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 passage was not written by St. John, that it was written by an uninspired hand, and probably at a later date, and that it has no lawful claim to be regarded as a part of canonical Scripture. — It is held by others, whose opinion, to say the least, is equally entitled to re- spect, that the passage is a genuine part of St. John's Gospel, and that the arguments against it, however weighty they may appear, are insufficient, and admit of an answer. A summary of the whole case is all that I shall attempt to give.
In the list of those who think the passage either not genuine, or at least doubtful, are the following names :— Beza, Grotius, Baxter, Hammond, A. Clark, Tittman, Tholuck, Olshauseu, Hengstenberg, Tregelles, Alford, Wordsworth, Scrivener.
In the list of those who think the passage genuine are the fol- lowing names : — Augustine, Ambrose, Euthymius, Rupertus, %winglg, Ca1v'm) Melapcthon, Ecolampaclius, Brentius, Bucer, Gualter, Musculus, Bullinger, Pellican, Flacius, Diodati, Chem- nitius, Aretius, Piscator, Calovius, Cocceius, Toletus, Malclona- tus, a Lapide, Ferus,Nifanius, Cartwright, Mayer, Trapp, Poole, Lampe, Whitby, Leigh, Doddridge, Beugel, Stier, Webster, Bur- gon.
Calvin is sometimes named as one of those who think the pas- sage before us not genuine. But his language about it in his Commentary is certainly not enough to bear out the assertion. He says, " It is plain that this passage was unknown anciently to the Greek Churches ; and some conjecture that it has been brought from some other place, and inserted here. But as it has always been received by the Latin Churches, and is found in many old Greek manuscripts, and contains nothing unworthy of an Apostle, there is no reason why we should refuse to apply it to our advantage."
A.] The arguments against the passage are as follows :—
(1) That it is not found in some of the oldest and best manu- scripts, now existing, of the Greek Testament.
(2) That it is not found in some of the earlier versions or trai.slations of the Scriptures.
(3) That it is not commented on by the Greek Fathers, Ori- gen, Cyril, Chrysostom, and Theoplrylact, in their exposition of St. John; nor quoted or referred to by Tertullian and Cyprian.
(4) That it differs in style from the rest of St. John's Gospel, and contains several words and forms of expression which are nowhere else used in his writings.