VIII. 101
it seems, at this particular period, who professed to believe on our Lord, and expressed a desire to become His disci- ples. There is nothing to show that they had true faith. They appear to have acted under the influence of temporary excitement, without considering what they were doing. And to them our Lord addresses …
349 wordsSECTION 102102 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
his speed, is he that " runs so as to obtain." By all means let us be hopeful when we see anything like conversion. But let us not make too sure that it is real conversion, until time has set its seal upon it. Time and wear test metals, and prove whether they are solid or plated. Time and wear, in like manner, are the …
692 wordsSECTION 103104 EXPOSITOHY THOUGHTS.
for evermore. Death cannot stop it. The grave cannot even hold their bodies for more than a little season. Those whom Christ makes free are free to all eternity. Let us never rest till we have some personal experience of this freedom ourselves. Without it all other freedom is a worthless privilege. Free speech, free l…
913 wordsSECTION 104106 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
we are regenerate, we have the Spirit," while their lives show plainly that they are totally mistaken. [How sayest thou... made free?'] This question was partly asked in anger and resentment, and partly in curiosity. Angry as the Jews were at the idea of being subject to any one, they yet caught at the expression "be …
1,048 wordsSECTION 105108 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
the Son of God had. Theophylact and Euthymius take the same view. Maldonatus calls attention to the expression in Hebrews, where Moses and Christ are put in contrast, and each in con- nection with the word " house," Moses as a servant, Christ as a Son. St. Paul certainly seems there to refer to this pas- sage. (Heb. i…
335 wordsSECTION 106JOHN VIII. 37—47.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered aud said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye…
105 wordsSECTION 107JOHN, CHAP. VIII.
109 Then said they to him, We he not born of fornication ; we have one Fa- ther, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, yo would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech ? even because ye cannot hear my word…
406 wordsSECTION 108110 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
have been baptized ; they go to the Lord's table ;" — but they can tell jrou no more. Of all the essential doctrines of the Gospel the}' are totally ignorant. Of faith, and grace, and repentance, and holiness, and spiritual mindedness they know nothing at all. But, forsooth ! they are Churchmen, and so the}' hope to go…
688 wordsSECTION 109112 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
life, to bring us down to the second death in hell, ai'e the things for which he is unceasingly working. He is ever going about, seeking whom he may devour. — He is a liar! He is continually trying to deceive us by false represen- tations, just as he deceived Eve at the beginning. He is always telling us that good is e…
385 wordsSECTION 110JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 113
Abraham does you no good, for ye are seeking to murder Me at this very moment, though I have come to fulfil the promises made to Abraham." Here, as well as at the 40th verse, and chapter vii. 19, our Lord shows His perfect knowledge of all the designs of His enemies. He gives us an example of steady perseverance in Go…
486 wordsSECTION 111114 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
dren according to the flesh, and yet not Abraham's children according to the Spirit. — "If ye were true spiritual descendants of Abraham, you would show it by doing such things as Abra- ham did. Your works would be like his, because springing from a like faith." The distinction here drawn by our Lord is a very importa…
502 wordsSECTION 112JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 115
Himself in the point cf view iu which His unbelieving enemies ought to have regarded Him, if they could not yet acknowledge His divinity. " I am among you a man speaking the truth : and yet ye seek to kill Me." — The attempt of Jews and Socinians to show that our Lord was not really God, founded on this text, is futile…
503 wordsSECTION 113116 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
and self-righteousness, made no such nice distinction. They did not see that national sonship and covenant sonship with- out spiritual sonship, are nothiug worth. Hence they brought on themselves the stern rebuke of the next verse. 42. — [Jesus said... if God. ..your Father.. .love me.'] Our Lord here tells the Jews, …
1,007 wordsSECTION 114118 EXPOSITORY TIIOUGHTS.
can come unto Me," and " His brethren could not speak peacea- bly unto him." (John vi. 44; Gen. xxxvii. 4.) It means, "Ye have no will to hear with your hearts." Chrysostom remarks : " Not to be able here means not to be willing." 44. — [Ye are of your father the devil, etc."] This verse deserves special attention, b…
526 wordsSECTION 115JOHN, CHAP. VIII. 119
Origen remarks : " It was not one man only that the devil killed, but the whole human race, inasmuch as in Adam all die. So that he is truly called a murderer." When our Lord says that the " devil abode not in the truth," I think He teaches that the devil is a fallen spirit, and that he was originally made very good a…
513 wordsSECTION 116120 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
viz., of the liar, of every one that tells a lie. This is the view of Brentius, Bengel, Stier, Hengstenberg, and Alford. (b) Some think that it means " he is a liar, and his father." This was an error of the Manicheans, and justly reproved by Augustine. Yet Grotius seems to hold this view, and maintains that he who de…
982 wordsSECTION 117JOHN VIII. 4S— 59.
48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil ? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil ; but I honour my father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep …
806 wordsSECTION 118124 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
knows nor cares anything about the Gospel. It belongs to him who receives into his heart, and obej^s in his life, the message which the Lord Jesus brought from heaven. It belongs, in short, to those who are Christians, not in name and form only, biit in deed and in truth. It is written, — " He that overcometh shall not…
694 wordsSECTION 119126 EXIOSITORY THOUGHTS.
extent to which calling names is carried by Oriental people, even in the present day, is something far greater than in this coun- try we can imagine. "When the Jews called our Lord " a Samaritan," they meant much the same as saying that He was no true Jew, and little better than a heathen. "The Jews have no dealings w…
1,050 wordsSECTION 120128 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
The width and greatness of this promise are very remarkable. Ever since the day of Adam's fall death has been man's peculiar enemy. Man has found the truth of the sentence, " In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely die." (Gen. ii. 27.) But our Lord boldly and opeuly proclaims that in keeping His saying there is comple…
513 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.