τι ἂν αἰτήσητε lay τῷ ὀνόματί
πατὴρ ἐν τῷ vig. 14. ἐάν τι
824 KATA ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ Γχν.1δ πατέρα µου πορεύοµαι. 13. καὶ ὅ µου, τοῦτο ποιήσω: ἵνα δοξασθῇ 6 αἰτήσητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί µου, ἐγὼ ποιήσω. m Burton,
15. ““Edv ἀγαπᾶτέ µε, τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς ™ τηρήσατε.ὶ
16.
250. a nver.26; καὶ ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἄλλον " παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν,
xv. 26; Jo. i
XVi. 13.
xvi.7. 1 ἵνα µένῃ μεθ ὑμῶν eis τὸν αἰῶνα, 17. τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ 6 1. Te a - οχν.2;. Κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὗ θεωρεῖ αὐτὸ, οὐδὲ γινώσκει αὐτό”
1 a A a Jo.iv.6. ὑμεῖς δὲ γινώσκετε αὐτὸ, ὅτι wap’ ὑμῖν péver,? καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ~orar.®
' τηρησετε is read in BL 54, 73, “ye will keep”. This is adopted by Tr.Ti.W.H.R. τηρησατε, “keep,” is found in ADQ, it. vulg. and other versions.
2 The vulg. has “' manebit,” having read pevet. So Arm. and Aeth. versions. ’ T.R. supported by RAD?LMl 33. εστιν by BD* 1, 22, and is adopted by Tr. and W.H.
self. First, in vv. 12-14: second, in vv. 15-17; third, in vv. 18-21. The mention of the Paraclete in connection with this third item of encouragement gives rise to a fourth interruption, this time by Judas, vv. 22-24; and at ver. 25 Jesus resumes His explanation of the Paraclete’s func- tion, and closes with several considera- tions calculated to remove their fears.— Ver. 12. ἁἀμὴν . . . ποιήσει. The first encouragement is the assurance that through Christ’s absence the disciples would be enabled to do greater works than Jesus Himself had done. These ‘‘ greater”? works were the spiritual effects accomplished by the disciples, especially the great novel fact of conver- sion. See this developed in Parker's The Paraclete. Such works were to be possible ὅτι . . . πορεύοµαι. It was by founding a spiritual religion and altering men’s views of the spiritual world Christ enavled His followers to do these greater works. Here this is explained on the plane of the disciples’ thoughts and in this form: “I go to my Father, the source of all power, and whatever you ask in my name I will do it ’.—Ver. 13. τοῦτο ποιήσω, SO what they do is still His doing ; one condition being attached to their prayers, that they ask ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί pov. The name of a person can only be used when we seek to en- force his will and further his interests. This gives the condition of successful prayer: it must be for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. For the end of all is ἵνα δοξασθῃ 6 πατὴρ ἐν τῷ vid, that is, that the fulfilment of God’s purpose in sending forth His Son may be mani- fest in Christ’s people and in their beneficent work in the world.—Ver. 14. In ver. 14 the promise is repeated, as
Euthymius says, for confirmation: τὸ αὐτὸ λέγει βεβαιῶν μάλιστα τὸν λόγον. Perhaps, too, additional significance is given to His agency by introducing ἐγώ. Cf. Bengel and Meyer.
Vv. 15-17. The second encouragement : the promise of another Paraclete.—Ver. 15. éav... τηβήσατε. The fulfilment of the promise He is about to give depends upon their condition of heart and life. This therefore He announces as the preamble to the promise. On their side there would be a constant endeavour to carry out His instructions : on His side κἀγὼ ἐρωτήσω . . . During His ministry Jesus has said little of the Spirit. Now on the eve of His departure He directs attention to this “' alter ego”’. He designates Him ἄλλον παράκλητον, implying that Jesus Himself was a Paraclete. See 1 John ii. 1. παράκλητος᾽ is literally advocatus, called to one’s aid, especially in a court of justice. [Cf παραστάτης in Arist., Thesm., 360; Eccl., 9.) See especially Hatch, Essays in Bibl. Greek, p. 82, and Westcott’s 6 Additional Note’’. ‘‘ Comforter” in A.V. is used in its original sense of “strengthener”’ (con, fortis); as in Wiclifi’s version of Phil. iv. 13, ““I may all thingis in him that comfortith me”’ (see Wright’s Bible Word-Book). Thin Paraclete should remain with them fer ever, and He is specifically designated (ver. 17) τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, cf. xvi. 13,14; He would enable them to under- stand the new truths which were battling with their old conceptions, and to re- adjust their beliefs round a new centre. He would explain the departure of Christ, and the principles of the new economy under which they were henceforth ta live. This spirit was to be peculiarly