The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 48

ference to the eimllilude and allegory of the rejected by powerful argumentR, anil com- first pnrt of this ohl\pter is removed by the mento.tore ceaeo to rliscuee whether it belongs eimplcsupposition thnt be saw in this group to the previous or following clause. In of his interrogators ml\ny of those who had neither case does it appear entirely relevant, bonrd hie former discourse. And said unto although the difficulties felt in either appli- him, How long dost thou hold our soul in cation may be reduced by supposing either suspense 1-citp«v Thv ,f,vxnv 1,µwv; used in one saying or the other to h11ve been virtu- tbo sense of "lift up the soul," and so ally embodied in the et..temente of the used in similar connection in the classics parables of eh. x. 1-18. (Eurip., 'Ion,' 928; 'Hee.,' 69; lEschylus, Vere. 27-30.-(2) Christ'• claim to equa• •Sept.,' IDS; o.leo Josephus, • Ant.,' ilL 2. lily of power and es•enee, and similarity of 3)-lf thou o.rt the Christ (simple sup- gracious operatioo with the Father. position), tell us plainly, Observe in eh, Vere. 27, 28.-llty sheep hear my voioe, xvi. 25 our Lord's own contrast between and I know them, and they follow me : and speaking iv ,rcipo,µla.,s and spanking 1ta.p{>71al~, I give unto them eternal li!e; and they shall with open, clear utterance. They had heard never perish, neither shall any one pluck his parnblee, and say, "Let him drop all them out of my hand. Commentators have reserve, o.nd deliver himself in categoric differed as to the arrangement of these two form." Archdeacon Watkins has well re- verses-whether the six aBSertions should called the various utterances which fell on be regarded as two triplets, in the first of the more susceptible of the Jeruealemites. which the sheep of Christ are made promi- This wo.s the Feast of Lights, and has he nent, and in the latter of which the Shep- not co.lied !Jimself the Light of the world? herd; thus- This wo.s e. feast commemorative of freedom (1) The sheep- from the Syrian yoke, and had he not said, "My sheep hear my voice" (their re- "If the Son set you free, ye shall be free ceptivity). iudeed"? This was tlie Fee.et of the Puri- .. And I know them" (the Lord's re- fic11tion of the Temple ; bad not bis first net sponse to their faith). been a cleansing of the courts of the temple? "And they follow me " (their a.ctive We cannot wonder e.t the summons e.nd obedience). challenge of the people, (2) The Shepherd- Ver. 25.-Jesus answered them. The " I give them eternal life" (involving reply of Jesus is full of wisdom. If be had freedom from peril and deatli ). at once given an affirmative answer, they "They shall not perish.Jfor ever." would huve misunde1·etood him, because he "No one (not man or devil, wolf or was not the Christ of their expecte.tions. hireling) shall pluck them out of If he had denied the.t he was the Messio.h, my hancl" he would have been untrue to his deepest consciousness of reality. The answer WILB: This is not so satisfactory as the arrange- I spake with you-told you what I am-and ment which puts this weighty saying into ye believe not. To the woman in Samaria., three couplets instead of two triplets; in to the Capernaites, to the blind man, to which the sheep a.re the prominent theme Peter and the other apostles, and in several of each proposition. The three couplets dis- emphe.tio forms, he had admitted his play the clima.cterio character of the won- Messie.hship. In eh. viii. he had cla.imed drous rhythm and interchange of emotion the highest honours e.nd e.nnonnced hie between the Divine Shepherd and the Divine commiesion, and appealed to hie sheep- great Messin.nio works, but his endeavour to "My sheep hear my fJOice, and I know them" rectify their Meesianio ideal had, through their obtuseness, failed of its purpose. So = mutual recognition. " They follow me, and I gfoe them eternal now once more he referred them to works done in hie Falher'e n11me, whioh hitherto life"= reciproaa.1 activity. " They shall not perish JOT e-i:er, and no one had foiled to convince them: The works the.t I do in my Father's n.a.me (oh. v. 19, shall pluck them out of my hand " = o.n nuthoritative assurance, and its pledge OI' 3G), they bea.r witness ooncorning me. justification. Ver. :W.-He gives the reo.son of their in- sensibility or lack of appreoilltion and faith: Christ's knowledge of the sheep corresponds But ye believe not, beoause ye are not of my with their recognition of hie suprems sheep (for similar construction, luT~ 11<, see Matt. xxvi. 78; oh, vi. 64). The olauee oureives, versions,· and Fathers, contain (1«iOws ,i1rov ~µiv 1), [as I said unto you], is them; but ~. B, K, L, Vulgate, Origen, numerous cursives, Tischendorf (8th edit.), 1 'l'isohendorf (6th edit.), Lachmann, and R.T., Tregellea, and Westcott and Hort omit. •r.R., with A, D, 1\1, X, and other unoiale, Alford (6th edit) brackets. JOaN-U, s 60 THE GOSPEL AOCORDING TO BT. JOHN. [err. x. 1-42,