The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 86

as he snid, " fnllen asleep," in tl1at new which they orJimully med tho word. When ~enec in which Jesus WILB teaching men to Josue described the condition of Lazarne in look on dC"Rth. lint I go, that I may awake flgul'ntivo lnngungo, he mado uee of a mota- him out of sleep ( ?{u,rv(a-o, is a le.to Greek phor which would hnvo peoulinr applioo.tion word; r.r. Acts x,i. 27). Wiinsohe snys tho in hie caso. The gmco of Christ will turn To.lmud often speuks of a rf\bbi's death under the death of his belove,l throughout nll the form of" sloop" (' Moed. K.,' fol. 28, 1t; time into restful sleep. Laznrue wne part cf. l\fatt. ix. 24; 1 These. iv. 14). Homer of tho method by which this tro.nsforme.tion spoke or death and sleep as "twin sisters,'' would be effected. Tho Christicm ideo. soon Christ's power and ronsciousness of powor found far richer expression thnn clossicnl to awake Lazarus from sleop gives, however, poetry or rabbinism could supply (Acts vii. to his use of the imnge a new menning. It 60; Matt. :uvii. 52; I Cor. :r.v. 6; l These. is not tbo eternal sleep of the Greek and iv. 13; Rev. xiv. 13). Roman roots. Ver. 15.-And I rejoice that I was not Yer. 12.-The disoiples I therefore ■ay there. Death could not have occurred in his unto him, Lord, if he have fallen a.sleep, he presence ; at least, as Ben gel snys, we never will reoover. Wiinsohc quotes• Borach,' fol. read of any ono dying in the presence of 57, b, " Sleep is a good sign for the sick." the Princo of life. Whenever he co.me into The language of the disciples is somewhat oontAct with death, he conquered the great reme.rke.ble; nt least their misunderstanding enemy. Still, this was not tho absolute ie puzzling (ReuBB and Stmuss think it is roason for his gladness. The glndness was a sign of the unhistorical); but it probably conditionatcd by the need of the disciples, arose out of tbo statement, made two days not merely for the comfort of the sisters, or before, that "the sickness was not uuto for hie own greater glory, but for your death,'' and from their eager and affection- s[l.kee, to the end that ye might believe. ate desire to prevent theix Lord's returning The word 1r,a-.-eoo, is often used absol utcly to Judme.. lj he ha'De fallen askep, he toiU (eh. i. 7, 50; iv. 41, 42; v. 44; vi. 36; and reeover (be 1111'Ded). The whole narrative is many other places). The disciples had be- -throbbing with deeper meanings than lie on lieved something of Christ's power before the surface of it. The theory of the sani- (see eh. ii. 11, eto.); but every act of faith tary effects of sleep in fever e.re well known, prepares the way for another. Every fresh o.nd the rousing from such sleep might seem exercise of fe.i tb makes all previous efforts hazardous ; but the disciples were catching in the same direction appeo.r elementary ( cf. at straws to save theix Master. l John v. 13, T.R.). 'l'he j11y of Jesus in Ver. 13.-Now J"esus had spoken of his the augmenting faith of hie disciples is one death : but they thought that he spa.ke of of the moat pathetic and instructive features taking rest in Bleep. Aey£<, though in the of this Gospel (see eh. xvi. 31, and notes). present tense, represents a time anterior to The kingdom of God among men wae, so the time of UoE=- Kolµ.11a-is is found in far e.s we oe.n see, dependent on the amount Ecclus. xlvi. 19. This is an explanation of of faith that the apostles oould be ind need the mietw.dersto.nding, occaaioned, perhe.pe, to cherish in the fact of the Incarnation by the statement of ver. -i., and further eluci- during the brief period of this ministry. dat.ed by what follows. A difference prevails The Ohnrch has not yet come to e. full un- between ,co,µ.11a-u and lhrvos, e.s both words derstanding of e.11 that he was. But if the are used for sleep; but the former has rather disciples had not known his power over the idea of the repose accompanying sleep, death, they would he.ve been destitute of the latter the phenomenon itself. With one the alphabet of this new le.ngua.ge, of the or two exceptions, ,coiJJAd8tu iB always used foundations of the spiritual city they had to in the New Testament of the sleep of death, build. Je~1lB rejoiced when disciples be- wvds never. lieved. So he does still. Nevertheless, let Ver. 14.-Then J"eSUB therefore said to us go to him-to Lazarus, who still lives them plainly. Jesus epake e.t length (,ra.j',- with God ( cf. Matt. :u.ii. 32, o.nd po.rallel PT/D'"f) without metaphor (cf. ver. 11, note). passages). This is very remarkable, Even Laa.ma died; died, i.e. when he told them the dead body is in this case still " he,'' e.s two days a.go that this sickness would not Laze.rue is" our friend" still (of. eh. :r.iv. 31). have deatll e.s its end-died in the sense in Ver. 16.-Thomas, in A.rnmaic, is equiva- lent in meaning to the Greek name Didymua, 1 T.R. reads ..~-roii after ol µ.a.611.-a.f, with or "twin." This apostle is mentioned in 02, L, r, A, other uncials and cursives, the synoptic Gospels with Mutthew, e.nd in Syrisc and Gothic Versions; but it is Acts (i. 13) with Philip. He is classed omitted by tt, D, K, H, by Tiechendorf (8th with the fishermen (eh. :u:i. 2), and me.y edit.), R.'f.; o.nd Alford omits ol µ.a.~Ta.l, therefore he.vo been e. Ge.lilman. Ecclosi- Here B, C, X, followed by Westcott and e.stice.l tradition has assooie.ted him with Hort, rea.d ol JJ,4117)-ral o.lmj. Judas (not Iscariot) (Eusebius, • Hist. Eocl.,' dll. xr. l-57.) TI-tt GOSPEL ACCORDING TO B'I'. JOHN.