The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 232

l'onsriou~nc-Rs tlu~t ho <'RD SR.y, "I Rnd th11 whiob nnticipato tho glorious reign nnd vio- FRthc-r ue onC':" rmd (oh. x. 17, 1~) "I will tory of the Uhrist and the extension of his IRy dnwn my life that I mRy te.ke it RgBin " kingdom, when ooupled with those whioh (c-r. Eph. iv. 8-10). portrayed the sorrows of Messiah oud of the Ver. 22.-When therefore he WM rai&ed ideal Sufferer, implicitly convey the enme from the dead, hia di&oiplea remembered that thought. Consequently, numerous passnges he apake thiB (to them '), nd believed the in Isaiah, Mica.h, Daniel, Zeohoriah, Malachi, Boripture, and the word whioh J'esm Aid. with Ps. ii. and luii., xiv., eto., to.ken in 'l'his frequent contrast instituted by the connection with prediction of the sorrows of Rpostle between the first impression pro- Messiah, did prepare the disciples to believe duc-.c,-d on the diBOiples (himself among that the Holy One oould not be holden by them) and that whioh was produced by the pangs of denth (Acts ii. 24, eto.). Before subsequent reflection after the resurrection closmg this paragraph, we must notice that, of JeRus and gift of the Spirit, becomes a in this entire tmnse.otion, the Lord is notse- powerful mark of authenticity (compare the pRl'ating himselffrom the existing theocre.oy, pas1<&gos which Godet baa here cited, eh. iv. but interpreting its highest meaning. In the 32, 33; ,·ii. 39; xi. 12; xii. 16, 33; xiii. 28; cleousing of the temple ot the le.et he was with many others). "A pseado-John imagin- judging and condemning. The vindication ing, in the second century, this ignorance of by our Lord of his own action was very the apostle in regard to a e&ying which he different on tl1e latter ocoasiou from what it 1,ad invented himself, is 'criticism' dnsh- is here (cf. John ii. 16 with Mark xi. 17), ing itself ago.inst moral impossibility." e.nd numerous other accompaniments are 'l'hese quiet "asides" and reflections of the profoundly differeut; nor did he then speak biographer on the mistaken ideas which he of the destruction of the temple, although, as cites ond corrects, are of cousummate value, we have seen, much exaggerated and mis- as pointing out the stnges by which the apprehensive talk concerning him had been moet stupendous idee..s that have taken floating among the people (Malt. :uvi. 61). human spirits captive dawned on the moet Ver. 23-ch. iii. 2.-(3) Numerous signs susceptible minds. The " Word" and the in Jerusalem, with their two/old, effects, " Scriptarc" helped the disciples to subl!e- Ver. 23.-A new paragraph ie commenced quent faith, Why ie "Scripture" in the here. The conversation with Nicodemus singular, seeing that John used this form is prefaced by a very remnrkable summary of expression ten times when he had one of facts, and e. hint of principles of action, definite pru,sage of Scripture in hie mind, which'are intended to throw light on the great and used the plural when the general au- discourse, which bears the same kind of re- thority of Scripture was appealed to? Mo.ny lation to St. John's Goepel the.t the sermon have looked to one or another definite Scrip- on the mount does to St. Matthew'e Gospel. ture text supposed to predict tlle resurrec- It iB a compendium of the Christian faith. tion of Christ, snch e..s Ps. xvi. 10 and lea.. The very fnlness and sufficiency of it liii. (BC'me, very wrongly, to Hos. vi 2, where suggests the doubt of its authenticity. Is no reference can be established to this great not the Lord's reticence on other occa- event). Dr. Moulton points back to Pe. sions, and even hie enigmatic, pare.bolio h:ix., o.nd the impression which the Lord's methCHli of teaching, in decided contro.st .. zeal" hod produced on the disciples. It with the abundance of the revelations with seems better to recall Christ's own words, which Nicodemus was favoured? We are and the comment of Luke, in xriv. 25-27, tempted to a.sk-Whe.t was the evnugeliet's where the whole Scripture seems t.o have source of information? The only reply been laid under contribution to establish the that seems to me rational is that John grand expectation. Further, cf. eh. XL 9, himself wee the o.uditor of this discourse, where John, referring t.o the same subject, e.nd has preserved it for the edification and 11ees the word -ypa.,/>TJ in tl;e singular, for the solace of the world. The disciple whom general tendency of Scripture. All the Jesus loved never left him, but was per• possagee which couple suffering and ap- petually drinking in hie words, and, with e. parent defee.t with triumph and victory, did genuine Hebrew retentiveness, preserved prepare the mind of thoughtf,,\ men for the them intact; at all events, he so reproduced better nnderetan<ling of th, R8"W'l'ectiou. the leading ideas of the conversation. Thus Pe. xxii. and the closmg words of Pe. Thie iB, we mo.inte.in, e. far more ecientifio lxxxix. ; cL ; e.nd Isa. liii. thereupon come treatment of the authorities than the hy- into view ; ond, in foct, all the Scriptures potheeiB of a Johanniet of the second cen- tury having gathered up ond idealized the 1 The au-rois of T.R., which rests on very synoptic records of the scribes, who, by slight authority, iB •)mitted by the critical sundry questions, brought forth from tho editors, to tile great improvement of the Lord 110me of hie most characteristic teach- 11cn.se. ing. 'fhoma urge11 that we 1111 ve here 11 OH, H. 1-25,] THR GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. ,JOHN. 93