PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. John — Volume 3
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 220,804 words · 484 reading sections
JOHN, CHAP. XV. 223
and unfit to die. They rest in that unhappy phrase, " We know it, we know it," as if knowledge could wash away all their sins, — forgetting that the devil has more knowledge than any of us, and yet is no better for it. Let the burning words of our Lord in the passage now before us, sink down into our hearts, and never …
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Son. Why the Holy Ghost should be said to be sent by the Son, and to proceed from the Father, in this verse, we cannot tell. But we may quietly repose our minds in the thought expressed in an ancient creed, that " In this Trinity none is afore or after other : none is greater or less than another." — " Such as the Fath…
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their portion to be, so long as they lived. They would have to bear testimony to facts which many would not believe, and to truths which the natural heart would dis- like. They would often have to stand alone, a few against many, a little flock against a great multitude. None of these things must move them. They must c…
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(Deut. xviii. 18, 19) of a Prophet to be raised up like Moses, to whom the Jews were to hearken ? Does He not seem to say, " I have come as that Prophet, and have spoken my Father's words, and they ought to have received and hearkened to them ? The refusal of the promised Prophet is of itself their condemnation, and le…
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tliey now are, if they had not seen my miracles as well as heard my words. But now they have both seen and heard over- whelming proofs of my Divine mission, and yet remain unbe- lieving. They have had the clearest evidence that could be given — the evidence of works and words ; and yet they have persisted in hating bot…
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and priest, and Pliarisee and Sadducee, was another fulfil- ment. The " proceeding " here spoken of, we must remember, does not merely mean that the Spirit is sent by the Father, and comes from the Father. All the best interpreters agree in thinking, that it means the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit. We should …
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129 present tense. They would be naturally rendered, " Ye do bear witness," and, " Ye are with Me." Does this point to the cer- tainty of the testimony being borne ? " Ye do bear witness : " you are sure to be enabled to do it. In leaving this chapter, let us not fail to note how systemati- cally our blessed Master g…
139 wordsSECTION 128JOHN XVI. 1—7.
1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever kiJleth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor rae. 4 But these things liave…
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the world would hate them, despitefully use them, and put them to death. And, worst of all, their persecutors would actually persuade themselves that it was right to persecute, and would inflict the crudest injuries in the sacred name of religion. How true the prediction has turned out ! Like every other prophecy of S…
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No Christian is in a healthy state of mind who is not prepared for trouble and persecution. He that expects to cross the troubled waters of this world, and to reach heaven with wind and tide always in his favor, knows nothing yet as he ought to know. We never can tell what is before us in life. But of one thing we may …
340 wordsSECTION 131JOHN, CHAP. XVI. 133
into heaven, it is plain that the Holy Ghost could not have come down with special power on the day of Pen- tecost, and bestowed His manifold gifts on the Church. Mysterious as it may be, there was a connection in the eternal counsels of God, between the ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit. If Christ …
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There is no nominative liere to wliicli we can refer " tliey." It is an Hebraism equivalent to '■ You will be put out." Hengstenberg observes, " The disciples were not to depart voluntarily out of the synagogue, but to await what would happen to them on a full proclamation of the Gospel. This gives a very intelligible…
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4. — [But these things have I told, etc.'] Here once more our Lord repeats His reasons for telling tlie disciples what they must expect. " I have told you what treatment you will receive, in order that you may not be surprised when the time of trial conies, but may remember that I foretold you all, and not be cast down…
