αἰτήσεσθε,ὶ καὶ γενήσεται ὑμῖν. ‘iva καρπὸν πολὺν Φέρητε' καὶ γενήσεσθε” ἐμοὶ µαθηταί.
; XV. µου, 12, etc. ir
8. ἐν τούτω ἐδοξάσθη 6 πατήρ
See Bur- 9. Καθὼς ἠγάπησέ µε ὃ πατὴρ, κἀγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς: Σµείνατε ἐν
ton, 213. g Viil. 31.
τῇ ἀγάπη τῇ ἐμῃ.
1Ο. ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς µου τηρήσητε, μενεῖτε ἐν
τῇ ἀγάπῃ µου: καθὼς ἐγὼ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ πατρός µου τετήρηκα,
καὶ µένω αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ. χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν petvy,® καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇῃ.
II. ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἡ 12. αὕτη
bh νετ, 8τεβ. ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμὴ, "ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἠγάπησα
1 αιτησεσθε, although supported by Ν and Π, must give place to the im-
perative αιτησασθε found in ABDL.
2 T.R. in ΝΑ. Ύγενησθε in BDLM adopted by Tr.W.H., ‘“‘and that ye be my
disciples ”’. 2 4 in ABD 33; µεινη in RLXM.
miraculous interposition it would have been consumed.—Ver. 7. From the fate of those who do not abide in Him, Jesus turns to the results of faithful adherence— ἐὰν µείνητε . . . ὑμῖν. The expression is altered from that of vv. 3 and 5, instead of “and I in you,” we now have “and my words abide in you”; it is by means of His teaching and His commandments that Christ abides in His people, ana by His word they are fitted for fruit-bearing, ver. 3. Not that His words are a substi- tute for His personal presence, but its medium. But His presence is not to ener- gise in them as if they were machines; they are to consider the exigencies that arise, and, giving play to judgment and conscience, are to ask for appropriate manifestations of grace: 6 ἐὰν θέλητε αἰτήσασθε, ‘ask what ye will”. Petitions thus prompted by the indwelling word of Christ will necessarily be answered: καὶ γενήσεται vpiv.—Ver. 8. Further assurance of an answer is given in the fact that the γεωργός is glorified in the fruit-bearing branches: ἐν τούτῳ, ‘in this pre-eminently,”’ z.e., in your bearing much fruit, cf. vi. 29, 30, 40. So, rightly, Weiss and Holtzmann. For construction with ἵνα see Burton on Subject, Pre- dicate and Appositive clauses introduced by ἵνα.---ἐδοξάσθη 6 πατήρ pov, ἵνα, etc. ἐδοξάσθη, proleptic; cf. xiii. 31. The Father is glorified in everything which demonstrates that through Christ His grace reaches and governs men.—«at γενήσεσθε ἐμοὶ µαθηταί, “and ye shall become my disciples”. The ἐμοὶ µαθηταί seems to mean: This is the relation you will hold to me, viz., that of discipleship. ‘‘ A Christian never ‘is,’ but always ‘is becoming’ a Christian.
And it is bv his fruitfulness that he in- dicates his claim to the name.” Westcott.
Vv. 9-17. The disciples are urged to fulfil Christ’s purposes in the world, and are assured that if they abide in the love of Christ they will receive all they need for Sruit-bearing.—Ver. 9. Kalas ἠγάπησε .. « ἐμῃ. Love is the true bond which gives unity to the moral world, and in- spires discipleship. All that Christ experiences is the result of the Father’s love: all that the disciples are called to be and to do is the outcome of Christ’s love. This love of Christ was to be retained as their possession by their con- forming themselves to it: µείνατε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ ἐμῇ, ‘abide in my love,” no longer ‘‘abide in me,” but specifically ‘‘in my love”. Abide in it, for there is a possibility of your falling away from its enjoyment and possession.—Ver. Io. That possibility is defeated, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς pov τηρήσητε. To encourage them in keeping His commandments He reminds them that He also has been subject to the same conditions, and by keeping the Father’s commandments has remained in His love.—Ver. 11. The great joy of iis life had been found in the consciousness of the Father’s love andin the keeping of Hiscommandments: this joy He desires that they may inherit, ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ἡμῖν µείνῃ, ‘my joy,” {.ε., the joy I have enjoyed, the joy which I habitually feel in accomplishing the Father’s will. This joy is not an incommunicable monopoly. —kal ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ, ‘ and your joy be fuil,’’ which it could not be until they, like Him, had the spring of full joy in the consciousness of His love, and perfect obedience to Him; standing in