Heavenly things (Ta ézovpdvia). Compounded with ézi, upon or in, and ovpaves, heaven. Not holy things as compared with sinful, nor spiritual things as compared with temporal ; but things which are in heaven, mysteries of redemption, hav- ing their seat in the divine will, realized in the world through the work and death of Jesus Christ and the faith of mankind (v. 14-16). Thus it is said (ver. 13) that the Son of man who is in heaven came down out of heaven, and in vy. 31, 32 that He that cometh out of heaven beareth witness (on earth) of what He has seen and heard; and that, being sent from God, He speaketh the words of God (ver. 34).
It has been urged against the genuineness of the fourth Gospel that the lofty and mystical language which is there as- cribed to Jesus is inconsistent with the synoptical reports of His words. That if the one represents truthfully His style of speaking, the other must misrepresent it. Godet’s words on this point are worth quoting: ‘It would be truly curious that the first who should have pointed out that contrast should be the Evangelist himself against whose narrative it has been brought forward as a ground of objection. The author of the fourth Gospel puts these words (iii. 12) into the mouth of Jesus. He there declares that He came down from heaven to bring this divine message to the world. The author of the fourth Gospel was then clearly aware of two ways of teaching adopted by Jesus; the one the usual, in which he explained earthly things, evidently always in their relation to God and His kingdom; the other, which contrasted in many respects with the first, and which Jesus employed only exceptionally, in which He spoke directly, and as a witness, of God and the things of God, always naturally in connection with the fate of mankind. The instructions of the first kind had a more simple, more practical, more varied character. They referred to the different situations of life; it was the exposition of the true moral relations of men to each other, and of men to God.
But in that way Jesus could not attain to the final
_aim which He sought, the full revelation of the divine mys-
tery, of the plan of salvation. Since His baptism Jesus had
heaven constantly open before Him; the decree of salvation was Vou. Il.—7