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row is, and to seek grace to keep it in proper control. No affection, if uncontrolled, so disarranges the order of men's minds, and unfits them for the duties of their calling. 7. — [^Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, etc.'] In this verse we set our Lord mercifully condescending to show His disciples the necessity f…
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Bishop Andrews remarks, " We sliall never see tlie absolute necessity of the Holy Ghost's coming, until we see the incon- venience of His not coming." The expression, " I tell you the truth," is a very solemn, emphatic one. It is like, "' Verily, verily I say, whether you believe me or not, it is true." The expressio…
400 wordsSECTION 136JOHN XVL 8—15.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of rigtiteousuess, and of judgment. 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me ; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see me no more ;…
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11 Of judgment, beoause the prince of this world is judged. 12 1 have yet many things to say ■unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth : for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak ; and he will …
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them of their own sins, of Christ's righteousness, and of the certainty of judgment at last, will hardly satisfy thinking minds. It is a short-cut and superficial way of getting over Scripture difficulties. It contains excellent and sound doctrine, no doubt, but it does not meet the full meaning of our Lord's words. It…
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doctrine." Not a few of the nation, we know, were sav- ingly convinced, like St. Paul, and " a great company of priests " became obedient to the faith. Myriads more, we have every reason to believe, were mentally con- vinced, if they had not courage to come out and take up the cross. The whole tone of the Jewish people…
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they were first preached, and that there were no special graces or eloquence in the preachers that can account for it. In truth, the world was " reproved and con- vinced," in spite of itself ; and even those who did not become believers became better men. Surely this also was partly what our Lord had in view when He sa…
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cially on the day of Pentecost. From tliat day began an enor- mous extension of His influence and operation on human na- ture : an influence so much wider than it ever was before, that He is said to have " come." Lightfoot remarks that " the Holy Spirit had absented Him- Self from the Jewish nation for four hundred ye…
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tlie day of Pentecost tlie Holy Ghost, tlie great Advocate of Me and my people, shall come into this world with such mighty power that He shall silence, convince, and stop the mouths of your enemies, and oblige them, however unwillingly, to think of Me and my cause very differently from what they think now. In particul…
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Holy Spirit after our Lord's ascension, have been led to form such sentiments about sin, rigliteousness, and a future judg- ment, as the world up to that time had not the most remote conception of ; so that a far higher standard of morals has been fixed throughout numerous nations than was at all thought of before." 9…
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tilings which appear to me not warranted by the words of the evangelist. 13. — [/ liaioe yet many tilings. ..you^ This clause seems to refer to the higher, fuller, deeper views of Christian truth which our Lord doubtless revealed to His disciples during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, when He wa…
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knowledge, but as sons, making known to us all the truth of God. (Gal. iv. 6.) It is worth notice that in the Greek it is literally, " guide into all THE truth ; " as if it specially meant *' the truth concerning Me." Poole remarks that the Greek word rendered " guide," is one of great emphasis, signifying not only a…
447 wordsSECTION 146EXPOSITOEY THOUGHTS.
and pretended revelations, subsequent to and beside Christ ; it being the work of the Spirit to testify to the things of Christ, and not to anything new or beyond Him." 15. — [All things. ..Father. ..mine, etc.] Tlie object of this deep verse seems to be to show the entire unity between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in …
304 wordsSECTION 147JOHN XVI. 16—24.
