The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 271

tinuance or spread of John's teBOhing and ie repeated, e.nd it involves little more than b11,ptiem impossible; for (1) the words were whe.t John had implied to the Sanhedrin obviously addressed to e. eme.ll group only of (eh. i. 30-31 ). the me.nr. thoueandewho heard John preach; Ver. 32.-That which he ha.th seen and and (2) 1t does not follow that all tl1ose who heard, this he testifteth; or, beareth witness to. heard these memorable words should he.ve His pre-existent glory with the Father makes deserted their first master, even in deference him the adequate Witness to the heavenly to his own advice. The words tho.t follow, things (1-irovpclv,a) of which he hath authori- whether a simple record of John's discourse tatively spoken; i.e. the eternal love of the or one deeply coloured by the subjectivity of !)'ather, the purpose of the Son being sent the evangelist, are e.s follows :- mto the world from the heart of God, and its Ver. 81.-He the.t is ooming from e.bove is ultimate issues-eternal life to the believer, above all. Now, it is obvious that Jesus and condemnation to those who love the ho.d spoken of the Son of me.n e.s having darkness and do not believe. Westcott, who come down from bee.van (ver.18), e.nd of his regards these words as the free reflections of own power to speak of heavenly things (i.e. the evangelist, thinks that raference is being of co.uses e.nd measures of Divine opera- made to the continued testimony of the tions); ancl he contrasts these with the Church as the voice of Christ; but the spirit "earthly things" of which he too had spoken of the passage is obscured by this interpre- -" earthly " they were bece.uae they dealt tation. The Ii ving present vocal tea timon y ,vith experiences felt e.nd witnessed e.nd of Christ is being throughout contrasted with realized on earth. Now, John is represented, that of John. And no man receiveth his on the occasion of the baptism of our Lord, witness. This seems in direct antagonism to e.a being convinced that Jesus was "the Son the language of the disciples, "All men of God," and that his existence was prior to come to him;" ILlld toJohn'sown l1LDguage, his own, e.nd that his rank in the universe " He must increase." Westcott regards it, was one utterly transcending his own. These a.gain, as the melancholy reflection of the statements he.ve been already put into the aged apostle towards the close of the century. lips of John by the fourth evangelist, e.nd This seems to me to be an inadequate ex- a.re scarcely exceeded, if at all, by the planation. The reception of the witness of utterance before us. We find a bold con- Christ had moved the whole world when trast between the Logos himself and the John wrote his Gospel; and it would be in- witness to the manifested Logos. He who consistent with the tone of exhilaration with e<m1eth from above, being before John, and which the evangelist closes his work. The being, therefore, in his essential clignity, forerunner may, however, have used this superior to him, is above all, and therefore strong expression in purposed contr:i.st to the above him. He that is, in his origin and the jealous language of his own followers. "No entire self-realizntion of his life, from the man"-in comparison with the multitndes earth, and not inca.ruate Logos, is of the ee.rth who ought to have already accepted him as in quality, and epee.keth of the ee.rth ( observe, the Son of God, e.s the heayenly Bridegroom. not ICO<T/J-os, but -y,j is here used). The ex- The concourse who crowded to the baptism petiences to which he refers are enncted on of Jesus for e. little moment did not blind the ea.rth, and he has no power to go back the Baptist to tl!e persistent and malignant and heavenwards for the full explanation of opposition which a.waited Jesus. " ~ joy them. Higher than heaven are the thoughts nnd revelations of the Son of God. He co.n sives, Harclean e.nd Curetonian Syriac, Cop- unveil tl!e heart of the eternal Father. tic, Armenian, Persian. Origen omits it in the Christ can link hie own work with the pa.asago in which he retains the' i1rcivw ,ra.vTwv ministry of the mightiest of the Heaven-sent i<TTiv, eto. A, r, A. nnd olhers sustain Lnch- messengers; but John starts from the con- mann and T.R. in retaiuing it. Tischendorf sciousness, the perils, the self-deceptions (8th edit.), Revised Version, Westcott e.nd e.nd contrition of mnn. He tha.t oometh out Hort, discard it. Now, in consequence of of heaven is e.bove all. 1 This great utterance this, and the fine sense thus suggested. e.lsq because the authorities for the omission an. 1 The repetition of " is above e.11 " ( l1rcl11., stronger genere.lly in their omissions the.n in ,rrJ.vn,v l<M"iv) is omitted by the~. D, a.nd some their additions, Westcott e.nd Moulton think cursives, by Old Le.tin, Syriao nnd Arme- the preferable reading of vers. 81, 32 to be, ninn Versions, by Origen a.nd Hilary; though "He that cometh from heaven, that which it is found in ~•, A, B, L, and other mnnu- he hu.th seen e.nd heo.rd, this he testifieth" BClripts, oursives, the Vulgate, Memphitic, (cf. margin Revised Version). Meyer, 'l're- Syria.o Pesohito, 1Ethiopio, nnd quoted by gelles, Godet, Luthar<lt, Revised Version, clo Chrysostom. The omission of the ,cal before not accept the nrgumont, but maintain that the next clause is incumbent upon critics. this repetition of the clause is in the me.uner It is omitted by~•, B, D, L, '!',numerous cur- of John.  134 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO BT. JOHN. [on. m.1-36,