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 beginning of My ministry among you." This view is confirmed by the Septnagint rendering of Gen. xliii. 18, 20.
(b) Some think, as Theophylact, Melancthon, Aretius, and Musculus, that "beginning" is an adverb, and means simply, " as an opening or beginning statement." " First of all, as a commencement of My reply, I tell you that I am what I always said I was."
(c) Some think, as Augustine, Rupertus, Toletus, Ferus, Jansenius, Lampe, and Wordsworth, that " beginning " is a sub- stantive, and means the Beginning of all things, the personal Beginning, like " I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." (Rev. i. 8; xxi. 6; xxii. 13.) It would then mean, " I am the great beginning of all things, the eternal God, as I always said."
The reader must exercise his own judgment on these three views. The extreme brevity and conciseness of the Greek words make it very hard to give a decided opinion upon them. On the whole, I prefer the view taken by our translators. In three other places in St. John's Gospel our Lord speaks of His early ministry as "the beginning." (John vi. 64; xv. 27; xvi. 4.) In no place in St. John's Gospel does He ever call Himself "the beginning." As to the second view, that it only means, "First of all, as an opening statement," it seems to me so meagre, flat and bald, that I cannot think it is correct.
Rollock, who takes the view of our English version, observes what a bright example onr Lord here sets to all Christians, and especially to ministers, of always telling the same story, and witnessing one and the same confession without variation.
26. — [Uiave many things, etc.~\ This verse again is very elliptical. This meaning seems to be as follows: "You marvel and are angry at My saying that you are from beneath, and will die in your sin, and cannot come where I go. You ask who I am that speak and judge in this manner. But I tell you that I have many other things that I might say, and other judgments that I might pronounce about you. But I forbear now. Yet I tell you that He who sent Me is the one true God ; and I only speak to the world things which I have heard of Him, and am com- missioned by Him to proclaim. He that sent Me will prove them to be true one day."
The general idea seems to be that our Lord defends His right to speak decidedly and pronounce judgment on His enemies* conduct on the ground of His divine mission. " I have a right