The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 481

nobler pnrt of his Personality. I judge no ing himself, his implicit judgmeJJte on man. Numerous efforts hnve been made to human nature, his indirect condemnation find the underlying modification ol this of the whole crowd, by his gracious refusal nssortion. Augustine, Chrysostom, Cyril, to condemn the sinful woman to immediate nnd many modems add, "after the flesh," or doom, all issue forth with the sign-manual "as you do" (the latter is the suggestion of of Almighty Goel. with whom and in whom Liioke, which, as Meyer snys, com_ee to the be dwells as the only begotten Son. snme thing), or "now," pointing on to the Ver. 17.-Having laid down the principle actunl ussum ption of his jurliciary powers nt on which he we.a justified in maintaining the consummation of a.II things, and con- the truthfulness of the assumption which trasting his earthly ministry of mercy with the Pharisees impugned, he proceedetl to the ultimnte majesty of his judgment-throne vindicate, for these Jewish legaliats, its (Westcott). Storr, Moulton, Godet, suggest agreement with the very letter of the Law. "I by myself"-! alono, independently of He adopted here the identical ground which the Father, judge no mnn. JUeyer rejects was taken by him when firat of all ho all these attempts to e.dd to the text, and claimed this fellowship wi~h the Fati1er. ma.iota.ins that our Lord is claiming the Yea, a.nd in your Law it has been written, lofty position of Saviour rather than Judge. that the witness of two men is true. :,Iany He came with that a.s his primary aim, pur- have said that here Jesus puts himself on pose, intent; to bee.I, not to wound; to save, one aide as in hostility to the Law; l-!aur not to destroy; to give time for repentance, a.nd some others plead, from the very phrase not to hurry sinners to their doom; to illu- "your Law," that Jesna could not have used mine, not to cover with darkness. Yet even such a.n expression, and that John could not Meyer admits a practical exception of great have recorded it; and Renea urges that this importance to be involved in the next clause, expression agrees with the" standpoint of the which does not differ from Weetcott's inter- gospel,which aims at lowering and degrading pretation. the old dispenae.tion." Nothing could be less Ver. 16.-And yet (the «cil lil, equivalent in harmony with the facts (see Introduction, to atque etiam-so Meyer, Lutha.rdt, etc.- § VIL 2). Even Meyer says, "The words are " This is the condemnation, that light is anti-Judaic . . . though not antinomian." come into the world, and men love darkness Surely our Lord we.a simply appealin,!!' to his rather than light;" "The light shineth, and bitter enemies to recognize the application the darkness comprebendeth it not." The of the principle found in their own Law, of prince of this world is judged by the simple which they were continually ma.king a proud uplifting of the Son of God; and so, though boast. He simply goes to common ground he did not come to judge or condemn, yet of argument, and is ready to sh'>w that even judgments did, by the very necessity of his the letter of the Lawsnetains his clnim,for the nature, proceed from him) even if I judge- sufficient reason that he is not alone, but the if by the mere contact of hie purity and love Father is manifestly with him. Just as be and healing power with those who will not never said " our Futher " when addressing come to him for life, judgment is pronounced bis disciples, but either "my Father" or -my judgment is true; 1 i.e. trustworthy. "your Father'' (eh. xx. 17), because God is The reading of Tischendorf, ilA118wf,, would not the Father of men in the full sense in mean that it "answers to the fundamental which he was Father to the only begotten conception of a judgment." This thought Son; so he could not say "our Law" or would make the apparent pnradox of the "Moses gave us the Law" without derogat- sentence more difficult to resolve. Becanee ing from the unique relation he sustained I am not alone, but ( or, because, on the other to the Le.w (compare Paul's language, Rom, hand) I and the Father who sent me, to- ii. 17, 21, 23). 'fhe quotation from Deute- gether deliver this judgment: i.e. it does ronomy 1 is not verbally exact; it even carries not rest on my mere human consciou:ml•B•, the statement of Scripture to a broader gene- on what you who judge after the flesh might rnlizntion, and is so worded that it applies suppose it would rest, but on the eternal to the case in point, by carrying the position decisions of him who gave me my commis- to a legi.Liwatc consequence-·• the witness sion. The Father is in me and with me. I of two men is true.'' By using the word think the Father's thoughts and do the "men," Christ suggests the contrast between Father's will. Christ's testimony ooncem- two men on one si<le and the God-lUan and the Father on the other. Lightfoot(' Hora, 1 Tregellea, Tise.':iendorf(Sth edit.), West• Hebraicm ') quotes ' Rosh-Sha.nab,' L 2. 3, colt and Hort, e.nJ Meyer read ilA11611 ~. with B, D, L, T, X, 33, etc.; but T.R. and R.T. 1 In the LXX. of Deut. xix. 15, 'E1rl read d>..118-lis, with ~. r, .o., I\, and eight other ,,.,.~µr,ros livo µap-rupoi11 ,ccil ~ ...1 trrdµrn-os Tj)'"'" uncials nnd some Fathers, etc. Chrysoatom µC&(Y'l,po,11 11~11...-ci, ,ra11 fi1µa (of. Deut. xvii. (once) reads 3,«ale&. 6). .JOHN. :.! A  3!'i4: THE GOSPEL ACCOltDING TO ST. JOilN. [err. vm. 1--09,