The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 51

nnd he ,ms morcm·er (as tboee old judges with the FBther, a Binner of sinners or Son did) "to die like nien," to lay down thflt of God, on the evidence of hie works-on tbo life in orrlc>r thnt he might take it ngnin ; God-like, Father-like cha.meter of hie entire <'oneequcntly, he I\Bks, with sublime self- ministry (of. ver. 32; eh. v. 17, 86; i."'!. 8). c--0nsciousness, "Se.y ye of him, thus c-onso- If I do not the works of my Father, believe oratNl., Thou blaephemest; because I said, I me not. " If the evidence be insufflolent, I am Bon of God," It is remarkflble that acquit you of blame iu not taking me at my Christ shon ld, instead of repeating the word. My own words and Person and life phrase, "I and the Father are one "----0ne, migkt be enough for you ; but if my works a@ we he.,c men, in power nnd purpose and are not in perfeot harmony with the beat attribute-imply that in the.t. former snyi.ng you know of the Father, beliove me not." he had but told them he was" Son of God," Christ's appeal to the reason of his hearers, in a ~cuse to which the old Hebrew 1.ings, to the suffirienoy of the evidence he had notwithstanding their theocratic symbolism given, would justify unbelief in case of a and mnterious names of honour, could not proved failure. ru;pire." This is clearly a bold utterance of Ver. 38.-:But if I do-if I am performing the Messianic dignity (of. oh. i. 49; v. 19, the works of my Father, if these acts of 20). The fa.et that he continually treated healing and helping, of mighty consolation the two ideas of Father and Son e.s correla- and symbolic grace, are obviously such as tive (eh. ,iii. 19; cf. eh. ix. 35-37; xiv. 7- you can recognize as the Father's, believe 13, etc.) makes the one assertion an equi,a- them; learn that much,-it is for your life- lent of tl10 other. This is a much greater and if you make that acquisition, though ye claim than that yielded to the judges of old, believe not me-though you do not credit and it is a new revelation of the Fnther nnd my assertion on my own authority, though of the Son. Moreover, he showed them that you do not take me at once on my own there were many anticipations, foreshadow- word-believe the works ; you may then ings of the in~rnation of God in their own t.a.ke the further step, and both know and Scripture. We have an argument from the 11llderstand,1 or know broa.dly and com- less to the greater, but one which, while it pletely, and then learn in details, that the technically freed him from the charges of Father is in me, and I in the Father.• blasphemy, revealed the agelong prepam- Between the assertion of ver. 30, "I and ration that had been made for the union my Father a.re one," and that of this verse, between the In.finite and finite, between "the works" a.re introduced-works that are the Creator and crea.tnre, between the recognized as Divine, ••the Father's," but seen Father and his child, which was effected in and known also to be Christ's own works. himself. Some may have suppoeed that in Why should they stone him for blasphemy the levelling up of the theocratic adumbra- if they have evidence so resistless as this, tions of the Incarnation, he was virtnally even if it comes short of proof, that he is relinqniBhing the uniquenese of his own; absolutely one with the Father? The bnt the following words, and the interpreta- intuitive perception of the Divine in Obrist tion put on them by his hearers, answer is the highest and noblest spiritual experi- such a charge. ence. His word should he, might be, enough: Ver. 37.-" I and the Father a.re one," but, suppose it should fail, miracles, "works," nnd "I am the Son of God." These two come in to link the Divine Personality or mighty utterances are equivalent to the fol- the Speaker with the supreme Father. The lowing: "I do the works of my Father." works may teach them that he is in the My works are his works, his works a.re Father, and the Father in him. Not by a mine. .. My Father worketh hitherto, and I flash of light, but by growing intellectual work." The recognition of the Divine is a. si.gn of the regenerated mind, and a. t.est of 1 The reading of T.R., ,ccil 'lr11Pr<6fT'l1-r•, fitness for a. place in Christ's flock ( cf. "I with ~. A, r, and many other authorities, know my sheep, and my sheep know me"). was an endeavour to simplify or explain the The Jews had not recognized the true less intelligible ')'Wcf,1T1e71n. A double use of reciprocal relation between the Father ond the same verb in the aoriet and present was Son. He had come out from God, and not understood; but it is adopted by Tisohen- been sent from the Father to produce this dorf (8th edit.), Tregelles, Westcott, and impression, to make known the Father by Hort, o.nd R.T., on the authority of B, D, X, his Sonship; and he Lad token steps to 1, 32, and versions. convince even unbelieving men of the iden- • 'Ev -rri Ila.-rpC is the reading of Tisohen- tity of his nature and Spirit with that of dorf (8th edit.), Tregelles, and R.T., on the the Father. He is content to rest his claims authority of ~. D, D, L, X, 33, 157, numerous upon their belief, on the character of his versions and Fathers. The Iv ci{mp of T. B. works. He is content to leave the question is the reading of A, r, 1,., A, n, o.nd qumerou, a.s to whether he be a blasphemer or one cursive&, OD, X. 1-42,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 63