preferably, says εἰκὸς τοῦτο ῥηθῆναι μὲν, μὴ γραφῆναι δέ. Lampe gives the alternatives without determining. Un- doubtedly, although the reference may not be directly to ver. 26, the ἑωράκατε means seeing Jesus in the exercise of His Messianic functions, doing the works given Him by the Father to do. But seeing is not in this case believing. It was found very possible to be in His company and to eat the provision He miraculously provided, and yet disbelieve. If so, what could produce belief? Might not His entire manifestation fail to accomplish its purpose ?—Ver. 37. No; for wav 6 δίδωσι ... Ager. ‘* Everything which the Father gives”; the neuter is used as being more universal than the masculine and including everything
45
754
Vi,
ἥξει: καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρός µε οὗ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω: 38. ὅτι κατα-
Liv. 34. θέληµα τοῦ πέμψαντός pe.
βέβηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ᾿ οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέληµα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ
30. τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ
m Constr. πέμψαντός µε πατρὸς, ἵνα wav ὃ δέδωκέ por, μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐξ
νετ. 29, reff.
Nn νν. 40, 44, 54; Vil. 37, etc.
0 ver. 29.
ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.”
1 πατρος omitted in ΝΑΒΟΡ, etc.
αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸ ἐν "τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα. ἐστι τὸ θέληµα τοῦ πέµψαντός μειὸ "ἵνα was ὁ θεωρῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν, ἔχη ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγὼ "TH
3 , - A 41. Εγόγγυζον οὖν οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι
40. τοῦτο δέ 2
Σ All authorities read γαρ.
3 rov πεµψαντος pe in AEGH ; tov πατρος µου in BCD.
which the Father determines to save from the world’s wreck, viewed as a totality. Cf. νετ. 39, ἀναστήσω αὐτό: and the collective neuter, as in Thucyd., iii. 16, τὸ ἐπιόν for τοὺς ἐπιόντας. Lampe thinks the neuter is used, ‘‘ quia hae personae spectantur ut reale pecu- lium, haereditas, merces, genus, semen, sacerdotium, sanctuarium Domini’’. What is meant by δίδωσιὸ It is an act on God’s part prior to the ‘“‘coming”’ on man’s part; the coming is the result of the giving. Calvinistic interpreters have therefore identified the giving with elec- tion. ‘‘ Donandi verbum perinde valet ac si dixisset Christus, quos elegit Pater, eos regenerat”—Calvin. ‘‘ Patrem dare filio est eligere’’—Melanchthon; and similarly Beza and Lampe. On the other hand, Reynolds represents a number of interpreters when he says, ‘‘It is the present activity of the Father’s grace that is meant, not a foregone conclusion”’. This identifies the Father’s “ giving” with His “drawing,” ver. 44. It would rather seem to be that which determines the drawing, the assigning to Jesus of certain persons who shall form His king- dom. This perhaps involves election but is not identical with it. Cf. xvii. 6: Euthymius replies, from a Semi-Pelagian point of view, to the objections which arise from an Augustinian interpretation of the words. The purpose of the verse is to impart assurance that Christ’s work will not fail. καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον . . . ἔξω. Grotius thinks the ‘casting out” refers to the School of Christ; Liicke thinks the kingdom is referred to. It is scarcely necessary to think of anything more than Christ’s presence or fellowship. This strong asseveration ot μὴ ἐκβάλω, and concentrated Gospel which has brought hope to so many, is here grounded on the will of the Father.—Vv. 38, 39. ὅτι καταβέβηκα . . . ἡμέρ. Everywhere
Jesus forestalls the idea that He is speak- ing for Himself, and is uttering merely human judgments, or is in any way regulated in His action by what is arbitrary: it is the Supreme Will He represents. And this will requires Him to protect and provide for all that is committed to Him. ἵνα πᾶν 6 δέδωκέ μοι, On this nominative absolute, see Licke or Raphel, who justify it by many instances. The positive and negative aspects of the Redeemer’s work, and the permanence of its results, are indicated. On ἀναστήσω . . . ἡμέρᾳ, Bengel says: “Hic finis est ultra quem periculum nullum,” and Calvin finely: ‘Sit ergo hoc animis nostris infixum porrectam esse nobis manum a Christo, ut nos min- ime in medio cursu deserat, sed quo ejus ductu freti secure ad diem ultimum oculos attollere audeamus”’. It is a perfect and enduring salvation the Father has de- signed to give us in Christ.—Ver. 40. In ver. 40 Jesus describes the recipients of salvation from the human side, πᾶς 6 θεωρῶν τὸν vidv καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτόν, the latter, ‘‘ believing,” being necessary, as already shown, to complete the former. The neuter wav necessarily gives place to the masculine. καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγὼ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. This promise recurs like a refrain, vv. 39, 40, 44, 54; each time the éy is expressed and emphatic, «1, this same person who here stands before you, I and no other”. Christ gives His hearers the assurance that in this respect He is superior to Moses, that the life He gives is not confined to this present time. In itself it is a stupendous declaration.