16 A little while, and ye shall not see me : and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the i'ather. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me : and again, a little wliile, and ye shall see me : and, Because I g…
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Not all Christ's sayings were understood by His dis- ciples. We are told this distinctly in the passage we have now read. — " What is this that he saith ? We, cannot tell what he saith." — None ever spake so plainly as Jesus. None were so thoroughly accustomed to His style of teaching as the Apostles. Yet even the Apos…
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the power of sin, and all things not put under Christ ; — ■ so long their happiness and peace must needs be incom- plete. This is what St. Paul meant when he said, " We ourselves, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." (Rom. vii.…
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would have all His people, in every age, understand that the secret of comfort during His absence is to be instant in prayer. He would have us know that if we cannot see Him with our bodily eyes any longer, we can talk with Him, and through Him have special access to God. " Ask and ye shall receive," He proclaims to al…
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refer wlien He says, " a little while and ye shall not see Me," and " ye shall see Me " ? There are two answers. (a) Some think, as Chrysostom, Cyril, and Hengstenberg-, that our Lord only meant, " in a few hours I shall be removed by death, and buried, and then you will not see Me ; and again after three days I shall…
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full sense of the words wlien tliey first heard tliem, tlie niglit before the crucifixion. 18. — \_They said therefore. ..little ^ohile.] This sentence shows that it was the " time " mentioned — " a little while " — which per- plexed the disciples. We may conjecture that they could not make out whether it meant " lite…
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affords time for the weeping and rejoicing which is here de- scribed. Nor is it quite clear that the day during which our Lord lay in the grave was a day of rejoicing to His enemies, if we may judge their anxiety to prevent, if possible. His resur- rection from the dead. 21. — [A woman, etc.] This verse is an illustra…
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lievers can look forward. Now we are in tlie wilderness, and our sorrowless home is yet to be reached. Then, and then only, will tears be wiped from all eyes. 23. — [And in that day... ask... nothing. 1 In the first part of this verse I believe, with Augustine, that the " day " spoken of is the day of our Lord's secon…
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157 [Ask...receive... joy. ..full.'] This sentence means, " From lience- forth begin tiie practice of asking everything in my name and through my mediation. Ask fully and confidently, and you shall receive fully and abundantly. So asking, you shall find the joy and comfort of your own souls enlarged and filled up." J…
309 wordsSECTION 156JOHN XVI. 25—33.
25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs : but the time Cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name ; and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you : 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye…
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The passage we have now read is a very remarkable portion of Scripture, for two reasons. On the one hand, it forms a suitable conclusion to our Lord's long parting address to His discij)les. It was meet and right that such a solemn sermon should have a solemn ending. On the other hand it contains the most general and u…
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unto Himself, — as God specially well-pleased with the atoning sacrifice of His Son, whereby His law is hon- ored; to think of God the Father in this way is not given to most men. No wonder that our Master says, " I will show you plainly of the Father." Let it be part of our daily prayers, that we may know more of " t…
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genuine. They were graces which hundreds of learned priests and scribes and Pharisees never attained, and, not attaining, died miserably in their sins. Let us take great comfort in this blessed truth. The Saviour of sinners will not cast off them that believe in Him, because they are babes in faith and knowledge. He w…
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"then am I strong." (2 Cor. xii. 10.) None of us, per- haps, have the least idea how much we might fall if placed suddenly under the influence of strong tempta- tion. Happy is he who never forgets the words, " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall ; " and, remembering our Lord's disciples, prays dail…
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ter, — " Lord, didst not Thou say, Be of good cheer ? Lord, do as Thou hast said, and cheer us to the end." Notes. John xvi. 25 — ^^33. 25. — {^These t7dngs...proverhs.] Our Lord seems here to begin windiug up and concluding His discourse. The expression " these things,'* seems to nie to apply to all that He had been…
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Augustine, quoted by Burgon, remarks, " When Christ came forth from the Father. He so came into the world as never to leave the Father ; and He so left the world and went unto the Father as never to leave the world." 29. — l^His disciples said, etc.'] The words of the disciples seem to be a reference to our Lord's sta…
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32. — {Behold the hour. ..leave Me alone."] In this sentence onr Lord reveals to his confident hearers, the amazing fact tliat they, even they, w^ould in a very short time forsake Him, desert Him, run away and fail in faith altogether. " Behold ! " He begins, to denote how wonderful it was, " the hour cometh, yea, is n…
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[In the world.. .tribulation.] Here our Lord tells tlie eleven, plainly and honestly, that they must expect trouble and perse- cution from the world. He does not conceal that tlie way to heaven is not smooth and strewed with flowers. On the con- trary, " all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per- secuti…
338 wordsSECTION 165JOHN XVII. 1—8.
