The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 440

original a.nd uniquo of the grea.t sRgeR. The saitb the Lorcl." But Jesus says hi, tho11ghts "Jews'' were sufficiently e.cquRinted with a.re God's thoughts, hie ways God's w&ya, lhe origin o.nd training of Jesus to be hi• teachings not his own, but altogether a.etonishocl o.t his knowledge of the inter- those of him who sent him. pretntionR of Scripture and other wisdom. Ver. 17.-The morn.I test is then applied "This tolls powerfully against all attempts, to the great dictum which he had ju•t ancient nncl modern, to trace back the wis- uttered. If e.~y man willeth-not merely dom""of Jesus to some school of human cul- deHires, but performs the distinct e.ct of ture" (Meyer). The attampte to estnbliRh willing-to do his will-as his will-he a oonnection between the teaching of Christ ahe.ll know; i.e. his intellectual faculty will and the bidden wisdom of the Zendaveeta, be quickened into high a.ctivity by this or esoteric utterances of Ilucldba, or even moral and practical effort. If the Di vine tbo traditionary teaching of the Eeeenes, or will concerning conduct meets the sponta- the Platonizing schools of Alexandria or neous a.et of the human will, if e. man's will Ephesus, have failed. The mystery of bis is set to fulfil the Divine will, to will and training as a man in the village of Naza- do what is revealed to him by God, the eye reth is one of the evidences given to tho of the soul will be opened to see other things world that there was cm unknown element as well, and especially will ha.ve power to in hie consciousness. He bad not even the discern the all-pervading Divine element advantage of I.he schools of Hille! or Gama- in this teaching of mine. He shall know liel. Ilia own wondrous soul, by much concerning (11,p!) the teaching, whether it be pondering on the genuine significance of of (',c) God, or whether I speak from myself the Scriptures, is the only explo.nation to -from the simple ground of my own incle- which even his enemies can appeal. Jesus pendent, self-taught humanity. The fir3t knew the meaning, heard the murmuring and natural application of this mighty of their surprise on this head, and so we dictum and condition was e. test by which read- the Jews might come at once to the under- Ver. l6.-J'eB11s therefore 1 &I111Wered them standing of his more than prophetic claim e.nd said, etc. He met this pe.rticule.r alle- to tea.eh-he having never learned in their gation a.a follows : My teaohing is not mine. rabbinical schools. It amounted to this : The " my" refers to the teaching itself, the Your moral harmony with the will of God "mine" to the ultimate authority on whfoh it a.a already revealed to you will be the sure rests. I am not e. self-taught Man, as though index e.nd confirmation of the great fact I out of the depths of my own independent have jnst referred to. You will discern the human consciousness I span it. I do not Divine in my words, the absolutely true in mean yon to suppose that my mere human my teaching. Here the Lord a.gain refers experience is the sole source of my instruc- to the gree.t principle, "He that bath heard tions (eh. v. 31). If you have sat at the of the Father, e.nd learned, cometh unto feet of those who taught you, I, too, e.m a me;" "He that is of the truth heareth my Representative of another; but (the I.Mc£ voice." This moral B11bmission to God will after o~,c is not eq ui ve.lent to tam ... quam. quicken all your powers to discern and It introduces here the absolute source of all come to an invincible assent as to my claims. his teaohing) it is the teaching of him who This is not the <leep subjective testimony of sent me. I have not learned in your schools, the inner intuition of those tho.t e.lready but am uttering the thoughts that come from believe, by which e. verbal assent becomes an infinitely deeper source. "He who sent a full consent, an unchangeable con vic- me" gave them to me. I have been in in- tion, or "the full assure.nee of faith:" but timate communion with Bru. All the.t I say it is addressed to unbelievers, and assures is Divine thought. I have drawn it all from those who a.re bewildered by the novelty o.nd the Lord of all. I ea.me from him, and sweep of bis own words that, if they a.re set represent to you the will of God. This is on doing the will of God, they will become o. lofty prophetio cle.im, more urgent, more perfectly satisfied that his own teaching, oomplete, than that me.de by Moses or Isaiah. such as it is, is e. stream of heavenly truth Specie.I messogcs, ore.oles, and burclons were bursting from the very heart of God. The delivered by the prophets with a " Thus text has been cited by certain writers Rs the sum total of the Christian revelation, 1 N, B, r, .1, A, n, and many other manu- almost as though it substituted pre.otice.l scripts and some versions here introduce obedience for true thinking, as though o3v. They are here followed by Grieebo.oh, people might well be content with holy Scholz, Tischendorf (8th edit.), Westcott and living, a.ml might safely leave the decision Hort, and R.T. There is general assent to of all difficult problems of thought and the absence of oJv in oursives and some revelation to shift for themselves. Nothing Le.tin o.nd other versions. There is much oould be further from its real meaning, foroe in the partiole. either nt the time or in any of its subaequcnl  310 TRE GOSPEL AOCOtlt)lNG TO ST. JORN. [on. vn. 1--33.