The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 263

the good. Still, whioh m11y be shown, and hel\rd I me.de known unto you. This i■ li11s often boon ~hown in self-Bacrificing only in apparent contradiction with oh. xvi. den lh for those who are beloved, wh11tever 12, where he impliee that there wlll be other and "·ider ends me.y be dieoerned more for them to learn in the future, when nfterw11rds and spoken of in other oonncc- the myetery of his death, 1·eeurrcotiou, ond tions, he is here 8.8Berting th11t tho love of 11Bcension sh11ll lrnvo been accomplished. friendship is quite strong and intenBe enough 'l'he limit.at.ion of the 1rc£n .. 6 1j,coua-.. docs to secure such e. l!80rifloc. And ho adds- not consist in ductrine, 11s oppoeod to Yer. 14.-Ye are my friends, if ye do practical duties, nor in tho pfon of solvation whatsoever I oommand you-just bcoe.use I for individuals as a.ntitholio to principles command vou. So the nnlurnl conclusion of his kingdom, nor in principles 11.s dis- will be, "i am showing you the highest tinguished from what nmy ultimately be poSl!ible fruit of my friendship-I 11m laying found in them, but in the copacities and down my life fur you. This is how I have circumstances of the disciples themselves loved vou; therefore after this manner you (eh. xvi 12 is e. corollary of this solemn are to" lol'e one another" (l John iii ·16; ll.l!surance). The rc11son of the present Eph. v. 1, 2). Our Lord then explains more 11BBertion is the proof that U thus supplies and more to them how they can and do of their dearness to him. "Ye a.re my claim this glorious designation. (1) They friends." He had told them e.11 tho.t they \\ill viudica.te the position for themselves if could bear. He had lifted the veil high thev are e.bsolutelv trustful and obedient. enough for their truest joy and noblest (2) ·nut they ce.n • have a new and nobler discipline. He ho.d bared his hen.rt to them. proof. He had kept back nothing tho.t we.s profitable. Yer. 15.-Jl'o longer do I oall you servants, He had proved his own friendship, and bond-slaves. True, he had in this very thus given a conclusive reason for his oom- discourse apoken of them as his liovA01 (eh. plete self-devotion on their account. • xiii 13, 16). Age.in and again in his Ver. 16.-From the thirteenth to the :fl.f. parabolic iea.ching he had spoken of his t.eenth verse, our Lord, in e. brief digression, disciples BB servants of a Lord (Matt. xiii. has justified e. portion of the great com- 27 ; :uii 4 ; Luke xii. 37; and eh. xii. 26, mandment of mutual love. That love is to where another word is used). And more- correspond with his love to the disciples, over, later on in this very chapter (ver. 20), and to explain his self-sacrifice to them; he the word and thought return, so that this proves to them that they a.re his "friends,"· relation to him, gloried in by St. Paul (Phil. and therefore the objects of his dying love. i. 1; l Cor. vii. 22), St. James (i 1), Jude Then tho appeal is still further clenched (1), and even St. John (Rev. i 1), could by showing the origin e.nd purport of his be suata.ined in its integrity, even after friendship for them. Ye did not choose me it had been transfigured, e.nd penetrated ( l{•A•{ ..a-8, ..• <(EAE(c£µ71v a.re middle, "you through and through with the light of love. chose . . . I chose .. , for yourselves or for Because the BervB.Dt knoweth not what his myself"), but I ohose you. I selected you as lord dosth.. The slave is an instrument, individua.lB, not excluding thereby a gracio118 doing by commandment, not from intimate choice of other souls ; I destined you to knowledge, his Lord's behests. But you I accomplish work dear to me e.nd essential ~ve called C•fP111ea}--on previous occa.sions to my kingdom. Christ has already told (s~e Luke xii 4; and cf. eh. xi 11, "Our them that he must "go a.way" from them friend LazarWI ")-friends, for whom it is to the Father, and that they "cannot follow joy to die, and I h.a.ve effected the transfigu- him now, but afterwards;" and he be.s also ration of ,·our service into love. I have raised eonvineed them that, though he go a.way, yon by the intimacy of the relo tions into he will "come age.in, and a.bide with them," which I have drawn you from the position and also that "severed" from him they ea.n of sl11ve to that of friend. You may be, you u do nothing." Consequently when he adds, mUBt be, my servants still; I am your Master I appointed you (see 1 Cor. xii. 28; I Tim. and Lord; but you will be serve.nts from a i 12; Heh. i. 2; Acts xx. 28, for similar higher motive and a more enduring link use of .,-,elva.i) as my apostles and repre- aud bond of union. For all things which I sentatives, to do work in my No.me, there heard of my :Father. Notice the source of is no contradiction in his adding, that ye the Saviour's teaching. He was sent from should go forth, depart into the world with God, trained and taught, as a man; he my message and in my Name, as I am chose thua, humanly, to learn step by step, "departing" to the Fatber, to rule over you thrug by thing, what to reveal of his own from e. higher e.nd more a.uguat position. nature, of his purpoBC e.nd plan in redeem- And bear fruit. A passing reference to the ing men, concerning the essence of the imagery of the first part of the chapter, Father himself, and tile entire significance showing that their "going forth or. a.way" of hia 11elf-m11nifesta.ti DD. That which I upon this mission would not separate thom. on. xv. 1-27.J THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. JOHN. 273