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyea to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come ; glo- rify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify" thee : 2 As tliou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that thiy might kno…
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thought is full of comfort. Such people know and feel that great sinners need a great Saviour, and that no mere human redeemer would meet their wants. Then let them rejoice in Christ, and lean back confidently on Him. Christ has all power, and is able to save to the uttermost, because Christ is divine. Office, power, a…
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it and the man of the world. Wherever the gracious Saviour of sinners sees true faith in Himself, however feeble, He looks with compassion on many infirmities, and passes by many defects. It was even so with the eleven apostles. They were weak and unstable as water ; but they believed and loved, their Master when milli…
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Newton observes that gesture and demeanor in God's wor- sliip, though not everything, are something, [And said, Father, the hour is come.'] The " hour ** here named is the hour appointed in God's eternal counsels for the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and the final accomplishment of His atonement. That time, wliich…
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The plirase "eternal life " includes everytliing tliat is neces- Barj to the complete salvation of a soul, — the life of justifica- tion, sanctification, and final glory. The Son gives " eternal life " to none but those who are " given to Him," in the everlasting counsels of the Trinity, from all eternity. Who these a…
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Do we know God, and do we know Christ ar»glit ? are the two great questions to be considered. God known out of Christ is a consuming fire, and will fill us with fear only. Christ known without God will not be truly valued : we shall see no meaning in His Cross and passion. To see clearly at the same time a holy, pure, …
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words I take to be this. " I have completed the work of re- demption which Thou didst send Me into the world to accom- plish,— My death and resurrection being so near that to all intents and purposes it is finished." On the use of the past tense here instead of the future, Au- gustine remarks, *' Christ saith He has f…
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It is needless to say that the things asked in this prayer, both here and elsewhere, are very deep, and reach far beyond man's understanding. The glory which the Son had with the Father, in the time before the creation of the world, is a mat- ter passing our comprehension. But the pre-existence of Christ, tlie doctrine…
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179 that " men " are emphatically mentioned here to the seclusion of angels. Believers are " given " to Christ by the Father, according to an everlasting covenant made and sealed, long before they were born ; and taken out from the world, by the calling of the Spirit, in due time. They are the Father's peculiar prop-…
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on a right knowledge of the Father as the great truth which He came into the world to reveal. 8. — [For 1 hane given... words. ..gavest Me.] In this sentence our Lord declares what He had done in teaching His disciples : He had given them the words, doctrines or truths, which the Fa- ther had given Him to proclaim to …
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181 ciples, and covers their failings. How poorly had they re- ceived Christ's Word ! How weak and staggering was their faith ! How oft had Clirist reproved them sharply for their unbelief and other faults ! Yet not a word of all this in Christ's representing them to His Father ! This is the constant, gra- cious way o…
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loving one person more than another. Yet tlie world's objections to the doctrine are, as usual, weak and un- reasonable. Surely a little reflection might show us that a God who regarded good and bad, holy and unholy, righteous and unrighteous, with equal complacency and favor, would be a very strange kind of God ! The …
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Judas fell never to rise again, while Peter fell, but re- pented, and was restored, the reason of the difference lay under those words of Christ to Peter, " I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.". (Luke xxii. 32.) The true servant of Christ ought to lean back his soul on the truth before us, and take comfor…
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The point in dispute is a nice and delicate one, and will probably never be settled. On the one hand we must take care that we do not forget that our Lord Jesus Christ does take a special interest in His believing people, and does do special things for tliem which He does not do for the wicked and unbelieving. — On the…
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people, that they may be kept, sanctified, united, and glorified ; but I do not pray for the world." The famous text, " Father, forgive them " (Luke xxiii. 34), is at best a doubtful one. Will any one undertake to say, that those for whom our Lord prayed were never forgiven and gaved ? — Have we forgotten that within …
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tlie distinction of tlie Persons in tlie Trinity, is very remark- able and instructive. [I am glorified in them.'\ In this sentence our Lord seems to return to the disciples. " I have been and am glorified in them, by their faith, and obedience and love, when the vast majority of their countrymen have hated and reject…
476 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.