The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 290

EXPOSITION. Vere. 2,3.-They (used impersonally, us the CHAPTER XVI. German man, or the French ou) sho.ll make Vera. 1-6.-(c) The bitter issues of the (or, declare) you excommunicate-ci1ro<ruvc,- hostility of the world. 'YW'Yous, "put you out of the synagogue," Ver. 1.-These things. What things? expel yon from the fellowship of your Primarily the explanation he had given of country's worship (of. eh. ix. 22 and xii. the opposition and hatrecl of the world, and 42}-nay, fnrther (the ci,\,\,. abruptly intro- the vast console.tion which ho hnd promised duces e. very much stronger assertion) an in the identifico.tion of the disciples with hour cometh, that-1v .. is here, by Meyer aml ,himself, and the witness which would be many others, said to involve e. Divine order, borne by the Paraclete; but not exclusively, purpose, or destiny, intended by the drawing for thoy include all the preparatory instruc- on of the foreordained crisis ; but it seems tions based on hie own Person, his going to enough to convey by it the contemplated the Father, his retum in the power of the result (see Cu.non Evans, E:i;poBitor, 1882}- Spirit. Have I spoken to you, that ye should whosoever killeth you will deem that he is not be offended; that you should not be offering aervice--sacrificie.l homage-to God made to full over the stumbling-block of (,rpocnplp•111 l\ctTpElctv ; both these words are persecution, e.nd the refuse.I of the people to persistently used with this meaning. See, for hear your message concerning me. For the ,rpo,rq,,puv, Matt. v. 23; viii. 4:; Acts vii. moment he passes over the ter1·ible stumbling 42; Heb. v. 1). The well-known quotu.lion and falling of that very night, whose shadows from 'Bammi,lbar Rabba,' fol. 320. 11 were deepening as the hours moved on, and " Every one shcchling the blood of the he antioip11ted their future temptations 11nd wicked is equal to him who offers saL•rifice," the source of their ultiw11te heroism. may throw light on the expr.:ssion. The  300 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [crt. xvt. 1--33.